Why Fire Coaches?

Here we are the the end of yet another long (too, long) professional Football season. As is customary these days, the end of the season is very quickly followed by the firing of at least a few head coaches. Today, the Cleveland Browns, NY Jets AND the Denver Broncos all canned their head coaches for the poor performances of their respective teams.

I don't know about you, but I'm sick of seeing professional sports coaches getting the axe for the performance of their players. Why is the fault always with the Head Coach?

True, to a large extent, the team follows the guidance of the head coach. Also true, the head coach is supposed to put together a coaching staff that will add more leadership and light more emotional fires under the feet of their players. The weekly team and coaching preparation must be thorough, and the play calling has to be spot on.

However, what everything comes down to is the actual efforts of the players.

THEY must be in the proper year-round physical condition; THEY must learn the plays; THEY must accept responsibility for all they do; THEY must execute the plays as designed; THEY must fulfill their assignments in every way; THEY must take the blame for a poorly executed game plan.

After all, aren't the players under contract to play for pay? Where is it written in any contract that once they have money, a player can miss a pass route; miss a crucial block; not make the passes; etc?

Aren't these PROFESSIONAL athletes we're talking about? Where is the professionalism when an entire team underperforms so much that the coach gets fired? Where is their integrity?

I would love for a whole team to stand up and tell sports fans that they just didn't get their jobs done. Their coaches are not to blame for the lack of execution on the field. "Heck, the coaches prepared great...WE blew it out there today."

But it'll never happen. Why? Because a coach is far more expendable than players under contract--and the players know it! I've never heard of a team firing its players, and we never will. There is too much money invested in the players. Sure, we'll see one or two jettisoned along the way, but we'll NEVER see players being fired from their teams en masse. Won't happen...Ever.

So, we arrive still at the same place--blaming coaches for the lack of positive results on the field. Remember, over-paid and under-performing players aren't to blame, just the head coach. After all, coaches are out there playing the games, running the wrong routes, missing the tackles, allowing defenses to sack the quarterback, not opening lanes for running backs, etc. Right?

But, when a team loses, I guess you gotta blame somebody. Might as well be the coach...even one that brought you a couple of Super Bowl wins.