If you've been watching HBO's Hard Knocks this season, one of the more humorous elements to the show is Jets head coach Rex Ryan lobbing F bombs left and right the way Curtis Painter lobbed interceptions last Sunday against the 49ers. For someone like me, curse words don't bother my ears. They're words, just like anything else. I personally have never perceived much difference between calling someone an idiot and calling someone a f*&khead. Same meaning, different words.
However, for former Colts coach Tony Dungy, Ryan's colorful language is disappointing and does not represent the league well. From PFT:
Dungy, who in 13 seasons with the Buccaneers and Colts was one of the most mild-mannered head coaches in NFL history, said on The Dan Patrick Show that he thinks Ryan ought to watch his mouth.
"I'm disappointed with all the profanity," Dungy said. "I think Rex can make his points without all that."
Dungy also went so far as to say that if he were still a head coach, he would not hire Rex Ryan as an assistant because of his mouth.
Asked if he would hire a coach who talks the way Ryan does, Dungy answered, "I would not. I personally don't want my players to be around that. I don't want to be around that. . . . It's hard for me to be around that, and if I were in charge, no, I wouldn't hire someone like that. Now, I've been around 'F' bombs, so it's not like it's new. I just don't think that has to be part of your every-minute, everyday vocabulary to get your point across."
Again, for folks like me (and, apparently, Rex Ryan) curse words are just words. However, for Dungy and many like him, they are offensive. That's fine. Too each, his own. For those who seem to take issue with Dungy on his feelings regarding curse words, like Doug Farrar at Football Outsiders, I'll just say that is was always how Tony Dungy coached. And, last I checked, Tony Dungy was a far superior coach to Rex friggin Ryan.
Dungy's mantra wasn't 'the end justifies the f*cking means,' or 'winning is not everything, it's the only f*cking thing.' He preached (literally at times) that how you conduct yourself as a person and as a professional meant more in life than wins and losses. It was a pretty successful formula. Players and coaches respected Dungy more for his grace and poise than they did other coaches for their creative swear words.
The proof is in that shiny ring Dungy wears on his finger along with being the all-time winning coach in Colts history.