Former Houston Oilers assistant head coach Kevin Gilbride didn't land many punches last year in his nationally televised sideline scuffle with Buddy Ryan, who was then the team's defensive coordinator.
He did deliver a few verbal blows to Ryan on Tuesday, the day after team owner Bud Adams fired Gilbride and head coach Jack Pardee.Like their famous fight last season, Ryan took the first shot.
"I predicted that he'd be selling insurance in two years. It was a year early," said Ryan, now the Arizona Cardinals' head coach.
"Is that not typical, it's vintage Buddy," Gilbride said Tuesday. "That's probably the reason he's the least-liked coach in our profession. I think he feels he's in charge of both franchises and he's going to do the very best he can to ruin both of them."
Gilbride, who lost a kidney to cancer in 1992, even compared his stormy relationship with Ryan to his illness.
"... I had two bouts with cancer, unfortunately one of them was inoperable," Gilbride said.
Gilbride, who successfully designed Houston's run-and-shoot offense, said Ryan was partly to blame for the Oilers' problems. Houston (1-9) will finish the season with its first losing record since 1986.
"From the day he was hired here, he did everything he could to undermine the unity between the offense and the defense," Gilbride said. "He had his own personal agenda. Where he was trying to go, I don't know. We could all speculate what it was."
Gilbride said the Oilers will be able to overcome Ryan's influence, and he also said he was saddened by this season and his firing.