In what might qualify as the understatement of a generation, Barry Trotz said, “My situation is probably a little more unique than most.” Yes, a coach going into the opposing team’s dressing room, giving a rousing talk and getting solid applause two hours before a game, that would meet anyone’s reasonable definition of “unique.”
His “situation” is something that happens maybe once a generation or so: coach wins a championship then coaches against his title-winning team several months later. To the berst of our recollection, the most recent example was Dick Williams managing the California Angels in 1974 against his recent champion Oakland Athletics (Mike Keenan left the Stanley Cup-winning Rangers for the Blues in 1994 but the teams didn’t meet during the lockout-shortened season).