Read the arguments from Babe Ruthless and Loyal Homer about whether or not Carolina Panthers head coach John Fox should lose his job.
In my last debate argument I joked that the NFL stands for the “No Fun League.” Today it stands for “Not For Long” as former Houston Oilers and Atlanta Falcons head coach Jerry Glanville once joked on NFL Films. The statement, though made in the late 1980s, rings true today. Ask Dick Jauron. He woke up yesterday as the Buffalo Bills head coach, and went to bed last night unemployed.
John Fox has endured rumors about his coaching future nonstop since the season began. There were rumors about his demise from the head coaching job in Carolina in 2009 on August 28, September 8, September 13, September 30… plenty in October… and even some in November.
The persistent rumors are as valid as the reasons that fuel them. The Panthers failed to win a preseason game. While we all know preseason does not matter, losing four straight times does build a culture of losing.
But, while Fox’s teams do appear to struggle early in the season, they have an uncanny knack for finishing strong. The 2009 iteration of the Carolina Panthers appear to be no exception. The team, after beginning the season 0-3, has scratched and clawed its way back into the dim light of a murky NFC wild card picture. Despite the bad record, and the seemingly counterproductive efforts from quarterback Jake Delhomme and wide receiver Steve Smith, the team is showing fight.
The Sports Debates exists to settle coaching conundrums like this: Should Carolina Panthers head coach John Fox be dismissed at the end of the 2009 season?
Our newest contributor, Babe Ruthless, will argue that the roller coaster nature of John Fox teams has created fan and player fatigue and the time is right for the coach to move on to another team. Loyal Homer will argue that patience is a virtue and John Fox teams may start slow but they finish strong, and 2009 will be no exception.
Loyal Homer has revealed a bias toward the Atlanta Falcons on many, many occasions. For me, it will be interesting to read Loyal Homer’s defense of a rival coach. Objectivity makes for the best arguments.
Is John Fox, once the hot coaching prospect who was a former defensive coordinator on the 2000 New York Giants Super Bowl team, done in Carolina? Only time, and The Sports Debates, will tell.
