Interesting Article

[FalFan1]

Link

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?.../SPJS13SRU5.DTL

[helmsman]

This is your first post here, but friend, we are WAY to lazy to click on a link to a thread and go read it somewhere else in cyber space. FYI, these people want the link for background checking, but the article on the post... Its a crazy age we live in.. WHERE DA POST AT!!!

[mcwheesus]

Falcons show how rebuilding should be done

Nancy Gay

Monday, November 3, 2008

(11-02) 20:11 PST -- The blueprint for NFL renewal was on display Sunday at the Coliseum. The rookie head coach, the rookie quarterback, the free-agent running back brimming with talent and character. The contagious team-first attitude that motivates older and younger players alike.

By now, we know none of this will be found on the Oakland sideline.

For the Atlanta Falcons (5-3), it has become a simple, durable foundation - a well-conceived process of planning and execution that has lifted the franchise from ruin to rebirth. And it sure did a number on the Raiders, who haven't resembled a professional football operation in years.

The Falcons dominated from the opening snap in a 24-0 rout at what should be the last sellout crowd in Oakland. Seriously - who can believe in Al Davis' sorry franchise anymore?

By halftime, after the Raiders (2-6) had surrendered 309 yards of total offense and "gained" minus-2 yards, after they had allowed Atlanta to amass 20 first downs and run 48 offensive plays, the empty Coliseum seats multiplied, as did the boos and the agony.

All that gaudy Oakland free-agent money on the field, wasted on players who mentally just don't get it.

All that time lost with quarterback JaMarcus Russell during his six-month contract impasse last year. Completely squandered. How has Russell progressed? He had a passer rating of 19.0 Sunday.

All these head coaches, five now in six seasons. Tom Cable, the latest, will be gone by Dec. 29. Who would want to coach here now?

What is the fundamental difference between the Raiders, who still believe they are the team of the decades, and the Falcons, who had their franchise quarterback imprisoned last season for dogfighting and their head coach bail for a college program with three games remaining in his first season?

In Atlanta, where the NFL team finished 4-12 in 2007 - just like the Raiders - no one was afraid to use the word "rebuilding."

"I know you need stability, which we haven't had," Falcons owner Arthur Blank said Sunday, explaining in the simplest terms how his organization retooled from the ground up. "You need it with a coaching staff, you need it with a general manager.

"And you need to be committed to a process that's going to take some time."

Like the Raiders, the Falcons had recycled too many head coaches in recent years - three since 2004. But the awful legacy of Michael Vick and Bobby Petrino has been nearly erased because Blank recognized he had to completely reorganize his football operation.

-- He hired general manager Thomas Dimitroff from the Robert Kraft/Scott Pioli/Bill Belichick school of success and efficiency in New England, and gave the man free rein on everything from coaching hires to free-agent and draft decisions.

-- Dimitroff hired an NFL assistant with 26 years of experience - Mike Smith, the Jaguars' former defensive coordinator, and told him they were in for the long haul. Smith, in turn, used his contacts to bring in quality assistants such as offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey.

-- The Falcons drafted a smart quarterback from a winning program, Boston College's Matt Ryan, third overall. They signed a productive free-agent tailback, Michael Turner from the Chargers, to give the young quarterback a fighting chance.

"Our thought has always been to manage the expectations publicly, and then systematically set goals internally. We never talked about the amount of 'W's' in the win column," Dimitroff said.

"It's always been really simple - about having people step on the field, playing 60 minutes, putting themselves on the line to play as hard as they can and be competitive. That's really all we talked about - not dominating and winning games. It was just about competitive football and being proud of what you've done."

Dimitroff knew he had to bring in people and players "who were OK with a redevelopment plan for this team. People who could deal with the hard knocks of rebuilding."

Could you ever imagine Davis saying this?

Less than a month after the draft, Blank and Dimitroff signed Ryan to a six-year, $72 million contract. They wanted the rookie quarterback to take every snap in organized team activities and training camp.

It's that type of preparation and training, along with the firm but encouraging hand of Smith and the support of Blank and Dimitroff, that saw Ryan run no-huddle in seven of the Falcons' first 10 plays from scrimmage Sunday, leading to the quarterback's 37-yard scoring pass to Michael Jenkins.

Ryan led Atlanta to touchdowns on the Falcons' first three drives, and a field goal on their fourth possession.

"The plan was to have Matt learn this offense from the beginning," Smith said, "and he's done a terrific job. His progress is just outstanding."

This, folks, is how it's done.

There is nothing shameful about rebuilding in professional sports. Inside the Raiders' building, the word is not spoken.

At Falcons headquarters, they not only accepted the concept but embraced it. Now they are basking in the truly rewarding results.

"I know it sounds like a cliche," Dimitroff said, "but we would rather have people here who believe in that concept, the concept of team, than some sort of sexy, all-star group of athletes and individuals."

Said Blank: "In my wildest dreams, I probably could have imagined this. But we certainly didn't count on it. I have to give full credit to Thomas Dimitroff and coach Smith and really, our whole staff. They did a fabulous job in free agency, in the draft and the players have really responded. They truly believe in what we're doing."

[helmsman]

Good read though =)

[FalFan1]

Sorry about that, first time posting. Here is article.

___________________________

11-02) 20:11 PST -- The blueprint for NFL renewal was on display Sunday at the Coliseum. The rookie head coach, the rookie quarterback, the free-agent running back brimming with talent and character. The contagious team-first attitude that motivates older and younger players alike.

By now, we know none of this will be found on the Oakland sideline.

For the Atlanta Falcons (5-3), it has become a simple, durable foundation - a well-conceived process of planning and execution that has lifted the franchise from ruin to rebirth. And it sure did a number on the Raiders, who haven't resembled a professional football operation in years.

The Falcons dominated from the opening snap in a 24-0 rout at what should be the last sellout crowd in Oakland. Seriously - who can believe in Al Davis' sorry franchise anymore?

By halftime, after the Raiders (2-6) had surrendered 309 yards of total offense and "gained" minus-2 yards, after they had allowed Atlanta to amass 20 first downs and run 48 offensive plays, the empty Coliseum seats multiplied, as did the boos and the agony.

All that gaudy Oakland free-agent money on the field, wasted on players who mentally just don't get it.

All that time lost with quarterback JaMarcus Russell during his six-month contract impasse last year. Completely squandered. How has Russell progressed? He had a passer rating of 19.0 Sunday.

All these head coaches, five now in six seasons. Tom Cable, the latest, will be gone by Dec. 29. Who would want to coach here now?

What is the fundamental difference between the Raiders, who still believe they are the team of the decades, and the Falcons, who had their franchise quarterback imprisoned last season for dogfighting and their head coach bail for a college program with three games remaining in his first season?

In Atlanta, where the NFL team finished 4-12 in 2007 - just like the Raiders - no one was afraid to use the word "rebuilding."

"I know you need stability, which we haven't had," Falcons owner Arthur Blank said Sunday, explaining in the simplest terms how his organization retooled from the ground up. "You need it with a coaching staff, you need it with a general manager.

"And you need to be committed to a process that's going to take some time."

Like the Raiders, the Falcons had recycled too many head coaches in recent years - three since 2004. But the awful legacy of Michael Vick and Bobby Petrino has been nearly erased because Blank recognized he had to completely reorganize his football operation.

-- He hired general manager Thomas Dimitroff from the Robert Kraft/Scott Pioli/Bill Belichick school of success and efficiency in New England, and gave the man free rein on everything from coaching hires to free-agent and draft decisions.

-- Dimitroff hired an NFL assistant with 26 years of experience - Mike Smith, the Jaguars' former defensive coordinator, and told him they were in for the long haul. Smith, in turn, used his contacts to bring in quality assistants such as offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey.

-- The Falcons drafted a smart quarterback from a winning program, Boston College's Matt Ryan, third overall. They signed a productive free-agent tailback, Michael Turner from the Chargers, to give the young quarterback a fighting chance.

"Our thought has always been to manage the expectations publicly, and then systematically set goals internally. We never talked about the amount of 'W's' in the win column," Dimitroff said.

"It's always been really simple - about having people step on the field, playing 60 minutes, putting themselves on the line to play as hard as they can and be competitive. That's really all we talked about - not dominating and winning games. It was just about competitive football and being proud of what you've done."

Dimitroff knew he had to bring in people and players "who were OK with a redevelopment plan for this team. People who could deal with the hard knocks of rebuilding."

Could you ever imagine Davis saying this?

Less than a month after the draft, Blank and Dimitroff signed Ryan to a six-year, $72 million contract. They wanted the rookie quarterback to take every snap in organized team activities and training camp.

It's that type of preparation and training, along with the firm but encouraging hand of Smith and the support of Blank and Dimitroff, that saw Ryan run no-huddle in seven of the Falcons' first 10 plays from scrimmage Sunday, leading to the quarterback's 37-yard scoring pass to Michael Jenkins.

Ryan led Atlanta to touchdowns on the Falcons' first three drives, and a field goal on their fourth possession.

"The plan was to have Matt learn this offense from the beginning," Smith said, "and he's done a terrific job. His progress is just outstanding."

This, folks, is how it's done.

There is nothing shameful about rebuilding in professional sports. Inside the Raiders' building, the word is not spoken.

At Falcons headquarters, they not only accepted the concept but embraced it. Now they are basking in the truly rewarding results.

"I know it sounds like a cliche," Dimitroff said, "but we would rather have people here who believe in that concept, the concept of team, than some sort of sexy, all-star group of athletes and individuals."

Said Blank: "In my wildest dreams, I probably could have imagined this. But we certainly didn't count on it. I have to give full credit to Thomas Dimitroff and coach Smith and really, our whole staff. They did a fabulous job in free agency, in the draft and the players have really responded. They truly believe in what we're doing."

E-mail Nancy Gay at ngay@sfchronicle.com.

[Karst41]

Wow thanks for posting the Link.

A very good read!

[bozoatl]

I didn't click the link, cause I thought it was going to be a story about Mike Singletary's hiney.

[Atlsport]

Her name is Gay and she's from SF. Hmmm

:blink:

[FalconFanForLife]

Yes I thought several times myself during the game that we were witnessing the opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of 2 organizations trying to turn their football teams around. I kept thinking the Raiders looked like some of the old Falcon teams we used to have in our bad years where everything looked sloppy, and the breaks never seemed to go your way.

I still cannot believe we have put together the pieces of a team this good so fast in our rebuilding project. We are WAY ahead of schedule thanks to some very crafty work by Thomas Dimitroff and Company.

[FalconsDynasty]

Good post! And I wasn't too lazy to click the link LOL

[edZep]

I didn't click the link, cause I thought it was going to be a story about Mike Singletary's hiney.

Singletary should be real popular in San Fran now !

[bleedblackandred]

Excellent Post. Thanks for posting the article...

[michaelgee]

This is your first post here, but friend, we are WAY to lazy to click on a link to a thread and go read it somewhere else in cyber space. FYI, these people want the link for background checking, but the article on the post... Its a crazy age we live in.. WHERE DA POST AT!!!

dude, you don't speak for Falcon Fans, just "buy" an anti virus program and you don't have to "FEAR" clicking on a link.

This was one of the better articles, especially coming from a San Fran paper, giving our organization kudos for what they have done..