4 days ago
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Some voices are different. None should be silenced, but let's be honest. Most won't hold our attention. Some always will. Tony Dungy is an example of the latter.
He has never led the Baltimore Ravens. He has no real affiliation with this team. He is actually more connected to Baltimore's fiercest rival. He played for the Pittsburgh Steelers (1977-78). He coached there also (1981-83). Once upon a time, in 2001, Mike Tomlin worked for him as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' defensive backs coach.
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Why are we discussing Tony Dungy then? The answer is quite simple. It's Tony Dungy! He helped turn two troubled franchises into a legitimate Super Bowl contender. He knows what it takes to be a great head coach, wouldn't you agree?
Tony Dungy is highly critical of the firing of John Harbaugh.
Since retiring from coaching, Tony Dungy decided he'd lend his talents to television. That was a wise decision. We mentioned that some voices are different. He now lends his to NBC Sports. Hired in 2009, he has reinvented himself as an analyst for one of the network's biggest brands, Sunday Night Football.
He's one of the game's great ambassadors, the first black head coach to win a Super Bowl. Former President George W. Bush appointed him to the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation.
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He isn't on social media constantly, but he certainly had a lot to say upon the announcement of Harbaugh's dismissal. The following statement was released via his official handle on X.
"I can’t believe what things have come to in the NFL. John Harbaugh has coached the Baltimore Ravens for 18 years. He took them to the playoffs 12 times. He won a Super Bowl for them. The last four years, they were 10-7, 13-4, 12-5, [and] 8-9. They made the playoffs three straight years and missed this year because their kicker missed the game-winning FG on the last play of the season. And he was fired???? I’m sorry, but I don’t understand. Good luck, Baltimore, in finding a better coach."
If anyone can understand what Harbaugh is experiencing, it's Coach Dungy. That legendary career we mentioned includes his firing as Buccaneers head coach after he built them into a winner.
Jon Gruden stepped in and, in a sense, spread the icing on the cake that Dungy had baked for years. He led Tampa to a Super Bowl win with Dungy's fingerprints all over the Lombardi Trophy.
That isn't to say his motives here are selfish. As mentioned, he eventually won his Super Bowl, one with the Indianapolis Colts. He's a legend, and we can all appreciate his passion and respect his opinion.
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Can Baltimore do better than John Harbaugh? Maybe. Time will answer that question, but yes, they will win again. The Ravens are a well-run franchise with stability most organizations only dream of.
But Tony Dungy's point cuts deeper than wins and losses. It's about perspective. It's about understanding how rare sustained success really is in the NFL. It's also about how dangerous it can be to confuse frustration with failure.
When a voice like Dungy's speaks up, it isn't noise. It's a possible warning of what may come next. Here's the reality, though. Baltimore doesn't have to listen to him or anyone else. Steve Bisciotti and Eric DeCosta have proven themselves to be trustworthy leaders.
This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Hall of Fame head coach offers critical view of John Harbaugh's firing
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