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Monday, December 26, 2005
Mora must avoid meltdowns
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jeff Schultz
Sometimes good coaches have bad seasons. Maybe they deal with it well, maybe they don’t, and the ones who don’t can go one of two ways: grow up or melt down.
Jim Mora is a good coach who has had a bad season. He also needs to grow up, because the meltdowns are getting old, and the ramifications of such often evolve into something far worse than an embarrassing sound bite or acid reflux.
Mora doesn’t think it’s an issue. He actually said Monday, “I don’t have a trigger,” a remark that may cause others at Falcons headquarters to pass out. The man is a walking drum of plutonium with a red button that reads, “Don’t even think of pushing me.”
“To me it’s a non-issue,” Mora said Monday of his outbursts. “You can write your article and make it an issue. But it’s not an issue in this building.”
Tell that to the guy who owns the building. Arthur Blank was en route to Flowery Branch Monday when he returned a phone call. He said he planned to talk to Mora about imploding on his postgame radio show following the loss in Tampa Bay Saturday and about his coach’s emotions in general.
Blank said he wasn’t angry, but called Mora’s actions “unacceptable.” He said Mora needed to be reminded of the responsibilities that go with his high-profile position.
“He’s the face of the organization right now,” Blank said. “Long-term, I might be the face of the organization. But during the season, it’s not me and it’s not Rich [McKay]; it’s him. He needs to realize that. This is the dark side of his emotional capacity.
“Jim’s emotional and he’s passionate, but he has to learn how to channel that so that it’s not destructive. My father was that way, and I tried to learn from him. … Passion and standing up for things can help create a sense of unity. But you still have to act a certain way. If something happens, you have to realize that you can’t just yell at people all the time.”
Mora slammed down his headset and microphone after analyst Dave Archer asked about a decision to punt late in overtime. Mora spewed expletives again later with a team official following his formal news conference, then walked to the team bus and cleared the air with Archer, who had to be summoned off the bus.
This follows nearly inadvertently hitting an official in Chicago during an eruption the week before. That followed previous outbursts, which followed trying to defend the practice of the Falcons’ offensive linemen not talking to the media by theorizing that Mike Kenn and Jeff Van Note often spoke but never won a Super Bowl. (Guess this season kills that connection.)
The Falcons have gone from 6-2 to out of the playoff picture. When a team wins, a coach’s flaws are glossed over, even embraced. When a team loses, flaws get magnified. You don’t hear, “Oh that Jimmy’s a real pistol,” when you lose to Green Bay.
Last year was all smiles. But coaches, like players, are judged in bad times as well as good times. This year Mora has faced more questions about his decisions, his actions and the philosophies of his coordinators. His reaction too often has been to stomp his feet, scream and hold his breath — all the things he probably teaches his children not to do.
Mora was an effective NFL assistant in New Orleans and San Francisco. But life is different as a head coach. As the ultimate decision-maker, he’s always in the spotlight, whether it’s on the sideline or in a news conference.
Some young coaches can make that transition. Others find it their undoing. Mora complains because he has to do a radio show “10 minutes after the game.” But it’s not like he’s the only head coach who does a postgame show.
Mora complains he pays for the sins of his father, a temperamental guy in his coaching days. That’s bunk. Do and say dumb things and you get attention, regardless of your bloodlines.
Passion is good. Emotion is to be expected. But meltdowns are uncalled for. And if Mora doesn’t want this to become an issue, he shouldn’t make it one.
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