IronHorseSooner
9/23/2012, 04:46 AM
I have been a fan since I met Steve Owens when I was a first grader in my hometown of Miami. I remember the lows of Bury Berry, the losses to scUM, probation, and the 90s. I also remember as a very small child my dad's joy over the 70s teams, my joy over 1985 championship, the TE reverse, and 2000. I experienced the heartache of the losses to KSU and LSU on my first deployment, and the embarrassment of 2005 on my second. Much like others here, I counted down the days this year to see our Sooners play. Needless to say, I have been there for the long haul, and I am about as true an OU fan as there is.
That all being said, I feel like this program has significant issues- from players, to coaches, to the administration. These days, the players fall in to one of three categories. The first category are guys who truly act as if they are glad to be Sooners, but either aren't getting the development or given a chance to showcase what they can really do. These are guys like Whaley, DD Williams, Clay, Millard, Bird, Phillips, Allen, ikard, King, and Colvin. With these guys, the fault lies with the coaches. The second group are the guys who talk a big game, but either just flat out don't deliver or don't inspire their team mates to deliver. These are guys like LJ, TJ, Stills, RJ, McFarland, Wort, and Hurst. What is frustrating about that group is that a bunch of those guys end up at the next level. The final group are, bluntly, idiots. These are guys who have all the talent in the world, but throw it all away by suspensions and/or lackadaisical behavior. These are guys like Reynolds, Grissom, Franks, Hayes, Finch, McGee, and Peterson. What is maddening is that there is not a lack of talent here, and with the number of these guys who will end up on Sundays, it shows. This gets to my second issue.
The coaching staff is completely misaligned. Why do we have co-coordinators for anything? Either you are in charge or you are not. Why do we have two DL and OL coaches, but yet look so discombobulated? Why do we have coaches who are both coordinators and positional coaches? Why did we wait until this year finally to have a Special Teams coach? IMHO, we have skill position coaches on offense who should just stay that way- positional coaches. Cale should stay with the backs, Josh with the QBs, and Norvell with the WRs. These guys are good as positional guys, but are in over their heads as coordinators. Patton and Kitte both need to go, as this area has had no development over the past few years. There needs to be just one guy for the OL/TEs. This would free up a position for a full time OC, ala Mangino. This needs to be someone who commands the respect of his subordinates and players, and holds them personally responsible. On D, there needs to be one guy for the DL. Right now, that should probably be Wright, as he is a good recruiter. Coach Shipp has not been the same since GK left, and even then, he could have done a lot better with what he had. We need a full time DBs coach. This would free up Mike to manage the game at a more executive level. We should also put him in charge of STs, just to light a fire under them, and hold them accountable. Another question is about Coach Schmidt- why are there so many dang injuries? Yes, we do look well-conditioned, but we also look rigid and inflexible. As some who has been through numerous physical readiness training with the Army, I can tell that these guys look physically overstressed. That can make folks more injury prone. All of this lies with the man in charge of all of this, and he looks like he has no fire. He looks complacent and entitled himself. This permeates with his players and coaches. If he is unwilling to make the necessary changes for success, then maybe there needs to be a major change.
This leads to my final point- the administration. They seem to be about two things- image and money. Instead of looking at deal to better brand the team, he stuck up his nose at the SEC every time that they asked. Now at 14 teams, they may never ask again. Then, when he did have a chance to move to the conference he wanted, the PAC 12, he hitched himself to UTerus, and the plan imploded. Now we set in a conference that is still controlled by UTerus and their minions, and is being passed by that likes of the ACC and the PAC 12. Joe C seems to care more about ticket sales and donors than the product on ther field. He waited about a season too late to fire Capel, and now look where we are. These two are examples of an administration that is too complacent or that their time has passed them by.
As a fan who has seen and experienced a lot, I just am not going to put as much effort or care into a brand that is settling for a lesser product. For a program that was voted #1 all time by a few sources, we need to start acting like it. Until then, I may glance over to see what is happening, but I have more important things to do in my life than follow a program that acts like this, up and down the line!
That all being said, I feel like this program has significant issues- from players, to coaches, to the administration. These days, the players fall in to one of three categories. The first category are guys who truly act as if they are glad to be Sooners, but either aren't getting the development or given a chance to showcase what they can really do. These are guys like Whaley, DD Williams, Clay, Millard, Bird, Phillips, Allen, ikard, King, and Colvin. With these guys, the fault lies with the coaches. The second group are the guys who talk a big game, but either just flat out don't deliver or don't inspire their team mates to deliver. These are guys like LJ, TJ, Stills, RJ, McFarland, Wort, and Hurst. What is frustrating about that group is that a bunch of those guys end up at the next level. The final group are, bluntly, idiots. These are guys who have all the talent in the world, but throw it all away by suspensions and/or lackadaisical behavior. These are guys like Reynolds, Grissom, Franks, Hayes, Finch, McGee, and Peterson. What is maddening is that there is not a lack of talent here, and with the number of these guys who will end up on Sundays, it shows. This gets to my second issue.
The coaching staff is completely misaligned. Why do we have co-coordinators for anything? Either you are in charge or you are not. Why do we have two DL and OL coaches, but yet look so discombobulated? Why do we have coaches who are both coordinators and positional coaches? Why did we wait until this year finally to have a Special Teams coach? IMHO, we have skill position coaches on offense who should just stay that way- positional coaches. Cale should stay with the backs, Josh with the QBs, and Norvell with the WRs. These guys are good as positional guys, but are in over their heads as coordinators. Patton and Kitte both need to go, as this area has had no development over the past few years. There needs to be just one guy for the OL/TEs. This would free up a position for a full time OC, ala Mangino. This needs to be someone who commands the respect of his subordinates and players, and holds them personally responsible. On D, there needs to be one guy for the DL. Right now, that should probably be Wright, as he is a good recruiter. Coach Shipp has not been the same since GK left, and even then, he could have done a lot better with what he had. We need a full time DBs coach. This would free up Mike to manage the game at a more executive level. We should also put him in charge of STs, just to light a fire under them, and hold them accountable. Another question is about Coach Schmidt- why are there so many dang injuries? Yes, we do look well-conditioned, but we also look rigid and inflexible. As some who has been through numerous physical readiness training with the Army, I can tell that these guys look physically overstressed. That can make folks more injury prone. All of this lies with the man in charge of all of this, and he looks like he has no fire. He looks complacent and entitled himself. This permeates with his players and coaches. If he is unwilling to make the necessary changes for success, then maybe there needs to be a major change.
This leads to my final point- the administration. They seem to be about two things- image and money. Instead of looking at deal to better brand the team, he stuck up his nose at the SEC every time that they asked. Now at 14 teams, they may never ask again. Then, when he did have a chance to move to the conference he wanted, the PAC 12, he hitched himself to UTerus, and the plan imploded. Now we set in a conference that is still controlled by UTerus and their minions, and is being passed by that likes of the ACC and the PAC 12. Joe C seems to care more about ticket sales and donors than the product on ther field. He waited about a season too late to fire Capel, and now look where we are. These two are examples of an administration that is too complacent or that their time has passed them by.
As a fan who has seen and experienced a lot, I just am not going to put as much effort or care into a brand that is settling for a lesser product. For a program that was voted #1 all time by a few sources, we need to start acting like it. Until then, I may glance over to see what is happening, but I have more important things to do in my life than follow a program that acts like this, up and down the line!