Report: Fire Juan Castillo or Find New Job
I was always a big fan of if-then statements in high school geometry class. For example: If the Phillies are held scoreless by an aging Chris Carpenter in Game 5 of the NLDS, then their best season ever will be all for naught (see how easy that is?).
Now we have a new one in the Philly sports landscape…
Ready?
Per Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com:
If Andy Reid is willing to admit his mistake and fire Juan Castillo, then he will get to keep his job next season.
Conversely:
If Andy Reid refuses to actively admit that it was a mistake to hire an offensive line coach as his defensive coordinator, then he will be fired.
That’s right, Reid still has an out, according to Florio’s “league source,” whom we’ll choose to believe for now: [Pro Football Talk]
But it won’t be automatic. Per a league source, Reid’s future will hinge on his willingness to admit that it was a mistake to shift Juan Castillo from offensive line coach to defensive coordinator. If Reid concedes that he erred, and rectifies the blunder by firing Castillo, Reid will stay. If he refuses, Reid will be gone.
Think about that for a moment: The promotion of Castillo to defensive coordinator – a move that most intelligent beings viewed as a make-or-break decision for Reid – may prove to not be the final straw for Big Red, if he chooses to fire his pupil at season’s end.
Now, while this makes for a nice, tight little story, the world generally isn’t that simplistic. The scenario presented by Florio’s source seems more destined to be the plot of a Shia LaBeouf flick (in which our less-than-talented protagonist is faced with the difficult choice of sacrificing his career or offing his drug-slinging Mexican landscaper) rather than a black-or-white NFL personnel decision, but we’ll buy the report… at least until we hear otherwise.
This, of course, makes me sad.
The ire directed at Reid is not only due to his reckless choice of defensive coordinator, it’s also based on years of underachieving, poor clock management skills and a general inability to do a better job. So, if the above ultimatum does prove to be true, then don’t you worry, you little readers you… we’ll provide the pitchforks for #occupynovacare.
