For those that didn't see this at JI-from YJF

[SoFlaJets]

Edwards and his revisionistic view of history spouts of a few doozies here

OPENING DAY AT HERMAN EDWARDS CAMP

Chiefs' coach Herman Edwards returns to CSUMB for his football camp

By JOHN DEVINE

Herald Staff Writer

The bags under his eyes are gone. His voice is vibrant. He is more animated than last year at this time.

The whirlwind cycle in which Herman Edwards went from being the head coach of the New York Jets to being the head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs, turning his life upside down for a brief period in January, left a few wounds.

Fortunately for Edwards, who is in town this week for the 11th annual Herman Edwards Football Camp at CSU-Monterey Bay, he's a fast healer.

While Edwards never lost his passion for the game, he is feeling surprisingly rejuvenated after his experiences of the past year.

"What I went through last year matured me as a coach,'' Edwards said. "There was a lot of speculation surrounding my future. A lot things were said by people that didn't know a thing about me."

Critics wondered if he switched teams in a money grab. They questioned his values and principles.

Was Edwards abandoning the Jets for greener pastures?

"My intentions all along were to remain in New York,'' Edwards said. "I thought I had done my best job as a coach. I (had just) talked to the players about off-season programs."

That was on a Monday. By Tuesday, the firestorm started.

When word leaked out that he had an interest in the Chiefs' job, his days with the Jets were over.

"There was so much speculation,'' Edwards said. "It was so stressful on my wife and family. Everything was happening so fast.''

What people didn't know is that when it became apparent the Jets were willing to let Edwards out of the remaining two years of his deal, five more teams called about his services.

Hordes of media members took up residence outside his Long Island home, waiting for any movement from Edwards.

"I invested five years of my life there,'' Edwards said. "Players are like family to me. I'm not just a coach. That was the hard part.''

So too was the uncertainty over his future.

Would he end up with the Chiefs or land a job at one of the other eight openings? Would he even have a job?

Even after the Chiefs were given permission to talk to Edwards, no contract could be signed without compensation.

When the Jets demanded draft picks and cash, it was suddenly possible that the Chiefs might turn in another direction.

"I knew something was going to happen,'' Edwards said. "I just didn't know what or when. I kept thinking, 'Hopefully, I'll be coaching somewhere.'''

When things began to drag, NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue stepped in.

"He wanted it taken care of,'' Edwards said.

Within hours, Edwards was allowed out of the remaining two years of his contract with the Jets to sign a four-year deal with the Chiefs in exchange for a draft choice.

"It's the first time a team had to give up a draft choice to hire a minority coach,'' Edwards said. "In the end, it all worked out well.''

Unfortunately, Jets fans haven't been very forgiving. When Edwards' face popped up in an interview during the NFL draft in New York, Jets fans booed loudly inside Radio City Music Hall.

"I guess they still love me in New York,'' Edwards said.

Edwards returned to New York once for a promotion at Times Square, where the reaction was more favorable. During his five years with the Jets, he led them to three postseason appearances and a division title.

The two times the Jets missed the playoffs, Edwards lost his starting quarterback for most of the season. Last year he used five different quarterbacks during a 4-12 campaign.

"We were in a lot of games,'' Edwards said. "The players never quit. I am proud of that. I called a lot of them when this was going down. They said, 'You gotta go.' In the end, this was the right thing for the Jets, not just me. There's no animosity anymore.''

Now Edwards will be asked to work his magic again. The Chiefs have been to the postseason just twice in the last 10 years. The last time Kansas City won a playoff game was in 1994 when Joe Montana was the quarterback and Edwards was an assistant coach.

"There's a great fan base in Kansas City,'' Edwards said. "It's like a college atmosphere. For me, this is where it really started.''

The former all-pro Philadelphia Eagles cornerback met his wife while coaching in Kansas City, and now he is replacing his mentor, Dick Vermeil.

"This move had more to do with integrity and principle, not money,'' Edwards said. "I was paid well in New York. It was a situation that just arose. I'm replacing a coach that coached me. I've known (Chiefs' President) Carl Peterson since I was 18 years old. This was where I started my NFL coaching career.''

Edwards still speaks to Vermeil weekly. He's even living in Vermeil's Kansas City home while a new home is being built for his family.

And while the five other openings were appealing, Edwards knew if he was going to leave New York, it had to be for the "perfect job."

In Kansas City, he's inheriting a team that won nine games last season and has two of the more talented tailbacks in the NFL in Larry Johnson and Priest Holmes, along with tight end Tony Gonzales.

"Last year they had a playoff-caliber offense,'' said Edwards, whose Chiefs will visit the Oakland Raiders in a Dec. 23 Saturday night special. "But they didn't have a playoff defense.''

Edwards, a defensive-minded coach, believes he strengthened the Chiefs' defense through the draft. Yet, the biggest thing he's accomplished in his first five months on the job is gaining the players' trust.

"When I addressed the team, I remember seeing a lot of heads nodding,'' Edwards said. "You know players call other players. You can't fake it at this level. They're buying into it. Now I have to go out and prove it."

[rajensen088]

Five teams were interested in Herman Edwards.... one in Eric Mangini. The only revisionist history is being written by the Jennifer Aniston Jet fans who can't get over the fact that Brad Pitt dumped her for someone more attractive and with a better future.

[Bugg]

Name the 5 teams, Hermie.

Don't believe a word of it. Peterson saw a chance to get a figurehead instead of Vermeil while allowing Solari and Cunningham to step up. Nobody else-including the Jets-wanted him. Oh, the stress of shopping in NYC and LI malls! How does Lia do it?

HOGWASH. Edwards knew form having dinner with Peterson the 1st weekend of the season, in November when he had his little "I will leave things better for the next guy" cry session and again the Friday before the Chiefs played the Giants that this job was his. He is a liar. He acts like nobody else could figure it out.

[PatsFanTX]

Five teams were interested in Herman Edwards.... one in Eric Mangini.

Insanity: When you do the same things over and over again but expect different results.

The Jets made the right choice unloading the incompetent Edwards and then not going with some retread HC who probably would have done crap.

With Mangini, the Jets were able to change their philosophy,culture and losing attitudes in one swoop.

[Sperm Edwards]

Right. 5 teams were interested in Edwards & this fictional bidding war ended up topping out at the #117 pick (that Bradway had a tough time getting) when the going rate for getting an under-contract coach are first & second rounders. Mmm-k.

So these other teams who allegedly had interest in Edwards felt they had MORE interest in an unknown quantity 4th-round rookie. Quite an endorsement. hahahhaha

[Bugg]

"The bags under his eyes are gone. His voice is vibrant. He is more animated than last year at this time."

More lies. At that time last year, he had 2 full years on his contract. Last year at this time the Jets were talking about the Super Bowl, and Edwards never told anyone all camp as they kept so crowing to shut up. And that silly attitude was there right up until they got waxed on Opening Day in KC.

He was an "All Pro" cornerbacK? Really? I looked at the Pro Bopwl rosters form 1974 through 1985, and Edwards' name in no whewre to be found. Now, he may have played in a Pro Bowl, but he was never a starter. How does that gibe with 'All Pro"?If he thinks he can get away with it, this POS will lie about anything.

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/misc/pbindex.htm

[JetsMan57]

Five teams were interested in Herman Edwards.... one in Eric Mangini. The only revisionist history is being written by the Jennifer Aniston Jet fans who can't get over the fact that Brad Pitt dumped her for someone more attractive and with a better future.

Explain to me where the Chiefs' future is "brighter"? If they dont make a run this year (which they wont) they are done.

OLINE = OLD

QB = OLD with no heir apparent on the roster.

TE = Still good but isnt getting any younger.

No big play receivers on the roster.

Granted they have a fantastic RB.

Defensively they are nothing to write home about either.

All of that combined with Herm's gameplans of "lets take the air out of the ball and hope we get lucky" and there is no "bright" future in KC.

Face it, herm left NY not because KC's future is "brighter" but because he knew his ship was sinking here, he was being exposed for the fraud he's always been, and the gutless quitter no longer wanted any part of the NY pressure. Herm admitted that himself to people close to him.

[Sperm Edwards]

"This move had more to do with integrity and principle, not money,'' Edwards said.

This one has to be my favorite. He was awarded a contract raise & extension after a 6-10 season & had 2 years left on that deal. Yet it was his "integrity and principle" that told him he should weasel out of a deal he signed his name to.

The former all-pro Philadelphia Eagles cornerback

lie. (Bugg already addressed)

The two times the Jets missed the playoffs, Edwards lost his starting quarterback for most of the season.

lie. Pennington played in 10 games in 2003. Even still, in Pennington's absence, Vinny completed 62% of his passes with a 7/2 TD/INT ratio. Better #'s than Pennington put up.

"My intentions all along were to remain in New York,'' Edwards said. "I thought I had done my best job as a coach. I (had just) talked to the players about off-season programs."

That was on a Monday. By Tuesday, the firestorm started.

When word leaked out that he had an interest in the Chiefs' job, his days with the Jets were over.

If his intention was to remain in New York, what's this nonsense about having an interest in the Chiefs' job then?

Did anyone else get physically ill reading this?

[JetsMan57]

nm

[PatsFanTX]

He is a liar as the day is long. The media will NEVER challenge him because you know what happens in this country when you take a african-american to task. You MUST be a racist and Herm will also keep your name in his drawer.

See, I disagree with that.

The reason Hermy was/is a media darling is because he grants access and coddles to them.

The guy never walked away from a microphone, always said more than he should have and treated media types like his buddies.

What reporter/beat writer wouldn't love that?

You think they are going to rip him (which they should have done) and cut off the Golden Goose to their profession?

I doubt it.

[NIGHT STALKER]

"We were in a lot of games,'' Edwards said. "The players never quit. I am proud of that. I called a lot of them when this was going down. They said, 'You gotta go.' In the end, this was the right thing for the Jets, not just me. There's no animosity anymore.''

He called a lot of them and they said "you gotta go"...now, I ask you, what the **** did Hermy say to them for ALL of them to say you gotta go.

[JetsMan57]

nm

[The Troll]

Five teams were interested in Herman Edwards.... one in Eric Mangini. The only revisionist history is being written by the Jennifer Aniston Jet fans who can't get over the fact that Brad Pitt dumped her for someone more attractive and with a better future.

Brad Pitt has a 41-44 career head coaching record?

As if we lost some ****ing gem. We lost a guy with a sub-.500 record that seemed more clueless on the sidelines than PatsFanTX when engaged in intelligent football conversation.

[Tinstar2]

"We were in a lot of games,'' Edwards said. "The players never quit. I am proud of that. I called a lot of them when this was going down. They said, 'You gotta go.' In the end, this was the right thing for the Jets, not just me. There's no animosity anymore.''

He called a lot of them and they said "you gotta go"...now, I ask you, what the **** did Hermy say to them for ALL of them to say you gotta go.

He told them that there was going to be 6 new starters on offense in 2006.They knew he wasn't kidding because he did it back in the 2004 season on the defensive side of the ball.

[L.S. Dylan]

I dont know but for some reason while herm was on the jets i though the was a good coach but man everyday i'm seeing how wrong i was and how happy i am now with Mangini

[SoFlaJets]

I dont know but for some reason while herm was on the jets i though the was a good coach but man everyday i'm seeing how wrong i was and how happy i am now with Mangini

I think you'll find most of us here agree with what you say and how you felt.I think for me what finally did it was the Jacksonville game-putting Pennington back in with the game (and season) on the line with a healthy Bollinger and Chad's pass was 1/2 a second too weak to Chrebet in the back of the end zone.Then the next few weeks-the Vinny debacle-the Baltimore Bollinger start and how Brook's dad was watching his son be shown NO confidence and from then on it just continued to go downhill-I'm so glad he's gone and if he truly believes what it says he does in that article-well,the man is delusional-and a LIAR.

[Sharrow]

A 2-3 playoff record (which should have been 1-4) and stumbling into a miracle division win is not such a great job. And if 5 of the 8 teams wanted him, then we would have gotten more than a 4th rounder for him, thats for sure. 4 out of those 5 must have wanted to hire a new cook. So if you want to make an Angelina Jolie analogy, then we're her and he's Billy Bob Thornton.

[PatsFanTX]

And if 5 of the 8 teams wanted him, then we would have gotten more than a 4th rounder for him, thats for sure.

What did the Raiders get for Gruden when he left for Tampa?

[SoFlaJets]

What did the Raiders get for Gruden when he left for Tampa?

what did NE get when Parcells left for here?

[SoFlaJets]

The Truth For Those Who Still Can't See It:

2001: Osama Bin Ladin's relocation of the Raiders game to Week 17 eek him into the playoffs. Same gameplan against Oakland in back-to-back games turns out to be a bad idea, loses playoff game he won the week before. Let's another team in his division win the Super Bowl.

2002: Learns nothing from 2001. Fails to see league's top rated passer sitting on his bench until Week 4. Playoff win against the Choking Colts and Choking Manning and Choking Dungy in the New Jersey cold against a Dome Team. The next week it's back to 2001 with the gameplans and a playoff loss to a rookie HC.

2003: Chad's injured, but don't worry, Herman's a master motivator. Pity he didn't show it on the field. Leads the league in positivity from players. Wins best BBQ contest.

2004: 6-1 start, 1-3 finish. Playoff win against the Choking Chargers and Choking Schottenheimer against a turnaround team that had the #1 pick in the draft six months earlier. Playoff loss against the Choking Steelers and the Choking Cowher and the Choking Rothlisberger playing his first playoff game; still finds way to lose by not paying attention to Marty the week before. Lets another team in his division win the Super Bowl for the third time in four years.

2005: Chad's injured, but don't worry, Herman's a master motivator. Team quits on him just as he decides he deserves a raise and an extension. Woody puts foot down, Herm goes to KC to ruin another storied AFC franchise.

If ever a coach could blunder his way to winning records and have every stroke of good luck fall upon him, Herman Edwards fits that bill. Took a great Parcells nucleus and ran it into the ground. Square pegs in round holes. Great man on man secondary? Let's run the Cover 2! Great LB's? Let's switch to a 4/3! Immobile old quarterback? Let's put in the West Coast Offense!

Herman Edwards raped the Jets. Took our chance and took our dignity and got himself made into a National personality and doubled his salary way out of town. The 2001-2005 New York Jets were a social experiment that got racial pressure groups what they wanted, got the league what they wanted, got Herman Edwards what he wanted, and got the loyal New York Jets fan f'cked in the ass.

[PatsFanTX]

what did NE get when Parcells left for here?

Eventually, Bill Belichick and 3 Super Bowl titles.

What did the Jets get from Parcells?

[SoFlaJets]

also Tex had a classic about home and away KKK robes LOL good one Tex-if that was done here it would have won POTW honors for sure LOL I'm still laughing

[L.S. Dylan]

Herman Edwards raped the Jets.

i cant wait to see what happens to the chiefs

[SoFlaJets]

Eventually, Bill Belichick and 3 Super Bowl titles.

What did the Jets get from Parcells?

I know we gave up a first round pick and what comp did we get for Bellichek?Then what did we get for the BBQ king-not enough in comparison-even though I,too felt like Woody Johnson did at the end-just get him OUTTA here is what I read the quote was.

[Sperm Edwards]

There are two types of coaches who go to a new team when they were bound by contract to the old one. The first type, which is a coach who retired or resigned with time left on his contract & then a year (or more) later decided he wanted to coach again somewhere else. The second, which is more egregious & involves tampering, is a coach who is not only under contract to the old team, but was that team's active coach just some days or weeks earlier. The old team must now find a replacement of their own.

Coaches who had already been replaced more than a year earlier (at the time of compensation):

Chiefs to Rams for Dick Vermeil:

2nd and 3rd round picks

Redskins to Chiefs for Marty Schottenheimer:

two 3rd-round picks

Coaches who had not been replaced yet or were the incumbent coach (at the time of compensation); the old team needed to find a new coach for the upcoming season:

Jets to Pats for Bill Parcells:

1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th round picks

Pats to Jets for Bill Bellichick:

1st, 2nd, and 4th round picks

Bucs to Raiders for Jon Gruden:

Two 1st-rounders and two 2nd-rounders (and $8M)

Chiefs to Jets for Herm Edwards:

A single 4th-round pick

You know what? Looking at it in hindsight I'm glad Tagliabue is leaving. He's obviously more loyal to some owners than others (read: more loyal to KC). How could he "step in" and say "there's no tampering that went on here" or "there is tampering but I'm not going to publicly say so or award the Jets what other teams have received for similar infractions." Worse still when you consider that this is the SECOND TIME IN A ROW that KC had made an attempt to hire a coach that Peterson had a close personal relationship with, who was still under contract with another team.

Peterson should have been suspended by the league after this fiasco & that's not ridiculous at all when you think about it. Peterson is bad for the NFL and gives it a bad name. It also would've sent a message to other GM's that this won't be tolerated anymore - that other teams' coaches are strictly off-limits. But Tagliabue did nothing. He was probably getting paid off by the Hunts right before his upcoming retirement (no other viable explanation since everyone knew that the tampering was obvious & the Jets' compensation was a joke) so his leaving is the best thing for the league if this decision was indeed handed down from Tags after involving himself.

[aec4]

Five teams were interested in Herman Edwards.... one in Eric Mangini. The only revisionist history is being written by the Jennifer Aniston Jet fans who can't get over the fact that Brad Pitt dumped her for someone more attractive and with a better future.

Angelina Jolie may have a better future... but to think she's more attractive.. heck to think she's attractive at all... I don't get that.

[Sperm Edwards]

Well who were the two biggest mentors of Herm Edwards? Pretty much everyone (Herm lovers & haters alike) would agree it was Vermeil and Dungy.

Dick Vermeil:

’76 Eagles: start 2-5

’77 Eagles: start 2-5

’78 Eagles: start 0-2

(’79-81 had good starts, though the 81 team’s 6-0 start resulted in a 10-6 record with only a WC slot)

’82 Eagles: start 1-5

(without him, the lousy ’83 Eagles would start 4-2)

’97 Rams: start 2-10

’98 Rams: start 2-6

’99 Rams: start great, won SB

’01 Chiefs: start 1-6

’02 Chiefs: start 3-4 (would’ve been 2-5 but for the incompetence of his prot

[Scott Dierking]

Eventually, Bill Belichick and 3 Super Bowl titles.

What did the Jets get from Parcells?

TX-In a word, the Jets built "respect" with Parcells.

It was something that many men tried and failed for this franchise over the course of more than 20 years.

Parcells propped this franchise up, made it look at itself, made it decide that it could be something, and it became more than it ever was for a sustainable duration.

That is what Parcells brought, and the legacy of that even carried on.

Whether it will still be sustainable, and there is still some carry over from that, remains to be seen.

No, the Jets did not accomplish the ultimate goal from Parcells and the ultimate legacy, but it became something that many thought it never could.

For that, I am eternally thankful for Bill Parcells. I loathe the way that he exited, and the shenanigans that were involved at several levels at several times. But even for those, the marriage, brief as it was, was worth it.

Parcells created a crossroads period for the Jets and they took the high road from that point. They are at another crossroads right now. Time will only tell how this sojourn carries.

[SoFlaJets]

some more great research by Sperm Edwards adding to the discourse here at JN

[NIGHT STALKER]

TX-In a word, the Jets built "respect" with Parcells.

It was something that many men tried and failed for this franchise over the course of more than 20 years.

Parcells propped this franchise up, made it look at itself, made it decide that it could be something, and it became more than it ever was for a sustainable duration.

That is what Parcells brought, and the legacy of that even carried on.

Whether it will still be sustainable, and there is still some carry over from that, remains to be seen.

No, the Jets did not accomplish the ultimate goal from Parcells and the ultimate legacy, but it became something that many thought it never could.

For that, I am eternally thankful for Bill Parcells. I loathe the way that he exited, and the shenanigans that were involved at several levels at several times. But even for those, the marriage, brief as it was, was worth it.

Parcells created a crossroads period for the Jets and they took the high road from that point. They are at another crossroads right now. Time will only tell how this sojourn carries.

I most definitely agree...during the Parcells tenure, the Jets were not the laughing stock of the NFL. He brough a sense of respectability not only to the team, but the entire organization...something that I hope Mangini recaptures.

[johnny green balls]

When things began to drag, NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue stepped in.

"He wanted it taken care of,'' Edwards said.

this is by far the most amazing part of the article and exposes the rest of it as a farce. if he had 5 other offers why was the commissioner's influence needed? if he was such a great coach, why did KC balk when the jets wanted cash and a pick? the man's entire life is stumbling into one ready-made opportunity after another. it's sickening.

[Scott Dierking]

this is by far the most amazing part of the article and exposes the rest of it as a farce. if he had 5 other offers why was the commissioner's influence needed? if he was such a great coach, why did KC balk when the jets wanted cash and a pick? the man's entire life is stumbling into one ready-made opportunity after another. it's sickening.

KC balked at the pick because the Jets ruined their negotiating stance.

As well, KC engineered the basic break-up of the Jets with Herm Edwards, where it was irreconciliable, and they knew that they just only had to wait for the ultimate break-up.

There was tampering, and down and dirty dealing throughout the entire charade. Edwards and KC was involved. The Jets only made matters worse by negotiating as stooges.

How this slipped through, I will never understand.

[NJ]

Five teams were interested in Herman Edwards.... one in Eric Mangini.

Arena teams don't count. It's still kinda football, but different.

[Bugg]

KC balked at the pick because the Jets ruined their negotiating stance.

As well, KC engineered the basic break-up of the Jets with Herm Edwards, where it was irreconciliable, and they knew that they just only had to wait for the ultimate break-up.

There was tampering, and down and dirty dealing throughout the entire charade. Edwards and KC was involved. The Jets only made matters worse by negotiating as stooges.

How this slipped through, I will never understand.

One very good thing to come from this-Johnson is not going to ever be cowed by the NFL office again after being bamboozled twice with Edwards-his hiring at Tagliabue's request and his acceptance of the piss poor compensation for Edwards. To have the NFL practically force this idiot on the Jets and then have the NFL basically back the Chiefs when Coach Jerk Chicken wants a new job was digraceful.

One more thing-this has nothing to do with race. Edward got good press because he made it a priority. Most other coaches treat the press somewhere between mushrooms(throw crap on'em keep in the dark and ignore them) and invisible. Remember Hermie was most animated in his "list in the desk" tirade when he belatedly realized all his access couldn't stop reporters form telling the truth-that he did a lousy job as a 4-win coach no matter how nice and accomodating he was to the press.

[johnny green balls]

the nfl wanted to insure nothing prevented their "chosen one" from coaching this year-- now they're running banners on nfl.com under the "i am the nfl" ad campaign featuring such luminaries as cowher, clinton portis and..... herm????

"One of these things is not like the others,

One of these things just doesn't belong,

Can you tell which thing is not like the others

By the time I finish my song?"

the league has big plans for him and taglibue will be damned if a silly little thing like non-existent coaching ability gets in his way. also there is an ad for nfl polo shirts featured on nfl.com: the front (and biggest shirt) the chiefs with a much smaller steelers and pats jersey behind it.

not a conspiracy theorist but i smell a rat.