He was the architect of chaos and he gloried in it.
He was earthy and profane, a blunt, bullying genius in the gladiatorial arena of professional football, all bluster and bravado, and as subtle as a forearm shiver, and certainly no candidate for a diplomatic post.
But Buddy Ryan, who died Tuesday at 82, revolutionized the fine art of the carnivorous defense as it had been played in the National Football League. It was based on a simple, immutable mathematical equation: Bring one more than they can block.
First, his defenses confused you. Then they pounded the pudding out of you.