Team Chemistry?
Maybe this has already been discussed but I'm not about to read through over 330 replies for the original forum topic...
My question is how or does this affect the team chemistry? At this point we're less than a week away from kickoff! One of my concerns is how the team responds to news like this. Does something like this bring the team closer together or drive them apart/lead to a witch hunt? The other question is how do the coaches respond to something like this? I don't have the answers and hope someone can give me some reassurance.
So much for getting any sleep tonight.
August 30th, 2009 at 2:58 AM ^
Short answer: It doesn't.
The us against the world mentality is so cliche but it worked for the 06' team and their "it ain't the same guy" Cinderella Man mentality, and hopefully Rich Rod can channel all of this negative press into a well oiled queme-los-barcos-all-in-for-michigan machine.
What it comes down to is that all this extraneous stuff is bullshit. If we want respect we have to win, and it starts September 5th at 3:30pm against the Western Michigan Broncos.
August 30th, 2009 at 9:37 AM ^
I think the answer to this question comes down to (a) whether the "Overworked 6" are still on the roster and (b) if these 6 are or are not representative of the prevailing opinion on the team (which none of us will likely know).
Needless to say, I hope these are all the disgrutled players on their way out and none are on the roster any longer and its something for the existing players to rally around.
I just hope to hear more from some of the parents (like Michael Schofield's dad) and maybe even from the players.
August 30th, 2009 at 3:09 AM ^
It certainly may help in the motivation department. 'Noone has any respect for us.' 'Everyone is against us.' Let's go out and make 'them pay.' Some well focused hatred can go a long way in a physical sport: see The Waterboy. I will agree that The Waterboy probably isnt the best example of team chemistry, but motivation is certainly there.
Winning will cure all the ills of this program...
August 30th, 2009 at 3:55 AM ^
and last year's team had very little, if any. Most of the freep 'expose' was quoting guys that are no longer on the team.
A group of "current OR former players" is a lot different than group of "current AND former players" The FP chose its wording carefully, but all of the guys giving unnamed quotes could be former players. These are guys that left with a bad taste in their mouths, but they are now gone and guys like Warren, Minor, Ortman, Ezeh, Van Bergen, etc have stepped up a long time ago.
The freep story is old news inside the team, and a group with strong leaders will tend to rally around one another in this kind of situation. I hope and expect that in our case.
F the world, us against them, let the AD handle the BS. If it were me, I could rally around something like that.
August 30th, 2009 at 4:21 AM ^
Blood is thicker than water. I would hope that the athletes have bonded enough to weather this drummed up bull. If this tears the team apart, then they were not ready to play ball anyway.
August 30th, 2009 at 8:54 AM ^
Losing sleep over this is ridiculous.
Imagine you are a player and you hear this and obviously (let's hope) it isn't true. Would you care about what the media thinks about the program you committed to and believe in? Hell no. Western Michigan is less than a week away and every single player is focused on redemption for 2009.
Also, I was talking to a buddy about this last night and we both echoed each other. With all that has happened in the last year with Florida State, Alabama, etc., and this possible infraction about practice is getting media attention, it's obvious the media despises the maize and blue. Florida State and Alabama had major infractions. Maybe I am wrong, but this is, as Allen Iverson would say, PRACTICE!?
August 30th, 2009 at 9:27 AM ^
than folks down in Alabama. Publish something to the contrary down there and you might not have a home the next day. This is simply some self-centered attempt at notoriety on Rosenberg's part to get himself some journalistic 'atta boy' and improve his resume for the next career move.
August 30th, 2009 at 11:01 AM ^
ehhh are we?
August 30th, 2009 at 11:09 AM ^
I just hope it doesn't create a schism in the locker room. I hear that's a nasty STD to catch.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwk2Q_VYvO8