Mark Madden: Fans may want to 'Fire Canada,' but blame should be placed with his boss

The persecution of Steelers offensive coordinator Matt Canada is Pittsburgh’s bad obsession. (You ain’t special. So who you foolin’?)

“Fire Canada” chants at the Penguins game. “Fire Canada” signs displayed out of context at nationally televised events.

The entire city has united, not for a good cause but in the attempt to bully a man out of his employment. It flies in the face of those mental health “talk to somebody” initiatives we like to virtue-signal about.

You paid for your ticket, so you can do what you want. It doesn’t mean you should.

This isn’t a defense of Canada, as the accusation goes if you’re not drenched in hate for the man.

I would not have hired Canada. His resume didn’t justify. I would have not brought Canada back this year. His performance didn’t justify. I espoused those opinions before the fact, not after.

But coach Mike Tomlin did hire Canada. Tomlin promoted Canada. Retained Canada. Tomlin has veto power over everything Canada decides.

Yet somehow Tomlin mostly dodges blame and certainly isn’t victimized by the crazy level of vitriol fielded by Canada.

Perhaps it’s because Tomlin has never had a losing season. A Tomlin team never quits. ESPN’s Mike Greenberg has made Tomlin’s last name into a verb, using it to describe a team winning when they shouldn’t: “Tomlin-ing.”

Perhaps it would be better used to describe a team underachieving for over a decade despite plentiful resources.

Canada hasn’t done a good job. He’s to blame for a lot.

But Tomlin is to blame for Canada.

The situation won’t change till at least season’s end. It’s difficult to replace any coach in midseason. If it was going to be done, it had to be done at the bye week. It wasn’t.

So the persecution of Canada will continue unabated and likely intensify because the offense doesn’t figure to get much better. (Though the return of wideout Diontae Johnson from injury will help. I didn’t properly value him till he didn’t play.)

Canada has a wife and children. They absorb all the hate, too. But don’t let that concern you. Your bloodlust is more important. Your disappointment over the Steelers being meh must be answered for.

By the way, the Steelers being meh predates Canada’s arrival by almost a decade.

Tomlin could help. At his weekly dispensing of horse manure to the media, Tomlin could say, “Matt’s doing fine. Everybody should shut up about it.” That’s what an administrator concerned about his employees would do.

Such a statement wouldn’t totally quiet the citizens or the pandering arm of the media. But it would dissipate the heat, with Tomlin accepting some. As a good boss does.

I suggested this on my radio program. Some responded, “Tomlin shouldn’t have to lie.” Ha! Coaches lie all the time, Tomlin not least.

But Tomlin likes the situation as is.

Canada gets a lot of blame. Tomlin gets a little. It’s one reason Tomlin employs sub-standard coaches. They’re convenient lightning rods.

So as you were: FIRE CANADA! FIRE CANADA! FIRE CANADA!