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Date	Title	Body
8 hours 2 min ago	Don't put words in my mouth	I never said any of that.  I'm still boggled by the idea that you think I'm trashing him.  I've said multiple complimentary things about him and provided one constructive criticism.  The only person doing the trashing is you.  Contrary to what you may think coaching, sports psychology, behavior change, education, leadership, philosophy, and motivation are all a part of my profession.  And my curriculum proves it.  Last time I checked they don't give out master's degrees for looking up quotes on the internet.  What is your profession, now?
21 hours 26 min ago	I disagree	I think if you watch this video you'll see Nick saying a lot of the same things I've been saying in this thread.
1 day 21 min ago	Saban focuses on the process not the result	Saban wants to win, but knows he only wins by focusing on the things he can control which is why he is all about systematically following a process that eventually gives you success versus focusing on end results.  In his own words:   "concentrate on the steps to success rather than worrying about the result"
1 day 1 hour ago	Your personal opinion is not very compelling	First off this dialogue began when another poster questioned Magnus on where the criticism was, saying that a scouting report should have both positives and negatives.  I did not initiate the criticism, I was only answering the poster with what Magnus alluded to in his scouting report.  That was not my criticism, it was Magnus'.  Now, I will say that I had criticism for Peppers' disposition in a previous thread.  And, regardless of how you view it, I consider it constructive criticism.  I like the kid, think he's a great talent, think he's intelligent, and hope he ends up at UM.  All of my criticism for him was supported by some other peice of evidence or accepted norm and I precluded all my criticism with the fact that he's young and can change and I am basing this off a small snippet of information...not exactly trashing as you say.  I've said a number of complimentary things about him and only one criticism.   All criticism isn't inteded to inflaim.  People should be allowed to give constructive criticism, especially when the criticism is based on accepted norms.  I didn't just come up with this stuff off the top of my head.  I quoted other coaches, authers, etc.  Your criticism at me however was personal and intended to inflaim for no other reason than you don't agree with me and I won't let it go.  The difference in the criticism is one is meant as constructive and the other is meant to be a dick.     So, I really don't care what you want to hear.  I knew the public opinion on the topic and knew I'd get negged, which is fine.  I didn't realize I'd be personally attacked for disagreeing with the public opinion.  The only thing I take offense to is that personal attack.  Give me constructive criticism that is valid and on topic and I'm fine with that.  Make valid claims, cite research, cite expert authors or coaches, etc. that provide a conflicting opinion to mine and I'd appreaciate that discussion.  Do it the way you did and I'll probably call you a dick, which is what you are.  You come off all high and mighty and talk about not trashing people, yet you are the first one to personally trash me.  You hold others to a higher standard than you hold yourself to, try practicing what you preach.
1 day 22 hours ago	I expected to be disagreed with, not personally disrespected	For that you guys have outdone yourselves...dick.
1 day 23 hours ago	I don't get you guys	You say there's no reasoning with me, yet none of you will give an inch and moderate everything I say as flaimbait or overrated.  Then there's M-Wolverine who is disrespecting me personally by saying my team is fat and "that's why I am where I am" as if I am some failure.  And I'm the one being unreasonable?  Apparently there's only one opinion that is allowed and if you go against it people want to bash you on a personal level and think you're being unreasonable.  I expected more from the board.
2 days 47 min ago	I'm guessing you're fatter than my team	Did you just admit that Hoke thinks winning is not the most important thing?  Well, at least that's one thing we can agree on.  I think winning is critically important as is competitiveness.  I just think you win more when you focus on the things you can control and not what you can't.  Many great coaches feel this way.  Saban would agree I gurantee.  Wooden would agree.  Most leadership texts would agree.  As Lombardi says "winning is not everything - but making the effort to win is."   This is what our weight rooms signs say..."attitude and effort" and "commitment"...nothing about winning.
2 days 5 hours ago	Nope	We don't assign weights we want them at.  We do have goals, which almost always have some number associated to them, whether it be 1RM numbers, body weight, body comp, etc. but they don't have to make weight.  We allow them to make their own goals.  We question their goals in one-on-one meetings in the offseason, but they make them.  We beleive they are more invested in them when they decide what they want versus when we dictate what weight, strength, quickness, etc. they need to be at.  They know after competing in practice and games and hearing us give them feedback what they need to work on.  That way we hold them accountable for their own goals.  Granted, that's the head coaches philosophy, I didn't come up with it, but I think it has worked well for us.   You shouldn't do anything to avoid losing.  You shouldn't cheat.  You shouldn't injur someone or yourself trying to get there.  You shouldn't do anything unethical.  I think it's improtant to remember we are coaching young men, not just trying to get results.  I think you set standards for winning.  But, if you come up short, yet did everything in your power, it's acceptable.  That means the staff probably needs to recruit better kids.  If the kids didn't live up to their ability, it means they weren't working hard enough or focused enough.  Then, it's our job to get 100% out of them.  It's OK to lose.  You can't play with a fear of losing, that's when you make mistakes.  Losing is a part of competition.  Competition is all about doing your best and comparing your skills to someone else or another team.  I think today's society and particularly American culture is too concerned with winning and results and I don't think it's a good thing.  I bet Hoke and the staff would agree that accoutability, character, work ethic, etc. is more important than winning.  That doesn't mean you don't expect to win, but it's not the most improtant thing.   What you don't seem to recognize is you have no control over results.  You can't control if the other guy/team.  You can't make a person give you an award.  You can't control refs or calls.  There are too many factors that go into end results that you simply can't impact.  You can only control your behavior.  So you focus your efforts on what you can control and not on what you can't.  And, I believe you get better results that way.  It's that simple
2 days 6 hours ago	Covey is about private victory above public victory	Since you quoted Stephen Covey I'm assuming you've read the 7 Habits.  And while the key to "begin with the end in mind" is not just to always work harder than you did yesterday, and you must also have a long term vision to what you want to achieve, Covey also suggests creating a personal mission statement.  However, he further cites that you must have private victory and mastery before you can have public mastery.  He suggests you focus your goals and efforts on your "circle of influence" and minimize your "circle of concern".  If your goals are based on end means, results, or what other people think about you then you are focuesd on your "circle of influence".  If your goals are focused on little things like your behavior...things that are totally within your control, then you are focused on your "circle of influence".  Basically you can control how hard you work towards a goal, you cannot however control if you actually win an award or are recognized as the best ever because you can't control how other people think, vote, etc. only how you behave.  So, I think Covey as you quote, would suggest having goals that more focused on what can be controlled, like being the best you can be, versus things that can't be controlled, like being the best ever.   And, yes I am a college strength coach.  Whehter it be my own training or my athletes training I am much more concerned with their effort and work towards a goal their their actual result.  Sure I and the team's I work with track numbers like one rep max, but only test them twice per year.  If you get too focused on the result it's easy to use shitty form, add on too much weight, get hurt, etc. in an effort to get a better result.  Ultimatley the end goal again is more about effort and less about results.  If you've put in the effort the results take care of themselves.  And, that doesn't mean you should be ok with losing, but it does mean you shouldn't be afraid of losing.  Losing is OK, not putting forth your best effort is not.  Again is the difference between an action goal/inner focus and a results goal/outer focus.  I think if you look at most sports psych and/or leadership material they promote this psychology.
2 days 7 hours ago	Who said anything about wanting to be mediocre?	I said I wish his goals were focused on living up to the best of his abilities by doing his best every day.  What more can a person do than that?  If his talent is there, and he doesn't get hurt, then doing his best every day to prepare, work hard, have a good attitude, etc. will be the best thing to produce results.  If however, your ultimate goal is to achieve a result versus doing the little things it takes to reach the end goal, then it's very difficult to deal with problems when things don't go according to plan.  It's harder to deal with setbacks, injuries, etc...basically life because life always happens.  But, if your goals are action goals versus results goals you can be happy by knowing you've done all you can and then let the chips fall where they may.  What more can a person do than that?  How is that wanting to be average?  This is the key mindset difference between results oriented and action oriented.
2 days 8 hours ago	Is Woods a good role model?	I think goal setting is great, but wanting to be the best ever when you're still in high school is not exactly a quality goal.  I'd prefer to hear him say his goals are to work as hard as he can, to be the best player he can be, be make the most of his ability, be accountable to his teammates, etc...these are goals focused on living up to your own abilities.  He has goals that revolve around being recognized by others like being the best of all time.  I don't think that's a good goal and it's more indicitive of a someone with an external motivating drive.     If you're talking Tiger Woods, look at how he turned out.  He didn't exactly turn out to be the best guy in the world either did he?  And, maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think Tiger was saying that publicly when he was 17 years old.     I like the goals, I like the confidence, I'd just prefer he be more humble in his approach.  Don't get me wrong, he says some things I like.  He mentioned how if kids from his community see him doing well he hopes they will too.  So, he shows up on both sides of the fence there.  But, I'd like to see him a little more like Denard and talk about the team and doing the best he can and less focused on what others think.  But, as you said...agree to disagree.
2 days 8 hours ago	Think he played CB in high school too	It's a little hard to tell but an internet search showed he at least played some defense in high school so I'd assume he played some corner too.    "While in high school, Woodson first began to play on defense, having previously focused on offense. "Once I started playing it, it just started growing on me," he later told the Los Angeles Times. "I liked it a lot. I think it's a lot more aggressive. You have 11 people running to the football, trying to get there at the same time. There's a big celebration after the hit. It's kind of hard to describe."   But, I also heard someone else on the board say Peppers played corner at Don Bosco during his first two years of high school.   Source: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3407900636.html
2 days 11 hours ago	I think it still remains to be seen but some red flags are there	I think sometimes he shows some good levelheadedness in terms of how he's going about making his decision, wanting attention for his teammates, and doing his due dilligence.  But, he also shows what seems like a little too egocentric dispositions by saying things like "I want to be the best of all time" etc.  I think he should avoid celebrations, yes, but he should also avoid sounding so boastful in interviews and chose his words more carefully.  I think it's great to be confident on the field, but I'd prefer it come off in a way that is a little more humble.  But, that's just me.
2 days 11 hours ago	Didn't realize he didn't play CB in high school	I didn't realize he didn't play CB in high school.  I have seen his highlight tapes before although never watched till the end.  I knew he obviously played RB, but I assumed he played CB too.  I feel like guys with his ranking typically are guys that come in and start immediately, but now I'm doubting if he can do that if he has never played CB before.  It seems like his easiest transition would be nickel his freshman year once Dymonte moves over to safety and then replace Taylor when he graduates.  Do  you see him as a full time starter as a freshman and able to learn the position fast enough to play his freshman year?   BTW good call on Reggie Bush, very similar size, build, skill set.  They even look alike.
2 days 11 hours ago	Negative...he's too cocky	I'm gonna get bashed for it so whatever, but he basically said he's too cocky...poses to the crowd, jogs into the endzone etc.  Not surprising from a guy that says he wants to be the best of all time.  I still really want him, but think he needs some maturing and don't want to see him showboating at UM.  Now, commence bashing.
2 days 11 hours ago	#2 DB ala #1 WR	Can the #2 jersey for DBs become similar to the #1 jersey for WRs?  That would be sweet and a nice little lineage if both Woodson and Peppers wore it (making the gigantic assumpion that Peppers winds us close to as good as Woodson).
2 days 11 hours ago	Countess played CB in high school	Countess played CB in high school, apparently Peppers does not.  Agreed he has the ability, but not sure there is a need outside of nickel, and depends on how fast he can learn the position.  It should be quite an athletic backfield.  I dream of Peppers, Westphal, Wilson, and Dymonte in the same backfield.
2 days 11 hours ago	Agree on Fitz, not on Denard	I hear what you're saying with Fitz.  His knock is that he doesn't get north/south quick enough and tends to wait in the hole.  Denard did a good job of hitting the hole fast in the game versus South Carolina.  But, part of what makes Denard so good is also his eyes, his decision making, his confidence that he can hit a hole quickly, stop quickly, change directions quickly, accelerate by people when he decides to.  So, although you might not have seen "Tecmo Bowl" plays from him I believe it's still his special abilities as a runner that created these runs.  And, few runners have these abilities that Denard has.  Just because Fitz can't do what Denard does doesn't mean many other people can either.
3 days 5 hours ago	It's hard to compare anyone to Denard	It's hard to compare anyone to Denard.  After watching college football closely for about 15 years there are only a handful of guys that can do the sorts of things that Denard can with the ball in his hands.  Denard has something special to not only accelerate and outrun people, but stop and change direction incredibly fast.  So, I don't think it's fair to compare a guy to Denard.  I've never seen another player from Michigan in the past 15 years that can hold a candle to what Denard can do with the ball in his hands.  So, is Fitz as good as Denard, no, but who is?
3 days 5 hours ago	His challenge iskeeping weight down not up	Green's challenge will be keeping his weight down versus getting it up.  Unlike the smaller guys like Norfleet or Hayes, Green is more similar in build to Rawls.  Both are big strong guys, but will be looking to keep their weight down to stay quick versus getting their weight up to get strong.  Rawls also was dropping some weight this offseason from last year to get quicker.  Green is already big and strong.  He also was a guy that was much heavier as a kid and dropped weight as he got older.  So, I don't expect a ton of weight change over his career or it may even drop slightly as he focuses on quickness.  He already has size and strength.
3 days 5 hours ago	Was that his fault?	Of course there will be competition as there always is...nobody is guranteed any spot.  But, was it Fitz' fault for a lack of rushing yards or a lack of quality run blocking by the offensive line, namely the interior line last year?  I personally feel the lack of yards was more on the line than on Fitz.  Sure, exceptional players can still get yards, like Denard, but he also has the advantage of a run/throw option.  When Fitz was running the owness is more on the line to create holes. I think Fitz is healthy and is our #1 back with Green our #2 and probably getting a decent amont of carries, but still the #2.  The question marks are still more on the interior line than the backs IMO.  If there are holes our backs are good enough to get yards, if not...probably not, although Gardner will make plays in the passing game to keep the defense off balance more so than last year and we will be running more power sets versus zone run blocking.
4 days 3 hours ago	I tend to dislike the state too	I tend to dislike the state too, but I will say as a strength coach they do have a good reputation for strength training as there are a ton of good coaches, trainers, and training facilities like Westside Barbell.  And, many of the kids that come out of OH have a better strength training background than kids from other states.  During my undergrad in Connecticut three of my exercise science professors went to OSU.  It was super annoying.
4 days 3 hours ago	Hmm well	For me it's football waaay more than any other sport.  I  have a hard time rooting for Ohio football under any circumstances, even if they are playing the SEC in a bowl game.  It is rarely if ever in the best interest of UM for Ohio to ever win in football because we compete with them so much for everything that their victory does more harm than good in the long term even if it somehow helps UM get in a higher ranking.  I still don't like Ohio for basketball, but way less so than football.  And, I really don't care about any other sport other than a mild dislike.  The only sport that I can say I'm emotionally invested in is football.     I will say that even though I hate them and almost always want them to lose, I do respect them and don't wish ill upon them unless they deserve it.  Like, I don't want their players to get injured or anything.  However, I do like to see them get punished by the NCAA when they do somthing wrong.  That's about it for me.
4 days 4 hours ago	Yeah, it's amazing	Yeah, it really does look fine, it's amazing after seeing the clips of the injury and knowing what he went through.  He doesn't seem to be favoring it in any way.  His injury was just 7 months ago I think.  I broke my tib/fib when I was in high school and it took me a good year or so to feel fully healed.  It's just a silly video, but that was enough to give me confidence he'll be fine next fall.
4 days 5 hours ago	Ahhhh	Cheers...I thought it was Gallon in both scenes of the first clip.
4 days 5 hours ago	Am I missing something?	Wheres the Fitz reference/update?  Good to see Countess looking healthy and Devin having some fun nonetheless.
1 week 2 days ago	I'm down with that	I'm down with that.  He seems like a quality player.  He passes the eye test.  Any idea why he seems a little lower on the recruiting rankings?  I'd think a kid that projects to an all-conference type player would be a mid to high 4-star or in the mid 80s type range versus a 3-star around 78.
1 week 6 days ago	I'd be worried about the Mid-Atlantic/Northeast	If I were PSU I'd be more worried about the Mid-Atlantic/Northeast more than the Midwest as PSU has been good at recruiting PA, NY, NJ, MD, etc.  But, with Rutgers and Maryland coming to the division and Michigan already setting up roots in VA, I'd be more concerned about UM and  OSU taking their share of kids from the Mid-Atlantic/Northeast which has traditionally been PSU's areas.
1 week 6 days ago	I hope PSU remains competitive	I hope PSU remains competitive because a good PSU is good for the B1G.  I think Michigan will seperate themselves from the likes of PSU with recruiting over the next few years which should give us enough of a cushion once PSU gets off sanctions to remain ahead of them.  But, nonetheless, I still hope PSU remains successful and puts together 7-9 win type seasons throughout their sanctions.     Not that I like any team in the B1G other than Michigan, but I've been to Beaver Stadium a number of times, have friends that live in State College, have a number of friends that went to PSU, and really enjoy the times I've spent there and just in general and like their fanbase.  So, good for them.  As long as they don't beat us I wish them the best, especially since they had good rivalry with OSU and beat them quite a few times through the 2000's, even when we couldn't beat them.
2 weeks 1 day ago	Interesting	This evaluation does not leave a ton of room to get excited about him...a servicable player that will never be a superstar...ugh.  I wish the kid the best that was a bit of a buzz kill.

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