Author: boom booms room staff

Money Matters Always Matter-Welcome Jim Carlton

Posted on by boom booms room staff

Albert Einstein once said “the only source of knowledge is experience.”  At BBR we think that learning through reading and succeeding at higher levels of education help too.  The opportunity, when you combine education and experience in a chosen field, is great.  And ultimately success then can be measured in how effectively you help others.

BBR feels quite confident that we have found someone in the world of personal finance that can do just that.  His macro view of the marketplace is derived from 34 years of dedication to his craft.  He takes the complex and makes it simple.  Great money management removes the emotion from the moment and grounds it in time-tested logic. He does that as well.

So, it’s with pleasure that we announce to you that Jim Carlton, Managing Director of Carlton, Hofferkamp, and Jenks, has agreed to share his market commentary with us.

With over 34 years investment experience, Jim began his career as a Financial Consultant with Merrill Lynch and Stifel Nicolaus in St. Louis. Later he became Chief Investment Officer for Clayton Asset Management and Clayton Equity Partners hedge fund. He joined Sterling Bank in 2001 and became a Senior Vice President and Manager of Sterling Bank’s Private Client Services. Today, of course, he serves as Managing Director and Co-Chief Investment Officer of Carlton, Hofferkamp and Jenks Wealth Management.

Jim has been nationally recognized for outstanding customer service and productivity and has been named a Five Star Wealth Manager ranking him in the top 2% of investment advisors in overall client satisfaction.

Benjamin Graham said  “Investing isn’t about beating others at their game. It’s about controlling yourself at your own game.”  Jim feels that this quote sums up his own philosophy quite nicely.  

When we post his after market recap of the day it will be on this site by 4pm CST that same day at the latest.  So if you want to be in the know now in the world of money, go directly to the site in the late afternoon.

Subscribers will continue to only receive one email notification daily of all posts at 9am.  Therefore, you won’t get a given day’s market commentary link until that next morning.  Twitter and Facebook followers get notified at the actual time of any posts.  If we have managed to confuse you, please comment below and we can clarify it further for you.

We know that this new, regular boomboomsroom.com feature will further your understanding of the investment world.  Look for this feature to begin late this week.

Welcome aboard Jim.

 

DISCLAIMER- Jim Carlton’s commentary is his view only.    It is not necessarily the view of any BBR staff member or its ownership.  Markets can change rapidly.   Any personal finance decisions you make are your own.  Also, his posts are not a solicitation for business.

More (No) Respect Coming Later this Spring

Posted on by boom booms room staff

Before cable, satellite, and the internet, comics had few nationwide outlets for fans to enjoy their humor.  At least musicians had recording studios and could have an album pressed, publicized, and sold for them in addition to their concert tours.  Comics could “stand up” in a comedy house, pack their bags, drive to the next town, and “stand up” all over again.  The pay was poor and the travel was brutal.  Few attempted to do so on a coast to coast basis.  Fewer lasted trying to do so.

One who toiled in relative obscurity, beat the long odds, and gained a national following is our favorite. He was good enough to get a shot on one of the very few network programs that provided a platform.  On Sunday, March 5, 1967, The Ed Sullivan Show needed a last-minute replacement for another act, and he became the surprise hit of the show.  He was already 46 years old then.

However, no platform was bigger than stage left of Johnny Carson’s desk.  Already in his fifties, he made Johnny Carson laugh out loud (LOL for you kids) each time he appeared on The Tonight Show.  Carson had great content control as a producer for his own show.  He liked Jack Roy (born Jacob Rodney Cohen, November 22, 1921 – October 5, 2004), popularly known by the stage name Rodney Dangerfield, so much that he appeared 35 times.  He may have gotten “no respect, no respect at all,” but we have great respect for his persistence, brand cultivation, and sense of humor.

In fact we have so much respect that we are hopeful that our site update later this spring will include a Dangerfield joke of the day.  In show biz that is called a tease.  So, let’s tease you with a smidgen of his “No Respect” shtick.

“Right from birth I got no respect.  The doctor took one look at me.  He spanked my mother.”

“The doctor said to my mom ‘we did everything that we could.’  But he lived!”

“My mother didn’t breast feed me.   She told me she liked me as a friend.”

More (no) respect for Jacob Rodney Cohen soon.

 

 

Boom Boom’s Life Lessons #13

Posted on by boom booms room staff

As the summer of 1978 waned a big change in life was staring me in the face on a muggy mid August morning.  It was moving day.  I was headed 80 miles northwest of NOLA to start my freshman year at Louisiana State University.  Packing took all of ten minutes.  Three pair of shoes, clothes, toiletries, bed linens, and a backpack were all that were needed (not wanted) to share a small dorm room.

After mom and Boom Boom helped me get settled we were off to lunch, a bank, and a few words of encouragement prior to their return trip home.   At the bank branch Boom Boom took out 5 crisp $100 bills and handed them to the bank manager.  “Open up my a checking account for my son please.”  Soon I had a few temporary checks and a blank reconciliation ledger in my hands.

“I’ll walk back to the dorm so that you all can head out.”  “Call me if need more money this year son,” Boom Boom announced.  “How will I know?”  “Balance your checkbook” was the quick retort.  “I don’t know how to do that dad.”  “I would suggest that if you think you are ready to attend college and live away from home that you learn quickly. You should always know where you stand.”  “Ok, but how?”  “Subtract your checks and add your deposits.”

With a hug from both the Oldsmobile started and backed out of the parking place.   They stopped next to me as I began my walk back.  The window rolled down and mom said good luck once more.  Boom Boom said “balance your checkbook” once more.

It sounded like it was time to grow up.

Oh Baby, Utopia is No Where Near.

Posted on by boom booms room staff

We are wondering if we have been too hard on the month of February lately.  After all February makes us appreciate almost all of the other months more.  And, at least its only 28 days long(short).  So, there is that going for it.  Every day cannot be utopia.  Utopia?  Now there is an often spoken word that makes us wonder as well.  What does utopia mean, and what is the origin of its meaning?

Meaning: it’s a great place that doesn’t exist

History:  In 1516 Sir Thomas More wrote the first ‘Utopia‘. He coined the word ‘utopia‘ from the Greek ou-topos meaning ‘no place’ or ‘nowhere’. But this was a pun – the almost identical Greek word eu-topos means a good place. So at the very heart of the word is a vital question: can a perfect world ever be realized?

Can a perfect world ever be realized?  Probably not would be our guess, but we can hope.  But if indeed we fall short it’s no reason to throw the baby out with the bath water is it?

Meaning: Hang on to valuable things when getting rid of unnecessary things

History: During Medieval times most people bathed only once a year. Even when they did bathe, the entire family used the same tub full of water. The man of the house bathed first, followed by other males, then females, and finally the babies. You can imagine how thick and cloudy the water became by that time, so the infants’ mothers had to take care not to throw them out with the bath water when they emptied the tub.

Or so the story goes.

Perhaps we should strive for utopia after all.  Because in a perfect world, or even an imperfect one, we should probably bath more than once a year.  We’ve come a long way.  but, we’ve got a long ways to go.

 

Ten Piece Nuggets-Super Bowl (A)Live

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Last week our column February Made Me Shiver stated how boring the big four sports leagues are collectively in February.  One bright spot, we thought, was that at least we had the Super Bowl prior to the NFL fading into the long winter nights.  Wrong.  The NFL would have better served us if it faded to black in late January.   Today we serve you ten random leftover nuggets from the extravaganza that was not so extravagant.

  1.  The flyover was super and on time as Glady’s Knight hit the right notes and finished on cue for the flyover pilots to time their 400 mph cruise just right.
  2.  Unfortunately, then, the game started.  The Rams offense did not start however.  They became the first team ever to punt on their first seven possessions in Super Bowl history.  No wonder teams are feverishly looking for the next offensive genius like Sean McVay.
  3. In November and early December many “pundits” or “experts” spoke almost as loudly as Steven A. Smith about the new NFL.  It was a high scoring, defense be dammed, pass first league.  I wonder how many this AM will fill the airwaves talking about how defense wins championships in football?  In case you ever wondered, and we hope that you haven’t, the “A” in Steven A. is “Anthony.”
  4. The Rams could not rush the ball.  Their game total was 62 net yards or less than half of the 139 they averaged during the regular season.  For all of the talk about the Rams interior defensive line, it was New England’s DL that controlled the line of scrimmage.  Amazing really.  Patriots fans can name their defensive lineman we are sure.  Can you?
  5. Halftime was 3-0 NE.  Only SB IX played in bitter cold, some ice, and rain saw fewer points in SB history.  In that one Pittsburgh held a 2-0 lead over the Minnesota Vikings.
  6. Halftime would have been better if one of our favorite rappers Cardi B would have performed. Cardi passed up the opportunity to perform to show solidarity with Colin Kaepernick. Cardi, whose real name is Belcalis Almanzar, told the AP on Friday that she felt obligated to “stand behind” Kaepernick.  “I got to sacrifice a lot of money to perform,” she said. “But there’s a man who sacrificed his job for us, so we got to stand behind him.”  Cardi did, however, accept an offer to appear in a Super Bowl commercial with Steve Carell and Lil Jon proving “stand behind” and capitalism can coexist.
  7. Rams punter Johnny Hekker tallied a 65 yard punt in the third quarter.  It was the longest punt in SB history.  If you weren’t sleeping by then that had to provide you with at least the impetus to yawn repeatedly.
  8. The Rams didn’t see the end zone the entire game.  Belichick can coach some D, can’t he? Once the run was neutered they set their sights on Goff.  He was sacked, hit, and harassed plenty.  His accuracy or lack thereof reflected that.  Only the 1971 Dolphins failed to score a touchdown in a SB game prior to last night’s somnambulist’s dream. Sure, here you go-somnambulist.
  9. Brady and Belichick’s combined age of 107 years old is the oldest qb/coach combined age for a winning team in SB history.  It feels like they have won 107 SB’s actually.  If you are a New England fan or from Bahhstun, we get that you love them.  You should.  They are the winningest combo in SB history and second place is no longer close.  If NE is not your favorite team you have to respect their unparalleled excellence.  But they aren’t likeable.  They just aren’t.  The NFL needs a new story.  They need it desperately.  They need it starting in 2019.  Paging Patrick Mahomes.
  10. Julian Edelman won a much deserved MVP trophy for his 10 catch, 141 yard performance.   No one can cover the guy.  No one. On a team that has been excellent for nearing two decades their Hall of Fame candidates are few.  Edelman might be one before he is done.  One wonders if he could run even faster if he trimmed that wooly beard of his.
  11. (Extra Point) Post game on CBS Phil Simms turn at the mic at the bloated five man desk came.   He said the game was very enjoyable, very exciting.  Phil really needs to get out more often.

Minutes after the game Vegas established Kansas City as the favorite to make Super Bowl LIV next year.  We can hope.  LIV means 54, not “live.”  Apparently SB LIII meant “not live” as well.

 

 

 

 

February Made Me Shiver

Posted on by boom booms room staff

We were singin’ bye bye January.  February made me shiver.  Kudos to Don McLean.  His no. 1 hit, American Pie, sung a long, long, time ago (1971) hit the cold nail on the frozen head.  A bit of the lyrics follow.

But February made me shiver 
With every paper I’d deliver
Bad news on the doorstep
I couldn’t take one more step

Those of us at BBR think McLean may have been looking at the major US sports calendar when he wrote some of those lines.  For the four biggies look rather small right about now.

The day after the MLB All Star game is the only day of the year when there is no activity in any of the four of NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL.  But, a day is but a day.   February is a month.  Sure there is some action, but February has to be the worst month weather wise in the US and the least interesting for the groupies like us that have an insatiable need for the action.  Thankfully February is but 28 days long most years.

Ok, ok, there is the Super Bowl for football.  But, then what?  The Combine in Indy comes to mind.  It’s a junkie fix but the supply is scarce. Where is the Walt White of football?   NCCA football,  as we digress, is dormant too.

Well, well you say, the NBA is in full swing.  And, there is the NBA All Star game. Correct, and correct.  We just don’t see too much value in watching pros go through the motions in many midseason games that don’t have much to do with post season games. The NBA’s best start to collide in playoff series in, oh, about three months from now.  The NBA All Star game you say?  Even “The Arnold” couldn’t sell it when he introed it in LA a dozen years or so ago when he uttered, “Velcome to de All Starz.”

The NHL has some high sticking, a few fist fights, and a few slap shots for us.  That’s not too bad.  Though looking at frozen ice for two hours inside after looking at frozen tundra outside for the other 22 hours make us think of a song once sang by Don McLean.  Never mind.  We just don’t see too much value in watching pros go through the motions in many midseason games/matches that don’t have much to do with post season games/matches.  Perhaps that sounds(identically) like our thoughts on the NBA?  Is it a match or a game anyway?

Well MLB teams have their pitchers and catchers report to spring training in mid to late Feb.  Hope for spring does spring eternal.  This is exciting for about 24-48 hours as you may pay attention to your favorite team’s reports for a day or two.  The problem is if you don’t live in Arizona or Florida you won’t see it live.  And if you do see it live after hopping a flight to one of those destinations you’ll soon see lots of dudes that you really don’t know, who are soon to board flights to minor league designations in towns that you hope you never hop a flight to.  Meh.

There’s always soccer, tennis, golf, and bowling.

February made me shiver.

 

Two Coaches, Four Thoughts, Six Bets, A Dollar

Posted on by boom booms room staff

Today concludes our Super Bowl series of posts.   We’ve examined good and bad, winning and losing, and coaching and quarterbacking.  We have a few random thoughts to share and speculate upon prior to the big game.  You can think of them as Ten Piece Nuggets (and get three free) just presented differently.

Two Head Coaches

Two head coaches that made the short list, but not the final list in our top five countdown were Chuck Noll and Vince Lombardi.  Noll went 4-0 in SB’s while Lombardi won the first two SB’s and three NFL championships prior to their being a “Super Bowl.”   But a deeper dive versus Gibbs, Walsh, Landry, Shula, and Belichick exposed just a few shortcomings.

1.  Noll won four Super Bowls in a six-year window and went to and deep into the playoffs eight straight years.  Slice that however you wish and its darn impressive.

Did he benefit greatly by a Steeler organization that had multiple home run drafts back to back to back?  Pitt’s first round  pick in Noll’s year one was Joe Greene, who went on to become a perennial All-Pro and anchor the defensive line. During the next few years, the Steelers drafted quarterback Terry Bradshaw (Louisiana Tech) and running back Franco Harris (Penn State) as round one picks. In the 1974 draft, the Steelers achieved a level of drafting success never seen before or since, when they selected four future Hall of Fame players with their first five picks: wide receivers Lynn Swann and John Stallworth, middle linebacker Jack Lambert, and center Mike Webster. To this day, no other draft by any team has included more than two future Hall of Famers. Back then coaches didn’t have the draft day influence that they have today.  Did Noll make Stallworth, Swann, Bradshaw, Greene, Ham, Harris, and Webster?  Or was it vice versa?

His career win percentage was 57%, good, but shy of real good.  His last twelve years at the helm show 93 victories and 91 defeats and only two playoff victories.

2.  Lombardi was so good that his legend is forever cemented into NFL lore.  They named the Super Bowl trophy after him.  His teams won the first two Super Bowls played.  In nine cold Green Bay years he won 96, lost 34, and tied 6.  His playoff record is a great 9-1.  The team he took over had finished 1958 at a league worst 1-10-1.  His first year of meticulous prep, attention to detail, and demand for excellence turned them into a 7-5 club.  As a side note, there was no free agency back then.

The famous Packer Sweep, a real play innovation of its time, was diagrammed many times over on the chalk board and ran even more in practice.  “You cannot stop perfection.”

Unfortunately his health gave way at an early age curtailing his career and limiting his lifetime statistics when measured against others.  But in a shorter window than others had, none were better at winning nor getting more out of his players.

Four Thoughts

1.  The NFL is getting worked over for the blown non calls and incorrect calls in the two Conference Championship Games.  And, the abuse is well deserved.  Complicated rules, additional rules, and incessant video replay are bad enough.  Add to that fact that the NFL hand-picked the two crews that worked the two games and missed or made a handful of game changing bad calls and you have what you have-a mess.

2.  Speaking of a mess, what the hell happened in Pittsburgh?  Arguably the game’s best WR and a great QB cannot even practice together suddenly.  Pittsburgh’s front office puts up with little to nothing.  Ask Le’Veon Bell if you need proof.  If Antonio Brown hasn’t posted his home on Zillow yet one wonders what he is waiting for.

3.  The NFL hype machine(one of the best in the world) will go dark for a week after the Super Bowl, then will start pumping the NFL Combine held annually in Indianapolis.  How long is it before they start shopping the event to other cities like they did the draft?  Tickets, tickets, who needs tickets?

4.  If you haven’t heard, numerous New Orleans bars are showing the 2009 Saints SB victory this Sunday instead of Super Bowl LIII.  Our guess is that the turnout will be great.  Super Bowl LIII is now referred to as Super Bowl LIE in NOLA.  Laissez les bon temps roulier.

Six Bets

BBR never shies from a wager or six.  Below are some prop bets for fun and game action as well.

1.  Give us tails on the coin toss for  -105.   Why?  Why do you even ask?

2.  We’ll take the Rams scoring first for -115.  Brandin Cooks has a score to settle so to speak.

3.  Give us over 49.5 yards on the longest TD scored for -110.  See point two above.

4.  We’ll take -300 that no extra point is missed.  Though NE scares us a bit.

5.  Give us over 56.5 on the total points scored for -110.  Under has been our favorite since 12/1.  This one, however, is indoors and the carpet is warm.

6.  And, drum roll please, we like the Rams on the money line for +120.  Why?  Why not?

A Dollar

We are so confident in our bets above that we wagered a George Washington on each and every one of them.

 

 

Super (Bowl)Head Coach Countdown II

Posted on by boom booms room staff

Yesterday part six of our Super Bowl worst, best, first, and last series rolled on.  Super Bowl winners come in different shapes and sizes, but they usually have two things in common.  One, they have a real good or great coach.  And two, they have a real good or great quarterback.

We continue to examine those very questions in part seven of our series.   Today we finish our attempt to answer the question “who is the best head coach to win a Super Bowl?”   Yesterday we chose Joe Gibbs at no. 5 and Bill Walsh at no. 4.  Clearly the choices are nothing but a who’s who of head coaching.  Let the subjectivity begin.

Criteria, in no particular order, that we feel is mandatory to be considered follows.

  1.  Longevity in the league– Longevity usually equates to demand for your ability.  Health reasons were considered.
  2.  Won/loss record– Bill Parcells once famously said ” at the end of the year you are what your record says you are.”
  3.  Pregame and in-game strategy– You have to have a plan of attack and you have to adjust to your opponents plan of attack.
  4.  Maximizing your team’s ability– Coaches eventually have 53 players to work with.  Did they get all that they could out of the group?
  5. Recognizing talent and using it– Coaches today have more say in personnel than yesterday.  Those that do have to obtain value (if FA cheaper than performance, if drafted better than round, if UDFA seeing something that others do not in a player).
  6. Super Bowl wins and appearances You are ultimately judged by getting your team to the biggest game of all and taking home the trophy.

We suspect that when objectivity (1,2,and 6 above) and subjectivity(3,4, and 5 above) cross paths the task of definitively ranking coaches is not possible.  When art meets science the eye and the mind don’t always agree.   Regardless, we press on.  Today we countdown nos. 3, 2, and 1.  Also, there are many who deserve mention, honorable mention at that.  But, we chose to skip those for now to further the discussion.   Let the disagreement begin.

3.  Tom Landry- The ever impeccably dressed leader Landry coached for 29 NFL seasons all with the Dallas Cowboys.  One guesses if you looked up the word “Institution” in Funk and Wagner that Tom’s picture (with his hat of course) might be next to the word.  Two hundred and fifty regular season wins, 36 playoff wins, five SB appearances, and two Lombardi Trophies makes his body of work hard to describe.

Landry coached good players and made them better.  Walt Garrison comes to mind.  He coached great players and helped them get enshrined.  Bob Lilly, Roger Staubach, Tony Dorsett, Mel Renfro and many, many others come to mind.  His culture of out working and out thinking others created a sustainable winning expectation.  After all you were a Cowboy.   Landry encouraged the organization to look at the draft and the pool of players differently than others.  Gil Brandt his GM masterfully assembled the roster accordingly.  The Cowboys dug deep to find talent in undrafted free agency as well as lesser scouted conferences like the SWAC.

He won by strategically putting his offense, defense, and special teams in familiar spots from meticulous preparation. Landry is known as the “inventor of the 4-3 defense” as he was the first to take a lineman out and add a middle linebacker.   Landry also invented and popularized the use of keys (analyzing offensive tendencies) to determine what the offense might do.

2.  Don Shula- It’s hard to top Landry’s resume’ but Shula did.  He was an NFL head coach for 33 seasons, 26 with the Miami Dolphins and seven with the Baltimore Colts.  He won 328 games in all with an amazing 67.7 win percentage.  He too won 36 playoff games.  One Colt and five Dolphin SB appearances later gave Shula two Lombardi trophies.

Shula changed his coaching strategy as his personnel changed. His Super Bowl teams in 1971,2,3, and 1982 were keyed by a run-first offensive strategy and a dominating defense. In 1983, shortly after losing Super Bowl XVII to the Washington Redskins, the Dolphins drafted quarterback Dan Marino out of the University of Pittsburgh. Marino won the starting job halfway through the 1983 regular season, and by 1984, the Dolphins were back in the Super Bowl, due largely to Marino’s record 5,084 yards through the air.

Shula’s Miami teams were known for great offensive lines (Larry Little, Jim Langer, and Bob Kuechenberg), strong running games (Larry Csonka, Jim Kiick, and Mercury Morris), solid quarterbacking (by Bob Griese and Earl Morrall), excellent receivers (Paul Warfield)and a defense that worked as a cohesive unit. The Dolphins were known as “The No-Name Defense”, though they had few good to great players, including MLB Nick Buoniconti.

In 1972, the Dolphins were unbeaten in the regular season, 14–0–0. They swept the playoffs and finished 17–0–0.  They remain the only team in the modern era to do so.

1.  Bill Belichick – Is there really any doubt as to who is the most successful coach of all time?  There really isn’t.  But, “most successful” and “best” may not be exactly the same.  With Belichick we think it is the same.  What is not debatable is 1) on Sunday he will be coaching in the SB for the ninth time which is three more than Shula’s six, and 2) he can put further distance in the win column between himself (five now and maybe six soon) and Chuck Noll who has four.

In 24 years as head coach (5 Cleveland and 19 New England) the irascible one has won 261 regular and 30 post season games.  That’s a 68% win percentage overall and 74% in NE alone.  Seventy four percent equates to an average season being 12-4.  There’s nothing average about that!

Belichick is a grand master at finding a opponent’s weakness and exploiting it.  A defensive side of the ball head coach with perhaps the GOAT QB in Tom Brady is the perfect combo for long term success.  This is especially true with the rules the league has put in place in the last 15 years to protect QB’s.

His coaching tree grows significantly each offseason.  Eight of his former assistants to date have become NFL head coaches.  Seven have become NCAA head coaches, one of which is Nick Saban.

But, perhaps his most significant measure of success is one that is actually hard to measure.  How good has the Patriots personnel (outside of Tom Brady, which is a big “outside of”) been during his incredible run?  Current and future Hall of Famers are few.  Their best RB has been?  WR?  LB?  DL?  You get the picture.  There have been many, many good to real good ones no doubt.  Perhaps Belichick has the key to making the whole far greater that the sum of the individual parts.

Tomorrow we briefly examine two who were strongly considered for the final five, but ultimately left out.

 

 

 

Super (Bowl) Head Coach Countdown

Posted on by boom booms room staff

Yesterday part five of our Super Bowl worst, best, first, and last series rolled on.  We offered a fun trivia quiz about coaches in the big game.

Super Bowl winners come in different shapes and sizes, but they usually have two things in common.  One, they have a real good or great coach.  And two, they have a real good or great quarterback.

We continue to examine those very questions in part six of our series.  Today we begin to attempt to answer the question “who is the best head coach to win a Super Bowl?”   Clearly the choices are nothing but a who’s who of head coaching.  Let the subjectivity begin.

Criteria, in no particular order, that we feel is mandatory to be considered follows.

  1.  Longevity in the league– Longevity usually equates to demand for your ability.  Health reasons were considered.
  2.  Won/loss record– Bill Parcells once famously said ” at the end of the year you are what your record says you are.”
  3.  Pregame and in-game strategy– You have to have a plan of attack and you have to adjust to your opponents plan of attack.
  4.  Maximizing your team’s ability– Coaches eventually have 53 players to work with.  Did they get all that they could out of the group?
  5. Recognizing talent and using it– Coaches today have more say in personnel than yesterday.  Those that do have to obtain value (if FA cheaper than performance, if drafted better than round, if UDFA seeing something that others do not in a player).
  6. Super Bowl wins and appearances- You are ultimately judged by getting your team to the biggest game of all and taking home the trophy.

We suspect that when objectivity (1,2,and 6 above) and subjectivity(3,4, and 5 above) cross paths the task of definitively ranking coaches is not possible.  When art meets science the eye and the mind don’t always agree.   Regardless, we press on.  Today we give you our fifth and fourth best.  Tomorrow we get to nos. 3, 2, and 1.  Also, there are many who deserve mention, honorable mention at that.  But, we chose to skip those for now to further the discussion.   Let the disagreement begin.

5.  Joe Gibbs- Gibbs won 154 regular season games in two head coaching stretches covering 16 NFL seasons all with the Washington Redskins.  An impressive four SB appearances resulted in three Lombardi Trophies.   Gibbs’ teams could score a lot, play stiff defense, and close out games.

Although Gibbs helped craft a passing-oriented attack during his time in San Diego as an OC, his Redskins teams were known to incorporate a smash-mouth, down hill rushing heavy attack.   By building a strong offensive line (“The Hogs”) Gibbs’ teams controlled the line of scrimmage, allowing workhorse running backs such as John Riggins, George Rogers, and Earnest Byner to power the ground game. Gibbs added a deep passing attack to this which complemented the ground game. Gibbs’ offense was aided during his tenure by aggressive defensive units under the direction of defensive coordinator Richie Petitbon.

Gibbs’ system and scheme were robust enough to be successful without a Hall-of-Fame-caliber quarterback at the helm. The Redskins’ Super Bowl victories were won featuring Joe Theismann, Doug Williams, and Mark Rypien—capable players who were complimentary parts.

Gibbs is credited with inventing the single back, double or triple tight end set. He used it to slow down Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor, realizing that to successfully block him with just a running back was all but impossible.   Gibbs was also credited for creating the Trips formation by stacking three wide receivers to one side. He added confusing shifting and motions to his offenses to further the complexity. The formations created defensive confusion. He is also one of a few coaches that used the H-back position prominently in his offense.

From 1981 to 1992 he lead the Skins to a 124-60 record.  That win percentage would rank fourth all time.  His second stint, nearly a decade removed from the game and at the begging of Daniel Snyder, finished 30-34.

 

4.  Bill Walsh- From 1979 to 1989 no one was better than the former Stanford coach.  Walsh, with an assist from Joe Montana, won three Super Bowls in ten seasons while making seven playoff runs.  His regular season winning percentage was a real good, but not great, 60%.  However, he inherited a team and an organization that was void of talent, leadership, and a winning culture.  His first two teams were 2-14, and 6-10 as the turnaround began.  Therefore, in his final eight years the San Fransisco 49ers record averaged an incredible 13 wins against three losses.  His final season(1988) and the Super Bowl win(1989) was followed by the team winning it all yet again under his disciple George Seifert in 1990.

Perhaps the eye Walsh had for on field talent was only surpassed by the eye he had for coaching excellence.  His coaching tree

Bill Walsh Coaching Tree.svg

is alive and well even today and is second to no one who came before or after.

Did Joe Montana have physical talent?  Yes.  But the cerebral Montana bought into Walsh’s ever evolving “west coast offense.”  Suddenly defenses needed to cover the total breadth and length of the field as Walsh would run when you thought he would throw it and throw it when you thought he would run it.  His formations and iterations thereof created mismatches the field over.  All of his offensive skill positions could catch and run afterwards putting enormous pressure on all 11 defensive players to properly cover their assignments.

Only Walsh’s relatively early retirement (10 years as a HC), hence shorter body of work, kept him from being listed higher.

Tomorrow we press on with our choices.  These five men are the some of the very best of the all time best.