There's still time for you to vote on the lineup the People's Pigskin will field in week 1 of the NFL.com Fantasy Playoff Challenge. While you ponder your votes (and while we wait for you, the Internet, to finish reading the polls themselves), here's a thought about some recent developments in the National Football League.
The time between the end of the regular season and the start of the NFL playoffs is always a time for the coaching carousel to spin at full speed. Mike Shanahan is the latest to climb aboard the tan horse in the outside ring, and everyone in the Washington area is excited about the possibility of cheering for a winning team again.
But Redskins fans should consider something. The top 20 spots in the 2010 NFL draft have been set. And of the 20 teams now considering their April selections, the top nine--that is, the nine teams with the worst record this past season--have all switched head coaches since the start of the 2008 season.
1. St. Louis Rams: Scott Linehan fired in October 2008, Jim Spagnuolo hired in January 2009.
2. Detroit Lions: Rod Marinelli fired in January 2009, Jim Schwarz hired shortly afterward.
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jon Gruden fired in January 2009, Raheem Morris hired shortly thereafter.
4. Washington Redskins: Jim Zorn put out of his misery Monday, Mike Shanahan introduced today.
5. Kansas City Chiefs: Herm Edwards fired in January 2009, Todd Haley hired the following month after the Super Bowl.
6. Seattle Seahawks: Mike Holmgren retired (at least temporarily) in January 2009, Jim Mora Jr. promoted to take his place.
7. Cleveland Browns: Romeo Crennel, the coach who talks to beer cans, fired in December 2008, Eric Mangini hired a month later.
8. Oakland Raiders: Lane Kiffin fired in October 2008, replaced by Tom Cable.
9. Buffalo Bills: Dick Jauron fired in November 2009, new coach TBA.
By contrast, of the 12 teams that made the playoffs this year, only two (Indianapolis and the New York Jets) have changed coaches in that time frame, and one of the now-former coaches can truly say he found something better to do.
What does all this have to do with fantasy football? Very little, except that I'm glad folks who run fantasy football teams don't have to hire new coaches if they lose.
We'll be back later with more thoughts.
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