The Pomp And Joe Show
10AM - Is Mike McCarthy a real candidate for the Steelers head coaching job? Starkey goes back and forth with Steelers fans in the Fan YouTube Chat
20 Jan 2026
Chapter 1: Is Mike McCarthy a strong candidate for the Steelers head coaching job?
I'm sensing sabotage in my midst. There's no Bob here, which has nothing to do with that. Although, why is Bob not here? It's a Tuesday.
Limits? Maybe he's at the hypothetical Tomlin news conference today. I guess.
I thought that was the excuse on Tuesdays. Well, that was legitimate because he hosted the Tomlin News Conference. He was the emcee. And if you need an emcee out there, well, Larry Richard or Bob Pompeiani is your guy. Is there an event in Pittsburgh that's not emceed by one of those two men? Honestly, probably not. So why isn't he here then? I don't know. Do we know he wasn't going to be here?
He's never been here on Tuesdays, typically. Because of that? There is no Tomlin. Tomlin's not here anymore. Well, in the summer, he's typically not here on Tuesdays either. I haven't even done a summer with Bob, have I? We're both off the whole summer. That's true. Then in the meantime, Limits, you're extremely distracted today. Unbelievably distracted. You're playing old music for the show.
I heard you last night. I heard you last night. You had a good show on, even though you didn't show up to produce this show. You had your own show.
You weren't here either.
Yeah, I know. I'm off.
You took the day off and I took the day off.
No, you didn't. You worked last night. So you worked last night.
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Chapter 2: What is the significance of McCarthy's past with Aaron Rodgers?
And what I wouldn't give just to wake up in Florida or Arizona or Hawaii today limits. Should we join them? Could I do the show remotely? Do you think? Probably. Would they allow that? You have a lot of pull as the Savile News Hound, so I think you could. What if Ron and I did an old man's show from Florida from 10 to 2? That would be unbelievable, actually. That would be a great show.
And you would never get in here, Limits. You'd have to go for the PM or AM show. You'd have to sabotage Crowley instead. That could never happen. No. No. You and Harry Callas with a palace coup? A palace coup? A palace callous? You guys could do. Where was I? Oh, yes. The wasted years for art. Why would you waste a year of your life? I'm curious.
Does Art think that 2003 was a wasted year for the Steelers' limits? Do you think he thinks that was a wasted year of everybody's lives? Because that was the year that begat Ben, right? And the Steelers went 6-10 that year. And Ben is the person most responsible for whatever it is, a 22-year non-losing streak.
non-losing streak, which is certainly different from what's happened in the playoffs because it's a losing streak in the playoffs of seven straight games in which the Steelers have been blown out by an average of more than two touchdowns per game. So I guess that was a wasted year, 2003, even though they got Ben. And I wonder if Art also thinks that 19, let's see here. Was it 1970?
What year did they draft Terry Bradshaw? I think it was 70. So 69 was a wasted year at one in 13. even though Chuck Knoll walked in and completely reset the culture and they got the quarterback who would lead them to four Super Bowl wins. Correct. I guess that was a wasted year. Does he think New England had a couple wasted years there, like the one where they got Drake May?
They're still playing. Did you notice?
Yes. Wasted. Yeah.
They wasted those years. Somebody should knock on Art's door and tell him the records of his team for the last five years, including the playoff blowouts. 10-8, 10-8, 10-8, 9-8, 9-7-1.
If that's in contention, when you are 10-8, 10-8, 10-8, 9-8, 9-7-1, and have a heavily minus point differential and get destroyed in the first round of the playoffs almost every year if you make the playoffs, if that's in contention limits, then I am Harry Callas. I think we're dealing here with a team president who just doesn't have a grasp on reality right now. Do you agree with that?
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Chapter 3: How has Art Rooney's perspective influenced the Steelers' coaching decisions?
This guy is not for real. He's not good enough. And yet he had some okay records in Miami. Well, he was only there for what, three years limits, I think? Right. I like his demeanor. I love his defenses. I think his ones in Minnesota have been fabulous this year. They didn't have an offense, which kind of hampers you on defense. And yet they were still pretty respectable.
I'm sure somebody can throw some numbers up, but if you look at the entire situation in Minnesota, I don't think it was bad defensively at all. And I think at times in Flores' tenure, it's been really, really good. He went into Miami, went 5-11 the first year, and then he went 19-14 the second two years. I don't think that's a terrible resume either.
Does it feel to me like a grand slam if they were to hire Flores? No, but it feels like a pretty good hire if they were to do that. McCarthy and Rodgers running it back, on the other hand, just doesn't seem right. attractive to me. How about you? At 412-928-9370, let's get this conversation started. It still feels very surreal to be talking about it.
I saw where Tomlin was at his daughter's gymnastics meet, I think. I forget where she goes to school, but it was a nice photo of a dad rooting on his daughter. It was nice. And I hope for him, Well, I hope for him that that he has peace and happiness in whatever this is a step away. Is it going to be a retirement? I don't know.
I feel like a lot of these guys with Bill Cower being the main example that I can think of Brian Billick, another one. I think a lot of these guys, once they step out of it, realize what they were missing. And that you can have a real life outside of this and they get paid very well. So don't take this the wrong way, but it's just a it's a maniacal, obsessive existence as a coach. It really is.
Very few of them can can achieve, I think, any real balance in their lives. It's very difficult once they get out. And they realize there's more to it, especially when they realize, like in Cowher's case and Billick's probably, but more so in Cowher's, my God, I can make all this money and not have to put up with all that and still have a life with actual people in it.
Maybe it's time to never go back. So once somebody steps out, I'm always curious about that. But I think the coaching addiction, and I do believe it's an addiction, just grabs a lot of them again and says, come back, come back, come back. And they can't let it go. It'll be interesting to see with Tomlin how that goes. Because, man, if he was inclined to come back.
One of the greatest coaching jobs in NFL history is on the table right now. In spite of Brandon being the GM in Buffalo, you walk into Buffalo, you have a guy in Josh Allen, Superman, still in his prime. I mean, it's one of the greatest coaching openings there has ever been. Right up there with when Bill Cower resigned back in 2006 or 2007, whatever it was, 2006, I guess.
Early 2007, if you want to be technical. Big Ben in his prime. That's what Tomlin walked into. By the way, Limits. Compare the situation the new Steelers coach walks into compared to what Tomlin did. It's a little bit different, wouldn't you say?
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Chapter 4: What are the implications of the Steelers not being in contention for nearly a decade?
I don't feel like it's been contrived. I think it's actually happening. It's actually happening that Tomlin is 8-12 all time in the playoffs. Am I tossing out bait for rage there? What's this guy's name?
Limits? His name, once again, is match quarters 9-1-3-6. Now, how could I forget that?
Yeah. Nine straight seasons. Without a playoff win. That's an NFL record for Tomlin. Seven double-digit playoff losses. That's an NFL record. I guess I'm just throwing, what, chum in the water here for all the sharks to feed on? Or am I just mentioning reality that you have a football team here that never wins anything of significance anymore? And nothing is expected of anymore, ever.
The Vegas over-under every year is about eight and a half, and then Tomlin exceeds it by one or two and is hailed as a miracle worker. And then they get systematically destroyed in a playoff game, the latest of which was the worst home playoff loss in the history of the franchise. So I guess, yeah, I guess it is rage bait. And then as far as art goes...
tell that guy to call the show what's his name no don't say his name again tell him to shorten his name and call the show call the show and we can talk about what i guess he thinks that criticism of rooney is unfair is that what he thinks here's the bottom line in one simple sentence The Steelers have not come close to winning a playoff game in nearly a decade, in just about a decade.
Just start and end there. And that guy thinks that fans, what, should be okay with it? Shouldn't be mad about it? We're wrong for wanting Tomlin to be fired? Are wrong for being mad at Art? I guess... Read me the next one, O Limitless Wonder. Because I really resented this one.
And by the way, listen to Pomp and Joe every Wednesday to hear about Starkey's Card of the Week from the Baseball Card Castle in Cranberry. Contests run every Wednesday through Friday at noon at the 937thefan.com contesting page. Bottom line to that guy is fans around here don't need any bait to be enraged. They're pretty enraged as it is, and they're very, very much justified to be so.
as they watch a team that's never really in contention anymore, ever, just float along year after year after year, and Art was ready to run it back again. If I were a fan, I'd be pissed too. I would be too. Obviously, you wouldn't be, whatever your name is again. Obviously, it sounds like you're okay with it.
Maybe art can hire you and you guys can be in contention every year and not waste a year of your lives resetting, rebuilding or whatever you want to call it. Do you like dark chocolate limits? I do. So do I. And I'm now addicted to it and I freeze it. I buy dark chocolate, and then I put it in the freezer, and now I can't stop eating it, and now I'm addicted to it.
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Chapter 5: How do Steelers fans feel about the current coaching situation?
Tell me more about Shula because I'm just, like I said at the beginning, I can't even remember if I said this on the air to Dorn and Crowley on the way in. I feel like I don't know anything. I like, I can read about these guys, but do we, what do we know about Chris Shula?
What do we know about Bill Cowher? I didn't know anything about Chuck Knoll. I know. I know. Let me finish though.
And his defense has been good. Okay. How good have his defenses been? He has no money on his defense. He has one of the lowest paid defenses in the league. Okay. And he makes it so tell me tell tell me why I'm not criticizing you here. I'm saying that I feel like I don't know a lot about these candidates. And you're right. We didn't know a lot about Tomlin. You're right about that. Hold on.
Hold on. Hold on. Hold on. The Steelers might be right. But just tell me why. Again, this isn't an accusation. It's an honest question. Tell me why you like Shula so much.
I'm going to go in history. When Noel came in, he coached with Shula. When Cowher came in, he coached with Schottenheimer. When Shula coached with the guy from the Rams, he was probably the best head coach in the league. That means a lot. That means a lot. I'm telling you this, it does. He's picked up a lot from this guy, the coach from the Rams. I'll take this guy any day of the week.
He knows that you need an offense. He's just not strictly a defensive coordinator. He's going to build an offense around you.
Does Dave Shula count in the equation? The one from his son? The old Bengals coach? I don't know. I mean, if it's the Shula bloodlines you're looking for, I mean, I don't know. Bloodlines don't mean a whole lot to me. No, no, I didn't say bloodlines.
I said who he coached with. The guy for the Rams is the best head coach in the league. And he coached with him for like, what, eight, nine years? So he's picked up something from this guy. And so did Noel pick up from Shola. And so did Keller pick up from Schottenheimer. You pick up from these guys. I don't think the coach, Flores, picked up from anybody. I really don't.
And he coached with Tomlin. I didn't think our defense was that great when he was on our team anyway as a coach. And I know he was an assistant, whatever. But our defense wasn't good. So I'm not putting him that high up.
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Chapter 6: What are the potential consequences of hiring McCarthy or Flores?
The thing about Sheilhaus for me, look, he's never called plays.
I mean, I can't say yet that he's the guy.
He's barely older than you. Yeah, but would you rather not hire Sheilhaus where he's ready in a year and then he turns out to be a really solid candidate? where would you rather grab him a year early and then you grow and develop with him this next year before you get a quarterback in 27?
But this whole idea that he's the next Sean McVay, I don't know that I'm buying it. And I'm certainly not buying what you're intimating with that last caller, two callers ago, that just because you spend time around a guy that you become him. Belichick's the greatest example of all. His coaching tree has a lot of rotten branches limits.
Branches that have just fallen down and they're in the yard like one in my yard right now. But I don't know how and don't feel like getting rid of. And my wife is mad at that, too.
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