If Tice succeeds, don't credit McCombs

 

By: Larry Fitzgerald
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
Originally posted 9/30/2004

 The Vikings, after beating the Chicago Bears 27-22, are now 2-1 going into their bye week. They don't play again until October 10 in Houston, in team-owner Red McCombs' home state of Texas. Three years ago, McCombs shocked the NFL by naming Mike Tice as Vikings head coach, succeeding Dennis Green.

 Tice, as you may know, had never been an offensive coordinator — or head coach, for that matter — on any level before succeeding Green. Tice's record is now 17-19 in this, his third full year as head coach. Tice is also 9-4 against NFC North opponents Green Bay, Chicago and Detroit. His Vikings have been chosen as the NFC North team to beat and a Super Bowl contender.

 All 31 NFL owners are watching and monitoring this Minnesota situation very closely, because McCombs treats his head coach like a rented mule. Tice is far and away the lowest paid head coach in the NFL, earning in the area of $600,000 to $700,000 per season. He is the only NFL head coach making less than $1 million per season.

 Washington's Joe Gibbs, Dallas's Bill Parcells, New England's Bill Belichick, Denver's Mike Shannahan, Detroit's Steve Marriucci and Seattle's Mike Holmgren all make $5 million or more each year as head coaches.

 Tice will match up against Parcells; in fact, he beat him, Gibbs and Holmgren, and Marriucci twice. It's a shame that Tice has to be treated this way.

 In the NFL, everybody knows the deal. Everybody knows what everybody makes, and Tice will never get the respect from the other coaches and players around the league and many of his own players, because McCombs has total disregard for his value.

 There's an old saying: The proof is in the pudding. It's tough to succeed in this business — the hours are long, and players make mistakes on and off the field. McCombs has put undue pressure on Tice to learn and get on-the-job training before he rewards him with a fair contract. If you've watched every Vikings game as closely as I have, you see everything.

 The difference between winning and losing in this league is razor thin. You can have the best week of preparation, have your team prepared and ready on game day, and give the game away by making emotional decisions because you're learning as you go.

 We've seen both with Tice, like not challenging the Terrell Owns touchdown catch on Monday Night in the 27-16 loss to Philadelphia, or going for a touchdown in a must-win game at the one-yard line last year at Arizona. McCombs has rolled the dice with Tice as head coach, and he proves it by what he pays him.

 If the Vikings don't get it done this year (and remember, I think they should), don't blame Mike Tice. Blame Red McCombs, because the money he has kept in his pocket affects Tice mentally and psychologically every day, as well as everybody around Tice. That's human nature. It wears you down.