I was born in February of 1983, so the first Pittsburgh Steelers teams I really remember were coached by Bill Cowher. I saw, and heard, plenty about the stoic Chuck Noll, but what I saw on the sideline during the “Cowher Power” era was something unlike I’d ever seen in my life.
Keep in mind this is through the eyes of a young boy whose only experience was with youth athletics. You know, the coaches, who are usually dads, aren’t all that concerned with the outcome, but that every player gets a chance to succeed.
As it should be in youth sports, but when I watched Cowher roam the sidelines, hunting down players with his chin protruding, spit dripping down onto his coaching shirt, headsets flying and fingers being jabbed into players’ chest plates, I was astounded.