Statick Posted December 12, 2007 Share Posted December 12, 2007 Blank should go get CowherBy Mark Bradley | Tuesday, December 11, 2007, 09:13 PM The Atlanta Journal-ConstitutionArthur Blank seemed in an awfully good mood for someone who d spent Monday night talking about his imprisoned quarterback and watching his team lose its 10th game. He was kidding the AJC s Steve Wyche about the writer s shirt-and-tie ensemble It s beginning to grow on me, Blank said and he d just seen the guy he d identified as his team s CEO hold an angered and aborted media briefing. And then the rich man walked with his wife and his security chief toward the Georgia Dome s exit, surely believing the worst had passed.Eighteen hours later, the CEO cut and ran.Eighteen hours later, the worst got worse.The franchise quarterback is in prison. The coach/CEO is bound for Arkansas. Once again, the rich man has been caught unawares by the true nature of one of his employees. Once again, the long-suffering Falcons are left to wonder if anything will ever go their way again.What makes coach Bobby Petrino s exit even more galling is that Blank had come to trust him. If the owner ever referred to Jim Mora as the CEO, I missed it. Indeed, Blank in conversation almost always paired Mora with Rich McKay, and speaking with writers before Monday s game Blank mentioned the GM only when asked about the details of Vick s contract. In Blank s eyes, Petrino had become the man with vision, the man with the plan. (I should confess that I also held Petrino in high esteem and am stunned that he took a hike.)The CEO takes a salary cut to become a Hog. What does that tell us about the state of the Falcons?It might be funny if it weren t so sad. Say what you will about Blank, but he has poured body and soul into this franchise, and today he looks like just another rich guy with more money than sense. I wouldn t blame him if he sold the team to the lowest bidder would the last man in Flowery Branch turn out the lights? but I believe he s in it for the long haul. Alas, the haul keeps getting longer.For the second time in 11-1/2 months, the Falcons need a coach. At this late date, they should try anything and everything. They could round up the usual suspects, Steve Mariucci chief among them. Or they could try to lure Jimmy Johnson away from Fox. Or they could pursue Rick Neuheisel, the wild card in Georgia Tech s search. Or they could do what makes the most sense: They could hire Bill Cowher.Question is, would Cowher, having worked for one of the best organizations in Pittsburgh, want anything to do with the franchise now seen as the absolute worst? That s where Blank would have to be brave. He d have to spend big, sure, but he d also have to be willing to let his coach become the focal point. He seemed to be moving toward that with Petrino, who didn t stick around long enough for anything to take hold.The Falcons are no longer Vick s team and they never quite were Petrino s, and the Blank Method coddling and cajoling and empowering has stopped working. No, the owner didn t make Vick develop a thirst for dogfights or make Petrino turn tail, but it s the owner who must clean up after them. Blank spoke Monday of the need to move forward, and 18 hours later his coach moved out.The next coach needs to be made of stronger stuff. The next coach needs to be tough enough to ride out the losses and bend the organization to his will. The next coach needs to come equipped with an ego and a persona as outsized as the owner s. Half-measures won t rescue a franchise that has become a full-blown mess.Petrino was a bold choice that didn t work out. Having hit what surely must be bottom, there s no cause to get timid now. Go bigger. Get bolder. Get Bill Cowher. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott24falcs Posted December 12, 2007 Share Posted December 12, 2007 Good article. Blank needs to go after Cowher at all costs. Let him write his own check. Cowher is a proven winner, and is respected around the league. Even though he is a no nonsense kind of guy, the players would like to play for him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Statick Posted December 12, 2007 Author Share Posted December 12, 2007 bump Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dozer Posted December 12, 2007 Share Posted December 12, 2007 I'm a lifelong Falcons fan but honestly Blank could not write a check big enough to get Cowher (Parcells, Jimmy Johnson or Schottenheimer) to be our HC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falconstat2dfreak Posted December 12, 2007 Share Posted December 12, 2007 nice read i could not agree more no more fly by night bozos time for us to make an impact now. get bill cowher in here now and stop this ugly downward spiral nonsense already Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GEORGIAfan Posted December 12, 2007 Share Posted December 12, 2007 How many years has Cowher been the HC of Pitt? how many superbowls does he have in that time?? Yea SAY NO TO COWHER!!!! GO WITH ZIMMER AND HUE JACKSON!!!. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rev_Hal Posted December 12, 2007 Share Posted December 12, 2007 There is no human on the planet that could energize the fan base as much as Cowher. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_k Posted December 12, 2007 Share Posted December 12, 2007 rev_hal (12/11/2007)There is no human on the planet that could energize the fan base as much as Cowher.I bet Jimmy Johnson could. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marvinthemartian Posted December 12, 2007 Share Posted December 12, 2007 Give Cowher part ownership of the team and make him a financial offer he cannot refuse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghoticov Posted December 12, 2007 Share Posted December 12, 2007 There is no doubt that Cowher would be an incredible hire.The problem is that Cowher actually would have to WANT to come here. And with the state of this team, why would he? Why on earth would he subject himself to it?He won't, period. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peyton Posted December 12, 2007 Share Posted December 12, 2007 Bill Cowher can flat out coach. He was the only constant in Pittsburgh. They changed coordinators, they changed quarterbacks, they let every high priced player go.But Cowher was there, and they just kept winning.I think he'll take the job if Arthur shows him some serious love. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rev_Hal Posted December 12, 2007 Share Posted December 12, 2007 ghoticov (12/11/2007)There is no doubt that Cowher would be an incredible hire.The problem is that Cowher actually would have to WANT to come here. And with the state of this team, why would he? Why on earth would he subject himself to it?He won't, period.I bet he would for the right financial package and power in the organization. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott24falcs Posted December 12, 2007 Share Posted December 12, 2007 ghoticov (12/11/2007)There is no doubt that Cowher would be an incredible hire.The problem is that Cowher actually would have to WANT to come here. And with the state of this team, why would he? Why on earth would he subject himself to it?He won't, period.Stop putting your opinion forward as if it were a fact. No one knows if Cowher would be interested or not, but to flat out say he wouldn't is ridiculous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDaveG Posted December 12, 2007 Share Posted December 12, 2007 rev_hal (12/11/2007)There is no human on the planet that could energize the fan base as much as Cowher.Agreed, and there is no one -- NO ONE -- coming out of this draft who will come close. McFadden is about as close a chance as we have, and he can't energize this city by himself.Cowher is the right hire, if he'll take the job. He will get the fans back behind the team because they will believe in him. He's been there, and he's done that, year in and year out. He will be the face of the franchise, and the coach SHOULD be the face of the franchise.And this franchise badly needs a face. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peyton Posted December 12, 2007 Share Posted December 12, 2007 People keep talking about the "state of the team" making this an undesirable job for Cowher.That doesn't make any sense to me. The head coach is largely responsible for determining the "state of the team." Hire Bill Cowher and the "state of the team" changes in an instant.There is young talent here, and the Falcons are going to get a lot more of it in the draft. It's not a bad job to pursue, despite this unfortunate season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Da_Truth Posted December 12, 2007 Share Posted December 12, 2007 Mark Bradley needs to stick to writing articles and leave coaching recommendations to those qualified to evaluate HCs. Then again, he's probably more qualified than the idiot we have as GM making these personnel decisions. Bill Cowher is NOT the answer and we do not have another 10 plus years to wait for him to win another Superbowl. No thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghoticov Posted December 12, 2007 Share Posted December 12, 2007 rev_hal (12/11/2007)ghoticov (12/11/2007)There is no doubt that Cowher would be an incredible hire.The problem is that Cowher actually would have to WANT to come here. And with the state of this team, why would he? Why on earth would he subject himself to it?He won't, period.I bet he would for the right financial package and power in the organization.Well, that is your opinion. I disagree.Cowher has stated he wanted to let his daughter finish school. I do not think he would uproot the family to come to an organization in chaos.I would LOVE it, but I do not think it has a remote chance to happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rock Posted December 12, 2007 Share Posted December 12, 2007 Could we...falcons fans...be that lucky????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrews_31 Posted December 12, 2007 Share Posted December 12, 2007 Please, please O Lord make it happen!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suppo81 Posted December 12, 2007 Share Posted December 12, 2007 If you want Cowher, you have to fire McKay. The two can't coincide. Not to mention, i think Cowher's heading to Carolina after this season, anyways. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cooter Posted December 12, 2007 Share Posted December 12, 2007 Yeah, I would love to see us get Cowher. We've got to stop gambling on unproven coaches. Petrino never proved that he could coach a team to win in the NFL. Mora only showed that he could blow his stack as good as his old man. We need a coach with NFL experience. Hopefully, someone out there will emerge to lead this team from the depths that it has sunk into. We need help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockNCFalcon Posted December 12, 2007 Share Posted December 12, 2007 Cowher should be our priority. He is the best out there. If we could sign him I think players would want to come to Atlanta to play for him and the fans would support him. If he is not interested, I say we go after Jason Garrett. He has a great offensive mind and it looks like he will be gaining some great experience deep in the playoffs this year. I also think it is imperative that we keep Zimmer as DC. I think he is doing a fine job and will continue to improve our defense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smashmouth Posted December 12, 2007 Share Posted December 12, 2007 NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, CowherIt took him 15yrs and a lot of referee controversy just to Steal one Superbowl. I say go with a fresh start altogether. Not some retread from another franchise. Trust me, Cowher wouldn't be a good fit here, at all !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smashmouth Posted December 12, 2007 Share Posted December 12, 2007 Mike Singletary is the best fit and wise choice no matter what you think..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Ruckus Posted December 12, 2007 Share Posted December 12, 2007 Smashmouth (12/11/2007)Mike Singletary is the best fit and wise choice no matter what you think..... I rather have Cower a coach with the football intelligence equivilant to an Albert Enstein than a racoon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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