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Atlanta Falcons' Mike Smith named AP's coach of year

sports.espn.go.com — Mike Smith of the Atlanta Falcons has edged Tony Sparano of the Miami Dolphins by one vote Sunday for The Associated Press 2008 NFL Coach of the Year award.

Who dugg this? Made popular Jan 5, 2009

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  • DannyDriffs, on 01/04/2009, -0/+23Considering the shambles this franchise was in only a year ago, he's a very deserving choice.
  • DillingerSmooth, on 01/04/2009, -0/+14This shows you that great coaching and getting a team to play together can take a program better places then just talent (ala Dallas Cowboys) Nice job Mike Smith
  • TurboMan, on 01/05/2009, -0/+9As much as I hate them, Atlanta became a hell of a team within a year with an awesome rookie quarterback and halfback that has had an amazing breakout year. Atlanta will be amazing with just these two players on the offensive side of the ball for a long time if they can keep it up.

    The award was either going to be for Mike Smith, or for Tony Sparano in Miami for turning that team around also. Either way, it's a deserving win.
  • tirwinjr, on 01/05/2009, -0/+8Should have been John Harbaugh
  • allothersnsused, on 01/05/2009, -0/+7Mike Smith? Sounds like an alias.... Run a background check for Ron Mexico.
  • elliotys, on 01/05/2009, -1/+8Tony Sparano not Tony Soprano.
  • dynamojoe, on 01/05/2009, -0/+5Newsflash: The AP are ***** idiots. Also, half-votes are gutless and should not be counted.

    Sparano takes a Dolphins team from 1-15 to 11-5 and gives the NFL the word of the season ("wildcat"), yet doesn't get Coach of the Year? Nonsense.

  • squeekyzebra, on 01/05/2009, -1/+5I totally agree. The ravens actually made it past the first round of the playoffs, unlike the falcons who lost to the CARDINALS.

    (full disclosure. I'm a ravens fan.)
  • squeekyzebra, on 01/05/2009, -0/+4Yeah true, except that the ravens didn't have a solid offensive line. Other than that though I see your point.
  • indiandudeo, on 01/05/2009, -0/+4Harbaugh had Ed Reed, Ray Lewis, Haloti Ngata, Terrell Suggs, and a solid offensive line going into the season.

    Mike Smith had a team in shambles after their starting QB got arrested and their HC left. Add that onto the fact that the team was relatively talentless, and you have the coach of the year.

    He did deserve more votes though. Sparano wouldn't have been a bad choice either.
  • smacksaw, on 01/05/2009, -0/+3Fans of professional sports are the anti-drones because sports are unpredictable. All of this ***** on Digg I can guess the ending in one second. You watch a sporting event for 2-3 hours and you still don't know what can happen. The human element and so many other variables challenge the mind.

    I always find that it's pseudo-intellectuals such as yourself who think they're smart, yet with all of their intelligence they cannot understand the appeal of sport. Thus, it makes you mentally deficient, not sports fans.
  • Cleancut360, on 01/05/2009, -0/+3AP is so fixed. You'd swear the mob was running it.
  • timmyduboy, on 01/05/2009, -0/+3What a foolish statement. If you enjoy emotion, action, and fandom of any sort, you're in no position to say that about sports.

    I'll bet you would kill to get named Computer User of the Year. Don't be so bitter.
  • smacksaw, on 01/05/2009, -0/+3I think that's a testament to how much Billick lost that team. Pretty much anyone with a pulse could have gotten all of that talent 9 wins. Smith has far less to work with.
  • brian4572, on 01/05/2009, -0/+3if they awarded it in September
  • diskoh, on 01/05/2009, -1/+4Go Panthers double for me!
  • AmericanGunner, on 01/05/2009, -0/+2I applaud you, I've always wanted to get a ron mexico jersey :(
  • jotate, on 01/05/2009, -1/+3You get a comment because I like it. But I'm digging you down because it's annoying.
  • inactive, on 01/05/2009, -0/+2I know it's annoying, but when I saw the word Falcons I just had to do it.
  • mlvassallo, on 01/05/2009, -1/+3Coach of the Year and MVP both out in first round! GO AP! You know how to pick 'em!
  • hawksfan03, on 01/05/2009, -0/+2smith, sparano and harbaugh were very deserving choices. congrats to mike smith on winning but also to tony sparano and john harbaugh for great seasons.
  • iseeumonkey, on 01/05/2009, -1/+3Great news for The Falcons. Especially after last night's loss.
  • smacksaw, on 01/05/2009, -0/+2I think that Smith gets the slight edge because he also developed a rookie QB into a franchise QB and a cornerstone of the franchise for many years to come.

    Not that Sparano didn't do a great job getting guys like Ricky Williams to be a player again and developing the talent of a Ted Ginn Jr (who he inherited), he did. But Smith did an equal job, plus developed a rookie QB.
  • adamk0310, on 01/06/2009, -0/+2Who else glanced at the headline, saw "Atlanta Falcons' Mike" and immediately thought of Vick?
  • tirwinjr, on 01/08/2009, -0/+2(full disclosure. Me too.) lol
  • YoungLiar, on 01/05/2009, -0/+2he def desrved it, i think his team along with sporano's needed the most help, and they did it in a year when everyone thought it would take up to 3
  • timmyduboy, on 01/05/2009, -0/+2I am thoroughly confused at how the sports fans are coach potatoes and not the one defending himself on Digg.com.
  • warEagllzz, on 01/05/2009, -1/+2Is it bad for me to have a man crush on Matt Ryan?

    He's the only reason I followed the Falcons this year.
  • kronzdigg, on 01/05/2009, -1/+2get out and do something couch potato.
  • drhamr, on 01/05/2009, -1/+2should have been dick jauron!!
  • I4uga, on 01/05/2009, -2/+3Thanks Coach Smith for bringing back the 'Dirty Bird' as we all thought it would be another decade before we could actually sit through an entire Falcons game again! and with a rookie QB to boot......
  • eeemart, on 01/05/2009, -1/+2my thoughts are that he deserved this more than other candidates because of the turnaround that he brought, along with matt ryan and michael turner, from all the bad newz they had last season. compared to harbaugh i would still pick smith because the ravens did not have the off the field turmoil the falcons had the previous season. the 'fins did have the greatest turnaround from last season, so sparano is as deserving as smith, but the difference between the two is sparano had a veteran qb to work with and smith made his magic happen with a rookie under center.
  • SetOverSet, on 01/05/2009, -1/+2It's a great story, but the Falcons weren't really that good this year. As much as it pains me to say it....becuase I hate that double murderer Ray Lewis and he is the most over-rated player in the NFL, I think the award has to go to John Harbaugh.
  • SetOverSet, on 01/05/2009, -1/+2I agree, but I think this year was a fluke for the Falcons. They were really not that good this year. For that matter, every division outside of the NFC East was mediocre at best. It will be the Giants or the Eagles in the Superbowl.
  • inactive, on 01/05/2009, -2/+3You're a









    DOUCHE!
  • jax0047, on 01/05/2009, -1/+2As much as you hate him, you know belichick had another great coaching year.
  • kronzdigg, on 01/05/2009, -1/+2get out and do something couch potato.
  • kronzdigg, on 01/05/2009, -5/+2That and 10 cents will get you nothing. Fans of professional sports are drones. Wake up people.
  • BugsSport, on 01/05/2009, -7/+4Hats off to him but Go Panthers!
  • inactive, on 01/05/2009, -13/+4FALCON....
















































































    PUNCH!

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