Last week, at a campaign rally in Ohio, President Barack Obama admonished his audience for booing Republican challenger Mitt Romney. "Don't boo – vote," Obama said. "Voting's the best revenge."



In the wake of his re-election Tuesday, Obama undoubtedly stands by that sentiment. However, for NFL coaches with a chance to stick it to their former bosses – with Denver Broncos head coach John Fox and Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley as this weekend's prime examples – there's an even better form of vengeance: winning, as decisively and embarrassingly as possible.

Fortunately for Fox and Haley, they're in a great position to do just that.

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NFL coaches, as a general rule, are some of the most hyper-competitive, petty and humorless men on the planet (and I say that with great affection). While Fox and Haley defy the humorless part of that stereotype – they both routinely crack me up, at least – don't even consider the possibility that their minds aren't filled with punitive thoughts this week.

Fox, who felt he got a raw deal toward the end of his nine-year tenure with the Carolina Panthers, returns to Bank of America Stadium on Sunday with a chance to add to Jerry Richardson's misery.

Richardson, the Panthers' owner, allowed Fox to be a lame duck two seasons ago, and mutually assured dysfunction ensued. Now, Fox coaches a 5-3 Peyton Manning-quarterbacked Broncos team that is poised for a second consecutive AFC West title, while Carolina (2-6) is just lame. Richardson fired longtime general manager Marty Hurney last month and put Fox's successor, Ron Rivera, on notice that he might be next. Good times.

Haley, attempting to rebuild his reputation with the Steelers (5-3) after a tumultuous, three-year stint as the Kansas City Chiefs' head coach, will call plays for Ben Roethlisberger against K.C. at Heinz Field on Monday night. While Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin will be the one to decide how merciless his team might dispatch the 1-7 Chiefs, he might at least get some lobbying from his offensive coordinator.

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Though Haley has a lesser title in Pittsburgh, he's thoroughly enjoying his role in the organization where his father, Dick, was a highly successful player personnel director for two decades. He is especially indebted to Tomlin for hiring him to replace Bruce Arians despite the negative perceptions of Haley as an unhinged hothead.

"I'm so thankful that he saw through that and gave me a chance to be evaluated on my merits," Haley said Thursday night. "He's a smart guy – there's a reason why he's so successful. When we decided to do this, he said, 'I want you to be you. That's why I'm hiring you.' It's been phenomenal."

It's not hard for Haley to trace the origin of the stigma. Kansas City general manager Scott Pioli, the man who fired Haley with three games remaining in the 2012 season, might be the basis of a character for a potential Horrible Bosses sequel, what with the paranoia and the micro-managing and the insecurity and the ego-driven bullying.

Now there is mounting pressure on Chiefs owner Clark Hunt to fire Pioli – some fans paid for a plane to fly over Arrowhead Stadium displaying a banner urging the move during a K.C. home game last month – and you can bet Haley wouldn't be devastated to play a part in hastening the GM's descent.