1. What does Kenny Mayne do these days? I see a five minute segment every week on Sunday NFL Countdown, but is he working part time now? Remember when he was an anchor and in all of the commercials?
2. I hate button-fly pants. Is there any reason for them? Was there something lacking with the standard zipper that we just had to have the button-fly? They're irritatingly slow to put on and have no benefits that I can see.
3. I'm gay for Steve Smith. He's single-handedly carried my mediocre fantasy team and has kept them in contention throughout the year. Take a look at his weekly scoring totals: 26.8, 5.4, 43.5, 2.2, 31.9, 25.3, 37.6, and 22.1. He's obviously the #1 wideout this year, but I don't hear that much about him. Maybe he's been drowned out by the all-T.O. coverage, but he's been great. Watch him blow out his knee today, now that I wrote about him.
4. I'll be sad to see Mike Tice fired at the end of the year. Don't get me wrong, he deserves it. But did you know that he has four guys from UMD on his roster? Can you name them?
EJ Henderson (LB) is the most obvious one, but Shaun Hill (QB), Melvin Fowler (OL), and Jeff Dugan (TE) are also drawing paychecks from the Vikes. He is single-handedly doubling UMD's presence in the NFL.
5. Speaking of firing NFL coaches, anyone want to speculate on which coaches will be fired? In my opinion:
Gone: Tice, Capers
Maybe: Billick, Fisher, Shanahan, Sherman, Haslett
Am I missing anyone? Shanahan is a long shot, but what has he done since Terrell Davis won him two SuperBowls? He's 56-42 in his last six seasons (not including this year) and 0-3 in the playoffs. That averages out to a 9-7 record every year and a loss in the first round of the playoffs every other year. Are the Broncos happy with above-average seasons with minimal chances in the playoffs? It's hard to fire him b/c he's good, but just not great.
8 comments:
Your Shanahan comment is interesting, but a little old. I was calling for his head last year, but he might be able to make a deep run this year, and keep his job. But I know the owner is in love with him, so I think the only way he gets fired is if he tanks the rest of the season and they miss the playoffs. And that Terrell Davis comment makes no sense. Sorry. He hasn't won anything since losing one of the greatest QBs and RBs of all time? No shit, really? Parcells hasn't won anything since losing the greatest defensive player of all time. Jimmy Johnson hasn't won anything since losing the big three in Dallas. Only a few coaches can overcome a lack of talent. Most of the decent ones try to make sure that the talent is used in the most effective way. That's what makes the Pats run even more amazing, since it is mainly due to the coaching staff. What group of coaches could of made a run with the same group of players? Parcells? No. Walsh? No. Johnson? No. Shanahan? No.
So should T. Davis get all the credit for winning the SBs for Denver? No, but he should get a lot, since it took a crazy running game along with Elway still putting up solid numbers (passed for 3600 and 3800 with 28 and 36 TDs respectively) to get us over the hump. And remember, despite our Offense being either first or second in the league those two years, we also had crazy man Romo leading a top ten defense.
Finally, how many Terps are in the pros right now? For some reason, I think its a lot more than you mentioned.
I'm on hold with Verizon right now, and saw this post and had to comment.
Parcells did win an AFC Championship in 96, and had the Jets in the AFC Championship game in 98. Now, obviously he didn't win the SB, but to say he "didn't win anything" after LT left is a little bit misleading and detracts from the remarkable scrap heap jobs he did in NE and at the NYJ. He retooled two completely disastrous teams and made them not only respectable but chamipionship level. They didn't win in 96, but they came out of nowhere (I think we all remember who was the favorite that year in the AFC) to make it to the SB and lost to the GB machine (14 point favs). That GB team was awesome, lead the league in scoring offense AND scoring defense AND had Desmond Howard who was unstoppable in the playoffs on special teams. Since it was only a one year run, everyone forgets how good that team really was. So I don't really consider that a failure, losing to a far superior team.
Could he have lifted the Broncos post Elway and Davis?? Tough to say, but the situations he inherited in NE and NYJ were probably worse than what they had in Denver in 99 and he did OK.
Two things Jay....
1. The line changed to 14.5 when I arrived to a SB party 10 minutes before kickoff and with that I won major money off!!! Nothing like covering a 14 point spread. But over the years, the Pats have cost me more money than any other team.
2. Shanahan has made the playoffs 3 out of the last 5 years with a rotating group of RBs, and a combination of Plummer (who is now good, but has sucked before), Griese, Beureline, Brister, Jarius Jackson, and Kanell. Lee has asked what has he done since TD, and I was assuming he meant that he hasn't won another SB. That is why I compared this to other coaches who have not won superbowls. So to keep a team competitive while rotating in RBs and crappy QBs, I applaud him and will put him up there with some of the better coaches. But that is not the expectation of the Broncos, nor the with the Cowboys in relation to Parcells. That is why Shanahan is on the hot seat. Put Shanahan in the New Orleans job with the results he has posted with the Broncos over the last couple of years and he would probably have part ownership right now. Just like how Parcells is considered a God in NE since the expectation wasn't to win a SB, but just remain competitive. That is an interesting question though. What is tougher, take a terrible team and consistently hit a 9-7 mark or take a decent team and win the Superbowl.
I want to go on record as saying that Shanahan is a good coach. But if I need a "spatula" coaching job (ie - team is rated so low only a spatula can pick them up) then Parcells is the best. Giants, Jets and Pats were all terrible before he arrived and all were AT LEAST championship calliber when he was there. Of course he is a short term fix, he will only coach for 3 to 4 years at any stay.
My opinion is its harder to win the SB with a decent team. That is why what Gruden did was really amazing. Its tough when there are a lot of expectations coming in, and its superbowl or bust. Only one team can win each year, but there are several teams who can win 9 or 10 games and be a playoff team, or in contention.
Back to the original point - I guess in the literal sense, you are right he hasn't "won anything" since leaving the Giants. Of course, he took over two teams that were a disaster since the beginning of time and a third that was dysfunctional for a few years too.
Pats W-L before his arrival (4 yrs):
89 5-11
90 1-15
91 6-10
92 2-14
Jets W-L before
93 8-8
94 6-10
95 3-13
96 1-15
Cowboys W-L before
99 8-8
00 5-11
01 5-11
02 5-11
How many SB wins should a coach have given these scenarios? The only people I can think of that did a similar turnaround (in the modern era) AND WON would be Vermiel in STL and JJ in Dallas.
I have to take issue with the statement that Parcells is a "spatula" coach. I can't believe that Jerry Jones hired Parcells to just get Dallas back to respectability - and that's all. He wants to win, and sees Parcells as the quickest way to the super bowl.
He's got some talent in Dallas - much more than New York - and they expect big things out of him.
I think the truest form of a sptual coach would be Marty Schottenheimer. Instant credibility, but no way he takes you to the promised land.
And Laura, I'm sorry, that makes no sense. You'd be more aware of the wind down there with button fly's as opposed to zippers?
Did you guys honestly just coin the phrase spatula coach?
I actually agree with Jay....Crazy.
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