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.

Do you remember when the Browns traded Quinn for Hillis?

The prince is advised to commit all his atrocities upfront. The people will forgive him for the early bloodletting over rest of his long and peaceful reign. So said Machiavelli.

I remember it all very well. I better remember it. It was just last year.

President Mike Holmgren walks in the door at Cleveland, and tosses Derek Anderson out on his ass. He then trades hometown hero and 1st round draft pick QB Brady Quinn for an unknown fullback who has been scrubbing for the Bronco special teams.

As you may imagine, this created quite a shockwave in Cleveland. Most Brown fans were very disappointed that Holmgren chose not to exercise his formitable QB coaching skills in developing Brady Quinn. They were disconsolate that Mike shredded a 1st round pick and got next to nothing for him. Many were pissed.

My, my, my, what a difference a year makes.

That unknown fullback was none other than Peyton Hillis. He played in all 16 games in 2010, carried 270 times, and rushed for 1,177 yards. He turned out to be half Mike Alstott and half Larry Czonka. The fans in Cleveland bonded with him immediately, and they love this guy to death.

Incidentally, EA Sports just put Hillis on the cover of John Madden's Football 2012. He beat out Mike Vick and Aaron Rodgers for that honor. Now he is an entertainer and an icon in addition to being a pretty good Aquarius kid for his Gemini boss.

Now Brown fans are laughing like hell about how badly Holmgren snookered the Broncos. I still wonder if the Peyton Hillis for Brady Quinn trade was the final nail in Josh McDaniels' coffin. When Hillis exploded in Cleveland, and Brady Quinn did nothing in Denver, I think Pat Bowlen detonated.

When you look at what Derek Anderson did for he Cardinals in 2010, and what Quinn did for the Broncos last year, I think it's pretty damn obvious that Holmgren made the right moves. There can be no doubt that he shed dead weight.

Hillis now has to face the jinx, but he seems unafraid. I think this guy is a 1,000 horse power bulldozer. If anybody can whup the jinx, he will.

Well... we can get him now

The NFL Network's very own Charlie Casserly broke news yesterday of vital interest to Ram-fans every where. He informed us that Julio Jones executed his amazing combine workout on a broken foot. The break is now the worse for wear.

Mark J. Miller of Yahoo Sports, confirmed that Julio needs surgery, and will have a screw inserted in his foot. This procedure carries an 8-week rehab time. The operation will pretty well nix any potential pro-day or private workouts for any team in the run up to the draft.

Remember, it's already March 1, and the NFL Draft is April 28. That's just about 8 weeks give or take a couple of days.

It will also place the medical flag on his file.

Personally, I don't give a damn about the medical flag. I am all the more impressed that Julio ran 4.39 and jumped 11'3". My jaw dropped to the floor when I heard and read these reports. I am pretty well settled that this is our guy. I still have some lingering questions about chemistry, though.

I know this is going to sound kinda funny, and I regret saying this, but this is great news for Ram fans. Julio can take solace in the probability that this may be the best thing that ever happened to him. If things work out as we suspect, he gets to go to a team with a hot young quarterback that's desperate for a #1 receiver. We also happen to have an OC who is regarded as hot property. The conditions are set for his success.

How does 100 receptions and 18 touchdowns in your rookie year sound to you, Julio?

The Sophomore Jinx?

A lot is being written right now about whether or not Sam Bradford will experiance the sophmore jinx in 2011. I'll give you my short answer and I will give you a longer answer. The short answer is: It can't be avoided, but it won't be as bad you think, and it probably won't last long. Now I will give you a longer answer unpacking that conclusion.

There are a number of factors conspiring against Sam's 2nd tour of duty in the league:

1. Pat Shurmur has moved on to Cleveland
2. Josh McDaniels in the new Ram-OC.
3. This means moving from the West Coast Offense to the NFL Spread.
4. There will be new rookie receivers to play with.
5. There will be new offensive guards to play with.
6. We have this little labor strife over the collective bargaining agreement going on right now. As a result of this fact, here may not be any OTAs or Mini-Camp. If so, Josh McDaniels will have precious little time to install his new system.
7. If worse comes to worse, and the lockout wears long, it could delete all of training camp and the first few games.

As far as the Rams' specific problems are concerned, I don't think things are nearly as bad as some portray them. When people say that there is a great deal of difference between the WCO and the NFL Spread, they are quite correct. Still, what is the value and importance of that fact? I think it is fairly low. I don't think this is particularly important point.

Sam was in the WCO for exactly one year. He was in the Spread for most of his high school and college years. The pertinent question is this: How different is Josh McDaniel's Spread from Bob Stoops's Spread? In truth, I do not know the answer to that question. I suppose assesments would vary. I can only tell you that they look somewhat similar to me. I can't tell you how much difference there is in language and terminology under the hood, in the playbook.

Until proven otherwise, I still believe that moving to Josh McDaniels's Spread will be more like a home-comming at Oklahoma than learning an entirely new system. In 2010, Sam was learning an entirely different system. In 2011, I don't think so. I think he'll be learning a slightly different variety of a system he already knows well.

However, all our vets will be learning a new system... That could spell some trouble. The brand new receivers and guards will create some initial problems in timing and cohesian, but if we chose our people well, this should pay big dividends a few games down the road in 2011... assuming there is a 2011.

There are adverse circumstances facing Sam, the whole roster, and everyone else in the league this year. We could throw in the media people also. Everyone is in danger of being compromised by the labor strife and lockout looming on the horizon. That's why both parties involved better compromise soon and sign that new CBA.

Andrew Brandt of the National Football Post seems to believe these problems are not so bad as I think they are. He claims that negotiations always saunter along at a lazy pace until the drop-dead date looms large. When the deal has to get done, it gets done. He says he was a party to a hundred different negotiations and the deal never got done until it had to be finished. That's just how the game is played. He seems to believe that we will have a new CBA in March.

Now on the other hand, you have the absolutely fabulous "in a state of war" rhetoric thrown around by DeMaurice Smith, the boss of the player's union. This sort of rhetoric only seems to strengthen rumors I heard early-on about DeMaurice Smith being a wrecklass adventurer on quest to prove himself stronger than Upshaw in fiery crucible of battle. Right now, DeMaurice Smith does resemble those remarks. He's also making Roger Goodell look pretty damn good. Trust me, you don't want to do that to your opponent.

Let us hope they will resolve all this bullshit so the millionairs can contine being paid by the billionaires.

Anyway... I hope I have made my point. Given the confligration of events coming together in 2011, a sophmore slump of some kind probably cannot be avoid. The worst factors in this function aren't even under Rams' control. These things have to be settled at the league level.

I also don't expect the sophmore slump to be that bad, or last that long. A move to the NFL spread may hurt offensive cohesian in the first couple of weeks, but it will help Sam and the whole offense perform a lot better down the road.

So Josh McDaniels is the new Ram-OC?!?!

Well... no sooner are Jason LaCanfora and Adam Schefter reporting that Josh McDaniels is interviewing with the Seattle Seahawks then USA Today and CBS Sports turn right around and announce that Josh McDaniels has been hired.

Wow... count one for the old media. I fact-checked this story and the Rams' own website is reporting that they have, in fact, named Josh McDaniels the new OC.

What do I think about the hiring?

1. I think Steve Spagnuolo must have been impressed by Josh McDaniels when he had to play against him in a one-on-one chess match during Super Bowl 42. As we all know, Coach Spags won that match handily, and he has the fat-ass ring to prove it. Still, he must have been very impressed by his opponent to go out and get him like this.
2. Maybe it was about money after all. The thought of McDaniels going to a divisional rival might have loosened those purse strings.
3. I think McDaniels played his bluff incredibly well. I am sure he did not want to go to Seattle given their incredibly tenuous quarterback situation. The opportunity to coach a real stud QB coupled with the opportunity to build an offense {almost} from scratch has to appeal to him. Still, the Rams called him back. He won the bluff.
4. I welcome the arrival of the Spread offense. I have been calling for it for 18-20 months now. If we are ever to see anything like The Greatest Show on Turf again, we need to adopt the Spread. I am sure Sam will feel right at home with this scheme.
5. I am little concerned about the low Synastry readings I mentioned in the last piece. We'll see how it works out. High achievement doesn't look like its in the tea leaves. Let's hope these guys find a way to make it work.
6. I like the attitude of our franchise. We needed a coordinator. We went out and got the very best one on the market. That may not be saying so much in this market, but we nailed the very best man on the market. That attitude in itself is exciting. It say we don't want to play second fiddle to anyone, and we aren't going to let a candidate go to our divisional rival. This is good.
7. I'm going to have to find a way to forgive this little boner for what he did to Denver. I have always had a soft spot in my heart for the Broncos, and I'm still pissed to see them in shambles like this.
8. On the other hand, we are grabbing a dude at the moment when he is most fervently trying to recover from a failure. Coaches in this comeback-mode are usually excellent sub-commanders.

One thing is sure: We are going to be a heck of a lot closer to 30 points per game next season than 18. If we can even tally 25 per game, we should be 10-6, which should be enough to win the division in 2011...

if there is a 2011...

Norm Chow now?

So I just read a few blurbs about the Rams'Josh McDaniels negotiations breaking down. Reports are sketchy, so we don't know the precise nature of the difficulties. Some believe it is money.

I suspect it is chemistry. I am not sure McDaniels will work well with Coach Spags or Sam Bradford. The synastry looks low.

McDaniels is a Taurus should match with a Scorpio like Bradford extremely well. This is the unity of opposites. Guess what? Not in this particular case. The numbers look... Uhmmm... bad. .

1. Similarity of Interests and Temperament: 114
2. Mutual Success and High Achievement: 94
3. Problem Solving, Communication, and Mutual Understanding: 11
4. Mutual Kindness, Friendliness, Pleasantness, and Peace: 34
5. Aggressiveness, Competition, Power, Success, or Violence: 10
6. Adventurousness, Surprises, Disturbances: 91
7. Shared Creativity, Imagination, and Inspiration: 161

Above 150 is very high. This trait is VERY strong!
125 to 150 is above average. The trait is strong.
115 to 125 is slightly above average. The trait is slightly strong.
85 to 115 is average.
75 to 85 is slightly below average. The trait is slightly weak.
50 to 75 is weak.
50 or lower is VERY weak!

A Taurus like McDaniels has no particular compatibility with Sagittarius like Coach Spags, and the specific numbers look... uhmmmm... bad.

1. Similarity of Interests and Temperament: 86
2. Mutual Success and High Achievement: 56
3. Problem Solving, Communication, and Mutual Understanding: 89
4. Mutual Kindness, Friendliness, Pleasantness, and Peace: 75
5. Aggressiveness, Competition, Power, Success, or Violence: 58
6. Adventurousness, Surprises, Disturbances: 16
7. Shared Creativity, Imagination, and Inspiration: 164

Taurus goes well with a Pisces like Billy Devaney, and the numbers are more interesting in his case, but still not good. So it looks like a programmatic non-fit.

1. Similarity of Interests and Temperament: 143
2. Mutual Success and High Achievement: 114
3. Problem Solving, Communication, and Mutual Understanding: 14
4. Mutual Kindness, Friendliness, Pleasantness, and Peace: 47
5. Aggressiveness, Competition, Power, Success, or Violence: 139
6. Adventurousness, Surprises, Disturbances: 96
7. Shared Creativity, Imagination, and Inspiration: 43

Norm Chow?

Chow is recognized as a great QB developer and a legit offensive genius, but he has had a bad run since he left USC. He didn't get the QB he wanted in Tennessee, and neither did Coach Fisher. He goes to UCLA, which is the most dysfunctional sports organization in the world, and basically nothing happens for him. USC wants him back, but he wants to be reliable and steadfast, so he stays at UCLA. Rick Neuheisel then fires Chow for ass-coverage just a few weeks ago.

Chow should be a head coach somewhere today, but the consensus is that he doesn't interview well. I hope we can look past that and hire the guy. He has great Synastry with Sam Bradford. Check out the numbers.

Bradford vs Chow

1. Similarity of Interests and Temperament: 229
2. Mutual Success and High Achievement: 211
3. Problem Solving, Communication, and Mutual Understanding: 151
4. Mutual Kindness, Friendliness, Pleasantness, and Peace: 105
5. Aggressiveness, Competition, Power, Success, or Violence: 64
6. Adventurousness, Surprises, Disturbances: 111
7. Shared Creativity, Imagination, and Inspiration: 125

The success and the communications scores are the way you would like them to be. Incidentally, Chow is a Taurus dude. Here we see the unity of opposites. The problem is that he doesn't have particularly thrilling scores with Devaney and Spagnuolo.

I checked my own favorite, Mike Leach, but he also happens to have bad specific Synastry with everybody. Strange, I would think he'd be a good 66% fit. Not so.

Incidentally, I checked Brad Childress and he also has bad chemistry with Sam Bradford. Gemini and Scorpio don't go together well. Leonardo DiCaprio and his girl are on the rocks. Katy Perry and Russell Brand ain't going to last. These signs go together like peanut butter and motor oil.

It is tough finding a good coach.

The Rams, The Browns, Pat Shurmur and Josh McDaniels

If you are tracking the comings and goings of coaches in this early off-season {for teams not in the playoffs} you may be aware that Pat Shurmur is looking like the likely HC of the Cleveland Browns. The Dawg Pound doesn't seem to thrilled about it. I wish I could give you guys some cold comfort, but it would sound more like a cold slap.

Sheeesh... It used to be that only a Super Bowl winning OC/DC, or a national championship College Coach would qualify as a new HC in the NFL. That's how Coach Spags got his job. Whatever happened to that high-achievement requirement?

I fully understand why Mike Holmgren would be enamored with Shurmur's offensive game plan. It is the closest thing to Bill Walsh's original system currently flying in the NFL. Holmgren and Shurmur would be of one mind on many subjects. They are clearly from the same school of thought. Still... don't you consider this a reach, Mike?

Readers of this blog will know that I am thrilled to be done with Shurmur. I've been after his scalp for some time. I didn't get it, but this is next best thing to being there. I have never been a fan of the WCO. I like Gillman-Coryell. It's the replacement part of the equation that bothers me.

Unless you track the Rams, you probably won't know that the name Josh McDaniels is being circulated as the front-runner in the Rams' quest for a new OC. These are words that hit like a steel ax handle to the face. Do you want to talk about a massive disturbance in the force as if billions of souls suddenly cried out in terror and were silenced?

Josh McDaniels has been on my shit-list for some two years now. Recently he became a figure of some ambivalence.

How do I hate him? Let me count the ways. I hate the coaching tree he comes from. Bellichick has no coaching tree. He has a twig of failures. McDaniels replaced Shanahan. That in itself is a bad thing. He did an all-out systematic demolition job on the Denver Broncos, leaving the team in ruins. He traded away my favorite passing combo in Cutler-Marshall. He fired a great defensive coordinator in Dick Nolan for no better reason than the fact that he desired a "Patriot way" guy on his staff.

How do I love the guy? Well... love is a very strong word that really shouldn't... I let McDaniels off the hook (slightly) when he drafted Tim Tebow. Any guy who likes Tebow as a QB can't be all bad. Not all bad, but 90% bad. Well... maybe not 90%... 85%. McDaniels also loves the Spread offense, which happens to be a particular passion of mine. This also happens to be Sam Bradford's strong point. Also, when push comes to shove, you must admit that the little bastard calls a mean game. There is a quirky play-calling genius locked in there somewhere.

You are reading the blog of a man who is literally ripped to shreds at the moment. I am eaten up wih internal controversy.

On the one hand, I don't want any infection of the Patriot-way virus near my team. This absolute bullshit hasn't worked for anyone, anywhere other than Bellichick in New England. It has destroyed much more than it has created. I don't want a failed coach off the Bellichick coaching twig to enter our staff. I don't want the little bastard to subvert Coach Spagnuolo's position as HC either.

On the other hand, this is an opportunity for my Rams to move to the Spread offense. That's something I've been advocating for more than a year now. This is a way to make Sam more productive. This is a way to introduce aggressive play-calling back into our team's repertoire. I have some confidence that McDaniels would not call stupid plays in key situations, or put our offense to sleep with a conservative running game when we need to score and put it away.

They often say that you *_DO_* want to be the man who first a guy immediately after he gets fired. Usually, once a coach's Man-Card has been revoked, he gets up off the carpet fighting twice as hard as he did before. This means you get his very best shot. Witness the job Linehan has done in Detroit for good evidence. A wiser, double-motivated McDaniels could be good for us.

It may be GM Billy Devaney is considering a move to the spread, but he is unwilling to trust a disgraced college coach like Mike Leach with the job. I think this unfortunate, because Leach is a legit offensive genius. At the same time, I can understand why Devaney would gravitate to a version of the Spread that has been proven effective inside the NFL. This case does have some real merit.

Ultimately, I am very ambivalent about all of this.

So Tebow's biggest problem is that he is left handed, eh?

BleacherReport.com sent a newsletter to me this morning on the Denver Broncos, now officially my second favorite team. One headline boldly declared: "Tim Tebow's Biggest Problem: He's Left Handed."

The URL pointed towards a blog by Bill Williamson on the ESPN website. He would appear to be an official blogger on the subject of the Broncos for ESPN. He gave us a number of factoids to start off:

• Only 12 Southpaws have started 50 or more games in league history. This includes such illustrious names as Chris Simms, Michael Vick, Frankie Albert & Bobby Douglass.
• Only one Southpaw is scheduled to start in 2010: Matt Leinart.
• Only two Southpaws have won a Super Bowl: Stabler and Young.

Then we get some very bizzare information here which points at everything that is wrong about coaching in the NFL. Do you want to hear this?

• There are coaches and teams that aren't open to the prospect of going with a Southpaw. I'll bet that's my Rams.
• Many coaches don't think they can coach a lefty. There are certain challenges that coaches don't want to deal with. I'll bet that is Dick Curl.
• There are scouts who won't touch a lefty because OCs feel that a Southpaw could mess up their offense. I'll bet you anything that OC is Pat Shurmur.
• Then there is the flip-flop of blindside protectors. The ROT is the blindside protector if your QB is a Southpaw, not the LOT. Many OCs don't like that flip-flop at all.

I don't doubt there are such OCs in the league. I am sure there are. I merely want to go on the record and say that these are the types of coaches should be fired if you have one. They really should not be hired in the first place.

Everything about that sort of thinking is utterly wrong from the inception point:

1. Southpaws have a huge advantage. They flip the entire defensive pressure scheme upside down. Most defenses have big trouble with this.
2. Doing everything in reverse, and putting a reverse spin rotation on the ball does funny things to the minds of defensive backs. They read Southpaws more slowly. I believe there is a 12ms delay in the defense when they are forced to read a southpaw. This can make the difference between 18 inches of daylight, and a 1.5 yards of daylight.
3. This Southpaw advantage has made modestly talented QBs such as Ken Stabler and Boomer Esiason very successful in the NFL.
4. You never adapt a player to your offense.
5. You always adapt your offense to your players.
6. If you are a ridged system guy, you are no damn good to God or this country. We need to round you up, and shoot you down like a dog.
7. If you are a coach who is unwilling to stretch a little to gain the Southpaw advantage for the team, you're a faggot, and we don't need you.

I am almost certain I am speaking of Guys like Dick Curl and Pat Shurmur there. God damn them both to Hell. May they burn forever.

Yes, I am still smoldering over our draft decisions in 2010. I don't like 'em. I don't like those decisions at all.

I'll tell you what I really don't like about these choices. The hired guns like the GM and the OC will get fired, their affiliation with the Rams will end. They will probably be glad they have been relieved of the rebuilding duties. They will go on with their lives. We the permanent Ram-fans will be left with the wreckage and consequences left behind.

Just remember: There is no team loyalty at the management level. That concept does not exist.

Anyhow, I am still stunned that Mr. McDaniels stood up and grabbed Tebow. I hated this guy with a passion for breaking up a promising Bronco team. I still think he is making some wacky moves. The firing of Dick Nolan is truly inexplicable. Nevertheless, any guy who knows Gold when he sees it in Tim Tebow can't be all bad.

I would rather have Josh McDaniels as my OC than Pat Shurmur, that much is for certain. How about head coach? Well... I don't know about that. I like Spagnuolo just fine, and I fear what this McDaniels kid does when he is unleashed. Now, if we could get McDaniels to work under Spagnuolo, that would be a good tandem. It would be fitting too, as Spagnuolo's defense thumped McDaniels' offense in Super Bowl 42.

Aaaah Bouyyyy Denver...

Well, I guess it has come time to eat some crow. I am not quick to do that. It has become fashionable, and I hate following fashion trends of any kind. However, as one of the leading detractors of the recent changes in Denver, I guess I have to print a retraction.

The Broncos are undefeated at 6-0. They have taken down a few good teams in the process. Yes, the Bengals would have beaten them on opening day had it not been for the "Immaculate Deflection." Still, the Bengals are a very good team this year, and this loss would only make Denver 5-1.

Nobody, but nobody, but nobody expected the Broncos to do as well as they have this year. The Broncos are the stunning story of the year. They are eclipsing even the Saints (whose year has finally arrived) as the NFL's biggest shock.

Somehow, someway, the Broncos magically rebuilt a terrible defense that was permitting something like 30-34 points per game last season. Now they are permitting 6.6 points per game. The three men responsible for this massive turn-around are Mike Nolan, Brian Dawkins and Elvis Dumervil.

They have also turned the #2 ranked passing attack into balanced pass-run team which sometimes struggles for points. Still, they are looking good. They fight like hell and score when they have to score.

I still feel the Broncos are winning with some sort of black magic, voodoo, smoke and mirrors tricks. Nevertheless they are winning. Josh McDaniels somehow got the players to buy into his system. They are playing with enormous effort and enthusiasm. It is impressive to see how these men get after it one each and every play. McDaniels even convinced disgruntled WR Brendan Marshall to get on board with the program and play with high effort. Now that is a serious achievement. I think we have to admit that McDaniels holds one of the most important keys to coaching: The Motivation Mojo. Somehow, he gets these guys to buy into his system, and he motivates them to sacrifice their bodies for the battle right here and right now.

Honestly, I still don't think they have a shot, but I have seen stranger things in the past. Just yesterday, I mentioned the Raiders 1980 campaign. They shocked the world with an under-talented cast of rejects. They were a high-effort squad like this Bronco team. Like the Broncos, that Raider team was expected to be in a full state of rebuilding for years. The rebuild was immediate. We had no idea how it happened.

Denver is the new Wallstreet. The Broncos the new AIG.

The Denver Broncos are experiencing a meltdown of epic proportions. If there were any chance of them being sold in pieces to the rest of league, I would say that the Denver Broncos rivals AIG as the most dysfunctional corporation in the nation. Since there is no chance of the Broncos folding or being dismembered, I just can't make the AIG comparison... as much as I would like too.

Jaygate: just what the fuck happened?

A few weeks ago, FAF (Free Agency Friday) hit, and the New England Patriots traded Matt Castle to the Kansas City Chiefs. Looked fine on paper. Then all of sudden there is all this gossip circulating around the league from sources inside the Vikings', Chiefs', and Lions' headquarters that the Broncos were shopping Jay Cutler around, trying to trade him out of the Conference and Division. Why? To acquire draft picks. Why? Some of these picks were to be used to acquire Matt Castle, formerly of New England. Some were to be used to rebuilt Denver's sagging defense.

The deal never happened. Why?

Rumor has it that the Broncos were demanding too much of the Lions, who would have loved to build around Culter. Both parties would have liked to do the trade. They just couldn't agree to terms. More specifically, the Broncos wanted both of the Lions' 1st round picks, but eventually fell back to the #1 pick overall, and the 2nd round pick. Neither package was acceptible to the Lions. They felt the first overall pick was more than sufficient gold to seal the deal. Denver did not feel the #1 pick in the draft was good enough for Cutler. Then the Patriots completed their trade with the Chiefs, terminating the affair.

When this deal fell through, the Broncos became increasingly desperate, contacting the Vikings first, and then the Chiefs. This is the first clear-cut sign that the organization knew it had fucked up, and the relationship with Cutler was compromised.

Then the leaks started to flow. Sources inside the Broncos organization--loyal to Cutler--told Jay that the organization had been shopping him around, and trying to acquire Matt Castle. Jay Cutler, known for his passionate temper, hit the fucking roof. Rumor has it that he and his agent had a number of red-hot phone conversations with Pat Bowlen & McDaniels.

This is where the fun begins. Bowlen & McDaniels denied everything. They claimed the Chiefs & Lions contacted them with offers, inquiring if Cutler would be available if the price is right. Bowlen & McDaniels insisted that they told all would-be-bidders to fuck off. Cutler was never on the market, period.

That would have been fine except for the fact that Vikings, Lions, Patriots and Chiefs all broke THE MAN CODE. They confirmed Denver's infidelity to Cutler. They each confirmed that they had been contacted by the Broncos FIRST. None of them ever expected Cutler to be on the block. The whole affair might have died with a well-placed lie. Alas, such was not to be. That was when Cutler really got pissed. First, Bowlen fires his coach and mentor Mike Shanahan, then McDaniels give him a vote of no-confidence by trying to deal him, then they both lie to his face and try to cover it up.

Jay is now declaring that his days in Denver are over. His relationship with the Broncos is irrepairably busted, and he wants to be traded.

So who is right in all this?

I think I speak for the majority of NFL fans--not Bronco fans--when I say that I am absolutely flabbergasted by what has happened in Denver lately. This is almost inconceivable. If a gypsy woman had stared into a Crystal Ball and prophesied this, I would have laughed like hell at her and declared her a fraud.

Let's start with the facts: The Broncos had Mike Shanahan a proven offensive genius who had led them to back-to-back Super Bowl victories. They had Jay Cutler, the man touted as the most promising young Quarterback in the league. He is already a Pro-Bowl QB. Just a little more proof, and everybody was prepared to accept Cutler as an elite NFL QB. The Broncos had the #2 ranked offense in the league by points. I can tell you that they had a smooth rhythm moving down the field which was a true pleasure to behold. They looked like an offensive Juggernaut coming to life last year. Cutler looked totally confident and in control almost all the time. Yes, he had a few bone headed plays, but didn't Bart Starr, Bradshaw and Montana have some stupid plays early in their careers also? Hell yes they did!

Then it kinda collapses. The Broncos don't make the playoffs. The next thing we know, Mike Shanahan has been fired. He has a teary news conference where he declares that Pat Bowlen is still his best friend. Jesus... Speaking as a Ram fan, I was utterly shocked. I wanted to sign Mike Shanahan immediately.

Then Bowlen announces that he has hired Josh McDaniels, OC of the Patriots. Jesus... You fired Mike Shanahan to sign this esquinkly little 32 year old shit with absolutely no credentials to his name? You want Josh McDaniels, not Mike Shanahan? SHIT! Speaking as a Ram fan, I was pretty fucking surprised. I was wondering what the hell was going on in Denver. I thought for sure Bowlen would select a defensive coordinator like Steve Spagnolo, now the chief of my team, to be their head coach. Maybe we screwed them. Maybe they screwed themselves. What ever the case, I was sure that the new administration would leave the offense alone and work exclusively on fixing the defense.

Now Pat Bowlen, one of the most respected owners in the league, nay one of the pillars of the league, allowed this no-name dude McDaniels to break the one working part of his football team? OMG WTF? Unbelievable...

The majority of Hall of Famers on the NFL Network are pretty horrified by these events. They can't believe Denver would give up on Cutler. They have no idea what the hell Bowlen & McDaniels were thinking. Everybody is scandalized.

What every happened to if ain't broke don't fix it?

I really feel bad for the people of Denver. The Broncos were on the rise. I was certain they would win the division and be a contender in 2009. I believe the Chargers are vulnerable, and there is nobody else in the West. Oh yeah... I forgot that the Raiders and Chiefs are there... but that is still nobody. Now McDaniels has done it. He has effectively wrecked the team. He has set them back 5 or 6 years. I think they are toast in 2009.

So how would I fix it?

There are only two courses of action if you are Bowlen:

1. Complete a trade with Detroit for the #1 pick.
2. Rollback all the changes made since the season ended.

If you take option #1, expect the Lions to hold you over a barrel. They know you are despirate now. By taking this option, you announce your only real hope is to acquire Matthew Stafford... and pray he is as good as Cutler... eventually. Detroit can stick a gun in your ribs and demand that you give them a sweetener. Maybe one of your two WR. That would hurt like hell.

How the hell can Bowlen execute option #2? It is very simple:

1. Fire McDaniels
2. Go on bended knee to Shanahan (who claims you and he are BFFLs) and ask him to return.
3. Make him responsible for smoothing things over with Cutler
4. Publicly announce that you fucked up, and are rolling back changes.

Speaking as a computer programmer, I can tell you that we do option #2. When we accidentally write bad stored procedure which garbles data and messes up the DB, we rollback. We put the old data back in place. We put the old code back in place. We clean up the mess. We have to publicly announce that we fucked up. We restore the system. It hurts. Nobody likes to fuck up. Nobody likes to eat crow. Nobody likes to clean up the mess. Yet this is the only way to keep the organization healthy and on track. We gotta fix it.

Both are very difficult paths to trek. I really pity Bowlen. Never give a young fucktard this much control again. That was a serious error. I think the people of Denver will cheer option #2. If you are headed in the wrong direction, turn around