Jonathan Gannon's Awkward Speech to the Arizona Cardinals Does Not Inspire Confidence
This did not have the intended effect.
On Thursday evening, a video of Arizona Cardinals first-year head coach Jonathan Gannon attempting to fire up his squad made the rounds on the Internet. It's ... yeah, not great.
In the released video from the show Cardinals Flight Plan, Gannon leads a team meeting in which he asks his players if they have "fire in your gut" then claims, "I'm looking for f**king killers." The problem? He said it in the flattest voice possible.
Check it out:
Cardinals’ HC Jonathan Gannon tries to set the tone for the season in the latest episode of #CardsFlightPlan, “Coach and the Coordinators”.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 1, 2023
Now available on Cardinals YouTube channel: https://t.co/c6IWkLjvlw pic.twitter.com/sXbislaAFv
Now, look, if Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell made that speech in his trademark style, I'd be running through a wall. Conversely, Gannon was putting me to sleep.
Gannon spent the last two seasons as the defensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles. He helped lead them to the Super Bowl last season at the head of the second-ranked defense in the NFL. Clearly he has some idea what he's doing. But the 40-year-old doesn't know how to give an inspiring speech. In fact, his attempt was pretty sad.