Tuesday (The Childress Effect) Edition: Wha’ Happened?
Posted on October 14th, 2008 – 9:02 AMBy Michael Rand
It is clear, by now — in perhaps the understatement of the year — that some Vikings fans don’t care for head coach Brad Childress. In fact, the coach spent a good part of his Monday press conference talking about those fans, and the chorus of boos (which have rained down in the midst of a two-game winning streak that has put the team into a tie for first in the division). What we aim to get at here is this: what is it specifically that fans like or do not like about Childress? What are the reasons that fairly even-keel, emotionless guy sparks such a wave of emotion in a fan base? Because honestly, this level of venom does not normally accompany victories — regardless of how they happen. Yes, that’s right: 87 percent of fans polled on Startribune.com want a new coach, and that’s a higher approval rating than the 92 percent against Childress on ESPN.com. Will all be forgiven if the Vikings put up 30 points and beat the Bears soundly going into the bye? Don’t just tell us how you feel, tell us why. Offense, defense, demeanor, mustache, you name it. Just try to keep it respectful and analytical.
Fasola-link! Dustin Hoffman selling a 1966 VW.
24 Responses to "Tuesday (The Childress Effect) Edition: Wha’ Happened?"
I, for one, love his classic push broom. However, his KAO lacks imagination and pizazz.
It’s not so much the mustache but the mustache rides that have caused me to bail on Chili.
Put it this way, Childress will probably never have his own Coors Light commercial.
Asking football fans to keep it respectful and analytical is like asking your dog to read you a bedtime story.
Brandon: Well stated.
I got yer respectful and analytical right here.
My guess: the unfounded arrogance bothers many people. This is a guy who claimed he had a kick-ass offense, then spent an entire season running Chester Taylor off left tackle. It’s a guy who claimed he could mold anybody into an NFL quarterback, then bet the franchise on proving it - and failed. (And then threw the quarterback under the bus for some supposed “lack of effort.”)
I’d say that there is a higher expectation in your second season. Childress has had two offseasons and two drafts to get “his” personnel, so that his KAO can be at it’s best. Instead, it’s one of the most lifeless, pathetic offenses in the league. And that’s with Adrian Peterson in the backfield.
I mean, you can reliably predict that when it’s third and long that the pass will be five yards past the line of scrimmage and will require the receiver to break two or three tackles to get the first down. How often is that successful?
Childress had his chance this offseason to try and improve this offense. He knew what a superstar he had in Peterson, and, with a good QB, this team would be a juggernaut. Instead, he decides to stick with Jackson as “his guy”, and saddles the team with a non-existent passing game. With no passing game, Peterson needs to break two tackles to get out of the backfield. Thus, little success for the superstar.
You could go on and on, but I think the general failure of the offense falls on Childress and his job security should be based on that.
Offtopic
How you know things are really bad at Michigan
Hint: Look at the t-shirt logo
/Offtopic
/Stolen from Deadspin
/Little Brown Jug coming to MN
The reason people should really be pissed is because this team has a small window to win and that window is about to get closed. Almost all of the Vikings main pieces are about to pass their prime. Pat Williams, Darren Sharper, Matt Birk, Antoine Winfield, and Steve Hutchinson are not getting any younger. Add to that the fact that they have no future QB, a Left Tackle that is grossly overpaid and no Right side of the line and the future doesn’t look overly bright either.
What we aim to get at here is this: what is it specifically that fans like or do not like about Childress?
I’ve been saying for weeks: because the writing is on the wall.
It’s at little baffling to me to see others baffled at the amount of [redacted] and vinegar. This is Childress’s best team, personnel-wise, and the best personnel to fulfill his “coaching philosophy”. Think back to when he was OC at Philly - good depth at the lines, a no-superstar receiving core, and a game breaking back. He’s got all that here, and in Year 3, they’re still miserable. Fans understand that this is very well likely as good as it will get, and they’re not happy about it. The Indy game really told everyone all they needed to know about this coaching staff and this team.
Also, Childress doesn’t seem to understand that the NFL is in the business of entertainment. He’s managed to put the kabosh on arguably the most entertaining player in football, by running the same two off tackle plays again and again. This works on exactly zero levels because - 1. it’s not 1986 anymore, 2. they aren’t playing Anoka High School and 3. it’s not fun to watch.
And on top of all that, he’s demonstrated to be an unlikeable [redacted]. So there you have it.
I agree with Jon also - Throwing that line of garbage at the fans was patronizing. We’ve known kick ass offenses, and this sir, is no kick ass offense.
All you fans like to look at the here and now. Childress is a big picture guy. He get’s it. This week isn’t as important as the season as a whole.
Translation: I’m smart, you’re a moron
-Childress
Sr1weeze:
Yeah, it’s a big claim to come into Minnesota and spout off about “kick ass offense”. Was he unaware of the 1998 and 2000 offenses?
Childress just thought, compared to the Wild, that this is a KAO.
jon, dave mn and jama are on the money on this one. 1. Childress just doesn’t know what he’s doing, but he acts like everyone else is soooo stupid for implying or stating that he doesn’t. 2. this guy has AP and his offense still is terrible 3. he’s absolutely made the Vikings boring to watch - I now watch (when I do) out of a sense of duty and actually root against them in hopes of higher draft picks and Childress getting fired.
Personally, for me Chili lost me his first year here when he didn’t have much for WRs (which wasn’t his fault). But then, he releases the only guy on the team who had shown he had some actual talent at WR (Marcus Robinson) and it was supposedly for playing ability. What B S! Right then, after nearly a season, it showed me what an arrogant, ignorant guy he is - and he’s only confirmed it for me in the nearly 2 years since.
Its clear isn’t it Rand? Vikings fans always need an excuse for why they fail and why they almost fail (i.e. barely a win against the Lions on Sunday).
Really, after this photo from his younger days came to light, he lost the fans.
UNFOUNDED OPTIMISM FOR THOSE WHO WANT IT: Giants fans were ready to sack Coughlin and Eli after the Vikings destroyed them last year, and their season ended up okay.
GRAIN OF SALT: that kind of thing almost never happens, much less two years in a row.
Vikings fans always need an excuse for why they fail and why they almost fail (i.e. barely a win against the Lions on Sunday).
So swarmswarmswarm, the lack of success for the Vikings offense is somehow the fans fault? I guess I don’t really follow the logic in your statement.
Anyone with eyes can see our offense sucks (hell, we had an announcer predict the play calling before it happened a couple weeks ago). It’s Childress’ offense. Why is it not acceptable to blame him for the failures?
Stu
+ Infiniti. That picture should be put on shirts and sold at home games.*
* Can I patent that idea or something?
Umm, he looks like a child molester. Do we need more? Ok. Boring, less than mediocre football.
Then again, he gave me Sunday afternoons back, so that’s kinda cool.
When Childress stops trying to blame Mike Tice and Fran Foley for the faults of his offense I might finally be able to get off his case.
Players have accepted accountability in the past for poor performance, why can’t he?
DaveMN: exactly. 
Vikings fans can blame Childress, just like they blamed Tice (even when they were winning!) and all the other coaches before. All I’m saying is there’s a pattern here.
1. His KAO is not KA, but it is offensive.
2. His OC cannot make in game adjustments. See AD getting stuffed All Day. Also, “they blitzed us more than we expected”. Um, yeah. So did we make any adjustments?
3. His left tackle plays like the undrafted free agent that he should have been. Cook’s best chance for the Pro Bowl is if they add the Matador position.
4. He cannot manage a game. What happens if they aren’t gifted the pass interference call and lose 10-9? What would have his excuse have been for not going for the two point conversion? Would he still have a job?
