I am not naive. I know Mike Tomlin had more than one reason for going on ESPN Monday morning in a rare offseason media appearance to defend Mason Rudolph from the most recent accusation by Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett that Rudolph called him a "stupid N-word" when the Steelers and Browns played in Cleveland on a Thursday night in November.
It wasn't all for Rudolph's benefit. Tomlin had a professional reason. He knows he might need Rudolph as his starting quarterback as soon as the opening game next season, depending on Ben Roethlisberger's recovery from major elbow surgery. Tomlin needs to make sure Rudolph's mind is right.
It wasn't right in the next game following Garrett's initial racial allegation, which came almost a week after Garrett yanked off Rudolph's helmet and clubbed him over the head with it late in the Browns' 21-7 win. Rudolph played horribly against the Cincinnati Bengals in that next game and was replaced in the third quarter by Duck Hodges.
"These accusations are serious, not only in terms of Mason Rudolph's character, but his professional pursuits," Tomlin told ESPN.
But all of that doesn't lessen my respect for Tomlin. I thought he was at his best in the ESPN interview. He took a strong stance against the sports network for giving Garrett a platform without giving Rudolph a chance to respond and for not pointing out that the NFL and the Steelers did a thorough investigation and found no corroboration of Garrett's allegation.
Tomlin added that he was on the field right after the Garrett-Rudolph incident and heard nothing from anyone about a racial slur. He said he talked to many members of the Browns after the game and in the days and weeks that followed and heard nothing.
It was a powerful appearance, targeting not just football fans across America, but players in the Steelers' locker room who might be wondering if Rudolph could have done such a thing.
Tomlin's message was even more powerful because he is black. It wasn't hard to see that here was a black head coach forcefully defending a white player against a black player who is a star in the NFL.
I hate to bring race into this, but that's what Garrett did during his ESPN interview. It almost was laughable when Garrett said, almost matter-of-factly, that he has put the whole thing behind him and figures that Rudolph also has done that.
Please.
If only it were that easy for Rudolph, who will be considered a racist, at least in the minds of some, for the rest of his career and the rest of his life.
Rudolph responded to Garrett's initial allegation and denied using a racial slur after that game in Cincinnati. "Absolutely not. Not even close. I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe that he would go that route after the fact."
Rudolph went on Twitter Saturday soon after Garrett's interview and called his accusation "1,000% false," a "bold-faced lie" and "a disgusting and reckless attempt to assassinate my character."
Tomlin on ESPN: "I fully support Mason Rudolph."
Tomlin is no fool. He wouldn't have done the appearance and been so strong if he had even the slightest doubt that Rudolph was innocent of the allegation. Tomlin would have had too much to lose.
Rudolph's representatives said in December after Garrett's original accusation and said again Saturday that legal action might be next with Rudolph suing Garrett for defamation of character.
"I would expect him to do what's appropriate in terms of protecting his name and his reputation," Tomlin said. "I would do so aggressively, and I don't blame him."
Sad as this story is, it's not the first time something like this has happened to a Pittsburgh athlete.
Go back to September 2012, a game between the Pirates and Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips accused Pirates pitcher Jared Hughes of using a racial slur after they had a brief dust-up on the field.
Hughes denied the accusation _ he admitted to calling Phillips a nasty but non-racial name _ and was backed up by television cameras and microphones. The incident died fairly quickly.
Rudolph should be so lucky.
