Dave2112
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Dennis Green, head coach of the Minnesota Vikings (my favorite team) was fired today. I'm PISSED! This is a bad move and follows a disturbing trend of knee-jerk reactions by owners in the NFL over the last few years.
Dennis Green was the longest-tenured coach in the NFL, hired a few weeks before Bill Cowher of the Steelers. He coached for ten seasons, leading the Vikes to the playoffs eight of those seasons, with one 8-8 year and this being his first and ONLY losing season. The Vikes reached the NFC Championship twice within three years in that time. They were one of only three teams to ever win 15 games in one season. (Yeah, Miami went undefeated in '74, but that was a fourteen-game season.) Injuries and retirements had far more to do with this one bad season than Green did. Dennis was loved by his players and the Minneapolis community, and was a genius at drafting unseen talent. He chose Randy Moss over Jevon Kearse, who seemed to have one good season, and had faith in Daunte Culpepper. He also brought John Randle, Robert Griffith, Robert Smith and Ed McDaniel into town when no one else held them in any high esteem.
What really burns me is that he was fired TODAY, meaning that an "interim" coach will be on the sidelines for their last game this weekend. This is nothing short of a slap in the face to a great coach and a good man.
I feel a bit of anger in wondering how much of a role, however indirect, Randy Moss may have played in this. Many teammates disliked Randy's attitude, and Robert Smith hinted at him being the reason for his stunningly early retirement. Dennis Green gave him a chance and backed him up, and perhaps this led to some of the recent locker-room trouble in Minnesota. I, for one, think that Randy may be among the best recievers in the league, but if he doesn't grow up soon, I'd rather see him on another team than tear up the one I've loved since first seeing them in '76.
Perhaps Steve Spurrier will have a job in the NFL soon. If so, I hope this wasn't a move to lure him to Minnesota. It seems odd that his retirement from college football and Green's firing happened in the same day. Even some crappy coaches got to stay on until the end of their seasons, so to do this to one of the smartest and likeable coaches to ever walk the sidelines is simply in bad taste.
I've always thought of Red McCombs as one of the better owners in the league, but now I may have to re-evaluate this notion.
Bad move, Red. And truly tasteless.
Dennis Green was the longest-tenured coach in the NFL, hired a few weeks before Bill Cowher of the Steelers. He coached for ten seasons, leading the Vikes to the playoffs eight of those seasons, with one 8-8 year and this being his first and ONLY losing season. The Vikes reached the NFC Championship twice within three years in that time. They were one of only three teams to ever win 15 games in one season. (Yeah, Miami went undefeated in '74, but that was a fourteen-game season.) Injuries and retirements had far more to do with this one bad season than Green did. Dennis was loved by his players and the Minneapolis community, and was a genius at drafting unseen talent. He chose Randy Moss over Jevon Kearse, who seemed to have one good season, and had faith in Daunte Culpepper. He also brought John Randle, Robert Griffith, Robert Smith and Ed McDaniel into town when no one else held them in any high esteem.
What really burns me is that he was fired TODAY, meaning that an "interim" coach will be on the sidelines for their last game this weekend. This is nothing short of a slap in the face to a great coach and a good man.
I feel a bit of anger in wondering how much of a role, however indirect, Randy Moss may have played in this. Many teammates disliked Randy's attitude, and Robert Smith hinted at him being the reason for his stunningly early retirement. Dennis Green gave him a chance and backed him up, and perhaps this led to some of the recent locker-room trouble in Minnesota. I, for one, think that Randy may be among the best recievers in the league, but if he doesn't grow up soon, I'd rather see him on another team than tear up the one I've loved since first seeing them in '76.
Perhaps Steve Spurrier will have a job in the NFL soon. If so, I hope this wasn't a move to lure him to Minnesota. It seems odd that his retirement from college football and Green's firing happened in the same day. Even some crappy coaches got to stay on until the end of their seasons, so to do this to one of the smartest and likeable coaches to ever walk the sidelines is simply in bad taste.
I've always thought of Red McCombs as one of the better owners in the league, but now I may have to re-evaluate this notion.
Bad move, Red. And truly tasteless.
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