Coach-speak I

I continue to read with amusement when Al Davis fires a coach, which is tantamount to Edgar Bergen firing Charlie McCarthy for saying the wrong things.

One of my favorite quotes was from Mike Shanahan after being let go by Al Davis and having success with the Broncos, when asked if he would like a second chance to coach the Raiders, replied, “I would have liked a first chance to coach the Raiders.”

IAN A. BARDIN

Los Angeles

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So, Bill Cowher has decided not to retire but to leave the Pittsburgh Steelers to be “there for [his] family.”

What a swell guy! With his two older daughters in college and the youngest in high school, Cowher’s decision is analogous to offering to help with Thanksgiving dinner cleanup after all the dishes have been dried and put away.

LIZ WHITE

Los Angeles