I “apologize’ if I got overly offended by your comment. I think you took it a bit too literally. While the example I gave actually happened, it was meant to point out any stupid mistakes, not just necessarily one in particular. Buddy used to say that he wanted guys who were "smart and tough . . . cause a dumb guy’ll get you beat and a coward’ll get you beat.” So he eliminated those guys.

And I respectfully disagree with your point that Singletary would have been a HOF player without Buddy. Without Buddy my assumption would be that he would have been a good, MAYBE great player. With Buddy he WAS great. That’s because, in the NFL, coaching matters and teams/systems matter.

Buddy was the classic “drill sergeant” as a coach. Probably because he was a sergeant in the Korean war at age 18 or 19. He was BRUTAL with his players. Most hated him until they came around to what he was thinking/doing. When he became the HC with the Eagles in ‘86 most of his player couldn’t stand him for a long time. There was an old saying in Philly at that time: “mixed emotions was watching Buddy drive over a cliff in your new car.”

They finally came around to respecting and appreciating Buddy when he had their backs during the players strike (instead of the scabs). But to Buddy it didn’t really matter. He was going to coach his way and anybody that didn’t like it was going to sit on the bench or could get the Hell out.

Coaching matters as does the system. Would Singletary have been as successful if he wasn’t coached by Buddy (the drill sergeant) and wasn’t part of the 46 defense? I don’t think so. He still would have been successful, but I don’t think as much. How much of a gap there would have been I’m not sure, but there would’ve been one. No doubt in my mind. Mike was LUCKY that he ended up being coached by Buddy. Not only was Buddy the greatest DC in NFL history, he was also the linebackers coach with the Bears. Yeah, Mike literally HATED Buddy for a while, but grew to LOVE him as a man/coach/father figure.

In fact, there have only been TWO coaching geniuses in the past quarter century (at least from an X’s and O’s standpoint). That would be Bill Walsh on offense and Buddy Ryan on defense.

I used to say the same thing about Montana. If Montana hadn’t been drafted by the 49’ers and played under Walsh, would he have ended up being “Joe Montana?” Not quite, in my opinion. If he had played for the Cardinals or the Bengals or the Bucs would we look at Montana in the same light? I don’t think so. If Steve Young had never escaped Tampa Bay I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t have ended up being “Steve Young.”

Coaching MATTERS as does the team/system.

Though I’m originally from Chicago I now (unfortunately) live in Phoenix. Over a decade ago I became friends with a family in South Phoenix whose son was a star player at Oregon and ended up being drafted by the Cowboys. He used to tell me some stories about what went on behind the scenes with the Cowboys.

These players in the NFL are really just “big kids.” Literally. Even though most of them are HUGE they’re really just kids in their 20’s. And, like most “kids” a lot of them need a good, swift kick in the ASS sometimes! And deep down, most of them respect that and respond to that cause most kids want some discipline and structure in their lives as it makes them feel wanted and needed and “loved.”

It was kind of funny that while “some” in the media were ripping Mike after the Vernon Davis incident, I saw Davis hugging Singletary on the sideline after a great catch soon thereafter and later on saying that Singletary “was the best coach he ever had.”

In closing (finally) I guess all I was trying to say was that, if people didn’t know or understand the linkage between Singletary and Buddy Ryan and Mike Ditka they might not understand his “MO.” All I can say is that any team that has Mike Singletary on the sidelines as head coach will be getting the MOST out of their players (at least the ones that are worth a damn and worth (eventually) having around)!