NBC urged to FIRE new star analyst Mike Tomlin just minutes into his debut as host is forced to correct repeated error
Mike Tomlin has worked just one NFL game as an NBC analyst but fans are already calling for him to be fired after he made an embarrassing blunder on Wednesday night.
The 54-year-old legendary head coach stepped down from his job with the Pittsburgh Steelers back in January after 19 seasons in charge.
Almost every network coveted the Super Bowl champion but NBC won the race and he will be the lead analyst on NBC’s flagship Sunday pregame show ‘Football Night in America’ this season.
But his duties began on Wednesday as the reigning champion Seattle Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots 13-10 in a nerve-shredding Super Bowl rematch.
Before the action got underway, however, Tomlin and his co-stars were discussing the Seahawks offense and the influence of their reigning Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Often shortened to his initials JSN, Tomlin incorrectly called the star wide receiver ‘JNS’ which led to a pile on from NBC viewers.
NFL fans are already calling for Mike Tomlin to be fired after he made an embarrassing blunder
Tomlin was alongside host Maria Taylor, ex-Cowboys coach Jason Garrett and Devin McCourty
Tomlin incorrectly said ‘JNS’ instead of JSN, the nickname for Seattle star Jaxon Smith-Njigba
One commented: ‘Mike Tomlin just called JSN, JNS. Fire him from NBC.’
Another wrote: ‘Pretty bad when you can’t even get the acronym right.’
‘Same lack of attention to detail as when he coached,’ another posted.
A fourth viewer said: ‘First, he sucks at his new job. Second, not just him, but many in his new profession should stop calling the individuals they are talking about by their nicknames or by abbreviations. Third, they should also stay on topic and try not to look for laughs every segment.’
Another viewer posted: ‘Mike Tomlin keep calling JSN “JNS” dude ain’t do enough research to be on the podium as an analyst yet.’
‘Mediocre Mike showing his stuff..’ an unhappy viewer added.
Tomlin was alongside host Maria Taylor, former Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett and Devin McCourty, as he will be for their primetime ‘Sunday Night Football’ games in the coming months.
To make matters worse for Tomlin, Taylor had to interrupt him and correct his error.
‘JSN, I’m not going to let you do it again,’ she said. ‘I’m not going to let you do it again. JSN. You said JNS. This is the thing. Coaches are always talking numbers. They’re not having to say names all the time. I’ve got you coach.’
Fox, who are paying Tom Brady $375million over 10 years to call games, reportedly showed interest in Tomlin as a replacement for Jimmy Johnson but NBC has been busy refreshing its roster this offseason.
Tomlin, who won the Lombardi Trophy with the Steelers at the end of the 2008 season, walked away after his team suffered a disappointing playoff exit against the Houston Texans in January.
He signed with veteran sports media agent Sandy Montag’s agency, who represented John Madden and handles the affairs of a stunning group of on-air talent, including Mike Tirico, Jim Nantz, Scott Van Pelt, James Brown and Dick Vitale.
Tomlin ensured the Steelers never had a losing season while he was in charge. But the franchise endured a frustrating lack of playoff success, last winning a postseason game in 2016.
The Steelers’ 30-6 loss to the Texans in January’s wild card round means they have now lost seven straight playoff games, the longest active streak in the league.
He was replaced by Mike McCarthy, another Super Bowl-winning coach, and Aaron Rodgers has returned for what will be his final season.
