Players think Herm is 4th Best Coach in the league

[Quesadilla Joe]

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/26/sp...rhoden.html?em

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/package..._DOCUMENTS.pdf

Sports of The Times
N.F.L. Players Evaluate Their Coaches

By WILLIAM C. RHODEN
Published: October 25, 2008
What do N.F.L. players really think about the coaches for whom they play and the franchises for which they work?

Michael Conroy/Associated Press
In a survey conducted last season, N.F.L. players picked the Colts’ Tony Dungy as the coach they would most like to play for.

Outside of sound bites and manicured postgame comments, the collective thoughts of players about coaches and teams have remained a mystery. Until now.

Last season, the N.F.L. players union commissioned the Wharton Sports Business Initiative at the University of Pennsylvania to conduct an unprecedented survey of players. It was the first time players had been asked about issues related to their coaches. The survey asked players to name names, and the players overwhelmingly obliged.

Asked which active N.F.L. coaches they would most like to play for, the players picked Tony Dungy (Indianapolis Colts) followed by Lovie Smith (Chicago Bears) and Bill Belichick (New England Patriots). Herman Edwards (Kansas City Chiefs) was fourth and Mike Tomlin (Pittsburgh Steelers) fifth.

Asked to name the coaches they would least like to play for, the players named Tom Coughlin (Giants), Eric Mangini (Jets), Jon Gruden (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Bobby Petrino (formerly of the Atlanta Falcons) and Belichick.

The naming of Belichick on both lists illustrated how players were willing to make compromises when it comes to winning.

The study is especially relevant at a time of midseason coaching changes, wide swings of performance levels from week to week and periodic episodes of player-coach confrontations.

“I think this survey is historic,” said Tukufu Zuberi, the chairman of the sociology department at Penn, who conducted the study with Camille Z. Charles, an associate sociology and education professor. “Nothing like it has ever been done before.”

Zuberi added: “You always hear sportscasters and analysts ranking teams and ranking the best coaches and what is important about being a good coach. It’s rare that the athletes themselves express their opinion. What this survey does is give the players a voice.”

A total of 1,440 players, or roughly 80 percent of those active in 2007, completed the study by the Wharton Sports Business Initiative, a research and executive think tank that is not a degree-granting program.

The players were asked questions in six major categories, including the most influential coach in their lives and the five most important attributes for a head coach. The players were also asked to identify the worst organizations in the N.F.L. (Oakland — no surprise there; Miami; Arizona; Cleveland; and Cincinnati) and the best (New England, Indianapolis, Dallas, Green Bay and Pittsburgh).

There was overwhelming common ground among the players despite their racial differences; 65 percent are African-American, 29 percent white, 3 percent Asian, 2 percent other and 1 percent Hispanic.

The good news for the N.F.L. is that 90 percent of the players said they respected their head coach, three-quarters said they trusted their head coach and 79 percent said their coach was top quality.

More than 50 percent of the players said their pro coach — not their college or high school coach — was the most influential coach in their lives.

According to the survey, the most desirable attributes in a head coach were good communication skills, followed by motivational skills, approachability, management skills and leading by example.

There were also significant differences between white and black players. For instance, respect and trust were listed by all players as crucial components for successful relationships, but white players expressed more trust and respect for their head coaches than black players.

“Who would have thought that the most important things to players is that the coach respects them?” Zuberi said. “This has a fundamental impact on the players’ attitudes toward the coaches. I didn’t expect that white players would trust and respect their coaches more than black players.”

Another distinction was that African-American players were not entirely race neutral when it came to head coaches. Race matters.

Although all players agreed on the top 10 most desirable head coaches, there were subtle differences between white and black players.

Among all players, Dungy was selected as the top coach. White players ranked Belichick second, Smith third, the Denver Broncos’ Mike Shanahan fourth and the Tennessee Titans’ Jeff Fisher fifth.

Black players ranked Smith second, Belichick third, Edwards fourth and Tomlin fifth.

Edwards was sixth among white players, and Shanahan dropped to ninth among black players. Mike Holmgren of Seattle was ranked seventh among white players and 13th among black players.

“It’s not just a question of winning, it is a question of how the players feel about these coaches,” Zuberi said.

In contrast to the mainstream workplace, black players are an overwhelming majority in the N.F.L.

This can be interpreted as a true meritocracy where the best talent prevails. On the other hand, power is unequally distributed as one moves up the ladder. Six of the 32 head coaches are African-American, and the presence of African-Americans becomes more rare the higher one goes in management.

The black football-playing majority must answer to a predominantly white power structure, which includes team executives and owners.

Given the disparity in trust and respect between blacks and whites, the study suggested a new model is needed for franchises that hope to get the most out of their players. This means going beyond simply relying on a cluster of veteran players to maintain order in the locker room. They must hire and promote respected African-Americans and place them into positions of power and authority.

Communication also requires a franchise to ask itself tough questions: Who can get the most out of players? Who can best understand players? Who has the greatest insight? Who can best speak to the culture?

It was no coincidence that black players listed four African-American coaches among their top five.

“These are just the players’ opinions,” Zuberi said of the study, “but we haven’t been listening to those opinions.

“A coach’s ability to coach should be balanced against his ability to gain the trust and respect of the players. Players are expected to respect and trust the coach. The coach needs to do the same for the players.”

•

The study was intended to be the first in a series of annual player surveys that will examine a variety of aspects of N.F.L. franchises — including the front office and ownership.

N.F.L. players have long been viewed as parts to be moved about without much consideration given to what they think.

If the survey proves anything, it’s that players have perspectives and opinions. The question is whether management is listening.

[Chiefnj2]

Originally Posted by CrazyCoffey

and why is it so hard for you to accept that maybe practice length is only one part of a 200 part process for success? You are putting all your eggs in one basket, hanging on to just this one theory.

Your reading comprehension sucks balls. I said "both" to WP's question about talent and/or practice times.

[Rain Man]

Per the report, here are the two authors of the survey. It's too bad that they didn't use a well-respected market research run by a football fan who wouldn't have approached the survey with an underlying motive.

Tukufu Zuberi is the Lasry Family Professor of Race Relations. He is also the
Director of the Center for Africana Studies, and Chair of Sociology Department.
As an internationally-known social scientist, Professor Zuberi has made
important contributions in the study of sociology, research methods, and
population studies. Professor Zuberi is the author or editor of seven books or
edited journal volumes. He is the author of Swing Low, Sweet Chariot: The
Mortality Cost of Colonizing Liberia in the Nineteenth-Century, published by the University of Chicago Press in 1995; and Thicker Than Blood: How Racial
Statistics Lie, published by the University of Minnesota Press in 2001. He has
just completed a manuscript on the history of Timbuktu, entitled Timbuktu: Pearl of the African Sea that will also be filmed as a documentary for PBS and National Geographic. He is the series editor of the General Demography of Africa (a multi-volume series). He has written more than 50 scholarly articles and co-edited four volumes. Professor Zuberi has edited or co-edited special issues of the December 2000 Black Scholar on “Transcending Traditions: African, African Diaspora, and African American Studies in the 21st Century;” the March 2000 issue of The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science on “The Study of African American Problems: Papers In Honor Of W.E.B. Du Bois,” and a volume of Race and Society on Racial Statistics. He is co-editor of the recently published The Demography of South Africa, published by New York: M.E. Sharpe; and White Logic, White Methods: Racism and Methodology, published by Rowman and Littlefield.


Camille Zubrinsky Charles is Associate Professor of Sociology and Education,
and Faculty Associate Director of the Center for Africana Studies at the
University of Pennsylvania. She is author of Won’t You Be My Neighbor: Race,
Class and Residence in Los Angeles (Russell Sage, Fall 2006), which examines
cross-cutting, individual-level factors thought to influence aggregate housing
patterns, and co-author of The Source of the River: The Social Origins of
Freshmen at America’s Selective Colleges and Universities (2003, Princeton
University Press). She also has two other book projects underway: Taming the
River: Negotiating the Academic, Financial, and Social Currents in Selective
Colleges and Universities (co-authored with Douglas S. Massey and colleagues;Princeton University Press), is the second in a series based on data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Freshmen. Race-ing Through College: Black Students at Selective Colleges and Universities is a sole-authored project.

[crazycoffey]

Originally Posted by Chiefnj2

Your reading comprehension sucks balls. I said "both" to WP's question about talent and/or practice times.

And that suddenly validate's your stance?

[Chiefnj2]

Originally Posted by CrazyCoffey

And that suddenly validate's your stance?

You're right. Herm's camps have paid great dividends on all sides of the ball.

[DT58HOF]

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath58

What, exactly, did those long practices do for the defensive side of the ball?

yeah i think Herm practices for 3 hours on how to run the ball 3 times up the gut and and then works on yelling punt team kick it down in there!

[PastorMikH]

From a player's standpoint he probably is.



-Short, Relaxed practices

-A summer vacation in River Falls Wisconsin

-He doesn't butt into a player's personal life

-If you are losing badly, he'll let you take the rest of the game off and tell press you had a neck injury

-Herm willingly plays the goobers of the league, think of how many there are buried on the rosters of NFL teams who'd get to see the field under Herm.

-No expectations - we can lose, laugh about it, and keep getting paid.

-None of those pesky games after the regular season is over to worry about getting ready for.



The only problem is, you might, at any given time be the player he throws under the bus to save himself.

[whoman69]

Originally Posted by DT58HOF

yeah i think Herm practices for 3 hours on how to run the ball 3 times up the gut and and then works on yelling punt team kick it down in there!

He would probably punt on first down so we don't have a turnover, but the three runs are part of his ball control plan.

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by PastorMikH

-Short, Relaxed practices

Have you even BEEN to River Falls since Herm Edwards became head coach?

[PastorMikH]

Originally Posted by Claythan

Have you even BEEN to River Falls since Herm Edwards became head coach?

You really need to get a life and quit taking everything that is posted so seriously.

[Hammock Parties]

So you don't believe what you wrote?

[PastorMikH]

Originally Posted by Claythan

So you don't believe what you wrote?

I believe Herm runs one of the easier training camps in the league. I also believe you play like you practice.

I remember Marty commenting at season's end back in the 90's about taking responsibility for all the injuries his players had because he didn't have them physically ready to compete. He vowed that would not happen again. Injuries were way down the next year because he worked them really hard in the offseason. Marty ran some tough camps/practices and his teams showed it.

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by PastorMikH

I believe Herm runs one of the easier training camps in the league.

You couldn't be more wrong.

[PastorMikH]

Originally Posted by Claythan

You couldn't be more wrong.

According to you I'm always wrong. 'Couse someone with your level of credentials calling me wrong really doesn't have any affect whatsoever on my self-esteem.


Jest 'cause you right fore nick doesn't make you an espert.

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by PastorMikH

According to you I'm always wrong.

You're wrong.

[PastorMikH]

Originally Posted by Claythan

You're wrong.

I'm wrong that I'm wrong?