SFA coach blames "Millennials" for loss
Even though Stephen F. Austin played pretty well and nearly beat Texas Tech, that didn't stop its coach from ranting about how the "Millennials" on his team apparently didn't prepare enough for the game.
“The millennials today, they don’t even watch college basketball,’’ the 50-year-old coach told reporters afterwards, via USA Today. “A lot of our guys didn’t even know who those cats [Texas Tech players] were because they don’t watch the game. They’re on their phone and doing that kind of stuff.
I certainly don't disagree that people spend too much time on their phones these days, but . . . maybe as coach he should have helped his team prepare for those "cats" a little better?
Old people love to blame young people for the ills of the world they built
I mean, it's a fair criticism. Young people are prone to mistakes and immaturity.
It's not exactly breaking news, though. And when your millennials are playing somebody else's millennials, it's an even playing field.
Old people are hardly exempt from mistakes and immaturity. it's a pathetically hypocritical and tone deaf criticism.
Lol MSU
I mean, when you're 18 or 20 years old, there are fundamental developmental issues.
If you're arguing that 35-year-olds make mistakes, then...okay? People at every age make "mistakes."
On average, you're more mature at 19 than you were at 13...and you're more mature at 25 than you were at 19.
Way to jump down a rabbit hole to avoid the actual topic. Pretty sure you're not even fooling yourself.
I really have no idea why you think I'm skirting the topic and going down a rabbit hole. I'm talking directly about what I said above.
March 16th, 2018 at 10:22 PM ^
The only person addicted the their devices as much as my kids is my 70 year old mother
I wouldn't call it a fair criticism. His team was a big underdog, and yet led most of the game. There is no reason to question the preparation they put in.
If anyone comes off as immature, it's him for pointing fingers after what was a strong performance by his team. A 50-year-old college basketball coach should be able to lose with some grace.
"If anyone comes off as immature, it's him for pointing fingers after what was a strong performance by his team."
...to you. If you were in the locker room, it might be a different story.
It's not too much of a stretch to believe that there *was* some actual lack of preparation that boiled over into the interview. Of course, it's not shown on national TV or in the national media that a kid has no idea what the heck he's doing. If a big part of the game plan is "We're going to go under screens when Taylor has the ball" and it doesn't happen because your guys don't know who Taylor is, that's an issue.
Maybe he shouldn't say it to the media, but it doesn't make it untrue.
Last season we had an OLB we were preparing to play on Friday night against a team that ran a bunch of run-pass options. We drilled "RPO" into their heads all week, put it in the scouting report, etc. On Thursday we asked him what an "RPO" was, and he had no idea.
Guess who didn't play on Friday night?
I know it's natural to assume that coaches are just stodgy old guys who represent The Man, but most of these guys coaching big-time basketball got there because they were pretty sharp players. Maybe, just maybe, his players actually didn't prepare very well.
Stephen F. Austin was a huge underdog and nearly pulled off an epic upset, only to falter down the stretch. It's ridiculous for him to be blaming his players after that. Whatever they did to prepare for the game, they played their asses off. This is not the time you go off on them.
The coach obviously is heartbroken by the loss, but he's got to keep his composure better than that.
I never said it was the right time.
That doesn’t make it untrue.
20 years ago his college players may not have even been able to have watched the other team. The players then may have been into girls, video games, pool, etc. Phones are primarily stealing time from other leisurely pursuits. Also, the other team was prepared. Did not their players have access to phones?
I already said elsewhere in this thread that they were playing the same generation. I agree on that point.
However, I think it’s erroneous to think phones aren’t more invasive than pool or video games from 1998.
True, veyr possible, but you said it: He shouldn't say it to the media. I can't stand when coaches blame kids, whether they deserve it or not. That absolutely kills your credibility to those same kids who you are trying to, and need to, develop. Take care of that stuff in house
Agree. We shit all over Rich Rodriguez for continuously shitting on his players - and he deserves every bit of the shit we give him for it. The SFA coach also deserves this shit for shitting on his players.
Maybe he should coach them a little better, make them believe a little more, get them more interested? It's his job to have his team prepared - no excuses. Guys watching phone videos? Bench thier ass until they can pay attention...
Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
Benching guys in the Tourney is a difficult proposition.
Every old person helped create the smart phone.
Say it again for the people in the back. We live in an ever-changing world, and change it will, for better or for worse.
Millennials are already criticizing Gen Z for the typical "kids these days" tropes.
and the children THEY RAISED
Well he's right about one thing, millennials are living in a virtual reality through their phones. That whole damn generation is going to go cross-eyed or blind within the next 20 years.
they're all browsing PoonHub on their phones? For some reason, I don't think it's just the millennials that are going to go blind.
BTW, has anyone seen my glasses?
What's the difference between reading a book and reading text on a cell phone?
I'm sure those comments will be a boon to SFA recruiting for years to come.
"Let's win one for ol granddad!"
Well the boomers and gen X are all addicted to pain pills and gen Z is eating Tide Pods so I’d say us Millennials aren’t really doing that bad.
Yep - millennials just have that nagging heroin problem.
like, decades before they were born. if anything they and the X's have gotten into the oxy's something fierce, but that is basically a sister substance to heroin.
To be fair, some of us in Generation X get decent pricing on those pills provided they are in the formulary of whatever convoluted medical plan was available to us, so it isn't like we're shelling out stupid money. Also, that's what booze is for, at least in part.
I don’t think millenials are undergrad age. He’s got the wrong label.
They are at Ohio State.
His #14 seed led most of the way against a #3 seed - why is he ranting against his players at all?
He's pissed that he didn't beat Bobby Knight.
Well, he missed that chance awhile back - Knight's been retired for some time now. Chris Beard is their coach.
Whatever, man. I don't care.
Just leave me alone so I can Instagram my bacon cheeseburger.
all millennials are vegans. get with the times.
Translation: “I’m not very good at my job”. If you are employed to lead millennials then learning how to grab their attention is part of your job. Preparing them for the individuals on the other team is your job. Pointing at your kids to prove they lack focus and proving you lack accountability instead is very... Brian Kelly.
If he is so astute such that he has the ability to recognize the lack of attention on the part of his players, do something about it! This is the equivalent of a coach saying after losing by 3 when your team missed 15 free throws, "what can I say...kids these days suck at free throws." That coach wouldn't last long because there is a way to fix that as a COACH!
connective tissue missing. As presented he comes off as a dumb*ss.
March 16th, 2018 at 11:02 PM ^
It sounded more like a stroke patient to me. Totally incoherent rant.
The millennials on Texas Tech prepared for the game.
Seems like a coaching issue to get the players prepared for the game. Coaches on both teams are working with millennials here.
Fun fact. The Pew Research Group announced at the beginning of the month that the cut-off year for "Millennial" births is 1996, meaning that only half of SFA's roster is Millennials and the other half are "post-Millennials".
So perhaps it was a lack of generational cohesion that caused the Lumberjacks to go timber?
Maybe coach spent too much time watching Bonanza reruns.
I'm certain that within a decade, the top analytics people will be purchasing usage data from Google and providing scouting reports based on the apps the players from your next opponent are using.
I would expect someone to rant about Millenials is in a basketball game press conference.
conference would be my bet.
cause what do I know? I'm old. But, if his team had watched some games, and Tech in particular, wouldn't they probably be doing it .... wait for it .... on their phones?
...or they're sitting in the team film room...
...with their phones in their lap...
...texting their girlfriends.
I've seen it happen. I'm not saying it did here, but it does happen.
If only a coach had the power to restrict cell phone use during the practices/team meetings that he runs.
Can vividly remember bear crawling the entire football field 3 times when coach caught me texting my girlfriend during film session in college...thank god for turf