We stand united. pic.twitter.com/I3OcL50qjz
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) August 28, 2020
Before the start of the Pittsburgh Steelers Friday night practice, head coach Mike Tomlin joined his team on the field and gave a powerful speech about the state of the nation and the Steelers stance on the issues. The speech was just about three minutes and culminated with the entire team — players and staff — meeting at midfield arm in arm, taking a knee in a moment of silence.
Here are our three big takeaways from Tomlin’s speech.
Professionalism at its best
Maybe the biggest takeaway from Tomlin’s speech was how professional it came across. They didn’t feel the need to call out anyone individually, name names or make it about demands and threats. Tomlin said they met with the social justice committee before preparing the speech, a move others should consider as well. Compare what Tomlin did to how the Baltimore Ravens handled it and it is clear which franchise has a better understanding of their role in this thing and it’s Pittsburgh.
Setting the precedent for the season
Together. pic.twitter.com/TiZYaN40Q7
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) August 28, 2020
Many members of Steeler Nation do not look forward to having the Steelers taking a knee before the national anthem. But could you really see what you saw last night and have an issue with solidarity among the team? Will the same level of acceptance happen when it is before the anthem? And what about when fans are able to attend the games?
This team is still about football
"We wanted to pause and share with those that are hurting tonight that we see you, that we hear you, but most importantly we stand with you." – Coach Tomlin pic.twitter.com/tGraF3H9Cp
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) August 29, 2020
When Tomlin spoke you could tell this was more about a football team willing to acknowledge their place in the world while still understanding their top priority is to be a football team. This wasn’t an impassioned plea or an attempt to rally people to some sort of cause. It was a statement by a very diverse group of people that represented unity.
