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Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - The NFL is almost universally regarded as a copycat league and for the most part that sentiment is true. When it comes to Xs and Os, plagiarism is certainly an accepted part of professional football and imitation is truly the sincerest form of flattery in the coaching ranks. We are a copycat league, you bet, NFL head of football operations Troy Vincent recently told the Associated Press. If Peyton (Manning) and Philip (Rivers) and (Drew) Brees and (Tom) Brady are doing something thats good, then go out and try to do the same thing. That kind of piracy has never reached into the front office, however. No NFL team has had more success in the Super Bowl era than the Pittsburgh Steelers, who already possess a record six Lombardi Trophies as they prepare to embark on their quest for a seventh Saturday night against the Baltimore Ravens. And the Steelers are renowned for their stability, employing all of three coaches since Chuck Noll arrived in Western Pennsylvania in 1969. That continuity has helped spawn the record six Super Bowl crowns with each coach -- Noll, Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin -- contributing to the collection. Black Monday is the yearly reminder that few organizations plan to play copycat when it comes to Pittsburghs history of success, with impatience, anxiety and often ego trumping common sense. The first official domino fell Sunday night in Santa Clara when the messy Jim Harbaugh-Trent Baalke divorce finally became official. The 49ers and Harbaugh officially parted ways after Sundays 20-17 win over Arizona, a move weeks in the making and one the team called mutual if mutual means the politician (Baalke) winning a power struggle against the bull in a china shop (Harbaugh). The 49ers announced they have already begun a search for a new head coach and the team quickly asked for permission to talk with Denver offensive coordinator Adam Gase during his bye week. Jim and I have come to the conclusion that it is in our mutual best interest to move in different directions, 49ers CEO Jed York said. We thank Jim for bringing a tremendous competitive nature and a great passion for the game to the 49ers. Harbaugh led the 49ers to a 44-19-1 record in four seasons with three consecutive appearances in the NFC Championship game and one trip to the Super Bowl. He, however, didnt get along with a lot of people in the building and it was clear months ago that the first sign of things going off the rails would give Baalke the excuse to move on. Harbaugh is expected to land on his feet as the highest paid college coach at his alma mater, the University of Michigan, with multiple reports indicating he will be named the Wolverines new head coach by Tuesday. Its been the time of my life. Theres been a lot of memories, great moments, Harbaugh said. I feel like Im going to be friends for life with anybody who wants to be. Others wont have a golden parachute waiting for them. The Jets kicked things off on the actual Black Monday as team owner Woody Johnson cleaned house, firing both head coach Rex Ryan and general manager John Idzik after a 4-12 season. After extensive thought and reflection about the current state of our football team, this morning I informed Rex Ryan and John Idzik that they will not be returning for the 2015 season, Johnson said. Both Rex and John made significant contributions to the team, and they have my appreciation and gratitude for their efforts and commitment. Over the years, Rex brought the Jets a bold confidence and a couple of great postseason runs, which all of us will remember. Johnsons decision probably wasnt all that fair to Idzik, who was on board for only two years and never got the opportunity to hire his own coach but thats a tough sell to long-suffering Jets fans, who blame Idzik tor two failed drafts. The lack of development from quarterback Geno Smith -- selected as part of Idziks first draft class -- was a major reason for the Jets struggles this season. He was benched after a Week 8 loss to Buffalo, then returned to the starters role a month later in a Dec. 1 loss to Miami, long after New York was no longer relevant to the playoff picture. Next up was Mike Smith in Atlanta, who was dismissed after seven seasons, one day after losing 34-3 at home to the Carolina Panthers in a winner-take-all game that determined the NFC South champion. The Falcons finished 6-10, their second straight losing season. Atlanta reached the playoffs four times and captured two division titles in Smiths seven seasons, but had just one postseason win, posting five straight winning seasons under Smith before going 4-12 last in 2013. Smittys contributions to our club, team and city over the last seven years are numerous, Falcons owner Arthur Blank said in a statement. His accomplishments on the field made him the most successful coach in the 49-year history of the Falcons, and we are grateful for the foundation he has laid for us for the future. The next domino was a housecleaning in Chicago as the Bears fired both head coach Marc Trestman and general manager Phil Emery on the heels of a 5-11 season. Emery spent three years at the helm and brought in Trestman from the CFL in January 2013 after inheriting coach Lovie Smith, who was fired despite a 10-6 season in 2012. The Bears floundered the past two years, posting an 8-8 mark in 2013 before this years disappointing finish. Chicago hadnt finished below .500 since a 7-9 mark in 2009 and suffered through its worst season since a 5-11 record in 2004. Considered a successful quarterbacks coach, Trestmans ultimate sin was the play of Jay Cutler. The veteran quarterback struggled in 2014 and was even benched for Week 16 against Detroit before playing in Sundays season-ending 13-9 loss to the Vikings after Jimmy Clausen suffered a concussion against the Lions. I want to thank Virginia, George and the McCaskey family, Phil Emery and Ted Phillips for giving me the opportunity to be the head coach of the Chicago Bears, Trestman said. I also want to thank all the coaches and players who gave us everything we asked over the past two years. I have tremendous respect for this organization. Chicago is a special city with great fans. Emery was tied to the Trestman hire and the McCaskeys believed giving him the leash to pick another coach would have been untenable to the Second City faithful. Whether any of the coaches removed Monday rebound to have greater success in a future stop remains to be seen but they all now understand hiccups wont be tolerated in most cities. Meanwhile in Pittsburgh, a legacy that morphed into mediocrity in 2012-13 with a 16-16 mark over that span was answered by staying the course. And the GPS arrived at its destination on Sunday with the organizations 21st division championship. You would think someone might want to copy that. NMD Clearance Sale .com) - Australian Open champion Li Na, former Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova and former world No. Adidas Superstar Black Australia . According to a report from CSN Bay Area, the 49ers are bracing for 6-8 game suspension for their outside linebacker. http://www.nmdaustraliasale.com/nmd-xr1-shoes-australia.html .Brady threw a 69-yard touchdown pass to Julian Edelman midway through the fourth quarter, and New England beat the San Diego Chargers 23-14 for its eighth win in nine games. NMD R1 Primeknit Australia .J. -- The New York Jets have promoted Tony Sparano Jr. Ultra Boost Clima Australia . TSN Hockey Insiders Pierre LeBrun and Bob McKenzie both reported Thursday that there have been ongoing trade discussions between the Oilers and Los Angeles Kings over forward Sam Gagner.MINNEAPOLIS -- Mike Matheny had quite the choice for the National Leagues All-Star starter. There was his own Adam Wainwright, the St. Louis Cardinals ace with a 12-4 record and a 1.83 ERA. And there was the Los Angeles Dodgers Clayton Kershaw, 11-2 with a 1.78 ERA and fresh off a 41-inning scoreless streak that ended last week. He chose Wainwright, who will start Tuesday night at Target Field against the Seattle Mariners Felix Hernandez. "Its going to be great catching them," said Milwaukees Jonathan Lucroy, the NL starter behind the plate. "A lot more fun than facing them." When baseballs elite met at Citi Field last year, NL batters managed just three hits in a 3-0 loss. A year earlier in Kansas City, the AL had just six hits in an 8-0 defeat. Never before had consecutive All-Star games ended in shutouts. "Guys are throwing harder. Guys have more pitches," said Philadelphia second baseman Chase Utley, making his sixth All-Star appearance and first since 2010. The big league batting average is at a 42-year low. Strikeouts are at an all-time high. Wainwright and Kershaw are on track to become the first pair of qualifying pitchers in one league with a sub-2.00 ERA since the Mets Dwight Gooden and the Cardinals John Tudor in 1985 -- the last time Minnesota hosted the All-Stars. "Aside from having the ability to win two World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals, I think this has to be one of the highlights of my baseball career to this point," Wainwright said. "One of the coolest things I can say I did is to start a big league All-Star game." Kershaw understood Mathenys decision. "If Im him, Im probably going to pick Adam, too. Its his guy and he had the best half," Kershaw said. Hernandez, the first Venezuela pitcher to start for the All-Stars, also has sterling credentials: an 11-2 record with a 2.12 ERA. He described his task pretty simply: "Just throw zeroes out there and get my team to win. Thats all I got to do," he said. Back in the great pitching era of the 1960s, the game was different. Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale, Bob Gibson and Juan Marichal expected to finish what they started. Now, flame-throwers come out of the bullpen in the middle of games. "Youre not getting three, four at-bats off of the starter unless youre in trouble and youre losing the game," said Baltimores Matt Wietters, elected as a starting catcher but sidelined following elbow surgery.dddddddddddd "I think for a while it was trying to get the starter out of the game so you can get to that fifth, sixth, seventh-inning guy. And now those fifth, sixth, seventh-inning guys are throwing upper 90s with a good breaking ball." In addition to pitchers, the spotlight will be on New York Yankees captain Derek Jeter. The shortstop, who turned 40 last month, is playing his final season and was selected for his 14th All-Star game. Yankees closer Mariano Rivera got an emotional sendoff last year, the All-Stars giving him a solo bow. When Rivera entered in the eighth inning all other players left him the field to himself. Cal Ripken Jr. was given a tribute at the start of the 2001 game at Seattles Safeco Field when Alex Rodriguez told Ripken just before the first pitch to switch positions and move from third base to shortstop, where the Baltimore star spent most of his career. The 40-year-old Ripken then homered in the third inning. And two years ago, Atlantas Chipper Jones was feted with a standing ovation at Kauffman Stadium when he pinch hit in the sixth inning and singled. What will Jeters All-Star finale be like? "I dont go into things with expectations," he said. "Im looking forward to playing the game. Ive pretty much stopped it right there." The game is being played in Minneapolis for the third time, following the NLs 6-5 win at Metropolitan Stadium in 1965 and a dull 6-1 NL victory indoors at the Metrodome in 1985. Oakland, a big league-best 59-36 at the break, has seven All-Stars for the first time since 1975. It got another win on Monday night when Yoenis Cespedes beat Cincinnatis Todd Frazier 9-1 in the final round to become the first repeat champion of the Home Run Derby since Ken Griffey Jr. in 1998 and 99. The Athletics have some incentive for an AL victory in the All-Star game; since 2003, the winners league gets to start the World Series at home, and 23 of the last 28 titles were won by teams scheduled to host four of a possible seven games. "I dont think you can ever underestimate the home-field advantage in a post-season," said AL manager John Farrell, who led Boston to a six-game win over St. Louis last year. "To have that final game potentially in your home ballpark, that goes a long way to affecting the outcome." ' ' '