Lynne Sladky, Associated Press Colts quarterback Peyton Manning speaks to reporters during Media Day at Dolphin Stadium in Miami.

By Ed Bouchette
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette MIAMI BEACH, Fla. -- Would the Steelers have waited for Ron Rivera had the Chicago Bears lost along the way to the Super Bowl?

Steelers president Art Rooney said nothing would have changed had Chicago lost in the NFC championship, that they wanted to pick their new coach on the day they settled on Mike Tomlin.

Nevertheless, Rivera faced the same things that former Steelers assistants Ken Whisenhunt and Russ Grimm encountered last year as their team marched to the Super Bowl: February is too late for anyone outside of the Oakland Raiders' organization to wait for a new coach.

The Bears' Jamar Williams, left, and Brandon McGowan enjoy Media Day yesterday at Dolphin Stadium in Miami. Click photo for larger image.

Rivera, the Bears' defensive coordinator, was one of three coaches the Steelers listed as finalists for the job, but he never got the second interview they gave to Tomlin and Grimm.

That, one of Rivera's players said yesterday, isn't fair.

"I hate that," defensive end Adewale Ogunleye said. "I hate the fact that us being successful kind of hurt his chances to be a head coach.

"But the system works; he's a great motivator, he puts us in the right situation to play. That's the kind of guy you like to play for. If I was an owner and I wanted to win, I would make him my top priority."

Keeping up with Jones

Rusty Jones of the Chicago Bears is still working, which is something that can't be said for two of the first three professional teams that employed him.

In 1983, Jones was the conditioning supervisor for the three DeBartolo Corp. pro teams in Pittsburgh -- the Maulers of the USFL, the indoor soccer Spirit and the Penguins. The Maulers folded and the Spirit followed. The Penguins went bankrupt and now are threatening to move out of town.

Jones, though, joined the Buffalo Bills as their strength and conditioning coach in 1985 and stayed there for 20 years. There, he was part of Buffalo's four consecutive losses in Super Bowls. He joined the Bears in 2005, and the string of injuries that beset the Bears in 2004 nearly dried up.

A coincidence? Jones gives credit to Chicago coach Lovie Smith for making sure everyone knows precisely what he expects from his conditioning program. And, he said, he does not overwork them.

"We're rested, we're ready to go during the year. We're not overdoing it," Jones said.

Trying to be different

The Steelers shouldn't take it personally, but Bears kicker Robbie Gould hates them. Hates the Pirates, too. Again, it's nothing personal.

"My brother liked the [Miami] Dolphins growing up," Gould, a native of Lock Haven, Pa., and a Penn State graduate, told a throng of reporters yesterday. "So, I wanted to root for a team in the AFC East and I took the underdog [New England] Patriots."

Why not the Eagles?

"No, no," Gould said, "I hate every Pennsylvania team possible. Pirates, Phillies, you name it, Eagles, Steelers.

"I got tired of hearing Eagles and Steelers chants. I like to be unique. I like to be different. We started Dolphins chants and Patriots chants in Lock Haven."

Pittsburgh connections

The Bears' assistant head coach is Bob Babich, an Aliquippa native who served on Johnny Majors' staff at Pitt from 1994-96.

Babich, who also coaches the Bears' linebackers, and Lovie Smith go way back. They first worked together at Tulsa, when Smith was the defensive coordinator in 1984-86. Babich later worked with Smith in St. Louis. Smith was the defensive coordinator and Babich the linebackers' coach. Babich was the first coach hired by Smith when he came to Chicago.

Babich was named assistant head coach in January 2006.

Bears offensive coordinator Ron Turner worked in that same capacity at Pitt in 1983-84 under Foge Fazio.

Hold on

Holders everywhere had the fear of god put into them when quarterback Tony Romo fumbled a hold for Dallas on a chip-shot field goal that might have given the Cowboys a playoff victory against Seattle.

"My mouth dropped," said Chicago punter Brad Maynard, who holds for placekicks.

"I stared at the TV until the play was over, and then it hit me: 'Wow, did that just happen?' All of a sudden, you go from we are going to be playing Dallas to we're going to be playing Seattle again.

"I felt bad for him. That has got to be the worst feeling in the world. I can't imagine it."