When the first Frankfurt Game in history starts today, there is one person you should pay particular attention to. No, not Taylor Swift! Mike McDaniel has long been considered a brilliant coach. His path to the NFL was not an easy one.
865.
That number hangs above his desk, scribbled on an index card, every day. For him it is a warning, a sign, a sign of penance. His very own confessional. You could see that in an ESPN story about him.
865, calculated in days.
He was out for so long, away from the big, glittering business, away from the professionals. Away from the NFL, the game. Not only does it sound like an eternity, it must have been an eternity. That’s what it felt like for someone who loves the NFL, American football as a livelihood.
When Miami plays against Kansas City in the first Frankfurt Game in sports history today, many will be looking at superstar Mahomes, successful coach Andy Reid, perhaps speedster Tyreek Hill and certainly also at whether Taylor Swift will really do the honors in Germany. But what about the geek on the sidelines, the guy with mirrored aviators and gray joggers? Will get a few headlines, of course, after all he runs the most potent offense in the league. However, there won’t be enough, considering his career. Given that the career of this most unusual of head coaches in the NFL could have been over before it even began.