Eastern Washington Eagles scouting report

[ElrodGrizzly]

The first quarter of WCU and the entire second half at Grand Forks. How deep a hole can one continually dig for yourself? One of the opposing coaches couldn't figure out how the North Dakota disaster even happened.

Griz were outcoached, offense was a joke, defense pourous. Players try to execute what is called, but therein lies the problem, so I can't fault them.

As for what I'm smoking, it's of my own concoction. Took years to perfect. I might just send you some for Christmas!But, better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout...well, you know.

Lol, I'll DM you my address. You don't even have to pre-roll it!

I just don't see the same thing you do. UND is a damn good team at home. Sometimes the Griz will lose, just like NDSU lost even worse at UND last year. Sometimes the coaches will get out coached, just like Nick Saban and Kirby Smart and Bill Belichick sometimes get out coached. Sometimes players will get out-played, just like has happened to Montana, Brady, Jordan, and every other competitive athlete who has ever set foot onto a playing surface. If your standard is perfection, man, you will spend life being disappointed.

We have played 16 quarters of football. If you say that 3 bad ones makes our coaches and players incompetent, I just do not see your logic. They lost a game. It happens. We lost a much more disappointing one last year and went to the national title game.

The 1995 Grizzlies lost two games. The 2001 Grizzlies lost a game. Joe Glenn lost games.

I would honestly ask you, what standard are you expecting? Every year undefeated and national champions, and if not, the coaches and players suck?

 

[Mick Belker]

Seven blind men describing an elephant. Each is right, from his own perspective.

 

[ElrodGrizzly]

Seven blind men describing an elephant. Each is right, from his own perspective.

That metaphor is a very easy way to ignore facts and reality, though. It is an oversimplification that makes it impossible to have a reasoned discussion. It goes along with people who say "I don't care what science or evidence says, I saw this on a youtube video." Sometimes, it isn't a matter of perspective when there is objective reality to discuss.

In reality, there is an elephant of a program, and we are not blind. Some things, like the continued upward trajectory of the Grizzly program over Hauck 2.0 is factual. The difficulty of our pre-conference schedule is factual. Our 3-1 record and the team improving game by game, which is what you want, is factual.

I just don't see anything those coaches or kids have done to have you get on the internet and say that they suck. Those coaches and kids are putting in well over 40 hours a week to be the best football team they can be. Attacking them isn't the same as saying "well, you see a tail and I see a trunk." If you don't have anything to actually base it on in a reasoned discussion, I don't see what positive benefit you find in attacking kids (some of whom are teenagers) on the internet without having a decent argument in place for why you believe that they are so terrible. I know you are someone whose self image includes being someone with a big heart for people, especially the downtrodden or the wounded. This ain't showing that, man.

 

[Mick Belker]

The players are not the problem(s). They do as they are told.

 

[ElrodGrizzly]

The players are not the problem(s). They do as they are told.

Okay. The post you made that I originally responded to said the players and coaches are showing "a propensity to fuck things up."

But sure, then the coaches, who are working a LOT more than 40 hours a week to put this team in the best position. Do you dispute that we have shown a clear upward trajectory since Hauck came back?

I ask again, is your standard to have an undefeated season and a national championship every year, and if they don't do that, then they are bad coaches? What is your standard for success that would make you stop trashing them?

 

[Mick Belker]

I misspoke originally. The players can only accomplish what the coaches prepare and instruct them to do.

Sure, I'd settle for undefeated, NC every year.
On a practical side, no more repeats of the three quarters mentioned. I know the coaches are capable of making the adjustments, but they seem to be re-inventing the wheel again and again. Equating criticism of coaches with being a bad fan is a huge stretch, though. If the Emperor doesn't have any clothes on, that's what I will say.
My God! I've become...Growler!

 

[ElrodGrizzly]

I misspoke originally. The players can only accomplish what the coaches prepare and instruct them to do.

Sure, I'd settle for undefeated, NC every year.
On a practical side, no more repeats of the three quarters mentioned. I know the coaches are capable of making the adjustments, but they seem to be re-inventing the wheel again and again. Equating criticism of coaches with being a bad fan is a huge stretch, though. If the Emperor doesn't have any clothes on, that's what I will say.
My God! I've become...Growler!

I never said you were a bad fan for criticizing coaches. I disagreed with your statement, and tried to engage in a discussion about what your actual expectations are. Thankfully you are a much better hearted person than Growler, and you don't resort to petty and ugly personal attacks. All kudos to you for that, brother!

I'd just still ask, what is the standard that you would set for you to stop criticizing the program so consistently? If it is undefeated seasons every year, then of course that is unreasonable and I'll just leave you be, knowing that you would never be satisfied.

Every football team will ALWAYS have bad quarters. The Chiefs sure had some stinkers in quarters, and some games, last year, and they ended up crowned the best football team on planet earth. The point is that we get better from them, and keep getting better, so that when the playoffs roll around we are the best team we can possibly be. Building a successful team takes time and effort, and adaptability, year in and year out. That is true in anything, and especially in sports.

I'm very thankful that for the last six years, we have been on such a steady, upward trajectory from the depths we had fallen before Hauck and Co. came back. The trend line is a CLEAR upward one, and that trend line is the standard I look for. Glad it has been headed so quickly in the right direction!

 

[Mick Belker]

OK, I will stop being 'consistently critical.' From now on I will be inconsistently critical, or, even silent AT TIMES. This may seem like a minor concession, but it's a start. And now, the silence.

 

[ElrodGrizzly]

OK, I will stop being 'consistently critical.' From now on I will be inconsistently critical, or, even silent AT TIMES. This may seem like a minor concession, but it's a start. And now, the silence.

I'm not asking you to stop being critical. I'm trying to have a discussion where you respond, and I respond, and we have a nice talk about why we believe the things we do, and maybe I understand your perspective better.

I don't know why the contingent of people who seem so vocally against Hauck get so offended when you disagree, and turn to "well, I am not a bad fan and I will just stop talking then since nobody can criticize Hauck and the Griz." Criticize them all you want. I'm asking you to EXPLAIN your position, not shut up.

 

[Mick Belker]

OK, I'll bite.

Specific #1: The first quarter of the WCU game. Boom! We are down 17-0 before even a semblance of a defense.

Specific #2: The entire second half at Grand Forks. How do you take a game well in hand, then lose? No offense, no defense.

For the record, I am a Bobby fan. His W.C. Fields style of playing his cards 'close to his vest' can be frustrating, but understandable.

 

[ElrodGrizzly]

OK, I'll bite.

Specific #1: The first quarter of the WCU game. Boom! We are down 17-0 before even a semblance of a defense.

Specific #2: The entire second half at Grand Forks. How do you take a game well in hand, then lose? No offense, no defense.

For the record, I am a Bobby fan. His W.C. Fields style of playing his cards 'close to his vest' can be frustrating, but understandable.

That's great, I'm happy to have the conversation with you.

Like I said, though, every team has bad quarters. The Chiefs were the best football team on the planet last year, they had bad quarters. NDSU was a semifinal team last year that beat MSU and was neck and neck with us for the spot in the national championship. They lost to UND 49-24 when they played at UND. Teams have bad games or bad quarters.

Are you saying that three bad quarters out of 16 quarters played is enough to say that the players and coaches have showed a propensity to fuck things up? Is your standard that you will only be happy if we never have a bad quarter? Personally, I understand that while we can strive for perfection, perfection is also unobtainable.

Yes, the loss to UND was a bad half, and the coaching staff took immediate responsibility for that. If you notice, they also seem to have learned from those mistakes and corrected them, see us finishing out Western Carolina in a much more effective style than we did against UND.

I am not asking the question to taunt you, I am genuinely asking, at what standard would you be pleased with our staff? Never, ever, having bad quarters?

 

[Mick Belker]

The Standard? Not taking an entire quarter, or a half, to stop a bleeding problem. After all, all bleeding stops eventually. For instance, the defensive coaches could have a quick Three Stooges style huddle and come up with Plan A. That don't work, huddle again with Plan B.

 

[Grisly Fan]

The only question that that matters is did the Griz staff learn from their losses, whether quarter or game? I am thinking yes. Stay tuned...

 

[ElrodGrizzly]

The Standard? Not taking an entire quarter, or a half, to stop a bleeding problem. After all, all bleeding stops eventually. For instance, the defensive coaches could have a quick Three Stooges style huddle and come up with Plan A. That don't work, huddle again with Plan B.

Right, and they did that, and we see the results. But on the other side of the field, there are other good college coaches who are huddling up and coming up with ways to stop our scheme in a game of constant cat and mouse. That's football.

Offensive schemes, plays, and defenses have gotten so intricate that its not as easy as just saying "hey, you've got number 5, shut that WR down" like in Remember the Titans. These are incredibly dense and complex schemes, and the tweaks, changes, and turning coverages on and off is certainly an effort. (Here is a good article for reference, and this just covers one coach's defensive coverage scheme specifically with just his "MFO" coverage concepts -- https://www.bleedinggreennation.com...rages-eagles-defensive-coordinator-scheme-nfl )

But, I guess I got the answer. Your standard is never taking a quarter or half to successfully fix a problem. Can you point me to a team in the nation that has managed to go a season without losing a quarter or half of football?

 

[uofmman1122]

Right, and they did that, and we see the results. But on the other side of the field, there are other good college coaches who are huddling up and coming up with ways to stop our scheme. That's football.

Offensive schemes, plays, and defenses have gotten so intricate that its not as easy as just saying "hey, you've got number 5, shut that WR down" like in Remember the Titans. These are incredibly dense and complex schemes, and the tweaks, changes, and turning coverages on and off is certainly an effort. (Here is a good article for reference, and this just covers one coach's defensive coverage scheme specifically with just his "MFO" coverage concepts -- https://www.bleedinggreennation.com...rages-eagles-defensive-coordinator-scheme-nfl )

But, I guess I got the answer. Your standard is never taking a quarter or half to successfully fix a problem. Can you point me to a team in the nation that has managed to go a season without losing a quarter or half of football?

I admire you for talking in good faith here, but it's clear you're the only one doing so.

 

[Mick Belker]

No. Our Griz should set the standard.

 

[ElrodGrizzly]

I admire you for talking in good faith here, but it's clear you're the only one doing so.

I keep trying to take a swing at good faith, respectful dialogue. And, hey, I appreciate ol' Mick not getting personal about it, as some do.

I may be Don Quixote here, but I seem to like tilting at windmills when work is painfully slow.

 

[ElrodGrizzly]

No. Our Griz should set the standard.

So, your position is that you would only be pleased with this coaching staff if they met a standard that no other team in football history has ever met, including the greatest Griz teams and coaches of all time?

You are totally welcome to your position. I won't even disagree with you any longer, as that is an impossible standard for any team to ever meet. If you want to relegate yourself to being angry at your team instead of experiencing the joys of the victories, that is your right, and I respect it.