Although I'm not a Colts fan, and am in fact an adamant Colts hater, I feel compelled to talk about Tony Dungy's retirement from football. You see, I have nothing but respect for this man. As a football fan, I don't see how anyone outside of New England could think otherwise. Tony Dungy revolutionised football in a way that few other head coaches have.
Dungy's career in Tampa Bay was a storied one which ended with him being one year removed from a Super Bowl. The "Tampa 2" defense was a simple but effective game philosophy. Dungy almost single-handedly took Tampa Bay from being the laughing-stock of the NFL to having one of the most dominating defenses of the day and being perennial Super Bowl contenders. Tony Dungy was so successful in Tampa that coaches are still to this day getting hired just because they worked on his staff there. Any football fan whos team has replaced a head coach in the last decade is familiar with the phrase "from the Dungy tree of coaches." The place hasn't been the same since he left.
Although he was never able to establish the same domination on defense in Indianapolis, the Colts were always respectable in pass coverage, often finishing in the top 5. Though their run defense was often pathetic, it has drastically improved over the last few years in Dungy's tenure, and the system Dungy has installed has produced one of th ebest pass rushers in the league in Dwight Freeney and an over-rated but solid in every way safety in Bob Sanders. Opposing quarterbacks were never in fits when they faced the Colts defense, and derspite Freeney's presence they were never overly worried about taking sacks, but they commonly had a hard time completing any pass over five yards because of the pure speed of the squad.
However, Dungy will most likely be remembered in Indianapolis for the offense. For his entire tenure, the Colts have had one of the very best offenses in the league. It's a system that has made Peyton Manning a household name, turned a former #3 receiver in Marvin Harrison into a future Hall of Famer, and has consistently produced a balanced running game whether the back was Marshall Faulk, Edgerrin James or Joseph Addai.
Really, it's the running game I'm more impressed with under Dungy's system. Although the success of their pass-heavy attack can't be denied, Peyton Manning was going to be a great player no matter where he went. Of course, Marshall Faulk proved he's one of the best backs of all time when he left for St. Louis, but Edgerrin James has never been the same outside of Indianapolis. Just this season, he was benched by the Arizona Cardinals. If that doesn't say something about your failures at running the ball outside of the Colts system, nothing will. I have confidence that Joseph Addai would suffer the same fate should he ever leave. A lot of this will of course have to do with the rest of the coaching staff, but if nothing else Tony Dungy has proven he can successfully put together an all-star coaching staff. He did it in Tampa Bay and Indianapolis alike.
Even though he wasn't my coach, and even though I hate the team he coached, I'll miss Tony Dungy. After all, as I love to remind Colts fans, he DID start his career and earn his first Super Bowl ring with the black and gold. In fact, he even lead them in INTs one year.
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2 comments:
What do you have against Indy LOL? But much appreciated. Good read....
It's nothing against the Colts, really. I think they're a team full of standup guys, and other than the Steelers, I watch them more than any other team.
To be honest, it's the fans. This was Pacers country when Reggie Miller was playing, and nobody cared about the Colts. Now that Miller's out and Manning's in, it's all about the Colts and you never hear anything about basketball beyond the college level. It's the ultimate example of fair-weather fandom.
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