| 30 September 2009
Hey Addicts.
I've had gigs the last two evenings so I'm really late on my post game analysis. In fact, I'm so late there's really not much to be gained by re-hashing the game once again but there's one thing I'd like to talk about and that's whether Mora crossed the line with his comments about Olindo Mare and the two missed field goals made in Sunday's game with the Bears at the press conference immediately following the game.
Jim Mora called out Olindo Mare in his press conference right after the game and laid the loss at his doorstep and some fans and sports personalities have expressed outrage over what he said and how he said it. OK, maybe a head coach is supposed to be measured, poised, and keep his post game comments neutral in nature while remaining cool and collected. Mora's a bit of a different sort and we've all seen his fire and emotions come out time and time again when he talks about the Seahawks.
This is an emotional man. Sometime those emotions erupt as exuberance and other times as criticism directed at a player who took a play off at practice. This time anger came from that deep well of emotions and overflowed right after the game. He just couldn't overlook the kicks that were the most obvious source of points they needed to prevail in the game and this time he couldn't let the proverbial sleeping dogs lie. He said, "We'll look at making a change everywhere. We're not going to fight our asses off and have a field goal kicker go out there and miss two field goals and lose a game.". That comment came after saying you had to make those kicks when you were in a tight game and it was absolutely unacceptable to miss two field goals. Some analysts and fans have construed that comment as tantamount to Mora throwing Olindo under the bus. To continue reading this article, please press "Read more" below.Not able to contain contain himself so soon after the bitter loss and frustrated beyond edurrance, he said what was most honestly in his mind in response to a question from a reporter. I know most of the guys I watched the game with would have concurred with his assessment right about then. Right after the game, we were also most upset at Mare because those are points the Seahawks have come to look at as almost automatic until you get to 50 yards out. Maybe we've been spoiled by Josh Brown and then the fact that Olindo Mare probably played over his head last year with respect to field goals. I think if Mare had missed one of those kicks, it would have been dismissed because kickers miss once in a while. It was the second one that made it noticable and something to make a big deal out of. His kick could have tied the game and sent it into overtime or made it a whole different game with those points. He's paid to do two things. One, kick the ball off and into the end zone. Two, kick field goals and be deadly accurate within 45 yards and automatic within 35. Both these kicks were within 45 yards and one was under 35.
Steve Raible said he played for a coach who told him they would tolerate him until they could replace him. He noted that it's a harsh business and every player faces the challenge of being ready when called upon to do his job and not mess it up. Although there were numerous miscues that one could point to that were woven in the fabric of the loss to the Bears, most of those errors weren't directly connected to points that were squandered like the field goals were. If those kicks were from 50 plus yards out, then I think the coach is putting the kicker in a situation where he has to accept that the results may not be everything he wants because of the extreme distance. Under 45 yards is the bread and butter of an NFL kicker.
Mike Salk was all over Mora on the Brock and Salk show and chastised him for three hours Monday on the air for calling out Mare. It was also discussed that maybe he wasn't talking about Mare when he said there would be changes made. There were some indications that either the snap or the hold wasn't good in both those misses and maybe Mora was talking about one of those players when he said changes would be made. Mora then said in Monday's press conference that changes in tactics, coaching philosophy, and some of the play calling was more in line with the changes he was talking about not specifically personnel changes of which he said he has no plans to make at this time.
In Monday's press conference, Mora was asked if he still felt as strongly about Mare's missed kicks as he did right after the game when he made those comments. Mora said he did not and that one of the factors is that he has high high expectations for Olindo and it's because of the work he's done in the league. He said that he's been an outstanding kicker and that he's done a lot of great things for us. He also said he let his emotions get to him when he made his answers about Olindo. He said that sometimes you set the bar a little too high. Asked if he went home and had any remorse over what he had said, Mora said no. He said we're all accountable and he wanted him to make those kicks because he's capable of making those kicks. He said it again, "absolutely capable of making those kicks".
He said there were a lot of plays in that game that affected the outcome but when he was asked the question about the field goals, he answered it honestly which confirms what I initially suspected about him saying what was on his mind straight out and honest like the straight shooter he is on Sunday after the game. He also said they had a team meeting and everything was fine with the team and Mare in particular. They all understand where the comments came from and what the situation and context were when it was said. The team shares the blame for not winning the game and no one wanted to make those kicks more than Olindo. Regardless of who else didn't perform up to standards though, Olindo understands that if he had made two medium range field goals under good field conditions, the team would have had a much better chance. If he had been at the podium on Sunday after the game, it's highly likely he would have said the same thing Mora said.
We've all seen other coaches who couldn't contain their emotions at that point that comes right after the battle is over and the wound of losing is still fresh and painful. Who hasn't cringed at a Bill Parcells post game conference when he was steamed about something. Mora was angry and upset that they lost a game they should have won. I'd rather see a coach who shows that the game meant as much to him as it did to us fans than watch another cool collected head coach speak softly about the game like it was just another event that happened over the weekend and gosh and shucks, we've got another chance next week to win one. SCREW THAT! Give me the fire breathing dragon who let's his team know that it wasn't an acceptable conclusion to the game whether they were playing with backups or not. If they were clearly outmatched and got their tails singed, that's one set of circumstances but this was a game the Seahawks were in from one end to the other and they had a perfect opportunity to grab a share of the NFC West lead. Mora saw all that and more. He didn't like it. He didn't want there to be any mistakes made where someone would think there was any excuse that he would allow. Give me that kind of passion every time.
Mora went on to say Monday this was the best game the Seahawks have played so far. He thought there were a lot of positives like how the running game performed against a pretty good team and he also said several players played very well. He still feels that there's no reason to panic yet and said they were being very cautious with players coming back from injury and not taking chances of re-aggravation the injury. The plan is to make sure the players coming back are ready to play and then having them for the rest of the season. Meanwhile several newer players are getting some very valuable experience to further bolster the quality of our backup depth and rotational strength in those positions we rotate. The offensive line through three games has played far above what anyone thought they would given that they're down to they're third left tackle, a player who was just recently added to the roster. After Walt and Spencer get back to playing regularly, we have some experience sitting on the bench to backup our starters with and that just makes the team better overall.
How do you Addicts feel about Mora and how he handled the press conferences both post game and then Monday after he had a chance to cool down and reflect? Did he really throw Mare under the bus or just tell it like it was and let his raw emotions get out? What was your reaction to the situation? Did Mora cross a line after the game? Please comment and let us know what you Addicts think.
Hasta,
BillT
written by quickreply1, September 30, 2009
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written by forrest, September 30, 2009
Just because there is shared blame for the loss doesn't mean that missing to easy field goals is acceptable. Mare has been in the league for a long time and can handle the criticism.
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written by kurtthekraut, September 30, 2009
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written by kurtthekraut, September 30, 2009
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written by MMF, September 30, 2009
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written by MMF, September 30, 2009
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written by kurtthekraut, September 30, 2009
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written by kurtthekraut, September 30, 2009
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written by Scotia Seahawk, September 30, 2009
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written by DSAhawker, September 30, 2009
I'm not one for babying these professionals who get paid millions and millions of dollars to perform their duties....call him out, light a fire under his butt....don't sit there and be all wishy washy to the media...if someone effs up and plays a major role in the outcome of a game, then they better hear about it. Why can we praise players performances but not criticize them? I think it's retarded how the media is making such a huge deal about Mora throwing him under a bus...no...Mora is holding his player to a standard and expressing those feelings...nothing wrong with that at all.
There are many other reasons for not winning that game, but when you're in the redzone and can't score a TD, then that is now on the kicker's shoulders, that is why he is there and that is his job. The game would obviously be completely different if he had done his job.
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written by neon green, September 30, 2009
It seemed to me that we would march the ball down the field and as soon as we got into fieldgoal range, we eased up and got real conservitive with the play calling.
Almost like we were comfortable settling for 3 rather then going for 6.
When you are winning 13-0 your only two touchdowns away from loosing 14-13. The sooner you can put the other team away, the quicker they will give up trying!
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written by Going South in a Hurry, September 30, 2009
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written by tomahawker, September 30, 2009
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written by texashawk, September 30, 2009
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written by omarlittle, September 30, 2009
True he hit 4 for 6 which is still pretty good, but his most important job is to kick field goals. When it comes to a kicker he has to be 100%. There is no more clutch posistion than kicker in the NFL. Period. QBs can rely on WRs to make plays, but kickers go out solo and only when needed. They need to come thru more than anyone the few times they are called upon.
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written by Seahawker53, September 30, 2009
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written by tbakajanai, September 30, 2009
YES, Mare missing field goals was a problem. YES, Mora should be expecting better from his kicker.
But NO, there is no reasonable, rational, appropriate reason to call out Mare and only Mare.
If he called out all of: Wallace, Housh, Mare, Grant, and Babs - then he'd be dealing with the game that we all actually saw.
Dumping on a guy who had maybe a quarter of the responsibility for the loss at best - that's just flat wrong and piss-poor leadership.
And hopefully not a sign of things to come, because he'll tear the team up if he runs around choosing favorites and goats.
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written by BillT, September 30, 2009
It's his way of doing things and was nothing new for the team and they all took it for what it was. Coach Mora being coach Mora. Hot blooded and upset that the team didn't play up to their abilities, he wasn't just ranting and raving either but was specifically asked about the field goals and answered honestly and stright to the heart of the matter as he's been doing since he took over the team.
For those who noted that he didn't blast Wallace or Housh, how do you know he wouldn't have if he'd been asked to comment on them specifically like he was the field goals?
I think everyone is making a mountain out of a molehill and should take their cue from the team who have been there and done that with Mora and for whom it was just business as usual with their fireball head coach who's been calling out his players all along to make them accountable.
Actually, I thought it was much more wrong for Mike Salk to keep ranting about it all afternoon Monday and then again Tuesday on his radio show and keep pumping up the story again and again going on and on about how wrong it was in his opinion. If it hadn't been for him, it's likely the story would have been a side note in the post game wrapups. Sometimes, I really don't get how Salk got to be such a football expert in Seattle anyway. He didn't play football or coach football and really has no concept of the game beyond a fans understanding unlike Brock Huard who played the game all the way through the NFL level and is able to break it down and make good analysis of the team, players, coaches and schemes. Salk often acts like he has that same ability but no matter how much he blows, without Huard, his show would be without merit for true football fans.
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written by nightwulf, September 30, 2009
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written by S.TTBM, September 30, 2009
It is not ok for a coach to single out one player for a loss as Mora did--not EVER. I dont care if he screams and yells and calls out the TEAM--thats emotional--but ripping one player and one only is childish and immature. If thats the best he can do, then Mora is not Head Coach material.
Billt wont hear a bad word about Mora--even if the guy lost 16 games in a row, Billt would be writing 8,000 word excuses for why it wasnt his fault and lambasting anyone who dared to call into question the mighty Ruskell and Mora team. Give me a break. Call a spade a spade.
Hopefully the team and Mora can move on, and next time our Coach and Offensive Coordinator coach a poor game, maybe they wont pin the loss on the kicker. Maybe Mora will let out his frustration in a more constructive manner. And then we can move on too.
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written by AKHawkFan, September 30, 2009
Like father, like son...
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written by omarlittle, September 30, 2009
I like Mora's way. This is football, if you can't handle a KICKER getting blasted by an NFL coach they have another sport for you guys. It called soccer, feel free to give that a go if football is too tough for your sensitive types to handle.
But in all honesty does anyone really care? I mean its only our kicker. Its not like hes calling out Hasselbeck, Tatupu or Curry specifically in our loss. It seems like its mainly the anti Mora crowd that is making a stink over this.
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written by HawkFan12, September 30, 2009
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written by BillT, September 30, 2009
Mora did exactly what you said and called a spade a spade. Most readers found that refreshing rather than coddling them and telling them it was alright to miss those opportunities because we'll have more come up next week. Maybe we can hit some field goals then. Everyone played hard bless their hearts. Mare has children to feed so we don't want him to think his job may be on the line if he misses again next week do we Uncle Slave?
You like to bluster around and take every opportunity to bash Ruskell sometimes bringing Mora into it and it's entertaining how you can tie them into any situation and try to make it appear as if they're the ones to blame for everything that goes wrong but this one is pretty laughable. Mora actually praised most of the team and said this was the best game they had played of the three games played so far singling out Hawthorne, Burleson, and the running game. You suggest that he should have ripped all of them for the transgressions of a handfull who didn't do their job. That's what they do in Pop Warner Football. You can't single out any kid for not doing his job and all have to be praised or ripped equally. Do you really equate the NFL to Pop Warner ball where we have to make everyone feel they either did or didn't do their job not just the ones who did or didn't? Welcome to the adult world where a mistake is really a mistake and you can be asked by your boss to eliminate those mistakes or be fired.
If you've been asleep, Mora's been calling out these players since he took over to make them accountable and just now you're taking exception to it? Slow on the uptake are we? I didn't see your outraged comments while he was doing it at training camp. Of course today you saw a golden opportunity. First of all, you could take a potshot at me and secondly, one at your other favorite targets, Ruskell and Mora. Hope it was fun for you too. I had a pretty good laugh at it myself.
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written by LouieLouie, September 30, 2009
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written by AKHawkFan, September 30, 2009
Mare's considered very good because he hits 80% of his field goal attempts. Four out of every five attempts over his career. And Mora blasts him for not hitting all six attempts in a six point game?
I have not been a Mora hater at all, but this was just bush league. It's one thing for a fan to think he should hit all six and curse his very existence, but the coach? That was really bush league.
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written by mang'hawks.fr, October 01, 2009
More often, an emotional man sits in the stands, not on the bench. If you can't keep your composure after three games, go and see your doctor before it's too late for your heart.
No excuse IMO, the captain always has to shield his troops, whatever it takes.
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written by MMF, October 01, 2009
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written by mang'hawks.fr, October 01, 2009
Now every members of this team have to put back together, from the gardener to the top management, one season, one gaol, a win @Indy.
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written by tam, October 01, 2009
someone made the comment that mare is paid to do one thing and that is to kick the ball. well seneca is paid to do one thing and that is to throw the ball. why not publicly chastised him as well? i agree billt, perhaps if mora was posed a question about seneca's play, the response would have been similiar. i guess we will never know.
i think you can be stern and hold your players accountable without public humiliation. i dont know how familiar you guys are with basketball, but would you rather play for bobby knight or would you rather play for Coach K?
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written by texashawk, October 01, 2009
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written by texashawk, October 01, 2009
I dont tell my children that part
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written by tam, October 01, 2009
Mare has moved on, for the most part. On Monday, Mora opened a team meeting by showing clips of Mare tackling Bears kick returner Johnny Knox and making a 46-yard field goal in the fourth quarter after those two earlier misses. Mora's message was clear: Despite what he said minutes after the game, the coach understands that Mare gave a positive contribution and didn't blow the game. Crisis resolved, at least for now.
all is not forgiven, but some redemption has been made on mora's part. i was never off the mora bandwagon, i think he could learn a thing or two from his predecessor. love his passion, but cool it on singly one player out for a team loss, was my whole pt.
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written by Scotia Seahawk, October 01, 2009
Do you then go round to your kids friends house and tell them how bad your kid screwed up? Maybe up to their school to announce it to everyone? I'm sure a bit of public shaming will toughen them up nicely.
I'd expect a number of players to have received a bollocking in the changing room after the game. Doing in front of the cameras and singling out one particular guy was uncalled for. And Mora himself has said so. I don't know there's even an article written in support of a position taken by Mora that he himself has said was wrong.
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written by LouieLouie, October 01, 2009
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written by The Nameless, October 01, 2009
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written by mang'hawks.fr, October 01, 2009
Let's talk about football now !!!
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written by kurtthekraut, October 01, 2009
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written by kurtthekraut, October 01, 2009
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written by S.TTBM, October 01, 2009
While there is nothing wrong with holding players accountable for their mistakes, Mora blamed Mare and Mare alone for the loss--when the entire team including Knapp and Mora made multiple mistakes that ALL led to the resulting loss. Which makes the blame-game all the more heinous because the Coach is supposed to take the blame--especially when he coached as poor a game as Mora did.
Even Hawthorne and Burleson made mistakes--Burleson has DROPPED 5-6 passes in two games. At that rate he will break the NFL record for drops held in tandem by Koren Robinson and some guy named Troy Williams who used to play for Minnesota...
And whats really funny Billt, is how you make 15 thousand weak excuses for Seattle losing to San Fransisco--it was hot, the team wasnt used to it, they only had A YEAR to implement a new offense and defense so dont expect them to be firing on all cylinders three weeks into the season (unlike the Jets, for instance), we have injuries (what team doesnt?!), etc etc. Lame! Weak! Grown men (professionals all) cant be expected to play well in warm weather?! What a joke! So who comes up with lame excuses when someone (Mora and the coaches) makes mistakes and loses a game?!
Again, I have no problem with Mora taking players to task for mistakes--but blaming one player--especially in public, no matter who that is--is flat wrong. And classless.
Youre the one that cant stand to hear a bad word about Ruskell, Mora, or Nate Burleson--no matter how badly they screw up. Its always someone else's fault. Probably Mike Holmgrens. Or mine. Always the excuses instead of laying blame at the feet of those who deserve it.
And since you are deliberately being obtuse I will spell it out for you: Mora is Ruskell's handpicked coach--yes?! So win lose or draw, Ruskell gets the blame/credit for Mora's results. Thus far, we beat up on the Lambs--perhaps the worst team in the NFL--and lost (and looked awful doing it) two games in a row against a mediocre division rival displaying a junior-college complexity offense and a decent team we pushed all over the field, yet still lost to. All facets of the team still look out of sync. Compare to the JEts. Almost everyone in the world would admit that after last season, Seattle had the most talent by far of any team with new coaches. And yet 3 games in we are duking it out with the Lambs and Browns and Lions for worst team in the NFL. So what have Mora and company done thus far?! Nothing except play badly, look confused, and our coach has shown a distinct lack of self control and class.
So who's fault is it that Mora and the other coaches are doing a poor job if not thiers and Rusekells?! I know, I know, its Holmgren's and mine...
As for being "slow on the uptake", this is the first (and hopefully only) time Mora has publicly called out a single player and blamed them for a loss. His comments regarding LoJack were harsh, but were in no way blaming Jackson for losing an entire game, so your analogy doesnt hold true. Mora called Jackson on his lack of productivity in preseason, and unless you werent paying attention, its pretty obvious that a) LoJack sucked in preseason and that b)LoJack is playing well in regular season. I have no problem with that kind of "calling out"--but that is totally different than Mora's comments regarding Mare.
I dont take potshots, Billt. You take potshots. I line out and describe issues I have with the teams performance, and who I believe was at fault and why--and you just lable me negative, a Ruskell hater, etc etc--without examining any of my points or even debating them. You simply use emotion like a big paintbrush to smear my logic and assertions without any attempt at debunking them. Because you cant.
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written by texashawk, October 01, 2009
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written by BillT, October 02, 2009
Oh, and I don't have to debunk your stuff, it comes that way from the factory pre-debunked.
For someone with the high morals you prefess to have acquired over singling out one guy for failure, I don't see how you can continue to single out Ruskell and/or Mora time after time as being the problem with the franchise. Why don't you refer to the front office as a whole and include all the staff? Buddy, you can twist in the wind with the best of 'em. Ha ha ha.
For someone who has always said that results are what counts, it's funny how quick you can change your tune when you see an opportunity to do a little good ole Ruskell bashin'.
I'll bet ya that Olindo doesn't miss this weekend. Now that would be progress.
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written by 12, October 02, 2009
Mare was still the game MVP for the Hawks by making 4 out of 6 field goals including the go ahead 46 yarder in the 4th quarter. Mora couldn't blame the defense for giving up that game winning TD.
If Mare does not make at least 9 out of 10 attempts in Indy, it's unacceptable and he's a goner.
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written by kurtthekraut, October 02, 2009
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written by North Face UK, November 18, 2010
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written by canhere, December 16, 2010
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