I love Coach Zorn and have Great Expectations for the coming season, so don't interpret this as even a modest criticism of the coach, but I don't know if an "intriguing" is really all that preferable (at least in the meaning used below) a quality in coaches. George Halas circa 1962, for example, probably wasn't the most "intriguing" guy; he had coached 427 regular season games to that point and won 281 of them or, put differently, roughly 65.8% of the games he coached he won. He also had five (of his six) NFL Championships behind him. That he won eleven games the following year was hardly that much of a surprise and neither was he. As a coach, when it came to George Halas, what you saw is what you got: a perennially competitive bad ass who was as likely to win you a championship as not.
Jim Zorn intrigues precisely because you don't know what you're going to get. The point I'm trying to make is, as interesting and entertaining as it is to be a Redskins fan right now with all the newness and "intrigue," the end game is that one day I wake up and Jim Zorn is railing off 10-12 win seasons like they're free throws and we are a couple Lombardi (another unintriguing coach) Trophies richer as a franchise. If all goes well Coach Zorn ain't an enigma, he becomes a proven winner.
Hey but intrigue is good for print, so we've got that going for us. Hit up USA Today's Top Five Most Intriguing Coaches and you'd find our very own at numero tres:
3. Jim Zorn, Washington: Joe Gibbs is a Hall of Famer and a legend in Washington. But that really isn't a huge deal since Gibbs' magic wasn't as strong the second time around. But Zorn will be of great interest if only because he was hired as offensive coordinator and then out of the blue named coach. He had great zeal for the job and fans are enthused by his early performance. But he is a coaching unknown and that always makes for good theater.
Briefly:
Joe Gibbs is a Hall of Famer and a legend in Washington the galaxy. But that really isn't a huge deal since Gibbs' magic wasn't as strong the second time around. And that is a big deal.
But beyond that I can't say I disagree with the author. As there is no record on which to judge our head coach, his zeal and early performance (doing what, misa dunno) is all we have on which to hang our hats. And our coach does make for excellent theater, if not vocabulary mentoring.
Hey, praise jeebus, we have a football game this Sunday.
My hat is tipped to: I have no hyperlink for marketing intern from USA Today, but you rule, guy. Don't stop sending me emails.
0 recs | 3 comments
Intrigue
Used as an unknown with a different style, would be Halas or Lombardi before they were understood. If the article was intrigued in Jim Zorn for “something” other than nothing then your points could stand but since the article lists Jim Zorn intriguing due to a situational condition outside of his control then it’s not him but the process which is an intrigue. It can now be said Jim Zorn is not an intrigue but his process of becoming a head coach in as such he can be a great unintriguing coach,
And the comment is an intrigue if not a totally confusing circular argument against your point, no critisim meant or taken.
dr WNC - July 31, 2008
I didn't get the last part
so I’ll stick with the part I did understand:
Hell yea it is intriguing, far moreso than Fassel would’ve been, as one example.
The king of intrigue, though, here in Washington? Definitely Steve Spurrier. I’m actually thankful that Jim Zorn isn’t THAT intriguing.
Skin Patrol - July 31, 2008
Fassel, Spurrier now they are intriguing...and as such defined as coaches
Exactly, You can ramble and make sense with Colt references, I on the other hand Ramble and it’s what it is “Ramblings”
dr WNC - August 1, 2008
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