westcoast_sooner
10/7/2009, 12:34 AM
I follow Kentucky basketball, mostly because my wife graduated from there, and they have a great tradition, like OU has in football. And I subscribe to one of their message boards, and contribute from time to time.
Until recently, I always held a smug opinion of most Sooner fans as being mostly reasonable. After a loss, there would be typical server slowdowns as fans would vent their frustrations to the online community, but the tone of the posts would usually turn positive within a few days, certainly as we would approach the next game, hoping for a quick turnaround. Not like the UK fans, who would are famous for blaming everyone from the head coach to the players all the way down to the guy that sells popcorn in the stands for any given Wildcats' loss. I understand the passion, believe me, but many wanted to fire Gillispie after his first game loss to a no name program.
The tone in the last few days here since the Miami loss has been more like a UK crowd, than the upbeat Sooner fanbase that I'm used to.
After last year's record setting pace, we all expected that the 2009 Sooners would simply re-load and would be in a position to make another run at the NCG once again this January. I just don't think there was any way, in hindsight, that those expectations were realistic.
Even had both Sam and Gresham stayed healthy, this team has issues with the OLine, and the receiving corps. The Brody Eldridge experiment against BYU should have been a warning, as when Gresham went out days before the opener.
The starting OL seems to be improving a little, but are still inexperienced and it will take a long time for these guys to really gel into a cohesive mature line that can both pass protect, and run block against anyone.
Most of the receivers haven't been consistent enough. The one go-to guy is now out for 2-4-6 weeks. But to try and replace two receivers that played as well as Manny and Iggy with guys that rarely had a ball tossed their way, well, the odds of immediate success aren't terribly good.
And then, we've had a 2 year starter Heisman trophy winning QB go down, the best TE in the country be lost for the season, and now our best WR go down. The guys that have stepped in have done OK - but they play as well as they can given the circumstances.
And when we lost those two games, we start looking for someone to blame - like the UK fans. For the record, Gillispie looked like a good hire. And what Tubby Smith left them in terms of talent was nothing short of atrocious. There were no seniors, two juniors and everyone else were freshmen and sophomores. The team was lucky enough to make it to the NCAA that year, then lost in disappointing fashion in the NIT last season - sparking Gillispie's firing.
The Cats got their man in Calipari, who recruited one of the best teams ever. We won't know until they take the court how that will work out.
My point is basically this. Given this set of circumstances, this offense will struggle all year. No sense blaming the coaching staff for the personnel on the field. We can be critical about play calling and scheme, but these guys have showed up and played hard and have lost two games by a total of two points.
Given the circumstances a lot of us thought that the D would carry us til Sam got back. I think the reality is that they play real well, though there are some glaring holes. One guy out of position on one play can cost us a game. These guys will also struggle at times, but they'll keep us in games til the offense gets it together.
I think we'll start seeing week to week improvement like we did in 2005. It will be painful to watch at times, and there will be more losses, probably. But we're Sooner fans.
Until recently, I always held a smug opinion of most Sooner fans as being mostly reasonable. After a loss, there would be typical server slowdowns as fans would vent their frustrations to the online community, but the tone of the posts would usually turn positive within a few days, certainly as we would approach the next game, hoping for a quick turnaround. Not like the UK fans, who would are famous for blaming everyone from the head coach to the players all the way down to the guy that sells popcorn in the stands for any given Wildcats' loss. I understand the passion, believe me, but many wanted to fire Gillispie after his first game loss to a no name program.
The tone in the last few days here since the Miami loss has been more like a UK crowd, than the upbeat Sooner fanbase that I'm used to.
After last year's record setting pace, we all expected that the 2009 Sooners would simply re-load and would be in a position to make another run at the NCG once again this January. I just don't think there was any way, in hindsight, that those expectations were realistic.
Even had both Sam and Gresham stayed healthy, this team has issues with the OLine, and the receiving corps. The Brody Eldridge experiment against BYU should have been a warning, as when Gresham went out days before the opener.
The starting OL seems to be improving a little, but are still inexperienced and it will take a long time for these guys to really gel into a cohesive mature line that can both pass protect, and run block against anyone.
Most of the receivers haven't been consistent enough. The one go-to guy is now out for 2-4-6 weeks. But to try and replace two receivers that played as well as Manny and Iggy with guys that rarely had a ball tossed their way, well, the odds of immediate success aren't terribly good.
And then, we've had a 2 year starter Heisman trophy winning QB go down, the best TE in the country be lost for the season, and now our best WR go down. The guys that have stepped in have done OK - but they play as well as they can given the circumstances.
And when we lost those two games, we start looking for someone to blame - like the UK fans. For the record, Gillispie looked like a good hire. And what Tubby Smith left them in terms of talent was nothing short of atrocious. There were no seniors, two juniors and everyone else were freshmen and sophomores. The team was lucky enough to make it to the NCAA that year, then lost in disappointing fashion in the NIT last season - sparking Gillispie's firing.
The Cats got their man in Calipari, who recruited one of the best teams ever. We won't know until they take the court how that will work out.
My point is basically this. Given this set of circumstances, this offense will struggle all year. No sense blaming the coaching staff for the personnel on the field. We can be critical about play calling and scheme, but these guys have showed up and played hard and have lost two games by a total of two points.
Given the circumstances a lot of us thought that the D would carry us til Sam got back. I think the reality is that they play real well, though there are some glaring holes. One guy out of position on one play can cost us a game. These guys will also struggle at times, but they'll keep us in games til the offense gets it together.
I think we'll start seeing week to week improvement like we did in 2005. It will be painful to watch at times, and there will be more losses, probably. But we're Sooner fans.