Mike McCarthy Is Deservedly Fired

The Packers Were Right to Fire Mike McCarthy

The Green Bay Packers have finally fired longtime head coach Mike McCarthy after 13 seasons.

Patrick Olde Loohuis
Patrick Olde Loohuis Dec 27, 2018
27
views

The Green Bay Packers have finally fired longtime head coach Mike McCarthy after 13 seasons and it was long overdue. Packers fans have been calling for his head for the longest time now. Ever since Green Bay won Super Bowl XLV back in 2011, McCarthy has been criticized for not bringing the team another Super Bowl title since. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers may be the most talented signal-caller to ever play the game of football, and he has carried the Packers to many playoff appearances over the past decade. Many in the football realm think that he should have more than one Super Bowl title at 35 years old, especially Packers fans, but that has not been the case. Analysts and fans alike claim that this is primarily because of McCarthy. Either way, Green Bay fans are thrilled.

The Packers are an NFL organization primarily known these days for having two Hall of Fame-caliber quarterbacks back-to-back in Brett Favre and the aforementioned Rodgers. Despite this, they have only won a combined two Super Bowl championships since 1992 when they acquired Favre. The team signed Rodgers to a four-year $134 million extension this offseason after a down year when they finished 7-9, mainly because he missed significant time with a broken collarbone. This contract makes him the highest-paid player in the NFL, and many see it as justified.

Rodgers has been the primary reason the Packers have even been relevant over the past decade, just like Favre throughout the 1990s and 2000s. The team has relied on his otherworldly talent time and time again to carry them to the playoffs and beyond. Rodgers is 9-7 in the postseason, but he is in a tough and competitive conference in the NFC. Rarely does an NFC team make the playoffs in consecutive years?

The talents of both quarterbacks may have been a curse for the Packers, especially Rodgers. Their talents may have led Green Bay's management to believe that everything is fine after a failed season. Green Bay has consistently failed to build a proper team around these quarterbacks McCarthy and the Packers' front office may have been forced into a mindset that they would be competitive as long as they have Aaron Rodgers. They have neglected trades and big free agency signings over the years and relied on drafting prospects to support him.

This has not always worked in the Packers' favor. In fact, it hurts them now more than ever. General manager Ted Thompson may have been fired, but his failures weigh heavily on the organization today. McCarthy has also refused to adapt to the rest of the NFL as the years have gone by. As we can see now, this has cost the team dearly.

The Packers have reached the nadir by suffering a 20-17 loss at home to the lowly Arizona Cardinals, regressing to 4-7-1 with Rodgers starting every game. The 35-year-old is not his superstar self this season, barely completing 60% of his passes and missing wide open receivers a startling amount of times. Father time may be catching up to him, but his supporting cast and the coaching scheme have not helped matters. This can be blamed on McCarthy, who has been largely averted to change over the past decade.

In conclusion, McCarthy's firing was the right thing for the Packers to do. They may have a chance to build a proper supporting cast around Rodgers before father time envelops him completely and get him another Super Bowl ring before he retires in a few years.

Patrick Olde Loohuis
Patrick Olde Loohuis Dec 27, 2018
At Washington State University

Popular Right Now

Why I Love Basketball

I will never stop playing what I love —​ this sport that is my comforter, my teacher and my companion in life.
Daniel Cho
Daniel Cho Sep 5, 2016
14139
views

The squeak of the court, the swish of a shot, the smack of a block, the shared laughter of teammates — these moments and memories last forever. Ever since the 7th grade, basketball has been one of my favorite aspects of life. I’m not an incredible player, but it has never made a difference. I was easily the worst player on my team in middle school, yet it never changed how much I loved the sport. Endless hours, which were well spent, were put into my practice with the school team, with friends or just by myself. Be it an actual game, practice drills, or imagining I was actually a great player hitting a game winning shot, I would always use my spare time to play.

Even though I love every aspect of basketball, there has always been one part of it that sits as king above all the rest — playing a real game. Those who’ve played on a team know exactly what I’m talking about. There is absolutely nothing like the nerves you get right before a game, the hype that rises within you as you listen to your music during warm-ups and the rush of adrenaline as soon as that jump ball starts. Once the ball goes up, you know what’s about to go down. All that matters in that moment is playing the game.

Reflecting on all this, it becomes clear to me that I love basketball not because it’s a sport but because it represents so much more. It’s my release, the opportunity for me to just set aside any worries or troubles, even for a moment, and to focus on just playing my heart out in a game that brings me so much excitement and joy. I get connected to those I play with, not only growing closer with teammates but also developing respect for those I play against. Basketball forces me to trust my teammates, teaches me to be a team player and pushes me to get back up and keep playing, no matter how bad the score may be or how bad of a game I might have had. The next game can always be different.

Even with all the losses, the injuries and the frustrations that may arise when playing basketball, there remain endless memories of sheer happiness, joy, contentment. I wouldn't trade any of it away because it has made me who I am today. Without basketball, I wouldn’t have had the determination to keep moving forward, the opportunity to meet new people or the feeling of freedom from burdens and responsibilities. To imagine my life without this sport and all that comes with it would be impossible.

I could simply go on forever about the reasons why I love basketball, which I’m sure by now is pretty clear. I dread the day when my body can no longer handle running on the court or handling the ball, but until that day comes, I will never stop playing what I love — this sport that is my comforter, my teacher and my companion in life.

Cover Image Credit: Artie Markosov
Daniel Cho
Daniel Cho Sep 5, 2016
At George Fox University

Related Content

Connect with a generation
of new voices.

We are students, thinkers, influencers, and communities sharing our ideas with the world. Join our platform to create and discover content that actually matters to you.

Learn more Start Creating

Will The Seahawks Extend Bobby Wagner?

The star veteran linebacker will turn 29 in June.

Patrick Olde Loohuis
Patrick Olde Loohuis May 14, 2019
27
views

The Seattle Seahawks have made a few notable moves so far in the 2019 NFL offseason. They traded star pass rusher Frank Clark to the Kansas City Chiefs for significant draft capital and made quarterback Russell Wilson the highest-paid player in NFL history after his self-imposed April 15 deadline for a contract extension. In addition, they selected Ohio State wide receiver D.K. Metcalf in the 2019 NFL Draft after he surprisingly fell to the 64th overall pick at the end of the second round. However, there are still a few questions to be answered. Most notably, will the Seahawks extend veteran linebacker Bobby Wagner?

Seattle drafted two linebackers in Cody Barton and Ben Burr-Kirven in this year's draft. However, Wagner has been one of the NFL's top linebackers throughout his seven-year career and is considered by many to be the best along with Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly. Although a versatile player, he is perhaps most known for his elite tackling ability and efficiency in that department. In the 2018 season, he missed only one tackle out of 139 attempts and was given a 139.0 tackling efficiency score from Pro Football Focus, more than double the score of runner-up Jon Bostic. However, he is entering a contract year and approaching his 29th birthday, so Seattle must make a decision on his long-term future.

Wagner is expected to become the highest-paid linebacker in the NFL after being overtaken by five other players of his position since he signed his initial four-year, $43 million contract extension on August 2, 2015. He has been one of the most consistent linebackers in the league and has stayed relatively healthy throughout his career with few character concerns. After Jets linebacker C.J. Mosley set the market for the position with his five-year, $85 million contract, the Seahawks will have to offer a significant amount of dough to their star to keep him. Wagner has stated that he will play the 2019 season as if it is his last in the Emerald City and reports say that he is not keen on taking a hometown discount to stay with the team.

The Seahawks were in a similar situation with veteran safety Earl Thomas last offseason when he held out for a contract extension that paid him his perceived value. We all know how that turned out. Could the same scenario happen with Wagner? All we know for sure is that Seattle has another large decision to make for another veteran star player.

Patrick Olde Loohuis
Patrick Olde Loohuis May 14, 2019
At Washington State University

Related Content

Facebook Comments