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Tag: Tony Dungy

  • Jonathan Martin Talks Leaving Dolphins: ‘Racial, Sexually Charged Comments’

    Offensive lineman Jonathan Martin has opted to go public with his reasons for walking away from the NFL on Oct. 28, 2013. According to NBC Sports, the former Miami Dolphin sat down for an exclusive NBCSN interview with former NFL coach, now NBC analyst Tony Dungy to share his side of the story.

    Martin claimed that alleged bullying and harassment, along with ‘racial, aggressive and sexually charged comments’ served as a dominant reason for his departure from the team. He also alleges that he wasn’t the only victim who suffered from hazing behind the closed doors of Dolphins’ locker room.

    ”There are other people that got it too,” Martin said to Dungy. “I can’t say why I may have gotten more.” Dungy is currently part of an assembled committee developed by Miami Dolphins’ owner Stephen Ross to assess the team’s code of conduct.

    “One instance doesn’t bother me,” Martin said in an excerpt of the interview aired last night on NBC Nightly News and again this morning on the TODAY show. “It’s the persistence of it. I wish I would have had more tools to solve my situation…but I didn’t.”

    Earlier this morning on the TODAY show, Dungy revealed that he has personally spoken with three of the team’s general managers in reference to Martin. All three expressed optimism about the possibility of Martin having a chance to play again.

    ”They all said he’s a good player. He’ll get an opportunity,” Dungy said. ”But they’re all afraid of the scrutiny that comes with it. He’s got to get to the right environment, not a place like the Miami locker room was.

    It has been reported that Martin made numerous allegations in the interview. He alleges that some of his former teammates made racial and aggressive comments in reference to him, while sexually, offensive comments were directed toward his mother and sister.

    He also stated that he sought assistance from the team’s coaching staff in an attempt to resolve the issues, but to no avail. ”Members of the organization knew I was struggling,” Martin said.

    The 2-time All-American claimed he initially reached out to former teammate Richie Incognito, who was actually suspended for the final 8 games of last season, following his involvement in the matter. Martin also revealed that he spoke of his woes with friends on other NFL teams, and they even agreed that his experiences with the Dolphins far exceeded that of typical ‘locker room culture’.

    ”I have no problem with the normal hazing that you see in the NFL, get a haircut, stuff like that, little pranks,” Martin said. ”But of a personal, attacking nature, I don’t think there’s any place for that.”

    ”I understand opportunities in the NFL are fleeting,” Martin said. ”I’m hopeful that I get another opportunity and I’m going to make the most of it because this is what I love to do. I don’t know what I would do if I wasn’t playing football.”

    Martin’s NBCSN interview with Dungy is scheduled to air in full on NBCSN’s Pro Talk Football tonight at 6:30 p.m. ET.

    Image via Twitter | Jonathan Martin

  • Detroit Lions Name Jim Caldwell As New Head Coach

    After an intense quest for a new coach in Detroit, the Detroit Lions have found their replacement for Jim Schwartz with Jim Caldwell. Caldwell has most recently been serving as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Baltimore Ravens.

    The Lions came into the 2013 season with high hopes, and did well for much of the season, but their season came crumbling down as the fans in Detroit have become used to experiencing. The Lions started the season 6-3, and somehow fell to 7-9 by the end of the season.

    Detroit has been in a slump for a long time, and while Jim Schwartz helped them improve some over the past few years, they have not been able to advance in the playoffs.

    With the stars on their team, they may have what it takes to become one of the top teams in the league, and it could be something that could be achievable in the 2014 season with Jim Caldwell as their new coach.

    Jim Schwartz was fired along with several other coaches during the black Monday firings, but weeks before that, he was already in the hot seat after losing several games following an impressive start.

    Love Smith was considered, but he was hired as the coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers soon after that, and after becoming the top candidate for the coaching job in Detroit, Ken Whisenhunt decided to take the job as the head coach of the Tennessee Titans.

    William Clay Ford, the owner and chairman of the Detroit Lions, said of the decision to hire Jim Caldwell, “We believe Jim is the right man to lead our team and deliver a championship to our fans.”

    As recently as earlier today, the Detroit Lions were still in the hunt for a new coach.

    There were all sorts of possibilities, and they had already interviewed a handful of options, but they ended up going with Jim Caldwell, who was actually the first person that their staff interviewed first.

    The Detroit Lions fell to third place in the NFC North by the end of the 2013 season, and with a new coach, they will look to improve that in 2014. With the appointment of Jim Caldwell, they are hiring a coach who achieved a record of 26-22 in three seasons after replacing Tony Dungy in Indianapolis.

    In addition to Jim Caldwell, former Texans coach Gary Kubiak, former Titans coach Mike Munchak and former Chargers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt all. interviewed for the position.

    Does Jim Caldwell have what it takes to finally lead to the Detroit Lions to become champions of the NFC North, and earn a trip to the playoffs?

    Image via Youtube

  • Detroit Lions Are On The Hunt For New Coach, Who Wants The Job?

    The Detroit Lions have been on the search for a new coach ever since their terrible season ended recently. The Lions have a solid team, but simply need someone better in charge that can lead them.

    The position should be a desirable one since most people would argue that the Lions had the best chance of making the playoffs when compared to the other teams that did not make it.

    Working with one of the top quarterbacks, Matthew Stafford, and arguably the best receiver in the league, Calvin Johnson, the Detroit Lions are likely to have a succesful season again next year as long as they can get an experienced coach who can guide them well.

    The Lions fired Jim Schwartz during the series of black Monday firings that also saw several other NFL coaches lose their jobs, forcing teams to go on the hunt for new coaches.

    While the Lions started the season 6-3, they finished with a disappointing record of 7-9, which immediately put Jim Schwartz in the hot seat, and Detroit fans continue to scratch their heads after more disappointment.

    Some teams have already found new coaches with Lovie Smith being hired as the coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, someone who the Lions had looked at briefly due to their familiarity with his style when he was at Chicago.

    After that, they were seriously considering Ken Whisenhunt, who is the offensive coordinator of the San Diego Chargers, but they lost out on that opportunity when he was hired as the head coach of the Tennessee Titans.

    The next most likely candidate, and the first person to actually interview with the Detroit Lions after Jim Schwartz was fired, is Jim Caldwell. Caldwell is currently the offensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens, another team that was predicted to go to the playoffs after winning the Super Bowl, but did not make it.

    Jim Caldwell has previously been the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, and before that coached under Tony Dungy as an assistant. Dungy was also briefly considered, but was not willing to come out of retirement.

    As a result, he spoke highly of Jim Caldwell and what he thought he could do for the Detroit Lions when saying “I think the Lions were not only impressed with Jim’s interview but they were pleasantly surprised by the number of former Colts players who called on his behalf. Jim made Peyton Manning an even better quarterback — look at the numbers and wins — and I think he can do the same for Matthew Stafford.”

    If Jim Caldwell is hired as the next coach of the Detroit Lions, it could mean good things for Detroit, and for the development of Matthew Stafford. The Lions team is filled with stars, and with a bit of help, they are capable of making a deep run in the playoffs.

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  • Tony Dungy: Is He Being Interviewed by The Lions?

    Apparently, former coach for the Indianapolis Colts and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tony Dungy, is on his way to Detroit, but it’s for what you may think. As soon as word got out that Dungy was making the trip, many believed that he was interviewing for the Lions’ head coaching position, but he quickly shot that down.

    In a text message Dungy said the trip wasn’t related to football, however some folks are still skeptical. And why? Because just last week the 58-year old said if he did go back to coaching, it would be for the Detroit Lions. Currently, Dungy is a football commentator for NBC’s “Football Night in America.”

    “That’s the job I would want,” he said, referring to the Lions coaching job. “I think they’re closest to the Super Bowl. You look for a franchise quarterback in this day and age, you want to have a passing game because this game is all about passing, and you want people who can rush the passer and protect the lead. Detroit’s got all that.”

    In addition, Dungy said that he’s often called to do consultation for a few NFL teams, and during the consultation meetings, he’s immediately asked if he’d be interested in a coaching job, but he quickly turns it down. But he said the Lions coaching job would be the one he’d choose for a number of reasons, and he said that he likes team owner Bill Ford.

    Dungy said he’d play coach for Ford because he doesn’t seem to meddle with the day-to-day coaching decisions, which most coaches can’t stand. “He’s not gonna come in and tell you to play this guy, cut this guy, draft this guy. It’s a perfect situation. If I was ever coming back it would be for that job.” Plus, Dungy said he really likes the NFC North division. “They’ve got everything they need, and the division, eight wins won the division this year, so you’re in the right division.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Jim Irsay’s Comments Spark Controversy

    Jim Irsay’s Comments Spark Controversy

    This Sunday, perhaps the most anticipated game of the NFL season will be played in Indianapolis’s Lucas Oil Stadium: Peyton Manning vs. Andrew Luck. Except this time, Manning will not be playing for the home team. Sunday’s match-up will mark the first time Manning will face his former team, and the event has not been without controversy.

    In an interview with USA Today, Jim Irsay, the owner of the Indianapolis Colts who made the mind-blowing decision to release Peyton Manning at the beginning of the 2012 season, voiced no regrets about his decision to rebuild the Indianapolis Colts: “Circumstances created this decision. You have to understand there’s no way this occurs if he’s in Indy. It’s just impossible, where our salary cap was. Having him stay at the type of number that he expected and deserved to earn and all those things.”

    However, money was not Irsay’s sole concern with retaining Manning: “We’ve changed our model a little bit, because we wanted more than one of these,” stated Irsay, referencing his Super Bowl ring.

    “(Tom) Brady never had consistent numbers, but he has three of these. Pittsburgh had two, the Giants had two, Baltimore had two and we had one. That leaves you frustrated.You make the playoffs 11 times, and you’re out in the first round seven out of 11 times. You love to have the Star Wars numbers from Peyton and Marvin (Harrison) and Reggie (Wayne). Mostly, you love this.”

    These incendiary comments sparked reactions from both Jon Fox, the head coach of Manning’s Broncos, and Tony Dungy, Manning’s former coach at Indianapolis.

    John Fox, who coached for 9 years for the Carolina Panthers before taking the same position at Denver, is typically known for his reserve when talking to the media. Irsay’s comments, however, incited Fox enough to force him to speak on the situation:

    “I saw the comments [from Irsay] and to be honest with you I thought it was a bit of a cheap shot. To me, in my opinion, they were disappointing and inappropriate. I mean, Peyton would never say anything. He’s too classy to do that. But they sounded a little ungrateful and unappreciative to me for a guy that has set a standard, won a Super Bowl, won division titles, won four MVP awards. I’d be thankful with that one Super Bowl ring because there’s a lot of people that don’t have one.”

    Tony Dungy also called Irsay’s comments into question, stating, “Jim is making this personal. I’m surprised.” When asked why he believed Irsay had made the comments, Dungy suggested it was part of mental-game against Manning due to their upcoming contest: “I think that’s what he’s trying to do. Have him make it such a big game he doesn’t perform well. I can’t figure any other reason to go this way.”

    Why Irsay would want to provoke the NFL’s best quarterback to become even more competitive is beyond understanding. Perhaps Irsay realized the error of his ways late last night when he took to Twitter to respond to his critics:

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    Twitter-grammar may have had an effect on Irsay’s communicative abilities if he believes the only way to interpret his comments was that Peyton would have won more Super Bowl rings with a better Special Teams and Defense. His comments in the USA Today interview stemmed directly from the decision to choose Luck over Manning, and he specifically calls Manning out in his diatribe against not winning more Super Bowl rings.

    It seems as if Irsay is best defined by his line, “CONTRO sells.” If controversy is what Irsay wanted, controversy is what he has gotten. He just shouldn’t be surprised when Manning strolls into Lucas Oil Stadium and puts a Denver-sized wallop on his Colts.

    Image via YouTube