Questioning Andy Reid’s Credibility
So, you’re shocked (shocked you say!) that Andy Reid would tell a fib to the media. That he would say one thing and then very publicly do another. And you think that Big Red’s credibility is shot, that he can’t be trusted.
But in reality, any mistruths that may have passed through Andy’s lips were all about maintaining his credibility. It’s not about whether he’s telling the truth – it’s about whether his players think he is up to the difficult task of running a football team. Whether they think he has the cajones to make the right decisions for the good of the team. Whether he is a credible leader – a leader who isn’t afraid to go against the grain when it helps you win.
Let’s recap Andy’s “lies:”
Going back to last January, Reid said that Donovan McNabb was his quarterback. Three-and-a-half months later, Five was history. One day this past September, Reid said Kevin Kolb was his quarterback. The next day he switched to Michael Vick. And then last Monday, Reid sang the praises of defensive coordinator Sean McDermott and said he would be in charge of the defense in 2011. A couple days later, McDermott was sacked.
So, is Andy a liar, or can he just not make up his mind?
One thing I think we can agree on after 12 years is that Andy Reid doesn’t change his mind. On anything. Ever.
So did Andy lie? Well, yeah. So what? Put on your big boy pants and get over it.
Because as important as I am and as important as you are, Andy Reid’s most important audience is inside that locker room. And if Andy Reid stubbornly kept Kolb as his quarterback and McDermott as his defensive coordinator, he would’ve lost credibility with his players.
If Reid’s guilty of any management sin, it’s lousy timing. He didn’t do things in the right order on either the Vick promotion or the McDermott firing. For all you management trainees out there, remember to take care of business internally before your news conference. Insiders first; outsiders second.
(Unless of course, it wasn’t Reid’s decision. There are some who think that “upper management” told the coach to bench Kolb and can McDermott. But I’m not ready to buy into that conspiracy theory just yet.)
Back in mid-September, Reid had to switch to Vick and put Kolb on the bench. Vick was so astonishingly good that his players would think Reid was either blind or crazy if he kept Seven on the bench. It’s never good for the boss if the employees think you don’t know what you’re doing.
Likewise, keeping McDermott risked alienating the players. Clearly, there are several players on the roster who don’t think McDermott is up to snuff. In the NFL, the players either believe in you or they don’t. And there were signs that they didn’t fully believe in McDermott. And Reid would’ve faced the same debilitating lack of confidence if he maintained the status quo.
And the McNabb lie? It was a bluff – and not even a believable one – in the poker game that is the NFL offseason. Everyone does it when they’re trying to trade someone.
Even though Reid’s news conferences get a ton of attention, you’re a fool if you think it matters what the Coach says in that weekly kabuki theater. When it comes to Reid’s credibility, we should focus on his actions, not his words.
That’s what his players are focused on.
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