  The Rooney's and their organization have always extended their coaches' contracts with two years left on the previous deal. It's been like that since Chuck Noll took the helm in the late 60s. It's a way of showing their trust with the coaching staff of the Pittsburgh Steelers. And while when they followed suit this past week by extending Coach Bill Cowher's contract through the year 2007, this time I feel they made a mistake. With a team coming off of a 6-10 season and missing the playoffs for the 4th time in 6 seasons, isn't it a bit premature to lengthen someone's contract? The city went ballistic when the Steelers renewed Kordell Stewart's contract when no one was sure how good or bad of a QB he was (and we all know how that turned out). Why should Bill Cowher get a free pass on this one? His motivational skills which he used so well in the early 90s seem to be getting old and his antics on the sidelines just seem idiotic anymore.
While one can't dismiss the fact that he had this team in the AFC Championship game a few short years ago, one also cannot turn their head away from the horrid season they had last year. In short, the negatives have outweighed the positives the last six years, and in the NFL (which is a 'what have you done for me lately' league) that shouldn't be tolerated. Bill Cowher deserves this year to prove that he still has it as a coach in this league, but he doesn't deserve to have his job solidified after the way they played last year.
He still had two years left on his previous deal. What was the rush this time? A 6-10 season should never be rewarded and his contract should not have been renewed, even if that means going against the policies the Rooney's have used the past 40 years. 
