Al Golden and the Coke Machine at Work

[*ochocincos*]

(04-17-2025, 10:12 PM)samhain Wrote: At some point in my life, I drank soda.  I was caffeine dependent before the era of energy drinks and high-test prescriptions like Adderall and  Provigil were more commonplace as productivity enhancers.  Been awhile, as you can tell.  

I also was lazy and a crappy grocery shopper, therefore I ended up wasting a lot of money in vending machines buying soda.  Sometimes Diet Dew.  Sometimes Diet Coke.  maybe the real deal occasionally.  

One evening, I put the money in as I had a hundred times.  I hit the selection button.  Unlike in previous encounters, the once trusty machine before me failed to reciprocate my generosity.  No caffeine and also no buck 25 to boot.  I was pissed and tired.  

A few hours later, a co-worker came into the break room.  He had to wedge his foot in the door to open it.  Why?  Because he had about 7 bottles of various caffeinated beverages in his arms.  Apparently he had the courage to tip the machine (he was a bigger fella) and facilitate and end to the carbonated constipation.  

Why is this being posted on a Bengals forum?  I'll tell you.  You deserve that much.

The Bengals have approached the defense like a backed up pop machine this offseason.  They didn't put money into a different machine to get the things that never came out of their own.  They just want what they've already paid for in draft capital.  They want the first round DB they drafted in Dax Hill to dislodge itself.  They want the first round DE they blew a pick on in Murphy to come rolling out of the open slot.  They'd also like to get the second rounders like CTB and Turner to follow.  Same with DTs like Jackson and Jenkins.  They just can't stand the idea that they aren't getting those dollar bills and quarters out of the vending machine.  They want to rewrite a story that may have already been told.  

Is Al the gifted co-worker that comes along to punch, kick, or tip the machine?  Will an entire defense worth of NFL talent suddenly roll out?  

I feel like this is a really unusual approach for a team to take.  Normally when a coach is fired, a decent part of the unit they coached goes with them to be replaced by the new coach's guys.  This has been minimal so far.  

Was Lou so far gone that he was sitting there willfully dying of thirst rather than giving the machine a sharp kick in the junk?  No idea.

While I get what you are trying to get at, teams sometimes have to deal with consequences for the early draft picks they made.
You gotta ride or die with them.
If you constantly give up after a season or two and replace them, you just wasted that draft pick entirely.
Plus, that's extra money you're now investing to replace because you're likely still keeping that draft pick on the roster anyway.

From what I have seen and heard of Golden's scheme at ND, he likes to run a lot of press man.
That is a shift from Anarumo's heavy zone.
We might see history repeat itself like we did in 2019 when certain guys from the old regime didn't fit well in the new one.
But you gotta try them at least once before throwing them aside.