[i]DISCLAIMER: The following blog is PURE speculation on my part from start to finish. It is filled with nothing more than thoughts I’ve had during my half hour drives to and from work and nights where I just can’t sleep.[/i]
The annual coaching carrousel has started spinning in the NFL and we’re nowhere near the end of the season. Phillips has been put out of his misery….I mean “relieved of his duties” in Dallas and we’re well underway. Jason Garrett will finish out the season as the captain of a sinking ship in Dallas, but, barring a miraculous turn around, the Cowboys are just one of the teams who figure to be in the market for a new coach. Bt my count, I look for 9 teams be looking for new head coaches. In this blog, we’ll look at the first 5.
Carolina PanthersLet’s start with the Panthers. John Fox has been the head man in Carolina for 9 years now, and lead the Panthers to the Super Bowl in 2003 when they lost to the Patriots. They’ve made the playoffs two other times, reaching the NFC Championship game once. Outside of those three playoff seasons, Fox’s Panthers have been mostly unspectacular. In the 6 seasons the Panthers have missed the playoffs, they haven’t finished better than .500. Fox is as good as done in Carolina; so who takes over? A lot of people point towards Bill Cowher who calls North Carolina home, but I’m not so sure the Panthers are going to spend the money it will take to land a coach as big as Bill.
It’s no secret that the Panthers drafted Jimmy Clausen out of Notre Dame to the be future face of the franchise. Who better to help Jimmy along the way than his coach at Notre Dame, Charlie Weiss? I don’t think Weiss is the best choice, or even a good choice, but he’s a logical choice. There’s no doubt that he’s done some great things with the offensive unit in Kansas City; maybe the Panthers will look for lighting to strike twice in Carolina.
San Francisco 49ersThis team confuses me. A solid running attack with Frank Gore, a potential stud WR with Michael Crabtree, and a young defense anchored by Patrick Willis, considered by many to the best linebacker in football, should be better than they are. I understand the QB situation is bad, as drafting a bust like they did in Alex Smith sets you back for years, but they shouldn’t be in the cellar of a bad division. Mike Singeltary will get the brunt of the blame for the underachieving 49ers, whether he deserves it or not. So who takes over?
Maybe San Francisco looks within their home state to the college ranks and brings in “Captain Comeback,”
Jim Harbaugh from Stanford. I don’t usually buy into guys jumping straight from college to a head coaching job in the pros, but I think Harbaugh gets it. Jim served as an assistant coach in Oakland before taking over the San Diego Toreros’ football program, compiling a record 29-6 in three seasons. In a little over three seasons as Stanford’s head coach Harbaugh has a record of 54-27. The one constant: He improves teams when he takes them over. Why couldn’t he do it in San Francisco?
San Diego ChargersNorv has to go! It’s been obvious for years, but I just don’t see how they can realistically bring him back for another year of underachieving football. Defense wins championships, and statistically San Diego has the best D in the league this year. What does that mean? Ron Rivera, who should’ve been a head coach years ago finally get his shot at the helm.
Chicago BearsThis one is a puzzler to me. Not because it’s time for a change, Lovie Smith has to go; but because I’m not sure who the Bears get to replace him. I know that the Bears are still in the playoff hunt, so I guess this one should be marked with an asterisk. If the Bears find a way to get into the post season, it would be hard to justify running Lovie out of town, but they haven’t seen the playoffs since the 2006 season where they lost the Super Bowl to Indianapolis. Based on that fact, not only do the Bears need to make the playoffs, I think they need to make a pretty good run during them; and as long as Martz and Cutler are in town, neither of those things are going to happen.
As mentioned above, the puzzling part to me is who do the Bears get? Sentimentality says they bring in former QB, Jim Harbaugh from Stanford, but I don’t see him heading to the Windy City. The Bears are historically a smash mouth, run first, defensive team, and who fits that bill? Brian Billick.
Dallas CowboysI’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Jason Garrett is just as responsible for Dallas’ abysmal season as Wade Phillips was. The offense looks lost most of the time, and if he was good at reading defenses he would’ve had a better playing career. He’ll finish out the season and “lead” the Cowboys to a 3-13 record (but I guess doubling Wade’s number of wins isn’t all bad, is it?). Having said that, I look for Garrett’s 8 game audition to put Dalls in the market for a more permanent solution at head coach.
Men like Bill Cowher and Jon Gruden make sense; too much sense. Jerry Jones needs a coach willing to stand up to him, but we all know that’s not what he wants. And since Jerry gets what Jerry wants, Jerry will get another coach who will bow to his every whim. Enter: Josh McDaniels….
Check back in the next day or two and I may elaborate on that last point.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Monday, November 8, 2010
Purple is My Least Favorite Color
The first pro sports team I ever really “loved” was the Green Bay Packers. I can’t really explain what prompted it, but they’ve always been “my team.” To this day my favorite football memory dates back to January 26, 1997 at the Superdome in New Orleans. I remember seeing Brett Favre run down the field, helmet in hand celebrating the fact that Green Bay had beaten Drew Bledsoe and the New England in Super Bowl 31. When I would use the create a player mode on football games growing up, I would make myself number 4 and play quarterback. Brett Favre was my football hero. Maybe that’s why I feel so strongly about him today.
I supported Favre when he played for the Jets. It was the first Christmas together for me and the woman who is now my wife, and the “big gift” she got me was a Favre Jets jersey. I didn’t blame Green Bay for letting him go; it was time to move on. Having said that, I had no animosity towards Brett while he played for New York. The Jets even became my “other team.” I realized that the Jets missed the playoffs mostly because of Brett’s sub-par play, and when he held his (most recent) retirement press conference, I was sad to see him go, but knew that the time had come.
Then Brett did the unthinkable: He signed with the Vikings. Some say that he feigned the retirement in order to get to play for Minnesota, some say he changed his mind when a seemingly great opportunity presented itself. I’m not going to debate the circumstances that landed Favre in purple, the fact that he put it on is bad enough in itself.
Some people have tried to relate Favre going to the Vikings to Babe Ruth donning a Yankees uniform, but it’s just not the same. Ruth was sold to the Yankees. The Red Sox owner wanted to finance a Broadway production and sold Ruth and several other players to do so. Brett Favre chose to play for the rival Vikings. Joe DiMaggio never chose to play for the Red Sox. Larry Bird never volunteered to go play for the Lakers. Terry Bradshaw never put on a Cleveland Browns jersey; their teams meant more to them than that.
Before you even start, don’t give me that, “Well the Packers weren’t loyal to Favre” thing. They were! They let Brett jerk them around with his faux retirements time after time. They put Aaron Rodgers on standby for years while Brett tried to decide if he “had it in him” one more time. They never gave him an ultimatum about coming back, they sat idly by waiting on him to make up his mind. The Packers were more than loyal to the wishy-washy Favre.
My wife told me the other day that she doesn’t understand why I’m so adamant about my disdain for Favre, and at first, I couldn’t give her much of an answer. I guess it all goes back to disappointment. I’m not getting into his alleged extramarital affairs. I don’t know who he sent pictures or messages to. I’m let down at the way he has spit on his legacy. He wanted one last shot, and the Jets brought him in the season he personally kept them from making the playoffs. He should’ve ridden off into the sunset after the 08.
Some players just are supposed to be associated with certain jerseys, even if they spent some time with other teams. It was before my time, but I’ve seen pictures of Willie Mays in a Mets uniform, and Johnny Unitas in those hideous powder blue Chargers’ uniforms, and Joe Montana playing for the Chiefs. The difference? They were all traded to those other teams. Because of that fact, everyone thinks of Mays as a Giant, Unitas as a Colt and Montana as a 49er. Even with his season at the Meadowlands, Brett was never going to be remembered as Jet just like he was never going to be remembered as a Falcon. He was destined to always been a Green Bay Packer. Now ,I’m just not so sure.
People say that great players can’t damage their legacies; I disagree. Nobody argues that Michael Jordan isn’t an all time great, but anytime he’s mentioned in conversation someone always mentions him playing for Washington. Favre has put himself in the same boat. I’ll admit, Favre doesn’t look as “rusty” as MJ looked, but this season has seen him fall fast. His most recent “last run” at a Super Bowl has been over shadowed by off field scandals and on field injuries. When he’s not being accused of sending inappropriate texts he’s being helped off the field with a towel to his bloodied chin, leaving his iron man streak in jeopardy. Part of me sees it as sad; that’s the part of me that grew up pretending to be Brett Favre in my backyard, throwing a football into a bucket. Then part of me kind of smiles when I see how far he has fallen. Of course, he hit rock bottom for me the day he put on purple.
I supported Favre when he played for the Jets. It was the first Christmas together for me and the woman who is now my wife, and the “big gift” she got me was a Favre Jets jersey. I didn’t blame Green Bay for letting him go; it was time to move on. Having said that, I had no animosity towards Brett while he played for New York. The Jets even became my “other team.” I realized that the Jets missed the playoffs mostly because of Brett’s sub-par play, and when he held his (most recent) retirement press conference, I was sad to see him go, but knew that the time had come.
Then Brett did the unthinkable: He signed with the Vikings. Some say that he feigned the retirement in order to get to play for Minnesota, some say he changed his mind when a seemingly great opportunity presented itself. I’m not going to debate the circumstances that landed Favre in purple, the fact that he put it on is bad enough in itself.
Some people have tried to relate Favre going to the Vikings to Babe Ruth donning a Yankees uniform, but it’s just not the same. Ruth was sold to the Yankees. The Red Sox owner wanted to finance a Broadway production and sold Ruth and several other players to do so. Brett Favre chose to play for the rival Vikings. Joe DiMaggio never chose to play for the Red Sox. Larry Bird never volunteered to go play for the Lakers. Terry Bradshaw never put on a Cleveland Browns jersey; their teams meant more to them than that.
Before you even start, don’t give me that, “Well the Packers weren’t loyal to Favre” thing. They were! They let Brett jerk them around with his faux retirements time after time. They put Aaron Rodgers on standby for years while Brett tried to decide if he “had it in him” one more time. They never gave him an ultimatum about coming back, they sat idly by waiting on him to make up his mind. The Packers were more than loyal to the wishy-washy Favre.
My wife told me the other day that she doesn’t understand why I’m so adamant about my disdain for Favre, and at first, I couldn’t give her much of an answer. I guess it all goes back to disappointment. I’m not getting into his alleged extramarital affairs. I don’t know who he sent pictures or messages to. I’m let down at the way he has spit on his legacy. He wanted one last shot, and the Jets brought him in the season he personally kept them from making the playoffs. He should’ve ridden off into the sunset after the 08.
Some players just are supposed to be associated with certain jerseys, even if they spent some time with other teams. It was before my time, but I’ve seen pictures of Willie Mays in a Mets uniform, and Johnny Unitas in those hideous powder blue Chargers’ uniforms, and Joe Montana playing for the Chiefs. The difference? They were all traded to those other teams. Because of that fact, everyone thinks of Mays as a Giant, Unitas as a Colt and Montana as a 49er. Even with his season at the Meadowlands, Brett was never going to be remembered as Jet just like he was never going to be remembered as a Falcon. He was destined to always been a Green Bay Packer. Now ,I’m just not so sure.
People say that great players can’t damage their legacies; I disagree. Nobody argues that Michael Jordan isn’t an all time great, but anytime he’s mentioned in conversation someone always mentions him playing for Washington. Favre has put himself in the same boat. I’ll admit, Favre doesn’t look as “rusty” as MJ looked, but this season has seen him fall fast. His most recent “last run” at a Super Bowl has been over shadowed by off field scandals and on field injuries. When he’s not being accused of sending inappropriate texts he’s being helped off the field with a towel to his bloodied chin, leaving his iron man streak in jeopardy. Part of me sees it as sad; that’s the part of me that grew up pretending to be Brett Favre in my backyard, throwing a football into a bucket. Then part of me kind of smiles when I see how far he has fallen. Of course, he hit rock bottom for me the day he put on purple.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
A Letter from a Concerned Fan
To: The Cubs
From: The Fans
To Whom It May Concern,I am a long time Cubs’ fan; I know there’s several of us, and we can be found all over the country. When the team takes the field in any baseball city, the stands are littered with your hate, jerseys, and t-shirts. There’s no doubt about it, your team has fans from coast to coast. Not only are we numerous, we are a very loyal bunch. It seems, that in order to be a Cubs’ fan, you have to be diehard; there’s no room for casual fans among us.
Having said all of that, I need a favor: Could you please make it a little easier to be a loyal Cubs’ fan? It seems that most other teams (with the exception of the Pirates) start the season with at least hope of reaching the playoffs. I work with people who support the Reds and they told me on opening day that their team had a legitimate shot to win the division. They were then able to provide reasons why the Reds were going to win. I wanted to counter them with reasons why my beloved Cubbies would win, but even I couldn’t believe it.
Several reasons raced through my mind until logic chased them all away. I thought about using our mentally unstable ace of the rotation, Zambrano. I was quickly reminded that all he’s nothing more than an out of shape box of explosives with a world of potential. We’ve been hearing about his Cy Young winning potential for years now and I for one, have given up.
Then I thought about throwing some of the big names that Jim Hendry brought in through free agency. Unfortunately, the biggest name of the bunch was…Marlon Byrd?! I know, I know, he made the All Star Team. Fortunately for Mr. Byrd, every team gets on representative, and he was the diamond in the deep rough known as the 2010 Cubs.
2010 also brought us the first real taste we got of a talented player named Jake Fox. He dominated AAA baseball, leading the Pacific Coast League in average, homeruns, slugging, and RBI’s. Maybe I bought into him a little early, but the fact that he could play 5 positions and had some pop in his bat lead me to think that the team may have been onto something. Your answer? You traded him to the Oakland A’s for a pitcher named Jeff Gray has pitched 9 innings and given up 9 runs since then. For the record, rookie SS Starlin Castro looked amazing in the games he got to play last year. Maybe you can send him to the Mariners for a foam finger and a box of popcorn.
But alas, it’s a new season. There’s a group of highly talented free agents floating around out there, including players like Carl Crawford, Adam Dunn, and Brandon Webb. Do me a favor and bring in at least one worthwhile player if you don’t mind. Part of me (the part that has been a Cubs fan since 1996) has set myself up for disappointment. You probably won’t sign any of the three guys I listed above, but I fully expect to see Randy Winn, Marcus Thames, and Jeff Larish setting on the bench at the friendly confines next year.
But all in all, how can we not be excited about 2011? We finally get to see Cubs' legend Ryne Sandberg manage the team! Wait, what do you mean you passed on Sandberg? You must’ve picked up Joe Torre or Joe Girardi then, right? No? Oh, that’s right, you handed the reigns to…Mike Quade. Oh well, I didn’t offer any reasons why the Cubs were going to win in 2010, nobody will notice when I’m eerily quiet in 2011.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Operation: Reboot in Dallas
In the pharmacy I work at, we experience a lot of computer problems. Some blame the system we run on, some blame the computers, and a few may consider it operator error, but either way, we experience our share of technical difficulties. We call our corporate helpdesk, and without fail, the first piece of advice is always the same: “Turn it off, then turn it back on.” You’d think we’d quit calling and just do that from the start now, but we don’t; and sadly enough, it usually works! What does that have to do with the world of sports? I’m glad you asked…
I’m from a small town in Kentucky, and I don’t have Jerry Jones’ phone number, nor does he have mine. However, I wish he would call me about this fiasco in Dallas just for a minute. I’d tell Mr. Jones it’s time to turn it off and turn it back on. The Cowboys need to reboot.
If you listen to the media and fans, they all have a different idea on who should take the blame for the 1-6 Cowboys, but when it comes right down to it, it’s hard to pinpoint one person. Maybe Wade Phillips isn’t a quality head coach. Maybe Tony Romo isn’t a great leader. Maybe nobody on either side of the ball gives enough effort to deserve a win. Actually, all of these points are true, which is why it’s time to reboot the system in Big D.
Let’s take a minute and start at the top. Phillips wasn’t the answer when he got hired and he’s not the answer now. No one can question that Phillips is a good coordinator, but he’s just not capable of being the head man for an NFL team. .I fully understand that Jerry wants a head coach who he can control (explaining why Parcells didn’t work out), but you also need a head coach who’s capable of coaching. I’m not sure if you’ve seen a Dallas game over the last few seasons, but more camera shots of Phillips than not show a man who looks like he’s in over his head on the sideline.
Phillips isn’t the only member of the coaching staff who deserves some of the heat. Jason Garrett was the hot name among potential coaches a few short seasons ago; now, I’d be willing to bet the teams who passed on him are glad they did. Keep in mind, a lot of rumors had Baltimore as a front runner as his first head coaching stop. Think they’re glad they went with Harbaugh? The offensive coordinator in Dallas has to take the heat for a team that ranks 31st in rushing offense, averaging only 80.9 yards per game. I understand that Marion Barber is no Chris Johnson, but that offense shouldn’t be behind teams like the Browns (Peyton Hillis), Tampa Bay (LeGarrette Blount), and the Packers (Brandon Jackson).
What about the on-field issues? I’m a firm believer that if the QB gets such a huge majority of the credit, he deserves a lot of the blame as well. Before any Romo fans jump up and tell me how good of a passer he is, let me stop you: I know he puts up good numbers. Having said that, there’s more to being a quality QB than numbers. Is Romo really leading the Cowboys? Is ANYBODY really leading the Cowboys? I understand that he’s out now, and I’m not trying to kick a guy when he’s down, but I’d like to see Romo in a new environment. As far as numbers go, he’s a top 12 QB, but I just don’t think it’s a good fit in Dallas.
So, Jerry maybe it’s time to turn it off and turn it back on. Go ahead and write the first season in “Jerry Land” off as a loss. You won’t be the first team to play the Super Bowl at home. I’m not a Cowboys fan, but I believe the NFL is better when the Cowboys are elite. It’s comparable to how baseball is better when the Yankees are in the playoffs, and basketball is better with the Lakers/Celtics battling for supremacy. So how do we return the Cowboys to greatness?
Jerry, throw some money at Bill Cowher. You’ve got the cash, now make it work for you. Give up on the idea of having a coach who you can manipulate and bring in a football guy. I understand that a lot of people think Bill will coach his hometown Panthers, but money talks. After replacing Phillips with Cowher, it’s time to find a new O-Coordinator. Get Cowher whoever he wants.
What about Romo? There are teams who’ll be looking for a new QB after this year; trade him to one of those teams, then use the high draft pick that you’re horrible record will get you to bring in Andrew Luck out of Stanford. I’m against starting rookie quarterbacks so you’ll have to do something else. Enter: Donovan McNabb. As far as skills go, he’s got them, and he’d be a veteran presence on what needs to be a young team in 2011. Not to mention, he’s gotta be nearing the end of what’s shaping up to be the NFC East with the honeymoon obviously ending in DC.
There ya go Jerry, I know I’m calling for wholesale changes, but maybe it’s time to just turn it off and turn it back on Dallas. If not, things like this are going to continue to be the most interesting part of a Cowboys football game: http://www.newkerala.com/news/world/fullnews-78102.html
I’m from a small town in Kentucky, and I don’t have Jerry Jones’ phone number, nor does he have mine. However, I wish he would call me about this fiasco in Dallas just for a minute. I’d tell Mr. Jones it’s time to turn it off and turn it back on. The Cowboys need to reboot.
If you listen to the media and fans, they all have a different idea on who should take the blame for the 1-6 Cowboys, but when it comes right down to it, it’s hard to pinpoint one person. Maybe Wade Phillips isn’t a quality head coach. Maybe Tony Romo isn’t a great leader. Maybe nobody on either side of the ball gives enough effort to deserve a win. Actually, all of these points are true, which is why it’s time to reboot the system in Big D.
Let’s take a minute and start at the top. Phillips wasn’t the answer when he got hired and he’s not the answer now. No one can question that Phillips is a good coordinator, but he’s just not capable of being the head man for an NFL team. .I fully understand that Jerry wants a head coach who he can control (explaining why Parcells didn’t work out), but you also need a head coach who’s capable of coaching. I’m not sure if you’ve seen a Dallas game over the last few seasons, but more camera shots of Phillips than not show a man who looks like he’s in over his head on the sideline.
Phillips isn’t the only member of the coaching staff who deserves some of the heat. Jason Garrett was the hot name among potential coaches a few short seasons ago; now, I’d be willing to bet the teams who passed on him are glad they did. Keep in mind, a lot of rumors had Baltimore as a front runner as his first head coaching stop. Think they’re glad they went with Harbaugh? The offensive coordinator in Dallas has to take the heat for a team that ranks 31st in rushing offense, averaging only 80.9 yards per game. I understand that Marion Barber is no Chris Johnson, but that offense shouldn’t be behind teams like the Browns (Peyton Hillis), Tampa Bay (LeGarrette Blount), and the Packers (Brandon Jackson).
What about the on-field issues? I’m a firm believer that if the QB gets such a huge majority of the credit, he deserves a lot of the blame as well. Before any Romo fans jump up and tell me how good of a passer he is, let me stop you: I know he puts up good numbers. Having said that, there’s more to being a quality QB than numbers. Is Romo really leading the Cowboys? Is ANYBODY really leading the Cowboys? I understand that he’s out now, and I’m not trying to kick a guy when he’s down, but I’d like to see Romo in a new environment. As far as numbers go, he’s a top 12 QB, but I just don’t think it’s a good fit in Dallas.
So, Jerry maybe it’s time to turn it off and turn it back on. Go ahead and write the first season in “Jerry Land” off as a loss. You won’t be the first team to play the Super Bowl at home. I’m not a Cowboys fan, but I believe the NFL is better when the Cowboys are elite. It’s comparable to how baseball is better when the Yankees are in the playoffs, and basketball is better with the Lakers/Celtics battling for supremacy. So how do we return the Cowboys to greatness?
Jerry, throw some money at Bill Cowher. You’ve got the cash, now make it work for you. Give up on the idea of having a coach who you can manipulate and bring in a football guy. I understand that a lot of people think Bill will coach his hometown Panthers, but money talks. After replacing Phillips with Cowher, it’s time to find a new O-Coordinator. Get Cowher whoever he wants.
What about Romo? There are teams who’ll be looking for a new QB after this year; trade him to one of those teams, then use the high draft pick that you’re horrible record will get you to bring in Andrew Luck out of Stanford. I’m against starting rookie quarterbacks so you’ll have to do something else. Enter: Donovan McNabb. As far as skills go, he’s got them, and he’d be a veteran presence on what needs to be a young team in 2011. Not to mention, he’s gotta be nearing the end of what’s shaping up to be the NFC East with the honeymoon obviously ending in DC.
There ya go Jerry, I know I’m calling for wholesale changes, but maybe it’s time to just turn it off and turn it back on Dallas. If not, things like this are going to continue to be the most interesting part of a Cowboys football game: http://www.newkerala.com/news/world/fullnews-78102.html
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