The View From Section 241

[businesslawyer]

I was slow in getting to this because I just didn't know what to say. It took me 48 hours to decide. But here goes. Until Friday night, we were an extremely disappointing 3-4, but we had every chance to win three of those four losses and the team, while disappointing, and full of flaws, was not overall terrible. Friday night changed that. Friday night was humilating. Friday night was ridiculous. Friday night was not something that you can come back from this season. Syracuse had beaten 1 I-A team -- 1 -- in their last twelve or so games. We had beaten them five straight times, and very few of those five were close. Heck -- we even beat them last year by manning up and running the ball down their throats in a year where they started strong and we struggled out of the gate. But if one thing was clear on Friday night, there was no manning up coming from the UConn sideline. None.

I don't know what happened to the D, but it obviously didn't recover from the Temple game. Lost faith in the coaches? Just flat after great efforts on their part didn't produce wins and culminated with losing at home against Temple? Mad about playing their butts off and not producing wins? Who knows. But they came out with no intensity, no emotion, and if there was a good game plan I didn't see it. Frankly, they just looked like they quit. Is that the way our D is going to be the rest of the way? Is it something they recover from after the break? I don't know. But they didn't care, and they quit. I am not getting into the coaching, and certainly not saying anything positive about it, but the coaching didn't change from the entire season to Friday night -- only the players efforts did. We got blown out because of the players. Period. On O, we remained pitiful, doing things and not doing things that we'll never understand, but that has been all year. Nice to see Whitmer throw the ball well. Hard to find anything else worth saying.

So, the bottom line is that getting to a bowl will require a remarkable turnaround that we are probably not capable of. Just winning a game will take reverting to pre-Syracuse effort and hoping some other team turns it over enough that we can squeak out a win. And then see what the offseason should and does bring us. I feel badly that Adam Masters will end a solid career in street clothes. But this senior class needs to stop worrying about the coaching and play with pride. Not one of us will get through life without playing for a coach, or working for a boss, who you lose faith in generally or as to something. You grit your teeth and work through it the best you can. You don't throw in the towel and quit on your school, your team and yourself. We have a team whose arms are sore from throwing in the towel. Time to look in the mirror instead and decide whether or not you want to look back at this season when you're more mature and wonder why you didn't work harder to overcome the stuff you can't control.

 

[gars44]

Nice post. I'm sure the kids will get there. They're not stupid. It will be hard to regroup into a winning team, however. But the players will continue to try.

 

[pj]

We got beaten. Not just in points, but physically beaten. Syracuse looked like Mike Tyson in his prime in a tune-up match.

I hope the week off does them good. They definitely need the time.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Excellent. Just excellent work BL. THanks. I hope you don't mind, but I will echo your comments and try to keep it under 5,000 words.

Psychology of sport, we're going to see it in action real time the rest of the way.

There are players on this team, that have been around long enough to know what it's like to win. What goes into winning.

But it's been 22 months, TWENTY TWO MONTHS, since December 2010. Twenty two months since we've won consecutive games, and we are a losing program right now. This is something that we have not endured, in a long time, as fans, as family, as a program.

The problem we've got, in psychology, is that we've got two years now of recruits, who have NOT seen that, and experienced that - winning.

It's just simply not realistic right now to talk about a post season. We need to win a game. A game, and build from there.

I trust that the seniors, and juniors, the upperclassmen on this team, are going to find the pride in their university, to make sure that those underclassmen, see what it takes, the work it takes, right now, regardless of outcome, and I agree with you whole-heartedly, it looked like they stopped playing, and that is totally, totally unacceptable.

I hate losing more than anything. I hate it, I"m pathologic about it. But I can accept it, if it's a hard fought battle, and you've given everything you possibly can, and performed to the the very best of your ability. The thing is, if you can and do play to the very best of your ability (and that involves both players doing it and coaches putting players in position to do it)......you win more than you lose. It's that simple.

I trust and believe, that eventually,hard work pays off, in no matter what you do, and it does. Even if you've got a crappy boss while you're at. People will notice if the boss is doing a crappy job, and eventually things will change and new bosses arrive, and so will you be replaced, if you are also doing a crappy job, especially on half-hearted disinterested work.

It's up to the upperclassmen, to demonstrate to the underclassmen, how to finish this season properly, and work for next season, to regain that winning psychology.

 

[Srqhusky]

No disagree here. Humiliating. Eapecially from the quality of opponent Other bright spots to mention I think besides whitmer who I believe is going to be special along with these Recievers smith Davis and Phillips. This is their first year together and we are going to do great things as they mature.

Really hoping that we win out the rest of the season but would settle for a big win. Last year it was Rutgers. Would like to smack Louisville and or Cincinnati By end the year.

 

[pj]

I just hope they show progress. It feels like I haven't seen progress for a long time.

 

[sportsart]

Let me play the devil's advocate just to keep it interesting.

What if, I believe it was the NC ST game, the opposition was calling out what UConn's plays were going to be.

What if UConn coaching had the defense prepare more for the run than the pass for the WMU game. More than just a little.

What if the players on offense were as smart as we are and kept scratching their heads at the play calling.

What if the OC has zero people skills and has been nothing but a p.rick since the day he showed up trying to change the offensive philosophy all at once with a pro zone blocking scheme this team was not built for and has been a pr.ick the whole time. (hey GDL this ain't the NFL)

What if your HC has shown he can't even use his time outs like any human being would know how.

That's just for starters.

By the way....throw in this coaching staff has no idea how to adjust, in game, or in practice.

How the frick do you find it in you to follow these clueless leaders?

 

[mattp]

To answer the question "how do you follow these clueless leaders", I think the question itself shows part of the problem. There needs to be leadership from the players. Coaches aren't supposed to be the team's leaders, they're the coaches. They teach techniques, game plan and call plays, but a team's leaders need to be on the field, and I don't see any. We have some great play makers, but nobody's stepped up to be a leader. Does anyone think we'd have seen Friday's effort if Lutrus was still on the team? Or Dan Davis, or Fincher? Somebody's got to step up.

 

[huskymedic]

To answer the question "how do you follow these clueless leaders", I think the question itself shows part of the problem. There needs to be leadership from the players. Coaches aren't supposed to be the team's leaders, they're the coaches. They teach techniques, game plan and call plays, but a team's leaders need to be on the field, and I don't see any. We have some great play makers, but nobody's stepped up to be a leader. Does anyone think we'd have seen Friday's effort if Lutrus was still on the team? Or Dan Davis, or Fincher? Somebody's got to step up.

Duck... Incoming.

 

[sportsart]

I guess it's easy for us to make judgements from the cheap seats (me included) but unless we have walked in their shoes we'll never know for sure.

 

[Husky68]

Well, have never been on a college team with terrible leadership, where other teams laugh because they know what's coming from Uconn offense, where defense lines up to stop run and long pass while opponents eat you up with short passes against line backers, punt return team where no attempt to get a punter to hurry punt or to block lineman.

What would you suggest players do if were in 2nd year of 3 year tenures of Kragethorpe or Grob. Smile and do the best you can? Senior leaders should not let the younger guys become victims of useless coaches - time to call out these clowns. Won't be pretty, but sometimes doing the right/hard thing isn't pretty.

 

[HuskyBarker]

To answer the question "how do you follow these clueless leaders", I think the question itself shows part of the problem. There needs to be leadership from the players.
Coaches aren't supposed to be the team's leaders, they're the coaches.

I call BS on this, WHO says coaches aren't supposed to be leaders? Ridiculous! Good to Great football teams will have more than One Leader (Hopefully) and That includes the head coach and usually includes senior players on Defense & Offense & special teams.

It's part of stepping up and taking Responsibility for oneself and helping out others on the team. A coach isn't just a coach, he is a leader, a mentor to that student athlete he will have under his wings thru out their college career.

When leadership fails at the top the results can be predictable. And when the coaching goes bad and that loss of leadership and burden falls on the players, well thats something the players can't control nor easily overcome.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

This is very similar to Cuse under GRob and Louisville under Kragthorpe (the latter years for each). There is a severe leadership issue here and a large part of the blame can be pointed at both the staff and the personnel. My opinion is that the staff deserves most of the blame for this, not in small part because (from what I have been told by some with real information) is that a few instances occurred when a veteran player did something to show some leadership and was reprimanded by a coach who believes the players are required to only keep their mouths shut and follow orders.

A change is desperately needed here.

 

[Kevin Caliendo]

in today's twitter world, the players are more than aware of the criticisms of the coaching staff coming from fans/alum/etc. Yet in a naitonally televised game, played at the head coach's old school in a game they needed to win to remain on track to make a bowl, they play their worst game in 5 years. What does that say about the players respect for their coach? they laid down.

 

[huskypantz]

I don't care if you absolutely hate your coach. There are seniors out there that have given their hearts for the past 4-5 years. You give your all because you want to send them out right. You give your all because someday it will be your last call, and you will expect the same. You give your all because your effort on the outside reflects your character on the inside.

 

[ZooCougar]

To answer the question "how do you follow these clueless leaders", I think the question itself shows part of the problem. There needs to be leadership from the players. Coaches aren't supposed to be the team's leaders, they're the coaches. They teach techniques, game plan and call plays, but a team's leaders need to be on the field, and I don't see any. We have some great play makers, but nobody's stepped up to be a leader. Does anyone think we'd have seen Friday's effort if Lutrus was still on the team? Or Dan Davis, or Fincher? Somebody's got to step up.

The is a ginormous pile of steaming bull poo. Coaches aren't leaders? Have you ever played any organized athletics? You must have. Think back to those days, you'll see how ridiculous you are being.

Leaders exist on all levels. There are leaders on the field, in the locker room, in the weight room. Coaches lead by making decisions, accepting risk, setting standards, enforcing standards and more ways that can be enumerated.

When your leaders continually make terrible decisions and continually put you in a position that makes it difficult to be successful then you lose confidence in them and you don't try as hard. It's basic human nature.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

Many fans (maybe most) do not believe UConn will win another game this season. However, the players and the coaches are in a position to see this differently. Each of the final four games will start out at 0-0, so if we are missing something as fans . . . . well then let 'em show us.

 

[gars44]

To answer the question "how do you follow these clueless leaders", I think the question itself shows part of the problem. There needs to be leadership from the players. Coaches aren't supposed to be the team's leaders, they're the coaches. They teach techniques, game plan and call plays, but a team's leaders need to be on the field, and I don't see any. We have some great play makers, but nobody's stepped up to be a leader. Does anyone think we'd have seen Friday's effort if Lutrus was still on the team? Or Dan Davis, or Fincher? Somebody's got to step up.

This is just not the way it works. Coaches are supposed to be leaders. That's all they're supposed to be.

 

[businesslawyer]

Neither side is wrong here. Obviously, college football coaches, good ones, are leaders. Having said that, the head coach's chair is hardly the only place from which leadership can come.

 

[businesslawyer]

Let me play the devil's advocate just to keep it interesting.

What if, I believe it was the NC ST game, the opposition was calling out what UConn's plays were going to be.

What if UConn coaching had the defense prepare more for the run than the pass for the WMU game. More than just a little.

What if the players on offense were as smart as we are and kept scratching their heads at the play calling.

What if the OC has zero people skills and has been nothing but a p.rick since the day he showed up trying to change the offensive philosophy all at once with a pro zone blocking scheme this team was not built for and has been a pr.ick the whole time. (hey GDL this ain't the NFL)

What if your HC has shown he can't even use his time outs like any human being would know how.

That's just for starters.

By the way....throw in this coaching staff has no idea how to adjust, in game, or in practice.

How the frick do you find it in you to follow these clueless leaders?

Not one thing you listed is an excuse for players not giving it their best.

We all work on projects for clients or bosses, most of us have probably at some point played for a coach in some sport growing up, where you disagree with the direction in which you're being taken. If you have any maturity and pride, you put that aside and do the best job you can within the circumstances. You want to blame the coaches on individuals doing the best they can do not producing wins prior to Friday night -- absolutely reasonable. But you want to blame the coaches inadequacies for the kids giving up on the field? I'm not buying it. The coaches not being good enough is not, can not be, ever, an excuse for players not giving it their all.

 

[ZooCougar]

Not one thing you listed is an excuse for players not giving it their best.

We all work on projects for clients or bosses, most of us have probably at some point played for a coach in some sport growing up, where you disagree with the direction in which you're being taken. If you have any maturity and pride, you put that aside and do the best job you can within the circumstances. You want to blame the coaches on individuals doing the best they can do not producing wins prior to Friday night -- absolutely reasonable. But you want to blame the coaches inadequacies for the kids giving up on the field? I'm not buying it. The coaches not being good enough is not, can not be, ever, an excuse for players not giving it their all.

Everything you are saying is right. But I dismiss completely any assertion that the coaches aren't mostly responsible for setting these conditions.

We're 8 games in. I think we saw the players doing exactly as you described for the first 7. Everyone has a breaking point.

The other thing is, there has been many a murmur albeit unofficial indicating that the players have experienced a loss of confidence in the coaches. It comes out in social media, it comes out with the parents etc. Again with the breaking point.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

I'm with BL here. Yes, the staff needs to go this December. But I won't entertain any excuses for why kids quit. None. It's a reflection on both the coaches AND the players.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Everything you are saying is right. But I dismiss completely any assertion that the coaches aren't mostly responsible for setting these conditions.

We're 8 games in. I think we saw the players doing exactly as you described for the first 7. Everyone has a breaking point.

The other thing is, there has been many a murmur albeit unofficial indicating that the players have experienced a loss of confidence in the coaches. It comes out in social media, it comes out with the parents etc. Again with the breaking point.

It reflects poorly on the coaches AND the players.

The players are being given a free pass. They quit, laid down, gave up on Friday night. Have some pride. The coaches will be gone soon enough. Play football.

 

[ZooCougar]

. The coaches will be gone soon enough. Play football.

We hope.

 

[gars44]

Not one thing you listed is an excuse for players not giving it their best.

We all work on projects for clients or bosses, most of us have probably at some point played for a coach in some sport growing up, where you disagree with the direction in which you're being taken. If you have any maturity and pride, you put that aside and do the best job you can within the circumstances. You want to blame the coaches on individuals doing the best they can do not producing wins prior to Friday night -- absolutely reasonable. But you want to blame the coaches inadequacies for the kids giving up on the field? I'm not buying it. The coaches not being good enough is not, can not be, ever, an excuse for players not giving it their all.

BL, this denies human behavioral theory. This is like saying that great leadership isn't better than good leadership, or average leadership. Great leadership gets players, and people, to "give their all." That's what great leadership does. Good leadership gets a little less out of the team, or business, and mediocre leadership gets a little less than that. People quit on poor leadership. They just do. That's what makes it poor. And you yourself have said it is the coaching, and you just don't want to get into it until the end of the season. Some of us are jumping the gun. This may not quite be the end - but you can see it from here . . . . and it ain't pretty