"An apology is required. Yes, one may eventually be asked of Vikings coach Leslie Frazier for building a coaching staff filled with people who have either been demoted or have yet to prove they can succeed at their current jobs. Today, though, let me be the one to offer the apology. I'm sorry, Leslie, for questioning whether your vintage football philosophies could work in the modern world. I'm sorry for questioning whether your vision of the bareknuckle 1985 Bears had skewed your perspective on the NFL in the Year of the Mayan Prophecy, when passes flew in NFL stadia like locusts in the Old Testament. Whether your coaches and players will be good enough to win remains in doubt, but your philosophies will be on display all day Sunday, in the NFL's conference championship games. Three of the four remaining teams play black-and-white football in the age of 3D color. Sunday provides proof that Frazier's vision of winning with a powerful running game and a stout defense doesn't necessarily require that he undergo Lasik surgery. The Ravens have won a Super Bowl and sustained a decade of success by building around a fierce defense and a variety of offenses that are the equivalent of a drum solo at a concert -- providing lengthy bathroom breaks. The Giants are coached by Tom Coughlin, who proudly stands for every crusty coach in the history of sports who ever yelled at his players for showing up just five minutes early to a meeting. They can throw the ball, but not because of a new-age spread offense or a reliance on bubble screens. They drop back in the pocket, keep extra blockers in, and chuck it downfield, just the way Norm Van Brocklin once did. The 49ers may be the best example of what you, Leslie, wanted to happen this year with the Vikings. Jim Harbaugh took over a struggling team with a struggling veteran quarterback and a premier running back and pounded opponents into submission." Read more: http://www.prosportsdaily.com/articles/fraziers-favored-style-on-display-620623.html
