This is a shoutout to a longtime coach who has waited for his first Super Bowl victory. We’ve known the feeling in Pittsburgh with Coach Cowher who waited 14 years for his first victory.
Andy Reid’s NFL coaching career began in Green Bay under Mike Holmgren in 1992. Reid moved his way up to assistant head coach in 1997. He took the head coaching job with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1999 after former coach Ray Rhodes was fired. (Ironically Rhodes went to Green Bay in 1999; he was fired after one season). Reid led the Eagles to immediate success with the team clinching a playoff spot in 2000 and winning the first of four straight division titles in 2001. For all the regular season success his teams had in the early part of the 2000’s (my college years) they couldn’t win a Super Bowl.
Three straight losses in the NFC Championship game put the heat on Reid. The fourth time was the charm as the Eagles topped the Falcons en route to Super Bowl XXXIX.
Following that Super Bowl, the success began to wane. There were a few playoff seasons and the 2008 NFC championship game against Arizona (another loss in the Reid regime that left him 1-4 in conference title games). The Eagles made the playoffs in 2009 and 2010 but were one and done both seasons. Two non playoff seasons followed and then it was time for a change following the 2012 season.
Reid landed in Kansas City in 2013 and led the Chiefs to a 9-0 start. Eventually the team finished 11-5 and clinched a playoff spot. This was the year they blew the four touchdown lead against the Colts in the playoffs and lost in a shootout. The 2014 team has been Reid’s worst so far, going 9-7 with no postseason play. The 2015 season ranks as one of my favorites as the team comes back from 1-5 to clinch the playoffs. That was the year Marcus Peters ran back an interception 90 yards in a win over the Ravens. Kevin Harlan’s call on that play is amazing. The Chiefs won their first playoff game since 1993 shutting out the Texans but they came up short against who else but New England.
Reid has had his share of playoff frustration in KC as well. Losses to Pittsburgh in 2016 and Tennessee in 2017 questioned Andy Reid’s ability to coach in the playoffs. What have you done for me lately?
The Chiefs reached the AFC championship game in 2018 but lost in overtime to Tom Brady and the Patriots. But this next year would be different and I’ll talk about 2019 tomorrow.
Andy Reid took over as KC’s coach in 2013. Around that time I experienced my own personal turnaround. While at a memorial service in Slippery Rock for a friend who died of cancer, I was able to take in some memories.
Following lunch, I drove out to the university and was finally able to accept my time there after so many years of wondering why I went there when nothing came out of it. I remembered the buildings where I had classes, walked past the ARC and the old University Union (by now the new Robert M. Smith Student Center had been up a little less than a year). I knew I was meant to be there and the good times came right back to me. One being the dinners I had with some girls I knew from North Hall (Weisenfluh Wednesday’s and Wrap Thursday’s).
Homecoming at Slippery Rock has long been a tradition I’ve kept. After enjoying the first few years it got stale for a bit. However I made a big comeback in 2016 and look forward to continuing the tradition this fall as the blog has taken off big time. While I enjoyed last year’s Fall Symposium, it made me appreciate my Slippery Rock experience even more. October 10 you know what I’ll be doing.
Enjoy your Tuesday everyone. I’ll be back later today with blog #2. Another motivational message. Bye everyone. ❤️ you.
Stylish 🍒 