Comments on: John Madden on Singletary's sideline tactics: "That's not coaching"

By: funkylovemonkey

funkylovemonkey — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 18:52:31 +0000

I’m sure Smith barely heard Singletary screaming at him as he came off the field. I attribute Smith’s determination having a lot more to do with the fact that the crowd was chanting “We want Carr” and he had just made one of the stupidest mistakes of his football career (which is saying something, considering) and was being benched. The fact that he responded by leading his team to two touchdowns in two fairly impressive drives says something about him. I still think he really shouldn’t be anything but a backup, but I think it’s ridiculous to blame him for 0-5.
Singletary (and I was excited when he became head coach) has shown himself over and over again to just lack any coaching instincts at all. He doesn’t know how to deal with players, he doesn’t know how to organize his coaching staff. He’s great with McNugget inspiration, but he seems lost and out of his depth on the sideline. Stupid mistakes over and over again from running a two minute drill with four minutes left on the clock to an offense which was so telegraphed opposing defenses knew exactly what was coming show a fundamental problem that starts at the very top.
The team overall lacks discipline. The niners have huge problems beyond Alex Smith, he’s just the most obvious target. The offensive line has absolutely been manhandled every game they’ve played. A good portion of Gore’s inability to break 4 yards per carry and Smith’s fumbles/hurried decisions can all be traced to bad offensive line play. The team ranks 20th in total defense.
And anyone thinking the 9ers would be better off with Shaun Hill are delusional. He has exactly one win more then Alex Smith and the 9ers, and that win was against the 2-3 Rams.

By: NinerDynasty

NinerDynasty — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 14:21:36 +0000

Here’s the thing.. you can bring a new coach year after year and after year.. as long Alex Smith is the starting QB in that team.. that new coach will get fired every year..
Alex Smith is a Coach Killer period!!! Is sing is replaced at the end of year, the first thing the new coach needs to do is go and get a new proven QB! simple as that! once that happens, everything should align for this team

By: -Slap-

-Slap- — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 08:36:17 +0000

Madden was Al Davis’ puppet. His announcing style was only beneficial to people who knew nothing about football. The greatest thing was when the gave him the telestrator. There was something so appopriate about John Madden scrawling on the screen with a crayon. Usually to measure the sweat stains on Kevin Gogan’s ass or something else educational. Good riddance from the sidelines and the booth, fat man.

By: LowVoltage

LowVoltage — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 23:58:14 +0000

PhinPhan: If Henne was Singletary’s QB, he would have benched him in that Pats game.

By: ian322

ian322 — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 23:47:41 +0000

He didn’t shake Mike Smith’s hand after the Atlanta game??? He said he forgot??? Bull. He’s been a coach for two years now. You don’t forget something that basic.
I won’t call him a clown or dumb, but this experiment is clearly a failure at this point.

By: RexR#1

RexR#1 — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 23:20:58 +0000

dennis112484
mike singletary may be the dumbest person in america. oh wait, 60,000 people were chanting for david carr. so maybe he’s just 60,001.
–
No, that just tells you how bad a QB Alex Smith must be – afterall those fans have now watched him for many years and are sick and tired of watching one GM or coach keep trying with this obvious loser.

By: ToddyTouchdown

ToddyTouchdown — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 21:53:13 +0000

John Madden pointing out the obvious? I feel like ive seen this somewhere…

By: muchmaligned

muchmaligned — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 21:30:45 +0000

I assume Madden is still under contract with NBC… I wonder?
You jackasses calling Singletary “dumb” and a “clown” are the absolute worst kind of fans. Sissies abound among football fans, I’m guessing watching the games is a form of homo-erotica for you. To each his own.
Madden yelled at his players on the sidelines. Many of the absolute greats have done so. Singletary is not among them. He may not be ready to HC, but calling that guy, considering the contribution he has made to the game, a clown is just bad form.

By: Blackn'Gold

Blackn'Gold — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 21:30:40 +0000

Alex Smith has gotten several coaches fired. When is the owner going to wise up? If Mr. Singletary wanted to take a chance then it should be with Troy Smith, the third string quarterback.
The guy is better than his NFL record suggests. If I remember he did win the Heisman and the Ohio State won the college championship. I would think that should count for something.
GO STEELERS!

By: TheSleepness

TheSleepness — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 21:26:49 +0000

the game misses John Madden

By: Deb

Deb — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 21:12:16 +0000

@Johnny Utah …
That’s sums it up for me. Loved Singletary the player, but the more I see of Singletary the coach, the more it seems like two different guys.

By: Al Davis' 40 Time

Al Davis' 40 Time — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 20:57:56 +0000

Mike Singletary is a coach that yells his coaching to his players about his coaching… BOOM! TOUGH ACTIN TINACTIN!

By: superb owl

superb owl — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 20:53:04 +0000

normally i do agree with madden and increasingly it looks like singletary is in way over his head.
but it worked. smith played lights out after that. i like to treat everyone equally too. but it just doesnt work on everyone.
if the player is being an ass, disobedient, or underachieving massively… well patting him on the ass with other than a 2*4 is counterproductive.
now, iron mike, go yell at the OL, wideouts and defense.

By: Johnny Utah

Johnny Utah — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 20:25:26 +0000

I always liked Singletary as a player, but the guy does not seem like head coach material and is making a fool of himself in the process.
So far Singletary has (1) dropped his pants to motivate the team, (2) argued with his QB on the sideline in a nationally televised game, (3) run his OC hours after saying the guy’s job was safe, (4) called timeouts in the last minute of the KC game down four touchdowns (and luckily avoided a more serious injury to Josh Morgan on a worthless TD score), (5) “forgot” to give a post-game handshake to Mike Smith after the loss to Atlanta, and (6) pulled the next question card in a local TV interview show which resulted in the host getting clipped from that gig.
The scary thing is that the division is so awful that the 49ers are by no means out of the race – and Smith may just make enough decent plays that the delusional front office may decide to give him another year to see if it works out.

By: raiderkeith

raiderkeith — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 20:09:18 +0000

Read an excerpt from a book about Chuck Noll and the Steelers. One of the players said in the first season with Noll, when they won one game they only got yelled at after the win. All the other film sessions were teaching moments. Maybe Mike should listen to a proven winner and leave the histrionics out.

By: froggy

froggy — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 20:03:17 +0000

Bart Starr was a great player and a terrible coach.
Ted Williams was a great player and a terrible manager.
You get the picture . . .

By: pga5

pga5 — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 19:49:10 +0000

Wade Phillips for niners head coach. You won’t have to worry about him yelling at players. Sounds good, huh?
This Madden take is pretty weak. Like someone else said, he yelled at his players. The niners were soft as a baby’s bottom, and Singletary is trying to change that culture.
You’d be yelling at players too, if your job was on the line and they kept making stupid mistakes. If a player can’t handle a coach yelling at him, how’s he going to survive with 300 lb linemen chasing him?

By: dennis112484

dennis112484 — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 19:46:52 +0000

mike singletary may be the dumbest person in america. oh wait, 60,000 people were chanting for david carr. so maybe he’s just 60,001.

By: joetoronto

joetoronto — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 19:45:22 +0000

Tony: Madden never yelled at his players, he coached them.
God knows he yelled allot, but when he did, he was defending his players.

By: NoKoolaidCowboy

NoKoolaidCowboy — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 19:45:11 +0000

Yeah, yelling never solves anything. Just ask Coach Wade Phillips.
…or former Coach Jimmy Johnson.

By: whytheCardinals

whytheCardinals — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 19:33:41 +0000

Somewhere I read that great players make wrotten coaches…. They believe ALL players MUST have the same intensisty and heart they had as players…. and if a player doesn’t, than the coach reverts back to the same fire that made them Great players… these aren’t 1980′s players. Most of them never saw Singletary play…. In fact, they are “special” and wither under fire… and even if Smityh is fine, his teammates are joking… (see Michael Irwins’ comments)

By: Easy Ed

Easy Ed — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 19:18:41 +0000

“The coach should not have to make some ridiculous attempt to figure out the potential psychological impact of a sideline ass-chewing.”
Its’ not about the potential psychological impact, it just shows loss of control over his players like any boss who loses it in front of others.

By: Gotcha

Gotcha — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 19:18:04 +0000

Have to agree with Tony.

By: JSpicoli

JSpicoli — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 19:17:36 +0000

The best Niner QB out there is playing, and winning, for the Lions.
Great job Jed and Co. You come from the Penthouse, but make 10 cent decisions.

By: ECS - Brougham Boys 74

ECS - Brougham Boys 74 — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 19:16:26 +0000

It doesn’t matter that the NFC West is a crappy division. The 49ers are worse. As long as Singletary is the coach, that team has ZERO chance at the playoffs. Even the Rams are playing with more heart and more discipline.
The truly sad thing is that over the last decade, each team in the NFC West has had their window, while all the other teams wallow in rebuild mode. The 49ers made the mistake to hire Singletary, and they missed that window (which would have been this season and next). By the time they get it turned around, Sam Bradford will be playing like Peyton, and the Seahawks will have rebuilt via the draft.
Singletary set this franchise back at least 5 seasons.

By: MrONE50

MrONE50 — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 19:15:43 +0000

New rule: If it seems as though someone is doing everything possible to make you lose your job, it’s OK to yell whatever you want at them. Even if it’s on TV.
Mike Singletary is not the greatest coach in the game. But I know from watching from afar that he put his job on the line the day he handed Smith the starting QB spot. How does he repay him? By playing poorly.
What do you people expect. Since when did two sides of the story become outlawed.

By: Easy Ed

Easy Ed — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 19:13:45 +0000

Madden is right. Coaching is essetially people management, just like in business. And in business, the worst thing a manager can do is call out an employee infront of others by screaming, yelling, whatever and is what you normally would see from a low-level supervisor who doesn’t know any different and not upper management, which is what an NFL head coach is. Doesn’t serve any purpose, just makes the coach/manager feel like he’s the big bad boss. Singletary is a first-class a-hole.

By: Axlviking

Axlviking — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 19:09:22 +0000

I REALLY wanted to like Mike Singletary as a head coach. Unfortunately, Madden is 100% correct.

By: StevieMo

StevieMo — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 19:03:50 +0000

I coached HS football for a few years as a volunteer assistant (DB/WR) a decade ago and the old, successful head coach told me: “If a player messes up on a play, you can take him out. If you take him out, don’t yell at him. The move speaks for itself. If you yell at him while he’s still on the field, that’s fine, but leave him in the game. Don’t do both.”
I’ve watched hundreds of football games since then (HS, college and pro) and it’s remarkable how that rule of thumb pretty much holds true with virtually every experienced coach. A player blows it, he gets pulled from the game — an experienced coach says little or nothing to him. That type of coaching takes place during the week — not in the middle of the game. There are too many variables to keep track of; no time to yell at everybody who makes a mistake. Plus I greatly doubt screaming at a guy makes him more likely to do it right the next time.
This is high school stuff, and Singletary is still learning the basics. He’s a total beginner, to put it mildly.

By: FireJerryJones

FireJerryJones — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 18:56:37 +0000

Singletary doesn’t know how to coach. Hasn’t been a coordinator.
He knows about motivation.
Bill Parcells used to say that after four years, his message fell on deaf ears and he needed to move on.
When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.