From: MCMASTER@LSTC2VM.stortek.com (Jim McMaster)
Subject: Re: Dan Reeves has been fired!
Organization: StorageTek SW Engineering
Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1992 16:11:09 GMT

In article <1992Dec28.235605.15118@netcom.com>
mzimmers@netcom.com (Michael Zimmers) writes:
 
>In article <1992Dec28.213737.3362@vexcel.com> tom@vexcel.com (Tom Baltzer) writes:
>
>>That's right, just heard on the radio that Bolen fired Dan Reeves.
>>No word on new head coach yet, but look out 49ers, I'm sure we're
>>interested in Shanahan.  or maybe Wade Phillips will be moved up.
>
>What an utter idiot Bolen is.  Based upon his pre-Super Bowl comments
>about "Chinaman" Jerry Rice and such, I thought he was just a boor.
>Now it's clear he's mentally lacking as well.
>
It is not as simple as "Bowlen (correct spelling) is an idiot".  There
are really three issue here.  First, Reeves last contract made him
$950,000 per year, and his next one will be over $1 million.  Bowlen's
family used to have several successful businesses in addition to the
Broncos, but they are not doing well now.  He can no longer subsidize
the team from other sources.  I think he simply can no longer afford
Reeves.  There are also rumors he might sell the team, and a long-term
huge contract with Reeves might make that difficult.
 
The second issue is control.  When Bowlen and his predecessor gave
Reeves total control over football operations, they know little about
football.  Bowlen now feels he knows more about it (rightly or wrongly)
and wants to have more of a voice in running his team.  Reeves'
contract gives him total control over players, assistant coaches and
strategy.  Bowlen wants some of that back.  No one doubts that Reeves
is one of the very best field coaches ever, but some of his personnel
moves have been very bad.  Bowlen (and lots of others) feel that Reeves
does not have time tokeep track of college players for the draft, NFL
free agents and still coach the team.  Denver's Plan B decisions have
been disastrous.  They could have had Stan Humphries over the summer
for a draft pick, but Reeves vetoed it.  He could have gotten a number
one draft pick from the 49ers for Bobby Humphries, but vetoed it (and
got Sammie Smith instead).  He picked Steve Pelleur as his backup QB
this year from Plan B (who stunk so bad he had to be cut), leaving only
MAddox and Moore when Elway went down.  Speaking of Maddox, he was
Reeves's baby, when the Broncos badly needed help at offensive line,
receiver, running back and defensive back.  All these bad personnel
decisions were Reeves, and many over Bowlen's objections.
 
The third factor is apparently that Reeves is a very nice guy
personally, but a real arrogant SOB professionally.  He could not get
along with lots of people including Elway and Bowlen.
 
Reeves should have been willing to hire some competent personnel
people, instead of Lide Huggins (his old college roommate), and been
willing to at least discuss some of his decisions with Bowlen.  If he
had, he might still be here, although money was a big sticking point.
 
>Reeves is one of the BEST coaches in the game, along with Seifert, Gibbs,
>Levy et al.  He should remain unemployed for about a millisecond.  I just
>pray that the Falcon ownership doesn't come to their senses and sack
>Glanville in favor of Reeves.
>
I agree,  I think the NY Giants will hire him in a second.  The Falcons
won't...they aren't smart enough.  The irony is that Reeves is leaving
Denver because he could not keep all the power he has.  He will never
have that kind of power anywhere else, either, but it is easier to take
a new job without it than to give it up in a job where he once had it.
Too bad.  Imagine what a Bobby Beathard/Dan Reeves combination could do
for a team!
 
>I do believe the decline of the Donco franchise is about to begin.  Suppose
>Elway's going to be looking for work elsewhere?
 
Most think the decline is well underway.  The Broncos are 26-24 over
the last three years, and most of the wins in a fifth-place schedule
last year.  The offensive line is a disaster, the defensive line is
weak, the running game is nonexistent and the defensive backfield has
some very old key pieces.  With free-agency coming and Bowlen's money
problems, I can see some key players (but definitely NOT Elway)
leaving, and Denver unable to compete for big-talent players.
 
I hate to see Reeves go, but it was only a matter of time anyway.  I
can see a long period of bad teams here, and Reeves is leaving with his
reputation intact.  In fact, I think it was in his best interest to
leave now, before he really got blamed for what is coming.
>--
>Michael Zimmers                                    |  Home:  408 996 1984
>SoftHelp                                           |  Work:  408 996 1965
>Software Solutions for Open Systems                |  Data:  408 996 1974
 
Jim McMaster