reality check on coaching situation?

[pinnacle]

Paul Atner (not sure of spelling) was just on sporting news radio. He was introduced as being the senior NFL writer for The Sporting News. Comments on coaching situation..question 1 - where does fassel end up? His answer: if money is the issue - Redskins - if not about money..chicago or Buffalo.

of the seven openings -which one is the best opportunity for a coach? Talked about how great buffalo, Chicago, giants opportunities would be. Said Falcons obviously will be a good team...did not mention raiders...said the Redskins was good. Arizona: his comment: "You can put arizona down as the worst opportunity - by far" said that was an easy choice...

So.......he did not mention arizona as a possible destination for Fassel....he ranted and raved about how great the GM is in chicago. How Buffalo, Giants and Falcons have a bunch of talent.

Guess he did not hear that Fassel is spending the weekend in Arizona.

This is a 180 degree difference from what Gil Brandt said on the same radio network yesterday... Gil said his factors were a young qb and cap room..and he mentioned arizona 1st....

I suppose at the end of the day everyone is grabbing at straws guessing on who will end up where.....and some of the straws are different colors...

 

[Krangodnzr]

Attner is quite possibly my least favorite Sporting News guy, except for possibly Vinnie Iyer.

 

[JeffGollin]

I suppose at the end of the day everyone is grabbing at straws
Most of what you read is more speculation than "knowing something."

Logically, Attner is right about Fassel going to DC if it's "money only." But let's not forget that Snyder goes through HC's like M & M's.

Regarding other programs like AZ, Chicago, Oakland and Buffalo - Fassel's agent has said that he's set up a series of interviews and plans to complete the process before coming to a final decision.

To me this means he'll continue interviewing regardless of whether or not today or tomorrow the Cards make a firm offer he likes.

Then again, there may be some fine-tuning of semantics - i.e. certain teams Fassel had "committed" to interview with vs. those he "planned" to interview with. If the ones he hasn't visited aren't in the "committed to" category, maybe he might sign on the spot.

I think he will weigh money, opportunity (young team/cap room), relationships (OK re the Bidwills) and family (has roots here).

That should keep the Cards in the running, but talk is cheap until the deal's done. (i.e. Howwould it not be in Jim's best interests to say nice things about the Cardinal organization - whether he planned to accept a job offer from us or not)?

 

[Pariah]

It's the easy way out for the media to bash the situation in Arizona. If some investigation past the headlines is done, people would see that it isn't quite as bleak as it first seems.

 

[pinnacle]

Pariah....perceptions are wildly different I suppose.. Some people think the Buffalo situation is not so good because Bledsoe had a bad year and he has a huge contract - so you are stuck with him.. And besides....it is Buffalo. I know..great football history... but not exactly a garden spot. But - the Sporting News guy talked like Chicago and Buffalo (and the Giants) had everying in the world going for them (ownership, mgmt, players, etc). Makes me think the guy has rarely been west of the Mississippi River (he failed to mention the Raiders at all)...

I have no idea why people reference Chicago as having all of this talent... yea Grossman had a couple of good games....but in the big scheme of things I do not thing having Grossman and Kordell Stewart as your qb is wildly different than having Blake and Mccown. At the beginning of the season Chicago supposedly had no talent..they win a few games..now they have talent. We have no player on defense the stature of Urlacher - but they have no player on offense who is as good as Boldin.

 

[CardinalChris]

The Chicago GM has been getting all sorts of bad press in Chicago that the team squashed with an extention. Angelo has NEVER been a great GM. Buffalo lacks skill position players. Atlanta is a good team (better than most without coaches) and the Skins will be in a mess as long as sNyder runs them. Typical news fodder.

 

[b8rtm8nn]

I'm in IL and watch, follow and cheer for the Bears. Angelo (?) sucks, I cannot understand how they think he is a great GM. Look at the player acquisitions, they do not make any sense. Even the Fox Four Funny Men called decisions made in Chicago "stupid".

Jauron probably isn't head coach material, but he did get screwed personnel wise. That is GM suckiness...

 

[red desert]

Originally posted by Pariah
It's the easy way out for the media to bash the situation in Arizona. If some investigation past the headlines is done, people would see that it isn't quite as bleak as it first seems.

And Fassel hopefully will see this. Keep in mind, these are the folks (national media) that said Mac was doing the best he could with what he had.

 

[Tangodnzr]

Originally posted by JeffGollin
I suppose at the end of the day everyone is grabbing at straws
Most of what you read is more speculation than "knowing something."

Logically, Attner is right about Fassel going to DC if it's "money only." But let's not forget that Snyder goes through HC's like M & M's.

Regarding other programs like AZ, Chicago, Oakland and Buffalo - Fassel's agent has said that he's set up a series of interviews and plans to complete the process before coming to a final decision.

To me this means he'll continue interviewing regardless of whether or not today or tomorrow the Cards make a firm offer he likes.

Then again, there may be some fine-tuning of semantics - i.e. certain teams Fassel had "committed" to interview with vs. those he "planned" to interview with. If the ones he hasn't visited aren't in the "committed to" category, maybe he might sign on the spot.

I think he will weigh money, opportunity (young team/cap room), relationships (OK re the Bidwills) and family (has roots here).

That should keep the Cards in the running, but talk is cheap until the deal's done. (i.e. Howwould it not be in Jim's best interests to say nice things about the Cardinal organization - whether he planned to accept a job offer from us or not)?

Jeff, this is from Kent Somer's article referring to the actual quote from Steve Rosner, Fassel's agent:

......Fassel's plan is to "respect the process" and interview with teams he thinks might be good fits for him, Rosner said. However, he added, an offer from a team might speed the process...

I posted this not long after he first said it. To me, that's saying....
"If we get an offer that meets our criteria, in the meantime, we may take it".

...and as a couple of people have already posted....anyone who touts the Bears for their management, leaves a lot to be desired in the credibility dept., as far as I'm concerned.

 

[Tangodnzr]

Stick with me 'n Gil, baby. You can't go wrong.

 

[pinnacle]

b8rtm8nn: I have historically heard that the Bears GM was terrible...I was surprised this writer was spouting how great he was (perhaps they are friends?).

I was thinking perhaps Attner lives in NY and is NY sports fan...He did not seem that thrilled with Fassel - and then started talking about how great the Giants are..how they have quite a bit of talent and how the owner has an open wallet... He made it sound like the entire problem with the team was Fassel....

The fact that they went over the teams with vacancies and forgot to mention the Raiders..and then only had a potshot or two at Arizona..and then waxed poetically about the Giants, Bills and Bears makes me think we have New Yorker transplant from Chicago on our hands..or something...He was not even fired up about Atlanta that much...so maybe he stays north of the Mason Dixon line - and east of the Mississippi