The NFL - all glitz and glamor and lights and noise - rarely disappoints when it comes to drama.
Black Monday - the day after the final week of the regular season - tends to be replete with just such pigskin spectacles - coaches are fired, futures are decided and fates are sealed.
Let's take a look at the 2014-15 version of the ill-fated day and see what teams dropped the axe on what coaches and executives...
Chicago Bears
Poor Marc Trestman. He just seems like a good guy, which kind of makes you want to root for him, but it may also explain why he was such an abject failure as an NFL coach.
He lasted all of two seasons as the top guy in Chicago before getting ousted early Monday morning, according to Michael Silver of NFL.com.
Trestman finished his coaching tenure with the Bears with a 13-19 record.
The Bears also decided to part ways with general manager, Phil Emery. Emery, who oversaw a single winning season in Chicago, got only one year more than Trestman with the Bears organization.
His axing is most likely a direct result of the massive - and massively stupid - contract he handed prior to this season to Jay Cutler, quarterback and human embodiment of the interjection "meh," used to display indifference or boredom.
New York Jets
The Jets and owner Woody Johnson, who earlier this week brought on a couple of consultants in Charley Casserly and Ron Wolf just in case he maybe, possibly, "who knows, it could happen" decided to clean house...cleaned house, sending head coach Rex Ryan and GM John Idzik packing, according to Manish Mehta of the NY Daily News.
Sexy Rexy, a hugely popular coach who spent six seasons with the team and managed two AFC Championship Game appearances, leaves the team after failing to qualify for the postseason for the fourth straight year.
Idzik seemed doomed almost from the start. His roster-building decisions, especially at cornerback and quarterback, and overall lack of player-personnel knowledge were extremely questionable and left the team reeling, and now, in shambles.
Atlanta Falcons
Mike Smith, another guy you kind of feel inclined to root for, was axed by Atlanta owner Arthur Blank today, according to ESPN, after his Falcons were absolutely obliterated by the Carolina Panthers at home, 34-3, in a win-and-in game that both decided the NFC South and provided the victor a playoff berth.
After five straight winning seasons, starting in 2008, Smith's Falcons have now posted two straight losing years.
Smith, who will leave Atlanta with a very respectable 66-46 regular season record, most likely lost his job due to the team's inability to win in the season's biggest moments.
Despite reaching the playoffs four times in his seven-year tenure, the Falcons amassed a 1-4 playoff record under Smith.
GM Thomas Dimitroff, brought on board the same season as Smith, is apparently safe.
