Here are some of Caliendo's other very impressive impersonations that I found after a quick youtube search:
This got the staff at Cory Tell All Sports thinking (Ok, it got me thinking) about some impersonations of sports analysts and athletes that we (and by that I mean I) would love to see in the future. After hours of deliberating and thinking, which would make the John Isner-Nicolas Mahut match look like an appetizer, here is what I have come up with as some of the funniest coaches in sports that could, and absolutely should, get mimicked by Frank Caliendo.
Detroit Lions Head Coach Jim Caldwell:
In a sport that could not be any more captivating to fans and players alike, Jim Caldwell could not look any more emotionless on the sidelines. He is a coach that is so lifeless and stoic that he makes Bill Belichick, a man who reportedly smiled a total of 7 times during 115 minutes of press conferences this season despite the fact that his team went 12-4, won the AFC East for the 11th time in 13 years, and made their 8th AFC Championship game since 2001, look euphoric with every word he utters to the media. I'm sure Lions fans, a group of supporters that have seen a total of one playoff victory in the last 57 years, are just going to be overjoyed with every Matt Stafford side-arm interception throw, followed by the inevitable Jim Caldwell expression that makes Jon Fredersen in Metropolis look like he wears his emotions on his sleeves. I think this impersonation could provide some challenges for Caliendo just because I'm not sure if he could be as unemotional and impassive as Caldwell. I'm taking odds on Jason Dufner cracking a simile before we get some kind of passionate cry from Detroit's new head coach on the sidelines. Jim Caldwell makes Jean Dujardin in The Artist look like a loud and impassioned character. Detroit fans seem to have found the reincarnation of Darryl Rodgers, or Marty Mornhinweg, or Rod Marinelli (we might be here all day if I continue). I could definitely see Caliendo having some fun with the deadpan nature of Jim Caldwell.
New Orleans Saints Defensive Coordinator Rob Ryan:
This one is an absolute no-brainer for me. Anything involving the always entertaining Ryan brothers and a coach that needs to get a haircut before he can receive an interview for a head coaching job is an obvious choice for a Frank Caliendo impersonation. Jason Isaacs in Harry Potter, Daniel Day Lewis in Last of the Mohicans, David Bowie in Labyrinth, and Nicolas Cage in Con Air are likely jealous of Ryan's mop. In terms of football, there is no doubt that Ryan is one of the best coordinators in the NFL with his all so effective 3-4 defensive scheme. In 2012, with Steve Spagnolo at defensive coordinator and no injury based bounty system (I mean alleged injury based bounty system), the Saints defense was just atrocious, as they were the 2nd worst in the league in passing yards allowed and points allowed and worst in the NFL in rushing yards allowed and yards allowed. Ryan, however, transformed their defensive play this year, bringing them up to 2nd in the NFL in passing yards allowed and 4th in the league in yards allowed and points allowed. The thing that makes Ryan so easy for a Caliendo performance is his very vibrant and vociferous personality. Over the past year, Ryan has bought drinks for Saints fans after victories against the Falcons and Cowboys, got #RobRyanface trending on twitter after the Patriots came back to beat the Saints in week 6, been named the Grand Marshall in the Mardi Gras parade, and taken so much attention away from Sean Payton that some people may have forgotten he returned to the sidelines this year after his great work as the offensive assistant on his son's sixth grade team in Texas. Caliendo should definitely impersonate Rob Ryan, at the very least just to try to pull off his untidy, sloppy hair.
San Antonio Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich:
Coach Pop has had the same calculated and gruff demeanor ever since he became the Spurs coach in 1996-1997, and he has provided some of the best quotes and moments for NBA fans during his time in San Antonio. In the 2007-2008 Western Conference first round, for example, Popovich decided to employ the hack-a-shaq strategy, making Shaquille O'Neal, a career 58.2 percent free throw shooter, go to the free throw line fourteen times during the last five minutes of each half in game 5. As a joke, the always cunning and comical Popovich decided to foul Shaq five seconds into the first game of the following season, reminding the great center of his inability to knock down key free throws and his team's postseason failures the previous year. The hack-a-shaq tactic, which was evidently a very shrewd strategy, is just one of the many great Pop moments, as the coach loves to show his brusque, blunt attitude to the media. Just look at this youtube video of some of Popovich's funniest lines. Pop's rather surly personality has been reflected in his basketball team's toughness and intensity. The Spurs have been in the playoffs every year since 1997-1998, which has only been eclipsed by five teams for a longer postseason stretch (Syracuse Nationals/Philadelphia 76ers from 1950 to 1971, Portland Trail Blazers from 1983 to 2003, Utah Jazz from 1984 to 2003, Boston Celtics from 1951 to 1969, and Los Angeles Lakers from 1977 to 1993). In fact, only Phil Jackson (11), Red Auerbach (9), John Kundla (5), and Pat Riley (5) have more NBA titles than the legendary Popovich. There would be nothing better than seeing Caliendo take on Pop's grumpy nature in his next sports impersonation video.
Seattle Seahawks Head Coach Pete Carroll and Tampa Bay Rays Manager Joe Maddon:
I'm grouping these two guys together because they just have too many similarities to ignore, and their upbeat coaching styles and personalities would be great for a Caliendo impersonation. First, both of these guys are on the older side for coaches in the professional ranks, especially nowadays where the Seahawks have an average age of 26 years old and the Rays have pitchers on the roster that are just 22. In fact, Pete Carroll at 62 is the second oldest coach in the NFL only behind 67 year old Tom Coughlin (inset Giants joke here about how Coughlin has lost his team, or how Big Blue has a non-existent pass rush, or about how Eli Manning has now lead the league in interceptions three times but somehow has more Super Bowl wins than Dan Marino, Jim Kelly, Fran Tarkenton, Warren Moon, Dan Fouts, and his brother combined). Joe Maddon at 60, meanwhile, is only younger than Ron Washington (61) and Terry Collins (64), which is saying something since everybody knows that baseball is an old men's game (the MLB didn't install some kind of magical system to make sure calls on the field were actually correct until 28 years after the NFL did so in 1986). However, you would never know that Carroll and Maddon were two of the oldest guys in their respective professions from watching them, as they are two of the funniest and most entertaining coaches in the business. Players love to play for the Seahawks and the Rays because of Carroll's and Maddon's animated and lively coaching styles. Seahawks linebacker Heath Farwell said about Carroll, "A lot of guys can relate to him, and understand we're going to have a lot of fun here. We're going to play hard and practice hard, but we're going to have a lot of fun doing it. It's a great atmosphere." Meanwhile, Maddon is known for his wildly fun and outrageous antics that include bringing in a 20-foot snake to the club house, wearing a helmet to a post-game press conference, walking Josh Hamilton with the bases loaded, and recently making a parody of Mike Gundy's infamous I'm 40 rant from 2007. I would love to see Caliendo try to bring the passion and zeal that Caroll and Maddon exude in his next comedic video.
South Carolina Gamecocks Head Coach Steve Spurrier:
Not only is Steve Spurrier one of only two active coaches, along with Frank Beamer, to have more than 200 career FBS victories, but the old ball coach has also had some the best lines of any coach in the history of sports. Spurrier has become notorious for chiding some of his main rivalries, particularly Tennessee and Georgia along with Florida St. when he was at Florida from 1990 to 2001 and Clemson in his time with South Carolina. One of Spurrier's more famous lines during his time in Gainesville was, "You can't spell the Citrus without U-T," referencing the fact that Tennessee often ended up in the second-tier Citrus Bowl, playing in the game three out of four years from 1993 to 1996. In 2012, Spurrier was asked about his thoughts on South Carolina's game
against Georgia being moved from its normal week 2 spot to week 6. He
replied, "I don't know. I sort of always liked playing them that second
game because you could always count on them having two or three key
players suspended," making fun of Georgia's poor disciplinary history
(the Bulldogs had three notable stars get three game suspensions in 2011
including former top 20 recruit Isaiah Crowell). This year when Spurrier was asked about coaching at Tennessee for the 14th time in his career he joked, "Will be the 14th time I've coached in Neyland Stadium. I've coached there more than some of their head coaches." Spurrier was humorously alluding to the fact that n the last five years, the Volunteers have had four different head coaches (Lane Kiffin, Derek Dooley, Jim Chaney, and Butch Jones). However, my personal favorite Steve Spurrier line is when he asked about his offensive line this season and he replied, "Our offensive line [is] pretty good at everything except for blocking. Unfortunately, that's all we ask them to do." Spurrier's brutal honest gives us some classic lines, which I would love to see Caliendo emulate in his next video.
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