Wade Phillips..Done and Done

Who would they get? Maybe Phillips?

 

I feel the same way.

 

None of these coaches will be here next year. I don't know how you're going to get any new blood from that. Besides, I think Fox deserves some credit for winning a game with this bunch.

I DO NOT want this team to EVER have an interim coach. It's an embarrassment, and it pretty much never works.

 

And the difference between having Fox here and having an interim is...?

The Panthers under Fox are embarrassing enough. And the man has given up. Pressers, body language; emotionally he's already gone and going through the motions.

 

It's pretty well documented how counter-productive an in-season firing is. Not just short term, but also long term. Jeff Fisher is the only modern example of it working. But hey, let's give it a shot with a lame duck assistant.

Frankly, I'm much more concerned about the NFL as a whole. Goodell is like the dog who keeps eating his own puke.

 

Absolutely

 

I think anytime you are the head coach in Dallas, or associated with the head coach (Garrett), you are going (fairly or unfairly) be branded either an underachiever, a failure, or weak.

Garrett? Hell, nobody knows anything yet--not even the man himself. I will say this: Wade's style is not one I would ever pursue as an owner of a team for a HC position. I don't think you need to be Raheem Morris on the sidelines every play, but Wade had no authority. He played the Seifert card ("You all are grown ups, do your thing and leave me the fuck alone.)

Truthfully, the players can say they're pissed because they either loved Wade or don't trust Garrett. They're actually pissed (most, anyway) because Garrett is going to coach the living shit out of this team for his own coaching life.

I would not be shocked if there's a higher level of effort. Playcalling, schematics? Nothing really changes there, I wouldn't think. I don't recall reading anything about Wade taking control of Garrett's playcalling, so whatever's not working on offense (such is the case with Davidson, here) falls heavily on JG.

It's just funny how 36 months ago, Jerry signed JG to 3mil/yr (almost HC money) as the "heir-apparent" to Wade. They have a collapse in 2008, but back it up with their first playoff win since 1995 last season, largely due to the offense.

Funny how a 1-7 start, an injured QB, and a horrific decision to allow Doug Free, Mark Columbo and Alex Barron play the bookends on the line can change everything.

I guess what I'm trying to say is I don't love Garrett, but I don't hate him, and I will be watching them closely to see what he can do with the team in a more hard-line admin role.

 

Roger wants what Roger wants.

1. A team in Los Angeles.
2. A team in Toronto.
3. A team in London.

That, I sorta conceded would be the case several years ago when they started the international "nobody in the crowd gives a fuck about either team" tour.

From a business perspective, taking the NFL to a global-level is fine. Do it, but do it wisely, and in moderation. Don't send more than one team overseas to run their football operations (so many issues in terms of competitive balance: time differential, travel, taxes, living conditions, familiarity, family issues/concerns). But, if you absolutely feel you need to do it, then do it.

A better idea is to go back to the model from about 10-15 years ago: Each season, you kick off the pre-season (after the Hall of Fame game) in a foreign country. Rotate it, too--teams, and countries. Go where you have a reasonable shot at being marketable (Australia, UK, Mexico, Spain, etc). Do it once. And if you must do it a second time in a fiscal year, put the Pro-Bowl back in its old post-SB time slot and reward the league's finest players with a free trip overseas. Everyone wins.

There is simply not enough passion for the NFL built up outside the US for this to become a permanent investment. I watched a good bit of the Bears-Bills game in Toronto this weekend. Ton of empty seats, and your typical "grab-bag" of NFL gear (Steelers, Redskins, Giants, Raiders, Cowboys--hell, I think every team was represented but the two playing).

Someone made a fine point recently around here about the violent collisions. Best way to dial it back is to limit the amount of OTA weight-training activity. You almost cannot control what a player does on his own time, conditioning-wise, and I frankly don't want to see a bunch of shitbags playing in the NFL. But with the speed of the game, coupled with the abundance of zone defense being played, every passing window is a fucking broken neck waiting to happen. You can't un-teach a player how to play ball, and other than the entire Titans defense and Hines Ward, the league is not chock-full of dirty players. Most of them are mutual pals, and train together in the off-season.

I think the labor deal sucks, but it's part of any business (or most of them). You have two sides that are inching closer, but still miles apart. You have a players' union chief who is much more combative than his late predecessor, but also a small group of owners (led by ours, yay!) who remember being fucked in the butt in 2006, and are committed to not let that happen again.

Did Richardson cut payroll for the sole purpose of "showing other owners" what to do to prepare for a Civil War? No, I don't believe so--I think people underestimate two things about JR: 1. He cares about his brand, 2. He is a pretty savvy owner. The "setting an example for the lockout" argument has some merit, but it wreaks of non-insider, lack-of-curiosity, 10 shots of FIVE HOUR ENERGY reporting that, um, someone like Jay Glazer epitomizes. Read (lol) Gantt. Hell, even Steve Reed. Local, close to the inside beat writers who work their balls off to get the real story, and you will find more truth there than you will from any other "league insider" that's nowhere near the pulse of this franchise. (By the way, Glazer's near-gay endorsement of Fox the other day is sickening. I like JF, but my god, he's a fucking .500 coach who has appeared in one Super Bowl, seven years ago. Get a room.)

A bi-product of his spending freeze does lend itself to being the "prime example" of an owner sending "a message" to De Smith and the union, but the initial intent, I still believe, centers around a lame duck staff. It's as if he's running an upscale steakhouse, and his head chef asks for an increase/upgrade in supply for not only the food, but the environment. Meanwhile, the owner knows in a year's time, he's changing his focus from "steakhouse" to "Chinese Bistro". So, wisely, he's not going to pour HIS money into the needed infrastructure for a venture that will soon see a major shift in focus.

No. We're not hiring Norm Chow.

I think had John Fox, when offered such along the way, signed a long-term 6-7 MIL/YR deal, Richardson would have not only spent more money back in the spring on personnel, but would have taken a stronger measure to retain several veterans that were good fits in this locker room (Lewis, Harris, Kemo, Moose.)

Age movement is a crock of shit. This is a sacrificial year to prepare, in small part, for a potential labor issue, but in larger part for a completely new coaching staff, and potentially front office.

Lastly, I have been to "The Bank" twice this year. I know some of you might not agree with me, but JR poured a ton of money into the concourse area. New vendors, ton of HD's with the Sunday Ticket going--he's making the main sections feel more like club-level. I'm not saying that's any substitute for winning games, but for all the chatter about the man not giving a shit, and everyone wanting an apology, and the Family Dollar rednecks moving the team to LA, the owner did some good things to what is an extremely competitive stadium, even after 15 years of service.

And, yes, Richardson has pictures of me blowing him, you fucking assholes. Go ahead with the "WHY ARE YOUR APOLOGIZING FOR OUR SHITTY OWNERSHIP" nonsense.

 

Garrett was one of the main problems over there. Dude fuckin' sucked.

That said, maybe he's a great HC, who knows. Peyton was considered average as an OC, a great mind, who didn't get super awesome results, yet he's turned NO around completely. So possibly Garrett is a great HC.

But yeah, it was Wade's time to go. It made me sick, having him sit there and tell everyone his team is really really good, and tries hard, and is the best 1 win team...like there is a such a thing as a moral fucking victory. That dude makes me sick.