11/05/24
January 01, 2006
Tice gets a sad, sad "Zygi" card...: Vikings owner Zygi Wilf drops the hammer on Mike Tice before the crews were done mopping the Metrodome's men's rooms. And he's just the first casualty. Other heads on the block include the Texans' Dom Capers, the Rams' Mike Martz, the Saints' Jim Haslett, the Packers' Mike Sherman, the Cardinals' Denny Green, the Jets' Herm Edwards, the Ravens' Brian Billick, and maybe even Marty Schottenheimer. Meanwhile, Dick Vermiel leaves the game voluntarily, then goes home and has a good cry.
posted by The_Black_Hand to football at 09:37 PM - 18 comments
I figured it would be 50/50 on Tice. I was a little surprised they canned him so quickly after the game, but such is the NFL life. As for the rest that are mentioned above: -- Capers: Pretty much already announced that he's gone. -- Martz: Not a horrible coach, but an ego the size of the Edward Jones Dome. Not as good as he thinks, and might as well be gone. -- Haslett: Give him a pass this year for obvious reasons. Then give him a QB. -- Sherman: Struggling badly as a coach because of the crap-tacular job he did as GM previously. He and Favre will either stay together or go together. Probably best that they both go. -- Green: Like Martz when it comes to ego, but a bit more proven as a coach, and hasn't been there as long. Give him another year. -- Edwards, Billick: Not going anywhere. -- Schottenheimer: Shouldn't even be mentioned here.
posted by TheQatarian at 10:56 PM on January 01, 2006
I suspect Qatarian's assessments are pretty accurate. Scottenheimer's not in trouble as long as the Chargers make the playoffs next year and he handles the QB situation properly. I'd be shocked if he didn't. It looks right now like the Saints are going to get Leinart (though I think Vince Young would be a better fit there), so while next year's not going to be much better, there's an opportunity for great upside there, especially if the head office gives the team the opportunity to win. And the Jets need one of those two QBs. Chad's not coming back, and the rest of the team, when healthy, is a legit contender. Behind a healed Jets O-Line, Leinart or Young (or Brady Quinn or Drew Olson or whoever) would have the chance to do next year what Roethlisberger did in Pittsburgh last year. (I'm not taking these rose-colored glasses off for anyone.)
posted by chicobangs at 11:05 PM on January 01, 2006
Herm Edwards was not mentioned in any of the linked articles. Where did you pull that from? Considering that he had to call Vinnie Testaverde out of retirement to get a QB for his team, I don't see how his head could be on the chopping block this year.
posted by ursus_comiter at 11:19 PM on January 01, 2006
he was lucky he wasnt fired after getting cought scalping tickets i think he will be probally heading to the texans.
posted by Barry-from-H-town at 11:20 PM on January 01, 2006
Herm Edwards' future. Of course, it's all just conjecture, and will remain so until all the head coaching jobs are full again. The NFL is a constantly swirling world of intrigue, my friends. I was just underlining the uncertainty of this offseason. chico, you can have Frerotte next season. Cheap. But only if you keep Fiedler, too.
posted by The_Black_Hand at 11:50 PM on January 01, 2006
Nice post, TBH, but Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti has already publicly stated that Billick will be back next year. It looks right now like the Saints are going to get Leinart (though I think Vince Young would be a better fit there) First part, yeah. Second part, not so much. At the very least, Vinny hasn't said yet if he's going to declare eligibility for the draft this year. Add the fact that all the TX sportspundits* have towed the party line of "If Young comes out this year, he'd be better off taken as a WR (a la the Jags Matt Jones), but if he wants to play QB in the NFL, he'll need one more year in college," and I just kind of have to agree with them. Vince would benefit from an additional year at UT (and let's face it, who else from the Big XII is ready to contend next year?). He has the potential to be a stud professionally, regardless of what position he plays, but I don't see him coming out this year, especially if the Longhorns lose the Rose Bowl. *They're sportspundits and Texans. They very well may be wrong.
posted by Ufez Jones at 12:29 AM on January 02, 2006
If Texas loses the Rose Bowl I think Vince Young will return for his senior season. If they win I think he'd rather go out on top and declare for the draft. Also, the Lions should be looking for a new coach next year. I don't think (and I might jump off a bridge if he does) Dick Jauron is coming back so hopefully the Lions finally get a good coach. I heard they are talking to the Chiefs offensive coordinator about the job.
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 07:42 AM on January 02, 2006
From mrhockey: Packers and Rams reportedly fire their debris....: A Fox News source received four minutes ago reprted that Ram's coach Martz and Packers' coach Sherman have been fired. There are those of us that are glad to see at least one of these.
posted by rcade at 09:36 AM on January 02, 2006
Dick Vermiel was a very good coach. I as just tired of the worn out "crying jokes' about him... Big deal-the man is emotional. We would be better off if more were like him.
posted by daddisamm at 10:44 AM on January 02, 2006
The blame with the Vikings should fall on the shoulders of one man and it aint Mike Tice. The Former owner "old what's his name" cut the team to the bare bones. It was his decision to trade away Randy Moss. He was the one the cut the sront office support staff to the bare bones. Tice had little or no support. He should be applauded for the job that he did do. P.s.--I am not a Viking fan
posted by daddisamm at 10:47 AM on January 02, 2006
No argument on Red McCombs...as a Vikings fan, it became readily apparent that the guy was a total cheapskate. Mel Kiper gives the Vikings A's almost every year on their drafts, and yet few of their picks ever pan out because the assistant coaches were hired on the cheap. And on the above list of "hot seat" coaches, Norv Turner was missing...I can't fathom him staying.
posted by TheQatarian at 12:28 PM on January 02, 2006
i think marty Schottenheimer was crazy after brees hurt his shoulder marty left him in
posted by freak at 01:17 PM on January 02, 2006
freak: Huh? Brees went to the locker room immediately after the play and never returned.
posted by TheQatarian at 01:25 PM on January 02, 2006
sorry i thought he came back later sorry
posted by freak at 01:29 PM on January 02, 2006
Qatarian, I'm with you on Turner. He seems to have support from the players but I think he would have a much better shot at staying had the Raiders beat the Giants Saturday. Al Davis needs to do something if only to get enough seats filled to stop the constant local blackouts, those've been going on so long it has to be hurting his fan base.
posted by billsaysthis at 03:01 PM on January 02, 2006
Tice-Considering how unfocused and sloppy the Vikes were this year, I thought Tice did a good job to get what he could out of them. Especially considering they started Brad Johnson as the QB for most of the year. Sherman-The Pack is a miserable team, and will be for sometime. Favre could have kept them up a little so that they would be a little better, or he could kick them in the balls repeatedly. He usually kicked them in the balls this year. Favre needed to go. As for Sherman, he hasn't done anything for this team, so good riddance to him, too. Martz-The Rams have never been quite the same team since they lost to the Pats in the Super Bowl. Lately, they've constantly underperformed. Martz is a good offensive coord, but not head coach material. Edwards-will probably stay, and should. They won't get Leinart, but they could get Jay Cutler in the second round. Capers-Goodbye, good riddance. But note Texans, I don't think Reggie Bush will help you. Haslett-Should be gone. Ignore this year, the Saints have sucked for a few years. They just started their end of the year slump early this year. BIllick, Green-Have young teams that are starting to come around on them. Kyle Boller finally showed some promise in Balty, and Green has two 100-recepts WRs in Arizona. Both are staying.
posted by Bonkers at 07:20 PM on January 02, 2006
Tice deserved to be fired after three consecutive disappointing seasons. The Vikings folded at the ends of the two seasons before this one, and I don't understand why people credit Tice for this season's turnaround without blaming him for digging the hole in the first place. The Vikings went 3-7 after a 6-0 start in 2003; they went 4-8 after a 5-1 start in 2004; and this season, when some reporters had picked them to go to the Super Bowl, they started 2-5 (going 6-13 in regular-season games from Halloween 2004 to Halloween 2005), and lost a must-win home game against the Steelers on December 18 that would have kept their playoff chances alive. The Vikings made a lot of changes going into this season, and I think a lot of their problems early in the season were due to Dante Culpeper trying too hard to make up for not having Randy Moss, but it's the coach's job to adjust to changes, and that's what the preseason is for. The Vikings went 3-1 this preseason. I don't blame Tice for the Love Boat incident, because that's off-the-field misbehavior by men who are supposedly grownups. In fact, he did a great job getting the team focused after that. He just can't get the team to the next level, and he's proved it season after season after season. I like Tice, but it's time for him to go.
posted by kirkaracha at 10:17 AM on January 03, 2006
Certainly not the best year to be looking for a new coach with all the openings. Maybe we will finally see some fresh faces on the sidelines. I wonder when we will start seeing successful AFL coaches, such as Danny White, in the NFL.It's certainly no more risky than promoting an assisstant coach or bringing in a college coach who hasn't dealt with salary caps and free agency.