Tuesday, January 16, 2007

musical chairs, Dolphins and Raiders edition.

Freshly sacked Cardinals coach Denny Green is headed to the Bay Area for an interview regarding replacing Art Shell in Oakland.

(Update, 6:50 PM - ESPN sez Green resisted the overtures for an interview -- apparently because he thinks he doesn't need to go through one!)

Two thoughts:
1) It's nice to see a black coach in the "good ol' boy network" that ensures you'll be interviewed and re-hired as a head coach somewhere, no matter how much you suck. Now that is progress.
2) This better be an attempt just to fulfill the Rooney Rule, or Al Davis is who we thought he was -- demented and off his fucking meds.

(Update #2, 10:14 PM - NFL Adam notes James Lofton is a candidate, too, and also notes his bang-up work as the Chargers wideouts coach. Hall of Fame WR and you can't teach 6'5" no namers not to drop balls? Hmm...)

Wayne Huizenga, fresh off paying D-coordinator Dom Capers stupid money, reportedly has two choices for his head coach: Georgia Tech coach Chan Gailey or recently fired Falcons coaches Jim Mora the Younger.

(Update, 6:50 pm - Now the Fins are looking at former 'Bama coach Mike Shula. I propose a new reality TV show called Coach Swap.)

Three bits:
1) More good ol' boy network. Chan Gailey is the current embodiment of it working for you. (Like Zach says, if Calvin Johnson was your star wideout, you probably should have thrown to him every damn time.) Mora the Younger is in the Network because being a coach who's the son of a coach means you're in even if you've only had one head job.
2) Dolphins fans can prepare for two or three more .500 seasons without making the playoffs, no matter whom is ultimately selected.
3) Wayne Huizenga knows fuck all about football, if that wasn't clear already.

I think the good ol' boy network in coaching exists for a reason: NFL coaches don't want to lose their jobs, so they promote the assistants whom they know will make mediocre to crappy head coaches, sell them to the dumber owners/GMs in the league with good recommendations. These coaches get fired once, head to another job as a coordinator or a college coach, work it up, then go back again because everyone remembers he was a head coach in the NFL once. Most of these guys then get hired again, and the cycle continues -- please observe the cases of morons like Green and the Network's cheap slut, Norv Turner. Rod Marinelli is headed in this direction -- you coach the Lions; you're in the network.

7 comments:

One More Dying Quail said...

Hey, just saw something on SportsCenter about James Lofton possibly heading to the Raiders...

That would either be a great move, or further proof that Al Davis has lost his mind.

Signal to Noise said...

Every move made by Al Davis these days is further proof of derangement.

THN said...

Great point about Dennis Green in the old boy's network. It's true.

The Big Picture said...

Wayne Huizenga knows fuck all about football, if that wasn't clear already

nicely said. mike fucking shula? dolphins would be better with a bear bryant from the grave.

Signal to Noise said...

"dolphins would be better with a bear bryant from the grave."

Zombie Bear: "TOUCHDOWNS AND BRRRAAAIIIINNNNNSSS!"

I don't follow the Fins much, but I knew Huizenga was a complete idiot when he talked about his coaching search after announcing Saban's departure in terms lifted from some Big Book of Corporate Management. That organization needs a GM and a prez of football operations.

As for Mike Shula even getting consideration, I may go all Simmons and give it a name at some point -- if you are the son of a head coach, and a head coach at some level (no matter your record), you are automatically in the Network.

Jets O-coordinator Brian Schottenheimer is another example; see also Mike Nolan.

Anonymous said...

"1) It's nice to see a black coach in the "good ol' boy network" that ensures you'll be interviewed and re-hired as a head coach somewhere, no matter how much you suck. Now that is progress"

No, that's not preogress, that's just fu****g it up for some black man who comes alog and knows what the fu** he is doing!

Signal to Noise said...

field negro - my statement is partly sarcastic. I don't think anyone's particularly well served by hiring or interviewing Denny Green, and hiring a minority coach who has a fucking clue about how to run an offense would be ten times better.

However, for the uber-conservative NFL, the shock is, "Shit, a black coach is finally in the system that protects fuck-up coaches league-wide!" That's new. Progressive? Not in the real world. In regard to the NFL? Maybe.