The Childress Extension

The Vikings have signed an extension to keep Brad Childress as our head coach through the 2013 season.  That’s good, I suppose.  My feelings about him are probably at an all time high right now, with let’s say an approval rating of around 75%, but previous to this year I would have mainly only had negative things to say, with an approval rating of about 20%.

Here is one thing that I have a hard time dealing with.  Why can’t the coach of an NFL team be held accountable to the job he’s doing in the same way any other position on the team is?  If an assistant coach has an unbelievable season, and impresses with his coaching ability to the point that most believe he would be better than the current head coach, why couldn’t the owner simply slide that coach into the “starting” role, and move the previous head coach into a smaller role or off the team?  Why is that not an option???

I’m really just pondering this because I wish Mike Tomlin was our head coach.  Tomlin, who was our defensive coordinator in 2006, guided us to having the eighth best defense in the league that season and our first season as the league’s best rush defense.  The following season he was hired by the Pittsburg Steelers and has since coached them to a 10-6 record and a playoff berth, followed by a 12-4 record and a Super Bowl victory last season.  He has proven he has a gift for coaching, but besides that, he looks about ten times more cool than Childress and having him as our coach would instill feelings of pride when our coach is shown on TV as opposed to feelings of semi-embarrassment.  Look at the pictures of these two.  Is there really any question which one you would rather see on the sideline guiding your team?

 

 

But Childress is who we have, so we must attempt to support him.  We will focus on the positives.  After his first season, in which we went 6-10, we have improved each season.  We went 8-8 in 2007 and 10-6 last year, making the playoffs for the first time under Childress.

He has done a wonderful job of drafting. 

In 2007 we drafted Adrian Peterson, Sidney Rice, and Brian Robison.

In 2008 we drafted Tyrell Johnson, John Sullivan, and Jaymar Johnson

In 2009 we drafted Percy Harvin and Phil Loadholt.

In three years, we drafted six consistent starters, two significant role players, one superstar (AP), one budding superstar (Harvin), and one “player who isn’t a star but is capable of making a huge impact” (Rice).

As long as Childress keeps drafting top notch talent, and as long as we keep winning at least two more games every year, and as long as he never, and I mean NEVER, goes back to his mustache, than I guess he’s ok with me.  (There isn't a person out there who would trust a child with the man in that picture.) 

Also, here’s an interesting article on Percy Harvin.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?page=hotread10/Percy%20Harvin