Sports 'N Stuff: Rocky Mountain Ridiculous ...
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Josh McDaniels, formerly of the New England Patriots coaching staff, is the new head coach in Denver. What was his first act as "the guy?" It was dismantling the entire organization. Great job, Joshy.
In case those of you reading this are not die-hard fans like myself, let me set the stage. McDaniels was brought in when 14-year coach Mike Shannahan was abruptly fired at the end of last season.
When Broncos President Pat Bowlen fired Shannahan, he assured quarterback Jay Cutler that the offensive coaches with which Cutler had a great relationship would remain intact. Then along came McDaniels.
Not only did he clean house with the coaching staff, he also tried behind the scenes to make a trade for Matt Cassel, his quarterback last season with the New England Patriots. This all got back to Cutler and the rest you can read on any sports page in any paper or online.
So who's to blame in all this mess? I say it's Pat Bowlen and Josh McDaniels, mostly McDaniels. I mean really. Shame on Bowlen for letting him even try for the trade in the first place. McDaniels, though, is single-handedly destroying a team that for almost two decades has had a tradition of winning.
They have struggled since the retirement of famed QB John Elway to find his replacement, a new face to the franchise if you will. That is what they had in Cutler. They moved up in the draft a few years ago just to sign him. He came in under the radar behind Vince Young and Matt Leinart and has surpassed both of them in the NFL. Earning his first pro bowl season last year, he broke many of the single-season Bronco passing records held by Elway. He was regarded by Bronco fans as "the guy" who would bring them back to glory. Well now that's all blown up and who knows where they go next. I truly don't understand McDaniels' thinking nor do I understand how these Patriot assistant coaches keep getting hired as head coaches. We all know that Bill Belichick is the man, I get that. But these other guys? Give me a break.
Romeo Crennell, Charlie Weiss and Eric Mangini are or were all head coaches, Weiss at Notre Dame. Their combined record since they took over their respective teams is 76-86 in the regular season. Crennell never led his team to the postseason and was fired from the Browns after last season. And guess what? Mangini was fired from the Jets and immediately hired by the Browns.
Mangini, with the Jets, was 0-1 in the playoffs and made a last-ditch effort to salvage his job by getting Brett Favre for one last season, which resulted in failure also. Weiss, still at Notre Dame, is the only of those guys with a winning record. He has gone 29-21 with the Irish. A winning record, yes, but hardly what Irish faithful expect or deserve. He is 1-2 in bowl games.
So I ask you the reader: What is the fascination with these guys when they have proven they cannot be the main guy? What could the explanation or justification for walking through the door and crippling a franchise by basically running their franchise player out the door?
It doesn't make any sense and if I could find an e-mail for McDaniels, I would certainly give him a piece of my mind. I mean after all, not only am I a huge Bronco fan but, doggone it, I just bought a new Cutler jersey!!!!
Brian Flagg is the president and co-chairman of the Fall Foliage Charity Bed Race. He was co-host of "The Sports Page" on local public access stations for nearly five years. The North Adams resident has been coaching girls' basketball and softball for 16 years.
