More the Rule than the Exception

For all those taken aback at Andy Reid's cowardice in not telling McNabb directly and to his face that he was being benched, it appears that Reid's actions are more the rule than the exception for high horse head coaches dealing with the players.

TMQ reports:

Donovan McNabb did not find out he was being benched from Philadelphia head coach Andy Reid, rather from quarterbacks coach Pat Shurmur. At a critical midgame juncture, Reid wouldn't speak to McNabb. If you think that's weird -- actually it is surprisingly common in the NFL and in big-college football, where the head coach often has little direct contact with players, leaving the unpleasant interpersonal stuff to assistants. When he was coach of the Dolphins, Nick Saban is said to have sent around a memo instructing that no one from the office staff was to speak to him. A friend of mine has a son playing on scholarship at a Famous Football Factory College; in three years there, he has spoken to the Famous Head Coach exactly once. The young man tried to ask the Famous Head Coach a question. The head coach replied, "Do not speak to me. Talk to your position coach."