Paytonlives said:
PlayerRep said:
Ursa Major said:
I agree, but I also get tired of posters who keep posting unrealistic and unsupportable things about how wonder things will be in the future. Also, posters who don't recognize the obvious problems, including, as 75 points out, things that Stitt has admitted are problem areas.
PR & 75,
Ill try one more time.
The reason that I moved/closed all those threads is because they had morfed into one subject, mainly the job that Stitt was doing or they had strayed from the original post into a Johnson measuring contest. Then I started this one and combined a few so that readers that don't give a crap about this stuff can find other material to read easier and posters that care a lot about this could continue on.
I am not a Stitt apologist, but then again Im not going to bash him either.
When ever a team finishes 1-4 there are problems. But those problems are never one persons fault. If Stitt saw something and did nothing then he screwed up. And yes Stitt did admit he screwed up, thats what coached do. However, the players also need to step up and take some responsibility. IE everyone in the locker room needs to hold themselves and their team accountable. All I have ever posted about this is that I saw it on the sidelines of the msu game that the players did not have any fight left... they had stopped playing hard in a 7 point game. Is that because of Stitt or a player problem... I don't know. Probably a little of both. What I do know is that it sucked.
As far as the future... the last few recruiting classes are really good. Where do I get that opinion? I support that by the fact that I have watched thousands of hours of film over the last 20 years... AND ON FILM these guys are players. BTW... I get my opinion on comparing player films and watching a lot of games live. That does not mean they will be all-stars as frosh or even as sophs, But I believe (Its my opinion) that the future does look bright.
Do I think the talent was not where it needs to be to compete for a NC the last few years? Yes! (Thats my opinion)
And just when will we know about Stitt and whether he is the man for the job... Well honestly after game 4 this fall. Should be 2-1 (Two fairly easy games and Washington) then home to face EWU. An EWU that will probably be 1-2 or 0-3.
Personally... I am an optimist, its in my DNA. I prefer to look ahead and leave stuff in the dust. But Im also a realist... An the reality is this season is going to be really interesting a lot of unknowns and a lot of possibilities.. I can honestly see anything from 5-6 to 10-1.
The Griz were good with JJ under Pflu. They were bad without him first year under Delaney. They were good again with JJ after he returned. Conclusions: 1) JJ made the Griz good in the years he played. 2) Without JJ, as a whole the Griz were not very good. 3) If the overall talent wasn't weaker than previous years, the ability to play as a team was.
And what about other dynamics. Was it JJ being out, a weaker team, or Delaney's inexperience as a HC that contributed most to the under .500 record, or an equal combo of all three? Where do we factor in the breaking of the streak, lack of conference championships, regular losses to CPSLO and EWU, and loss of fear factor in teams playing the Griz that were piling up?
Alot of intangibles were in place when Stitt got here that may have contributed to last years' late season collapse. Personally, I believe the seeds were sewn when the team lost faith in itself in the Coastal Carolina game where they had that team down 10-0 in the 1st qtr and at 3rd and long in its own territory, and gave up the 80+ td bomb. The late season collapse in the 2nd quarter of that game was just as hard to take as last seasons' 5 game collapse.
May we see all of these demons exercised this year? I sure as hell hope so.
And I have to comment on the discussion about Stitt's reaction or lack thereof to a supposed "problem player". College is not the NFL. A college coach does not have the luxury of trading or releasing a Randy Moss, Terrell Owens or Percy Harvin. Benching them does not get them off the team and dismissing a player for non-dismissable behavior can not occur. Playing an unhappy or frustrated player, hoping he will mature and play at his highest level, and not taking action which might label him as a problem player and destroy his post-college playing opportunities, doesn't mean in this knee-jerk world that the coach doesn't know what he is doing.