Minnesota Vikings kick out Coach Brad Childress
Brad Childress is no longer with the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings have had a rough season. They rank 3rd in the NFC North with a record of 3-7-0 and Sunday night they were brutally crushed by the Green Bay Packers, scoring just 3 points against
31 by the Packers.
Fans wanted blood and on Monday, Vikings' owner Zygi Wilf satisfied the fans' bloodlust. Coach Brad Childress was fired. Vikings’ defensive coordinator, Leslie Frazier has been named the interim coach until the end of the season. Frazier has not explained
what he would do differently but Vikings' quarterback Brett Favre would continue to start for Minnesota, according to Frazier.
He said that there was no hesitation on his part in making the quarterback decision. “Brett is a tremendous quarterback and he's been a leader of the team in the 1 ½ years that he's been here.” He added that Vikings would continue to support Favre. The quarterback
has come out in support of Frazier too. It’s no secret that things between Favre and Childress have been uncomfortable to say the least. When Favre came back to Vikings, he said that his personal attitude towards Childress would not become an issue but apparently
it did.
“He’s going to take this opportunity and make the most of it,” Favre said regarding Frazier’s appointment as interim coach. “He knows what it takes to win.” Favre made sure to bring up the fact that Childress had never played in the NFL while Frazier was
a veteran of the league. He said everything short of just coming out and saying that Frazier is better than Childress.
“In some ways, this is a day of celebration for our team because we have a chance to really embrace this opportunity,” Frazier said. He stated that he would make the Vikings a team that Minnesota could be proud of.
The usually exuberant Childress has not really expressed how he felt about the decision. He released a prepared statement on the Vikings' website that read, “I have great respect for the players and coaches who I have worked with and for their dedication
to each other and to the organization. I am proud of our accomplishments and believe the foundation of this football team is stronger today than when I became head coach in 2006.”
Many feel that Childress has paid the price for Favre’s mistakes. The quarterback has not really been in good shape at any time this season. Being able to play in the NFL at his age is an achievement enough but that is all he has to show for. Favre is leading
the league in interceptions. He has thrown only 10 touchdown passes at the cost of 17 interceptions. This Sunday’s game, which apparently tipped the scale against Childress, was just another example of how Favre has been letting the Vikings down. He gained
208 yards in the game without a touchdown but threw an interception. Favre is certainly a Hall of Fame quarterback but this season has been his worst. The quarterback ranks 32 of 33 quarterbacks in the league. Still, it was Childress who ended up being cut
from the team.
Favre at least wasn’t entirely heartless about the affair. “Brad Childress is a good guy, a man with strong faith and a good family,” Favre said. He wished him best of luck and admitted that the team and his self in particular could have done more to make
the season a success for Minnesota.
Considering how poorly the Vikings had been doing, there really isn’t quite as much pressure on Frazier. He said that he was hoping the players can stay focussed on the game and continue to move forward.
Owner Zygi Wilf was not pleased with Childress' handling of the Randy Moss fiasco. Vikings acquired Moss for a third round draft pick but he was waived after playing just 4 games. Childress and Moss never hit it off and the popular opinion is that he was
let go due to his disagreements with the coach.
Brad Childress is the second head coach to be fired this season. A few weeks ago, the 3-7-0 Dallas Cowboys fired Coach Wade Phillips. Both teams looked strong before the season opened but neither was able to live up to the expectations.
Tags: