I am trying to hurry up and write this so I can go pick up season 2 of the OC on my lunch break, but anyway...
The Packers locked Mike Sherman up to a two year extension. WHY? What has he done, and don't throw his record at me, over the last two years that makes you say "Yeah, we really need to keep this guy around." Sure he has a good regular season record (I believe it is like second or third best since he's entered the league and it may be best in team history) but all that tells you is he wins meaningless games.
OK so he's 53-27 and has won 3 consecutive NFC North Division crowns. They were clearly the best team in the division in 2003, and faded out. All 2004 and 2005 did was speak volumes to how much the Vikings underachieved and how poorly they are coached too. There was no reason for the Packers to take the crown those two years.
In the playoffs, Sherman is 2-4. 2-2 at home and 0-2 on the road. 2-2 at home. Before Sherman arrived they had never lost a home game. Yes, I realize it was bound to happen sooner or later, but the guy has turned in a .500 home record in playoff games.
His in game coaching is just horrible. Do I need to bring up the Playoff loss to the Eagles? HE cost them that game. Go back and look at the tape. Calling a sweep where you pull the guards on third and goal from the one, not going for it on forth and one in the forth quarter, calling off Ed Donatell's called blitz on fourth and 26 for a base defense that Freddie Mitchell burned, calling a passing play in overtime when you had run the ball all over the Eagles the entire game (I still don't blame Favre for that bad pass because they shouldn't have been passing in the first place).
How about the Lions game they lost that year? They ran the ball 12 times with Ahman Green and 18 total. Green rushed for over 1800 yards that year, and Najeh and Tony Fisher weren't exactly busters themselves.I could keep going, like the loss to the Vikings at the "Re-dedication of Lambeau", the Cheifs loss where he got conservative. You can say it's not his fault because he doesn't call the plays, actually he does. He and Tom Rossley will call plays (speaking of which, how does he still have a job and Ed Donatell got fired?) and even still, can't the head coach overrule a coordinators call?
This has turned into a Sherman column, so I'll stop. I'm just saying what's the rush? Why not wait and make him earn that extension. He hasn't done it yet. I've gotta believe Jim Bates came here because of the chance of a head coaching job with the team next season, and now that's gone. I just don't get it, same thing with the Yost extension.
The Brewers return to action tonight when they host the Marlins. Twinsman nailed it when he said the Brewers will find out this week they're not a wild card contender when the Braves and Marlins come to town.More importantly, why are Hardy and Hart both going to the fall league? Let's see here Ned, you say you want to get those guys AB's right? Here's an idea, PLAY THEM IN GAMES NOW! What is he doing sitting them on the bench in favor of Chris Magruder, Wes Helms and Bill Hall? Sit those guys on the bench, play Hart and Hardy, and take Victor Santos out of the rotation. Put Dana Eveland or de la Rosa in his spot. You don't make a pitcher a bullpen pitcher, he does that to himself. You make every pitcher a starter and if he can't handle it then he becomes a bullpen guy.
SportsCenter's 50 states in 50 days will be in my hometown of Waukesha on Labor Day for it's final installment in the series. They are going to be covering the Highland Games. It was reported earlier that they would be in West Allis, but that is false. Fellow Wisconsonite John Anderson will be at the event.
DeMarcus Ware looks like a player, doesn't he. I like Parcells response of "Let's not go putting him in the Hall of Fame just yet!"
We're still taking Isiah Thomas questions.
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
Maybe it's because I have a rather obvious Packers bias, but instead of getting into a ton of nitty gritty, I'll keep this simple. Brett Favre. Yes, there's your reason for locking Sherman up now. When Sherman is a lame duck coach and might not have a contract when the season ends, you'll watch Brett Favre cue his exit from the NFL. I don't think any GB fan is expecting a deep playoff run this year, but at the same time they're definitely a team that could surprise a lot of the so called experts. Next year could be a potentially encouraging one and if Favre is thinking about playing at least one more year after 2005 season, you better not even dream about changing coaches.
Also, one can't simply throw away a coaches record in the regular season. If Sherman doesn't preside over all those regular season wins, there isn't even a playoffs record to talk about. Think of all the teams that would give everything just to finally make the playoffs. Packers faithful have taken the postseason for granted at times, I believe. If you classify regular season games as "meaningless games," that's almost like calling Peyton Manning overrated just because he hasn't taken his team over the hump yet.
Enjoy Season Two...
First of all he is overrated, and secondly are you then going to tell me that guys like Dave Wanestadt are good coaches? He compiled a pretty good regular season record, and continually did nothing with that. In football especially, given all the parady records don't mean that much. C'mon Fabos, you're better than that kind of thinking. You Sherman Schill.
I know many are extremely quick to criticize his playoffs record, but keep in mind that in 2001 the Packers went as far as anyone thought or dreamed they could. They finished that season 12-4 and proceeded to knock off the 49ers at Lambeau, who were also 12-4, making them owners of the best regular season record to not have a home game in NFL history. GB went to St. Louis and got rolled. Nobody...thought Green Bay was going farther than that first round and to think they could have gotten past the Rams that year is presumptious. Additionally, in 2002, the year that the Packers dropped their first home game in the playoffs ever to Vick and the Falcons, the Packers barely had a team left entering postseason play. Half the team was injured and the fact they finished 12-4 to me was stunning that season. They had to finish the Atlanta game with Karsten Bailey as the number one receiver due to injury for crying out loud.
Yes, those are still losses, and the Eagles game and Vikings last season speak for themselves, but his playoff record isn't as awful underneath the surface as most think it is.
Post a Comment