RashanGary
12-07-2007, 07:50 PM
By Mike Vandermause
What a difference a year makes.
Exactly 12 months ago, the Green Bay Packers had sputtered to a 4-8 record, and the natives were getting restless.
After a particularly brutal 38-10 loss to the New York Jets at Lambeau Field on Dec. 3, 2006, coach Mike McCarthy’s competence was seriously questioned by some fans.
In a Press-Gazette online chat after that game, one disgruntled questioner wrote: “At what point do we give Jim Bates a call? When you have a proven winner with head coaching experience, why do you pass him up for a proven loser?”
When I suggested that McCarthy, at the time a first-year head coach, deserved more than 12 games to prove himself and should be judged over the life of his three-year contract, some of the faithful lobbed grenades.
“There is no progress in Green Bay, and our players are learning from a perennial loser,” one poison-penned fan said. “Your three-year plan is a joke. If a guy is a loser, he’s a loser.”
Not surprisingly, I haven’t received any letters or e-mails in a long time calling McCarthy a loser. Under his guidance, the Packers have gone 14-2 over the past year and become one of the best teams in the NFL.
The point here is not to go off on an “I told you so” rant against the impatient blockheads who were ready to run McCarthy out of town last season. No one then could have predicted the Packers’ amazing success this season.
The point is that in an instant-gratification sports world, in which results are demanded right now, the McCarthy example should serve as an important lesson.
Time and patience are needed for anyone to prove himself. Snap judgments and knee-jerk reactions can lead to chaos. In the NFL, it applies to coaches, general managers and players.
The next time someone proclaims rookie first-round draft pick Justin Harrell a flop, kindly stick a sock in the windbag’s big mouth.
My position on Harrell this season is no different than it was on McCarthy a year ago. It’s too early to say whether Harrell will emerge as a solid player. He needs an honest chance to show his worth.
Just because Harrell hasn’t made a big splash as a rookie doesn’t mean he’s destined for the scrap pile. Give him some time before blasting Ted Thompson for supposedly wasting the Packers’ No. 16 overall draft pick last April.
Sadly, too many demand an immediate impact and are quick to dismiss a player or coach who doesn’t measure up to those unreasonable standards.
This is not to suggest results aren’t important. In a year or two, if Harrell is doing his best Jamal Reynolds imitation, the critics will have a legitimate beef. If the Packers suddenly take a nosedive under McCarthy in 2008 and 2009, there would be sound reasons to question his coaching prowess.
With the exception of Detroit Lions president Matt Millen, there are no free passes in the NFL. Players, coaches and front-office types shouldn’t be allowed to fail at their jobs year after year.
On the other hand, no one deserves a quick hook.
One of the loudmouth chatters a year ago told me: “We’re lucky you aren’t running the team. Nobody gives a head coach three years to implement his program. It’s all about progress, and right now the Packers are going backward.”
Well, he got one thing right, at least. The Packers are indeed lucky I’m not in charge. But at least I’m smart enough to know McCarthy needed time to show us what he could do.
What a difference a year makes.
Exactly 12 months ago, the Green Bay Packers had sputtered to a 4-8 record, and the natives were getting restless.
After a particularly brutal 38-10 loss to the New York Jets at Lambeau Field on Dec. 3, 2006, coach Mike McCarthy’s competence was seriously questioned by some fans.
In a Press-Gazette online chat after that game, one disgruntled questioner wrote: “At what point do we give Jim Bates a call? When you have a proven winner with head coaching experience, why do you pass him up for a proven loser?”
When I suggested that McCarthy, at the time a first-year head coach, deserved more than 12 games to prove himself and should be judged over the life of his three-year contract, some of the faithful lobbed grenades.
“There is no progress in Green Bay, and our players are learning from a perennial loser,” one poison-penned fan said. “Your three-year plan is a joke. If a guy is a loser, he’s a loser.”
Not surprisingly, I haven’t received any letters or e-mails in a long time calling McCarthy a loser. Under his guidance, the Packers have gone 14-2 over the past year and become one of the best teams in the NFL.
The point here is not to go off on an “I told you so” rant against the impatient blockheads who were ready to run McCarthy out of town last season. No one then could have predicted the Packers’ amazing success this season.
The point is that in an instant-gratification sports world, in which results are demanded right now, the McCarthy example should serve as an important lesson.
Time and patience are needed for anyone to prove himself. Snap judgments and knee-jerk reactions can lead to chaos. In the NFL, it applies to coaches, general managers and players.
The next time someone proclaims rookie first-round draft pick Justin Harrell a flop, kindly stick a sock in the windbag’s big mouth.
My position on Harrell this season is no different than it was on McCarthy a year ago. It’s too early to say whether Harrell will emerge as a solid player. He needs an honest chance to show his worth.
Just because Harrell hasn’t made a big splash as a rookie doesn’t mean he’s destined for the scrap pile. Give him some time before blasting Ted Thompson for supposedly wasting the Packers’ No. 16 overall draft pick last April.
Sadly, too many demand an immediate impact and are quick to dismiss a player or coach who doesn’t measure up to those unreasonable standards.
This is not to suggest results aren’t important. In a year or two, if Harrell is doing his best Jamal Reynolds imitation, the critics will have a legitimate beef. If the Packers suddenly take a nosedive under McCarthy in 2008 and 2009, there would be sound reasons to question his coaching prowess.
With the exception of Detroit Lions president Matt Millen, there are no free passes in the NFL. Players, coaches and front-office types shouldn’t be allowed to fail at their jobs year after year.
On the other hand, no one deserves a quick hook.
One of the loudmouth chatters a year ago told me: “We’re lucky you aren’t running the team. Nobody gives a head coach three years to implement his program. It’s all about progress, and right now the Packers are going backward.”
Well, he got one thing right, at least. The Packers are indeed lucky I’m not in charge. But at least I’m smart enough to know McCarthy needed time to show us what he could do.