At some point players have to look at each other and say 'not any more'. I'm still numb and don't have much to say. The above pretty much sums up where I'm at right now.
You could make the argument the players did stand up and say 'not anymore.' As in... we're not going to beat Kentucky anymore.
Ha. I agree that one of two things are going to happen: The players say screw it, I'll coast here or screw it, we're going to play and have fun. I don't know which one it's going to be
Quite frankly, this team looked like a team that was no longer buying what the coaches were saying just wanted this to be over with Saturday. Had te players cared, talent aloen would have been the difference. Reminded me a whole, whole lot of late 05 and late 08.
And even in '08 the team "rallied," for lack of a better term, to beat two bowl bound teams to close out the year. How frightening is that?
Even before Saturday (heck, before the season for that matter), I had heard murmurring from various people around Knoxville that the players hate Dooley and really haven't really liked him since the beginning. The shower references and such only made it worse. Saturday was the first time I had seen proof positive evidence on the field that was the case.
You are playing football for Tennessee. If that does not mean something important enough to fight for, what are you doing here. I frankly don't care if you love your coach. Play the game the way it is intended to be played. Saturday was unacceptable. Period. And it's on everyone.
We put 98% of the burden on a guy with a recent month long vacation from football, a broken thumb, and strep throat. And I'm not sure it was effort that made Palardy and Darr stink up the stadium.
I agree. Unfortuantely, for me and you, that is the case. Not for the players. Look at who the vast majority of these kids are. They don't give a damn about Tennessee football compared to you and I. They are here because somehow, someway they were convinced that it was best for them personally and was their best shot to play professionally. In many cases, them, their parents, grandparents, etc. have not sctructured their lives around Tennessee football on a fall Saturday. They've never just wanted to stay in bed on Sunday morning because of the game the day before. It's just different. Throw in every possible way a break could go against them has, a coach that you don't like who continually says "look, these guys aren't that good", a possible division in the team given Poole's post-game statement, and a senior class not necessarily known for its strong leadership and that has been shitted on by every base of the program, and you have a recipe for disaster. You can make fun of him sitting by rivers praying all you want, but Nick Reviez was a leader who bled orange. That can help ooze through a locker room and stop this from happening. That wasn't there this year. I'm not saying I like it or accept it. But it's reality.
Saturday was on everybody. In the end the HC is the one in charge of the chaos and is responsible for it.
A lot of sophomores are becoming juniors. They'd by god better take this team by the neck and lead. It's their team now.
I have this philosophy on keeping a team together, and playing hard. 1. The players have to believe in you, and believe that you care about them. 2. You have to put the kids in a position to be successful. You do this with teaching fundamentals and play calling to their strengths. 3. There must be shared sacrifice. I believe in hard work. I coach hard and have the expectations of my players to practice hard. It's hard to quit and give up on something, when you have time, sweat, and blood into something. A leader must identify himself with the group, must back up the group, even at the risk of displeasing superiors. He must believe that the group wants from him a sense of approval. If this feeling prevails, production, discipline, morale will be high, and in return, you can demand the cooperation to promote the goals of the team. Some of us will do our jobs well and some will not, but we will all be judged on one thing: the result Confidence is contagious and so is lack of confidence, and a customer will recognize both Vince Lombardi said these things, and from what I saw on the field this season. I can't help but believe that, this team doesn't have any leadership.