The Watch Tower returns for the first time in months with a look at the Matt Canada firing and much to do about nothing with Brandon Aiyuk. Let’s dive in.
Matt Canada talking to reporters on the South Side. Photo Credit: Brooke Pryor via Twitter
I Know Who Fired Matt Canada – Media Debate and Sourcing
The Tuesday before Thanksgiving news dropped: The Steelers had decided to fire offensive coordiantor Matt Canada. These were words that the vast majority of Steelers Nation had longed to hear. And if the Steelers success against the Bengals is any indication, and it may not be, this was a wise football decision.
But football decisions don’t get made in a vacuum, and digital media is there to give oxygen to any and every little subplot. The Steelers X (formerly known as Twitter) announced the move at 10:41 am on Tuesday, the 21st.
Statement from Coach Mike Tomlin: pic.twitter.com/kitcpLnyqF
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) November 21, 2023
That’s straightforward statement attributed head coach Mike Tomlin about a key member of his staff. Pretty cut and dried. Sure, a grammarian could callout the use of passive voice, but that would be nitpicking.
Three minutes later the story took an interesting twist:
Steelers president Art Rooney II has fired offensive coordinator Matt Canada, per team sources.
— Gerry Dulac (@gerrydulac) November 21, 2023
Gerry Dulac, the Post-Gazette’s senior beat writer wasted little time in crediting Steelers President Art Rooney II with the decision.
This didn’t quite give Steelers Nation its own “I know who shot JR moment” (Google it) but several other Steelers writers chimed in with varying opinions. Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported, “ I was told by team sources the decision was truly Tomlin’s call. While ownership listened and supported the head coach, he was never instructed or pressured to make a change.”
Steelers beat writer Mark Kaboly differed, observing “Whether it was Tomlin’s decision (I highly doubt it was, even though Tomlin said it was “mine and mine alone”). Steel City Insider’s Jim Wexell chimed in with “Mike Tomlin did it.” Wexell proceeded to offer a detailed “forensic” explanation of how the Gerry Dulac’s story was constructed and why he thought this was Tomlin’s decision alone.
Dejan Kovacevic of DK on Pittsburgh Sports also asserted that it was Mike Tomlin’s decision alone, informing readers, “This has multiple sources over the course of the day, which was the main reason I held off a few hours before writing.”
Matt Canada is gone and Steelers fans certainly will not miss him. But it remains to be seen if “I know who fired Matt Canada” T-Shirts and bumper stickers spring up throughout the 412.
The 11th Commandment – Brandon Aiyuk Trade Speculation in Steelers Media?
As we now know, the Pittsburgh Steelers did not trade for Brandon Aiyuk.
You might have realized that there was “a little” discussion about the possibility over the past few months. The fact that the non-trade never happened does leave Steelers scribes in a bit of a quandary.
- How will they keep the 11th commandment?
If you’re under say 45, you might not be familiar with Mel Brooks History of the World Part II so take a look and you’ll see what the Watch Tower means:
https://youtu.be/4wunGF3oMA0?si=s6u1XM-ONRVsz8Tq
Originally everyone thought that this was another piece of popular-culture satire from Mel Brooks.
But it turns out it is not. Not only were there 15 commandments, but archeologists (rumored to have ties to St. Vincent’s College) have discovered that the 11th commandment was in fact, “Thou Shalt Not Write About the Pittsburgh Steelers without Mentioning Brandon Aiyuk.”
Now that Aiyuk has reupped with the 49ers for four years that leaves Pittsburgh writers in a bit of a pickle, doesn’t it?
OK. Obviously the Watch Tower is indulging in a bit of sarcastic license. But given the amount of digital ink devoted to the Brandon Aiyuk trade this might as well be serious.
The Watch Tower concedes that that a trade for Aiyuk would have been big news and almost unprecedented for the Steelers. Likewise, while a lot of veteran Steelers reporters scoffed at the notion, Omar Khan restructured Alex Highsmith’s contract for a reason. And the Steelers did negotiate terms with Aiyuk’s agent and they exchanged offers with the 49ers before Aiyuk himself pulled the plug.
But those 305 words above concisely summarize most of the newsworthy events in this non-trade. The rest was padding at best and unaltered click bait at its worst, as a large section of the blogosphere really did seem incapable of writing something about the Steelers without working in a Brandon Aiyuk angle.
Objectively speaking, the extensive coverage of the non-trade for Brandon Aiyuk is mostly a product of where the digital age has taken sports journalism. And sports journalism is hardly unique.
But with the NFL already teetering on the brink of over exposure, this tendency moves the NFL in the wrong direction.
