Requiem: Zorn's Tenure Repeat of Spurrier

[Bulldog]

We have seen this movie before. An offense that didn't work and didn't fit the personnel. A soft training camp and weekly practice schedule that allowed star players to set their own marks. Little accountability for poor on the field play and unsportsmanlike penalties.A head coach without the ability to earn the PLAYING respect of the roster. Finally, a coterie of players that appealed to direct relationships with the owner.

Steve Spurrier's tenure in 2002 and 2003 is very much a prologue of what has happened here the past two years.

At the end of the day even the records are similar. Spurrier started out 7-9 and then crashed at 5-11 as all responsibility was lost the second year.

That's what is happening now in 2009 after the 8-8 finish in 2008.

The one other common thread is the singular presence of Vinny Cerrato as the personnel guy.

There was no Gibbs or Gregg Williams to help direct him to a Chris Cooley in the draft or London Fletcher in FA.
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[hail2skins]

Good points, bulldog, but even up until the end of 2003 I think the sentiment was that the Skins were playing hard and just falling short against opponents that for the most part were deemed to be good at the time. It wasn't until the blowout losses at home with Tim Hasselback under center that people were really discouraged, and even then I don't recall a huge groundswell for Spurrier's head, and the expectation was going to be that he would return until that day when he called it quits from the golf course.

With this season, the fans have been outraged from the get-go.

 

[Whiskeypeet]

I don't remember it that way. SS had lost the team, wasn't putting in the required effort, and overall seemed complacent and unwilling to adjust. I was screaming for his head.

 

[Henry]

I think about halfway through 2003 it was pretty clear Spurrier was mailing it in. It wasn't so much that he'd lost the team as that he just gave up. So the players did too.

I don't think Zorn's given up. I don't even think the players have. I just think we have a bad team led by an inexperienced coach who's in over his head.

But yeah, the parallels on the field are close enough that it's worth noting.

Off the field I agree that the fans are far more irate at the front office this time around. Proably because it's six years later and we're in the same spot.