Saturday, February 10, 2007
Dallas Cowboys coaching hire
The Clarion doesn’t love Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys hiring of Wade Phillips. We hear that neither does the fan base.
See the Dallas Fort-Worth Star Telegram
The last three candidates besides ol’ Wade all seemed like better choices. There were very few on field leaders in Mike Singletary’s class. Cerebral, but super intense, he led by example. Ron Rivera also would have been an excellent choice. Even Norv Turner at least has a track record of modest success. Wade Phillips was run out of Denver and Buffalo leaving both franchises worse than he found them.
Our suspicion here at the Clarion is that Jerry Jones liked Wade Phillips because he was the biggest yes man. Jerry has always had a hard time co-existing with hard headed winners, ala Jimmy Johnson and more recently Bill Parcells. And with this hire, Jones was going to foist assistant coaches he chose on his new head coach. Many of the best of the best won’t stand for that, apparently this was Turner’s ultimate objection. Don’t forget one of those assistant coaches, former back-up QB, Jason Garrett, is designated the heir apparent as head coach. Garrett’s hiring first made this coach a lame duck before he even came on board.
Now you gotta be a suck up to be willing to take that. But Wade Phillips was a guy who hadn’t been a real coach in seven many years. (He did have a half season stint with the Falcons in ‘03 as an interim guy.) His career record in the playoffs is 0-3. He knew if not this one, he might never get another shot. The trend as we have discussed in these pages is toward young head coaches.
See Len Pasquarelli on this trend.
The veteran Parcells final falling out with Jerry Jones was over T.O. Parcells didn’t want T.O. Jones insisted. Things were ultimately never repaired, and still Dallas came within a bobbled snap of the second round of the playoffs. As for the Phillips hiring, yes, there is some talent in Dallas, maybe Garrett is a terrific offensive mind, but from Parcells, this can only be viewed as a step backward for the franchise. Too safe a choice, his lame duck status is like Jones telling the fan base, in three or four more years, we are going to go with the guy we think will win big. For now, we are going to hand the keys to the kingdom over to the safest choice possible as regent. Three or four more years?? What?!! would be our reaction, were we Cowboys fans. Best thing about Wade Phillips is that his old man, former Houston Oilers coach, Bum, came to the press conference.
Incidentally, it certainly doesn’t help Marty Chokinheimer and San Diego to lose both of their coordinators. Phillips was coaching the defense, and offensive coordinator Cam Cameron split to coach the Dolphins. Can Schottenheimer lure his own son away from the Jets? Perhaps with the title of assistant head coach? And/or worse, for the franchise, the promise to succeed him?
Quick NCAA notes
Sleeper Final Four teams
Georgetown
Gonzaga (if trouble with the law doesn't derail'em.)
The Hoosier’s despite a tough loss on the road at Iowa, continue to look good.
Indiana wins again, over Illinois.
Texas Tech on the other hand has gone into a tailspin. Their latest loss a heartbreaker to Nebraska on a last second three pointer. We know how Coach Knight feels about the three pointer.
two weeks ago...Knight on the 3 pointer after Texas Tech’s win Wednesday over then #6 Texas A&M... “That doesn't make me feel any better about 3-point shots," Knight said. "I don't like it, didn't like it, not going to like it. It was good tonight, though."
See the Dallas Fort-Worth Star Telegram
The last three candidates besides ol’ Wade all seemed like better choices. There were very few on field leaders in Mike Singletary’s class. Cerebral, but super intense, he led by example. Ron Rivera also would have been an excellent choice. Even Norv Turner at least has a track record of modest success. Wade Phillips was run out of Denver and Buffalo leaving both franchises worse than he found them.
Our suspicion here at the Clarion is that Jerry Jones liked Wade Phillips because he was the biggest yes man. Jerry has always had a hard time co-existing with hard headed winners, ala Jimmy Johnson and more recently Bill Parcells. And with this hire, Jones was going to foist assistant coaches he chose on his new head coach. Many of the best of the best won’t stand for that, apparently this was Turner’s ultimate objection. Don’t forget one of those assistant coaches, former back-up QB, Jason Garrett, is designated the heir apparent as head coach. Garrett’s hiring first made this coach a lame duck before he even came on board.
Now you gotta be a suck up to be willing to take that. But Wade Phillips was a guy who hadn’t been a real coach in seven many years. (He did have a half season stint with the Falcons in ‘03 as an interim guy.) His career record in the playoffs is 0-3. He knew if not this one, he might never get another shot. The trend as we have discussed in these pages is toward young head coaches.
See Len Pasquarelli on this trend.
The veteran Parcells final falling out with Jerry Jones was over T.O. Parcells didn’t want T.O. Jones insisted. Things were ultimately never repaired, and still Dallas came within a bobbled snap of the second round of the playoffs. As for the Phillips hiring, yes, there is some talent in Dallas, maybe Garrett is a terrific offensive mind, but from Parcells, this can only be viewed as a step backward for the franchise. Too safe a choice, his lame duck status is like Jones telling the fan base, in three or four more years, we are going to go with the guy we think will win big. For now, we are going to hand the keys to the kingdom over to the safest choice possible as regent. Three or four more years?? What?!! would be our reaction, were we Cowboys fans. Best thing about Wade Phillips is that his old man, former Houston Oilers coach, Bum, came to the press conference.
Incidentally, it certainly doesn’t help Marty Chokinheimer and San Diego to lose both of their coordinators. Phillips was coaching the defense, and offensive coordinator Cam Cameron split to coach the Dolphins. Can Schottenheimer lure his own son away from the Jets? Perhaps with the title of assistant head coach? And/or worse, for the franchise, the promise to succeed him?
Quick NCAA notes
Sleeper Final Four teams
Georgetown
Gonzaga (if trouble with the law doesn't derail'em.)
The Hoosier’s despite a tough loss on the road at Iowa, continue to look good.
Indiana wins again, over Illinois.
Texas Tech on the other hand has gone into a tailspin. Their latest loss a heartbreaker to Nebraska on a last second three pointer. We know how Coach Knight feels about the three pointer.
two weeks ago...Knight on the 3 pointer after Texas Tech’s win Wednesday over then #6 Texas A&M... “That doesn't make me feel any better about 3-point shots," Knight said. "I don't like it, didn't like it, not going to like it. It was good tonight, though."
Labels: college basketball, NFL, sports
Comments:
ESPN's Doug Gottlieb's take on some NCAA sleepers includes...
Boston College, Texas, Villanova, Indiana, Oregon and Tennessee.
Hmmm...
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Boston College, Texas, Villanova, Indiana, Oregon and Tennessee.
Hmmm...
