Seemingly Unimportant Decision of the Week: Hue Should Know Better

Seemingly Unimportant Decision of the Week: Hue Should Know Better

I’ve never coached anything (with the exception of that lax camp in ‘03 and that soccer camp in ‘98). I only recently really started to really fall in love with pro football. And I firmly believe the only good Raiders teams were the John Madden gasoline-and-drug-fueled bruisers of the 70’s (check out Playboy's October 2009 issue).

And in spite of all that, I knew what Hue Jackson did talking shit on his team after their pathetic loss to the Chargers January 1st was wrong.

As a coach, you’re responsible for your team. YOU are the one who gives them the mental fortitude to succeed. YOU are the one who makes sure their muscles are tuned like an Italian sportscar. YOU are the one responsible for inspiring them to victory. And if your team loses, even if every player on your team disappointed you, YOU are the one who takes the blame, at least to the outside world.

Hue Jackson’s rant about how pissed off he is at his team was the definition of bush league. “Classless” is another word for it. How can you blame the performance of your players against your own innocence when just across the bay Jim Harbaugh is sitting atop the division with a team of nobodies?

Maybe Hue thought, in his cracked mind, that this would motivate them to play better next year. Maybe he thought this would convince ownership to give him more control, one of his key points in his tirade after their embarrassing loss to a weak San Diego Chargers on the first day of 2012. Or maybe he felt that just lettin’ ‘er rip, ranting whatever emotions he was feeling at the time, would revolutionize how coaches handle press conferences. Sure, because they played like shit the Raiders were replaced by the Broncos in the playoffs and everybody knows he wasn't the one half-assing it between the endzones. But whatever his unsound logic, he couldn’t have realized how huge of a hypocritical dick he sounded ragging on his team after what was unquestionably a miserable loss. Could he?

On Tuesday, Reggie Kenzie’s first action as new GM was to fire 1^st-year-coach Hue Jackson.

As former Raiders coach Rich Gannon said on his Sirius NFL show, “Hue Jackson went ballistic at his postgame press conference. Those comments were heard around the league. I think they surprised some people. And not only that, but his comments about moving forward how he would have more control, and he'd want more control and want to do more things in terms of the personnel. I think when you listen to those comments, and you are Reggie McKenzie, and you're coming in you say to yourself, 'Wait a second, this is not how we're going to do business.' And I'm not surprised with the change."

Now to be fair there might have been other factors. Often new Management brings in its own people. Even more, the Raiders this last year WERE a disappointing team, finishing 8-8, though a 50-50 record hardly seems like a fireable offence. While we can never know how important those factors, one thing is glaringly clear: Nobody wants to pay or play for a coach who badmouths his players to the world. 

Hue’s SUD of the Week: Throwing a tantrum in front of the national sporting press. 

Here’s a speech to memorize for the next press conference you attend after your team loses (if you ever get another coaching job):

“Today was certainly a disappointment. Obviously we have a lot to work on, myself included. I take responsibility for my guys and rest assured we'll be changing some things for next season.” Perhaps say something about not having done enough as Coach to prepare your team for the game (see Mike Tomlin’s speech after Pittsburgh lost to Denver last Sunday). Then you walk away and tear your team a new asshole in the privacy of your locker room.

Hue should know better.

- Ryan