After weeks of speculation and much criticized silence, Bill Cowher finally addressed rumors and reports associated with his name and possible NFL coaching vacancies. For what seems like eternity, Cowher has seemingly been the only NFL analyst to not have a say about the coaching future of Bill Cowher. Unfortunately there’s no video, but the transcript is below. Cowher was pretty fired up about the reports and finally answered the speculation…
“I answered this question with USA Today two weeks ago when they asked me. And I said I would not deal with hypothetical situations and I’m certainly not going to speculate. Let me say this, for anyone to insinuate that I have a wish list of coaches to be fired at this time of the year, I have too much respect for the profession. I know how hard it is. I don’t wish for anybody to be fired. And for someone to insinuate that I’m doing that right now is disrespectful to them, and I’m insulted by it. I would not do that to the profession. I hope that every one of these coaches have an opportunity to come back. I’m not naive to say there won’t be change at the end of the year, but I will address that at the end of the year. Besides I have a pretty good team up here right now. And we’re going to the playoffs. And I’m going to enjoy and embrace every moment of it. Like I said before, I’m insulted by the fact that someone would imply that I’m out there wishing anybody would get fired.”
First things first, the part about going to the playoffs with the NFL Today is laughable. I wouldn’t want to spend 5 minutes with that crew, let alone 5 months. I’m sure nobody on set believed Cowher when he said that either. Cowher was very good when he started, but the Sunday morning schtick has taken its toll on him as an analyst. It’s surprising to see one member of the NFL media go after another so fervently, but it seems like Chris Mortensen’s wish list story enraged Cowher’s jaw enough to finally get it to talk. If you read between the lines, Cowher chooses his words very carefully. He doesn’t dispute Mortensen’s story completely. He may not wish for anyone to be fired necessarily, but he also doesn’t contradict that he has his favorite choices to return to coaching. The way things stand, the Giants, Texans, and Dolphins jobs could all be open. It’s a classic non-denial denial from a former Super Bowl coach that will likely be walking the sidelines again in 2011.
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