Trigger happy

 The what-have-you-done-for-me-lately crowd has had a banger of a week so far, and I'm not sure what to make of that. No, actually, I am.

What I make of it is twofold:

1. "Lately" sure seems to be getting sooner and sooner these days.

2. Where's the fire?

I say this after the WNBA's New York Liberty fired head coach Sandy Brondello and Oklahoma State sent longtime head football coach Mike Gundy packing within 24 hours of one another. Two worlds; same itchy trigger finger.

In New York, Brondello coached the Liberty to the WNBA title just last season, and the Liberty were back in the playoffs again this season. But she's out.

In Stillwater, Ok., Gundy, an Oklahoma State alum who's the winningest coach in school history, hadn't had a losing season since 2005 before last year. Just two years ago he went 10-4; four years ago, he coached the Cowboys to a 12-2 mark, coming within literal inches of the Big 12 title -- a fourth-down run that barely missed the pylon -- and a possible berth in the College Football Playoff.

That team went on to beat No. 5 Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl. It was one of nine Oklahoma State teams in the Gundy regime to win nine or more games.

But he's out, too.

Mainly this is because Gundy's Cowboys fell off the table after 2023, going 3-9 last season and losing 11 straight to FBS opposition between 2024 and 2025. The Cowboys were 1-2 when the school announced Gundy's firing the losses were a 69-3 embarrassment to Oregon in Eugene, and last weekend's loss at home to Tulsa.

The university cited the significant investment it had made in Gundy's program after last season, and the clear lack of results after three games, as the reason it was pulling the plug on Gundy in his 21st year at the helm.

The key phrase there, at least for the Blob: "After three games."

Which is to say, when a school elects to fire a coach three games into a 12-game season, the clear and logical message is it's declaring that season a wash. And when, in Brondello's case, an organization fires you less than a year after you delivered a championship, the clear and logical message is you've for some reason decided to start over.

The Blob's response in both cases: Why?

Why fire Gundy after three games, while in the same breath declaring you're going to honor the rest of his contract? What's the point? If you've decided to give up on this season anyway (and Oklahoma State pretty clearly has), and you're going to keep paying the man, why not let him finish what he started?

Especially since for two decades he delivered Oklahoma State a pile of wins and, oh, by the way, a not-inconsiderable pile of bowl and ticket money. Some gratitude.

And the Liberty?

Again, the question is "why?" Why are you starting over when you've already got a championship team? What's the thinking behind that?

Well, we didn't win the title again this year, so screw it. Let's dump the coach and bring in a fresh pair of eyes. And maybe an entirely new system. This team obviously needs it.

I'm sorry, but ... what?

Also, one more time: Where's the fire?