Mariucci better, not perfect

1/31/2003

Snail mail, e-mail, fax mail, it's all Hack's mail. Some have been edited for brevity, clarity or hilarity.

If Steve Mariucci is such a great leader and coach, why did he run the clock out in the first half against Tampa Bay (in the playoffs)? Evidently he was auditioning for the Lions. At least Marty had good reason to take the wind.

Mark

via e-mail

And now Marty Mornhinweg has taken the gas. You're right, though, about the game in question. Trailing 28-6, the 49ers got the ball with 50 seconds remaining at their own 31 and gained nine yards on a first-down play. Then, with two timeouts in his pocket, Mariucci waved a white flag and trotted his team to the locker room, allowing the last 35 seconds or so to dissolve. The big knock against Mooch is that he is passive in a game where risk is often rewarded. Still, he would have to be considered a major upgrade for the Lions.

Super Bowl or no Super Bowl, was Jon Gruden worth $8 million, two first-round draft picks and two second-round picks? I think not.

Karen

Fremont

I think you may want to reconsider for several reasons. First of all, forget the $8 million. That's pocket change to a TV-enriched NFL owner, especially one who desperately needed to save face after a bungled coaching search. And while Tampa Bay may pay a price down the road for the lost draft picks, especially in terms of quality depth, in this day of free agency and creative contracts that cheat the salary cap, teams no longer have to rely on the draft as the sole or primary building block. With rings on their fingers, the Bucs surely feel that Gruden was a bargain.

Nice call on the Super Bowl, you so-called Swami. What was that? Oakland 27, Tampa Bay 17? You're pathetic.

Rick

via e-mail

Funny, we didn't hear from you during the Swami's 9-1 run through the earlier rounds of the playoffs. But you're right. Turned out the Raiders were one sorry pick. The Swami may have underestimated Gruden's influence against his former team, but we also anticipated that Oakland's offense would actually practice during the week leading up to the game.

Great column on Dan Dakich and BG's players. It is great to watch his type of quality, disciplined kids play on a nightly basis. The program will be very good for as long as he is around.

Joe

via e-mail

I agree, but not everyone does. Read on.

How about [Dakich's] example? How about his language? BG should get rid of him.

Bryan

via e-mail

Fulltime refs for NFL games will not solve anything. The problem is that there are far too many hair-splitting and asinine rules, and watching a game is like watching grass grow. The league has tinkered to the point the games are boring. Go back to the 1960 rule book and get rid of the replay/challenge system.

Dennis

Maumee

My favorite Super Bowl commercial had teams of horses standing around in the field doing nothing while a zebra buried his head in the replay booth. Talk about art imitating reality.

You claim that one out of three NFL overtime games ends in the first possession. Logic says, therefore, that twice as many go beyond the first possession. It's a fair system, moreso than the one you proposed. Also, how many times do you see teams playing it safe to get into OT? I'd bet the vast majority of coaches prefer to take their chances on a coin flip. Perhaps some tweaking should be done. No field goals allowed in the last 10 minutes. If a touchdown puts a team down by one point, then a two-point conversion becomes mandatory. Etc.

Mark

via e-mail

And to think many readers considered MY idea to be radical.

Instead of taking a scheduled exam, I had my physics class analyze your proposed overtime rules. The kids concluded that 74.3 per cent of the time Marty Mornhinweg would still defer and take the wind.

Rick

Findlay

Hey my friend, never try to be funnier than the columnist.