The Sports Rumors

College Football Players…NFL Head Coaches… Money… Power…

Another busy day at work for me which means I don’t have much time to say too much (I don’t know if that’s for the better or worse). Regardless, here’s what’s on my mind.

Ryan Mallet, quarterback of Michigan, will be transferring out because new coach Rich Rodriguez runs a spread offense and his pocket style passing has no place in it. Consequently, Mallet will be ineligible to play for one year, while Rodriguez obviously won’t be. I don’t know if I can think of a scenario in sports right now that screams injustice and double standard more than the way college football players and college coaches are treated differently. I understand that the NCAA doesn’t want players hopping around from school to school as if they were in the NFL. But there has to be some middle ground. Off the top of my head, the easiest solution to this is for college players to be able to transfer out of a school if their current coach is replaced and not face a penalty of one year. So for Mallet’s example, he can transfer to wherever and be eligible to play right away because his previous coach, Lloyd Carr, was replaced. This current system of transfer penalties if you will is not fair and has to stop.

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I can’t remember where I read it, I think it was in Sports Illustrated, but it was about some writer making the case for how it is unfair that college players are not paid for playing college football. The argument, as I’ve heard for years, is that they bring in so much money for the schools via bowl games and television contracts etc, that it is unfair that they don’t see a dime. Excuse me? Last I checked, the average college education for four years in a public institution costs somewhere in the ballpark of $80,000. That is instate mind you. So getting a full ride to a higher level education by playing a game in which they get PLENTY of other “unofficial” perks isn’t enough? B.S. College football players have it great, and I don’t care if they play for Duke or USC. A program paying for your entire education that will give you the fallback of having a plethora of jobs available to you when you graduate (assuming they aren’t going to the NFL) is more than enough compensation. And not to mention the fact that you are treated like a God even if you’re the third string offensive lineman. So enough with the “lets pay college athletes” crap.

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If I hear one more person say either of the two statements, my head will literally pop off:

1. Bill Cowher said he’s not considering a return to the NFL until 2009. He said so.
2. Pete Carroll won’t leave USC for the NFL unless it’s on the west coast.

Let me address the first statement of idiocy. Really? Bill Cowher won’t listen if someone is dangling control of personnel decisions and $8-10 million? He’s going to pass that up to stay as an analyst with CBS? That’s funny because I remember the likes of Dennis Green, Marty Schottenheimer, Dick Vermiel, Joe Gibbs, and Bill Parcells (twice) saying that they were going to stay in the booth. Don’t be naïve and think that if becoming the highest paid coach with a good team would be something Cowher would pass up for the sake of remaining as an analyst.

The second ludicrous statement. Now that it is official that Pete Carroll is considering the Atlanta Falcons job, do you think that he wouldn’t listen hard if Washington (playoff team), Baltimore (a season removed from being 13-3) or other teams came calling? “I don’t see Pete Carroll leaving USC for anywhere but the west coast” to quote friend and site contributor Basil. Last I checked, Atlanta ain’t on the east coast buddy. Holding out for a west coast NFL job means that Carroll would wait for Seattle, San Diego, or the greatest job of all, Oakland. Yeah, so much for that theory. Carroll will jump at the first opportunity he gets if the right pieces are in place. What are the right pieces? Money and power. I previously thought that Carroll would also want a somewhat established team or at least a team with a tradition and history. I guess that flies out the window if he’s considering Atlanta; the worst job to take over in the league right now and a town with no football history/tradition. You have a head coaching vacancy, and you have power to offer with a lot of money to throw in, give Pete Carroll a call.

Gibbs Resigns; Replacement Candidates?

The Legend Retires

Some may say that Joe Gibbs tarnished his legacy by coming back for the past four years with the Washington Redskins after already being inducted into the hall of fame. Some may say that he lost his touch, wasn’t current or up to date with today’s game or today’s players. In my eyes, he didn’t tarnish his legacy; it would take a couple of Miami Dolphins-esque seasons for him to do that. There is no question that he made some mental errors with clock management over his four years. But there is no coach in the entire NFL, including Belichick and Dungy, that I would rather have coaching my team post Sean Taylor tragedy. Gibbs’ star player, his best player, was murdered in the middle of the season. The team was two games below .500 and managed to make the playoffs; and for a brief moment, looked like they’d win a playoff game. To me, the final 5 games of the season and playoffs summed up exactly why Joe Gibbs is a hall of fame coach. Ask anyone in that locker room if Joe Gibbs couldn’t “connect” with them. If he couldn’t, they wouldn’t have played their hearts out. If he couldn’t, Portis and Landry wouldn’t have looked so dejected after their season came to an end. Last I checked, Portis and Landry are young players.

I figured that Joe Gibbs wouldn’t be back if we lost in the first round because this season was just too fatiguing. It was fatiguing for me as a fan. Throw in the fact that Gibbs has some personal stresses of his own (Grandson fighting leukemia), and you can understand why the 67 year old found it necessary to take off from pro football for once and for all. I’m glad he came back. I got to watch an icon in Washington and for the NFL coach for four years, two of which he made the playoffs. I can now say that I watched the best coach in Washington Redskins football history coach his final game.

The Early Candidates

Obviously, this news of Gibbs resigning is very new but time doesn’t wait and football fans have already begun talking about possible replacements. So will I. I’m separating the coaches into two categories; in house and out of house. Simple enough to understand.

In-House

Gregg Williams: If the Redskins want to keep everything in place from this season heading into next, which isn’t a bad idea considering they were moving in the right direction, then Gregg Williams is the obvious choice. He’s been Gibbs’ second hand man throughout the tenure and has some head coaching experience of his own. He knows the players, the staff, and his defense is a good one. If the Redskins want the least disruption in this transition period, Williams is the clear cut choice.

Al Saunders: Though he was also part of Gibbs’ staff, he has little chance of becoming head coach. His offensive system has not done well and players were very against him at one point last season. I don’t think Snyder would have any confidence in Saunders being the head coach.

Out of House

Bill Cowher: The first choice for every team that needs a head coach. Cowher has made it clear that he doesn’t plan to coach for another year, but he has been listening to every team that has called so far. Dan Snyder is right there with Jerry Jones in being able to talk people into doing things. Everything Cowher would want, Snyder has. He would be granted power to bring in players that he wants, make the decisions that he wants, get paid handsomely, and throw in the fact that there is already a solid nucleus of young talent. The only job I can see Cowher considering more (if any at this point), would be Baltimore.

Pete Carroll: You ever play a video game that you keep beating, even when you’re not trying as hard? You know the feeling when things become just too damn easy? Well that’s Pete Carroll and USC. USC is so established and gets such great recruits that winning has become almost TOO easy for Carroll. You show me any other team in history that can be upset as big as Stanford upsetting USC was, and then still be in talks for a national title. That’s when you know that you need a new challenge. Pete Carroll has the itch to try and conquer the NFL; he has to. He’s a competitor and competitors want to be the very best at the highest of levels. He has made it clear that if he were to give the NFL another shot, it’d be with a good team, he’d have the power and he’d get paid. How often do you get a chance to take over a team with young talent, an owner who’s willing to make you the highest paid in the league while giving you GM powers, and take over a squad that just made the playoffs. This isn’t Atlanta, this isn’t Miami.

Brian Billick: I am surprised that I haven’t heard his name come up in any talks so far this morning about replacing Gibbs. Billick has a Super Bowl win on his resume and has quite a way of wowing people that he meets. He’s not the offensive “mastermind” that he was perceived to be, but he’s one of the best available coaches out there. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind making a transition to a team just across he beltway either.

Jason Garrett: I’m only including his name because people I’ve talked to seem to think that Washington would go after him.  I think there is ZERO percent chance Jerry Jones would let his coach-in-training go to Washington, of all places.