The Buffalo Payments simply aren’t proper. This season started with the expectation Buffalo could be an elite Tremendous Bowl-worthy workforce that simply needed to get previous the Chiefs within the AFC. Now they’re a middling 6-6 workforce that fired its offensive coordinator, is struggling in opposition to a lot worst competitors, and had myriad points getting into the playoffs — assuming they will squeeze in in any respect.
On the heart of that is head coach Sean McDermott, who has greater than worn out his welcome. McDermott could be credited with the brightest moments in Payments’ historical past in nearly 30 years, however has additionally didn’t capitalize on his roster and recover from the hump.
It’s right here that impartial journalist Tyler Dunne is available in. In what’s destined to be a seminal piece of soccer journalism, Dunne has gathered extra data than anybody on what makes the Payments tick in his collection “The McDermott Downside” and inside it’s an anecdote so unbelievable you simply have to learn it.
“At St. John Fisher Faculty in Pittsford, N.Y., McDermott’s morning tackle started innocently sufficient. He advised the whole workforce to come back collectively. However then, sources on-hand say, he used a wierd mannequin: the terrorists on Sept. 11, 2001. He cited the hijackers as a gaggle of people that have been all capable of get on the identical web page to orchestrate assaults to perfection.”
YES, THIS MAN ACTUALLY USED THE MEMBERS OF AL QAEDA WHO HELPED ORGANIZE THE 9/11 TERRORIST ATTACKS AS A POSITIVE EXAMPLE OF TEAMWORK.
Soccer coaches are notoriously out of contact individuals who make investments each second of their vitality into the sport, and little else. Nonetheless, the cognitive dissonance it requires to suppose this was a superb message to ship completely boggles the thoughts.
McDermott didn’t cease there. He adopted up by quizzing the gamers about what optimistic issues the terrorists did to realize their purpose, asking for particular examples of techniques — in addition to what obstacles they needed to overcome with the intention to homicide Americans.
Later within the near-20,000 phrase, three half story an unnamed participant refers to this second as “the 9/11 speech,” and says the workforce doesn’t like to speak about it — which is completely comprehensible.
McDermott addressed the story when talking with the media on Thursday, stating that his intent was to “emphasize the significance of communication:”
Sean McDermott chatting with the media now. He stated that his intent with the workforce assembly in 2019 during which he referenced 9/11 was to emphasise the significance of communication.
He stated that he regretted it and apologized to the workforce quickly after for not higher speaking his level
— Alaina Getzenberg (@agetzenberg) December 7, 2023
If you wish to perceive why the Payments are a large number in 2023, simply learn this. It’s a rattling miracle this group didn’t implode 10 occasions over by now due to McDermott’s ineptitude.
