Billick Fired in Baltimore

[doomy3]

According to FOX Sports Jay Glazer, Brian Billick has been fired by the Ravens. I can't link this from my phone, but someone else feel free to. I saw this on Rotoworld.

[Eleazar]

Another team less content with failure than we are

[siberian khatru]

Haha!

Well, at least Billick got a ring. He's still an overrated, arrogant dickhead.

[OnTheWarpath15]

OMG!!!

HIRE HIM AS OC!!!

HURRY CARL!!!


























































:rolleyes:

[JBucc]

OMG!!!

HIRE HIM AS OC!!!

HURRY CARL!!!


























































:rolleyes:He's an OFFENSIVE GENIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ChiTown]

Another team less content with failure than we are

Apparently you forgot that we won Super IV? Please, just stay the path and hand over your season tickets to a "real" fan.

Sincerely,
Rufus Gretz

[ChiefsCountry]

Another team less content with failure than we are

Chiefs have had 3 head coaches during his tenure in Baltimore.

[blueballs]

Bill Cowher bought a house in Baltimore
just in case

[kstater]

How come he didn't get 20 years to turn them back around? Isn't that the norm in the NFL?

[siberian khatru]

Bill Cowher bought a house in Baltimore
just in case

ROFL

[CupidStunt]

He obviously didn't have a plan.

[kstater]

Think we can get a 4th from Baltimore for Herm?

[siberian khatru]

How come he didn't get 20 years to turn them back around? Isn't that the norm in the NFL?

Only for guys who DON'T win Super Bowls.

[chief52]

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/7621108

Despite his insistence that his job was safe, the Brian Billick era in Baltimore is over.






The team fired their head coach Monday, FOXSports.com has learned, capping an extremely disappointing season.

This comes one day after FOX Sports reported that the players and other employees informed team owner Steve Biscotti that Billick had completely lost the locker room and could not win them back.

Billick was hired as an offensive guru but during his tenure it was his defenses that won for the Ravens, especially their Super Bowl title. Over time Billick was unable to get his QBs to star and his offenses stalled year in and year out.

Earlier this year he proclaimed that he had been given the vote of confidence from Biscottit but that was never confirmed and was obviously not true.

[crazycoffey]

Billick for GM???

[Bugeater]

He's an OFFENSIVE GENIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As long as he has Randy Moss.

[ChiTown]

Billick for GM???

We already have one arrogant POS in the organization, why would we want another?

[Calcountry]

Wow, and he WON a Super Bowl.

[Calcountry]

Bill Cowher bought a house in Baltimore
just in caseOn t.v. yesterday, they said Cowher might be going to Cinci. One thing is for sure, there is a lot of interest in BC. Perhaps his wife is tired of having him around the house so much.

[Ari ümlaüt]

I love that Billick won a Superbowl in 2000. And Carl won a playoff game in 1993.

Which one gets fired?

[Kerberos]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3175037


OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Brian Billick was fired as coach of the Baltimore Ravens on Monday, less than a day after his team concluded a disappointing 5-11 season and less than a year after receiving a contract extension through 2010.

[kstater]

How could they do this? He was under contract.

[siberian khatru]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3175037


OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Brian Billick was fired as coach of the Baltimore Ravens on Monday, less than a day after his team concluded a disappointing 5-11 season and less than a year after receiving a contract extension through 2010.

What? You don't fire people under contract! [/delano]

[Mr. Laz]

How could they do this? He was under contract.
buyout of some kind .... happens all the time

[kstater]

buyout of some kind .... happens all the time


Sarcasm.
Delano was crowing how Carl shouldn't be fired because he's under contract.

[Mr. Laz]

Sarcasm.
Delano was crowing how Carl shouldn't be fired because he's under contract.
my bad ..... my sarcas-o-meter really does suck

[crazycoffey]

hey, Levy stepped down as GM, where are the threads about bringing him back to KC???

[BIG_DADDY]

Wow, and he WON a Super Bowl.

You see the Chiefs haven't just accepted failure, they have embraced it.

[chagrin]

Billick - no thank you
Mueller - no thank you
[insert recently fired higher up, or player] - no thank you



Please, make it stop

[Fly O.T. McWall]

Think we can get a 4th from Baltimore for Herm?
think if we gave them a 4th they'd take him?

[doomy3]

Apparently, they fired Rex Ryan and all the staff too... Not a bad DC if you ask me...

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3175037

OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Brian Billick never came close to duplicating the success he enjoyed early in his career as head coach of the Baltimore Ravens, and it finally cost him his job.

Billick was fired Monday, less than 24 hours after his team concluded a season of high expectations with a disappointing 5-11 record. His entire staff, including defensive coordinator Rex Ryan, also was dismissed.

"I believed that it was time for a change, I believed that we have the nucleus of a team that can get back to the Super Bowl, and we felt that in the next five years we had a better chance with a new coach than leaving Brian in that position," said owner Steve Bisciotti, who made the decision after consulting with team president Dick Cass and general manager Ozzie Newsome.

Billick won the 2001 Super Bowl in his second season with the Ravens, but since Bisciotti took over full ownership in 2004, Baltimore was 33-33. That included two losing seasons and only one playoff appearance, a one-and-out performance in 2006.

"It's a gut feeling. I have one job here, and that's to have a leader that I think gives us the best chance," Bisciotti said. "We have been losing more than winning lately."


Billick led the Ravens to a franchise-best 13-3 record in 2006. But Baltimore lost a team-record nine consecutive games this season before ending the skid Sunday with a 27-21 win over Pittsburgh.

Baltimore offensive coordinator Rick Neuheisel didn't have to worry about losing his job; he already had agreed to become head coach at his alma mater, UCLA. He remained with the Ravens for their final game, and was surprised that Billick was let go.

"I left believing that the Raven thing was going to turn around," Neuheisel said Monday. "We had a tough season two years ago and came back and finished 13-3."

Bisciotti said he made the decision to fire Billick hours before kickoff, and carried out the move Monday morning in a meeting at the team's practice facility.

"He had to make a hard decision, and he did what he believes is best for the Ravens," Billick said in a statement. "We are friends and will remain friends."

Billick had three years left on a contract that pays $5 million per season. Bisciotti determined a few weeks ago that he would give Billick a chance to right things in 2008, but changed his mind after talking with Cass, Newsome and other NFL owners.

"We believe that we will be better with fresh blood or we wouldn't have made this decision," Bisciotti said. "We obviously wouldn't fire Brian if we thought we were where we needed to be."

Ryan will be considered for the head coaching job, but Newsome said he will "be calling and talking to a lot of people."

Billick's nine seasons with Baltimore was tied with Philadelphia's Andy Reid as the third-longest current run with the same team and behind Tennessee's Jeff Fisher and Denver's Mike Shanahan. He took the Ravens to the playoffs in 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2006 and finished with an 80-64 record.


"Sometimes the message can get repetitive after a while," 12-year offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden said.

The Ravens expected to compete for a world championship this season after bringing back almost every starter from last year's AFC North champions. But injuries and a turnover-prone offense contributed to a complete collapse after a 4-2 start, and Baltimore finished in sole possession of last place in the division for the first time since 1997.

Bisciotti knows there are no guarantees that the Ravens' next coach will get better results than Billick. But he figured making a change was worth the risk.

"In order to be successful you have to take chances, and in order to take chances you have to listen to your heart. You have to go with your gut," the owner said. "It doesn't mean that you don't fear being wrong, because I do fear being wrong. I could be three coaches past Brian Billick nine years from now trying to solve this puzzle."

Billick was the offensive coordinator of the Vikings before coming to Baltimore. He was deemed to be an offensive genius when he got to the Ravens -- in his last season (1998) with Minnesota, Billick's offense scored a then-NFL record 556 points -- but the team became known for its staunch defense and never had an attack that was remotely as productive as that of the Vikings in the late 1990s.

"I'm not saying I agree with it," kicker Matt Stover said of Billick's dismissal, "but sometimes things have to change."

Billick, 53, was hired as Baltimore's second head coach in January 1999, succeeding Ted Marchibroda. In Billick's first season, the Ravens reached .500 (8-8) for the first time. Then he led Baltimore to a 12-4 record and a berth in the Super Bowl, where the Ravens beat the New York Giants 34-7.

But after he failed to build on last year's 13-3 record, Billick wasn't afforded the opportunity to bounce back from a season in which the Ravens went from Oct. 14 to the end of December without a win.

"For all we went through as a team, I think coach Billick stood in there. And for all the verbal lashings from the fans and the media, he stood in there and took it," wide receiver Derrick Mason said. "That says a lot for the man, for his character. Yes, it was shocking, but the organization had to make a decision, and they felt in was the best decision for this team to move forward."

But was it the right decision? Bisciotti couldn't say for sure.

"How much blame you put on different people, and how much you hold yourself responsible is new to me," he said. "I hope that over time that Baltimore views me as [good] an owner as Brian Billick was a head football coach.

"I've got some catching up to do to the man that I asked to step down today. The jury's out on me. Brian's already got his Super Bowl."

[Sure-Oz]

I'll take rex ryan

[BigMeatballDave]

I'll take rex ryanSo would I

[doomy3]

Maybe we could make Gun our LBs coach and hire Rex Ryan as DC?

[007]

I would take any of the Ryans.

[Sure-Oz]

Maybe we could make Gun our LBs coach and hire Rex Ryan as DC?
fine by me, gun is a bitch anyway

[Bugeater]

Bisciotti knows there are no guarantees that the Ravens' next coach will get better results than Billick. But he figured making a change was worth the risk.
Taking risks. What a novel concept.

[Kerberos]

I would take any of the Ryans.

My last name is Ryan

Where do I sign?

[Bowser]

Taking risks. What a novel concept.

What team in their right mind does that? Besides ARENA BALL! teams, that is.

[DeepPurple]

I was born in Baltimore 57 years ago and was a Ravens season ticket holder their 1996 debut season and have watched every Ravens game on television since then, here's my take.

When given the opportunity Billick is a terrible judge of talent. The Ravens defense during Ted Marchabroda's 1998 final season as coach and Billick's first year season in 1999 was almost the same lineup as the 2000 record setting Super Bowl winning defense. Linebacker's Ray Lewis, Peter Boulware and Jamie Sharper, lineman Rob Burnett, Tony Siragusa and Michael McCrary and defensive backs Duane Starks, Rod Woodson, Kim Herring and backup Corey Harris. All they had to add was first round pick cornerback Chris MacAlister and lineman Sam Adams. So essentially Billlick had very little input to this side of the ball during their glory year and probably since then.

On the offense, that's a different story. His first season of 1999 he brought in free agent QB Scott Mitchell to start. The team opened in St. Louis and the defense played their heart out but Scott Mitchell was awful. The following week the home opener was against our most bitter rival, the Steelers. Again, the defense played great, however Mitchell didn't even get 50 yards passing and was replaced in the second half by Stoney Case. He did pretty well and almost pulled out the win, with the Ravens losing 23-20. Case got the next four starts and went 2-2, he played well even in the two loses which were in Jacksonville and Tennesse, both good teams. Billick then benches Case for Tony Banks who finishes the season with a team record of 8-8.

In 2000 during the pre-season Mitchell and Case are gone, and it's now between draft pick Chris Redman, Tony Banks and free agent pickup Trent Dilfer. During the pre-season Dilfer looked the best but Banks got the start. The team again played great defensively but couldn't score points but managed a 7-4 record. Banks was finally benched and Dilfer got the start. Trent wins the last five games of the season and the Ravens finish 12-4 and win the wildcard. In the playoffs they beat Denver at home and then on the road beat Tennesse and Oakland and in the Super Bowl they beat the Giants 34-7, with New York's only score coming on a kickoff return.

Next season even though he won the last 9 games in a won and the Super Bowl, Trent Dilfer is gone, this is where I begin to doubt Brian Billick. Now, Elvis Grbac is the starter, need I say more. Well, yes, as a walk-on free agent Priest Holmes for four years sits behind Eric Rhett and first round pick Jamal Lewis and yet everytime he steps on the field he does good. So, when his four years are up he heads to KC, and the rest is history. Next up is Chester Taylor, again he sits on the bench behind Jamal Lewis and when he finally jumps to Minnesota he does good. Now this year 2007, we see Jamal Lewis is allowed to leave and helps Cleveland turn around their season and Adalius Thomas is also not resigned and is probaby one of the reasons New England went 16-0.

[Nzoner]

"It's a gut feeling. I have one job here, and that's to have a leader that I think gives us the best chance," Bisciotti said. "We have been losing more than winning lately."


Two thumbs up for another owner who is hands on.