When Will They Let Andy Go?
After watching the Philadelphia Eagles game on Monday Night Football (11/5) against the New Orleans Saints, I have finally decided I needed to share my thoughts on what is going wrong. The answer is simple- Andy Reid.
With all due respect to Andy, I am appreciative of what he has accomplished as the Philadelphia Eagles head coach, tenured for 13 years, and 6 division titles. With 5 trips to the NFC Championship, there is no question he is a good football coach. Andy is 2nd amongst active NFL coaches in winning percentage, only behind Bill Belichick. He has done a great job in the past and there is no question about that. But I’m living in the present day, and to my knowledge he has yet to help the talented team get over the hump and win the big one. One trip to the Super Bowl, and a devastating loss that some will blame on Donovan’s toughness, some will blame on clock management. Regardless, the Philadelphia Eagles were unable to win the Superbowl under Andy Reid. And currently with the way this season has went thus far, it is safe to say that will not happen again.
Now, we need to address the issue of what is wrong with the Philadelphia Eagles. As a die-hard fan, I am like most Philadelphians that always have ‘high-hopes’ for a season and feel confident that the team has what it takes to make a SuperBowl run (usually regardless of whether or not we REALISTICALLY have a shot, we ALWAYS are SuperBowl contenders in my eyes). I felt this way before last years disappointing season, I felt that way up until the outcome of the Detroit Lions overtime loss a few weeks ago. It is clear that there is no shot that the Eagles can win with Andy Reid. The issues with the Philadelphia Eagles may be numerous, but I want to concentrate on the two most evident- the Offensive Line, and the Offensive Coordination.
Yes, it is true that Jason Peters who is arguably the best OT in the entire league has been out all season. And Yes, starting Center Jason Kelce is out for the season, as well as recent injuries to Todd Herremans and King Dunlap. There is no question about it that if you have watched the Philadelphia Eagles this season that the biggest issue is the Offensive Line. Through the first 3 games of the season, Michael Vick was hit more times than any Quarterback in a 3 game span in NFL HISTORY! In fact, it is impressive that Michael Vick is still in one piece. Game after game, the Quarterback gets annihilated play after play. This makes me very mad on two accounts:
1- I am sick and tired of Michael Vick taking ALL the criticism and blame for the offensive woes of the Philadelphia Eagles. Are you kidding me? How can you talk about replacing Michael Vick with a rookie (who may look great and have potential) in a season in which the Eagles are predicted to fare well mostly based on the fact that you have so many star players on the team surrounding an explosive player like Vick? Have you seen the Offensive Line of this team? It is like a High School O-Line playing in the NFL. The man has 2 seconds before the pocket collapses every play. So why put the blame on Vick when it is the offensive line not giving one of the leagues top playmakers the change to make a big play? Say what you want about Vick, but the dude can clearly still make plays given time. Look what he did last season when he had time in the pocket. Did anyone see the Washington Redskins game last season? But more importantly….
2- This brings me to my second point. So if the Offensive Line is THAT bad, and Michael Vick does not have any time in the pocket, why the hell is the Offensive Coordinator not making adjustments? They need to realize that this West Coast Offense and pocket passing that Vick continues to attempt is just not working. Remember, you have a STAR in LeSean McCoy who is averaging 4.3 yards per carry and is often compared to Barry Sanders. You have DeSean Jackson who is arguably the most explosive big-play WR in the game. You have an athletic TE in Brent Celek, and WR in Jermey Maclin. And you have Michael Vick, infamous for using his legs, not just his arm. Why have we not looked into a different overall Offensive scheme? I’m not saying change to Wildcat or something of the sort, but get outside the pocket more often. Run some quick slants with speedy Jackson. Run some screens with Shady McCoy. Do something that shakes up the defense. McCoy should get 30 touches a game whether straight run plays or screens, whatever. So why no adjustment?
The reason for this is because it is clear that Marty Mornhinweg, Eagles Offensive Coordinator and Assistant Head Coach and Andy Reid are just not getting it. So as our high-powered offense continues to struggle and their potential becomes irrelevant, what does Andy Reid do in desperation? He fires Juan Castillo, his own hire for Defensive Coordinator. Juan didn’t even do a bad job during the beginning of the season if you ask me. It is clear there were improvements from last season as they tried to pull together newly acquired stars to have some chemistry in Jason Babin, Cullen Jenkins, Nnamdi Asomugha, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, DeMeco Ryan, etc. So Andy makes a desperation move of firing his defensive coordinator when the offense is the biggest problem to shun away any attention that could be put on Mornhinweg and himself on the offensive side. Andy isn’t going to fire Marty Mornhinweg, his assistant head coach and play-caller because he has been Andy’s right hand man since 2006. When one goes down, the other will to. So let’s just fire Todd Bowles now, or re-hire Juan and then fire him again. Or we can just sit here wondering- when will they let Andy go?
Let’s look into Andy Reid a little more. Andy has been criticized to ‘change’ a quarterback’s natural chemistry back in the Donovan McNabb days. Donovan McNabb was a great Quarterback that could run the ball effectively and it seems that Andy would never let him leave the pocket. You could see Andy get mad when Donovan would do this in certain games. Well is there any difference now with Mike Vick? There was at one point when there were a few plays actually designed for Vick. But in most cases, Reid keeps Vick in the pocket looking for a big play downfield. That is a recipe for disaster with the current state of the offensive line. Stop trying to change the Quarterback, and let him do what he can naturally do- make big plays with his feet. More so than anything, how about a Run/Pass balance. Remember, you have LeSean McCoy on your team, one of the BEST Running Backs in the game. In my opinion, McCoy doesn’t’ even get CLOSE to enough touches. McCoy should be running screens, there should be bootlegs to our speedy receivers, option plays involving LeSean and Vick (tell me that doesn’t sound lethal). I just don’t get it. I really don’t, and I sit here wondering- when will they let Andy go?
Let me touch on one more subject. The Eagles players love Andy Reid constantly praising him in interview with the media, and he IS a likeable guy. Hell I have even liked him until the past few years. Andy seems to be a great personnel coach and does well with connecting to his players. But when it comes to game day, this is a whole different story. I question his use of key timeouts (as he seems to waste a few per game that come back to haunt the team). I question his play calling (as he seems to LOVE to throw the ball every single 3rd and short play when you have LeSean McCoy and Michael Vick in your backfield). The team takes stupid penalties all the time (and it seems he doesn’t have his team disciplined well enough on game day). When it comes to Andy on the sideline, I don’t think he has what it takes anymore. It as almost as if he is ordering McDonald’s on his headset during the game instead of helping the Eagles win (sorry Andy, but that thought did actually cross my mind). So again, I ask the Eagles front office, I ask my fellow Philadelphians, I ask myself, and I ask YOU- WHEN WILL THEY LET ANDY GO?
Terrace 390 Website Launched
With the collaborative efforts of my company Yes! Solutions and BluFire Studio, the Terrace 390 website was successfully launched back on the 14th of April.
Since then we are getting immense web traffic as our interactive website allows users to view vivid images of every item on the menu (food and drink). We also have a built-in-reservation system on the website that updates in Real Time to our Table Reservation Software in Terrace 390.
Our blog, “The Latest” is updated daily as we intend on keeping our loyal customers (and anyone else interested) up to date on all of the special events, weekly live music lineups, specials of the day, etc.
Take a look at our contemporary website and start salivating over the delicious food pictures.
A Blog Can Be A Startup’s Most Valuable Investment
With the an estimated 150K new websites and 7M new pages added to the Internet every day, the biggest challenge for every entrepreneur is to get found, and get some credibility for a new startup. I can attest from experience that publishing a regular blog to properly showcase your offering, even before you have it, is a most cost effective approach in time and money.
The biggest roadblock is that startup founders already have too much to do building a product, mapping strategy, courting investors, etc. So finding time is hard, and good writing is simply not what most people do. But here are some key reasons why you need to give it some priority:
- You can validate the need and your solution before spending money. Too many entrepreneurs spend big money on development, only to find out that the solution isn’t quite right. Feedback from your blog will tell you quickly whether anyone agrees with your assessment, and whether you have a customer base waiting.
- Find potential partners. Most of the people you would want as co-founders are now cruising the relevant blogs for ideas and partners. It’s a great way to find like-minded people, and get a dialog going. From a networking standpoint, it’s a lot more efficient than going to seminars and other industry events.
- Populate your team. Smart potential employees are also reading blogs to stay up-to-date in their field, and find the new leaders. More and more, employees work for people they respect, rather than companies. Take the initiative to put yourself out there. Of course, ultimately you want employees who can blog for you and your company as well.
- Cultivate early customers. It’s never too early to start a dialog with customers, as long as you don’t mislead them about where you are in the cycle. Build your brand and get leads today. There’s also the opportunity to do some consulting with interested customers to provide needed revenue while the product is still under development.
- Build your credibility with investors. A blog is an excellent vehicle to meet investors, before you are ready to ask them for money. You will also learn about competitors, who can’t resist responding to a well-written blog. Once you gain real traction as an expert in your space through the blog, investors will put you at the top of their funding list.
- Hone your communication skills. Writing a blog is all about communication, and that’s your number one job as founder of a new startup. Trying to write something down for someone else to understand quickly, will tell you if you really understand it yourself. Even if you use a ghost writer for your blog, the briefing process will enhance your skills.
- Your Google ranking will go up dramatically. Whereas Google and other search engines may take two or three weeks to list your new website in search results, new blog sites and new blog entries are indexed every day. From comments, you will accumulate external links both into and out of your site, and get additional ranking from Google.
Since a startup by definition is not a recognized brand, you are the brand, based on the social media culture of today. People assume your startup is real, if they see real people, and they will attribute credibility to your startup, based on your own credentials and the quality of information you offer through your blog. No person and no blog puts your startup at the bottom of a long list.
The best part is that all this is not a revenue drain. The major blog platforms, including WordPress, Blogger, and TypePad are free, and can be linked directly into an existing domain name to consolidate your overall SEO impact. In fact, many people are now using WordPress as their base website, as well as their blog. This eliminates even the standard site hosting fees.
Business blogging, or value-blogging, is all about helping others and helping yourself at the same time. I wonder if the 70% of startups that fail in the first five years are the same 70% that don’t have a blog? What’s holding you back?
Article Written By: Marty Zwilling
Quality Growth: UCF is Nation’s Second-Largest University
The University of Central Florida has become the second-largest university in the nation in student enrollment, surpassing Ohio State.
The ranking is based on preliminary enrollment data reported from the nation’s largest universities. Arizona State continues to be the nation’s largest with more than 70,400 students.
UCF is home to 56,235 students, the most in the university’s history.
The university’s growth is fueled by the longstanding commitment to providing high-quality students access to higher education.
This fall’s freshman class boasted an average high school GPA of 3.8 and an average SAT score of 1237, both of which are UCF records. The class also includes 45 National Merit Scholars, which ranks UCF among the top 50 in the nation.
Earlier this semester, U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” guide named UCF as a top 10 national university to watch. The magazine’s “Best Graduate Schools” guide also ranked five UCF programs among the nation’s best in their fields.
Your Business Will be Run by Gen-Y – Get Over It
A lot of executives have noticed that the workplace is being flooded by a new generation of workers, and they are questioning who will be the winners, and who will be the losers. In reality, Gen-Y is here, and they are already inheriting our businesses, so let’s figure out how to make them winners, or we will all be losers.
By definition, Gen-Y is the generation born between 1977 and 1995 (synonymous with Millennials). There are about 80 million of them, and nearly two-thirds of them are already in the work force with full- or part-time jobs. They will inevitably be taking over after Gen-X from the baby boomers, who are now running most companies, but pushing 60.
Morley Safer of CBS News 60 Minutes fame, has long been the negative voice with his tongue-in-cheek quotes like “They were raised by doting parents who told them they are special, played in little leagues with no winners or losers, or all winners. They are laden with trophies just for participating and they think your business-as-usual ethic is for the birds. And if you persist in that belief, you can take your job and shove it.”
At the other end of this thought spectrum is Jason Ryan Dorsey, who last year published “Y-Size Your Business,” on how Gen-Y employees can save you money and grow your business. Naturally, he is a member of Gen-Y himself, and he presents an insider’s perspective on how these career starters bring tremendous potential to the workplace.
He argues that the generational disconnect that many employers are experiencing with Gen-Y is pretty standard. Every new generation that enters the workforce causes criticism, frustration, and stress for the generations already employed. I think it’s pretty obvious that he is right.
Although every new generation causes friction and head shaking in the workplace, Ryan points out three factors converging on our current workforce that are extraordinary – factors that are radically raising the stakes for companies to figure out how to best utilize Gen-Y:
- The economic downturn is still affecting the national and global economy. At many companies, employee costs are the largest operational expense. Gen-Y is often the least expensive employee to hire, especially when you factor in benefits. The challenge is knowing how to employ them, and how to manage them.
- Gen-Y’s have a fundamentally different attitude toward work. Gen-Y is the first generation to enter the current workforce without any expectation of lifetime employment. Earning their loyalty means doing things differently, but not necessarily paying more. Gen-Y has to feel a fit, and then they are intensely loyal.
- A four-generational collision is happening in the workplace. For the first time ever, four distinctly different generations are working side by side – Matures (born before 1946), Boomers (1946-1964), Gen X (1965-1976), and Gen-Y. When generations don’t work well together, operational costs go up and effectiveness goes down.
Safer and many others are convinced that the workplace has become a psychological battlefield and Gen-Y has the upper hand, because they are tech savvy, with every gadget imaginable almost becoming an extension of their bodies. They talk, walk, listen, and text – sometimes all at the same time.
I don’t believe it should be viewed as a battlefield, and I’ve written previously about how to productively lead Gen-Y, and how to capitalize on the change they bring to the workplace. In fact, I’m convinced that the current tough economic times will be the reality check that many of them need to balance their idealism, and solidify their work ethic.
You have an opportunity to make an entire generation of 80 million people your competitive advantage early, or just wait until they take it away from you. Why not make it your strategic initiative, and a positive legacy for yourself? I’m accepting the challenge. How about you?
Article Written By: Marty Zwilling
WhyRent? UCF Website Launches
Visit WhyRent UCF! WhyRent?UCF is a campaign to inform students and their parents attending the University of Central Florida (and its surround and satellite campuses) the advantages of purchasing property instead of wasting money on rent over the course of a student’s college journey. Our mission is to inform UCF students and their parents’ about the opportunity to make an investment in their OWN property and their children’s future.
A student spends on average $33,000.00in rental costs during a 4 year stay in East Orlando while attending college. Being that he University of Central Florida is the 3rd largest University in the United States at an enrollment of roughly 54,000and there are fewer than 8,000 beds between the on-campus and off-campus affiliated housing, you might ask “Where is everyone else living?”. The answer is overpriced student housing.
The WhyRent UCF site enables users to check inventory of local UCF-area properties for sale, and all customized information down to the fine details of the homes that are available. The website also gives information to the public about WhyRent UCF’s property management responsibilities and services, information about the University of Central Florida, and background information about the agents that have created this campaign.
Visit the WhyRentUCF.com website, and feel free to contact about any Real Estate needs!
Does Your Brand Need More?
Every month, dozens of new social networking sites and thousands of blogs are created.
- Do you know how to engage your target demographic?
- Which sites are right for your brand?
- Will you be a victim of “cyber squatting” or “social media identity theft”?
- How will you manage your online reputation?
- Do you have analytics to measure your success?
- What is your plan for growing your social networking infrastructure?
Brand Management 2.0 can save you the time of hunting out niche sites for your social networking campaigns. We can build, design and manage your long-term social networking strategy. We work with SMBs, cottage industries, non-profit organizations, political campaigns, and Fortune 1000 companies who will need an active presence on 5 to 350 different social platforms.
To read more, visit:
‘The World’ …not your average real estate project!
This is a Real Estate project that I wish I was involved with…..
… read more about THE WORLD
