Mike Tomlin Reflects on $100,000 Sideline Blunder Caused by the JumboTron During Steelers vs Ravens Game

Suyash Deep Sinha | 04/10/2022
Mike Tomlin Reflects on $100,000 Sideline Blunder Caused by the JumboTron During Steelers vs Ravens Game

Head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers Mike Tomlin spoke about the sideline incident during the Steelers-Ravens game in 2013 for which he was fined $100,000.

Mike Tomlin is a name to reckon with in the world of the NFL. Along with being the youngest head coach in Super Bowl history, Tomlin holds the record for the most consecutive non-losing seasons in his NFL coaching career.

In a recent podcast with the Steelers, he talked about the incident for which he suffered a $100,000 fine from the NFL. He said “I stand on the line; I watch the ball being kicked. Then I looked at the JumboTron that was in front of our kick unit. As I’m looking up at the shape of the deal, someone trips and falls.”

“So when someone fell, I nearly felt like leaning against the JumboTron. Then, I noticed a double team block and exclaimed, ‘Oh no.’ I’m walking past the JumboTron thinking, ‘Oh no, I’m seeing a horror movie. Oh no, that’s awful.”

Mike Tomlin explained the confusion. “What people don’t mention is that everything on the JumboTron is backward; it’s flipped. As a result, I’m watching the JumboTron.”

When Tomlin realized what was going on, he said he got out of the way but he ended up receiving a $100,000 fine from the NFL for sideline interference.

Also Read: “Mike Tomlin would have been fired if he was not in Pittsburgh”: Stephen A Smith 

Mike Tomlin’s sideline mistake resulted in a hefty fine

Tomlin was watching Jones’ kickoff return from the restricted white area that separates the field from the sidelines. Jones was tackled following a 73-yard return that may have ended in a score except for the need to swerve away from the coach.

Tomlin went onto the field for a split second before springing back. NFL fined Tomlin $100,000 for interfering with a Thanksgiving play against the Baltimore Ravens.

The NFL also stated that Pittsburgh could be docked a draft pick “because the conduct affected a play on the field.”

Ray Anderson, the NFL’s Executive Vice President of Football Operations, issued the punishment.  Post that, the team’s seventh-year head coach called the play “embarrassing, inexcusable, illegal, and a blunder,” but emphasized that it was not intentional.

Also Read: “I dozed off” : Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin was in deep sleep near the end of the dramatic Chargers-Raiders game that decided the Steelers playoff fate

Post Edited By: Shubham Bhargav
Baltimore Ravens Mike Tomlin NFL Pittsburgh Steelers Ray Anderson

About the author

Suyash Deep Sinha

Suyash Deep Sinha is an NFL writer and sports enthusiast who is always watching and thinking about sports, particularly NFL and cricket. He began watching NFL in high school and became interested after learning that several WWE superstars are somehow connected to NFL. He is also a theatre actor, writer, and movie buff who enjoys trekking and dancing and is a proactive person. He enjoys horseback riding and cooking in his spare time. Reading is also one of his favorite pastimes.

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