Mike Singletary: Leader Of Men
The eyes that peered into those of Joe Montana, Phil Simms and John Elway are now bespeckled, but his heart and those same eyes still rage with the fire and intensity that made Mike Singletary the force behind arguably the greatest defensive unit in NFL history.
Today, Singletary has the unenviable task of bringing the San Francisco 49ers back among the elite of the NFL. In an age where coaches are being coached, Singletary has let it be known he’s in charge - and can care less who’s watching.
Mike Singletary’s spirit is one of a fatherly nature, stern and unwavering but at the same time forgiving and understanding. In no way do I insinuate that the San Francisco 49′ers are children, but in today’s NFL there is a lack of discipline that starts in film sessions and ends up on the police blotter. In Singletary’s three weeks as coach in Frisco he has let the 49ers know that there is no margin for error and most of all there are no excuses.
“I WANT WINNERS!”
Niners tight end Vernon Davis has been a disappointment since he was taken with the sixth in the 2006 NFL Draft. It doesn’t help that Davis signed the richest contract for a tight end in NFL history. Davis has the gifts to be one of the greats but he lacks motivation and dare I say heart.
Vernon Davis, meet Mike Singletary.
Three weeks ago against the Seattle Seahawks Davis slapped Seahawks safety Brian Russell in the facemask, resulting in a 15 yard penalty. Singletary then benched him and sent him to the locker room for the remainder of the game.
It was the equivalent of your Old Man giving you one in the chops and daring you to buck up to him.
In that same game Singletary benched then-starter J.T. O’Sullivan in favor of backup Shaun Hill.
Singletary completes phase one of his regime: Establish Authority.
In last night’s 29-24 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, we saw the budding fruits of Singletary’s labor.
In the second quarter Shaun Hill scambled up the left side following blockers he dropped his shoulder on a linebacker, lost his helmet and lunged forward three yards for a first down. Hill hopped up fist pumping looking for more.
Later that period, Hill connected with Davis on an 18-yard TD pass. Degree of Difficulty on this pass was a 10. As Davis headed towards the sideline Singletary was there to offer an embrace with words of encouragement.
The beauty in this is that Singletary is still learning the nuances of coaching. Last night with :04 remaining and trailing 29-24 a play was run that had running back Michael Robinson attempt a run up the middle, he was stopped short of the goal line, ending the game. Singletary would say later that the play was called by offensive coordinator Mike Martz.
The ability to motivate others is a rare gift, Mike Singletary posseses that gift. As a coach in the NFL he will find out that if he continues to motivate his players the most difficult part of his job is complete.
**Note: Mizzo is experiencing technical difficulties at this time. He hopes to be up and running by this afternoon.**
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November 11th, 2008 at 10:11 pm
It’s a shame that bad playcalling/time management at the end of the game sabotaged Mike’s chance at his first coaching victory.
After a disaster of a debut, Mike’s 49ers took a step in the right direction last night.
Hopefully, he’ll get the chance to see the fruits of his labor as head coach beyond 2008.
November 12th, 2008 at 4:48 am
I think Mike Singletary can coach in the NFL. He has a strong personality, but he wants ‘winners’ and I have a feeling he is going to receive that opportunity to be the 49ers head coach for awhile.
However, the sooner the 49ers get rid of Mike Martz the better. I didn’t like him in Detroit and I don’t like his undermining role with the 49ers. I get the feeling that Singletary wants him gone as well.
Shaun Hill played hard last night for the 49ers and made some nice plays. However, he has a tendency to make untimely mistakes. And in the NFL you must be able to ‘finish’ games and limit errors.. If Hill continues to play up and down in 2008, the 49ers may make an effort to get Michael Vick or maybe put together a deal to get Vince Young.
Singletary is getting a lot of airplay by ESPN for being a first year coach only coaching his second game of the year, and many are suggesting he is way in over his head. However, I feel Singletary knows what he wants out of his team and the ownership believes in him…
However, it seems ESPN is trying to make Singletary to be a radical coaching hybrid of Jim “Playoffs!” Mora Sr. and T.O. and give the impression that he is too unstable and immature to be a head coach in the NFL.
November 13th, 2008 at 2:12 am
I hope Singletary is named the permanent HC for 2009 and is able to build his own staff - he deserves as much.