Martz put his credibility on the line with latest ploy

[hockeystl]

Martz put his credibility on the line with latest ploy


BY BERNIE MIKLASZ
Post-Dispatch Sports Columnist
11/12/2004

Mike Martz, playing the role of Bear Bryant?

The casting, to say the least, is unusual. But with Martz, we should never be surprised. The NFL's most fascinating and quirky head coach was at it again this week at Rams Park.

Leave it to Martz to conduct a psychology experiment in the middle of a season. This player-friendly coach cracked down on his players, publicly calling them out for their lackluster play. Then he put the boys through a tough, full-contract practice, which went against his previous coaching standards.

It's good to see Martz morph into "Mad Mike" in a different way. We'll see if the motivational ploy works on Sunday against the visiting Seattle Seahawks.

A few observations:

* The Rams' primary problem is a decline in overall talent. The offensive line, neglected in the draft, is mediocre. The defense has only one player, pass-rusher Leonard Little, consistently capable of altering a game with big-play moments. Poor drafts are the root cause of the erosion in personnel. The Rams have missed on too many premium picks. Period.


* If Martz wants a tougher and more physical team, fine. But you're supposed to cultivate that attitude in training camp. It's difficult to transform a team's personality over a few days. The culture must be gradually changed over a period of time.


* Martz has, to an extent, put his credibility on the line as never before. By going off on his players, he's gambling that they'll respond in a positive way. But suppose the psychological tactic fails, and the same old Rams show up on Sunday? He could lose the respect of his players. And then he could lose the team.

[Dell Dude]

I also hear Martz used up two of the Rams first half timeouts this Sunday on that practice. He defines nincompoop.

[AnthonyRichkas]

they blow out seattle this weekend

As a team, they cannot even blow out candles.

[Dell Dude]

Originally posted by: sportman
As a team, they cannot even blow out candles.

At least fukkin give me a $10 NETeller transfer. Willy Hilly is having a $7500 British pound ($13,000 plus USD) blackjack tournament. I was built for this! I know how to do max hand, scorched earth, double and split down or nothing BJ. Top score is only $10,000 off $2000. I can do twenty five dimes easy. No way to get the money there, though, since my insta cash priveleges have been revoked.

$10 sporty! TEN DOLLARS!

You are in....

[hockeystl]

From Bernie Miklasz, columnist of the STL Post Dispatch....


On Martz:

This year, he's been erratic and uneven and distracted. I figured trouble was setting in when he started doing bizarre paranoid stuff with the media, in October. Martz became convinced that someone with the media was watching plays in practice and telling other teams, just because the reporter kept walking out of practice, talking into a cell phone. Nothing could be further from the truth; Martz was cracking. Martz also banned a Rams intern from practice because the Rams were getting ready for Tampa Bay and the young man had briefly interned for Tampa Bay. Nuts. Sad.

And it doesn't impact me whatsoever, so please refrain from your theories about this is why I've been harder on Martz. It simply does not matter to me, because I have no interest in watching practice or wasting afternoons at Rams Park. But I know Martz enough to be able to have a good instinct for when he's going into the real Mad Mike mode -- mad as in a little crazy. And his media stuff is usually the first warning sign, and indicates a larger problem.

(When Martz is freaking out and heading into the meltdown mode, it always surfaces first with his media relations. He gets really strange; starts to do control-freak stuff that's transparent and comical. I last saw it in 2002 but he pulled his head together over the offseason and was ready to coach again in 2003).

Anyway....

Shaw is on the case.

Martz is already talking about giving Fairchild more responsibility in 2005.



************************

Martz and the Rams will have a meltdown on MNF. Phil +3 seems like stealing.

[auspice]

I'm not a Martz fan but the loss of Turley, their best run blocker in the offseason due to back surgery has hurt a lot.

[hockeystl]

Originally posted by: auspice
I'm not a Martz fan but the loss of Turley, their best run blocker in the offseason due to back surgery has hurt a lot.

Obviously, injuries are a part of the NFL, more than any other league.

If Martz knew how to draft, the Rams might have some depth. He doesn't and the Rams don't.

Since Martz took over for Vermeil in 2000, the only OL that the Rams drafted that has contributed is Scott Tercero.

[Bobby C]

I'm not exaggerating when I say that I can't recall a more inept head coach than Martz.

[Lost in the Ozarks]

I moved to "Ram" country early this fall. As a lifetime Detroit Lion fan, I thought I had seen every type of inept coach that could be employed, but this guy Martz surpasses all the Lion losers. I really don't think he has a grip on reality. Last week he was quoted in the Post Dispatch as being "giddy" with optimism over the rest of the season. Even after the disgraceful effort in Arizona, he talked about his hard nosed young players. When asked why running back Stephen Jackson did not play against the porous Arizona defense, Martz stumbled around and finally admitted that he was unaware Jackson didn't play, but that Marshall Faulk ran the ball very well. Faulk gained 22 yards on 10 carries against the NFL's 30th ranked run defense. Martz is very quick to blame every loss on players, or a player, in this case it was Chris Chandler. I know the talent on this team has eroded, but there must have been a lot of it there when this nitwit inherited a superbowl champion, because he has only now succeeded in ruining the team completely.

[Bobby C]

Originally posted by: Bobby C
...I can't recall a more inept head coach than Martz.

An Art Shell article just popped up.

OK, so there IS a worse coach out there than Martz.

But that's a very short list!

[gc_pres]

Originally posted by: Bobby C

An Art Shell article just popped up.

OK, so there IS a worse coach out there than Martz.

But that's a very short list!

Add Richie Kotite to the list.

[Bobby C]

Not me. I'll take Kotite over Martz every time.

[hockeystl]

Originally posted by: Bobby C
Not me. I'll take Kotite over Martz every time.

The latest on Martz


Martz rumors unnerved team

Yep, I'm sure it was the rumors that were the source of the team's ass beating by ARZ.

[Bobby C]

Thanks for the link STL.

I wanted to pile on after I read it, but that would be.....um....piling on.