Can We Finally Forget This Mangini Nonsense?
I'm very happy for Jets fans. Their team has had a surprising, and truly good, season. But I was a bit miffed at the notion before this week's games that Eric Mangini was the leading candidate for Coach of the Year, not Sean Payton.
Last night, Payton used football's biggest stage to remind everyone how great of a job he's done with the Saints this year. He's absolutely shattered the idea of a Culture of Losing. And I'd imagine he's ruined the concept of rookie coaches for the forseeable future. From talent evaluation, to free agent recruitment, to attitude adjustment, to gameplanning, to play-calling, Payton has done a remarkable job with the Saints. And I'm not even saying this as a Saints fan. I'm saying this as a football observer who's never seen a rookie coach make this much of an impact on a team.
Mangini is a talented coach, and the Jets can look forward to a fruitful future. But this year, there's only one coach that matters. His name's Sean Payton.
