MURDER, POLITICS, AND THE END OF THE JAZZ AGE
by Michael Wolraich
It astounds me, but my 'Please Fire Linehan' post from two weeks ago is still getting the most traffic on my blog. It seems people care a lot more about a crappy football coach on a crappy football team than the potential collapse of the stock market and U.S. economy ... Seems about right to me!
Since people are so interested, I figured I'd milk the topic with another post. So, here it goes: My prediction is that Coach Scott Linehan either resigns or is fired this week. *(See revised note/prediction below)*
For the third straight Sunday, the St. Louis Rams were totally embarrassed, with division rival Seattle Seahawks doing the damage this time (final score: 37-13). Coaching changes mid-season don't happen often, and my prediction is fueled more by wishful thinking than actual conviction, but I just can't see how the relatively new ownership (they inherited the team from their mother) can allow this travesty to continue.
Before this latest debacle, the Rams had let up a per-game average of 40 points and scored 8 points. They've gained 184 yards per game while letting up 482 yards on defense (this week was virtually the same story). They have highly touted coordinators on both sides of the ball - Jim Haslett on defense and Al Saunders on offense - but I seriously believe the team would lose to many Top 25 Division 1 college teams.
Some of my St. Louis friends and family want Linehan to stay because they think this year is a lost cause and that his atrocious coaching will provide the most likely path to the No. 1 pick in next year's NFL Draft. But I could care less whether we get the no. 1 or no. 3 or no. 5 pick; One player alone is not going to make a difference, and our draft picks have been awful anyway.
I just want to be able to watch watchable football again ... and that's just not gonna happen with Linehan at the helm.
*[Updated note (9/22): I forgot this next Sunday is the last game for the Rams before their bye week (against the 3-0 Bills, gulp). If any changes are going to be made mid-season, that would be the most likely week to do them. So this is my new prediction: Linehan gets one more game, and then the bye week becomes the bye-bye week as the coach either resigns or is fired.)