Gruden, Martz’s genius overrated?
Editor’s Note: Below are excerpts from a questions and answers column called “Coach’s Corner.” Staff writer Josh Koehn and former Gavilan football coach Bob Garcia, father of Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jeff Garcia, will talk about all things football. A longer version of the discussion will be posted to the sports blog, GarlicSports.com.
Koehn: I heard. I heard you’re ready to go. I heard you’re all ready for the Inauguration, looking sharp.
Garcia: I couldn’t make it over there (to Washington), but I’m having a big party at my place.
K: Are you having a party?
G: No. (laughing)
K: Well, I know you’re a big Obama guy and you know I am, so we’re both excited for this.
G: I think it’s going to be great. I hope everything works out for him. … But anyhow, my Steelers are still rolling.
K: They are rolling and that was a tough, physical game. Guys were getting knocked out from the very first play.
G: Oh, I know it. I told you, those two teams show up, you better bring your boxing gloves because it’s just a big slugfest. They whacked each other, but there’s too many playmakers on Pittsburgh’s side. … And that defense, especially (Troy) Polamalu, that guy is amazing.
K: Yeah. He is a cut above everyone else on the field when he gets out there. And that Arizona game, wow, was that a great game?
G: You know, I was happy for (Kurt) Warner. I was unhappy for (Donovan) McNabb, who came out to Jeff’s fundraiser. What a neat guy. Jeff only played with him for a year (in Philadelphia), and not going on sentimental things, but I just thought at the time, the way Philly was playing on defense and all their weapons on offense, they would be able to overcome. But all of a sudden, Superman, Larry Fitzgerald — that guy should be outlawed. … The guy must take an invisible ladder when the ball is coming, because the way he can sky for the ball is unbelievable.
K: I think everyone is going to have the Steelers as the favorites, but the way Arizona is playing, I think they have a very good shot.
G: Well, that’s why they play the game. … I like to think Pittsburgh will take it.
K: We mentioned before that the (Super Bowl) is in Tampa, and the big news out of Tampa is (coach) Jon Gruden and (General manager) Bruce Allen are gone.
G: Well, how about that? You know what, I don’t want to throw oil on the fire, and you don’t necessarily want to shout with a lot of delight over a guy getting fired, but there were a lot of things going on with that team. I think Jon has gotta reevaluate his life as far as coaching: The way he treats individuals, the way the offense is totally him, no input from anybody else, even his assistant coaches. Maybe this will be a wakeup call. Maybe he’ll get another opportunity down the road and maybe he’ll realize the way he was doing things is not the way you do it — dealing with human beings. They’re not machines or robots, or whatever. You know I don’t want to get all ecstatic and whatever, but he had it coming.
That’s why that one time you called and told me (Mike) Shanahan had been fired (by Denver), that’s why I said, ‘You gotta be kidding. What about Gruden?’ If that was the case, that was a scenario where he was just as guilty as those other guys —
K: (Eric) Mangini would be a great comparison in the AFC because both of those teams, (Tampa Bay and New York), collapsed at the end of the season.
G: Right. … And you know that one guy, he’s supposed to be the guru of the NFL? Clayton?
K: The writer on ESPN? John Clayton?
G: Yeah, the older guy. He comes out (on TV) and the first words out of his mouth are, ‘I’m blindsided. Getting rid of an offensive genius …’ And I’m going, ‘You know, the next time somebody says that I’m going to reach through the TV and grab them by the damn neck. Put up the numbers you stupid experts. Where was Tampa Bay? Hell, they were at the bottom of the pile. What are you guys talking about?’
We couldn’t score in the red zone. All of a sudden you label somebody in the NFL, that label stays with them. It makes no difference, no matter what they do.
K: Yeah, it’s a big reputation thing. Look at Mike Martz. Mike Martz is considered a genius and he’s been fired from both of his last two jobs in the last two years.
G: That’s right. It’s dealing with people, people wanting to play and the emotional aspect of it. I don’t care what they say. They say it doesn’t mean anything, but guys still play for their coaches. That’s the way it is in sports. Hey, ‘Let’s do it for the coach.’ Even if you don’t say anything, you’re there because (the coach) is there. You want to show him that you can play. That you can do the job for him.
K: So do you think this increases the chances, decreases the chances or doesn’t change if Jeff is going to re-sign with Tampa Bay?
G: You know what, I really couldn’t tell you. I don’t know what the thought is behind this young guy (at coach) —
K: Yeah, Raheem Morris. … He’s six years younger than Jeff. Would that be strange for a guy like Jeff, being 38, playing for a coach six years younger than him?
G: Not really. If the guy comes in and he’s enthusiastic about it and surrounds himself with people who have knowledge, gets an offensive coordinator that could work with the quarterbacks. I don’t think that would make a really big impact. … I don’t know if Jeff’s going back. Who knows? Do they want him? Who knows?
I know that there was, with Gruden, even though he didn’t approach (Jeff) himself, there was some interest in him coming back. I’m not even going to get into that because last time I said some things and I got my butt chewed out and I got demoted to second team. So, I want to play. I want to be a player. I don’t want to be sitting on the bench.
K: Haha. We don’t want you on the sidelines either.
