In an absolute laugher of an article, this is hilarious. Enjoy. http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/giants/vacchiano-giants-show-smith-lovie-article-1.2489711?utm_content=buffer4d4be&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=RVacchiano+Twitter John Mara and Ernie Accorsi flew to St. Louis 12 years ago to meet Lovie Smith, then one of the hottest assistant coaches on the market. It was mostly thought of as a formality — the interview they needed to comply with the “Rooney Rule.”He had no real shot. The job was always Tom Coughlin’s to lose.Had it been a real, wide-open competition, though, there could’ve been a different result.That’s how much Smith dazzled them during his three-hour interview with both his commanding presence and an incredible attention to even the smallest details. He began the interview by handing a calendar to both men breaking down everything he and his team would do every single day for a full year. He knew the personnel as well as they did, too.More than a decade later, there’s no doubt Mara remembers that first impression. And he surely knows that at the very least he has to give the now 57-year-old Smith another call.n the shocker of the offseason, Smith was fired late Wednesday night after just two seasons as the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — a move that stunned many around the NFL. His 8-24 record was the obvious reason, but it’s also not the whole story. He inherited a disaster of a franchise when he took over, and this year was devoted to developing a rookie quarterback. He did that so well, in fact, the Bucs were 6-6 and in the playoff hunt before a late collapse.Smith sure looked like he had the wayward Bucs headed in the right direction. But his credentials still go way beyond that. He’s one of the most respected coaches in the NFL. He’s big-city tested after nine years in Chicago. He even took a Bears team to the Super Bowl with Rex Grossman as his quarterback and had a chance to win in the fourth quarter.He seems to have everything the Giants are looking for in a head coach — including, very obviously now, something to prove. He’s also the biggest name out there, and the Giants need a big name with big credentials to really fill Tom Coughlin’s big shoes.Sure, promoting Ben McAdoo makes a lot of sense, too — a lot more sense than most of the other assistants the Giants are considering. They want offensive continuity for their 35-year-old quarterback, who has made it pretty clear they’re a big McAdoo fan. But, who knows? Maybe the Giants can convince Smith to keep McAdoo aboard.Regardless, Smith — whose credentials tower above the rest of the uninspiring field — at least merits another chance to interview for this job because the bottom line is he’s got something none of the other candidates have: He’s been a successful NFL head coach. All the others bring is potential — which is great. Maybe McAdoo really can become, as some have called him, “the next Andy Reid.” But with a 35-year-old franchise quarterback, the Giants might not have time for on-the-job training. They can’t afford to be wrong.That’s why Smith deserves a second look, even if some of his luster is off after his dismissal in Tampa. There shouldn’t be, given what he had to work with, and the direction his team was headed. But 8-24 is what it is.But look further down his resume at what he did in Chicago, where he was the Bears coach from 2004-12. He won 81 games in nine seasons. He took over a terrible team that went 5-11 in his first year, but then went 11-5 in his second. In his third season the Bears went 13-3 and went to the Super Bowl. He had just two losing seasons in Chicago despite being saddled with quarterbacks like Chad Hutchinson, Kyle Orton, Brian Griese, Grossman and Jay Cutler. He still won 10 or more games four times — including 10 in 2012 when the Bears still missed the playoffs and Smith was fired.The Bears, by the way, have won only 19 games in the three years since.No, Smith is not the perfect choice. But look around, the perfect choice isn’t out there.Coughlin was absolutely everything the Giants wanted when they were looking to replace Jim Fassel in 2004. This time, a Coughlin-like candidate doesn't exist. It’s a wide open field filled with potential and hope, but few with a proven track record. Smith has that. He has the attention to detail the Giants love. And he has the ability to stand in a room full of players used to being lectured by a Hall of Famer and still command instant respect.That’s why the Giants have to look at Smith’s firing as a gift. Maybe they still eventually decide to go with a more youthful assistant and err on the side of untapped potential. And if they do, that’s fine.But they can’t call this a truly thorough search if they don’t at least give Smith a call.
