Coach Einstein
Football season is upon us, and once again the sports pundits are throwing around the word "genius" at basically any coach that wins. This bugs the shit out of me because these guys obviously fail to recognize that coaches do not get out on the field and play. So in order to really determine who is and who is not a football "genius," we must eliminate the players.
Who has been called a "football genius" in the past decade or so? Mike Holmgren; Parcells; Belichek; Brian Billick; Norv Turner; Jim Fassel; Mike Shanahan, to name a few. But let's break this down. Let's separate the coaches from the players and then we'll see who's still a genius.
Mike Holmgren? In Green Bay, with Brett Favre, OF COURSE he looked like a genius! But take away Favre, stick Mikey in Seattle where they haven't won since, well, EVER, and no, he don't look so smart anymore, does he?
Brian Billick? Offensive coordinator for the Vikings for many years, touted as an offensive genius, because, above all other things, the Vikes offense was consistently good. Put him in Baltimore, and yes, he did win a title, BUT WITH EXACTLY ZERO OFFENSE. Where's the offensive genius now? So much for that...
Norv Turner? Same situation as Billick. Touted as a genius with the Cowboys, where he had arguably the three best players in the league at the time, OF COURSE HE WON WITH THEM. Bring him to D.C. and he failed to reach the playoffs but one year, in which his inept special teams lost a close game that never should have been THAT close. Then send him to Miami as Offensive Coordinator, the position where he's supposed to be so smart. The Dolphins have withered away ever since Marino retired and Norv had ZERO effect on that. Now he's in Oakland with the over-the-hill gang where he continues to lose. NOT a genius.
Jim Fassel? Took the sorry, no-account Giants to the Superbowl and lost. Did NOTHING every other year. Sorry Giants fans, that Superbowl appearance was a fluke, I said it then, and history has proven me right. What did they do the next year? Lost, that's what they did. And then the guy got canned. NOT a genius.
Parcells? Belichek? Shanahan? Okay, maybe. Parcells definitely knows what he's doing, he has only ever won. I'll give you that one. Shanahan is an above average coach at least, but a genius? Sorry, don't think so. He's got a brilliant blocking scheme that allows him to plug in pretty much anybody at running back and get production. Brilliant, but genius? Probably not. He'll be a .500 career coach when it's all said and done.
Belichek is difficult to grade. Yes, he's got three titles and is in good shape for a serious run at another one, but let's take Tom Brady away and see how the Patriots do. Let's just break Tom's legs and watch the Pats never win again. I'm willing to bet on that; takers? So I'll give Bill a tentative no.
So who IS a football genius? I would define that term as a coach who wins NO MATTER WHO IS ON THE ROSTER. Parcells counts. Joe Gibbs, in his first run at least, no question he qualifies. The under-60 list would have to include Bill Cowher(what is it with NFL coaches named Bill?), and, um, that's pretty much it. Why does Bill Cowher qualify? Because he just wins. He knows what he wants in a player, he knows how to judge talent, and he builds his teams the traditional way, the time-tested way, starting with the defense, and above all else, the running game. Bill Cowher gets it. Parcells gets it. Gibbs gets it. These three men all run their teams the same way, the old-school way, the smash-mouth way, where they take the ball and shove it down the throats of anybody foolish enough to stand in their path. The Bills will win now. Joe might take a bit more time, but I am confident he'll unfuck the 'Skins eventually, and when he does, it will be with defense(done) and the running game.
So let's give this whole "genius" thing a rest. Only looking back can you know who's got it and who don't.
Who has been called a "football genius" in the past decade or so? Mike Holmgren; Parcells; Belichek; Brian Billick; Norv Turner; Jim Fassel; Mike Shanahan, to name a few. But let's break this down. Let's separate the coaches from the players and then we'll see who's still a genius.
Mike Holmgren? In Green Bay, with Brett Favre, OF COURSE he looked like a genius! But take away Favre, stick Mikey in Seattle where they haven't won since, well, EVER, and no, he don't look so smart anymore, does he?
Brian Billick? Offensive coordinator for the Vikings for many years, touted as an offensive genius, because, above all other things, the Vikes offense was consistently good. Put him in Baltimore, and yes, he did win a title, BUT WITH EXACTLY ZERO OFFENSE. Where's the offensive genius now? So much for that...
Norv Turner? Same situation as Billick. Touted as a genius with the Cowboys, where he had arguably the three best players in the league at the time, OF COURSE HE WON WITH THEM. Bring him to D.C. and he failed to reach the playoffs but one year, in which his inept special teams lost a close game that never should have been THAT close. Then send him to Miami as Offensive Coordinator, the position where he's supposed to be so smart. The Dolphins have withered away ever since Marino retired and Norv had ZERO effect on that. Now he's in Oakland with the over-the-hill gang where he continues to lose. NOT a genius.
Jim Fassel? Took the sorry, no-account Giants to the Superbowl and lost. Did NOTHING every other year. Sorry Giants fans, that Superbowl appearance was a fluke, I said it then, and history has proven me right. What did they do the next year? Lost, that's what they did. And then the guy got canned. NOT a genius.
Parcells? Belichek? Shanahan? Okay, maybe. Parcells definitely knows what he's doing, he has only ever won. I'll give you that one. Shanahan is an above average coach at least, but a genius? Sorry, don't think so. He's got a brilliant blocking scheme that allows him to plug in pretty much anybody at running back and get production. Brilliant, but genius? Probably not. He'll be a .500 career coach when it's all said and done.
Belichek is difficult to grade. Yes, he's got three titles and is in good shape for a serious run at another one, but let's take Tom Brady away and see how the Patriots do. Let's just break Tom's legs and watch the Pats never win again. I'm willing to bet on that; takers? So I'll give Bill a tentative no.
So who IS a football genius? I would define that term as a coach who wins NO MATTER WHO IS ON THE ROSTER. Parcells counts. Joe Gibbs, in his first run at least, no question he qualifies. The under-60 list would have to include Bill Cowher(what is it with NFL coaches named Bill?), and, um, that's pretty much it. Why does Bill Cowher qualify? Because he just wins. He knows what he wants in a player, he knows how to judge talent, and he builds his teams the traditional way, the time-tested way, starting with the defense, and above all else, the running game. Bill Cowher gets it. Parcells gets it. Gibbs gets it. These three men all run their teams the same way, the old-school way, the smash-mouth way, where they take the ball and shove it down the throats of anybody foolish enough to stand in their path. The Bills will win now. Joe might take a bit more time, but I am confident he'll unfuck the 'Skins eventually, and when he does, it will be with defense(done) and the running game.
So let's give this whole "genius" thing a rest. Only looking back can you know who's got it and who don't.
posted by D at 28.9.05
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home