Engage. Enrage. Enjoy.

It’s March Madness and SWA is Flying

Posted on by boom booms room staff

Southwest Airlines ran the popular ad campaign “Need to Get Away for a While?” for several successful years.  In the ads paid actors would say or do something, usually in a business, meeting, or social environment that would cause the room to collectively pause and wonder “did that just happen?”

Yesterday we learned that an often paid actor, Felicity Huffman, paid her way around the college entrance process to get one of her children into a school of higher education that they otherwise would not have qualified for.  Huffman, one of the housewife character actors of Desperate Housewives fame, was a desperate mom it seems.  She wasn’t alone in this scheme that was exposed, not by a long shot.  SWA has non stops from LAX to nearly anywhere.

It amazes us how often big time personalities, either by hook or crook, fall flat on their face.  Did that just happen?

Totally unrelated, it was only Monday when the NFL network had a get away moment.  Charley Casserly, former longtime NFL GM for the Redskins and the Texans, is a “front office/GM expert” for the network.  The NFL Network rolls old Charley out when they need the “why” answered after the “what” has occurred.  Charley was asked why the Cowboys didn’t get the ball to effective wide receiver Cole Beasley more last year.  His answer is right here.  “The Cowboys threw the ball to Dez Bryant too much last year.”  The only problem with the answer is that Dez Bryant didn’t play one snap for Dallas in 2018, not one.  The former star was cut last summer.  Southwest has some great fares to The Bahamas right now.

A few years back during the TBS portion of the NCAA March Madness telecast Charles Barkley called Duke star Justise Winslow’s name just a bit wrong. He called him Winston Justice and knew no differently.  But to one up himself a couple of years later he was asked why a certain NCAA Final 64 team (the name escapes us) trailed another at halftime.  He noted that team’s star player needed to pick up his game in the second half.  The only problem was that said star player had missed this game and the prior two months due to injury.  What might Sir Charles have in store for us this year?

Barkley is paid to be Barkley.  He is quite good at it.  Casserly is paid to be an expert.  He is quite bad at it.  And Huffman illegally paid and/or bribed and/or cheated to get her child in college.  That’s the worst of it.

Given the Madness, it must be March.  Southwest Airlines flight 123 now boarding.

If You Are Gonna Talk the Talk

Posted on by boom booms room staff

Last week seemed to have been filled with a bit more rancor than most.  So much so that we wrote this.

After a week of too much misdirected, failed, or ill-advised passion we decided to end it on a somewhat lighter note that allows us to forget for a bit all of the above.  Sports.  Now that’s passion directed in the right direction 24/7.  Combatants on any field, arena, or track of competition bring out the love of the game in all of us.  Their actions and subsequent achievements are plenty enough to gain a sense of the love for their chosen filed of dreams.  But, sometimes their passion spills over into their words as well.  Below we offer to you in no particular order some inspirational quotes from some intense sport folks.

Well, today we offer you a few savage quotes.  Savage quotes are like verbal daggers in your back.  Except, in the often heated moment of sports and its resultant aftermath, these sharp words are aimed directly at the intended target’s heart.   In the coming weeks we’ll bring you more as they are plentiful and never disappoint.  For now, enjoy the beast mode bravado of these seven quotes below.

  1.  “But the real tragedy was that fifteen hadn’t been colored in yet.”  —Steve Spurrier then head coach at South Carolina on the Auburn dorm room fire       that, among other things, burned 20 books.
  2.  “I dunno, I’ve never smoked any Astro Turf.”  —Tug McGraw on being asked if he preferred natural grass or artificial turf.
  3.   “Because there are no fours.”  —Antoine Walker when asked why he took so many threes.
  4.  ” I will eat your children.”  —Mike Tyson spoke directly to Lennox Lewis in the prefight weigh in.  Lewis knocked him out when they fought.
  5.   “These are my new shoes.  They are good shoes.  They won’t make you rich like me, they won’t make you rebound like me, and they definitely won’t         make you handsome like me, they’ll only make you have shoes like me.  That’s it.” — Charles Barkley on his new signature shoes.
  6.  “I’m not worried about the Sacramento Queens.”  —Shaquille O’Neal responded in the heat of the 2002-2003 season when the Kings were the upstart   team and suddenly popular choice to end the Lakers dominance in the west.
  7.   “All he does is talk. He’s terrible, and you can print that. I was happy when he was in the game.”  —Bill Belicheck unloaded this dandy right after the   2004 Super Bowl when his secondary held Freddie Mitchell to one catch.  Mitchell was running his mouth in the weeks leading up to the game about not   even knowing who the NE secondary players were.

Running your mouth isn’t good.  But when you can back it up, well.

As Jimmy Johnson once said, “if you gonna talk the talk, you gotta walk the walk.”

 

King Kong Bundy’s Last Act is a Permanent One.

Posted on by boom booms room staff

Another Mardi Gras has come and gone. Many kings of their parades were praised and glasses toasted.  It’s quite the production.  So, too, were quite the productions of a few blockbuster King Kong movies.   But, there was only one King Kong Bundy.  And, he was a production unto himself.

Christopher Alan Pallies (born in 1957) was a professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, King Kong Bundy. He is best known for his appearances in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in the mid-1980s till the mid-1990s. In his career zenith Bundy wrestled in the main event of WrestleMania 2 in 1986, facing Hulk Hogan in a steel cage match for the coveted WWF World Heavyweight Championship.

It’s quite the production when they add the old steel cage to insure the paid actors cannot escape from the stage on which they are getting paid for their act.  It’s  the ultimate extraneous prop.

He was developed by the infamous Von Erich family as “Big Daddy Bundy.”  He wore blue jeans with a rope belt. After a dispute with the Von Erich family, Bundy was recruited by “Playboy” Gary Hart (not the politician) and with great fanfare was reintroduced as “King Kong Bundy.”  King Kong, wore a black singlet for the first time to signify his change. This was quite a wardrobe upgrade from jeans and a rope belt.

He lost his hair during the feud, adding to his signature look.  Who doesn’t go through a feud, lose their hair, get a new look, geta  new name, and get a new gig in life?  Oh, and don’t forget about the singlet in the slimming black color.

His acting ,er wrestling career, began in 1984 and lasted till 2007.  In that span of time his character was paired with many, opposed by even more, and took several twists and turns into the turnbuckle.  While he squared off against Hulk Hogan, his best schtick might have been the long running feud that he had with Andre the Giant.  Andre might have been the only wrestler bigger than King Kong Bundy.  Christopher Pallies, or KKB, stood six-foot four and weighed in at svelte 458 pounds, a giant in his own right if not by name.

His wrestling/acting landed him in a few “real” acting roles as well.  Bundy had two guest spots, and one bit part on Married… with Children, as the creators had named the lead characters “Bundy” in honor of him.  We aren’t sure which side of that should be more honored.  In 1987, he played Uncle Irwin, the brother of Peggy Bundy.  Lastly, in 1995, he appeared again as his day job, King Kong Bundy character.  In the role he taught Bud Bundy how to wrestle if you really want to call it that.

King Kong Bundy died Sunday at the too early age of 63.  He joins many, many other “professional” wrestlers who left here too soon to go to another ring in a another place.  The 458 lbs might have helped to punch his quick ticket to paradise.

There have been many kings, a few King Kong’s, but only one successful production named King Kong Bundy.

 

 

Halftime Score -14 from 7.

Posted on by boom booms room staff

As the BBR staff descended yesterday on the city of New Orleans for a little Mardi Gras fun today, we couldn’t help but think of Antonio Cromartie.  Mardi Gras means Fat Tuesday.  Fat Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday in the Catholic religion.  Ash Wednesday officially kicks of the Lenten Season, or Lent.

Lent is traditionally described as lasting for 40 days, in commemoration of the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert, according to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, during which he endured temptation by Satan.  During Lent devout Catholics give up or fast from one or more of their favorite foods, drinks, or activities.

So based on the above clearly the catholic religion, Mardi Gras, lent, restraint, and Cromartie would make for strange bedfellows don’t you say?  Therein lies the connection actually.  Cromartie has apparently never met a strange bedfellow.

Antonio Cromartie (born April 15, 1984) is a former NFL starting cornerback.   He played college football at Florida State and was drafted in the first round (19th overall) by the San Diego Chargers in the 2006 NFL Draft. He was selected to four Pro Bowls and was a first-team All-Pro in 2007 after leading the league in interceptions. Cromartie is credited with the longest play in NFL history, returning a missed field goal 109 yards for a touchdown in 2007.   He also played for the Arizona Cardinals, New York Jets and Indianapolis Colts.

Productive might be a word used to describe his career on the field. He played defense. But, on another playing field Cromartie might be called prolific.  There he plays offense.  And,  Antonio’s greatest talent is scoring.   His 14 children at the age of 33 arrived via seven baby mamas.  So the score, which we clearly hope is the final score, is children 14, baby mamas 7.  But, at only 33 years of age we might have only reached halftime.

Several years back when the baby count had reached the meager total of only eight, Antonio was interviewed for a segment on the HBO show Hard Knocks. It’s 1 minute and 27 seconds of pure gold and definitely worth another look.   At that point three of his children were each three years old.  None of the three were twins, nor were they triplets.  Three kids all three years old from three women has to be a record.  3,3,3.  It has to be, doesn’t it?

Cromartie owes, and we assume pays, $336,000 in child support a year.   We hope that he saved/invested wisely from his successful on field career to fund his successful playing the field career.

Mardi Gras gives one a last shot at decadence before Lent sets us straight.  Mr. Cromartie could be the king of this carnival.  He more than qualifies.  We aren’t judging.   Are we?

Lent?  Well, so far, not so much for him.  There is still time though.  It’s only halftime.

We’ll be back after these commercials ladies and gentlemen.  Once again, the score 14 from 7.

Laissez les bon temps rouler!

Fashionable Managers are Good (for) Sports.

Posted on by boom booms room staff

The NBA fashion show and All Star weekend has come and gone.  Team LeBron squeaked by Team Giannis in a defensive thriller 178-164.  In defense (none played) of the NBA the weekend is really more about style than substance anyway.  The atmosphere surrounding one of these weekends is dress up, party, three-point contest, dress up, party, pretend to play a basketball game, dress up, party.  The dearly departed Yogi Berra would call it 90% style and 50% substance we think.  Which got us to thinking.

When Yogi hung up his cleats from catching for his Yankees he eventually wore those cleats and an entire game ready Yankees’ uniform while managing them from the dugout.  This is, of course, just like every other MLB (or MiLB) manager before and after him.  Which got us to thinking.  Why do MLB managers wear the team uniforms?  Respect?  Tradition?  Superstition?  Are they more effective or authoritative if they dress so?  At a minimum we suppose that when they disagree with an umpire’s call its better to kick dirt on home plate with cleats and an easily washable uniform.  Which got us to thinking.

Can you imagine if they dressed like Pat Riley, aka Mr. GQ, the NBA multi time world champ head coach extraordinaire?  Or, could you imagine the cool Riley bouncing out of a dugout in his woven Cole Hahn’s and Perry Ellis tailored suit to turn his cap backwards and spit tobacco juice hither and yon? Heaven forbid that one gelled strand of coiffed hair stray out of place.   Which got us to thinking.  Why do NBA coaches roam court side in thousands of dollars of fine silk threads and pressed shirts?  ‘Why not?’ is our guess.  Aside from sitting, standing, and very occasionally drawing up a play with a Sharpie on a white board there isn’t much physical exertion inside of a climate controlled arena to sweat about.  Which got us to thinking.

Why do NFL football coaches wear coaching shorts and shirts and cleat looking shoes without cleats during practice?  And why do they wear NFL sideline team gear on game days?  Ah, we think we know this one.   NFL practices can be messy, with grass, mud, and sweat and all.  And, the NFL is the ultimate marketing machine.  “Ooh, did you see the new LA Rams shirt that (poster boy) Sean McVay wore on the sidelines?”  “I gotta get me one.”  Which got us to thinking.

Why don’t NHL coaches wear team sweaters and skates while standing behind 20 or so sweaty guys that sit on a cold bench holding a wooden stick waiting for their shift to be called out by men who wear suits and ties?  It’s always an adventure for the coaches try to walk on the ice with dress shoes on.  And, can the NHL afford a tanning bed for them? Milk white skin washes out against milk white ice.  The winters are long in those parts.  Which got us to thinking.

Why do soccer coaches (or managers or trainers or whatever they are called) in Euro leagues wear skinny ties and skinny pants with fitted shirts with their skinny sport coats next to those benches that look like bus stops?  Exact change is needed to board please.  Which got us to thinking.

We think that we might have over thought this.

 

Well Beyond “Just Do It.”

Posted on by boom booms room staff

Opinions on the quality of individual original content programming on ESPN vary.  It ranges from excellent to steaming hot, mid summer Manhattan, New York, New York garbage.  Yep, that’s quite the range.  Two that we feel are on the excellent side are Outside the Lines and 30 for 30.

So, the other night when James Harden’s scoring streak crossed over 30 thirty games with 30 points or more per, we began to wonder.  What “inside the lines” performance, regardless of the sport, is the most excellent of all time?  Harden’s run is indeed impressive.  But, it’s not even the best historically in basketball.  Wilt Chamberlain holds the all-time record at an amazing 65 straight games, set during his astounding 1961-62 campaign, when he averaged an NBA-record 50.4 points and set the single-game scoring mark with 100 points against the New York Knicks on March 2, 1962.

The record of playing in 2,632 consecutive games over more than 16 MLB years is held by Cal Ripken, Jr. of the Baltimore Orioles. Ripken surpassed Lou Gehrig of the New York Yankees, whose record of 2,130 consecutive games had stood for 56 years.  Impressive.  But, that speaks, at the least, to good for a long time.  Tiger Woods once made 142 consecutive cuts on the PGA Tour over several years.  Very Impressive.  That speaks, at the least, to very good over a long period of time.

But that’s not what we’re after.  We are after a run of unmatched, high level, measurable success while we scan multiple sports.  Yet its very hard to measure across sports.

Wilt Chamberlain’s run is the type of run we’re looking for.  How about Oscar Robertson’s season of averaging a triple double? In the 1961–62 season, Robertson became the first player in NBA history to average a triple-double for an entire season, with 30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds and 11.4 assists.   Robertson also set a then-NBA record for the most triple-doubles during the regular season with 41 triple-doubles; the record would stand for over half a century when, in 2016–17, Russell Westbrook recorded 42 and joined Robertson as the only other player to average a triple-double for an entire season.  Very, very impressive.  Now we’re getting somewhere.

Is there anything harder to do, though, than hit a baseball consistently for a long stretch?  Yankee Joe DiMaggio holds the Major League Baseball record with a streak of 56 consecutive games in which he got at least one hit.  In 1941, it began on May 15 and ended July 17. DiMaggio hit .408 during his streak (91-for-223), with 15 home runs and 55 runs batted in.  Baseball’s best get out seven out of every ten time they bat over the course of most careers.

Surely one off night, or one dominant pitcher, would prevent any mortal from going 56 straight games.  Ask Pete Rose. “Pressure? Well it ain’t hitting in forty-four straight games, because I done that and it was fun. The playoffs are pressure.” – Pete Rose .  He forgot (or as they say today misremembered) that he was chasing Joltin’ Joe D. and fell quite short.  Forty-four is over 20% less than 56.  You may have heard that Peter Rose, aka Charlie Hustle, sometimes has trouble telling the truth.

Wayne Gretzky was also unstoppable for a run on ice that left all others stone cold. The Great One scored the most points in one season including the playoffs with 255 in 1984-1985.  Nestled inside of that run was four goals in one period and most assists in one game with seven.  There are many other candidates we are sure.

Rocky Marciano never lost a boxing match.  Never.  49-0.  Byron Nelson won 11 straight golf tournaments.  11.

We could go on.  Choosing one across sports is impossible.  But, someone once said “Impossible is Nothing.”  Not for nothing, we choose The Big O, Oscar Robertson’s season of triple doubles by the slimmest of margins over Marilyn Monroe’s ex husband’s hit streak.  What’s your choice?

 

 

 

 

 

What’s Important Now?

Posted on by boom booms room staff

Al Davis, the unconventional owner and GM of the Oakland Raiders from its first days in the Sixties, until his last days in the New Millenium, coined the phrase “Just Win, Baby!”  And his Raiders won and won.  Two Super Bowl wins and two more appearances with several coaches and ever-changing personnel in an ever-changing league bears that out.

Of course his baby son, Mark Davis, now principal owner and GM of his dad’s beloved Raiders might be the biggest winner in Raider Nation.  His dad turned a 50k investment in a fledgling upstart American Football League into an icon valued at well over 1.5 billion dollars.   That’s billion with a “b” if your 2.0x readers are around here somewhere.

Nick Saban, the six-time NCAA championship winner, and arguably(is it even really arguable?) the greatest coach in college football history, coined the phrase “focus on the process and the results will take care of themselves.”  His focus is such that his overall w/l record is 233-63-1.  His Bama record is 141-21 with six of the losses coming in year one as he quickly rebuilt the Crimson Tide.  His coaching tree is now a coaching forest and sprouting new saplings yearly.

Tyrone Willingham, the one time head coach of Stanford, then Notre Dame, and finally Washington, coined the acronym “WIN”.  He has gone on to explain that it stands for  “What’s Important Now?”  Of the three men, Davis, Saban, and Willingham, Tyrone has by far the most modest accomplishments.  He lost more games at the helm 88, than he won, 76.  Though, we point out that coaching at three fine universities is in and of itself success.

Why might we refer to Willingham, who stands in the shadow of these two unrelated but both hugely successful men, in the same post as them?  It’s because we feel like WIN-What’s Important Now is a clean, clear, and simple to use “words to live by.”  And live by them we try daily.

This writer was fortunate to hear the impressive Willingham speak well over a decade ago.  Meticulous in his dress, he meticulously outlined what WIN meant to him.  In short after he establishes a goal or goals for himself he asks what it takes to accomplish them.  From there he writes them down. Then he organizes them from which are the most important down to the least.  And, he revisits the list daily, resorting after either accomplishing some or evaluating others, in the ever-changing world that we live in.

Note, this list isn’t what is urgent in others minds.  Failure to plan on your part does not create an emergency (urgency) on mine.  Separating what is perceived as urgent from wha tis important seems critical.  Heck it sounds one heck of a lot like “focus on the process.”

Does this sound rather simple? In theory we think it is.  In application it requires dedication and passion.  Oh, and most of all it requires the “how.”  Once the “when” to do and “what” to do, are organized the “how” separates us.  The “how,” is Saban’s process.

Getting things done through others can be tough.  But if you don’t know what’s important now then they won’t either.  If they don’t, the agenda has no direction and the urgent replaces the process.

Willingham may not have been the most successful, but for us one evening, and to this day, he was the most inspirational.

Who doesn’t want to win?

WIN-What’s Important Now?

 

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.

 

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.

 

 

Super Bowl Jumbo Shrimp.

Posted on by boom booms room staff

Yesterday part three of our Super Bowl worst, best, first, and last series rolled on.  We offered our opinion on who the worst quarterbacks were to appear or lose a Super Bowl.  David Woodley took home first place.  Unfortunately, first meant worst for the former LSU hero.

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.  There are outliers of course.  So, who might be those outliers?

We continue to examine those very questions in part three of our series.  Today we examine the question “who is the worst head coach to win a Super Bowl?”  Our take from bad to worse is below.

Our NFL only criteria includes longevity, w-l percentage, playoff appearances, playoff wins, and coaches hired that went on to great success in the league.  Like the previous quarterbacks that we have selected, we note that these are men who have risen to the very top of their profession.  So, we are calling them the worst of the best really.

This was a tough task.  Undeterred we march on.  We decided on four for very different and difficult reasons.   Drum roll please.

4.  Don McCafferty- The HC that no one remembers or heard of led the Baltimore Colts to 16-13 win of Tom Landry and the Cowboys in SB V in 1971. It was an error filled forgettable game.   It was his first year as a HC replacing Don Shula who left the Baltimore to go south to Miami.  In his third year he refused to bench Johnny Unitas and was fired as a result.  He signed on to coach the Detroit Lions in 1973.  After one year there he dropped dead of a heart attack while mowing his lawn.

3.  Brian Billick- After getting much credit as an OC at Minnesota Billick took over the HC reins for the Baltimore Ravens in 1999.  Nine years later he amassed an 80-64 regular season record.  He rode DC Marvin Lewis and Mike Nolan’s historically great defenses,

led by Ray Lewis, as his offenses were annually anemic.  This included the 4 game playoff run that culminated in the SB XXXV victory in 2001. His other eight seasons ended in three playoff berths.  His one-dimensional teams went one and one in one and one and done in the other two.  His coaching tree was solid.  Rex Ryan and Mike Singletary are two other notable ones.

2.  Weeb Ewbank- When the NY Jets and Joe Willie Namath shocked the football world-beating the heavily favored Baltimore Colts(Don Shula again) in SB III in 1969, Wilbur Charles “Weeb” Ewbank rode off on his players shoulders crew cut hair and all.  Weeb was a head coach for 20 years.  The last 11 were with the J-E-T-S.  In eight of those 11 his teams were .500 or less and in total were 71-77.  His total won loss record was one above .500 at 130-129-7.  His teams only totaled 5 playoff games.  Although in fairness to Wilbur Charles his Baltimore Colts head coaching days prior to the Jets included two one game championships when there weren’t really any playoffs. Chuck Knox and Buddy Ryan both toiled under Weeb.

1.  Gary Kubiak- In 10 NFL seasons (8 Texans, 2 Broncos) Kube’s teams appeared in the playoffs only three times.  Two Texan teams went 1-1 and done.  The 3-0 record with the SB winning Broncos and Peyton Manning was his only deep run.  His teams won 82 regular season games and lost 75.  Multiple medical maladies forced him to resign in 2016.  His coaching tree includes Mike Sherman, Wade Phillips, Ray Rhodes and a few other retreads.  He will resume coaching as OC in Minnesota in 2019.  Perhaps his head coaching days are done.

Head coaching a team to a Super Bowl triumph and being called one of the worst is an oxymoron like the phrase “jumbo shrimp.”   But they are our “only choices” for the worst of the best of the “civil war” known as the Super Bowl.