I’m sick.  Still in a state of disbelief.  Mike McCarthy is no longer the Head Coach of The Green Bay Packers.  In my opinion, Coach McCarthy was the most underrated Head Coach in the NFL.  During his 13 years in Green Bay he never got the props he deserved.  All he did was lead the team to 9 playoff appearances and a Superbowl Championship! Not to mention:

• Best win-loss ratio to start the first 25 games of a career among active coaches, setting the record for the best coaching start in Packers’ history.
• Led the Packers to a 13–3 record in his second season.
• Second in number of Packer victories to the legendary Curly Lambeau.
• Finished 1st in the NFC North 6 times including 4 years in a row (2011 through 2014)

This is  the resume of a great coach.  No matter how you slice it, as a die hard fan, I’d take McCarthy-like numbers over the next 13 years.  It’s been a glorious run. However, the WON/LOSS record doesn’t come close to painting the full picture.

Like most Packer fans, I’m proud of this team’s heritage.  Even if you don’t root for the Packers there’s something oh so special about this iconic football franchise. Mike McCarthy was meticulous in upholding the Green Bay Packers standard of excellence. In my opinion, he was born to be a football coach and he was a perfect fit in Green Bay.  Over the years, I have followed him closely.  He’s a meat and potatoes guy who understands professional football at its deepest level.  He was brilliant from 2011 through 2016 when he led the Pack to the NFC North Championship 5 out of 6 years.  All of a sudden he’s not creative enough? He’s got a lousy relationship with Aaron Rodgers?  He hired the wrong defensive coordinator?  He failed to develop Brett Hundley?  He intimidates his players?All of this is BULLSHIT in its purest form.

While his football resume speaks for itself, his leadership capabilities separate him from his peers.  Mike McCarthy is a class act. In his 13 years at the podium, he never threw a player “under-the-bus”.  I never heard him respond inappropriately to some of the dumb-ass questions he was asked by the media.  Could he be gruff? Of course.  Sarcastic? At times. What do you expect from a football coach who has to field the same questions day in and day out?  Heck, Coach McCarthy is warm and cuddly compared to some (see Bill Belichick). Most importantly he represented the Green Bay Packers in a way that would’ve made Vince and Curly proud.

He didn’t put up with crap in the locker room.  Guys with big egos and loose lips weren’t going to make it on a Mike McCarthy team.  Call me old school, but that’s the way it should be.  He took care of issues and never aired the team’s dirty laundry for public consumption.

The pundits are all trying to find out WHY Mike lost his job.   When they can’t find anything sensational enough they make up stuff, like the supposed feud he was having with Aaron or the lack of creativity in his offensive scheme.  Of course, I’m just a fan.  I don’t proclaim to have the inside scoop on why, but here’s my opinion.

It all began on October 15, 2017.  The Pack took their 4-1 record into Minnesota and #12 went down with the broken collarbone – out for the season.  When the team finished 7-9 they blamed it on McCarthy.  Then, the decision was made to rearrange the furniture in the front office, putting Ted Thompson out to pasture and promoting Brian Gutekunst to GM.  I’m not sure what precipitated the rest of the changes, but many on McCarthy’s staff got their walking papers and they decided to perform an extreme makeover on the offensive playbook. Not a bad idea in concept, however the Packers stumbled when it came to execution.   That combined with several strokes of bad luck has us where we are today 5-7-1 and without Mike McCarthy.

The record is temporary.  The decision on Coach McCarthy is permanent.  This gives me an empty feeling in the pit of my stomach.  How in the name of Vince Lombardi do you replace a coach who was the second best coach in Packers history?  It’s easy to fire someone but now the work gets hard.  Essentially the front office, has to make up for this huge mistake.  Oh and by the way, there are only 8 NFL teams interested in McCarthy’s services.

I would wish Coach McCarthy good luck but he doesn’t need it.  You see leaders who are bonafide winners don’t need someone to wish them luck.  Through hard work, determination and doing the right thing, leaders make their own luck.

Now it’s time for Mark Murphy to make his own luck!