15 responses so far ↓

• Dave // Jan 23, 2008 at 10:49 pm

  

  Another no-name, assistant loser. Damn!! Spend the money, get a name!

• Harry // Jan 23, 2008 at 11:06 pm

  

  There are no names who want to take on Blank.

• Carpe Forem // Jan 23, 2008 at 11:11 pm

  

  I wish this subject was brought up before so we could have made some suggestions (since I’m sure Authur reads the PPundit daily). I thought University of Washington’s Head Coach Tyrone Willingham would have been a nice fit.

• Bill Simon // Jan 23, 2008 at 11:42 pm

  

  When will Mike Smith be sworn-in as head coach?

• Obis_Sister // Jan 24, 2008 at 8:47 am

  

  Harry is right. Blank is the biggest problem to overcome. Before moving north, I would suggest Smith nip a few short courses in how to handle a micro-managing boss. Yeah, yeah, I know he bought the franchise and he can run however he likes. But the truth is, he’s ruining it. He needs to step away and let everyone do the jobs they were hired to do.

  I will add Mike Smith to the prayer list. He will need it.

• LoyaltyIsMyHonor // Jan 24, 2008 at 9:41 am

  

  That’s ahead scratcher. Jax has a very physical defense; but it’s also known for its lack of imagination. Rarely did the scheme change from week to week, nor did they blitz much. I wonder why the Falcons passed on Rex Ryan?

• Jmac // Jan 24, 2008 at 9:44 am

  

  The other problem is that Jack Del Rio was the one who really ran that defense, not Smith. And even the Jaguars’ players are openly saying that right now.

  They should have been patient enough to wait for the Giants’ defensive coordinator to come available.

• Jace Walden // Jan 24, 2008 at 9:49 am

  

  The Falcons are the most poorly-run franchise in professional sports. I feel sorry for this guy for walking into this trainwreck. Hopefully his 10-million dollar payday will help heal the pain.

• Jace Walden // Jan 24, 2008 at 9:50 am

  

  And before anyone jumps on me and says that “X Franchise” or “Y Franchise” is worse than the Atlanta Falcons:

  The Falcons have NEVER had back-to-back winning seasons. Never.

  X Franchise and Y Franchise have.

• ToddH // Jan 24, 2008 at 9:51 am

  

  Jmac,

  The only Jag player I’ve heard state that was a former player, Marcellus Wiley. Leftwich and current players Marcus Stroud and Paul Spicer say different. They say Smith ran the defense, called the plays and that the Falcons made an excellent choice. I think I’ll take their word over a new ESPN “analyst” trying to make a name for himself.

• Icarus // Jan 24, 2008 at 10:00 am

  

  “But the truth is, he’s ruining it.”

  Could you explain for me the part of the storied history of Falcons accomplishment that Arthur Blank has ruined?

  In Home Depot language, the man clearly knew he bought a fixer upper. He just hired the wrong contractors to do the job the first time.

• LoyaltyIsMyHonor // Jan 24, 2008 at 11:09 am

  

  The Cardinals have won only one playoff game since 1947. That’s pretty sad.

  I’ll take the playoffs here and there over back to back winning seasons anytime. A 9 and 7 record 2 years in a row isn’t really much of an accomplishment…smells more like…..mediocrity.

  Icarus is right, what great Falnons’ tradition has Blank ruined? People forget that the Falcons made it to the NFC Championship Game just 3 years ago.

• Jace Walden // Jan 24, 2008 at 11:15 am

  

  LoyaltyisMyHonor,

  Back to back anything is a sign of consistency. They’ve had plenty of back-to-back losing seasons, but no back-to-back winning seasons. It’s pretty easy to say that they’ve been consistently bad.

  I’d rather have a team that is consistenly mediocre than a team that is consistenly bad.

  Or, I could just keep rooting for my team

• LoyaltyIsMyHonor // Jan 24, 2008 at 12:08 pm

  

  Jace, Cool, I didn’t realize you are a Pats fan too! Good times, but let us not forget the late 80s/early 90s.

• Icarus // Jan 24, 2008 at 12:13 pm

  

  Now the AJC is reporting that the Falcons are negotiating to make Brian Van Gorder the DC?

  WTF?

  http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/falcons/stories/2008/01/24/falconsburst_0124.html?cxntlid=homepage_tab_newstab

  Since leaving Georgia after a relatively stable four-year run, VanGorder reinvented himself annually. He left after the 2004 season to coach linebackers with the Jacksonville Jaguars, under Smith, thinking it was time to take the professional track. He left there in ‘06 to be the head coach at Georgia Southern. After one unsuccessful season back in college, he jumped from Statesboro to the Falcons’ assistant job.

  “I’ll enjoy all the things about college football that I always have and I won’t look back at the NFL,” VanGorder said in December. “That’s something I’ve put behind. I’m ready to finish my career as a college football coach.”