Sometimes there are moves in the NFL that completely do not make sense. The biggest mind blowing decision in my mind this past football year was the decision for the Denver Broncos to let go of Mike Shanahan.
Here was a 2 time proven Super Bowl champion head coach that was let go over one of the biggest impossibilities in NFL history.
The Broncos held a commanding lead over the Chargers in the AFC West with 4 games to go. The only way the Broncos could miss out on the playoffs was for them to lose their final 4 games while San Diego won out. Long story short, after improbable onside kicks and last second come from behind victories from Phillip Rivers (KC game, where SD was trailing 21-3 in the 2nd half), the impossible happened and the Chargers went on to win the AFC West and the Broncos were left out of the playoffs. Does it make sense that if SD did not make an onside kick, Mike Shanahan would still be their head coach? I didn’t think so.
It is very similar to the situation that is brewing down in Columbus right now. The Buckeyes coach, Jim Tressel, a proven winner and national champion, is being put somewhat on the hot seat for his current repeated failures against top ranked teams. Both these coaches further prove that the coaching industry is not a very safe job to have. (Not that anything is these days) It’s a business where there is absolute no room for error, and are these realistic expectations? With pressure from fans and season ticket holders I understand the owners have to make it seem that they are trying to make a change when their team is going through a rough patch. But to fire proven coaches who can get the job done, does not seem like the best call to me.
The point is Mike Shanahan should never have been fired from Denver and should at the very least have some kind of coaching job in the NFL and not sipping Pina Coladas with nothing better to do. Trust me there are not too many coaches who are capable of winning 2 championships, even with John Elway and Terrell Davis.
Eric Feld
