Many of us noticed some things about the regime during Hard Knocks that could pose some trouble if a winning tradition wasn't established immediately.
The reaction to Ocho, the reaction to the leadership council, the OCD gum wrapper cleanups...
Some loved the "old school" no nonsense approach, but others warned it could be trouble down the road... I think now we are seeing the trouble.
When things start to go bad for a disciplinarian coach with no charisma that doesn't have a track record of success, they tend to go REAL bad...
Unlike with Sparano where the team started to rally for him late in seasons, even when he looked on the outs, I don't see this team doing that for Philbin... The cracks are showing, and the dam is about to burst...
The Martin situation seems to be the final catalyst. I would be VERY surprised if Philbin and Co managed to salvage this season.
I have never got the feeling that players here were all to fond of him or the staff. Even the Sparano was proven to be inept, it was apparent that players loved him and fought for him... I don't see that same fight for Philbin.