I only saw clips of Tice's post-game comments, but what I saw wasn't smugness. What I thought, watching him, was that, somewhere inside, Tice said "The heck with it." Not in a sense of quitting, but in a sense of "I don't care whether the players like me, I don't care if the assistant coaches like me, I don't care if the reporters or the fans or even the owner likes me. From now on, I'm doing things my way, and if I get fired, I'll get fired doing what I think should be done, not what everyone else thinks I should do." We'll see if this makes any difference, but I thought it was about time.

I was noticing that as well...I'm not entirely sure what questions he almost walked out of the conference were, but I noticed he's going into more of a "it's my call and deal with it" mode. I like that. Not all coaches have to be well liked by the players. T.O. abhors Reid, but he still plays, and at least does what is needed to win.

Whoaaaaaa...best. post. ever.

I didn't detect smugness in the post-game press conference either, but I was witness to a call in on "Whine Line" after the game was over which accused Tice of being smug. My blood boiled.

I still think Tice will be fired at the end of the year, but give credit where credit is due, at least for this game. The coaching staff did a credible job. They made solid adjustments. They pushed all the right buttons and they exploited the Packers' weaknesses. They players also executed which has been a huge issue for the past few years.

I really liked what you said. I wish more fans would be more thoughtful in their criticism and realize when they crossover from legitimate criticism to pure hatred.

Reusse had it right to some degree a couple weeks back. Tice has tried to be too many things to too many people and has really tried too hard to be likeable. As you say, he should get huge credit for keeping up the public appearances, especially in light of the adversity he's faced.

I, for one, would like to see him go out on a high note with enough momentum to earn another go around as a head coach or to at least be able to have some control over hias coaching destiny.

I didn't see the press conference, and I'm looking forward to the Barreiro show tonite (I *never* thought I'd hear myself say that when he was writing his columns. *L*) One thing really bugs me about Tice and his public performances. I realize he's a football guy, and I realize he's got "Lon Guy-land" sensibilities, but it doesn't do his or the team's public persona any good when he uses profanity, even mild profanity, nor such sterling locutions as... "frickin' puke". Yes, he's more 'fun' than Denny ever was, but I tihk it's a small thing to ask that would provide some unexpected dividends.

I agree COD that Tice has been incredibly accessible even in the face of complete humiliation.

So, even if he gloated a little, so what. After all, it WAS the Packers.

As long as we keep winning I'll take Tice most any attitude Tice can dish out.

Now that I have the effects of that double shot of Tequilla out of my system, I meant to say..."As long as we keep winning I'll put up with almost any attitude Tice can dish out."

i'm with the previous posters...as long as we are WINNING, Tice can have any friggin attitude he wants to have as far as i'm concerned. Heck, even if we're losing, he can have any attitude he wants to as long as he's doing whatever he can to try to turn the boat around.

I hope he IS taking the attitude that 'heck i don't care if anyone likes me or not, from here on out i'm going to do things MY way'. I too think thats the way to go. I don't have to like a guy to want him to be my coach ( for the record i DO like the bug lug).

I know the general thought is probably that, no matter what happens this year, next year there is a good chance he's out...

well i want to go on the record and say this...if he can help turn this thing around this year and if the boys play well from here on out (and maybe win the division & make it to the playoffs), I for one hope he gets to stick around...I for one, want him to stick around...

i mean think about what we lost coming in...

•#1 offensive weapon IN THE LEAGUE (Moss)
•ProBowl Center, the brains/leader/ANCHOR OF THE O-LINE (birk)
•our highly praised OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR (linehan)
•our previously thought #1 rushing attack from recent year (Onterio)
•our short but speedy (and likably boisterous) experienced deep threat reciever (Kelly Campbel)
•and the latest loss, a member of our starting 1st round drafted D line (udeze)

thats a lot of toys missing from the toybox. Sure, i know every team has losses and thats just part of the game, but these above..especially the first three...are extremely signifigant. Looking at this list i can see how it cound take some time to get things syncing up again.

So i'm chalking up most of the season up till now as 'that time to get things synced up'.

..and from here on out it should be play well or die.

Win or lose, i go by the 'play well or die' mantra.

I want the team to have attitudes like...'never give up' 'always looking for an angle, another option', 'eager to improve, anxious to make the next play' 'attack, attack, attack' attitude...i want them playing hungry, and explosive like they have a chip on their shoulder and something to prove no matter WHAT...win or lose.

like the way Pat Williams has been playing...in wins AND in loses, he has made me proud. Playing with FIRE and eagerness. I LOVE that. Mewlde has some of that too. I want the WHOLE team to play like that...ALL the time.

i want them to be on the sidelines huddled up together studying game shots, plays, sharing insights, and on the field attacking attacking attacking ...and ENJOYING themselves for craying out loud...

i DONT wanna see them on the sidelines seperate and solemn...heads down...thats NOT the team i want tto see...thats not MY team.

I want the FIRE...win or lose, i want the FIRE in their attitude until the end.

If Tice can get the team playing like that for the rest of the year...win or lose...if the FIRE is consistently there from here on out ...then i'll keep rooting for the big lug to stick around.

Yeah, Tice has some smuggy snark built into his personality, but that's part of the same carefree "blow it out yer ear" attitude that gives him the cajones to keep up with the public appearances. The sensitive soul whom some would allegedly like to see would be very unlikely to continually show up for the abuse and humiliation that Tice routinely stands up to. But he's not delusional about where he or the team stands. When they showed Tice in the locker room giving the game ball to Pat Williams, someone asked if they would get a paycheck bonus for the win. Tice responded, "You're 2 and 4. So, no."

There's just no pleasing people when the team is a disappointment. No coach alive or dead could ring the exact notes necessary to be universally hailed as a wonderful inspired leader of a disappointing team. Heck, people mocked legends like Joe Paterno and Joe Gibbs when their teams were crap. You can't win for losing when you're losing.

That said, I wasn't happy to hear Tice say that he hasn't "gone negative" in the lockerroom in two years. Having been in a team atmosphere, I know that too frequent heated excoriations from the coach can get old and people get cynical. It can become a joke. But well-timed butt-reamings are at the heart of good coaching. Sometimes that harsh motivation is exactly what you need to hear to realize that you're accepting less than the best from yourself. I think such blasts were called for during the late-season slides in recent years. Then again, maybe Tice thought chip-on-their-shoulder guys like Moss were likely to take it personally and go mopey if he chewed the team out. Maybe it was the best decision to stay chummy and supportive in those circumstances. Who knows. But glad to see he pulled it out of the hat this time and that it did the trick.