Joe Gibbs and the Redskins

Joseph · January 7, 2004, 23:53

Joe Gibbs is going to return to the Washington Redskins as Head Coach after spending the last 11 years with Nascar.

Japher · January 7, 2004, 23:55

I saw that, this may be a good sign. He is the only one who seems to have the trust of Dan Snyder, the most hated owner in all the NFL, next to Al Davis.

Let's go Hogs!!!

Speaking of the Raiders, is he interveiwing Green only because he is black or is he actually considering him... IMO, he is a good coach, and has been passed up on way too many occasions.

asleepathewheel · January 8, 2004, 00:01

Quote:

Originally posted by Japher
Speaking of the Raiders, is he interveiwing Green only because he is black or is he actually considering him... IMO, he is a good coach, and has been passed up on way too many occasions.

Um, he was hired by the *gulp* AZ cardinals today

Ogie Oglethorpe · January 8, 2004, 00:03

Come now Snyder is way more hated than Davis.

At least Davis (scum back jerk that he is) had his team win the Superbowl. Snyder has managed in a short time to top the hated owner list and top the laughing stock list as well.

As for Raiders and Green, I thought I heard Arizona picked Green up.

Dang x-post

DanS · January 8, 2004, 00:34

Seems like a solid pick to me. You can't argue with 3 super bowl rings spread out over 12 years.

Btw, I don't think Dan Snyder is hated as much as you think.

Shi Huangdi · January 8, 2004, 00:44

Awesome!

Ming · January 8, 2004, 09:36

One can only hope the Bears make a good selection for head coach... but looking at their recent track record... sigh...

Richelieu · January 8, 2004, 09:41

Is there an award for idiot owner of the year? And as for hated, Jerry Jones has to be somewhere upthere too.

Zopperoni · January 8, 2004, 09:48

Quote:

Originally posted by Japher
Speaking of the Raiders, is he interveiwing Green only because he is black or is he actually considering him... IMO, he is a good coach, and has been passed up on way too many occasions.

Either way, he's not going to coach the Raiders, because Green signed for the Cardinals.

Ming · January 8, 2004, 09:48

Quote:

Originally posted by asleepathewheel
Um, he was hired by the *gulp* AZ cardinals today

From SI.com

Dennis Green, one of the winningest NFL coaches in the 1990s, signed a four-year contract Wednesday to guide the struggling Arizona Cardinals.

The 54-year-old Green, who had a 97-62 record in 10 seasons with Minnesota and led the Vikings into the playoffs eight times, spent the day in San Diego exchanging faxes and phone calls with Cardinals officials in Tempe.

"He is a proven winner with an outstanding track record of success," Arizona owner Bill Bidwill said in the club's release announcing the hiring.

Green will at least $10 million in the deal, which includes a club option for a fifth season._He_was the first candidate interviewed by Cardinals officials, and the team has considered him its No. 1 choice from the outset of its coaching search, which began after Arizona dismissed Dave McGinnis on Dec. 29.

Green's will average more money than Arizona has ever paid any of its previous head coaches. A news conference introducing Green is expected to be held_Friday morning at the team complex in Tempe, Ariz.

"The attraction of Arizona for Denny is that the Cardinals' organization has had trouble winning and now a lot of people don't expect them to start winning," said Gary O'Hagan, Green's agent told The Associated Press late Wednesday. "That creates a lot of upside, an opportunity for success."

"They need to have a winning team because they need to sell tickets. Dennis is a proven winner and that's what the Cardinals need."

Determined to land Green, Cardinals vice presidents Michael Bidwill and Rod Graves on Tuesday morning flew to San Diego, where Green lives, to interview him a second time and allow both sides to get more comfortable with one another.

No offer was made by Michael Bidwill and Graves in that session, but the pair spent most of the day with Green and then flew back to Arizona to brief Cardinals owner Bill Bidwill and endorse Green as their choice. The elder Bidwill authorized the team's initial offer to Green, and contract negotiations with O'Hagan cranked to life Tuesday evening.

Green's hiring represents the third of the NFL's seven coaching vacancies to be filled this offseason. The New York Giants and former Jaguars coach Tom Coughlin agreed to a four-year contract for about $12 million on Tuesday, and Washington struck a five-year deal with Hall of Fame head coach Joe Gibbs early Wednesday.

The Cardinals also interviewed three other candidates besides Green: former Giants head coach Jim Fassel, Patriots defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel, and Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson. All received interviews last week, with the team's search being conducted by Graves, as well as Michael Bidwill and his brother, William Bidwill Jr., who are both team vice presidents and the sons of Bill Bidwill. Graves is Arizona's vice president for football operations.

From the outset, Graves was firmly behind Green's candidacy, believing his proven track record of NFL success was the wisest path for a franchise that has endured five consecutive losing seasons and made just one playoff trip (1998) since relocating to the desert from St. Louis in 1988.

Arizona officials interviewed Green at its team complex last Wednesday before flying east to interview Crennel and Thursday and Friday. Fassel received the fourth and final interview by the Cardinals, on Saturday in Arizona.

Until Gibbs entered the picture in Washington, Green was clearly the most accomplished former NFL head coach available in this year's job market, and one of the most sought after. He led the Vikings to the playoffs eight times, twice reaching the NFC title game. Green also interviewed for Washington's vacant head coaching job over the weekend in San Francisco, and was in Oakland on Monday to interview with the Raiders about their opening.

McGinnis was both respected and well-liked as the Cardinals head coach, but he went 17-40 in his three and a half seasons, never finishing with a better record than 2001's 7-9.

Michael Bidwill, who is also the team's general counsel, is emerging as the franchise's primary decision-maker, and is it believed that he has been given the authority by his father to make significant changes to how the low-budget Cardinals have traditionally done business. The hiring of Green is the first step in that process.

Green's strongest selling points to the Cardinals were his track record of getting the Vikings to the playoffs in eight of his 10 seasons in Minnesota (1992-2001), and his stellar work with quarterbacks over the course of his career. Seven different quarterbacks started a playoff game for Green in Minnesota, including Rich Gannon, Jim McMahon, Warren Moon, Brad Johnson, Randall Cunningham, Jeff George and Daunte Culpepper.

Green's deft touch with quarterbacks is a key factor to Arizona, which holds the No. 3 overall draft pick and figures to be in position to select one of the two top-rated collegiate quarterbacks, either Ole Miss standout Eli Manning or Miami of Ohio's Ben Roethlisberger.

Green's candidacy in Arizona was further enhanced by the fact that he is represented by IMG, who is considered the overwhelming favorite to represent Manning next spring. The giant sports representation firm also has as a client Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, Eli's older brother. By hiring Green, the Cardinals figure to only enhance their chances of being able to sign Manning to the eight-digit contract that he'll be able to command.

Just as important, the potential pairing of Green and Manning is likely the best possible combination the Cardinals could hope for in their perennial quest to generate fan interest. Arizona annually ranks last in the NFL in ticket sales, and did not realize much of a bump in signing the league's all-time leading rusher, Emmitt Smith, in free agency last offseason.

The Cardinals have two more seasons to play at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe before they are scheduled to move into a new, retractable-roof stadium in suburban Phoenix. They were intent with this coaching search to land a proven commodity who will have completed the early stages of a rebuilding program by the time the new stadium opens.

With an eye on reviving the Cardinals flagging on-field fortunes, and helping at least close the gap between them and every other NFL franchise in terms of ticket sales and revenue streams, the league also encouraged the Bidwills in the direction of Green. In addition, Green's hiring in Arizona raises the NFL's contingent of black head coaches to four, which is always a consideration that the league office is sensitive to.

Green resigned with one game to go in 2001, with the Vikings at 5-10 and in the midst of their worst season of his tenure. Less than a year before, he had led Minnesota to its second NFC title game appearance in a three-year span. He has spent the past two seasons working as an NFL analyst for ESPN, as well as tending to other business interests.

While Green expressed much interest in both the Washington and Oakland jobs, sources say he felt drawn to the challenge of building a winner for the Cardinals, who have languished in the bottom third of the NFL's pecking order for most of the past three decades.

Brundlefly · January 8, 2004, 10:33

Gibbs and a partner spent $27 million to buy 5% of the Falcons in 2002. He will have to sell that in order to take this coaching position. Wonder if he made a profit...

Sava · January 8, 2004, 10:42

Quote:

Originally posted by Japher
I saw that, this may be a good sign. He is the only one who seems to have the trust of Dan Snyder, the most hated owner in all the NFL, next to Al Davis.

uhhhh come to Chicago foo... McCaskey's ARE the most hated owners... and in hockey, we got Bill Wirtz... SO BEAT THAT!!!

Adam Smith · January 8, 2004, 11:32

for hiring Gibbs

This should be great for Patrick Ramsey, who will have a much better chance to develop as a QB with good coaching and a chance to stand upright.

The person I feel sorriest for is Steven Davis, who worked his ass off, did everything he was asked to and more, and got run out of town by Spurrier. Gibbs and Davis would have really appreciated each other.

As for Snyder, I met him the one time he took my sister out on a date (they went to the same high school). He was a complete ******* then, and the intervening years have not changed my opinion of him in the least.

Club Level Tickets ... $1000
Parking ... $25, more if you want close in
Not having Daniel Snyder as a brother-in-law ... Priceless

Brundlefly · January 8, 2004, 11:40

Eagles will still sweep you next year...

Shogun Gunner · January 8, 2004, 11:41

Quote:

Originally posted by Adam Smith

for hiring Gibbs

Club Level Tickets ... $1000
Parking ... $25, more if you want close in
Not having Daniel Snyder as a brother-in-law ... Priceless

that's funny.

I'm not a Redskins fan, but living the DC area, I don't know one Redskin fan that thinks Snyder is doing a good job. He makes Jerry Jones look professional.

Ogie Oglethorpe · January 8, 2004, 12:07

Its more than that tho'. National media has tarred him with the rich kid who doesn't know what he's doing label. The antipathy against Snyder is more than the usual fan's resentment agains the unsuccessful owner who is out to rape his fans, it goes to the general football fan who resent the upstart kid who thinks he can buy a superbowl without knowing anything.

Like it or not both Davis and Jones have proven they can field a decent product. Not that I like any of the three.

Ming · January 8, 2004, 13:56

Quote:

Originally posted by Sava

uhhhh come to Chicago foo... McCaskey's ARE the most hated owners... and in hockey, we got Bill Wirtz... SO BEAT THAT!!!

I don't think anybody can... especially when you consider we also have White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf. The man behind the baseball strike that cost them a playoff shot, and the guy who wanted to move the team to Tampa

Sava · January 8, 2004, 14:08

word is, on local Chicago sports talk, that Nick Saban is Angelo's guy; and that all these other names: Romeo Crannel, Lovie Smith; are just to give the appearance of minority coaches being given a chance. From what I hear about Saban, he probably would be a good fit for the Bears, but I don't know if a Saban hiring addresses the offensive issues for the Bears. I'm not a follower of college football, but I understand LSU's offense isn't the greatest. Perhaps Saban could bring in an offensive mind... who knows...

I've hear Fossell's name thrown around as a good fit for the Bears, but I don't know if I'm comfortable with him. I would like to see an offensive head coach to come in and build a successful offensive scheme for the Bears. I think Grossman has the potential to be a star (maybe not superstar).

I've also looked over Anthony Thomas's numbers, and they are very comparable to guys like Eddie George, Edgerinn James, and Shaun Alexander... and Thomas had to put up with a coaching staff that didn't use him effectively, as well as a patchwork offensive line. Thomas has his critics, and he's not Marshall Faulk or Ladanian Tomlinsin, but I think he can get the job done and be effective if the O-Line is steady and he gets a consistent workload. I see Thomas putting up around 1,500 yards per season in a decent offensive scheme.

The Bears have a tough schedule next year, but I'll be happy if they can get a coach who won't make the same mistakes as the Jauron people. I want to see good clock management, effective offense, good pass rush, and a strong secondary... all things we didn't have in the Jauron era.