Gerg: Master motivator. The teddy bear method (gif)

Submitted by chunkums on
Good job Mr. 20 year old linebacker. I reward you with a teddy bear snuggle session. (Oddly, Demens looks as if this soothes his animal instincts) Photobucket

Don

November 21st, 2010 at 12:31 PM ^

His defense is getting shredded at home for the umpteenth time, and he's playing around with a stuffed animal on the sidelines? WTF? How can he maintain the respect of his players and assistants after that? It's just weird.

Seriously, I think it might be a sign of somebody who's losing his grip on things.

MGoDC

November 21st, 2010 at 12:34 PM ^

I think its a sign of someone who knows he's going to be fired at the end of this year no matter what so he might as well try to enjoy the time he has left. I found it pretty funny to be honest, our defense getting shredded isn't surprising or saddening anymore -- it just is what it is.

mGrowOld

November 21st, 2010 at 12:40 PM ^

I'm with you on this one Don.  I was at the game and read a bit about it on the board last night and was pretty bewildered candidly.  It wasn't until today that I realized it actually happened.

I'm not sure which is more embarrassing.   Getting curb-stomped by yet another team's defense or whatever the F that was on the sidelines.

Don

November 21st, 2010 at 1:06 PM ^

I can clearly remember where I was when I heard on the radio that Robinson had been hired by RR, and I can just as clearly remember the words that I blurted out to an empty car: "You've got to be fucking kidding me." My second thought then was that RR had just hitched his wagon to a half-blind horse that was very likely to lead him right over the cliffs coming up ahead. Unfortunately, nothing I've seen since then gives me any reason to think I was wrong. I think it's easily the worst coordinator hire on either side of the ball by a HC at any major program in the last decade.

Don

November 21st, 2010 at 1:43 PM ^

My next-door neighbor here in A2 grew up in Missouri, and although the Mizzou Tigers are still his #1 college team, he's become a UM fan gradually. He's also been a lifelong KC Chiefs fan, and a few days after the announcement of Robinson's hire we got to yakking about it. He was incredulous that RR had hired him, since GERG was basically run out of KC because his defenses were so bad under then-HC Dick Vermeil. He thought that RR had just shot himself in both feet with the hire. I unearthed some old articles from the KC Star about Robinson's tenure there, and they are still making nasty comments about Robinson after he's been long gone. Apparently the final straw was a playoff game against the Colts in which Indy didn't have to punt once since they just went up and down the field with utter ease against the Chiefs. Sound familiar?

Even from a PR standpoint, it didn't make sense. Here is Rodriguez, fresh off the first losing season since the mid-1960s, with virtually the entire UM fan base predictably on fire over it. Why in the world would somebody in his shoes hire a guy who has just been fired himself after helming four of the worst years in Syracuse football history? That's hardly smart optics, as they say.

jmblue

November 21st, 2010 at 3:59 PM ^

I was in disbelief when he was hired.  All I could do was rationalize: that, well, maybe Robinson's failures in Syracuse just meant that he had been promoted to his level of incompetence, and that he actually might be good if he focused on defense alone.  When people brought up his horrendous defensive rankings at SU, I told myself that it was due to personnel issues.  When people brought up his failures in the NFL, I told myself that it was a different level of football, and thus was irrelevant.  When people suggested that giving up 568 yards to Indiana might be a worrisome sign, I told myself, "Ben Chappell really is a superstar." Finally, when a very ordinary MSU offense ran all over us, I had my moment of clarity: GERG was a bad defensive coordinator.

My username is jmblue, and I'm a recovering GERG enabler.

ATLWolverine

November 21st, 2010 at 2:57 PM ^

...but  I actually consider that teddy bear thing to be a substantive reason to think GERG isn't the right guy to coach the D. What the hell? Can you imagine Bill Belichik rubbing one of those in the face of one of his LBs? Charlie Strong playfully bopping Brandon Spikes on the head with a gator plush toy during gametime?

Maybe it's him trying to be loose and get the defense to play well, but this reminds me of a conversation I overheard between two defensive players (don't want to name names, a DL and an LB) while they were walking back from the general direction of Oosterbaan two summers ago. Basically, the DL was doing a mocking impression of GERG and laughing him off as a pushover.

At the time I chalked it up to the DL being an immature underclassman or just two guys kidding around, but it seems to jive pretty well with the guy that GERG appears to be. I just don't think the players have bought in to him.

Does he remind anyone else of Wade Phillips?

Magnum P.I.

November 22nd, 2010 at 12:16 AM ^

Thanks for the story. I suspect that there are a lot of things about GERG that make it hard for players to respect him. A primary factor is that he has had very little success in fielding good collegiate defenses recently and that he has had very little success developing players and sending them to the NFL.

Can you seriously imagine a top-tier defensive recruit wanting to sign to play for him? We need to have him replaced within a week of OSU. The new hire should be someone who is tough and creates buzz (and has liberty to bring in his own staff).  

Kal

November 21st, 2010 at 12:32 PM ^

I can't even find the words to describe this. I started laughing.. a lot... but it felt like one of those laughs where I was crying on the inside at the same time.

bluenyc

November 21st, 2010 at 12:48 PM ^

I think all the hair products GERG is using is seeping into the brain.  Next thing you know, he will be calling offensive plays with the punch in the mouth signal.

chunkums

November 21st, 2010 at 12:50 PM ^

Every player aspires for that snuggle when they are out on the field.  Nothing ever got me fired up when I wrestled like when coach would offer to let me cuddle his puppy between periods.

KSmooth

November 21st, 2010 at 1:36 PM ^

Maybe this is some kind of inside joke?  Somebody in the locker room after practice made a wisecrack about a teddy bear that had everyone in stitches and GERG just decided to milk it for all it was worth?  I sure hope that's what it was.

Don

November 21st, 2010 at 1:47 PM ^

Your explanation is the only one that makes any sense. Still, it's a strange thing to do when you're getting your ass handed to you. I think it's right up there with John L. slapping himself on-camera.

the_dude

November 21st, 2010 at 3:55 PM ^

The only comforting thought is that we hopefully have one - at most two - more games with Greg Robinson as the DC.  Assuming Rich Rod's back - which I do - he has got to get DC #3 right.

Don

November 21st, 2010 at 6:07 PM ^

I disagree strongly with that characterization of the state of SU football when GERG got there. I realize that "dumpster fire" is an imprecise term, but here is the record of Robinson's immediate predecessor, Paul Pasqualoni, starting with his first season in 1991:

10-2, 10-2, 6-4, 7-4, 9-3, 9-3, 9-4, 8-4, 7-5, 6-5, 10-3, 4-8, 6-6, 6-6; with 6 bowl victories along the way.

Yes, the last three years were substandard, but the previous 11 seasons totaled 91 wins and 39 losses. That's a pretty solid record. If SU was a dumpster fire with this record, then UM is currently Chernobyl.

NardDogg

November 21st, 2010 at 4:12 PM ^

It's a stuffed beaver. They get the beaver whenever someone forces a turnover (no wonder we never saw it before) Nobody really knows why, not the players, managers, or MGoBlog.

Just thought I'd clear up some confusion, and create some more too.

JTGoBlue

November 21st, 2010 at 4:49 PM ^

GERG must go...that was a winnable game, even after the first half flop on offense.  Youth is no excuse for bad tackling...Coach R must go out and hire the best DC available and allow that DC to hire his own staff.

And by the way, hire Brandon Kornblue to coach kicking and special teams..

Blue1972

November 21st, 2010 at 6:19 PM ^

OK, my first post, and I am old, so please cut me some slack..  UM grad, living in Smurf Turf land since 1985.  Son went to UM.  GERG gotta go.  Agree with earlier post that Shafer may have been the right guy.  RR said earlier this year that he primarily works with the offense and does little with the defense.  DBrandon needs to convince RR that we need to hire a quality DC and let him run the defense, schemes and everything including the supporting cast of defensive coaches.  This may be tough for RR, but I think he needs to critically re-evaluate his buddies and make changes.  RR needs to understand his own limitations (which we all have) and DB needs to get him there.  DB must be willing to double the present DC salary in order to get a quality guy(and should probably double Calvin's salary at the same time.)

Stats don't lie.  UM allowed Mass to score 37 points on us.  Only team to allow Mass to score more this year was Maine at 39!  The following teams held Mass to less than 37 points - Wm & Mary, Holy Cross, Stonybrook!, Towson!, Richmond, New Hampshire, James Madison, Delaware and Rhode Island!

We gave up 21 points to Bowling Green.  Tulsa, Kent State, CMU, Miami (OH) and Toledo gave up less with Troy, Buffalo, Ohio, and Temple holding BG to under 27.  Our third string players should be better, and play better, than any of the above teams.

I am not convinced Casteel is the guy, as he is too closely wedded to RR.  Need to be creative.  I'll throw out a longshot - how about Justin Wilcox from TN.  Has two years remaining on a $625,000 contract, is young, but the mastermind of Boise State's defense which has been topnotch for the last few years - anybody remember the Oregon game from last year?.  Clearly can coach guys up, which the current group of defensive coaches seem unable to do.  Hell, BSU's top defensive lineman is a walkon and a highschool safety!  Also, look at Kyle Wilson - a previous 2 star, unranked highschool prospect that went in the first round of last year's draft.

GERG gotta go!

BlueGoM

November 21st, 2010 at 7:39 PM ^

Is this real or is this a photoshop job?

Serious.   First I've heard of this stuffed animal thing.  I guess my take-a-joke meter is broken right now.