I know it's way too early to be jumping for joy or anything, but I'm also not going to be as negative as some of the local writers are.
I'm impressed with the fact that Linehan has made a lot of visible changes within his staff showing that he could very well be finally admitting to himself that he simply screwed up last year.
I'm also happy that he publicly admitted that he had cut himself off from the players during the 2007 season, which explains why it looked like he was losing the players especially the key veterans. It takes a big man to admit that not only to himself but to the public.
All of this is a very good indication that he is more than willing to admit to his faults and is a man who is not set in his ways, who is willing to change his way of doing things and the way he thinks.
Last season I, along with most Rams fans, were ready to sever ties with him. But in light of what he has done so far, so early in the off season, I feel it merits giving the coach one more chance, and see what comes of it.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Linehan Takes a Look in the Mirror
Just when I had thrown in the towel on Linehan, he finally does something that actually makes sense. He somehow manages to convince Al Saunders to return to the Rams as Offensive Coordinator. That in itself is a miracle.
This is the first indication that Linehan has actually stepped back and begun to take a good look at himself in the mirror. This is his first step to admitting to the fans, to the organization, to the team, but more importantly to himself, that something was definitely not right. And that meant it had to begin with his ability to coach.
By hiring Saunders as OC he's openly admitted that he failed in his ability to coach the talent around him. Furthermore he has told Saunders that he will have complete control from offensive game planning to calling the plays. This is a big step in the right direction for the struggling Linehan.
Linehan has also acknowledged the fact that he put himself in a situation where he lost touch with his players....and this could explain those outbursts from some key players we saw during the season. This is the first step in moving back towards the kind of relationship that is needed between a head coach and his players.
If anything, so far, Linehan is trying to make amends and if he continues on his self-evaluation journey, he just might be able to salvage his job and this team.
If not, Linehan and the rest of the world knows that 2008 will be his last season in St. Louis.
This is the first indication that Linehan has actually stepped back and begun to take a good look at himself in the mirror. This is his first step to admitting to the fans, to the organization, to the team, but more importantly to himself, that something was definitely not right. And that meant it had to begin with his ability to coach.
By hiring Saunders as OC he's openly admitted that he failed in his ability to coach the talent around him. Furthermore he has told Saunders that he will have complete control from offensive game planning to calling the plays. This is a big step in the right direction for the struggling Linehan.
Linehan has also acknowledged the fact that he put himself in a situation where he lost touch with his players....and this could explain those outbursts from some key players we saw during the season. This is the first step in moving back towards the kind of relationship that is needed between a head coach and his players.
If anything, so far, Linehan is trying to make amends and if he continues on his self-evaluation journey, he just might be able to salvage his job and this team.
If not, Linehan and the rest of the world knows that 2008 will be his last season in St. Louis.
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