TIME IS OURS: Andy Reid's tenure with the Philadelphia Eagles is now over. Like Mike Tanier, I will mostly remember the good times, and regret the fact that unlike with so many of their players the Eagles organization didn't recognize soon enough when Reid's performance had hit its decline phase. Five NFC championship games and a long streak of fond memories are his legacy -- 4th and 26, the two Giants road games decided by miraculous punt returns, the week 17 Dallas game in 2008 -- and now it's time for the next coach to repeat the two sage decisions that Reid did at the start of his tenure: who will be the team's QB of the future, and who will coach its defense? Let us hope for the best, including for Reid himself.
Trivia: Reid's firing means there are only four coaches remaining in America's three major sports who were in their current jobs when this blog debuted. Name 'em.
Yup. I hate the way the team didn't rise up for Reid's last game, but it's always possibly they weren't capable of it.
ReplyDeleteWith Lovie Smith on the market, that's attractive. Chip Kelly seems intriguing, but he's also a West-coast guy who loves to pass all the time.
Gregg Popovich, Bill Belichick and Mike Scioscia?
ReplyDeleteThat's three of them.
ReplyDeleteOops, I thought it said three. Ron Gardenhire?
ReplyDeleteCorrect.
ReplyDeleteIt was time for Reid to go, but I'll miss him, as I'm pretty sure he was the best coach of a Philly team in my lifetime. I really hope, despite reports, that we don't go after Gruden or any one else whose been an NFL head coach before.
ReplyDeleteGreat question. Above Reid, for my lifetime, I'd put Billy Cunningham, John Chaney, and maybe Charlie Manuel. But that's it.
ReplyDeleteCunningham and Chaney are great choices. I think Cunningham had, relatively, more talent to work with than Reid, but he also actually won the damn thing.
ReplyDeleteCunningham's eight years with the 76ers:
ReplyDeleteLost in Conf. Finals
Lost in Conf. Semifinals
Lost in NBA Finals
Lost in Conf. Finals
Lost in NBA Finals
Won NBA Championship
Lost in First Round
Lost in Conf. Finals
That's pretty damn consistent.
It's amazing. Though Reid's first 7 years with McNabb aren't as good, of course, it comes in a league where that level of consistency is harder to come by. His first 9 seasons with McNabb had 5 conference championships (which is ridiculous in the NFL, in particular for a team that had gone to 1 conference championship in the 32 years before Reid got there).
ReplyDeleteLost in Conf. Semifinals
Lost in Conf. Championship
Lost in Conf. Championship
Lost in Conf. Championship
Lost in Super Bowl
Didn't make playoffs (6-10)
Lost in Conf. Semifinals
Didn't make playoffs (8-8)
Lost in Conf. Championship