Old School

It’s refreshing when an NFL coach shows real leadership and isn’t afraid to call out prima donna athletes. Thus was the case when interim 49ers Head Coach Mike Singletary singled out TE Vernon Davis for being such a prima donna. And he did so in his first game as interim head coach. Davis is in the second year of a five-year, $23 million contract.

Singletary went a step further and sent Davis to the locker room while the game was still going on. Afterward, in his press conference Singletary said:

“I believe this: I would rather play with 10 people and get penalized all the way until we’ve got to do something else. Rather than play with 11 when I know that right now that person is not sold out to be a part of this team. It is more about them than it is about the team.

Cannot play with them. Cannot win with them. Cannot coach with them. Can’t do it. I want winners. I want people that want to win.”

I now have an official man crush on Mike Singletary. Wouldn’t the NFL and the world be a whole lot better place with more people who took that attitude? Sure would. 20-25% of the NFL is filled with people like Vernon Davis and it would be great if they all were sent to the showers permanently.

Incidentally, we can also do without sideline reporters who don’t know what the hell they’re talking about, like this young lady who asked Singletary if he got a call from Bill Walsh. That would be a neat trick since Bill Walsh is deceased. Everybody’s entitled to a bad day every once in awhile, just a shame when you have one that’s televised.