What Bill Devaney should be doing soon, if not today...

[HUbison]

I'll sport a sig that says Hubison, is the Man, if I win yours will say the same with my name.

I accept.

P.S. $30 Million......$100 Buttzillion. They're the same rounded off to the nearest $1,000 Buttzillion.

Now back to the Devaney plan....

If the team continues to play the way they did on Saturday, it'll be clear by the end of the season that he needs to go. Making a change during the season is basically giving up on the year altogether, because I don't see an interim head coach stepping into that role and suddenly making something happen.

Nick, I agree that midseason coaching changes rarely (if ever) work out well in the short term, but if, as you said, the team continues to play this way, does it not hurt the long term possibilities (free agents, veterans, fan base) if 15 more examples of the team's rejection of Linehan are paraded out over the next 4 months?

[moloch41]

Did you watch the way the defense played yesterday- what makes you think that Haslett can fire anyone up? The announcers during the game kept repeating how our defense gave up at the half and they kept panning to the sideline where Haslett stood looking completely dumbfounded and was literally scratching his head at points.

[MauiRam]

If this was going to happen, it should have already happened by now. Best time would have been immediately after the final game of last season, and at that time Devaney hadn't been hired.

Regardless, I think teams that make coaching changes during the season are pretty much doomed as it is, so at this point I think the Rams are better off just riding Linehan for better or worse to see what happens with him at the helm.

If the team continues to play the way they did on Saturday, it'll be clear by the end of the season that he needs to go. Making a change during the season is basically giving up on the year altogether, because I don't see an interim head coach stepping into that role and suddenly making something happen.

I dunno Nick .. If the team has no respect for Linehan, then now is the time to step in and do something. I obviously as a fan don't know if that is the case, but things sure look that way. Why wait an entire season and let emotions compound with every game? Av's on the money about calling together the core group and getting to the heart of it. It is quite possible this is going on right now. If Linniy has lost the team, what's the point of prolonging the agony? The FO needs to find out now ..

[Ramblin` Ram]

we KNOW linehan is inept..giving someone else another go MAY turn out that they are inept too but its only linehan that we KNOW is inept..coaches take on the personality of their HC its a well known phenom...
Linehan has always looked like a "deer in the headlights" and thats how our players look on the field...im not doubting that linehan wants to win,just know that he dont know what to do to get it!

[Nick]

Nick, I agree that midseason coaching changes rarely (if ever) work out well in the short term, but if, as you said, the team continues to play this way, does it not hurt the long term possibilities (free agents, veterans, fan base) if 15 more examples of the team's rejection of Linehan are paraded out over the next 4 months?

I don't think it hurts it severely, no. Winning solves everything, and most of the important players are signed long-term at this point.

At the end of the year, if Linehan doesn't get this team performing well, he'll be let go and a new regime will be brought in. So it'll be a new beginning regardless, and a fresh start when it comes to long-term possibilities.

But the question becomes how good are your chances of reeling in a really capable and qualified coaching candidate (say that three times fast) if your organization committed to a guy for a season and then changed their mind and fired him after a couple of games? If I were a coach considering the Rams, that wouldn't push me in their direction.

The Rams really have two choices here - ride with Linehan or ride with someone else. Some would say riding with Linehan means another horrible year. I would contend that firing him mid-season and promoting someone else from within probably equals the same thing. So why do the latter when it risks damaging your credibility with guys you'd have replace Linehan?

I dunno Nick .. If the team has no respect for Linehan, then now is the time to step in and do something.

No, eight months ago would have been the time to step in and do something. The Rams would only make themselves look foolish and fickle if, after committing to a third year of Linehan this offseason, they turned around and fired him after a few games because only now did they figure out the locker room wasn't entirely behind him. Good luck luring a competent coach into that situation!

[HUbison]

But the question becomes how good are your chances of reeling in a really capable and qualified coaching candidate (say that three times fast) if your organization committed to a guy for a season and then changed their mind and fired him after a couple of games?

Little to no chance. I agree.

-sigh- I'm afraid this season may boil down to a "darned if you do, darned if you don't" situation.

[MauiRam]

The Rams really have two choices here - ride with Linehan or ride with someone else. Some would say riding with Linehan means another horrible year. I would contend that firing him mid-season and promoting someone else from within probably equals the same thing. So why do the latter when it risks damaging your credibility with guys you'd have replace Linehan?

I don't think the current FO has much credibility now anyway. I do agree that changing horses in midstream would likely not affect our win-loss column greatly, but it would send a message that there is a limit as to how much incompetence will be tolerated ..

No, eight months ago would have been the time to step in and do something. The Rams would only make themselves look foolish and fickle if, after committing to a third year of Linehan this offseason, they turned around and fired him after a few games because only now did they figure out the locker room wasn't entirely behind him. Good luck luring a competent coach into that situation!

I don't think we'll get a top flight coach until the ownership situation is resolved. Luring a bonafide coach is going to be difficult regardless of what happens to Linehan. I see your point about the FO making knee jerk decisions, but if we play another 4 or 5 games with the same intensity the team diaplayed against the Eagles, then the FO owes it to the fans and players to make a change. As you said: "winning cures all," and I hope a miracle happens next Sunday and we can win one.

Exerpts from post game chat with Gordo ..

eas0714: WHAT WAS THAT...? It was obvious to see the difference in preparation between the EAGLES and RAMS in every facet of the game. My questions is how do you see the HC situation playing out through this season, how many more beatings do the RAMS take before a change is made. Or will this season be thrown away while the OWNERSHIP situation plays out. Your thoughts Jeff...

Jeff Gordon: The latter is more likely to be the case. But if 38-3 happens over and over, SOMETHING will have to give.

My question - do you think that the new ownership will have the guts to fire Linehan this during season if this lack of everything continues? If so, after how many losses?

Jeff Gordon: The quantity of losses won't matter as much as the quality of the losses. This one sent off all sorts of alarm. I've always doubted that Shaw and Rosenbloom would make a midseason change, but efforts like this one could change that projection. ==============

STLtoday - Discussions - Postgame With Gordo

[jkramsfan]

Bill Devaney should be sitting down with the team's core of most important players/veterans, who I would identify as Bulger, Holt, Jackson Pace, Little, Witherspoon and Glover, and (with a promise of confidentiality and compete immunity) try to determine if there really is a concensus among the players that Linehan has lost the support of the team. Certainly, as many have observed, it seems that way by the lack of fire on the field.

If, in such a meeting, the players stand up for the coach, then you keep him until the end of the season. If, on the other hand, the team leaders acknowledge that Linehan has lost the ability to lead, then you have to start thinking of going in another direction right away.

Perhaps, the core players could identify a person on the staff who can motivate the team. Haslett? Saunders? Ellard? Or, perhaps its the whole staff at this point.

This is a desparation move, and one that should not be done lightly. But, soon (if not right now), Devaney needs to get to the bottom of this issue.

AV, I don't know that Linehan ever had the ability to lead,I don't know if anyone else noticed but Holt looked really pissed off walking off the field in the second half after all the 3 and outs,I can just see another blowup down the road if something doesn't change,nobody ever hangs around Linehan during the game.I really don't see anybody talking to him either.I don't think the team is behind him.

[Nick]

Little to no chance. I agree.

-sigh- I'm afraid this season may boil down to a "darned if you do, darned if you don't" situation.

Basically. The Rams gave their commitment to Scott Linehan this offseason. For better or for worse, they should stick by that. I'm not sure that they will though if the team keeps playing like this, but as I see it, you're essentially giving up on the season by firing him during the year and promoting someone else.

I don't think the current FO has much credibility now anyway. I do agree that changing horses in midstream would likely not affect our win-loss column greatly, but it would send a message that there is a limit as to how much incompetence will be tolerated ..

The same message can be sent by firing him after the year, can it not?

I don't think we'll get a top flight coach until the ownership situation is resolved.

Valid point.

My question - do you think that the new ownership will have the guts to fire Linehan this during season if this lack of everything continues? If so, after how many losses?

Jeff Gordon: The quantity of losses won't matter as much as the quality of the losses. This one sent off all sorts of alarm. I've always doubted that Shaw and Rosenbloom would make a midseason change, but efforts like this one could change that projection.

I've never said it wasn't possible. I just don't think there's much to gain out of it.

[AvengerRam]

I still don't like the concept of midseason coaching changes. As Nick stated, its not likely that an interim coach will turn a team around.

That said, if (and I'm not expressing an opinion on this just yet), it is concluded that the team "won't play for Linehan," then perhaps, for morale alone, someone else needs to assume the helm.

If that occurs, I'm still liking the Henry Ellard option.