I still think it’s a long-shot that Brad Childress gets fired during the season, no matter what happens to the Vikings from here on out. But at the same time it’s hard to ignore all the speculation coming from legitimate media folks that if the Vikings don’t handle the Cardinals in confident fashion Sunday at the Metrodome, Chilly will be sent packing by Zygi Wilf come Monday.
The idea that Chilly could be fired if the Vikes lose Sunday was floated earlier in the week by Judd Zulgad, who qualified his remark by saying it all depends “on how the game goes.” In other words, if the Vikes fall flat on their faces, Childress could well find himself looking for other work. And then there’s this from Fox NFL writer Alex Marvez, who called up images of the megalomaniac captain played by Humphrey Bogart in The Caine Mutiny in making his point about Childress:
"Much like when Queeg’s superiors failed to remove him from power following a series of mishaps, Wilf has errantly allowed Childress to remain in charge. This shows for at least one week that not even a typhoon could oust Childress from the helm. But if the Vikings lose again Sunday against visiting Arizona, Wilf may finally do what he should have done after learning of Childress’ actions: Appoint defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier head coach for the rest of what has become a shipwreck of a season."
I’ve thought all along that Zygi’s fondness for Childress, not to mention the money Zygi would have to eat on Chilly’s contract were he to fire him, would keep the owner from making any rash decisions regarding the coach’s future. But, after all the reports of Zygi’s anger at Chilly over the handling of the Moss fiasco, it becomes apparent that Zygi doesn’t like Childress as much as we were led to believe. A coach pissing away draft picks on misbegotten trades and generally turning the team into a laughing stock will tend to sour his relationship with his owner.
And now there are two more factors entering the equation. One is the on-going stadium effort, which many people believe could be damaged if Wilf elects to keep the unpopular Childress around. The second factor is purely a matter of speculation but it does get one to thinking: Zygi Wilf, being a life-long Giants fan, might be interested in bringing Bill Parcells on-board to rebuild the organization from the ground-up. Hiring Parcells as an overall football guru would certainly spell the end of Childress as head coach.
Again, it’s all speculation. And, even those who think Childress is on shaky ground believe if the Vikings win Sunday vs. Arizona, upping their record to 3-5, the situation will quiet down and Chilly will be safe for the time-being. The question now becomes, if you’re a Vikings fan who hates Childress, do you root for the Cardinals to crush us by four touchdowns Sunday?
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