Eden Prairie, Minn. — To those familiar with Dennis Green, the way he left the Vikings wasn't shocking.
Green had to be in control. He wanted to be the one calling the shots. That was his desire. That was his personality. That was how he ran the Vikings, one of the elite teams in the NFL during most of his 10-season tenure in which success on the field superseded several off-field incidents. Until Friday.
Crafty and savvy, Green, obviously sensed the end. Thus, he took control. He went out having as much control as possible.
It was not Vikings owner Red McCombs who announced that Green, the longest tenured coach in the league, no longer was coach. Nor was it a team press release that delivered the news of Green's termination.
It was Green. He was in control of even his firing. Indeed, Green who established his persona during his introductory press conference Jan. 10, 1992, by proclaiming "there's a new sheriff in town" was in such control, there were debates about whether his departure was a firing, a buyout or a resignation.
"I thank my wife, Marie, for understanding me and sticking with me when I make decisions that I have to make," Green said during a meandering monologue, which had the tone of a retirement speech instead of a concession announcement. "Many times they are difficult ones, but I try to make sure they're the right ones."
Green wasn't calling the shots Friday. But he made it appear that way.
When published and broadcast reports came out Thursday afternoon that McCombs was going to fire Green, the coach immediately took the offensive. His Atlanta-based agent, Ray Anderson, told news outlets that if McCombs was going to fire Green, he might as well do it immediately.
That set off Friday morning's showdown which, when the dust cleared, left Green out of a job but with $5.4 million as part of a settlement.
McCombs made it a point Friday to say it wasn't Green's record that was the impetus for the decision to fire him. Green led the Vikings to a 97-62 record in the regular season. Yet, in the postseason the Vikings were 4-8 under Green, including two losses in the NFC championship game. As a general manager, Green had several questionable drafts and ran off several veterans, including linemen Randall McDaniel and John Randle.
He loved the power the Vikings job afforded him. He was one of a handful of coaches who handled both the front office and the field. He told his employees how to act and often what to say. Several players said Green often told them not to speak with the media because it would be opening the Vikings' family to the public.
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