Martz makes sharp moves, fakes out Shaw

[RamWraith]

By Bernie Miklasz
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Monday, Oct. 24 2005

Monday at Rams Park, Mike Martz came to say goodbye. And he did so with grace,
class and a touch of self-deprecating humor.

Martz did the right thing. He's supposed to be on medical leave, but Martz has
called assistant coaches, phoned in plays and dropped in on the players (at
least once) for a visit. Martz is making healthy progress in his recovery from
a bacterial infection of a heart valve, but realized he risked a medical
setback by continuing to dabble in coaching.

This mature self-awareness - to put his health first, once and for all - will
undoubtedly please Mike's devoted wife, Julie.

Moreover, Martz was sensitive to the potential discomfort of crowding interim
head coach Joe Vitt and offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild. Martz is proud
of the job they've done in his absence and doesn't want to make them feel as
though he's peering over their clipboards.

Martz added that he felt guilty at first for bailing on his staff and players.
But now he's satisfied to conclude that the Rams are in good hands.

"This is Joe Vitt's team now," Martz said.

Later Martz joked, "They're going to be fine without me and it makes me mad."

At times Monday, Martz sounded like a coach who showed up to announce his
permanent resignation.

Actually, I believe we've seen the last of Martz as the head coach of the Rams
- and not just for the final weeks of 2005, either. He's done, he knows it, and
he's just not ready to declare it.

Before we cover Martz entirely in get-well-soon flowers, we have to acknowledge
that he made a smooth move Monday. Martz was cheerful throughout his news
conference, but make no mistake about it, his smiling teeth were sharp.

Martz didn't exactly back team president John Shaw into a corner, but he
finessed his boss into playing some "Cover 2" defense.

It was Martz's best play-calling moment of the season.

Martz announced his intentions to return as head coach in 2006.

Which means the Rams will have to fire Martz if they want him out.

Your move, Mr. Shaw.

Accordingly, reporters put Shaw through an aggressive line of questioning:
Would Martz, if healthy, be the head coach in 2006?

No matter how pleasant the spin, Shaw wouldn't come out and state definitively
that Martz would be the Rams' head coach in 2006. Shaw hedged.

So here we have it: the chipper and optimistic Martz, vowing to make a
comeback, and his boss declining to offer that coach 100 percent assurances.

The wishy-washy support followed Sunday's indelicate repudiation of Martz by
Shaw and president of football operations Jay Zygmunt. The executives blocked
Martz's attempts to call in a couple of plays to Fairchild during the second
half of Sunday's 28-17 win over New Orleans.

Shaw claims that he, and not Zygmunt, made the decision to cut Martz off.
Whatever. After staying away from Rams Park for weeks, Zygmunt is suddenly back
in the middle of everything, even parked in the coach's booth during Sunday's
game. Zygmunt is clearly powering back up in wake of Martz's illness.

Martz is coming across as a sympathetic figure. Shaw and Zygmunt continue to
come across as lawyers, accountants and businessmen.

Fair or not, Shaw and Zygmunt leave the impression that they're easing their
ailing coach to the curb at Rams Park.

Martz, of course, knows this.

If anything, Martz is helping to position himself closer to that exit door.

That's why Martz showed up Monday to have his own news conference after
discovering Shaw planned to address the media over Martz's future.

Martz wanted to speak for himself. And he did so gracefully - except that he
shrewdly maneuvered to put Shaw on the spot.

And now Martz will go underground, to avoid further exposure to the
contamination at Rams Park.

Don't let Monday's charming smile fool you.

Coach Martz has had enough.

[rampete]

i agree...martz will benefit from going back to the OC position with another team and distancing himself from georgia's henchmen, which won't be a problem come next off season...

shaw conveniently showed the door to vermeil by announcing that martz will be the next HC and now he's posturing to shove the wheelchair out the door whether martz is in it or not...

[Tony Soprano]

The problem is what respected, proven coach will want to step into this soap opera ? The back-stabbing and powergrabs in the Front Office is ridiculous.

.

[Nick]

Originally Posted by rampete

georgia's henchmen, which won't be a problem come next off season...

So by letting them stab our coach in the back and run him out of town, we won't have any more problems with them? Are you suggesting they'll be fired, or that they'll find a coach they like who won't cause them any problems? This is a rather backwards way of addressing the real problem in this situation.

Furthermore, given the number of potential head coach openings going into 2006, I'm not so sure that should Martz become available that he takes a job as an OC.

[rampete]

Originally Posted by NickSeiler

So by letting them stab our coach in the back and run him out of town, we won't have any more problems with them? Are you suggesting they'll be fired, or that they'll find a coach they like who won't cause them any problems? This is a rather backwards way of addressing the real problem in this situation.

Furthermore, given the number of potential head coach openings going into 2006, I'm not so sure that should Martz become available that he takes a job as an OC.

my command of the english language is suspect at best, but what i meant to write was that martz won't have much difficulty in landing on his feet come next january. the rams FO is a joke at this moment in time and the ensuing power display will be a sad period in rams history, as well as geogia's fantasy world...

good point about the potential bonanza HC openings...martz may be in a position to be tempted by al davis himself...

[Shadesofgrey]

I guess i'm just not ready to read anything in to this...There is a whole hell of alot of assuming going on here...You know what assuming does...:bored:

[UtterBlitz]

I got to agree with you Shades....no point in assuming anything now.

[adarian_too]

Originally Posted by rampete

shaw conveniently showed the door to vermeil by announcing that martz will be the next HC and now he's posturing to shove the wheelchair out the door whether martz is in it or not...

Some people just can't escape the feeling that the Rams lucked into winning the SB rather than Georgia ever having figured out how to align the stars. One just can't help wondering what Shaw had over that Vegas call girl, I mean show girl, to enable him to secure tenure ...

... those tarot cards ShamelessShaw gave her on the anniversary of hubby scalping tickets must have had some messed up pictures on them ... maybe a boat, maybe not.

[rampete]

One just can't help wondering what Shaw had over that Vegas call girl, I mean show girl, to enable him to secure tenure ...

i believe it was his name...SHAW-man, that sealed the deal for the star-gazer, which, coincidentally, was what she referred to her tric...magic-man...

[adarian_too]

Originally Posted by RamPete

i believe it was his name...SHAW-man, that sealed the deal for the star-gazer ...

Shaman indeed. Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.