Throwing gas on the Coughlin fire

by Ed Valentine on Jul 11, 2007 4:50 PM EDT in New York Giants News

It's July, training camps don't open for a few weeks and bored football writers everywhere have nothing substantive to do.

So, what do we get? Lists. Lists, lists, lists everywhere about almost everything you can think of. There is no escape -- read a football site and you are pretty much guaranteed to find a list about something.

Of course, that means it was only a matter of time before somebody listed which coaches are most likely to get fired during or after the upcoming season. Which, of course, means stirring up more speculation about Giants coach Tom Coughlin.

The 'Coaching Heads on Chopping Block' list is provided by Clark Judge of CBSSportsline.com.

Coughlin comes in as the second-most likely coach to lose his job, with only Cleveland's Romeo Crennel above him.

Here is part of what Judge had to say about Coughlin.

Coughlin must know he's walking the plank. How else do you explain his reaching out to beat reporters in the offseason to make peace? That's not Coughlin's style. It is, however, the sign of someone who knows he's in trouble and is desperate for support. Maybe that's why Coughlin put the gag order on players, hoping to eliminate the criticism that helped sabotage the Giants last season. But that lasts only as long as the team wins, which must happen for Coughlin to make it through to 2008 ... the last year of his contract.

I know I'm probably throwing fuel on the fire by even referencing Judge's list, but when I saw it I felt I had to point it out.

I really don't want to spend the entire season talking about Coughlin, though considering that his future is such a hot-button issue I'll probably spend more time on it than I want to.

For me, it comes down to this. Coughlin is a gruff, set in his ways old-guard coach who is hard to get along with and could really care less if the media or the players like him.

He does, however, have a track record that indicates he knows how to coach -- even if he doesn't look like it on the sidelines sometimes.

If the Giants make the playoffs, he stays. If they don't, TC will likely have a lot more time on his hands to spend with the grandkids.

It's really that simple.

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Comments

Coughlin

Over the years the Giants have not distinguished themselves with their hiring of coaches. Remember Allie Sherman? How about "Big Red" Alex Webster? At least Coughlin had a very good college career and was moderately successful at Jacksonville. He might even have done better here except for the team backlash, injuries, and some very untimely strategy lapses on his part.

Even a third straight playoff year might not save his job. If he doesn't carry us deep into the playoffs I think he is gone.

by giant fan since 57 on Jul 12, 2007 6:10 AM EDT reply actions

C

I agree with both ETVal and "57." The kek for Coughlin is to learn self discipline. The team won't be disciplined if the coach isn't. Coughlin will never be Bud Grant. Can't be. He should try for a John Madden, Red Auerbach approach by reserving histrionics as a tactical tool used sparingly. That would demonstrate leadership, strenghten team cohesiveness and might even influence the refs to make a few more calls favorable for the Giants. Hey 57, remember at first Allie was deemed a genius, had his own TV show, etc. After he left the Giants, many teams still believed in him and made him job offers. How did a born and raised Brooklynite wind up with a southern accent?

by george cronin on Jul 12, 2007 7:37 AM EDT reply actions

Allie Sherman

George....I'll have you know I sat in the stands and helped sing "Good Bye Allie, Good Bye Allie, we're glad to see you go...Those were the good old days, eh?...LOL

by giant fan since 57 on Jul 12, 2007 7:54 PM EDT reply actions

I think I am older than dirt....

By the way, I was also in Yankee Stadium for the last game the Giants played there. It was against Miami and as I remember Greise and Warfield had a good day. So did Spyder Lockhart. I thnk our quarterback might have been Norm Sneed.

Went to the Yale Bowl games too.....man am I getting old...

by giant fan since 57 on Jul 12, 2007 7:58 PM EDT reply actions

old timers

Yeah, Allie was not very popular in his later days. Not to brag re fan seniority, but I grew up watching the Giants at the Polo Grounds. I actually saw Ken Strong play. My favorite Giants team was the first Super Bowl squad. My favorite all-time Giant? LT, of course, maybe the best footballer of all time in terms of impact on a game, although I have a soft spot for Bullet Bill Dudley, who ran, passed, blocked, kicked, and played D. The best single game performance by a running back I ever witnessed was turned in by Spec Sanders. Neither D or S were Giants, but what the hey.

by george cronin on Jul 12, 2007 8:29 PM EDT reply actions

Spring Chicken

I thought I was a graybeard in this blogging game, but you guys are making me feel like a young fella. I was a little kid when Fran Tarkenton quarterbacked the Giants. Oh, and I wasn't born yet in '57. Just thought I'd throw that in there.

by Ed Valentine on Jul 12, 2007 10:25 PM EDT up reply actions

"old as dirt"

Damn George...you got me beat. When I first started watching the Giants I think Charley Connerly was the quarterback.

My favorite Giants qb was Y.A. Tittle. I used to get a kick out of it when he would get pissed off and get in the face of linemen who missed their blocks. He even threw his helmet at one once.

Tittle was the master of the screen pass. He had a knack of waiting til the very last second before he was sacked and lobbing a perfect screen pass that the receiver could catch in stride.

I always encourage fans read Art Donovan's book, "Fatso" if you want to really get a feel for the game of old. Art was one of the first 300 lb lineman (Baltimore Colts) and his book is funny as hell. He tells a lot of stories about the stars of the day like Frank Gifford and Bobby Lane.

by giant fan since 57 on Jul 13, 2007 5:36 AM EDT reply actions

Connerly

Slowest guy I ever saw on a football field. Hell of a QB, though. He was the original Marlboro man (for real.) Talk about leadership, he and YA had it in spades.

by george cronin on Jul 13, 2007 8:17 AM EDT reply actions

Connerly

That's right...I forgot about that..he was the original Marlboro man. Old "Chukin Charley Connerly"...Didn't Tittle come from San Francisco?

by giant fan since 57 on Jul 13, 2007 4:32 PM EDT reply actions

YA

Right, SF wanted to make room for their young back-up QB Frankie Albert, a lefty who is in the Hall of Fame, like Tittle. Tittle was old (over 35 at least) and conventional wisdom said he was washed up. The Giants got him for their #1 pick in that year's draft, DT Lou Cordeleone out of Clemson. SF traded him right to the LA Rams where he had a respectable career for about eight years. He might have made All Pro a few times. Cordeleone was a legendary HS player at St. Michael's in Union City where he played offense annd defense. A terror on D, he was unstoppable as an FB. The Tittle trade was the best the Giants ever made.

by george cronin on Jul 13, 2007 6:16 PM EDT reply actions

Frankie Albert

Whoops, he was the first T QB. Tittle backed him up until he retired. The 49ers traded Tittle so that his backup, John Brodie, could be the QB. Tittle was the best QB the Giants ever had. The Giants got him as Conerly's back up. Conerly was already 40. Aliie Sherman was instrumental in getting Tittle and another Hall-of Famer, Wr Del Shofner.

by george cronin on Jul 13, 2007 10:23 PM EDT reply actions