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| East Nashville coach Jim McMahon, the winningest coach in NFFA history, told his Black Dogs team Monday evening he plans to retire following this year's playoffs. |
By R.E. Porter
Associated Web Press
Associated Web Press
Emotions — along with champagne — overflowed in the home locker room at The Dawg House Monday evening. The East Nashville Black Dogs were celebrating their division-clinching victory over the West Nashville Beelzebubbas, but that was not the only reason for the emotions.
Coach Jim McMahon told the team that this will be his last season, and he will retire after the playoffs. “As many of you know, I have been dealing with some health issues, and the last thing I want to happen is for my health to affect the success of this great franchise,” he said, according to a source who wished to remain anonymous. “So I’ve decided to step aside after the playoffs to focus on my health.” It’s been no secret that McMahon has been dealing with memory issues for several years, problems thought to signal the onset of dementia caused by the numerous concussions he suffered as an NFL player.
After McMahon broke the news to the team, GM Buddy Ryan addressed the Black Dogs and called McMahon “the greatest coach in NFFA history.” It’s hard to argue with his assertion. McMahon has never had a losing campaign, compiling a 102-52 regular season record over 11 seasons (2005-2015) for a .662 winning percentage. In that same period, he won 10 division titles — 2005-2009 and 2011-2015— and three NFFA championships — 2005, 2008, and 2011. The 2008 championship team went 16-0, the only undefeated team in NFFA history. His Black Dogs teams were also the runner-up twice, in 2009 and 2012; which means prior to this season, McMahon had led the Dogs to the title game five times in 10 years.
McMahon's teams have been known for their high-octane offenses, but also high-scoring defenses, fueled in part by “Krankensteins,” position players who pull double duty as return men. McMahon pioneered the Krankenstein concept when he was an assistant coach for the 12th Avenue Bakers under head coach Stumpy Legg in 2004 and cornerback/kick returner Terrence McGee, the league’s first Krankenstein star, played for the team. He brought the Krankenstein concept — and McGee — to the Black Dogs when Ryan, who has a long association with the coach going all the way back to McMahon’s days as a Super Bowl-winning quarterback, hired him to lead the East Nashville franchise prior to the 2005 season.
The East Nashville players were visibly upset by McMahon's announcement, but the mood lifted when a number of Black Dogs vowed to win a fourth ring for McMahon before he calls it quits. Two of those who spoke up, running back Darren Sproles and wide receiver Antonio Brown, were on East Nashville’s last championship team in 2011.
“Aw, Mac’s my man,” Sproles said. “Love that dude. Gonna miss that guy. We’ve got to send him out on top, where he belongs.”
“We got this for J-Mac,” Brown added. “Book it.”
As word spread across Nashvegas of McMahon’s announcement, the coach's longtime friends and foes reacted to the news.
“I think back fondly of the time — I know that Jim no longer remembers it — when he and I blew a crater in 12th Avenue and he left a "Welcome to McMahonistan" sign,” West Nashville owner/GM Mos Ded recalled. “Those were the days when this league had an irrepressible soul. It's all so corporate now. I'm glad I didn't live to see it. They don't make coaches like him anymore. As he might have said over a Morning Glory Margarita at one of his pressers, ‘Sic transit gloria McMahon.’” (Translation: “Thus passes the glory of McMahon.”)
“I don't always like NFFA coaches, but when I do, I prefer Jim McMahon,” offered Beelzebubbas chairman and league founder, Jorge Linardo. “Se queda sed, mes amigos. He stays thirsty.”
Still in the UK following the Bacchanal, Bakers owner QCurl Sharif conveyed his thoughts to the AWP via Skype. “When I heard the news, I was real high, and the rumor of this was actually floating around in London,” he said. “It hit me really hard because I feel like the Bakers and the Black Dogs have always had a special relationship. And, by that I mean we share. We've shared our commitment to the fans; we've shared coaches; we've shared blow. But, most of all, we've shared integrity. And, I'm not just referring to Integrity Jones, the dancer at The Cherry Bomb from back in the day.
“This is the end of a golden era in our league,” Sharif continued. “McMahon has always been the toughest hombre to face on the field. His players have always played like wild dogs — wild black dogs — and, of course, this divisional run, the undefeated season, and the championships. It's unprecedented in modern sport. But, more than any of that, McMizzle has always followed his own beat. Now, he seems to be literally hearing drums in his head. We should all follow his example ... if not his literal lifestyle.”
President Barack Obama also shared his memories of the Black Dogs coach. “I’ll never forget the first time I met Jim McMahon,” Obama said from Washington by phone. “I was a fan from his Chicago playing days, of course, but we had never actually met. We were at a thing at QCurl's Tree House.
Coach Jim McMahon told the team that this will be his last season, and he will retire after the playoffs. “As many of you know, I have been dealing with some health issues, and the last thing I want to happen is for my health to affect the success of this great franchise,” he said, according to a source who wished to remain anonymous. “So I’ve decided to step aside after the playoffs to focus on my health.” It’s been no secret that McMahon has been dealing with memory issues for several years, problems thought to signal the onset of dementia caused by the numerous concussions he suffered as an NFL player.
After McMahon broke the news to the team, GM Buddy Ryan addressed the Black Dogs and called McMahon “the greatest coach in NFFA history.” It’s hard to argue with his assertion. McMahon has never had a losing campaign, compiling a 102-52 regular season record over 11 seasons (2005-2015) for a .662 winning percentage. In that same period, he won 10 division titles — 2005-2009 and 2011-2015— and three NFFA championships — 2005, 2008, and 2011. The 2008 championship team went 16-0, the only undefeated team in NFFA history. His Black Dogs teams were also the runner-up twice, in 2009 and 2012; which means prior to this season, McMahon had led the Dogs to the title game five times in 10 years.
McMahon's teams have been known for their high-octane offenses, but also high-scoring defenses, fueled in part by “Krankensteins,” position players who pull double duty as return men. McMahon pioneered the Krankenstein concept when he was an assistant coach for the 12th Avenue Bakers under head coach Stumpy Legg in 2004 and cornerback/kick returner Terrence McGee, the league’s first Krankenstein star, played for the team. He brought the Krankenstein concept — and McGee — to the Black Dogs when Ryan, who has a long association with the coach going all the way back to McMahon’s days as a Super Bowl-winning quarterback, hired him to lead the East Nashville franchise prior to the 2005 season.
The East Nashville players were visibly upset by McMahon's announcement, but the mood lifted when a number of Black Dogs vowed to win a fourth ring for McMahon before he calls it quits. Two of those who spoke up, running back Darren Sproles and wide receiver Antonio Brown, were on East Nashville’s last championship team in 2011.
“Aw, Mac’s my man,” Sproles said. “Love that dude. Gonna miss that guy. We’ve got to send him out on top, where he belongs.”
“We got this for J-Mac,” Brown added. “Book it.”
As word spread across Nashvegas of McMahon’s announcement, the coach's longtime friends and foes reacted to the news.
“I think back fondly of the time — I know that Jim no longer remembers it — when he and I blew a crater in 12th Avenue and he left a "Welcome to McMahonistan" sign,” West Nashville owner/GM Mos Ded recalled. “Those were the days when this league had an irrepressible soul. It's all so corporate now. I'm glad I didn't live to see it. They don't make coaches like him anymore. As he might have said over a Morning Glory Margarita at one of his pressers, ‘Sic transit gloria McMahon.’” (Translation: “Thus passes the glory of McMahon.”)
“I don't always like NFFA coaches, but when I do, I prefer Jim McMahon,” offered Beelzebubbas chairman and league founder, Jorge Linardo. “Se queda sed, mes amigos. He stays thirsty.”
Still in the UK following the Bacchanal, Bakers owner QCurl Sharif conveyed his thoughts to the AWP via Skype. “When I heard the news, I was real high, and the rumor of this was actually floating around in London,” he said. “It hit me really hard because I feel like the Bakers and the Black Dogs have always had a special relationship. And, by that I mean we share. We've shared our commitment to the fans; we've shared coaches; we've shared blow. But, most of all, we've shared integrity. And, I'm not just referring to Integrity Jones, the dancer at The Cherry Bomb from back in the day.
“This is the end of a golden era in our league,” Sharif continued. “McMahon has always been the toughest hombre to face on the field. His players have always played like wild dogs — wild black dogs — and, of course, this divisional run, the undefeated season, and the championships. It's unprecedented in modern sport. But, more than any of that, McMizzle has always followed his own beat. Now, he seems to be literally hearing drums in his head. We should all follow his example ... if not his literal lifestyle.”
President Barack Obama also shared his memories of the Black Dogs coach. “I’ll never forget the first time I met Jim McMahon,” Obama said from Washington by phone. “I was a fan from his Chicago playing days, of course, but we had never actually met. We were at a thing at QCurl's Tree House.
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| Obama wearing the headband McMahon gave him. |
In Washington, we were going through this big fight with Congress, and McMahon walked up to me, introduced himself, and gave me a white cotton headband on which he had used a Sharpie to write ‘BOEHNER.’ I wore it the next time I addressed a joint session of Congress — true story — and you should have seen Boehner's face. He knew I had him in my sights, and he caved almost immediately rather than take the ass-beating that was coming his way. That's the kind of fearlessness I learned from McMahon.” McMahon's gift, of course, was inspired by the headband he wore as a player on which he had written "Rozelle" in defiance of NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle, who had fined McMahon for wearing an Adidas headband.
McMahon and the Black Dogs continued celebrating their division title at fooBar late into Monday evening. When someone mentioned his retirement, McMahon seemed puzzled. “Retirement?” he was overheard to ask. “Who said anything about retirement.” When told he had, McMahon said, “I must have been drunk.”
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