Fox resists Lombardi comparison

The Carolina coach has his team playing its best ball of the season.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- To hear New Yorkers talk, Carolina coach John Fox is the second coming of Vince Lombardi.
Lauded as a mastermind following the Panthers' 23-0 playoff win over the Giants, Fox was more than a little uncomfortable with the praise. He turned bright red and quickly pushed aside a copy of a New York daily with the screaming back page headline "Outfoxed!" that had been strategically left for him to see when he approached the podium for his Monday news conference.
Then, in an effort to squash the topic, he quickly pointed out how low he was following Carolina's Dec. 24 loss to Dallas.
"I flash back to the Dallas game about two weeks ago and 'Idiot' was probably the word you saw," Fox panned.
OK, so he's not Lombardi and his four-year coaching record is only 40-29.
But "Foxy" has a unique ability to get his players to turn it up at precisely the right time -- like the playoffs, where they are 4-1 under his watch. The latest win, Sunday's dominating victory in New York, sends Carolina into the NFC divisional playoffs to play Chicago on Sunday.
"He had a great game plan for the Giants and he's one of the great coaches in the league," said cornerback Ken Lucas, who left Seattle to play with Carolina this season.
"I'm just so happy to be here playing for him. It's one of the reasons I wanted to come to Carolina."
Fox's first task was toughening up a squad that had gone soft and abandoned every philosophy he subscribes to. His methods are influenced by Chuck Noll, who believed in a run-dominated offense and stingy defense. Fox's defensive coordinator, Mike Trgovac, is an Austintown Fitch High graduate.
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