Bernard Berrian Whines About Brad Childress

It may have been mentioned, but the Minnesota Vikings canned head coach Brad Childress on Monday. As defensive coordinator-turned head coach Leslie Frazier prepares his team for Sunday's game at Washington, some players have taken some time to look back on the Childress era.

One of those is veteran wide receiver Bernard Berrian, who was on Sirius NFL Radio with Adam Schein and Rich Gannon Tuesday.

Berrian didn't mince words about his former coach, a man he clearly did not get along with.

“He was just confrontational,” Berrian said.  “I think that was the biggest thing.  Instead of, you know, going to players like men and just talking and conversating about it, it was kind of brought to their attention in a confrontational way and just people just didn’t really conform to that way of, I guess, him talking and speaking to his team, or players individually.”

Sadly, Berrian probably isn't alone in his feelings.

While this is a sad commentary on today's professional athlete -- you make seven-figure salaries to play a game, and yet you can't stand it when a figure of authority gets in your face because you're playing like crap? -- this is also something Childress has to learn from if he wants to get a second chance as a head coach in the NFL.

You can't just get in guy's faces anymore. The days of successful taskmaster coaches have ended. Even perennial hard-asses like Tom Coughlin and Bill Belichick have shown the ability to be appreciated by their players because they're not always flying off the handle or talking down to the players.

If Childress is to be a successful NFL head coach, he has to be willing to adapt. Yes, it sucks that millionaire athletes have to be pampered. Yes, it's as if they have the mentality of Pop Warner players when it comes to how they take coaching.

But this is reality. It's not going to change. The best coaches walk the line between being tough and being fair and compassionate toward their players. Childress has struggled with this line.

Well, that and counting the number of players on the field.

Leslie Frazier Clearly Not in Charge

As you probably heard, Brad Childress was sacrificed by the Minnesota Vikings Monday.

I say "sacrificed," because if you think Brad Childress was the problem in Minnesota, you're drinking whatever Kool-Aid has been passed around this state like the common cold.

That's unfortunate, because it masks you from reality.

Look at the above graphic from NFL.com. Tell me what the guy in 32nd place has done that no one else on the list has done, outside of rookie Sam Bradford.

That's right ... he's gotten through the entire season without once being benched for performance.

At his introductory press conference, interim Vikings coach Leslie Frazier -- using strings being pulled by owner Zygi Wilf, a man who knows about as much about building a successful NFL organization as I do about building a mall -- made it clear with "no hesitation" that Brett Favre will remain his starting quarterback.

Apparently, Frazier doesn't believe in the other two quarterbacks on the roster, making one wonder three things:

1. What in the blue hell are Tarvaris Jackson and Joe Webb doing on the roster?
2. What have Childress and Rick Spielman been doing the last three years instead of finding and developing a franchise quarterback?
3. Who was the idiot that thought they should trade Sage Rosenfels?

Of course, I'm just obsessed with Favre, so I'm not allowed to point any of this out. Sorry for mentioning the inconvenient truth. Maybe he'll magically turn it around now that Darrell Bevell is calling plays without restriction from that idiot former head coach.

Brad Childress Flips the Script, Loses Anyway

Last week, Vikings head coach Brad Childress was assailed by his fan base for a couple of gaffes during the team's loss to Green Bay. He failed to challenge an obviously dubious call that gave the Packers a touchdown in the second quarter, and he failed to take advantage of having the ball at the end of the first half.

Sunday, the Vikings lost 28-18 at New England. Once again, the head coach appeared to come up short in a couple areas. Oddly, he appeared determined to avoid the mistakes that hurt him in the previous week.

Of course, that meant he would still be making mistakes.

Near the end of the first half, the Vikings faced a fourth down at the one. Looking at a chance to take a halftime lead, the Vikings decided to go for it, instead of taking the points with the knowledge that the Vikings would have the ball to start the second half.

No dice. Adrian Peterson got stuffed on fourth down, apparently after cutting upfield too early. The Patriots then got their defense straightened out in the second half, playing much better, and the offense picked things up.

There is no way of knowing how the game would have turned out if the Vikings had taken the points. I'm not even sure Childress deserves to be criticized for this. However, his flip from being too conservative to arguably being too aggressive may have taken him from one extreme to the other.

And still open to criticism from the local media and fans.

Also questionable was Childress' decision after a long pass from Tom Brady to Brandon Tate that set up the Patriots' first touchdown. Tate caught the ball after safety Madieu Williams -- in position to intercept the ball -- inexplicably had the ball bounce off his hands and right to Tate. Tate bobbled the ball and caught it, then fell to the turf. Childress must have been seeing things, because he challenged the obviously correct call. Maybe an assistant saw something and told him to challenge. Either way, it was a waste of a valuable challenge and a blown timeout.

Was that an overreaction to missing the challenge on Andrew Quarless' "touchdown" the previous week? Maybe. Perhaps Childress just blew the decision.

He's not the first coach to blow a challenge on an obviously correct call. There are times that it almost seems like coaches are challenging calls on purpose, perhaps because they know a challenge is a longer stoppage of play than a normal timeout, so they can get their players a chance to breathe by using the red flag instead of just calling a timeout.

So maybe Childress wanted to do that.

Or maybe he's just getting desperate, as his 2-5 Vikings continue to fade into Mike Tyson's bolivion.

Brett Favre's Turn to Deny Obvious

For nearly a season and a half, Packer fans watched helplessly as Brett Favre helped the Vikings win games and put themselves in a position to win a championship.

There were, sure, a few gut punches along the way, including in the NFC Championship. However, Favre played great in 2009 and left little doubt -- despite his self-produced offseason drama -- that he would return in 2010.

Of course, that doesn't mean that his return was a good idea.

In fact, it seems like this has been the biggest mistake Favre's made since he hit "send" on his cell phone in 2008.

(Pause for laughter. Or groans. Or for you to click off this site.)

Favre has 14 turnovers, contributing (often directly) to 51 points for the opposition and a lot of pressure on his team's very-good defense. Favre's passer rating is 30th out of 33 quarterbacks currently with enough throws to qualify for the passing title.

That's 30th-best, by the way.

For head coach Brad Childress, who has prided himself on getting great solid very good decent mediocre play out of his quarterbacks during his time at Minnesota, this has to be eating him alive. He can't even get Favre to be an offensive caretaker, because the running game -- while led by a total stud in Adrian Peterson -- isn't good enough to be a one-dimensional offense.

With Favre possibly sidelined (chuckle) by a foot/ankle injury, there is so much speculation about his status for Sunday that you could probably get your fill of it while watching MSNBC. But while idiots like me continue to laugh at the notion that Favre won't play, there are some who think it's at least a possibility.

ESPN.com NFC North blogger Kevin Seifert tweeted the following:

Will keep saying it. Childress, not foot, is Favre's biggest obstacle.

Seifert knows more than I do. In the end, I'm willing to take the word of those who cover the team on a regular basis over my hunches.

But this is freaking Brett Favre. He can't just sit, right?

Right?

There's acrimony between Favre and Childress. There are real issues in that relationship. As the kids say, it's complicated. Don't discount Childress' desire to put his stamp on this team and exhibit control over the players. He might not get along great with Favre, but he wants to win, and if he feels that a gimpy Favre doesn't give his team the best chance to win, he will bench the streak.

While it shouldn't be up to Favre, most people think it is. The right thing for him to do is sit.

And he can't wait to sit until the Vikings fall out of serious playoff contention. He is no longer his team's best chance to win, and it's too bad he fails to recognize it. I think Childress knows it, but he doesn't have the guts/political power necessary to make this decision.

Simply put: Unless Favre's left foot falls off before Sunday, or Favre himself decides that he can't go, Favre will start.

And while only time will tell if it's the right move, there doesn't appear to be much chance that it will end well for Favre.

Or Childress.

Brad Childress Not Respected by Vikings, Says Anonymous Player

Wednesday's press conference with Brett Favre and Brad Childress revealed little, outside of the fact that Brett's not here for himself (allegedly), and Chilly doesn't know if Brett will play Sunday in San Francisco.

(I bet he does, even if only for a series.)

Favre talked over and over and over and over and over again about how highly he regards the players on this roster, and while he's thought to be a huge supporter of Childress, there were no words that would lead you to that conclusion.

(By the way, don't think for a second that I didn't notice his gushing over the Vikings' roster, as if he had played with a bunch of jerks in Green Bay and New York. Frank Winters and Mark Chmura are probably kicking themselves right now.

Or not.)

Anyway, if Jason Cole of Yahoo! is to be believed, the fact Favre didn't talk much at all about Childress in his rambling press conference was not unintentional.

In short, even as Minnesota’s best hope to win a Super Bowl this season was rejoining the team, Childress was losing more ground with his team in the battle for respect. One of the biggest issues playing out behind the scenes in Minnesota is that many players, particularly on offense, have no respect for Childress. Among those players is Favre, who officially returned to the team Wednesday.

According to multiple team sources, Favre’s disdain for Childress is deep.

“Brett thinks Childress has no clue about offense,” a Vikings player said.

Childress’ presence, not Favre’s ankle injury, was one of the biggest reasons Favre was hesitating about playing again, sources said.

In early July, Favre had indicated to one player that he was likely to play. However, after Childress visited Favre on July 19, Favre’s desire to return declined.

“Brett just doesn’t trust him,” a player said.

Ouch.

Apparently, Childress didn't do himself any favors Tuesday. As Favre flew back with the three amigos (Hutchinson, Allen, Longwell), Childress dispatched two assistant coaches to lie to the media about the players' whereabouts.

“Chilly can’t even tell the truth about that,” the player said. “I mean, how ridiculous is that? What’s the big deal that he has to lie? Worse, he has to tell other guys to lie for him?”

Certainly not the smartest thing a coach has ever done, but it's not like we believe coaches are always 100 percent truthful anyway.

No one expects players to attach their names to this type of criticism, but why should we believe this?

After all, the respected NFL media gave us that schism garbage last year, and surely a team divided by a huge schism doesn't go 12-4, blow out people left and right, and sing "Pants On The Ground" after a huge home playoff win.

This stuff might be true, because it was a bit peculiar that Favre didn't mention Childress much, if at all, especially given how much he talked about "Chilly" last year when he signed.

That said, this story doesn't pass the smell test when it isn't something that we've heard about before.

That Childress isn't a brilliant mind doesn't surprise anyone. But to intimate that he and Favre are totally not getting along is a bit of a stretch when all you have are an anonymous source or two.

Favre Mania in Twin Cities

At this point, the fine towns of Minneapolis and St. Paul would probably be inclined to throw the guy a ticker-tape parade the day he shows up.

For the time being, however, they choose to fellate Brett Favre through the media.

By reporting on him practically every day.

Here's the latest. Bear in mind that this comes from Charley Walters, who would probably be lucky to hit .500 on his "scoops". If true, it shows just how much of an idiot Brad Childress really is.

Latest word is that 40 percent of the Vikings' playbook is being customized for the pending signing of quarterback Brett Favre.

You read that right, fans. The Minnesota Vikings are catering to a 40-year-old, noodle-armed quarterback who has thrown 84 interceptions over the last four seasons.

(Of course, since the Vikings playbook consists of "Run AP left", "Run AP up the middle", "Run AP right", "throw long", and "punt", they're only customizing two plays. That's not a big deal, I guess.)

Good luck with that, Purple People.

CHILDRESS IS FULL OF CRAP

There's an old saying that goes something like this:

It ain't bragging if it's true.

I'll be the first to admit that I'm impressed by the athleticism of Vikings first-round pick Percy Harvin. At some point, personal demons have to be set aside, and you just marvel at what this kid can do with a football in his hands.

The Vikings took Harvin with the 22nd overall pick, and while many in the "experts" field were quick to scoff at the selection because of Harvin's myriad of off-field issues, the Vikings were quick to come to his defense.

Head coach Brad "Mr. Happy" Childress flew down to Gainesville himself to interview Harvin. Obviously, he enjoyed himself, as the Vikings appeared locked onto Harvin for quite some time before the draft.

Monday, Childress was interviewed for Grampa Sid's column, and he apparently thinks he outsmarted the outsmartable.

"New England was right in there. They were right behind us [with the 23rd pick]," Childress said. "No, they didn't think we'd take him [because of off-the-field] issues. Remember, they have our receivers coach there now. So they thought they could hold ... and he'd come to them.

"They were down there working him out the day after I was there. And [Harvin] wasn't supposed to tell anybody, and I was trying to pull that out of him, who that was. So, it was a little cat-and-mouse game that occurred."

Yes, folks, Childress is indeed expecting you to believe that the Patriots, extra picks and all, decided to stay put at 23 and hope Harvin fell past the Vikings, who had made no secret of their interest.

I totally can see this happening. I'm sure the Patriots employ this strategy all the time when they find guys they really like and want to be able to draft. That's why they've been so successful over the years. They find what they want, and then go after something else.

Bottom line: Childress is full of it, and of himself. There's virtually no chance this played out like he described. If nothing else, he's totally overstating any interest the Patriots may have had. Congratulate Sid, too, for buying - hook, line, and sinker - the preposterous story Childress spun him.

I'm also thrilled that Childress is bragging about talking a kid into going back on his word to a fellow NFL coach. That's beautiful.

(H/T: FanHouse)

CHILDRESS TALKING IN CIRCLES

I'm not really surprised at this, but Vikings head coach Brad Childress is apparently starting to do the "dead man walking" routine.

Something about a 1-3 start by a team that was supposed to be a Super Bowl contender. The Vikings have three games before their bye week, and they're only likely to be favored in one of them (home vs. Detroit, in which Childress himself could play quarterback and probably lead a win).

Via PFT comes this gem from Childress. At Monday's weekly press conference, Childress was asked to explain the inexplicable. He was queried as to what the bloody hell he was thinking when he punted to Tennessee in the final two minutes of a 30-17 game. His team was down two scores, out of timeouts, and did I mention they were down two scores?

When asked about his decision to punt on 4th-and-13 late in Sunday’s game, Childress said, “Based on the way we were playing defense, I thought we’d have a chance to get it back.”

Wait.

There were two minutes left. The Vikings were out of timeouts. How the hell were they going to get the ball back? Was Childress hoping that Tennessee would put Joe Pisarchik in at quarterback?

I decided not to believe that Childress was stupid enough to say that. Yes, the quote came from a KFAN story, and KFAN is the radio partner for the Vikings. So, yeah, it's hard to imagine that they would even unintentionally misquote Childress and make him look like such a boob. But that had to be what happened. No way an NFL head coach who makes millions of dollars is this dense. Right?

Nope. They got it right.

Q: What went into your thought to punt the ball when you were behind late in the game?

A: (It was) basically the way we were playing defense. I thought we’d get a chance to get (the ball) back.

I'm left even more dumbfounded than the media in the Cities must be right about now. I mean, there has to be one assistant coach on this team who can think, right? How could none of them have gotten into Childress' headset and reminded him that the team was out of timeouts and wouldn't get the ball back.

Or maybe Childress surrendered and didn't want anyone to think it went down like that.

Either way, the guy is an absolute moron and unfit for office.

Just think, if Zygi had let him get on that plane in 2006, he's probably the head coach of the Packers.

Thanks again, Zygi.