Above the Refs

By Wayne

I’ve always found coaches to be overrated in all sports.  Often times, the greatness of individual skill, passion, and team chemistry is overlooked, and success is credited to coaches that simply tag along on a ride to glory. 

Sports is the ultimate form of competition, but nowadays, it has also become a medium for business.  This is accentuated more than ever with the firing of Bull coach Scott Skiles right before Christmas.  How about that for a holiday wishlist?

When we reflect upon his situation, Skiles was nothing more than scapegoat for an ailing Bulls organization that has underachieved this season.  Someone had to be there to take responsibility when the team did not live up to the hype. General manager John Paxson was certainly not going to lose the job, despite offering Ben Wallace a contract bigger and more bloated than his afro, and drafting set-shot Noah rather than someone who could help out their dearth of shooters.

How can a coach that only years ago brought the Baby Bulls from nearly bottom of the batch in the Eastern Conference into discussions of championship contention be gone faster than Frosty the Snowman?  The answer: the coach position is purely a position of insurance—it gives upper-level management someone to blame when things go wrong, and gives the organization someone to glorify when the team strikes the gold mine. 

The same scenario can be seen with coaches around the league.  The Boston Celtics have had their coach Doc Rivers since the 2004-05 season.  With the humiliating finish of 22-58 last season, and a change of personnel, Doc Rivers has suddenly been showered with accolades including a potential Coach-of-the-Year award.  His coaching has not gotten better, and his character is unlikely to change at his age.  Isn’t it ironic that a man clinging for his job one night, can suddenly hit the jackpot the next?

The facade of coaching ability extends beyond the sport of basketball.  Look at Joe Torre, for example.  A proven winner, as New York fans would say, yet with a lineup that consists of Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter, can’t seem to make it past the ALDS.  The same goes for Lovie Smith and his Bears.  Superbowl contenders one day, NFC-North scrubs the next. 

So the next time you tell me about Phil Jackson and his nine rings, please just remember: give credit where credit is due.  Replace him with Larry Brown, Larry Bird, Gregg Popovich, and we’re likely to see the same number of rings.  But take Michael, Scottie, or Rodman away, Phil would be lucky to have even a Ring Pop.

I respect good coaching, but honestly, there just isn’t much difference from coach to coach.  At least Skiles can be happy that he can spend time with his family, while the Bulls desperately look for a coach that can perhaps… shoot some threes for them in the clutch?