Yes, my reaction to Green's fabrications, double standards and manifestations of his insatiable ego was preciptous. No question. I gotta tell you...I wrote the editorial from 2:00-4:00 AM...because I couldn't sleep. The tape of the Viking game was really eating at me. I did not like what I saw at all...to me the players looked dis-spirited...and, for that matter, so did all the coaches. Dennis Green was looking on in chagrin...seemingly above it all. I couldn't stop thinking of new offensive coordinator Alex Wood...and I had this indelible image of Green hovering over Wood's shoulder...Wood, who looks alot like Tony Dungee, looked like a deer caught in the headlights...he appeared so nervous I thought his hands were trembling.
The problem with me is...I am always more loyal to the players than I am to the coaches or the administrators..that's the teacher and coach in me. TE Steve Bush may be irrelevant and insignificant to some of you. To me, when I think of Steve Bush I think of how hard he played for the Cardinals. I never once saw this guy slacking on the field...never. And if Bush didn't make that nice sliding TD catch on fourth down on the penultimate drive in the Minnesota game...Nathan Poole never would have been given the keys to city of Green Bay. Therefore, when a diligent and loyal player like Steve Bush is cut without the chance to even try to make the team in training camp, it bothers me to the bone. Dennis Green has been with the Cardinals for six months...Steve Bush has worked his butt off for this franchise for three years. This is where the organization should make sure that players like Bush get at least a fair chance to compete for his job.
I think it was a major coup last year when Rod Graves was able to sign soon-to-be unrestricted free agent, L.J. Shelton. How many times has that happened with the team's better players? Therefore, I feel especially loyal to L.J., because he was especially loyal to the organization. And I think some of you may be forgetting all the good things Graves and the Bidwills have done over the past few years. They have shown exemplary loyalty to the players...to the point of abandoning their old contract policies...by allowing for bells and whistles...in order to keep up with the times and ultimately get players signed on time. And they've started to get players signed before the end of the season...the way the Eagles have done so commendably the last few years.
The irony is that I really don't think Dennis Green has to rehaul the current roster all that much. Why? I think that there's good talent on this roster...(except at nose tackle) that needs to be developed in ways the previous staff were unable to, partly because the old staff was so set on sticking with the veterans, many times regardless of their lackluster performances.
When the Cardinals win a game this year, the media will undoubtedly say that it's all about Dennis Green. Does that stick well with you? Will it stick well with the players? IMO the two best coaches in the NFC right now are Andy Reid (PHI) and John Fox (CAR)...both unassuming, diligent, blue collar guys who shine the spotlight on their players...and, take the burden on their own shoulders when things don't go well.
As for the Green and Parcells comparisions...they are very different. Parcells develops remarkable relationships with his players...even asks them to call him Bill. Yes he drives them...but...he is able to because he takes the time to learn what buttons he needs to push with each player. Parcells is also perhaps the most accessible coach in the NFL to the media. Green fosters a disdain for the media...why? Because of credibility issues. No one questions Parcells' credibility. The media has ALWAYS questioned Green's credibility and rightly so. Question to ponder: Why was Green so emphatically booed in Minnesota upon his return?
Russ, you are right that Green got a nice settlement from the Vikings when he stepped aside...but consider this scenario. Suppose two years ago, Tampa Bay put Dennis Green on the top of their list over Jon Gruden...Green would have hopped all over that job. The thing is..no team courted Green the last two years. None. This year there were so many head coaching vacancies, Green was finally able to get a sniff.
Green won in Minnesota...with several different QBs...but all of those QBs had Cris Carter and Jake Reid to throw to...and then Randy Moss (who dropped into Denny's hands...and to Denny's credit, he reined Moss in, for the most part). His defenses were not very good...adequate at best...which is why they experienced quick exits in the playoffs. Despite the winning, Green aliented a lot of perople in Minnesota...mostly because...he felt he was bigger and better than the whole organization...bigger than the players, bigger than the fans and bigger than the owner.
Yes, this coach can win. The question is...is Green's way the way you want the Cardinals to win? If I was Mr. B., I'd send Green packing and name Mike Kruczak the interim head coach...before Green starts cutting the likes of L.J. Shelton, Levar Fisher, Dennis Johnson and Dexter Jackson.
P.S. Tango...you and I go waaaaay back, my friend. Props to you.
Red Desert, Shane, Section 11 & 40 yr. fan: Thanks for watching my back. You guys are four of the major reasons why I write these articles...you are first-rate fans, through and through.
The problem with me is...I am always more loyal to the players than I am to the coaches or the administrators..that's the teacher and coach in me. TE Steve Bush may be irrelevant and insignificant to some of you. To me, when I think of Steve Bush I think of how hard he played for the Cardinals. I never once saw this guy slacking on the field...never. And if Bush didn't make that nice sliding TD catch on fourth down on the penultimate drive in the Minnesota game...Nathan Poole never would have been given the keys to city of Green Bay. Therefore, when a diligent and loyal player like Steve Bush is cut without the chance to even try to make the team in training camp, it bothers me to the bone. Dennis Green has been with the Cardinals for six months...Steve Bush has worked his butt off for this franchise for three years. This is where the organization should make sure that players like Bush get at least a fair chance to compete for his job.
I think it was a major coup last year when Rod Graves was able to sign soon-to-be unrestricted free agent, L.J. Shelton. How many times has that happened with the team's better players? Therefore, I feel especially loyal to L.J., because he was especially loyal to the organization. And I think some of you may be forgetting all the good things Graves and the Bidwills have done over the past few years. They have shown exemplary loyalty to the players...to the point of abandoning their old contract policies...by allowing for bells and whistles...in order to keep up with the times and ultimately get players signed on time. And they've started to get players signed before the end of the season...the way the Eagles have done so commendably the last few years.
The irony is that I really don't think Dennis Green has to rehaul the current roster all that much. Why? I think that there's good talent on this roster...(except at nose tackle) that needs to be developed in ways the previous staff were unable to, partly because the old staff was so set on sticking with the veterans, many times regardless of their lackluster performances.
When the Cardinals win a game this year, the media will undoubtedly say that it's all about Dennis Green. Does that stick well with you? Will it stick well with the players? IMO the two best coaches in the NFC right now are Andy Reid (PHI) and John Fox (CAR)...both unassuming, diligent, blue collar guys who shine the spotlight on their players...and, take the burden on their own shoulders when things don't go well.
As for the Green and Parcells comparisions...they are very different. Parcells develops remarkable relationships with his players...even asks them to call him Bill. Yes he drives them...but...he is able to because he takes the time to learn what buttons he needs to push with each player. Parcells is also perhaps the most accessible coach in the NFL to the media. Green fosters a disdain for the media...why? Because of credibility issues. No one questions Parcells' credibility. The media has ALWAYS questioned Green's credibility and rightly so. Question to ponder: Why was Green so emphatically booed in Minnesota upon his return?
Russ, you are right that Green got a nice settlement from the Vikings when he stepped aside...but consider this scenario. Suppose two years ago, Tampa Bay put Dennis Green on the top of their list over Jon Gruden...Green would have hopped all over that job. The thing is..no team courted Green the last two years. None. This year there were so many head coaching vacancies, Green was finally able to get a sniff.
Green won in Minnesota...with several different QBs...but all of those QBs had Cris Carter and Jake Reid to throw to...and then Randy Moss (who dropped into Denny's hands...and to Denny's credit, he reined Moss in, for the most part). His defenses were not very good...adequate at best...which is why they experienced quick exits in the playoffs. Despite the winning, Green aliented a lot of perople in Minnesota...mostly because...he felt he was bigger and better than the whole organization...bigger than the players, bigger than the fans and bigger than the owner.
Yes, this coach can win. The question is...is Green's way the way you want the Cardinals to win? If I was Mr. B., I'd send Green packing and name Mike Kruczak the interim head coach...before Green starts cutting the likes of L.J. Shelton, Levar Fisher, Dennis Johnson and Dexter Jackson.
P.S. Tango...you and I go waaaaay back, my friend. Props to you.
Red Desert, Shane, Section 11 & 40 yr. fan: Thanks for watching my back. You guys are four of the major reasons why I write these articles...you are first-rate fans, through and through.
