As is the case seemingly every season, there are a lot of coaches on the hot seat in the NFL. My two colleagues are taking two high profile coaches today, and those guys are definitely on the hot seat. But so is San Francisco head coach Mike Singletary.
One of Singletary’s first “rants” as a head coach two years ago was directed at tight end Vernon Davis. In his very FIRST game back in October of 2008, Singletary went off in the now famous tirade, demanding that he wanted winners. He also stated that, “He would rather play with ten people and just get penalized all the way until we gotta do something else rather than play with 11 when right now that person is not sold out to be a part of this team.” Well, Mike, let me tell you. I like you… I like the old school mentality you have, and the intensity you always seem to have in your voice. But, you don’t have winners right now , Mike. Sometimes, it looks like the players on the 49ers have thrown in the towel. And despite the win last week over another disappointing team, the Denver Broncos, I believe that Mike Singletary should be the first coach to be given the boot!
In roughly two and a half years as a head coach, Singletary’s record stands at 15-18. On the surface that really isn’t all that bad. But keep in mind that the NFL is a “Win Now” league. And this season many, Loyal Homer not included, expected the 49ers to compete for a division title. That just hasn’t happened as Singletary and his boys currently sit at 2-6. What’s really disturbing about some of their losses is the way they have finished games. The Saints beat the Niners on a walk off field goal in week two. They had the Falcons beaten in week four, but thanks to a bonehead play by Nate Clements, the Falcons got an extra possession and eventually won the game. And how do you lose to Carolina, who was winless at the time? Have any of you seen Carolina play? Yikes! (That’s for you, Babe Ruthless).
A year ago, who would have thought that of the two Bay Area coaches, Mike Singletary’s seat would be hotter than Tom Cable’s. Wrap your head around that! But that’s exactly what has happened. And the thing is, the 49ers have talent. Maybe not at the quarterback position, but look at running back (Frank Gore), tight end (Vernon Davis), wide receiver (Michael Crabtree), and the linebacker position (Patrick Willis). The young pieces are there to build around. They just need a coach. Mike Singletary isn’t that guy, unfortunately. He’s an assistant coach playing the role of a head coach. He’s in over his head and it’s time for him to go… now!
Athens, Georgia is in a state of panic due to the recent struggles of the Georgia Bulldogs. It has been the general consensus, until recently, that while Mark Richt hasn’t been in danger of losing his job, he has definitely been feeling the heat. That’s why he brought in a new defensive coordinator this past off-season in Todd Grantham (after an extended courtship of UGA alum, and current Alabama defensive coordinator, Kirby Smart, who I actually think will make a fine head coach someday). However, a loss last Saturday to Mississippi State dropped the Bulldogs to 1-3 overall and an embarrassing 0-3 in SEC play. What to do with coach Richt?
Bleacher Fan took the route of giving the heav- ho to Richt. While stating Richt’s credentials, which seem to be rather impressive on the surface, Bleacher Fan notes that other coaches in the SEC like Urban Meyer, Nick Saban, and Les Miles have blown his doors off and won at least one national championship since Richt became head coach at the University of Georgia. It’s also stated that Georgia seems to be underachieving given the talent on the roster. The 2008 team, with future first round NFL picks Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno, started out the year ranked number one… but ended up the year playing in the Capital One Bowl. It’s a New Year’s Day Bowl, but not a BCS Bowl, which should be the goal at a school like Georgia.
Optimist Prime takes the opposing view, preaching thatUGA fans should remain patient with Mark Richt. Richt is a proven winner in arguably the nation’s best conference, and there’s no reason to think that he won’t be again. Three examples are brought up that I think are relevant, but one really hit me.
Frank Solich was fired after a 9-3 season in 2004 at Nebraska. Keep in mind Nebraska was arguably THE program of the 1990s with two national championships. But Solich’s 58-19 record had been eclipsed by the success at the time by Bob Stoops and Mack Brown. That’s the same kind of success Meyer and Saban are experiencing at Florida and Alabama, respectively, right now. However, we all recall what happened to Nebraska after Solich was fired. Bill Callahan. A West coast offense at Nebraska? They are just now recovering after that disaster.
Back to the situation at hand…
There are definitely some issues in Athens, in addition to the ones on the field, and Richt deserves some responsibility for that. Yet another UGA football player (the tenth this season) was recently arrested for DUI and underage possession (he certainly wasn’t celebrating a UGA victory). He was quickly dismissed from the team as new athletic director Greg McGarity, himself replacing someone arrested for DUI, has indicated this kind of activity won’t be tolerated. And as Bleacher Fan stated, Georgia consistently produces top ten recruiting classes. Where are the kids going? Other than spending time in Clarke County Jail, where are they going? (Note: Former UGA quarterback Zack Mettenberger was arrested in March in Valdosta, Georgia, where Sports Geek and I went to college). I’m on record as saying that recruiting is hit or miss to some extent. But…
Let’s look at the context of this season. As we all know, A.J. Green has missed the first four games of the season due to, quite frankly, poor judgment on his part. Richt had no control over this. He’s playing a redshirt freshman at quarterback in Aaron Murray. He’s going to be a good one, but he still doesn’t have his best weapon at wide receiver. Things look grim right now. And they are grim.
But look at the next four games on the schedule. Starting this weekend the Dawgs go to Colorado, return home to face Tennessee and Vanderbilt, and then travel to Kentucky. All four of those games are winnable. Win those four and all of a sudden Georgia is 5-3 before the trip to Jacksonville to take on the Gators. I just don’t think now is the time to pull the plug on Mark Richt. He hasn’t YET had a losing season, which is quite remarkable if you think about it. If UGA finishes 6-6, or thereabouts, at the end of the season, then some tough decisions may have to be made. But now is not that time. Let’s not panic just yet. Let’s see this thing play out. That’s why I am awarding the verdict to Optimist Prime.
For the past ten years the Georgia Bulldogs have been one of the top programs in the SEC. Ever since Mark Richt became head coach in 2001 UGA has consistently contended for conference championships, even winning a couple in 2002 and 2005. The program, after going through a lull in the 1990s, had reached the status it once had in the 1980s.
Things began to go downhill last season. An 8-5 finish last season capped off with an Independence Bowl win isn’t exactly what Bulldog Nation wants to see. The fans want bowl games in New Orleans and, at the very least, in Florida on New Years… not in Shreveport in late December. All could have been smoothed over with a solid start to the 2010 campaign.
That simply hasn’t happened
After Saturday night’s embarrassing loss to Mississippi State in Starkville, the Bulldogs are 1-3 overall and 0-3 in conference play, with games remaining against Florida and Auburn, among others. The Bulldogs lost three games in a row for the first time in twenty years. What once was one of the marquee SEC programs has now slipped into mediocrity.
That brings us to today’s debate. Should UGA cut ties with Mark Richt and fire him?
Optimist Prime believes that Richt has earned the benefit of the doubt in his tenure and deserves a chance to turn things around. Bleacher Fan, on the other hand, believes that the program has slipped far enough that Richt needs to be fired so UGA can begin the rebuilding process immediately.
This is sure to be a passionate debate so have at it!
There is no doubt that Will Muschamp will become a successful head coach in the college football ranks. The real questions are “When?” and “For whom?”
His resume speaks for itself, as success follows him wherever he goes.
Over the last decade Muschamp has been defensive coordinator for some of the most dominant defenses in the nation. He signed on at LSU under Nick Saban in 2001, and in 2003 his top-ranked defense led the Tigers to a national championship.
Two years later, after a short stint in the NFL where he followed Nick Saban to the Miami Dolphins, Muschamp returned to college football as the defensive coordinator for the Auburn Tigers. In two seasons with Tommy Tuberville, Muschamp quickly proved that his success at LSU was no accident. In 2006 and 2007 his defenses were ranked seventh and sixth in the nation, respectively, in points per game, and in 2007 his defense ranked sixth in the nation in yards per game.
Then, early in 2008, Muschamp was brought into the Texas Longhorns football program as their defensive coordinator. Since then he has not skipped a beat, as his defenses continue to be ranked among the best in the country.
And while his sustained success with three different major programs speak volumes about his coaching ability, it is his reputation as one of the nation’s top recruiters that really sets him apart from his peers.
In recognition for his proven success, as well has his high potential for the future, Texas saw fit to name Muschamp the “Head Coach in Waiting.”
There is only one problem – Texas’ current head coach Mack Brown does not appear ready to leave his post anytime soon, which places a heavy emphasis on the word “waiting.” That fact was magnified earlier this year when DeLoss Dodds, the Athletic Director for the Longhorns, signed a contract extension with the school.
The understood progression of events was that Dodds would soon be retiring, and Brown would assume the role of AD, creating the vacancy at the position of head coach that Muschamp would then slip into. With those events now delayed, it could seriously change the way Muschamp thinks about his current situation.
For all the expectation and promise that Will Muschamp has to look forward to, there is no timetable to set a realistic expectation for when he will actually receive his opportunity, and THAT is where the rest of the programs around the country have an opportunity to pounce.
As exciting as it may be to know that with a little patience the keys to arguably the top football program in the country will be handed over, there can also be frustration from the uncertainty of not knowing when that day will come. Especially for a guy like Muschamp who really is ready to run his own program. Today.
Tennessee has already made a play to woo Muschamp out of Austin, but his response at the time was that he was happy waiting it out with the Longhorns. That was before Dodds signed his extension, though, and with the laundry list of high profile programs whose coaches sit precariously on a very hot seat this season, the atmosphere in Austin could be very different when December rolls around.
There will be no shortage of suitors for Muschamp as the 2010 college football season plays out. Now it is just a matter of seeing how much he can resist before finally succumbing to the temptation that will be out there.
One thing is for sure. Will Muschamp absolutely deserves to be a head coach somewhere in the NCAA by this time next season.
Some seats are definitely warm, and it’s not due to the blistering heat we’ve experienced this summer. It’s due to the fire being brought forth to head coaches in the NFL by fans and owners. Winning is expected and, quite frankly, demanded RIGHT NOW! No more signs of progress followed by steps back. No more trips to the playoffs followed by years of mediocrity. That’s essentially what’s happened down in Jacksonville with the Jaguars, and that’s why Jack Del Rio is feeling heat.
I had an opportunity to briefly meet Jack Del Rio during his first season in Jacksonville. I was a senior at Valdosta State University in Valdosta, Georgia and the school’s mass media department had a contract with CBS Sports to send students to work as assistants on the crew from Jaguar home games. I took advantage of having a “CBS Sports credential” and had a brief 30-second encounter with Del Rio. It was still early in the season, but you could sense things slowly turning around down in Jacksonville. It’s a really, and I mean, REALLY, small market for the NFL, and it’s extremely difficult to get fans excited about the Jaguars. But, due in part to Del Rio and in part to then-rookie Byron Leftwich (come back later this week for more on Leftwich), you could sense a little excitement around Jaguar land.
After that rookie season the Jaguars would go on to post four consecutive non-losing seasons, including playoff berths in 2005 and 2007. The team was often labeled as that team that “no one wanted to play come January.” Despite that label, they are 1-2 under Del Rio in the playoffs. With minimal success, the Jaguars have taken a step back.
With a combined 12-20 the past two seasons support in Jacksonville has been downright terrible. Agents get more support from Nick Saban than the Jaguars get from the citizens of Duval County. Amazingly, only ONE game was not blacked out locally last season. One game! That’s amazing to me! And that is due in large part to Peyton Manning and Co. being in town for that game. If you read our debate on blackout rules last year you know how they work. In case you didn’t, home games are blacked out in the home market if the game isn’t sold out within usually 72 hours (and sometimes 48 hours) of kickoff. All that means is that fans are not coming to Jacksonville Municipal Stadium and that fans are not getting to see the Jaguars on TV. Such little interest in the organization led to fodder that the franchise may even give a fly at taking Tim Tebow in the draft in order to attract interest. That never materialized, but you can bet it would have sold tickets!
The bottom line is to win games, and that’s the only thing Jack Del Rio can try and control. That’s what he has to do to keep his job. Conflicting reports had Del Rio being offered the USC job in the off-season did nothing to buy him any job security or a better contract. He still has to win. If he doesn’t, he’ll be looking for another beach to enjoy during the off-season!
The past few years the NFL has scheduled a Saturday night game on its own network, the NFL Network, during week 15. This year, we are fortunate enough to have a great Saturday night week 15 matchup when the reeling Dallas Cowboys travel to the Bayou to take on the undefeated New Orleans Saints. The undefeated Indianapolis Colts survived a road trip to Jacksonville with a thrilling come from behind victory last night. Can the Saints survive unscathed as it awaits America’s team in a huge game for the Cowboys?
We all know the Saints’ story. It has been well-documented. Quarterback Drew Brees has had a monster season, and, with each passing week it seems he has a stronger grip on that NFL MVP trophy… though I’m guessing he would tell you that at the end of the season he would much rather have that Lombardi Trophy. While the Saints have not lost yet, they have definitely had some close calls, including a come from behind overtime victory two weeks ago in Washington, and a 26-23 victory over the Atlanta Falcons last week. Looking at the Saints’ schedule it is clear the team has thoroughly dominated some teams, much more than the Colts. The bad news for the rest of the league is that Reggie Bush, who has underachieved as a pro, may be on the right track, finally. He scored two touchdowns last week. It is already tough enough stopping Sean Payton’s high-flying offense… imagine the nightmare for opposing defenses if Reggie Bush shows the elusiveness he showed in college.
Meanwhile, over in Dallas, things are not as rosy. The good feelings presented by the 8-3 start have subsided due to losses the past two weeks to the Giants and the Chargers. Now, instead of being in excellent shape to win the NFC East, the Cowboys are struggling to stay in contention for the wild card. At this point, with a tiebreaker over the Cowboys, I am giving Green Bay that first wild card spot. That leaves the Cowboys competing with the Giants and other teams for the second wild card spot. Keep in mind that the Giants, while currently 7-6, also hold the tiebreak over the ‘Boys. I would not necessarily call Saturday night’s game a must-win for the Cowboys, but it’s darn close. Lose Saturday, and Dallas loses the ability to control its own playoff destiny. Lose Saturday, and Wade Phillips’ seat, which is already warm (which I addressed back in July), becomes smoking hot!!! What a disaster it would be for Jerry Jones to sit and watch the playoffs from the comfort of his million-dollar mansion (which really isn’t so bad) when he spent over a billion dollars on the new stadium. However, a win Saturday eases the tension in Dallas and would be a huge momentum boost.
Many of you do not have NFL Network. Fortunately, Loyal Homer does and has made plans to invite people over to watch the game. You should make plans to watch the game, too!
Sports Geek’s intro states a curiosity about how objective I can be toward Carolina Panther head coach John Fox, since I show an obvious bias towards the Atlanta Falcons (I might be changing some opinions on that in Friday’s debate). And while I do not particularly care for some of the Panthers’ players – namely Steve Smith and Jake Delhomme – I really do not have a problem with Fox. There are definitely coaches I do not particularly care for, and for objective purposes, I will leave those names out. But Fox is not on that list.
He is, however, definitely taking some heat this season. If you go to Google and type in “john fox” and “hot seat” you will get nearly 10,000 results. We all know the NFL is a “What Have You Done For Me Lately” league. Even in saying that, he should not be on the hot seat and he most definitely should return as head coach of the Panthers in 2010.
Fox, he of the constant gum chewing, enters tomorrow night’s game against the Miami Dolphins with a career record of 67-53. That includes two division titles and a berth in Super Bowl XXXVIII (by the way, that game is one of the most entertaining Super Bowls ever… even SI.com writer Peter King agreed at the time.). Last season’s Panthers team went 12-4 and won the NFC South before being upset by the Arizona Cardinals. This is not 4-12. It is 12-4. It is not as if Fox is coming off of a bad 2008 campaign.
It is true that Carolina is a notorious slow starter almost every year, it seems. Maybe it is because the cold weather months are set up for defensive-minded, physical teams like those under Fox (yes, I can hear you Northerners yelling, “It doesn’t get that cold in Charlotte!” But, I am sure you get my point.). The Panthers began 1-7 in 2004 but rallied to win six of the final eight games and just barely missed the playoffs.
This season, the Panthers are currently 4-5. This is after starting 0-3 and looking terrible early on in the season. However, the Panthers are playing better now, and if you look at the schedule, you realize there is a decent shot at being 7-5 with upcoming games at home against the Dolphins, on the road against the 4-5 Jets, and then back home against the 1-8 Buccaneers. A 7-5 record puts the team back in a favorable position to make the postseason. Granted, the last four games of the schedule are absolutely brutal, as the four teams (Patriots, Vikings, Giants, and Saints) currently have a combined record of 28-8. Ouch! But the opportunity is there.
Fox is a gritty, proven winner. His teams are never flashy and they never seem to be offensive juggernauts. But they are hard-nosed and play a tough, physical brand of football. That is probably influenced by Fox’s days as a defensive coordinator earlier in his coaching career. Panthers’ fans should have patience. I know many fans are calling for a new coach, possibly a big coaching name like Bill Cowher. Cowher, after all, played college ball at North Carolina State and currently lives in Raleigh. But this current season is far from over. At 4-5, the season is not lost. The NFC wild card picture is still very murky and the Panthers are right there in the thick of it.
I am surprised at myself. After writing the debate intro, then sitting down to write the verdict, it became evident that I was leaning in Loyal Homer’s direction. What could a coach do that is SO bad that they deserve to be let go after just a few games into a season?
Bleacher Fan answered what I thought was a rhetorical question in my head, and is thus awarded the debate victory. Losing the confidence of the fan base is one thing. Frankly, if we are all being honest with ourselves, fans, by definition we are not rational. Fans definitely influence management decision making (read: fans are not buying tickets, so change coaches until they do), but they do not own the responsibility. Nor should fans be trusted with big decision making capability.
If losing the confidence of the fan base is not an immediate death knell for a coaching job, what is? If a coach loses a team’s confidence, it does not matter how long they have coached, how few games they have coached, or if they drop their trousers to prove a point. When the team gives up, the coach should be out.
To Bleacher Fan’s credit, the perfect example was used to illustrate the rationale behind firing a coach early in a season. Former 49ers head coach Mike Nolan proves that not all coordinators deserve a head coaching opportunity. He is an excellent defensive coordinator, currently presiding over and coaching up the best defense in the league – the Denver Broncos. But, he was not equipped to be the head coach of a team, and was replaced by Mike Singletary – a man who seems destined to succeed in this role.
Bleacher Fan’s argument won my favor not with complex boat metaphors (nice comment about the Titanic and Leo… I figured my comment in the intro would not go unpunished). The argument was successful for pointing out management’s obligation to make the team better.
Both arguments were predicated on the idea that firing a coach early in the season can magically turn the season around. I disagree with that misguided notion. Bleacher Fan rightly pointed out that few teams have made the playoffs after starting 0-4 (just one, actually), and zero have made the playoffs when switching coaches in mid-season. But changing coaches early in the season cannot accomplish a 180 degree turnaround with expectations geared toward a playoff appearance. Once the head coach is fired, and organizational change begins to take effect, the playoffs take a back seat to rebuilding.
Loyal Homer made some interesting point in the losing argument. While correctly stating that firing the underperforming coach nullifies the team’s previous efforts – that is the whole point! Nullifying the team’s previous effort is a way to eradicate it from the collective memory of the team and start the rebuilding process.
Firing a coach early in the season can sometimes be the right move. While it is a case by case situation, often starting the process of organizational change as soon as possible is vital to the long term health and growth of team. Not every coach or manager can take over a situation during a season and effect the change necessary to switch the team’s group think and improve results. But, waiting for an arbitrary deadline is refusing to address the problem while compounding an existing mistake.
If changing the coach early in the season is permissible and even effective – what about changing owners?
I have a recommendation for the executive ranks of each NFL franchise: Watch the movie Titanic (no, Sports Geek, it is NOT so that we can debate just how “dreamy” Leo really is).
The Sinking Ship
There is a very important lesson to be learned that NFL execs may find valuable when studying the tragedy that unfolded on April 15, 1921. That lesson is to be constantly alert for signs of danger, and then take immediate measures when danger is identified.
At several key points in the unfolding of those fateful events, the leaders of the Titanic had the opportunity to take simple and small measures that would have helped avoid catastrophe. Instead, 1,517 people needlessly lost their lives, all thanks to egotism, pride, and a refusal to acknowledge certain facts that may have cast negativity on what was supposed to be a marvel of engineering.
It was reckless foolishness that led to the sinking of the Titanic, and the shame is that the tragedy SHOULD have been avoidable.
The general manager of a professional football team serves the same function as the Captain of a ship. Just as it is the Captain’s job to navigate a ship safely through the water, it is the general manager’s job to navigate a team safely through the season. They must be concerned not only with the day-to-day performance of their team, but must also be focused on long-term success. When a general manager can successfully identify warning signs that a team might be in danger, it is their duty to act accordingly and address that danger… rather than ignore the warning signs and hope to get lucky.
Is 0-4 Too Soon?
While Loyal Homer argues that four weeks into the season is too soon to pull the trigger on a coaching change, I actually believe that it might be too late! In all likelihood, a team that begins a season 0-4 will not be playing football in January. In fact, there has only been one team in history to begin a season at 0-4 and still make the playoffs – the 1992 San Diego Chargers – and they only did so by finishing the season with 11 wins in their final 12 games. As for going 0-5, there has NEVER been a team to lose the first five games of their season and still reach the playoffs in the NFL.
That means that the season is likely already over for an 0-4 team, and history has proven that it is DEFINITELY over for an 0-5 team. By then, it is too late to effect any positive change on the season if you still wish to compete for the playoffs.
The Cleveland Browns, Tennessee Titans, Kansas City Chiefs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, St. Louis Rams, and (possibly) the Carolina Panthers can all write-off their 2009 season as being over, because none of those teams will go 11-1 over the remainder of the season.
I am not advocating that these teams just pack up and call it quits in 2009. Instead, I am simply illustrating the fact that the ship may be on a course that is too late to alter, and for several of these teams, a change at the coaching position may be inevitable.
Why Delay The Inevitable?
Once the general manager or owner has lost faith in that coach, and the team has given no indication that they will be competitive for the remainder of this season OR for future seasons, then it is the organization’s obligation to make the moves necessary to right the course of the ship immediately.
When you consider the situation in San Francisco, and the manner in which Mike Singletary assumed the reigns of the 49ers, you see proof of the value that comes from correcting a mistake immediately, rather than trying to ride out the storm and picking up the pieces after the fact.
Singletary was named the head coach of the 49ers after the organization fired Mike Nolan, only seven games into the season. The 49ers had only won two of their first seven games, and decided it was time to make a change. It was the first smart thing the 49ers did in a very long time. Rather than ride out the season with Nolan, only to fire him as a formality at the close of week 17, the 49ers saw an opportunity to make an immediate change that could help right the ship. They were not going to make the playoffs in 2008, but they did have the opportunity to give their new head coach some “warm-up” time.
How did it work out for San Francisco? Singletary led the 49ers to a 5-4 record over the second half of the season, including wins in four of the team’s final five games. He was able to build off of that momentum in the offseason and has carried it into the current season, leading the 49ers to a 3-1 record and a two game lead in the NFC West Division.
Understandably, not every coaching change will be as successful as what took place in San Francisco. If, however, a general manager EXPECTS to lose with the current head coach, why not at least TRY to make an improvement?! The worst case scenario is that the team continues to lose, and is no better off than before. The 49ers are an example of a team with the foresight to see the iceberg in the water, and make the changes necessary to avoid hitting it.
It does not matter if it happens in week one of the season, or week 17. Failure to replace a head coach the INSTANT confidence is lost in their ability to perform is like seeing the iceberg in the water and still commanding your crew to move “full speed ahead.”
As The Sports Debates has mentioned several times this week, we sure are ready for football to start. We’re ready for the bone crushing hits. We’re ready for pin-point passing accuracy. We’re ready for a breakway run. Heck, we’re even ready to see Ed Hochuli flex his muscles on the field. Expect to see a lot of football debates in the coming months. In fact, we might as well talk football today. It’s a favorite water cooler topic of any fan in any sport. So I ask you, which coach do you think opens the season with the most to prove? Who is on the hot seat the most?
I really like the coach I am arguing for. He seems like a good guy. He’s had to put up with a lot of crap, but unfortunately it goes with the territory. The coach who I think is on the hot seat right off the bat this training camp season is Dallas Cowboys coach Wade Phillips.
It’s not that Phillips has been a bust in Dallas. He has posted a 22-10 record in the regular season. That would be exceptional anywhere else. Heck, he’d be in the conversation when discussing the coaches in the upper echelon of the NFL. But, he’s not coaching just any team. He’s coaching America’s Team.
Two years ago Dallas went 13-3 and had home field advantage in the playoffs. Their second round matchup was against the division rival New York Giants. The Giants won 21-17, deflating the hopes of all Cowboys fans. Much of the blame fell, unfairly, on Phillips. Forget the fact that he led the team to 13 victories. He couldn’t win in the playoffs, which is something Dallas hasn’t done since 1996. Last year, the team fell to 9-7, including a blowout loss to Philadelphia to close the season. It’s a game that put egg on the face of the entire organization for the entire off-season. It’s a game that led to Phillips’ seat getting warmer. There was even speculation that Cowboys owner (as if you didn’t know who the owner is) Jerry Jones was going to bring in Mike Shannahan. But, Phillips withstood the storm and he’s still there.
How long he’s there remains to be seen. The Cowboys are moving into a luxurious new stadium and the Cowboys need to win! Badly! Terrell Owens, the alleged cause of much of the drama last year, has packed his drama and left for Buffalo. But, he also took his big play potential with him.
The onus is on Wade Phllips to get the job done, now. Going 9-7 isn’t going to get the job, and it’s quite conceivable that just making the playoffs won’t be enough to save his job. With the Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants, and Washington Redskins in the division it’s going to be tough to get to the playoffs. But, that’s what it is going to take to have a chance to save his job.
And we're back... Should college coaches look into criminal and juvenile records when recruiting? The verdict says YES! http://bit.ly/dZ5LF311 months ago
Posted by Loyal Homer 
