by Kent Sterling Winning solves problems; losing reveals them. The Indianapolis Colts roll into Carolina for Monday Night Football on the precipice of the first three-game losing streak in the Ryan Grigson/Chuck Pagano era, but even with a loss the Colts will still lead the AFC South by virtue of the head-to-head tiebreaker over the […]
by Kent Sterling I look at the mood swings of Chuck Pagano, the uncertainty surrounding Rick Pitino, and the constant din of criticism for Tom Crean, and I wonder whether being a coach is worth the money or sacrifice. It’s a tough life, even for a secure coach with a pristine record of winning and compliance. […]
by Kent Sterling When a talk radio host where I worked made some inane and ill-conceived on-air bet, I always forced them to follow thru. It wasn’t fair to tease listeners and not pay off, so whatever the harebrained threat was, it was done. If I refuse to pay a similar bet now that I’m […]
by Kent Sterling No one wants to get fired. There is an unpleasant stigma to getting the ax, and the phone calls to share the news with family are humbling, unpleasant, and easily the worst part. Getting fired happens to coaches. It happens all the time, and to almost every coach who aspires to lead young […]
by Kent Sterling It’s hard to win a game in the NFL. That’s a fact. After making 11-5 regular seasons look easy, the Colts have had an unusual amount of difficulty in getting that done this season. After a 27-21 loss to the 3-4 New Orleans Saints, the Colts expressed frustration in their own inability to […]
by Kent Sterling I’m performing psychological acrobatics like never before in trying to understand and embrace Tom Crean’s views on leadership expressed in his piece at forbes.com. Because I am a humane and giving person, any time I read something Crean writes or listen to what he says, I try to interpret his words positively. Sometimes, […]
by Kent Sterling Overmatched and underprepared. That’s the epitaph for the Chicago Cubs the day after one of the weakest showings in the history of postseason baseball. Regurgitating the obvious – anemic offense and defensive ineptitude – serves no purpose. There was no ‘what if’ moment during the first four-game sweep of the Cubs since Lou […]
by Kent Sterling First, do no harm. Good rule for doctors – and football coaches. Chuck Pagano’s decision to try to trick Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots Sunday night was a true “What the hell?” moment. Sixty hours later, after the curtain was finally peeled back to reveal the reason the play didn’t […]
by Kent Sterling We tend to get high and mighty about college sports – like it should be pure, chaste, and reflective of our best guess as to how teenagers should act. The coaches should be priests and the athletes alter boys. Those expectations are ridiculous. For a group to whom the word “No” has […]
by Kent Sterling Coaches who feel the hot breath of a boss on his neck tend to make squirrelly decisions. Indianapolis Colts coach Chuck Pagano made a call last night with the game on the line that defied logic, belief, and rationality. Click here to follow Kent on Twitter Facing a fourth-and-three on their own 37 while […]