SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- In the late 1970s, Wade Phillips was in his early 30s and serving as the defensive line coach for his father, Bum, on Houston Oilers teams that lost back-to-back AFC title games to the Pittsburgh Steelers. He remembered his father coming home after the losses and offering hope to stunned Oilers fans with these famous words: "Last year we knocked on the door. This year we banged on it. Next year, we're going to kick down the door."
A great sentiment, no doubt, but in reality the Oilers were beaten in the wild-card round that next year and owner Bud Adams showed the door to both Wade and Bum, firing them.