Nagy calls plays for choking Chiefs but gets hired as coach of Bears
Bears hire Matt Nagy after his offense blows 21-3 lead in playoff opener
Matt Nagy was calling the plays as the Kansas City Chiefs were blowing an 18-point second-half lead to the visiting underdogs, the Tennessee Titans. Even so, the Chicago Bears couldn’t wait to hire Nagy as their head coach. Bears General Manager Ryan Pace has not won much acclaim in Chicago for his personnel decisions, but CBSSN analyst Trent Green said, “I like this hire. They’re trying to get some of that same magic we saw with the LA Rams, with a young coach and a young quarterback.” Green, former QB of the Kansas City Chiefs, believes Nagy, 39, will be an excellent tutor for Mitch Trubisky coming of a trying rookie season. Green pointed out that Nagy played “in front of Joe Flacco at Delaware, and he played in the Arena League for six years, so he has the recent experience of being in a locker room and being with young players.”
Between the Lines: David Kaplan of NBC Sports Chicago said Nagy’s decision came down to Chicago or Indianapolis, and that he had more confidence in the future of Trubisky than that of shoulder-impaired Andrew Luck.
Mularkey saved his job when Titans upset Chiefs in playoff opener
Tennessee Titans coach Mike Mularkey was losing popularity as the team stumbled to a 1-3 finish. He was rumored to be gone if he couldn’t win the playoff opener in Kansas City. When the Titans, 6 ½-point underdogs, proceeded to beat the Chiefs, Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk issued a statement of support for the coach she had caused to be embattled: “Just to eliminate any distractions moving forward, Mike Mularkey is our head coach and will be our head coach moving forward. We still have work to be done, including this week, but I am looking forward to the journey.”
Dear Ms. Strunk: Welcome to the Titans bandwagon.. And please tell us how far forward we’re talking.
Draymond Green says NBA ‘should bring in a whole new group of officials’
Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green said the state of NBA officiating is so deplorable that “it’s ruining the game.” It’s so bad that Green recommended bringing in “a whole new group of officials.” Whereupon the league office fined him $25,000 for his unsolicited advice.
Dear Draymond: Given that you’ve been assessed 11 technical fouls this season., you’re probably not the most credible judge of officials.
LaVar Ball says Luke Walton ‘has lost the locker room’
LaVar Ball continues to make life difficult for his son Lonzo Ball, rookie point guard of the Los Angeles Lakers. The senior Ball said Lakers coach Luke Walton has lost the support of the locker room, that the players have quit on him. Of course, that put Lonzo into a very uncomfortable position. Was he a snitch? He did not leap to Walton’s defense but said, “I will play for anybody.”