Semi-OT: The GM

Post #1 » by **PhilipNelsonFan** » Tue Dec 25, 2007 3:32 am

I just recently finished this book by Tom Callahan (who also wrote Johnny U) about Ernie Accorsi and the GM position. Pretty good, although Callahan's a little too in love with his subject to wax on the position itself any further than he does. From this book, I gleaned a few things:

1. Accorsi is a walking encyclopedia of football knowledge, and this indoctrination by osmosis may have been one of the biggest selling points in his becoming a GM (along with his background as a sports journalist).

2. Plaxico Burress is a potential superstar in this league.

3. Shaun O'Hara seems like one of the most articulate and intelligent athletes in professional sports.

4. Tom Coughlin comes off as a short-sighted a**hole with an ego at his very worst, and competent and nurturing at his best. No wonder the Giants got rid of him.

Has anyone else here read it? Anyone up for giving their opinion.

thierry · Post #2 » by **thierry** » Tue Dec 25, 2007 6:24 am

Wait, people still haven't realized Plax is a potential superstar?

Post #3 » by **Icness** » Wed Dec 26, 2007 9:43 pm

I read it and really enjoyed Ernie's musings. The guy has lived a Mitty-esque football life and appears to still have a very sharp memory.

IMO the author had a preconcieved beef with Coughlin and wrote very subjectively about him, though to be fair everyone I've ever talked to who knows Coughlin (not many) pretty much thinks the same way about him.

My favorite Accorsi story, as relayed by Peter King:
In the 2000 draft the Browns had the #1 overall pick. King interviewed Accorsi about whom he would take if he was still running the Browns. Ernie said his draft board looked like this and would haev been his picks for the Browns, in order:
1. Jamal Lewis (went 5th)
2. Plaxico Burress (8th)
3. Brian Urlacher (9th)
4. Chad Pennington (18th)
5. Julian Peterson (16th)

The Browns, of course, took Courtney Brown. And just 2 other picks from their draft class of 13 lasted more than 2 seasons in the NFL (Northcutt and Aaron Shea). Everyone the Giants picked that year except their 7th rounder is still getting paid in the NFL today. King also said Accorsi claimed he believed the Browns should have taken Donovan McNabb instead of Tim Couch, which would have made him about the only person outside of me who thought that at the time.

Post #4 » by **PhilipNelsonFan** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 11:33 am

Icness wrote:I read it and really enjoyed Ernie's musings. The guy has lived a Mitty-esque football life and appears to still have a very sharp memory.

Even though it's not a word, that's the perfect word to use. He was in the right place at the right time for a lot of things (even the Elway debacle is viewed in what I took to be a positive light, despite the Colts trading him away.

Post #5 » by **Da Schwab** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 8:36 pm

I miss that man so much. I still don't understand why he had to leave.

BTW, I guess intelligence doesn't translate into being able to stand still for twenty seconds, Mr. O'Hara.