Mitch

First of all, I agree with Skkorp, I haven't laughed so hard and so long as I did reading yesterday's posts. You all were hilarious!

However, the way the Cardinals are going about this process of hiring a new head coach is absurd...and is beyond laughable, IMO.

Think about it. The Cardinals have known since mid-season that they were going to let Dennis Green go. Even Green himself knew it.

Therefore, the Cardinals have had nearly three months to come up with a plan for hiring the new coach...and obviously all they cared to do was put together a "Who's Who" list of candidates.

With three months to work with, why didn't the Bidwills and Rod Graves do their homework and narrow down to three (at the most) candidates to interview?...with a pre-conceived idea of who their first choice would be.

It's not that difficult to do...especially seeing as all the candidates on the Cardinals' long list were virtually guaranteed to be available, seeing as they are all coordinators or assistant head coaches.

Were they even watching Norm Chow's games down the stretch to see what he was doing with Vince Young and his offense? Ken Whisenhunt's?
Cam Cameron's?

Then...to absolutlely muddle and confound matters, comes the preposterous decision of retaining seven assistant coaches...which immediately handicaps a new coach's negotiations with the team.

This is a joke. And if an excellent candidate like Norm Chow is being looked over because he wants a clean slate and his own staff...imagine how stupid that is.

Just look at what Atlanta did...they obviously had Bobby Petrino in mind and they expedited the process to get him...which shows that they have a good idea of the type of coach they want and it shows that they are smart enough to realize that if they don't hop on Petrino right away, they may run the risk of losing him to another NFL team.

It would have been a refreshing change for the Cardinals to go into the process knowing exactly who they want to be the next head coach.

There wouldn't be all this media and frustrated fan speculation...

And, even more important, the Bidwills wouldn't be revealed once again as victims of their own indecision or unpreparedness.

Having candidates (who have already interviewed in Arizona) in for second interviews is absurd. What did the management team miss the first time around?

PFW is right...if a team calls a candidate back for a second interview, it should be to talk turkey and make the hire...not to have the candidate meet with the retained DC, whom, I'd be willing to bet, none of the candidates want as his own DC.

All of this just smacks of paralyzing indecision...an on-going rift in organizational procedure and philosophy...and a general sense that team management really doesn't know what they are doing.

None of what has transpired in this process inspires confidence in us the fans, does it?

Imagine what the players must think? And now we hear that some of them have been asked to take small roles in the process.

All this process could have taken is a simple conversation with Matt Leinart: BB--Matt, what would you think of Norm Chow as your new head coach? ML--You know, Mr. Bidwill, the guy is a winner...and he's the kind of coach who can lead us to the Super Bowl. BB-Rod, get Norm Chow on the phone will you? RG--Yes, sir.

The reality is that the Cardinals do the same lousy thing in free agency...interview, interview, interview...ad nauseum...and decisions don't happen until the player and agents have long since left the scene.

If you want a player...all you need to do is (1) call the player's agent to see if he is interested and to ask what the player's salary range is; (2) watch the player on tape to make sure of his skills; (3) call your insiders to see what kind of a person the player is and ask how well he would fit in. It's that simple...if all three efforts produce positive results, have the player and his agent report to Arizona for an interview and a negotiation session.

This is why the Bidwills need a real football man in charge...so that decisions can be made with aplomb and alacrity.

The funny thing is...the Bidwills' teams play like the way they manage...everytime the team gets close to doing something big, the team can't get the play out of the huddle fast enough and needs to waste a timeout...which later on prevents the team from getting the ball back at the end of the game...alas. another loss and an added chapter to Cardinal futility.

ColorWerx

Somewhere in all of this, Big is going to commit a false start, and the Cards will be forced to hire Clancy or someone...

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nidan

I see exactly the opposite Mitch. They look prepared and are going through an exhaustive process rather than picking a guy who looks good on the surface.

An example might be Rivera, if the reports are true about his bombing on the offensive side of the discussion. Regardless it looks to me like they are doing their homework. This contrasts with how they picked DG.

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DogTv

Mulli

Thank you.

PortlandCardFan

So the coaches coming in for interviews must be blowing smoke about this being one of the most organized, and well thought out interviews (paraphrasing)?

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All Hell is breakin loose!!!!!

nothing worth having is freely given... it is earned through hard work and sacrifice.

I'm sorry Thomas!!!

Redheart

After Paris, I don't know if Matt's judgement is gold in all things.

Mitch, I thought your "hire chow" post was good. This one...not so much.

I think the method and process the Cardinals is very, very, good. They appear to be ahead in the selection process of most teams in need of a HC.

Also, I like the second interviews, discussion of candidates with a wide souces of opinions, including players.

You don't have to have a consensus to make a decision; but most everyone will support the decision if they feel they were involved and considered in the process.

The Cardinals are completing their homework and will make a decision when they feel they are ready...alacrity in decisions is really not the important thing here.

Wins will be.

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Be Kind.

ajcardfan

I totally agree with Mitch. I said the exact same thing about them having too many candidates when this thing kicked off. Many of us griped about the assistants too. Of course, I didn't explain myself nearly as well as Mitch.

The one thing I would add is that I think "paralysis by analysis" is highly probable and a quick, sound decision is unlikely. We might be the last team to make a hire.

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We live in a world which is full of misery and ignorance, and the plain duty of each and all of us is to try to make the little corner he can influence somewhat less miserable and somewhat less ignorant than it was before he entered it.

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PACardsFan

I have to agree with your take on this. The Bidwill's are damned if they do & damned if they don't. Had they rushed into a decision like they did with McGinnis & Green, then everyone would be critics. They are trying to avoid making the same mistake by interviewing extensively. I see nothing wrong with it, especially if they are waiting for someone's team to be dropping out of the playoffs. I recently read a local article regarding the Steelers & how long their search took when they hired both Noll & Cowher. Hell, Cowher was interviewed 3-4 times before the Rooney's chose him. When you consider that they've had 2 coaches in like 130 yrs, I'll take that approach every time.

40yearfan

Some of us have the patience of an ant on an apple.

Relax gentlemen. Let's try to make the right choice this time.

Herdman

Mitch, as solid as your approach sounds, take it from someone who is involved in the hiring process on a regular basis that if the Bidwells followed your approach, they would end up being sued in court. Whether we like it or not, the NFL is not exempt from the same hiring standards as major corporations. Frankly, the fact that they are doing due diligence (whether just on the surface or for real) is a positive sign that it isn't just "good old boy" networking going on to evaluate the candidates.

lobo

couldn't agree with you more...in fact i applaud the team in the openess....it is all us making suppositions etc about who is who and what what. some teams do not disclose anything....the dolphins have met with over a dozen candidates...yeah they got blind sided so what...some teams have brought guys back twice...what is so wrong with that?? did you ever go on more than one interview for a job?? i know i have. how do you know that the list of 8 was not something they had in their back pocket for awhile?? did they say they made the list up over christmas??

there are enough things this gang can be criticized for...this process is not one of them the way i see it.

D-Dogg

Do we need a poll on this?

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You see, Cards fans, when you love a team without likin' it, the games can be long and cold, and contempt comes up with the sun...

Mulli

We might be the last time. We might not be.

football karma

This sounds as much as frustration from lack of news as much as over the process

This hire is sooooo important. They need to get it right.

Evil Ash

The Dolphins have interviewed 12 candidates for their HC opening. "Paralysis by analysis" may occur but it seems that they have done their homework rather then just going by reputation

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