Misinformation is at an all-time high nowadays. From AI-fueled gibberish to indoctrination, internet users can sometimes swim in a cesspool of scientific illiteracy.

Needless to say, misinformation is an abominable force that can strike anyone. Earlier in the year, it reared its ugly head on Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin.

Some thought Pittsburgh’s longtime skipper, a standard-bearer for Black coaches fighting for equality in a sport that has been unkind to Black coaches and executives, banned two of his players for kneeling during the Star-Spangled Banner.

That didn’t actually happen, though. Contrary to popular belief, Tomlin — who openly acknowledged that Pittsburgh players who spurned the playing of the song would be embraced, not shunned away — did not hand out pink slips to those who made the decision to protest the nation and its injustices.

Did Mike Tomlin suspend Steelers players for kneeling during national anthem?

In a word, no. Tomlin never suspended his players for kneeling during the national anthem.

It seems the rumor started innocuously enough, appearing on a satirical website earlier in September. From there, it swept across Facebook, taking the website by storm without a mention of its origin.

It soon reached the aggregation stage; Numerous websites republished the original article, labeling it as news rather than humor (or a poor attempt at it).

For what it’s worth, Tomlin has been open about his support for players protesting against the national anthem. In the aftermath of the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other Black people throughout 2020, Tomlin delivered a clear and concise statement of camaraderie for those willing to park themselves for the national anthem, saying the following: