Would you have dumped Pagano for Arians?

[Mr. Scot]

The uncomfortable truth that everybody in Indianapolis had to deal with a few years ago was that the team looked better under interim coach Bruce Arians than it had under Chuck Pagano. Pagano, of course, was fighting cancer, so no one was gonna say it (but plenty of people thunk it).

Arians is now head coach of the Cardinals, and pretty much universally considered a better head coach than his former boss.  An argument can definitely be made that the Colts would be in better shape right now if the team had removed the interim tag from Arians and just handed him the reins of the team.

But man, how cold would that have been? Firing a guy who's been fighting cancer with the whole team behind him? Even Darth Vader would call that heartless.

That said, Pagano is likely about to be sent packing after - and maybe during - this season anyway. It appears as though holding his spot only delayed the inevitable. Meanwhile, Arians' Cardinals look like contenders.

So if it had been your call way back when, would you have done it?

Why or why not?

[Sam Mills Fan]

Pagano had been doing a good job and you can't fire a guy with cancer. And check out Arians' clock management late against Baltimore, he's not the coaching messiah people make him out to be.

[chknwing]

[Mr. Scot]

Pagano had been doing a good job and you can't fire a guy with cancer. And check out Arians' clock management late against Baltimore, he's not the coaching messiah people make him out to be.

I agree that Arians is overrated.

But I'd also have to say he is indeed better than Pagano.

[PntherPryd]

I agree that Arians is overrated.

But I'd also have to say he is indeed better than Pagano.

bold move!

:)

 

fwiw, Pagano appears to have not lost the locker room.  They are going to be a playoff team in that division so just stay healthy and work on getting on a roll in January.  You don't have to be coaching genius in this particular situation.

I wonder if Arians took some of the assistants with him.  Just a few moves like that can hurt a team in ways you don't see right away.

 

[Mr. Scot]

I wonder if Arians took some of the assistants with him.  Just a few moves like that can hurt a team in ways you don't see right away.

I'm thinking he did but I'd have to look it up.

[csx]

They have been 11-5 every season until now since Pagano came in. I don't know how you could ever expect them to fire their original hire due to cancer. Pagano went 11-5 the next two as well and there was no indication there were any issues with him whatsoever. The main criticism was with not giving the defense any help at all.

 

I'm at a loss for any legitimate argument that they should have done differently at the time.

[Mr. Scot]

They have been 11-5 every season until now since Pagano came in. I don't know how you could ever expect them to fire their original hire due to cancer. Pagano went 11-5 the next two as well and was no indication their were any issues with him whatsoever. The main criticism was with not giving the defense any help at all.

I'm at a loss for any legitimate argument that they should have done differently at the time.

There were actually people at the time that suggested it.

The response they got was pretty much what you'd expect.

[frash.exe]

Even if they truly wanted to, the shitstorm that would've ensued would've cast a dark shadow on that franchise

[L-TownCat]

It would have been the better football move, but the PR would have been a nightmare until Luck made the playoffs then it would slowly fade as the Colts won.

As it sits now, they have the lesser of the two along with this icky feeling that Pagano is "dumb".

It would be better to be thought of as a cancer patient as opposed to haveing the public perception be that you're incompetent.

I don't care what people may think of me, but then again 50 million people don't know who I am or discuss my latest blunder with their friends.

[Mr. Scot]

Even if they truly wanted to, the shitstorm that would've ensued would've cast a dark shadow on that franchise

I'd agree.

But you know the saying "winning cures everything".

If Arians had the team playing at an elite level, would Colt fans maintain their anger or would they start looking for ways to justify the move?

[JawnyBlaze]

Irsay shoulda got high, then made the move, then when the inevitable insane public backlash struck he could just blame the pills.  Win-win.

[frash.exe]

I'd agree.

But you know the saying "winning cures everything".

If Arians had the team playing at an elite level, would Colt fans maintain their anger or would they start looking for ways to justify the move?

I feel like dealing with the fans would be one thing. But then they would also have to deal with everybody from deadspin to Bob Costas trashing them for firing a coach while he's battling cancer.

Arians would've had to hit a home run in that first year and win the Super Bowl for them to consider it to be worth going through that, because if he was a flash in the pan and were eventually fail, that franchise's prestige would be tarnished a good bit.

[Mr. Scot]

X Factor: Would Arians have even accepted the job under those circumstances?