Catching up with the Rams

I've had a couple of funny nights and days (in a row) due to Bod Pod testing and dietary change.  For these reasons, I haven't had a lot of time to blog about what's up with my Rams.  There have been a lot of news bits flying around on the wire.  The purpose of this entry is to filter and condense them all here.

#1 Stan Kroenke and the Patriot-Way

Imagine my distress when I came across a piece in the Boston Herald declaring Stan Kroeneke's admiration of the Patriot-Way? You know how I feel about this subject.  The Patriot-Way is just a fig-leaf covering Bellichick's totalitarian approach to doing business.  It's another way of saying 'my way or the highway' from a Bellichick perspective.

Since this guy hasn't managed to win a playoff game since he was caught cheating, I see no real point in lionizing this little bastard.  He's easily the most over-rated coach of all time.  Furthermore, this guy has no coaching tree, as is often mistakenly alleged by the media.  His sycophants continue to flunk-out in both the Pro and the college ranks.  This guy is no Paul Brown.  He is no Bill Walsh.  He is no Tom Landry.  He is no master innovator, nor is he a coach of coaches.  Fuck Bellichick.  May he eat shit and die.

According to the quotes, Kroenke read "Inside the War Room", which is subtitled "Building the perfect football team".  Kroenke proclaimed that this book described a wonderful business culture in which there were clear-cut responsibilities, clear cut assignments of final authority, and no escape from final accountability.  No shit, eh?

This immediately raises question marks in my mind.  What the hell does Bellichick know about building the perfect football team?  At the the end of the day, this dude is famous for just one thing:  Never having had an undefeated season.  Yep, you read that right.  Straight word to the moe-foe there.  Furthermore, the purported 'defensive genius' has the last-ranked defense in the NFL.  What does he know about the perfect football team?

Stop licking this guy's ass, for Christ's sake.  It is most unseemly for for a weak-minded fool to apply the yardstick of his wretched intellect to the game of Pro Football.  It is disgraceful for the same wretched fools to be caught licking the arse of Bellichick in public.

With that said, I am all in favor of clear-cut responsibilities, final say, and unavoidable final accountability... just as long as it doesn't all end up in Bill Bellichick's hands at the end of the day.

#2 Kroenke releases Josh McDaniel's from his contract

And McDaniel's immediately rejoined the Patriots' staff.  Speaking of Bellichick sycophants who flunk-out all over the place... and speaking of the Patriot-Way..

If Stan Kroenke's vision lies in New England, you sure can't prove that by his #3 move.  After sacking GM Billy Devaney and HC Steve Spagnuolo, the only coach under contract with the Rams was Bellichick Sycophant Josh McDaniels.  For approximately 24 hours, I was sweating bullets over the question of whether Jeff Fisher or Josh McDaniels would become the next Rams-HC.  Knowing that:

1. The Rams were reluctant to change offensive coordinators and systems for a 3rd time in Sam Bradford's brief 2 year career.
2. That Kroenke was (is) in-love with the Patriot-Way.

It was somewhat logical to conclude that McDaniels had to be in the running for HC.  Then sigh not so, but let him go into hey nonny, nonny.  McDaniels was released from his contract either Friday or Saturday morning, and he resigned with the Patriots sometime Saturday afternoon.

Good riddance.  I never liked the guy in the first place.  I still blame him for the destruction of a pretty good Denver Bronco team.  As you know, I just don't like Bellichick sycophants.  

I regret the fact that Sam has to go through another offensive transition, but if we face the facts, we must realize that he had no chemistry with McDaniels in the first place.  Those two gave it a try, but they just didn't mesh well at all.  Sam never grasped McDaniels' passing scheme, and McDaniels seemed unable to help him master it. The lines of communication were down.  This is all the more curious since McDaniels runs a spread offensive not all that different from the one Bob Stoops runs at Oklahoma.

There's something wrong with that McDaniels kid.  He is a weird Taurus.  As a Virgo, I aught to love the guy.  I don't don't.  Furthermore, as a Taurus, he aught to have great chemistry with a Scorpio like Sam Bradford.  Clearly, he didn't.  Further, he aught to have good and cordial relations with an Aries like Bellichick, but he shouldn't worship at the guy's arse.

There is something bad-wrong about that Josh McDaniels kid.  He just ain't right.

#3 All signs are pointing towards Jeff Fisher

In the past 24 hours, a significant number of facts have become evident.

1. Most of the so-called 'coaching A-Listers' are not interested in returning to the job in 2012.
2. The pool of available Head-Coaching Candidates has never been thinner than it is today.
3. There aren't many hot coordinators in the league right now.
4. Stan Kroenke wants to end the coaching carousel in St. Louis by bring in a veteran head coach.
5. The only guy who fits the suit is Jeff Fisher.

We've seen many other news blurbs about the Rams having the edge because of Sam Bradford, the Dolphins loosing their grip on Jeff Fisher, Fisher being close to delivering his decision, etc. Jason La Canfora has been on the record for a week now declaring that Fisher would be the next coach of the Rams.  Chris Mortensen has certainly backed these claims up.

As you know, I am not particularly pleased by any of this.  I don't think we made a sufficient effort to bring Gruden out of retirement.  Money talks.  Let's buy him out of Monday Night Football.  If you made him a whopping offer, I bet you he would come along.

So why do I object to Jeff Fisher?

1. I already made my case about his mediocre record.  No need to cover this again.
2. I don't think he will go well with Bill Polian.
3. I don't think he will go well with Sam Bradford.
4. He comes from the defensive side of the field.  He was a DB with USC and Chicago.
5. Our problems are on offense.  We need an offensively-minded, point scoring head-coach.
6. Given the fact that the NFL has illegalized defense, and given the fact that you have to look around for a yellow flag every time you hear the pads pop, I am not sure you can even hire a head coach from the defensive side of the field anymore.  Believe me, I choke as I write this.  I am from the defensive side of the field.

I just don't think Jeff Fisher meets our most pressing needs.  It would be better to bring back Mike Martz as head coach.  I would favor that move.  I can't believe the Bears have released him from his contract.

#4 Gregg Williams for DC

A number of reports, particularly those from Adam Schefter, state that Gregg Williams will be the next defensive Coordinator of the Rams.  Why?

Greg got his start in Jeff Fisher's coaching tree.  Gregg Williams has no contract for the 2012 season.  He is a coaching free-agent.  Although some have mentioned him as a potential HC candidate, and although there are openings available, it seems increasingly unlikely that Gregg Williams will get an HC position this year.  Many dispute whether he has the demeanor of a head coach, and whether he can delegate authority.

Further, we know there are now issues surrounding the hiring of an aggressive defensive coach as your HC, thanks to the NFL Competition Committee.  Anytime the pads pop, you have to look around for the yellow flag.

I am not sure why Gregg Williams would want to leave New Orleans.  I am not sure why he would rather work with Jeff Fisher than Sean Payton.  I am not sure why he would leave a good thing when he's got one.

Still, Schefter is almost never wrong.  This report has to be taken seriously.

#5 Jeff Tedford for OC

If Fisher is the head coach, and Williams is our DC, who will be the man tasked with repairing our woeful offense?  This is the Achilles' heel of our football team, you know?  We suck because of our offense.

Some rumors are circulating--very underground--that Stan Kroenke wants Jeff Tedford, head coach of the Cal Berkeley Bears to fill this position.  I am not sure Tedford would be interested in semi-demotion from head coach to offensive coordinator, especially when some consider him worthy of a full NFL HC position.  Still, the rumor is circulating that Kroenke has reached out to Tedford.

If he will take the position, I am all for it.  Tedford is my homeboy.  He's from SoCal originally, but he went to Fresno State where he was a very memorable Bulldog QB during my High School years.  He became the OC of the Oregon Ducks, and then the head coach at Cal.  I happen to be a UCLA guy.  He's been a serious thorn in our Bruins' side for years now.  Let's fetch him out of there to coach the Rams.  He is responsible for the early development of a QB you may have heard of:  Aaron Rodgers.

Jeff also happens to be a November 2, 1961 Scorpio dude.  Sirius 1.1 claims he has extremely high synastry scores with Sam Bradford, something Josh McDaniels didn't have.  They should be very good together.

#6 No sign of Bill Polian

At the moment, there is no sign of the Rams or Kroenke communicating with Bill Polian. The only word published on Bill Polian all week long stated that he was interested in the vacant Chicago Bears' position.

As you may imagine, my outlook is glum. I really, really, really want to see Bill Polian take over this organization. Bring Chris along with you.  There is nothing wrong with the way the Rams do things that cannot be addressed and corrected by hiring Bill Polian.  I am sure this guy can fix the organization.  He's fixed every organization he's ever been in, no matter how dysfunctional.

At the moment, all reports state that the Rams want to pair an experienced veteran HC (read: Fisher) with a young and hungry GM (read:  somebody Fisher would select).  Given the notion that Fisher is doing the selection, can you guess who we are talking too?  Titans VP of Operations Lake Dawson and VP of player personnel Ruston Webster.

So we are going to be the Titans-West instead of the Giants-West now, eh?  I am not too pleased by that.  I would sooner be the Colts-West.

The biggest news of the day: Bill Polian has been fired

Wow... shock of shocks!  The rumors were true.  Jim Ersay, owner of the Colts, has fired Bill Polian.  Rumor had it that Ersay was irate over the position Peyton Manning's contract has placed the organization in.  A tool that was intended to retain Peyton for the remainder of his career has backfired and become the booby-trap that virtually assures Peyton's release this off-season.

You know this is the one and only error that brought down the thunder.

I hope Silent Stan is listening out there somewhere.  Readers of this blog know how I feel about Bill Polian.  I fucking love that guy!  I think he is the best damn executive in the league.  He's been elected the NFL executive of the year 5 times, and that doesn't give him enough credit.  He's better than that.  Several years ago, I wrote a blog entry about how much I would love see Bill Polian take the helm of my Rams.

Now it is possible.

Let's get the Polians to take over command of the organizations.  Let's make it a father and son organization.  Trust me Stan, you're going to love this guy.  You're a Leo.  He's a Sagittarius.  It will work. You'll have a nice accord and it will produce the results you want to see.

An epic tragedy In Indianapolis?

My, my, my... Nobody seems to be commenting on Jason La Canfora's Inside Slant report on the NFL Network's Game Day Morning show. I guess that is because it was just too much to be believed. IF what we are hearing is true, Peyton's story-book career with Colts may end this off-season, and in way so preposterously tragic, the movie would never get made if a Hollywood screenwriter put it down on paper.

According to La Canfora, there is a growing belief among NFL execs that Peyton Manning will not be back with the Colts in 2012. The Colts must pick up a $28 million guaranteed option on Peyton's contract by March 5th, before the league year starts, and before trades are legal. Unless the Colts are certain Peyton can play again, and return to old form, it will be impossible to pick up his contract. It will blow their cap. The size of his contract and his three neck surgeries will make Peyton impossible to trade.

Peyton can renegotiate, and allow more time, but why should he? The Colts are in rebuilding mode. Reggie Wayne is likely to leave in free agency because Peyton's $28m does not leave enough cap room to sign him. Jeff Saturday is likely to retire, and the Colts OL is pretty much dogshit at this point anyhow. Peyton knows his next blow to the neck could be his last. He needs a rock-solid line.

So what option is left? The only logical option left is the following:

1. Release Peyton Manning, obtaining no compensation for him.
2. Draft Andrew Luck and start the rebuild in earnest.

Mind boggling, I know. Completely unbelievable that this is the way it may end...

This suddenly makes sense out of preposterous rumblings I've been hearing in the Colts forums. Essentially, rumors on the street say that owner Robert Ersay is infuriated with president Bill Polian, and considering blowing up his front office.

I scoffed at these rumors when I first heard them. Bill Polian is the 5 time NFL executive of year, and that doesn't give the man enough credit. He's the best exec in the league. Only a fool would blow him out. Don't cut your right arm off because you're pissed that Peyton has a pinched nerve.

Now all of a sudden, the threat seems credible.

Deion Sanders was one of the few voices that criticized Polian for offering such a huge contract to Peyton at a time when he knew Peyton was hurt. Deion also criticized Peyton for taking that contract at a time when he knew he was hurt. When all is said and done, this contract deal may be on the one and only fatal mistake of Bill Polian's career. A contract intended to lock-down Peyton's services until his retirement just may force his premature departure from Indy. What a backfire bomber!

If you are Robert Ersay, and you are forced to release (potentially) the greatest QB of all time, obtaining no compensation, when it was your intention to keep him forever, how would you feel? How do you respond when angry mobs of Colt-fans race to team HQ with firebrands in hand, ready to burn you out? I am sure Ersay is outraged by the position this deal has put him in. I am sure he is mad as hell at Bill Polian right now.

Booouuuuyyy... if the Colts loose both Manning and Polian, the party is all over in Indy. I can understand why few want to talk about this. This is an un-imaginably horrible ending to the story.

So Peyon Manning may indeed miss the 2011 season

The reports were not quite accurate, but they are almost accurate.

1. Peyton didn't have a 3rd surgery Sunday
2. Peyton didn't have a 3rd surgery Monday
3. Peyton had a 3rd surgery today.
4. Jason La Canfora was far too conservative when he said Manning wouldn't play in the month of September.
5. According to Peter King, highly esteemed NFL expert from Sports Illustrated, Peyton is going to miss a couple of months, and maybe the year.
6. However, President Bill Polian did not place Peyton on Injured Reserve, a move that would officially have ended his 2011 season.
7. This indicates Bill Polian does hope to activate Peyton at some point this season.
8. Peter King says the Colts medical staff will evaluate Peyton's progress for at least one month before any decision about the IR list is made.

I had a sense there was some real fire behind this smoke. Local sport talk guys with a good reps don't trash their careers with bogus reports like this. It means a life of flipping burgers if you do.

This is bad, bad, bad, bad stuff. A third neck surgery is rotten news for anybody, much less a world-class athlete. Ed Reed spoke about his own pinched nerve and how much he feared neck surgery. He said he will not undergo surgery until his playing career comes to an end. His research indicates that it just too iffy a procedure, with too much margin for error.

Let's hope three is a charm, but... Folks, let's put it this way: Third time is seldom a charm when it comes to surgery.

Tony Dungy was putting on a brave front this evening, saying the Colts will play through this and win games. Rodney Harrison stated the facts as I know them:

1. The Colts are team built around their offense, and not their defense
2. The Colt offense is built around Peyton Manning
3. Ergo the Colts are built around Peyton
4. Ergo Sum, without Peyton, the scheme falls apart.

You loose more than your All-Pro Quarterback when you loose Peyton Manning. You loose your offensive coordinator, your on-the-field tactician, and you loose your confidence. I don't care who the official offensive coordinator of the Colts happens to be. You know damn well the OC is Peyton Manning.

The end of the Colts as we know them?

Folks who have read this blog for awhile will know that I am no hater of the Colts. I am a Raider hater and a Patriot hater, but not a Colt hater. You will probably find 30 or more posts on this blog where I say terribly flattering things about Bill Polian, Tony Dungy, Peyton Manning, Dallas Clarke, Reggie Wayne, et al.

The Colts have been a model organization for the past 12 years. They have not had a single losing season in that time. They have been a model of consistency, continuity, and sportsmanship during this long run. Like their quarterback and President, they are a class act.

With that said I am wondering if 2011 is the year of the breakdown for the Colts. I've watched the Colts first preason game from stem to stern, versus my Rams, several times now. I can't tell you the sense of shock I experienced watching the footage, over and over.

Essentially, what I saw was this: I saw a big, mean, physical, fast Ram offensive and defensive line beat the shit out of a bunch of smaller and weaker Colt linemen. I saw the Rams line knocking the Colts 4 and 5 yards off the line of scrimmage--and with velocity--on almost every running play. What I saw was the Rams playing big-boy football, a-la the Ravens and Steelers. We stood their punching the Colts in the mouth, with impunity, and it didn't seem like there was anything they could do about it.

I know... I know what you're thinking:

1. The Colts didn't have Manning
2. The Colts didn't have Dwight Freeney
3. You just can't tell much from the first preseason game
4. The Colts are a quality team, and they don't get excited about a preason game with Rams

All that is fine and good and true, but you need to have a look at that film footage. If you look at the way those two lines were utterly dominated, you will have to admit that there are red flag warnings flying during this game. A team that is coming up from the depths should not be able to physically destroy the elite Colts in this fashion.

The defense is particularly an issue, as it often has been for the Colts. During the Colts many quality years, they often suffered defensive breakdowns, and often at the worst possible times. Jim Mora was fired and Tony Dungy hired to fix this problem. Dungy often had to work miracles to resuscitate a dying Colt defense. Sometime he succeeded, sometimes he did not.

This is now the Colt's third year without Tony Dungy. In their first year without him, they fired on every cylinder, never missing a beat. Last year, the Colt defense began to crack and crumble. The Colts stumbled greatly on their way to a one-and-done playoff exit. Now in this first preseason game of 2011, I watched them get punched in the face relentlessly by a Rams team that has not had a winning record in 7 years.

I felt like reality was melting down and disintegrating. Folks, the Colts are now officially on my suspect list. I don't know if I can pick them to win the South. I am wondering if this is the year the tires fall off the waggon.

So how about Bill Polian?

I have a novel idea for turning the Rams around. How about if the new owners (presumably Enos Stanley Kroenke and maybe Ed Roski Jr) hire a good fellow named Bill Polian to be our new President and General Manager? Let's make the Rams his team. Let's give him total control.

For those who don't know Bill Polian, he was the mind behind the Buffalo Bills of the 1990s, the early Carolina Panthers, and current Indianapolis Colts.

Buffalo was a pitiful farce of a football team. Polian constructed the best team never to win the Super Bowl. They totally dominated the AFC for a half a decade, and went to 4 straight Super Bowls. Truth be told, they should have won at least two of those games.

The Panthers had no existence or history at all before Polian constructed them. They got to the NFC championship in year 2 of their existence. They won the NFC in year 7.

Now the Colts... What can we say about the Colts? They were relentless loosers before Polian. The Colts blew one #1 pick after another block buster trade before Polian showed up. The people of Indianapolis used to sing a Blues song called "Lord Help our Colts". The Colts are the finest team of the present decade. They are the best and most consistent winners, year after year. They are the 2000s equivalents of the 1970s Raiders, but they are clean and much more loveable. I believe the Colts are he model franchise. They are the model we should all aspire too.

Polian has been NFL executive of the year 5 times. That doesn't give him nearly enough credit. Who has been better than Polian in the past 10 years?

Polian is probably happy as hell in Indianapolis. The Colts may well be on their way to a 2nd Super Bowl victory this year... If they can get past the Saints. What if they should win the big one again?

Do you think Polian might be a little weary of the easy life? Do you think Polian might want one more mountain to climb? Do you think Polian might crave one more encore performance? Do you think he might want to turn around a 4th organization from lousy to great? He probably already has a spot in the Hall of Fame--a rare thing for an executive--but maybe he might want a little more glory.

Memo to the new Boss Stan Kroenke: Please try to seduce Bill Polian somehow, and get him to take the job.