I am a firm believer that a coach has to have talent to win.  Without talent a good coach can take you to the playoffs, but with talent a good coach can win it all.  To prove my point look no further than Tampa Bay before John Gruden.  They had Coach Dungy who had Warren Sap, Warrick Dunn, John Lynch, and the rest of that crew.  Coach Dungy was always known as being a defensive coach who was and is a good coach.  The great coaches know how to go to the next level and make the right decisions.  Dungy leaves, in comes Coach Gruden who brings a whole new mindset and wins it all. 

Now Dungy is with the Colts who had Coach Mora before who was also a good coach, but not a great one.  Dungy has done what he always does, takes good players to the playoffs.  But now we want to see if he can become a great coach and win it all.  He has the team, the right schedule, and even home field advantage.  Will he make the mistake of resting players, letting them get rusty and then only bring them back to lose in the first round of the playoffs or keep them focused, one game at a time.

I want to see the Colts go undefeated for many reasons and yes Peyton is the best quarterback in the NFL, but resting him to prevent injuries is not right on many levels.  One the opposition deserves to face the best team it can.  Two, you cannot guarantee the safety of your players just because they don't play.  Look at the injuries to other athletes moving furniture or in boating accidents or car accidents, or just falling down the stairs in their own homes.  You cannot live life in a protective mode.  That is the third reason, you need to keep the "eye of the tiger" mentality and charge after what you want.  Beat these teams into submission.  If Dungy's rests his players and loses even one game, it sends the wrong signal to other teams.  You cannot just "Clap on, Clap off" your offense.  These players need to stay in the groove and keep their timing together.  If they are injured, then win with who you have.  There is no guarantee that if they are rested they won't come out and get injured in the first game.  The NFL is a tough sport and injuries are a part of it.  The undefeated Dolphins won a majority of their games without Bob Griese who was injured. 

So let's see if Dungy has what it takes to be the next great coach.  Can he become a Landry, Shula, Lombardi, or Parcells, or will he stay with the Mora's, Schottenheimers, and Haslett's of the NFL.  Good coachs with lots of talent, but no rings to show for it.   Okay, so maybe New Orleans doesn't have talent, but feel free to chime in.  Notice Mike Tice is not listed as a good coach for a good reason, but that is for another day!

I have attended a few games at pro stadiums including Arco Arena, home of the Titans, the Superdome before Katrina, and the Georgia Dome.  Today I get to go to Qualcomm Stadium for the first time to watch the Chargers and I will report on that game and the overall experience later on tonight which brings me to my question.  Why go to the stadium when I can enjoy the game on CBS on a big screen in my living room?  Here are the Top Ten Reasons to stay home and watch on TV:

10.  No parking fees and I don't have to drive. (saves on petrol, much higher in CA)

9.  My couch is much more comfortable than the bleachers.

8.  No loud and obnoxious fans in my living room.

7.  Concessions are a lot cheaper from the couch.

6.  I don't have to sit next to four men with spray paint on their chests.

5.  No beer spilled on me by the fan behind me.

4.  No lines at the restroom.

3.  I can see the cheerleaders much clearer on TV.

2.  I miss the commercials.

and the number one reason to stay at home:

1.  "Honey, bring me another drink!"

I love that commercial with Peyton Manning getting his loaf of bread autographed by the stock boy at the local grocery.  There is more truth in that commercial than we would like to admit.  The honest fact is that the stockboy probably has a more meaningful job and impacts you and I more than Peyton ever will on a Sunday afternoon except if Peyton doesn't cover the "spread." 

Why do we love our athletes?  Is it because they make millions of dollars playing games or is it because they played for our alma mater?  Do we really enjoy seeing people making obscene amounts of money demand more only to renegotiate a contract the very next year.  Maybe it is because they drink Sprite, or wear Nike shoes.  Maybe it is because they eat Campbell's chunky soup or because they use American Express.  Whether it's golfers like Tiger or Nascar racers like Jeff Gordon or MLB players like Roger Clemens, pro athletes have it made.

And it isn't confined to the USA.  Ever see the Europeans chase Michael Shummacher around, you know the best race car driver and highest paid athlete in the world around.  Case in point, many of you don't even know who he is.  The English love their soccer and the whole world goes nuts for the World Cup.  There was a day when David Beckham could woo the heart of any girl in Europe, may still be able too.  This whole world is crazy about its sports heroes. 

Whatever the reason, we do love our athletes which is bad news for the grocery boy!

Let me say first of all, that I like Michael Irvin and he was a tremendous talent on the field and I even think he does a good job as an analyst.  He certainly looks better and dresses better than Terry Bradshaw, but I digress.  The point is, he had a problem with drugs years ago, maybe still does, but if not, you just don't go near the stuff.  The perception is that he is guilty now even if he is innocent of using; and he is guilty of possession at the very least. 

I still remember reading an aritcle on Michael Irvin years ago, that had some very sordid pictures of him along with some NFL cheerleaders enjoying more than champaigne.  The white stuff on their noses wasn't tiny bubbles.   Like most addicts, Mike's problems haven't gone away and he needs to steer clear of all temptations or his old demons may come back to haunt him.  I know we should just believe Michael when he says he is clean, but one needs to look no further than Darryl Strawberry who has been clean forever going by his account.

Bottom line, this will hurt Michael as an analyst at the very least and could end up ruining his life like so many other professional athletes who couldn't avoid the drugs.