The Pomp And Joe Show
The Steelers will introduce Mike McCarthy as their head coach today
27 Jan 2026
Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.
Chapter 1: What is the significance of introducing a new Steelers head coach?
Oh boy, what a day this is. A new Steeler coach introduced for the first time since 2007. Is it to the day limits? Can you look up the Mike Tomlin introductory news conference? I should have done that before the show, but I was too cold and tired to do anything really. What a day. And I think Mike McCarthy is going to win this news conference. I do. I almost think he needs to win.
He's favored by eight touchdowns going into this news conference. What's the date you got there?
It was January 23rd, 2007.
So almost to the day. Almost to the day. Is that 19 years ago? Right? Okay. Sometimes I have trouble with math. They always seem to want to cheat in with that extra number that confuses me.
Well, yeah, especially when you add like 2000. Right. If you're trying to. So are we 26 years after 2000 or 25? Where are we? After 2000, it would be 25.
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Chapter 2: How does Mike McCarthy compare to Mike Tomlin?
Okay.
Right.
I guess that's where I get confused. No, maybe it would be 26. Exactly. Yeah, I don't know. Right. So here we are. A Pittsburgh guy getting introduced at 2 o'clock. And I think this part of it is cool. It's fun. Enjoy it. Who knows who's right? I don't know. Just because I don't like the hire, particularly, doesn't mean I don't think Mike McCarthy's a pretty good football coach. Enjoy the day.
Seize the day, I say, for those of you who are in favor of this. I see it as a continuation of Mike Tomlin. Maybe I'm wrong. I've been wrong before. So have all of you. People love to point out when others are wrong. Don't they, Limits? Like yesterday, Bob mentioned Mina Kimes.
And I'm like, why did he ā and then I saw that everybody's dragging her for some prediction from the preseason in football.
That the Raiders would ā or the Seahawks would regret giving up Geno Smith and trading him. That it would be an awful decision. How could you get a better quarterback than Geno Smith? And they got Sam Darnold who went to the Super Bowl.
So she was wrong.
Correct.
Like you are a lot of the times and like I am a lot of the time. Correct. And Bob. So it just seemed odd. Like, okay, let's all jump on that take. Somebody put out a take of mine right before the show today about the Steelers beating the Texans. Yes, I thought they would. I thought they might make a run. And the reason was Aaron Rodgers. And I guess in the end, I was wrong about Aaron Rodgers.
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Chapter 3: What are the reactions to Mike McCarthy's hiring?
I was open-minded to Rodgers. Didn't think it would work. I guess it did, but then it didn't. I don't think this is going to work to get them where they want to go, which is past round one of the playoffs. I think that's where you want to go, right? Maybe even do a Super Bowl. Do we still say those words around here? Maybe do a Super Bowl. That's what Mike McCarthy.
Why do I want to keep saying Mike McConnell? Why do I keep wanting to say that? Why does my brain say that limits? I don't know why, but it does.
That's what Mike McCarthy was brought here for. Don't confuse the football coach with the famous basketball family in the city. I know.
Yeah, there's many of them. There's no honeymoon here. There's, I'm sure, him saying in the interview, you have a pretty good roster. And I don't think he's necessarily wrong about that, by the way, the roster. I'll get into that in a minute. But he doesn't have a quarterback. But the news conference today, he's going to win. He's a three-touchdown favorite, and he's going to win by eight.
How can he not? Flash a little Yinzer accent while you're in there. Give a little Yinzer inside knowledge on some places to go, some places he's been. I love that. I think that's great. I think it's going to be fun.
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Chapter 4: Why did the Steelers choose to hire Mike McCarthy?
And he's going to bring up Will Howard. He might even say Will Howard has a chance to start. I watched this guy on tape. Wow. Love this guy. You don't think that's going to win points? We're going to come in here tomorrow. There's going to be a significantly different tenor than there's been to the McCarthy hire. I'm convinced of that. Convinced of it. And that's okay. That's fun.
It's a Greenfield guy coaching the Steelers, and he's won a lot of football games. He's won a Super Bowl. He just won 12 games three times in a row with the Cowboys. My opinion is that he's a guy who no longer gets it done in the playoffs. And my last image of him is getting destroyed on his home field as a touchdown favorite in the wildcard round by the Green Bay Packers.
I think it's an extension of what has been happening here. Whether he's an offensive guy, defensive guy, whatever it is. Let's not act like the only problem around here has been offense. Please. The Steelers became the first team ever to give up 40 points in three straight playoff games. And that was before they were destroyed by Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson. Well, not C.J.
Stroud. No, not him. So I'm open-minded. I think it could be a fun day for people. And why not enjoy that part of it? Nothing's happened yet. They haven't played a game yet. I say enjoy the Mike McCarthy introduction limits, whether you agree with the hiring and the process or not. It's going to be fun. It's going to be entertaining. It's at 2 p.m. Why couldn't they have it at noon?
They didn't want us to have the fun. They didn't want us to have the fun. I'm actually convinced of that. I have big news in the meantime limits. We're going to get to this and your feelings on this. And things like if you could inject art with truth serum today. He had to tell the truth. Like Jim Carrey in Liar Liar. Do you remember that movie, Limits? Never watched it. You should.
It's very entertaining. Has a nice message at the end. It's a man struggling to be a good father.
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Chapter 5: What controversies arose during the coaching interview process?
And at some point, he has a spell cast over him where he can't tell a lie anymore. He has to tell the truth. What is he, Pinocchio? In this instance, yes. What if you could inject art with truth serum? and ask him one question, what would it be, a limitless wonder? I think for me it would be, when did you know that Mike Tomlin was going to step down? I don't care what anybody says.
And I could be wrong about this too. Something is very odd about the way that Tomlin stepped down. That's undeniable. It was painted as, he's just burned out. What a great 19-year run we had. I was ready to run it back with him. Everything was great. He just told me in, you know, 20 minutes that he was done.
And then he leaves without without them putting on a happy face together at a news conference like Cowher did, like Noel did saying goodbye because all was well at the end. Right. It was just him wanting to spend more time with his family. Everything was great. This is natural. This is normal.
Never mind that Tomlin was seen as a guy who couldn't stop coaching, who basically just told Rich Eisen not long ago he's addicted to coaching, in so many words. People who know him say there was no signs of burnout. What are we doing here? What happened? Did Mike know that he wasn't coming back or at least didn't have the option year triggered for 27th?
what happened he just disappeared gone like that in a wisp of smoke just gone that seems normal to everybody it doesn't seem normal to me so i would ask art on truth serum when did you know this was going to happen and why did it happen Because the whole burnout thing, I don't know about that one. Limits, you?
Yeah, if I had to ask Art one thing, it would be regarding this search. And I would ask him, was Mike McCarthy your guy from the moment that Mike Tomlin stepped down? Did you know that Mike McCarthy was going to be your coach, and this was just a sham hiring process where you didn't really want to interview Chris Shula or Sheil House or even bring in Anthony Weaver for another interview.
Mike McCarthy was always your guy no matter what, and were you actually open-minded to other choices?
Oh, I had a drop of truth serum, if you don't mind, Limits. We'll give him a double shot and say, was this your pick or Omar's?
Yeah, that's a good question. I would imagine that it was his and that he wasn't overruled by the GM. But I'm sure Omar had significant input.
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Chapter 6: How did Rams President Kevin Demoff respond to criticism?
Noel got hired. Was it 69? Yeah. So, see, here's my math again. 57 years. 57 years. Yeah, I've already done the math. One, two. This is the fourth time in 57 years that this has happened. This is as often as Ron has picked up a check over that time. Maybe even more, but
Did Ron ever buy you dinner? What? That's a rhetorical question, is it not? I'm sure you could have went to a set establishment that Ron frequented and maybe had a free meal.
I mean, he bought me a free dinner. Like if I went to a place like Domenico's and on his recommendation, I got a little break. Okay. I guess that counts.
Yeah. Do you think he would just walk out of Domenico's? Just as soon as he's done eating, just walk right out. Not say goodbye to anybody. Obviously not pay for anything, but just walk out.
Maybe. I don't know. I don't know. I'm focused on this landmark day, and it truly is. And I can't wait to listen to the news conference today. I can't wait to hear Benzie flying in from the top rope. I can't wait to hear Kabali. He's all over this. It's going to be so strange to hear another voice, to not hear Mike Tomlin say good afternoon.
You know, I've been hearing that for 20 years, practically. You know, as long as some of you, almost as long as you've been alive, limits. Right? What are you, 25?
I'm 24. I'll be 25 in a couple months.
Your whole conscious life has been Mike Tomlin saying good afternoon.
Yeah, I don't remember anything from Cower. Because when he stepped down, I was five years old.
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Chapter 7: What are the implications of the Steelers' coaching decisions?
He really should be. But anyway, it's going to be about the process. That's what people seem to have the biggest complaint about. And Andrew spoke to that yesterday during their show. Let's play. Why don't you tell you want to set it up as well?
Yeah, so this is what Pony had to say. He talked to somebody that gave him some thoughts and insight on Shula and Sheilhaus.
This is, from the person I'm getting it from, the Steelers' perspective on why they didn't go further down the road with Sheilhaus and Shula. You could say they're wrong in their opinions or information on these coaches, if you want. The reason I was given for why Chris Shula did not get a second interview, not in person, is because he bombed the first one. They did not like his first interview.
Something about that interview, I don't know what, did not impress Art Rooney and or Omar Khan. Not sure what it is, but it was not good enough for them to want to do it again with him. That's their take.
The take on Sheilhaus I got was they don't think he's ready, and the follow-up to that was they're not sure, based on their conversation with him, if they ever think he's going to be ready, which I will admit right now, that tidbit on him is in direct conflict and stark contrast with what Dulac said.
Well, hold on a sec, because that's interesting. And I think one thing that Art should probably try to do is get his quote inside sources, one of whom might be himself, together so that they're on the same page. Because whoever told Jerry that there would be absolutely no retreads in this process, that turned out wrong.
Whoever told Jerry that Sheilhaus had a Tomlin-like interview and blew them away was apparently wrong because why in the world wouldn't you want to have a second interview with him? And then we have somebody telling Pony that Shula bombed the interview. But then we have this from the Rams president. Is this limits?
Yeah, that's correct. This is from Kevin Demoff. He said on Twitter, quote tweeting Pony's tweet, where he put out about the report that Chris Shula did not interview well for the Steelers job.
Demoff says, in talking to the Steelers, there is no truth to this, but maybe rather than trying to build up your name by tearing someone else down, you should examine a process that has coaches having the biggest job interviews of their life crammed into an hour the day before a playoff game.
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Chapter 8: What should fans expect from Mike McCarthy's press conference?
You just come so unprepared with no knowledge of the team. You think that Ben Roethlisberger is still the quarterback instead of Aaron Rodgers this past year? Wow, Willie Parker guy. I love the way you run the ball.
Right. So Art and Omar, so your first impressions, Chris, of let's just start with our offense. You know, I think first that Najee Davenport needs to run the ball more. You definitely have to get Eric Green involved.
I'm so excited to coach Troy Polamalu. His versatility on the field, man. You just let him play.
Right. Defensively, you know, I know I'm taking over for Dick LeBeau here. He did a great job this season, you know.
Is that Canada guy still the coordinator?
Right. Carnell Lake, you know, I coached his son in L.A., and it's amazing he's still here as a safety. How do you bomb a Zoom interview? What are we doing here? How can this possibly be true? You just come off as what, just a complete dud? I mean, you'd have to have no personality because that's what they looked at. Bill Belichick had no personality. Lots of guys have no personality.
Well, they didn't have Zoom back then. You think Tom Coughlin lights up a room when he walks in? I mean, I don't know about this one. Although I do believe absolutely that someone there told Pony that. This serves the Steelers. Without question, this information serves the Steelers, right?
Well, yeah, because obviously the narrative is you should have interviewed Sheil House, you should have interviewed Shula in person, whether you flew there or they flew here. So it's just kind of some damage control to get people off of that and start to like McCarthy more.
Right, it's damage control. It's... Oh, Shula was so bad. We didn't want him for a second one. And Sheil house came off like he's not ready and might never be might never be. So who's telling Andrew that? And then who's telling Dulac? This guy was was just blew us away. This Sheil house. Unbelievable. First interview, which is true.
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