Bigger shocker, Landry's firing or Jimmy Johnson's "firing"?

[74_75_78_79_]

And I got that last such word in quotes in that it always, with me at least, reeked of a hybrid between he resigning and getting shown the door. A very rare case of both owner and HC being present together for such a press conference (mutual divorce).

I guess you can say the latter was more shocking being this was a back-to-back defending SB-champ HC we're discussing. But with Landry, despite recent struggles, it was generally assumed that he would never, actually, get fired. But be allowed to stay as long as he wants, no matter who the owner, until he does decide to hang it up.

Watching a documentary on youtube chronicling that 5-day period of Jerry's Big D takeover (a local doc likely filmed shortly after the fact) and then watching a doc on Switzer's time at the helm inspires this thread. Nice interview with Landry in the former that was held shortly after he was out. Much class he shows as well as saying that he looked forward to drafting Aikman along with the he-vs-Pelluer QB-competition to come; feeling the team was bound to improve in '89, close losses the previous year being the rationale. The latter doc basically supporting what I've opined before about Switzer's time in Big D - did a better job than given credit for; many other HCs not being able to do what he did those first 2,3 years there, etc.

[Jay Z]

Johnson by a country mile. Because Landry's firing wasn't shocking at all.

At this point I really don't get the Landry thing any more. He wasn't the best NFL coach of all time. He was old. By 1988 he sucked. He wasn't the first "founder" type coach to be fired. Paul Brown's firing should have been much more shocking. And I agree with Paul Brown's firing, Collier did a better job than Paul Brown would have done.

7-9, 7-9, 3-13 ladies and gents. And the team sucked the next year too. There wasn't going to be a quick turnaround. Time to file this "shocking" myth in the dustbin.

[Brian wolf]

I agree with Jay Z ... Landry should have retired after the 1986 season, after losing White to injury and freefalling from a 6-2 start. Schramm didnt have the heart to fire him and it was inevitable.

Jimmy was surprising but he was also worn out after the 1993 season. He never was the type to stay with teams very long, even as a college coach. I am a Johnson fan but not sure if he should have made the HOF over coaches like Parker, Coryell, Schott or Knox but back to back championships--and talent for personnel--obviously helped him.

[lastcat3]

Yeah there really is no comparison here. Johnson had taken the league by storm during his five years at Dallas and was a defending two time Super Bowl champion. Landry (although extremely successful in the past) had struggled in recent years and many thought the game had passed him by by the late '80's. Landry didn't appear to have a real good handle on the up and coming short passing offenses of the '80's. His strategies seemed more suited to the '60's and '70's style of play.

[lastcat3]

Jimmy was surprising but he was also worn out after the 1993 season. He never was the type to stay with teams very long, even as a college coach. I am a Johnson fan but not sure if he should have made the HOF over coaches like Parker, Coryell, Schott or Knox but back to back championships--and talent for personnel--obviously helped him.

I also question Johnson's induction into the Hall of Fame. To me longevity is important and coaches that leave before they have a chance to have poor seasons (which lets face it is the real reason many of these coaches leave after only a few successful years) havn't shown that they can sustain success over a long period of time. That's a reason why I can't consider Parcells as being one of the best coaches of all time because he was also one that chose to leave after a limited amount of time with a team.

[Mark]

From my memory the shock wasn't so much that Landry was fired but the way he found out about it. I could be wrong but that was my perception.