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Friday, December 15, 2006
Another misstep for Mora
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jeff Schultz
If Jim Mora loses his job with the Falcons, it most likely will be because of wins and losses. Problem is, when you work for such an image-conscious owner and in the most fickle of sports towns, random acts of dumbness tend to shrink a guy’s margin for error.
However much wiggle room Mora had as head coach on Thursday, it became significantly less on Friday. If you’re looking for his adjusted margin, you’ll need a magnifying glass.
Two years ago, Mora was viewed as a bright young coach. He was fiery but engaging. Now, there’s all this baggage. The latest misstep came Thursday. He did a radio interview in Seattle with his friend, Hugh Millen. Near the end, he was asked about his potential interest in coaching the University of Washington. Mora didn’t hide his affection for alma mater. (School officials openly showed interest in him two years ago when the position was vacant.)
After a string of questions, Millen said, “You would leave the Falcons for that job?”
Mora responded: “Absolutely.”
There was no laughing, before the question or after the answer. It looked bad on a transcript. It sounded worse on the radio.
Now, whether Mora was joking, how high does this rank on the stupidity scale?
If you’re Arthur Blank, what are you thinking? If you’re Jim Mora, are you thinking?
The season is hanging by a thread. The Falcons have won two straight but otherwise have lost 12 of their past 21. They might miss the playoffs again. Blank might want to dump half the assistants. Or possibly the head coach. Is this really the best time to goof on the radio about another job?
I’m assuming the coach on the opposite sideline tonight, Bill Parcells, would not have done this. Neither would Bill Belichick. Nor Mike Shanahan, Lovie Smith, Tony Dungy, Jeff Fisher, Andy Reid, John Fox, Tom Coughlin, Joe Gibbs, et al.
Coaches are no different than athletes. Win, and it’s amazing what people will overlook. Lose and it all depends on the depth of the resume. Mora reached the NFC championship in his first season. That’s it. Short resume.
The Falcons didn’t need another fire. Mora didn’t need another fire. There has been too much brush burned between games already. Mora’s father labeled Michael Vick a “coach killer.” You didn’t have to be a deranged conspiracy theorist to wonder if dad’s comments stemmed from a conversation with his son. (Some unsolicited advice to the Moras: avoid radio interviews.)
There also was the sideline cellphone incident last season. The interview pyrotechnics. The verbal backhand at great past Falcons linemen like Jeff Van Note and Mike Kenn, who actually were allowed to speak to the media.
Win, few care. Lose, well, here we are.
Look around tonight. You’ll find a lot of Dallas fans in the Georgia Dome. Falcons games are sold out. So who sold them the tickets?
It’s December. It’s a playoff race. But this city has ceased being consumed by the Falcons. This is Atlanta. The only task more difficult than exciting and growing a fan base is exciting and keeping a fan base. Ask the Braves.
This isn’t four years ago, when Vick won a playoff game in Green Bay and was viewed as some spectacular cross between deity and blowtorch. This isn’t two years ago when the Falcons came within one win of the Super Bowl. Tonight, they’re just a 7-6 team, blending back into the landscape.
The Falcons need to win tonight, not just to save their season but to save their status. They need to win because it’s not expected. They need to win because fans are pulling hamstrings jumping off the bandwagon. (Consecutive wins over Washington and Tampa Bay, with a combined record of 7-19, isn’t going to ignite much beyond a “Yippee.”)
Blank is demanding, and for two obvious reasons: 1) He wants to win, as evidenced by his passion and the number of times he has fished into his own pocket; 2) He knows turnstiles in this town spin both directions. He is a salesman, always pitching, listening, cajoling. The man refers to fans as “stakeholders.”
Georgia football always draws here. Everything else draws for five minutes. It’s not a market you want to test. You either win or you blow people’s socks off trying.
Looking pedestrian on the field and starting fires off it won’t do much for longevity.
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