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As if the tone wasn’t already set for the Pittsburgh Steelers Week 1 matchup versus the vaunted Cincinnati Bengals, it is now.
On Saturday, September 10, ahead of their short flight to southern Ohio, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin gifted each of his players with a pair of all-black Nike Air Force 1s.
“Bro gave us all black Air Forces,” Najee Harris exclaimed in an Instagram story, closing the video with a shot of Tomlin smiling. “Aye coach funny af.”
NBA legend LeBron James saw Bleacher Report’s tweet and retweeted, “Coach Tomlin hilarious for that” and “he definitely setting the tone as well with that gift.”
It turns out that when Tomlin went to order the Air Force 1s, Nike was out of stock. So, he did what anyone in that situation would — he got creative and turned to Pittsburgh painter and Steelers fan Cody Sabol.
Sabol saved the day and took on the tall task of painting, via airbrush, Nike’s popular shoe. He had roughly 24 hours to finish 146 pairs in time for takeoff to Cincinnati.
T.J. Watt and Mike Tomlin showed them off as they boarded the plane.
Meaning Behind Mike Tomlin’s Nike Air Force 1s Gift
What does it all mean, man?! Steelers fans who didn’t understand the meaning behind Mike Tomlin’s gift to his players (you’re not alone) needed answers.
Nike’s Air Force 1s, which have been around since the 1980s, are commonly known as the “signature shoe of the degenerate.” It’s an urban legend that black Air Forces are the preferred footwear of dangerous people up to no good.
“During his appearance on Full Size Run, rapper Meyhem Lauren shared, ‘I don’t think I’ve ever done a criminal activity not wearing Black Air Force 1s,’ proving that the sneaker has serious street credibility,” Complex’s Angel Diaz wrote about the shoe.
By gifting his team the shoes, Tomlin sends a message: Bring the violence, fear nothing and fight like a dog until the end. The coach wants his men to play with the energy and attitude of the Air Force 1.
This immediately excited fans who tweeted responses like, “Najee Harris about to run over everyone tmr,” “Oh Bengals in TROUBLE trouble. I almost… feel bad. Nah. F’em!” and “Now they the most dangerous team in the league, if they lose they boxing.”
Of course, the gesture was not without its detractors. Pittsburgh media personality Andrew Fillipponi, who rarely posts something that doesn’t send Steelers Twitter losing their minds, tweeted, “Instead of new Air Force Ones I wish Mike Tomlin gifted his team a new LEFT TACKLE. $9 million in cap space. Buy good players. Not tennis shoes.”
Other Tomlin haters suggested the Steelers focus on winning.
T.J. Watt, Steelers’ Game Day Cleats
Cody Sabol doesn’t just airbrush Nike Air Force 1s black when they’re out of stock, but he makes a living as an artist. He often is commissioned to paint portraits and murals for the Steelers. Sabol also is the artist behind many of the amazing custom cleats you see the players sporting.
He shared cleats recently customized for T.J. Watt and Pat Freiermuth. Watt’s features the old-school version of Steely McBeam, while Freiermuth’s honors his predecessor, Heath Miller.
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