New York Magazine offers a very timely question: "How Did Tom Coughlin Become the Toast of the NFL," when, just two years ago, he might as well have been wearing a nametag saying "Hi, My Name is Toast?"
New York does some pondering, and comes to the very reasonable conclusion that NFL coaches--and coaches in general--don't actually DO much. Sure, some coaches are "better" than others. If I were a football player, I'd much rather be coached by Tom Coughlin then, oh, I don't know, Rod "0-16, Coming Right Up!" Marinelli.
But as the article points out, "the difference between the best coach and the fifth best is so thin as to not exist." The best coach is whoever the sports media says is the best coach. Right now, Jeff Fisher is THE BEST COACH IN THE NFL. Doc Rivers is A GENIUS AMONG NBA COACHES. Urban Meyer is THE GREATEST THING TO HAPPEN TO COLLEGE FOOTBALL SINCE THE FORWARD PASS.
And next year that's all going to change. For all we know, next year Doc Rivers might be begging for change in front of TD Banknorth Garden with a sign saying "Will coach for money and/or hard drugs." In sports, 90% of success and failure comes from the players. People like Tom Coughlin should be happy to be along for the ride.
As always, my opinions are 100% grounded in fact, and are in no way complete crap that I made up just now.
Link, by the way, comes from the wonderful blog of Dr. Craig Newmark.
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