The “coaching carousel” in the NFL has become a spectacle in and of itself, with the facade of a legitimate coaching search often being a front for outright nepotism. Other franchises operate with a revolving door when it comes to filling one of the most coveted positions in all of sports. Where does this leave the team, its fan base, and the league’s image as a whole? In a tough position, poised to destroy the illusion of parity it so desperately seeks to feed to its paying customers. Bizarre coaching moves are rampant this time of year and most if not all of them will have long lasting effects on the landscape of the National Football League. Franchises fall prey to becoming perennial losers and as long as the front office blunders continue nothing is likely to change.
It is no coincidence that organizations that either select coaches based on personal relationships rather than merit, or who rush the play caller out the door before they are able to put their own imprint on the team tend to struggle for long periods of time. The Cleveland Browns are the model for the latter approach, having hired 6 head coaches in the last 8 seasons. It’s no wonder they have gone just 34-134 during that stretch. Meanwhile the combo of Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft has collected 5 Super Bowls in 17 seasons. Stability on the sideline is paramount when it comes to building a successful on field product. And without it the team and its supporters will only suffer. You cannot expect your franchise to stop being laughing stock if you can’t even input stable leader. Consistency is key when rebuilding a franchise or keeping a successful one relevant.
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The Dallas Cowboys at the current moment are victims of the former, way of thinking. Jerry Jones hired Jason Garrett for mainly no other reason than he likes the guy, and he has been around the franchise since its dynasty days in the 90’s. Garrett reminds the oil billionaire of before his franchise became the accident waiting to happen. But this has not translated to success between the white lines. “America’s Team” and I use the term loosely has just one playoff victory in Garrett’s 7-year tenure. Making Jones choosing of the career back up to lead his franchise questionable to say the least.
The paying customers and the league’s image pay the biggest price for the chronic front office ineptitude that plagues the NFL. Tickets prices have steadily increased over the years while some teams on field success has been stagnant, it is now common place to be fleeced at the ticket booth concession stand only to see your team wallow in mediocrity because of a terrible coaching hire. The fans are tired of supporting teams that seem to have no interest in being competitive.
The league as a whole is made to look incompetent and disdain for self-serving owners who either refuse to do the right thing by their loyal patrons or can’t get out of their own way. Bad coaching moves do nothing but bolster the complaint that the league works for the owners and the owners could care less about the consumer. The monotony of these moves and the subpar product they produce has become too much for some viewers and in turn has cause them to take their business elsewhere. Attendance in certain stadiums is laughable with seas of open seats. Most of us want off this ride as it has lost its luster and the nausea has reached an apex.