PITTSBURGH - There are NFL coaches in trouble, and that means new Bill Cowher rumors.
Cowher has been out of coaching for five years now, turning down chances to get back on the sideline.
He's making nice money with a lighter workload at CBS, but the presumption is he'll come back at some point.
That may or may not be correct.
He's told friends in the past that his ideal situation is a non-meddling owner (no Jerry Jones, in other words), a front office willing to spend to the cap, and a team that has a championship-caliber quarterback in place.
With CBS as a lucrative alternative, Cowher can afford to be choosy.
There's a lot less stress in a TV studio than there is on an NFL sideline on game day.
Missed connection
Wait a minute, Tony LaRussa, the man who micromanages every detail, was in danger of losing a World Series because of bad telephone connection?
All's well that ends well, and LaRussa will spend the off-season celebrating instead of explaining a gaffe.
The St. Louis Cardinals' dugout had a miscommunication with the bullpen and didn't have closer Jason Motte warming up.
In a world of text messages and cell phones, baseball still operates on a system slightly better than tin cans joined by a string. (Just watch the plate umpire pantomime the batting order after several in-game lineup changes.)
LaRussa's call to his bullpen somehow got misinterpreted and the Cardinals wound up with the wrong pitcher ready to come into the game.
The incredible Game Six comeback bailed out LaRussa, and his reputation as a genius has been burnished by the Series win.
Professional behavior
So the Cardinals' David Freese hits this dramatic, Series-extending home run and is interviewed on live television shortly after he crosses the plate.
He's able to answer questions coherently and without profanity.
Wonder if Nyjer Morgan was watching.
Mehno can be reached at johnmehnocolumn@gmail.com
