Metcalfe’s Musings

Published:  Thursday, December 3, 2009 (3 months, 1 week ago)
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jmetcalfe@delphosherald.com

I am no New Orleans Saint fan but what this formerly moribund — remember the “hooded” fans and the “Ain’ts” “head gear”? — franchise is doing is incredible. The way they — unexpectedly to me — tore apart the Patriots on Monday Night Football was impressive.
That was just the type of game that they wouldn’t win before: the national spotlight against a good opponent. It was a chance for them to show that either they were real contenders or just pretenders to the throne.
Well, they are NOW really, really contenders for Super Bowl 44.
Every move they have made has paid off, from picking up guys like Mike McKenzie and Chris McAllister to cutting the Deuce.
Drew Brees is putting the lie that you can always measure a potential pro by the measurables: 40 time, bench press, arm strength. When he came out of Purdue, he was considered too small, slow and lacking arm strength.
Now, he might be — if not is — in the same class as Peyton, Big Ben and the Man Named Brady.
Plus, now that defense is carrying its end of the load. The way they took Brady, Moss and Company out of their rhythm is a sign to behold.
Now, I understand I have just issued the “Kiss of Death” to their playoff hopes — see how paranoid I am? — but they have shown a resilience this franchise has not shown before.
I think if Sean Payton — along with the Colts’ Jim Caldwell — aren’t the top two vote-getters in the NFL’s Coach of the Year voting, something is rotten in Denmark.
How many of us would like to see the franchise of Archie Manning and Hurricane Katrina do well?
It is just like the Cubs: you may not be a fan but they are a sentimental choice.
Or Mark Martin in NASCAR; he’s a good guy that “deserves” to win a Chase title.
Bobby Bowden will retire after Florida State’s bowl game.
I have written many, many times that certain coaches, like Bowden and Joe Paterno, have earned the right to decide when they will step down.
At the same time, they have to keep winning and graduating their student-athletes in order to keep that right.
Paterno has; Bowden has not, despite being in an ultra-prime area of football talent. For whatever reasons, FSU has not maintained its excellence on the football field.
Plus, FSU made the nonsensical decision to pay offensive coordinator and head-coach-in-waiting Jimbo Fisher $5 million if he is not the head coach by January 2011.
More or less that was telling Bobby that at most, next year was his final one anyway — and he won’t have the authority a head coach needs.
Thus, it makes sense for him to hang them up.
One might argue that he allowed the program to get out of control with all the off-field shenanigans: the cheating scandal comes to mind but remember that was a school-wide problem.
His program wasn’t the only one going through these issues: it might be better to name off ones that didn’t have these issues in some form.
But remember in his earlier days at FSU: they played anyone and everyone and anywhere and he was known for his wide-open offenses and trick plays.
He will be missed.
Charlie Weis is gone from the Golden Dome.
From my perspective, what turned people against him was his arrogant attitude from the start. Even many ND fans I know acknowledge that.
When he won, that tends to get overlooked; as the losses mounted — with his recruits — it gets magnified.
From a few accounts, he was liked by his players. It would be interesting to know how many thought this way — and how many didn’t.
What is the old maxim: 5 percent of the people will like you no matter what and 5 percent will dislike you no matter what, simply for existing?
It’s the other 90 percent you have to worry about. In the end, I think he turned too many of that number against him and that sealed his fate.
Let’s face it, Notre Dame is not in the habit of paying out huge sums of moolah to fired football coaches and he will get a bundle. Of course, that is their own fault for signing him to that 10-year deal after his first season.
Do they go after a high-profile coach (likely) or for an up-and-comer (less likely)? In all honesty, they need to stop looking for the next Rockne, Parseghian or Holtz.
Will the fan base let them?
I don’t mourn for him. He will land on his feet — the guy is a brilliant offensive coordinator.
As will Notre Dame.
I don’t want to throw cold water on the Cincinnati Bengals’ success but a certain someone might be on the verge of rearing his ugly head.
I refer to one named Ochocinco; he typifies so much of what is wrong with professional sports.
Here his team is headed for an AFC North title and the playoffs and all he can think about is himself. He doesn’t like the fact that they are winning with the running game and defense and he is not catching as many passes as he thinks he should.
Granted, as a competitor, one can understand how he wants the ball and the chance to make plays. However, as a member of a team, he should be willing to put that first and his ego second.
Hey, Chad, you guys have been known as a pass-first, pass-second, pass-all-the-time offense — and where did that get you? You had a lot of catches but your teams had losing records?
Would you rather be feeding your ego and losing — would that make you feel better? — instead of “taking one for the team” and winning? You are still getting paid doing what teammates are supposed to do: their jobs in trying to get wins.
This is the type of thing that can destroy a team. I am not saying it will but it has before.
So much for his new “attitude.”

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