Today the Seattle Seahawks fired their Head Coach following a 5-11 season that was filled with adversity, player injury, poor team cohesion, inept play on the field, etc. Of course all the media that covered the story were all over the now-former HC's case about how he failed, and what a mistake it was for the team to bring him on as Head Coach, and how happy a number of players were about his being fired.
I just had to take the opportunity to once again point out the incongruity of the entire situation in regards to the overall responsibility of the HC versus the players. The following was my response to the Seattle PI article...
"I wrote an earlier response on this subject in which I postulated that teams should be heavily fining the players for their lack of execution on the field.
After all, a Head Coach can only prep the team for the games. After that, it is entirely in the players hands as to the outcome of the game. I can already hear all the boo-birds clattering about a Head Coaches responsibilities...blah, blah, blah.
The fact of the matter is, it was the PLAYERS who failed to execute the expected performance of their jobs. It was the PLAYERS who seemingly refused to band together and overcome the ineptitude on the field. It was the PLAYERS who failed the fans week after dismal week. It was the PLAYERS who failed to rise up, accept responsibility for their poor play, and then go do something about it.
Yes, we heard Housh week after tiring week telling us how much he wanted the ball; only to miss his routes, drop catchable passes, etc. Matt Hasselbeck was also telling the press about rising up; but when it came to game time, he was as inept as his receivers.
A Head Coach can only do so much to get players to work as a team. After that, it is completely up to the individual players to meld into one cohesive unit. If they fail to do that, well...just look at this year as a prime example.
Contrary to popular sentiment, a Head Coach is NEVER fully responsible for a team's win/loss record. The players should be faulted as well.
Mora DOES bear responsibility...to a degree. After that, it is the PLAYERS themselves who should be losing their jobs."
*(side note--the two responses I got to my posting both defended the poor play of the players by completely laying blame on Jim Mora, the now ex-Head Coach. The respondents (who replied as unregistered users, of course!) are so blind in their placing blame that they don't see the players as having any fault whatsoever. They are probably the same fans who praise the players for a great season, too.)
Wins=Player Effort. Losing = Bad Coaching. Hmmm...
Friday, January 8, 2010
Saturday, January 2, 2010
NBA Should Severely Punish Arenas & Crittenton
The NBA is sinking faster and faster.
First, it was allowing the Detroit Pistons of the late 1980's to basically change the physicality of the game through an increased level of aggressiveness on court. Since then, the game has devolved from a game of skill and wits into a free-for-all shoving match I now refer to as basketBRAWL.
Then, Stern and buddies stood by while thug players such as Allen "the CANCER" Iverson brought the game down to a street-level mentality complete with posses, sleeve tattoos, 'it's all about ME' attitudes, drafted high school players demanding what team they would play for (and getting their way!), and injured players sitting on the bench dressed like they're in the hood--and acting like it, too!
After that the NBA began allowing once egregious fouls to slide by because it was "how the game has evolved." For instance Michael Jordan, the King of dirty, selfish play, tossing an offensive player around in order to steal the ball, and NOT getting a foul call.
There have been referee scandals, player scandals, and team ownership scandals. How the NBA could ever let a team leave the 13th largest market for the smallest is mind boggling. But then, David Stern and Clay Bennett are the best of buddies; and if Bennett wanted to destroy the Seattle Supersonics so he could move the team to tiny Oklahoma City, well, no one would take notice...no one except the fans of the Seattle Supersonics--a team that had been entrenched in the NBA for over forty years, and had an NBA Championship history.
Now, we see the NBA has digressed to yet another level. Washington Wizards players Gilbert Arena and Javaris Crittenton had a dispute in the team locker room and drew guns and pointed them at each other! What the #@&%!! Are these guys insane? This isn't the local hood hangout; It's the NBA!
The Commissioner's Office must jump all over this one! Why? Because if they don't the league will be sending a very dangerous message to every player and every fan that this kind of behavior is acceptable. If this situation is not addressed immediately and severely, then the sport will sink to a new all-time low.
These players should be suspended without pay for the remainder of the season and be required to undergo counseling and anger management (at their own expense).
Then, the Players Union must uphold the punishment metted out by the league. If they don't [do this], the Union will send the message that such behavior is not only acceptable, but that players won't be held accountable for such actions.
There is no gray area in this. What Arenas and Cittenton did was not only illegal, it was morally wrong and incredibly dangerous. They must be made to answer for their choices! If these players whine about the consequences they should be told to shut up and take the punishment. If they are that concerned about the loss of income, maybe they should have thought about that before they chose to point a weapon at each other.
Come on David Stern...Do the right thing for the league...for once!
First, it was allowing the Detroit Pistons of the late 1980's to basically change the physicality of the game through an increased level of aggressiveness on court. Since then, the game has devolved from a game of skill and wits into a free-for-all shoving match I now refer to as basketBRAWL.
Then, Stern and buddies stood by while thug players such as Allen "the CANCER" Iverson brought the game down to a street-level mentality complete with posses, sleeve tattoos, 'it's all about ME' attitudes, drafted high school players demanding what team they would play for (and getting their way!), and injured players sitting on the bench dressed like they're in the hood--and acting like it, too!
After that the NBA began allowing once egregious fouls to slide by because it was "how the game has evolved." For instance Michael Jordan, the King of dirty, selfish play, tossing an offensive player around in order to steal the ball, and NOT getting a foul call.
There have been referee scandals, player scandals, and team ownership scandals. How the NBA could ever let a team leave the 13th largest market for the smallest is mind boggling. But then, David Stern and Clay Bennett are the best of buddies; and if Bennett wanted to destroy the Seattle Supersonics so he could move the team to tiny Oklahoma City, well, no one would take notice...no one except the fans of the Seattle Supersonics--a team that had been entrenched in the NBA for over forty years, and had an NBA Championship history.
Now, we see the NBA has digressed to yet another level. Washington Wizards players Gilbert Arena and Javaris Crittenton had a dispute in the team locker room and drew guns and pointed them at each other! What the #@&%!! Are these guys insane? This isn't the local hood hangout; It's the NBA!
The Commissioner's Office must jump all over this one! Why? Because if they don't the league will be sending a very dangerous message to every player and every fan that this kind of behavior is acceptable. If this situation is not addressed immediately and severely, then the sport will sink to a new all-time low.
These players should be suspended without pay for the remainder of the season and be required to undergo counseling and anger management (at their own expense).
Then, the Players Union must uphold the punishment metted out by the league. If they don't [do this], the Union will send the message that such behavior is not only acceptable, but that players won't be held accountable for such actions.
There is no gray area in this. What Arenas and Cittenton did was not only illegal, it was morally wrong and incredibly dangerous. They must be made to answer for their choices! If these players whine about the consequences they should be told to shut up and take the punishment. If they are that concerned about the loss of income, maybe they should have thought about that before they chose to point a weapon at each other.
Come on David Stern...Do the right thing for the league...for once!
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