| Why Knee-Jerk Reactions Won't Help Your Team Win | ||||
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Back in the 1989, just four games into the NFL season, someone got a severe case of the knee-jerks. His name was Jimmy Johnson, and he was the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. Not satisfied with the product being put on the field, Johnson came up with an idea on his morning jog; a blockbuster trade at midseason. He felt this was the only way to ever get the Cowboys out of their current rut. After considering trading Michael Irvin, only to have none other than Al Davis convince him otherwise, Johnson decided the perfect trade bait was Herschel Walker. The Minnesota Vikings obliged, and in one of the most lopsided trades in history (resulting from a knee-jerk reaction), the dynasty that was the Dallas Cowboys of the 1990’s was born, resulting in players such as Emmitt Smith, Darren Woodson, and Russell Maryland (with Smith already being a sure-fire Hall of Fame running back and the NFL’s all-time leading rusher). It went to prove that a case of the knee-jerks can save your franchise… back then. Knee-Jerk moves in modern day sports are sure to bury your team for the foreseeable future. In an era of salary caps and luxury tax lines, if you pull the trigger on a big move on a whim, you’re sure to regret it later. As an example, look no further than the Detroit Pistons. After the 2007-2008 NBA season, the Pistons played their way to the Eastern Conference Finals for the sixth straight season. They fell to the Boston Celtics; a Celtics team that was stacked to win with players such as Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Rajon Rondo, and James Posey. Despite another solid showing in the postseason, Pistons general manager Joe Dumars promptly decided it was time to shake things up. He fired head coach Flip Saunders after only his 2nd season on the job. In his place, he hired a young coach and former NBA player (who had played for the Pistons as recently as the 2002-2003 season) named Michael Curry. During the beginning of this past NBA season, Dumars felt the team was too old to compete any longer, and opted to trade star point guard Chauncey Billups to the Denver Nuggets. The main piece in return was Allen Iverson. By doing this, Dumars interrupted a core of players that had been playing together with success over the course of many seasons. The Pistons posted a 39-43 record, barely making the postseason, only to be ousted by a LeBron James led Cleveland Cavaliers. So, further in response to the mess he has created, Dumars also fired Michael Curry. The immediate reaction for the Pistons was to look no further than former Dallas Mavericks head coach and current ESPN analyst Avery Johnson. Johnson seemed to have all the tools necessary to help pick a struggling team back up off the ground. The problem is that due to Dumars promptly firing the two previous coaches while they were still under contract, Dumars was unable to commit to a long-term deal with Johnson, and only offered a maximum of two years. Johnson said in a SportsCenter interview, "I looked at it, I was interested in it, but I was only interested in it if we could agree on a vision for the team going forward." Dumars had to turn to plan B and is now planning to hire a Cleveland Cavaliers assistant coach, John Kuester. Now, whether Kuester ends up being a solid coaching option or not remains to be seen, but really isn’t the point. The point is, Dumars committed to a knee-jerk decision based on the emotions left from two seasons of what was seen as failure due to not winning a championship, and because of that decision is now unable to take someone who is widely considered to be a top option for a head coach.
Still missing my drift? Ask any Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan how they feel about the upcoming season. Many will do one of two things: they’ll throw you on the ground and kick you, or just roll their eyes in disgust and walk off as if you just kicked their dog. Why? After last season’s disappointment of barely missing the postseason, mass restructuring took place was deemed necessary. Head coach Jon Gruden was fired, Derrick Brooks was released, and other losses included Cato June and Joey Galloway. The Buccaneers also drafted quarterback Josh Freeman out of Kansas State, who is commonly seen as very raw talent with a lot to prove. Many analysts and other teams believe Freeman would have still been on the board late in the first round, but the Bucs promptly traded up two spots to snatch him up. It is knee-jerks decisions like these that may have Bucs fans burning their jerseys by season’s end.
As a fan, it’s always nice to play “armchair quarterback” and be the fantasy general manger, but the fact is, and I’ve said it before, most fans lack a certain perspective. You have to put yourself in the correct mindset, sit back, relax, and go with the odds to be sure the correct decision is made. It is a formula almost all executives practice, and one that all should most definitely employ. After all, in today’s dog-eat-dog world, you can’t afford to make a mistake and throw away money and/or talent.
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| Last Updated ( Wednesday, 08 July 2009 13:03 ) |
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