Vintage Whine/Dear Brenda

[huskyd]

Here are three things for a coach to do when a game is lost: 1. Congratulate the other team. 2. Accept personal responsibility for the loss.3. Talk about areas that need improvement. But NEVER blame your team. That's what set me off this morning as I read the Washington Post: Brenda's blaming everything but herself for the team's recent defeats. First, Maryland was fatigued—the poor dears had to play three games in six days. Well, whose job is it to have the players ready and to substitute judiciously during the game in order to keep the players fresh? But, secondly, how could Brenda substitute when she has such a thin bench? Who selects the team to provide sufficient depth? (Maybe make Gabby a forward?) And whose job is it to employ the talent she has to best advantage? Then there's this: “I've never seen a game like that for us . . . a very uncharacteristic game.” Malarky. Brenda has seen a lot of games like that; it's a Terp tradition to lose big games. In her mind, Brenda was really an innocent bystander to Ohio State. A victim herself of a team that lacked energy, depth, and the ability to suck it up in crunch time. Well, take responsibly, Brenda. You're where the buck stops. Congratulate OSU and give them some props. You're the Great Motivator, so don't blame your team for not responding to stress. And NEVER (first rule of teaching) criticize w/out offering a means of improvement—for your players and your team.

 

[HoopsFan21]

Isn't UConn playing 4 games in 8 days for the second time this season? The next 3 on the road? Geno said last night that his team has to be mature, and that planes, hotels, travel, etc. are all excuses, but not good ones for not playing well.

 

[TerpWomenFan]

Here are three things for a coach to do when a game is lost: 1. Congratulate the other team. 2. Accept personal responsibility for the loss.3. Talk about areas that need improvement. But NEVER blame your team. That's what set me off this morning as I read the Washington Post: Brenda's blaming everything but herself for the team's recent defeats. First, Maryland was fatigued—the poor dears had to play three games in six days. Well, whose job is it to have the players ready and to substitute judiciously during the game in order to keep the players fresh? But, secondly, how could Brenda substitute when she has such a thin bench? Who selects the team to provide sufficient depth? (Maybe make Gabby a forward?) And whose job is it to employ the talent she has to best advantage? Then there's this: “I've never seen a game like that for us . . . a very uncharacteristic game.” Malarky. Brenda has seen a lot of games like that; it's a Terp tradition to lose big games. In her mind, Brenda was really an innocent bystander to Ohio State. A victim herself of a team that lacked energy, depth, and the ability to suck it up in crunch time. Well, take responsibly, Brenda. You're where the buck stops. Congratulate OSU and give them some props. You're the Great Motivator, so don't blame your team for not responding to stress. And NEVER (first rule of teaching) criticize w/out offering a means of improvement—for your players and your team.

It would be nice to post the article you're referring to.

 

[UcMiami]

I think just a little harsh. As Geno says he has learned, there is only so much he can accomplish from the sideline in a game - he used to think he could control everything and drove himself nuts, now he is wiser and a little calmer. There really are games where the team just doesn't get it done or where individual players go a little haywire. Most of us give Geno a pass when he calls the team or an individual out though occasionally he may skirt a line that we find a little hard to witness. We ought to give other coaches an occasional pass as well.

As far as stamina - well, MD had a very easy OOC until the last game (Uconn) and then followed that with two conference games the second of which was also going to be tough - a wake up call for the whole team. Yes, Brenda is probably to blame for that, but it is not unusual - they led D1 is MOV until the Uconn game, so no one had to work all that hard, and I guess the coaches were not pushing hard enough during that string of cupcakes. But sometimes again, it is as much the players not really believing (think Stanford wake up call last year.)

If this were the refrain after every game like with some coaches we can all call to mind, I would be on board with the criticism - in this case ... I didn't have an issue with her reported comments after Uconn for example.

 

[TerpWomenFan]

I agree with the OP that Brenda should give credit to Ohio State for a brilliantly played game (I think she did in the post game comments). If you saw the game, Maryland didn't have the energy in the second half. Missed free throws by players who shoot 80% plus on them. All of them were short. Short on the 3 point attempts. The bench was short because Gillespie was a DNP-CD and she could have helped on the boards and scoring. The best thing about this game for Maryland fans is they will learn from this a be a better team.

 

[VAUConnFan]

Criticism whether successful or not comes with the athletic territory. I, personally, might take a few steps back before taking umbrage with a coach coming off of consecutive Final Fours.

 

[mhshuskies]

Maybe by throwing players under the bus she is making a sales pitch to replace JPM at Duke. Nobody does it better!

 

[johnnyc]

The best thing about this game for Maryland fans is they will learn from this a be a better team.

Coach P is that you?

 

[Teacherdeb]

Maybe by throwing players under the bus she is making a sales pitch to replace JPM at Duke. Nobody does it better!

 

[Teacherdeb]

Oops- Mhshuskies, this comment made me laugh- clever! Actually, I am warming up to Brenda- I was impressed with how Maryland played us, and understanding what she has gone through with her son makes her a real person, not some one dimensional caricature of a frenzied coach with badly colored hair. ( which she has improved) I am guilty of seeing just the basketball side of coaches and players- superficial stuff. Gonna work on that.

 

[HGN]

Here are three things for a coach to do when a game is lost: 1. Congratulate the other team. 2. Accept personal responsibility for the loss.3. Talk about areas that need improvement. But NEVER blame your team. That's what set me off this morning as I read the Washington Post: Brenda's blaming everything but herself for the team's recent defeats. First, Maryland was fatigued—the poor dears had to play three games in six days. Well, whose job is it to have the players ready and to substitute judiciously during the game in order to keep the players fresh? But, secondly, how could Brenda substitute when she has such a thin bench? Who selects the team to provide sufficient depth? (Maybe make Gabby a forward?) And whose job is it to employ the talent she has to best advantage? Then there's this: “I've never seen a game like that for us . . . a very uncharacteristic game.” Malarky. Brenda has seen a lot of games like that; it's a Terp tradition to lose big games. In her mind, Brenda was really an innocent bystander to Ohio State. A victim herself of a team that lacked energy, depth, and the ability to suck it up in crunch time. Well, take responsibly, Brenda. You're where the buck stops. Congratulate OSU and give them some props. You're the Great Motivator, so don't blame your team for not responding to stress. And NEVER (first rule of teaching) criticize w/out offering a means of improvement—for your players and your team.

Huskyd , I read that story in the Post ( Maryland Hopes to Lay Its Losses to Rest) this morning too. But I didn't come away with quite the same slant on it as you did. Brenda Frese didn't say things the way I thought would have been more palatable. For instance , she should have said the team wasn't properly prepared for OSU , or its ability to shoot the 3 , or that they just got out-hustled. In my opinion that would have been more accurate. If her team was tired or not totally ready , some of that blame falls on the coach.

Hopefully , she learned a lesson , and will have her team ready for Nebraska.

 

[Orangutan]

If you look at the post-game press conference, I think she did what you ask for. LINK Looks like the quotes in that Post article were given separately later, maybe.

Here's a relevant excerpt from the post-game presser (emphasis mine):

"On the basketball end, you saw the effects and the impact of three games in six days. It’s not an excuse in terms of how we played. Like I mentioned to the team in the locker room, when you want to be a championship team and compete for titles, there’s going to come a time in the tournament where you have to play three games in three days. I thought there was a lot of uncharacteristic plays with us from fatigue, which is the mental side of the game that we have to improve on. I thought Ohio State came in here and had a sensational second half. They came out with a lot more energy and a lot more confidence. We had a lot of uncharacteristic turnovers, a lot of miscues, a lot of breakdowns on the defensive end, and a lot of miss free throws. The great thing about the game is that it humbles you and keeps you hungry, and it allows you to come back and work harder. I know this team will bounce back. Ohio State helped us improve today.”

Yes, she cited fatigue as a reason her team played poorly, but she also said that it's not an excuse. All her statements refer to Maryland as "we" and "us" i.e. including her. So I don't see that as not taking responsibility or blaming the players. And in saying that Ohio State "helped us improve" and "had a sensational second half" she's offering plenty of credit to Ohio State.

 

[turtlespeed]

I have not seen Frese throw her players under the bus, that does not appear to be her style. My reading of the same article indicated that Frese was trying to protect her players by making excuses for their poor play by saying that they were tired from playing 3 games in 6 days. Whenever I've seen Frese criticize her team, she usually says "we played poorly" meaning the coaches and the players. Below are some of the comments from the article. However, I must say that I can see someone who may be a hater could interpret this article in a different way.



Frese and her players were more than a little relieved to wait nearly five full days for their next game, at 7 tonight against Nebraska at Xfinity Center.

“Oh my gosh, yes,” Frese said when asked if she welcomed the break. “We all need it.”

The reigning Big Ten Coach of the Year used one of those days off to review film of the Ohio State game and confirmed her suspicions that fatigue forced the Terps into unusual mistakes. Maryland (12-2, 1-1 Big Ten) committed 20 turnovers, shot 54 percent from the free-throw line and was outrebounded for most of the game.

Of particular concern was the lack of early contributions from junior Brionna Jones (Aberdeen). The first-team all-Big Ten center had a total of 40 points and 26 rebounds in the first two games last week, including a career-high 19 rebounds in a 79-63 road win over Illinois in the Big Ten opener on New Year’s Eve, but had just two points by halftime Saturday. Jones, who leads the nation in field-goal percentage(713), finished with 10 points, nine rebounds and four turnovers.

“I don’t think I’ve ever watched a game where we’ve made so many mistakes almost every time down the court,” said Frese, who is in her 14th season at Maryland.

 

[Monte]

Here are three things for a coach to do when a game is lost: 1. Congratulate the other team. 2. Accept personal responsibility for the loss.3. Talk about areas that need improvement. But NEVER blame your team. That's what set me off this morning as I read the Washington Post: Brenda's blaming everything but herself for the team's recent defeats. First, Maryland was fatigued—the poor dears had to play three games in six days. Well, whose job is it to have the players ready and to substitute judiciously during the game in order to keep the players fresh? But, secondly, how could Brenda substitute when she has such a thin bench? Who selects the team to provide sufficient depth? (Maybe make Gabby a forward?) And whose job is it to employ the talent she has to best advantage? Then there's this: “I've never seen a game like that for us . . . a very uncharacteristic game.” Malarky. Brenda has seen a lot of games like that; it's a Terp tradition to lose big games. In her mind, Brenda was really an innocent bystander to Ohio State. A victim herself of a team that lacked energy, depth, and the ability to suck it up in crunch time. Well, take responsibly, Brenda. You're where the buck stops. Congratulate OSU and give them some props. You're the Great Motivator, so don't blame your team for not responding to stress. And NEVER (first rule of teaching) criticize w/out offering a means of improvement—for your players and your team.

Most coaches, at one time or another, blame their team when things don't go well. Some coaches like to use the word, "we." They are being more subtle, and by saying "we," they include themselves as well as the players. It can be frustrating as a coach to see your players do just the opposite of what you have been teaching them for months.
Geno often says that, in reality, the players, by accepting a scholarship, are really being paid to play. These are not 10 year old kids. They have to learn the facts of life: if you perform well, you will move forward, and isn't this true in all aspects of life?

 

[huskyd]

If you look at the post-game press conference, I think she did what you ask for. LINK Looks like the quotes in that Post article were given separately later, maybe.

Here's a relevant excerpt from the post-game presser (emphasis mine):

"On the basketball end, you saw the effects and the impact of three games in six days. It’s not an excuse in terms of how we played. Like I mentioned to the team in the locker room, when you want to be a championship team and compete for titles, there’s going to come a time in the tournament where you have to play three games in three days. I thought there was a lot of uncharacteristic plays with us from fatigue, which is the mental side of the game that we have to improve on. I thought Ohio State came in here and had a sensational second half. They came out with a lot more energy and a lot more confidence. We had a lot of uncharacteristic turnovers, a lot of miscues, a lot of breakdowns on the defensive end, and a lot of miss free throws. The great thing about the game is that it humbles you and keeps you hungry, and it allows you to come back and work harder. I know this team will bounce back. Ohio State helped us improve today.”

Yes, she cited fatigue as a reason her team played poorly, but she also said that it's not an excuse. All her statements refer to Maryland as "we" and "us" i.e. including her. So I don't see that as not taking responsibility or blaming the players. And in saying that Ohio State "helped us improve" and "had a sensational second half" she's offering plenty of credit to Ohio State.

Nit-picker: Here in Washington, anyone who starts out by saying "I'm not making excuses," is making excuses.

 

[reno tony]

"Oh our team defense sucks, we can't stop anybody, no one plays like I want them to, we are doomed." Then they put up a 35 point defensive performance. She might have learned from the master and is trying to motivate via the media.

 

[CocoHusky]

"The reason we got our asses beat by Stanford is because we have players that don't want to move their feet on defense."
Geno
Nov 2014
This was Brenda's first loss in the Big 10 to a top ten ranked team. She has never been one to blame her players.

 

[TRest]

I agree with the OP that Brenda should give credit to Ohio State for a brilliantly played game (I think she did in the post game comments). If you saw the game, Maryland didn't have the energy in the second half. Missed free throws by players who shoot 80% plus on them. All of them were short. Short on the 3 point attempts. The bench was short because Gillespie was a DNP-CD and she could have helped on the boards and scoring. The best thing about this game for Maryland fans is they will learn from this a be a better team.

Any idea why Gillespie was benched?

 

[HGN]

Nit-picker: Here in Washington, anyone who starts out by saying "I'm not making excuses," is making excuses.

LOL.......Huskyd , you've been around the Washington political/'politician speak' scene too long.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/spor...9c9a1a-b495-11e5-9388-466021d971de_story.html

Different article? Similar vintage?

 

[Sonny44]

There seems to be a few here who love to hate Brenda, not just the OPer. I think she is good for MD, good for her players, good for WCBB and most importantly good for UCONN because she will play us. They gave us our toughest test yet; basically a 4 point win before the desperation fouling started.

 

[TerpWomenFan]

Any idea why Gillespie was benched?

DNP-CD which probably mean that she was a little under the weather or Brenda wanted her to watch the game from the bench because she's been struggling lately. She only scored 2 points against Illinois. Sometimes you need to see the game from the bench to figure what is going on during the game. Hopefully she will play tonight at home against Nebraska.