Mitch
Crawled Through 5 FB Fields
1. What's so mystifying to me is how Whisenhunt could alienate a player like Anquan Boldin. If there was one player to embrace when Whiz was appointed head coach it was Q. Q epitomizes toughness---and his toughness rubs off on everyone else...on BOTH sides of the ball.
But once Q was aliented---we all saw what happened---it was downright ugly at times---beyond ugly, really.
Look at how revitalized and happy Q is playing for the Ravens---he does just want to win---it's that simple. It wasn't all about the money.
2. Players talk all the time. It makes you wonder what Q and others like Dansby and Rolle are saying about Whisenhunt and the Cardinals' coaches.
Perhaps this is one of the main reason why the Cardinals---despite their recent success, having a truly superior stadium to play in---and being in a great area to live---cannot attract impact free agents.
3. When a team rolls over and quits---even in full view on MNF---it is a result of serious internal issues---
It's not as simple as they miss Warner and don't have the same confidence without him.
Heck, the defense could have decided that seeing as how the offense has carried this team the last three years, it was their time to do the carrying---yet---we have seen the exact opposite. Why?
4. Last week, Whiz's excuse for the players was that "they are trying too hard to be perfect."
What has Whiz been watching on the game tapes?
Trying very little at all is not evidence of trying to be perfect---it's evidence of apathy and disinterest...and of quitting.
When Byran Robinson gets blown from the strong side C gap down into the weak side A gap...which part of trying to be perfect does Whiz see?
5. The quotes from the players are just as odd---like Dockett asking, "What are we playing for?"
Darnell, what are the Buffalo Bills playing for? Why are they at 2-9 playing their hearts out?
Then he said, "We are doing our best."
What?
In the words of John McEnroe, "You CANNOT be serious."
6. I was once hired to take over a Varsity football program that hadn't won a game in 4 years. The league was on the verge of kicking the school out of the league.
When I showed up for the first practice...there were 17 players on the field. I couldn't even host a full scrimmage in practice.
I went through the hallways and there were some good athletes and some big boys (weightlifter, wrestler types). I asked them why aren't you playing football? They said they didn't want to get annihilated. I said I understood that, but I asked them what if you could turn the program around, how would that make you feel?
Fortunately, within three days I had 32 players on the field.
One of the main reasons was that I had brought a 6'4" rocket arm QB with me from my past school. Most of the players wanted to try out for WR...but now I had a pair of bookend tackles and I had a 5'6" LSH type RB who was the toughest kid on the team.
I will never forget the bus ride to the first game...while I sat in the front I listened to a cacaphony of hysterical giggles and shenanigans.
I was this far from standing up and ripping into them all...but I didn't really know these kids yet...and I thought I should wait. My assistant coaches were b.s. and wanted to do the same, but I held them back.
We were down 28-0 so fast...it was pitiful.
We lost the game 42-6.
I expected the bus ride home to have a much different tone...
Only...no...it was even worse...kids were laughing and giggling like hyenas.
Again...I was this far from exploding. But I sat there instead and tried to figure out why this was happening.
Heck, when you and I played football...you barely uttered a word on the bus on the ride to the game. If you won, the ride back could be festive...if you lost the ride back was quiet and somber. Right?
These kids had NO concept of this at all.
Why? I kept asking myself.
Then...it dawned on me...laughter is one of the most telling signs of cynicism...the type of cynicism that says why even try, nothing good is going to happen anyway.
I patiently waited for the right time...it was at half-time of the next game following another laughter-filled bus ride. We were down 28-0.
I told the players...look...let's treat this as two games. We got romped in the first one. OK. But let's give everything we have to win the second half. Let's see what we are made of. Let's see if we can win a half.
Now, I also knew that at some point the other team would sub in their 2nd stringers...which could help...but it didn't matter. What mattered was trying our best regardless.
On the last play of the game my LSH RB ran through two tackles and dove over the end zone to win us the second half 13-12. We lost the game 40-13, but we had won the 2nd half.
The players were going crazy and the other team was looking at us like we were nuts.
It didn't matter.
And guess what?
The ride home?
Amazingly...you could hear a pin drop it was so quiet.
I knew then the players were starting to care...they were struggling a little with it...but they deep down inside wanted so badly to care...every player does. You did, didn't you?
The next week was our Homecoming and first home game and we were playing the best team in the league...and to be honest it was one the best high school football games I have ever been a part of or seen. We lost on the last drive of the game 42-38.
In the locker room after the game several players were crying their eyes out.
I told them the next time we cry it will be tears of joy.
Two weeks later they won what was the school's first football win in five years.
They won the week after as well.
All the giggling...
What I have learned on a much smaller scale but can be true at all levels---is all about being cynical and thinking nothing good will ever happen anyway.
Right now these Cardinals don't care...they don't believe...and they are wallowing in cynicism and self-doubt.
7. As crazy as this sounds...and I don't mean to raise false hopes...but if the cynicism can be erased in time for Sunday's game versus the Rams...the Cardinals might find what it takes to run the table...and if they wind up at 8-8 with the Rams, the Cardinals can still win the title.
Maybe the laughing incident was the best thing that could have happened last night.
You never know.
But once Q was aliented---we all saw what happened---it was downright ugly at times---beyond ugly, really.
Look at how revitalized and happy Q is playing for the Ravens---he does just want to win---it's that simple. It wasn't all about the money.
2. Players talk all the time. It makes you wonder what Q and others like Dansby and Rolle are saying about Whisenhunt and the Cardinals' coaches.
Perhaps this is one of the main reason why the Cardinals---despite their recent success, having a truly superior stadium to play in---and being in a great area to live---cannot attract impact free agents.
3. When a team rolls over and quits---even in full view on MNF---it is a result of serious internal issues---
It's not as simple as they miss Warner and don't have the same confidence without him.
Heck, the defense could have decided that seeing as how the offense has carried this team the last three years, it was their time to do the carrying---yet---we have seen the exact opposite. Why?
4. Last week, Whiz's excuse for the players was that "they are trying too hard to be perfect."
What has Whiz been watching on the game tapes?
Trying very little at all is not evidence of trying to be perfect---it's evidence of apathy and disinterest...and of quitting.
When Byran Robinson gets blown from the strong side C gap down into the weak side A gap...which part of trying to be perfect does Whiz see?
5. The quotes from the players are just as odd---like Dockett asking, "What are we playing for?"
Darnell, what are the Buffalo Bills playing for? Why are they at 2-9 playing their hearts out?
Then he said, "We are doing our best."
What?
In the words of John McEnroe, "You CANNOT be serious."
6. I was once hired to take over a Varsity football program that hadn't won a game in 4 years. The league was on the verge of kicking the school out of the league.
When I showed up for the first practice...there were 17 players on the field. I couldn't even host a full scrimmage in practice.
I went through the hallways and there were some good athletes and some big boys (weightlifter, wrestler types). I asked them why aren't you playing football? They said they didn't want to get annihilated. I said I understood that, but I asked them what if you could turn the program around, how would that make you feel?
Fortunately, within three days I had 32 players on the field.
One of the main reasons was that I had brought a 6'4" rocket arm QB with me from my past school. Most of the players wanted to try out for WR...but now I had a pair of bookend tackles and I had a 5'6" LSH type RB who was the toughest kid on the team.
I will never forget the bus ride to the first game...while I sat in the front I listened to a cacaphony of hysterical giggles and shenanigans.
I was this far from standing up and ripping into them all...but I didn't really know these kids yet...and I thought I should wait. My assistant coaches were b.s. and wanted to do the same, but I held them back.
We were down 28-0 so fast...it was pitiful.
We lost the game 42-6.
I expected the bus ride home to have a much different tone...
Only...no...it was even worse...kids were laughing and giggling like hyenas.
Again...I was this far from exploding. But I sat there instead and tried to figure out why this was happening.
Heck, when you and I played football...you barely uttered a word on the bus on the ride to the game. If you won, the ride back could be festive...if you lost the ride back was quiet and somber. Right?
These kids had NO concept of this at all.
Why? I kept asking myself.
Then...it dawned on me...laughter is one of the most telling signs of cynicism...the type of cynicism that says why even try, nothing good is going to happen anyway.
I patiently waited for the right time...it was at half-time of the next game following another laughter-filled bus ride. We were down 28-0.
I told the players...look...let's treat this as two games. We got romped in the first one. OK. But let's give everything we have to win the second half. Let's see what we are made of. Let's see if we can win a half.
Now, I also knew that at some point the other team would sub in their 2nd stringers...which could help...but it didn't matter. What mattered was trying our best regardless.
On the last play of the game my LSH RB ran through two tackles and dove over the end zone to win us the second half 13-12. We lost the game 40-13, but we had won the 2nd half.
The players were going crazy and the other team was looking at us like we were nuts.
It didn't matter.
And guess what?
The ride home?
Amazingly...you could hear a pin drop it was so quiet.
I knew then the players were starting to care...they were struggling a little with it...but they deep down inside wanted so badly to care...every player does. You did, didn't you?
The next week was our Homecoming and first home game and we were playing the best team in the league...and to be honest it was one the best high school football games I have ever been a part of or seen. We lost on the last drive of the game 42-38.
In the locker room after the game several players were crying their eyes out.
I told them the next time we cry it will be tears of joy.
Two weeks later they won what was the school's first football win in five years.
They won the week after as well.
All the giggling...
What I have learned on a much smaller scale but can be true at all levels---is all about being cynical and thinking nothing good will ever happen anyway.
Right now these Cardinals don't care...they don't believe...and they are wallowing in cynicism and self-doubt.
7. As crazy as this sounds...and I don't mean to raise false hopes...but if the cynicism can be erased in time for Sunday's game versus the Rams...the Cardinals might find what it takes to run the table...and if they wind up at 8-8 with the Rams, the Cardinals can still win the title.
Maybe the laughing incident was the best thing that could have happened last night.
You never know.
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