Article about recovering from last year

[Sooner-N-KS]

Here's the Tulsa World article: http://www.tulsaworld.com/SportsStory.asp?ID=060830_Sp_B1_Warni53710


Here's the point I found most interesting:

Defensive coordinator Brent Venables said that instead of landing recruiting classes filled with blue-collar guys hungry to prove themselves, OU signed classes full of high school stars.

"That's what's hard," he said. "A lot of times, you recruit a higher-ranked guy that's gotten a lot of attention, that's been told how good he is, he maybe had special treatment in high school and next thing you know, he doesn't have the type of characteristics it takes to become a great one."


The point is that OU has created hard workers rather than pampered stars. Let's hope that really shows this year.

[OUGreg723]

Thank you. Nice artlicle!

[westcoast_sooner]

Here's the Tulsa World article: http://www.tulsaworld.com/SportsStory.asp?ID=060830_Sp_B1_Warni53710

The point is that OU has created hard workers rather than pampered stars. Let's hope that really shows this year.

Hasn't that been a criticism lately - too many blue chips and not enough blue collars? Seems we've had some pampered kids who have transferred or been dismissed, and it's the guys like PT who will do whatever they can to help the team that we really want to have playing for the Sooners.

[tbl]

Why, oh why, can't people take the time to paste the entire article?



Warning signs
By JOHN E. HOOVER World Sports Writer
8/30/2006

View in Print (PDF) Format

After a questionable work ethic last summer, OU's loss to TCU in the season opener did not surprise coach Bob Stoops
NORMAN -- Now, one year removed from the great hurricane of 2005, those who knew it was coming, those who faced the immense task of rebuilding, say they have learned from their mistakes.

This hurricane didn't have wind and rain, and it didn't hurt anyone or leave anyone homeless. But it did flood the Sooners' 2005 season with a lot of painful memories.

In the cleanup after last year's 17-10 season-opening loss to TCU, coach Bob Stoops said he saw it coming. The evidence, he said, was a lackadaisical work ethic in the offseason that led to an embarrassing defeat and a disappointing 8-4 season.

"It was kind of like the hurricane's coming, but no one's listening to you," said strength coach and director of sports enhancement Jerry Schmidt. "You give 'em warning, you give 'em warning, you give 'em warning and they think, 'Oh, it's going to veer off. It's not going to hit us.' Then all of a sudden it's right on you and it's too late. Sometimes it takes a storm to wake 'em up."

Those hit the hardest say now they did see it coming.

"We knew we didn't work to our potential last year. Everyone
Tulsa World Sports Extra
knew it. It wasn't a secret," said senior defensive end C.J. Ah You. "But we just had to learn the hard way the first game."

The clues were there long before the storm hit.

"I saw during the summer there were a lot more guys who were falling out and weren't completing the workouts. You could see it," said senior linebacker Zach Latimer. "It did carry over into the season."

One year later, have the problems been fixed?

"I think so," said senior offensive tackle Chris Messner. "It started in the winter and carried on in the summer, and I believe we had a very strong offseason. We didn't have guys falling out and stuff like that."

Said Ah You, "Last year, they said that was one of the worst summers we'd had in this program. . . . So we took a lot of pride going into this summer, we had to work out harder and work through these things and make us a better team."

The 10th-ranked Sooners open the season against Alabama-Birmingham at 6 p.m. Saturday, and the although the Blazers were 5-6 last season, they were a Hail Mary pass from 6-5, another one-point loss from 7-4 and nearly won at Tennessee. They come to Norman with the same record TCU had the previous year.

What proof is there, so far, that OU's offseason was better than '05? "I thought everything really started after the bowl game," Schmidt said. "It's not one of those things that, in summertime you say, 'Let's kick it in.' It starts in January. We felt the winter months were good."

Apparently, Schmidt has strengthened the levee to prevent another disaster.

There is no one to blame for Hurricane TCU. Believe it or not, it was the culmination of a process that may have started with guys like Roy Williams and Rocky Calmus. Follow the timeline:

* Williams and Calmus had other options, but went to OU despite the losing that had occurred. They, along with Josh Heupel, J.T. Thatcher and others, stopped the losing and won a national championship.

* Then came classes that included players like Jammal Brown, Vince Carter, Mark Clayton, Dan Cody, Dusty Dvoracek, Jonathan Jackson, Derrick Strait and Jason White, among others. Those players left with All-American accolades, Heisman Trophies and NFL contracts, but were largely unheralded as high school recruits. Having seen the work ethic of those who came before, the ensuing classes turned themselves (with the coaches' help) into great players.

* When the 2004 seniors left -- taking with them 16 starting positions -- they also took a whole lot of game experience and the proper way to take care of business in the offseason.

"I could kind of sense when they left," said running back Adrian Peterson, "that a lot of other guys came in and felt like, you know, they were going to do the same thing those guys did because they had OU on the side of their helmet."

Defensive coordinator Brent Venables said that instead of landing recruiting classes filled with blue-collar guys hungry to prove themselves, OU signed classes full of high school stars.

"That's what's hard," he said. "A lot of times, you recruit a higher-ranked guy that's gotten a lot of attention, that's been told how good he is, he maybe had special treatment in high school and next thing you know, he doesn't have the type of characteristics it takes to become a great one."

It wasn't just leadership and work ethic OU lost in 2004. "You don't want to minimize the fact that you lost 10 guys that were drafted," Venables said. "Bad timing to not work hard and not have experience.

"Sometimes you're a victim of your own success."

[4everasooner]

thx

[Vegas Vic]

Hasn't that been a criticism lately - too many blue chips and not enough blue collars? Seems we've had some pampered kids who have transferred or been dismissed, and it's the guys like PT who will do whatever they can to help the team that we really want to have playing for the Sooners.

Too blame the entirety of the attrition problem on "pampered kids" is sticking your head in the sand. Why is it that other national powerhouses (i.e. USC, Texas, etc.) recruit nothing but blue chip recruits, and rarely have them quit/flunk out/transfer/get kicked off the team? When you look at what has happened to some recent OU recruiting classes (and especially with the offensive linemen), you can't just blame it all on "pampered kids".

[cschellman]

Excellent article. I have to agree with all of it. Work ethic and desire are what makes a team an exceptional team. I do, however, think the Sooners are back on the right track now, from what I have read. AD is really putting the team under his wing and showing them all how to work hard by his own example. I can't wait to see the fruits of the team's labors.

[boomrsoonr]

Too blame the entirety of the attrition problem on "pampered kids" is sticking your head in the sand. Why is it that other national powerhouses (i.e. USC, Texas, etc.) recruit nothing but blue chip recruits, and rarely have them quit/flunk out/transfer/get kicked off the team? When you look at what has happened to some recent OU recruiting classes (and especially with the offensive linemen), you can't just blame it all on "pampered kids".


Well, part of what you say is due to schools that go out of their way to cover things up, and make sure their stars are passing their classes. It's not necessarily that they are model citizens. Stoops just won't do that, and I applaud him and the school for enforcing the rules and getting rid of the bad apples. It doesn't take too many of those to ruin the entire team and school's reputation. Of course, if you have enough money behind you (ala USC), you can make things disappear from the spotlight. ie, Reggie Bush and the house his momma lived in.

[Vegas Vic]

Well, part of what you say is due to schools that go out of their way to cover things up, and make sure their stars are passing their classes. It's not necessarily that they are model citizens. Stoops just won't do that, and I applaud him and the school for enforcing the rules and getting rid of the bad apples.

I totally agree with that, and I wasn't referring to players like Bomar and Quinn who were violating NCAA regulations. I was referring to players like Akim Millington (http://fightingillini.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/millington_akim00.html), who is just one of the many offensive linemen who have been run off of OU's team over the past three years. Apparently, he has been dominating in practices at Illinois after earning the starting LT job, and he's now a legitimate candidate for post-season honors.

At some point, even the most naive of OU fans has got to consider that there may be some personality issues with a couple of OU assistant coaches, instead of putting 100% of the blame on the "pampered players". You otherwise can't just explain away losing almost one half of the recruited linemen over the past three years.

[jwlynn64]

I totally agree with that, and I wasn't referring to players like Bomar and Quinn who were violating NCAA regulations. I was referring to players like Akim Millington (http://fightingillini.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/millington_akim00.html), who is just one of the many offensive linemen who have been run off of OU's team over the past three years. Apparently, he has been dominating in practices at Illinois after earning the starting LT job, and he's now a legitimate candidate for post-season honors.

At some point, even the most naive of OU fans has got to consider that there may be some personality issues with a couple of OU assistant coaches, instead of putting 100% of the blame on the "pampered players". You otherwise can't just explain away losing almost one half of the recruited linemen over the past three years.

I'f I'm not mistaken, Akim left because he was homesick at being so far away from home. I think that you have to take each case individually.

Vic, do you think that Coach should have pampered Mo Dampeer to keep him on the team. Ultimately, it is up to the players to prove that they belong on the team. The Sooners are not an entitlement program.

Also, do you think that living in Southern California or Florida has a few perks that OU doesn't? Maybe that might make putting up with the hard work a little more bearable?

[boomrsoonr]

I totally agree with that, and I wasn't referring to players like Bomar and Quinn who were violating NCAA regulations. I was referring to players like Akim Millington (http://fightingillini.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/millington_akim00.html), who is just one of the many offensive linemen who have been run off of OU's team over the past three years. Apparently, he has been dominating in practices at Illinois after earning the starting LT job, and he's now a legitimate candidate for post-season honors.

At some point, even the most naive of OU fans has got to consider that there may be some personality issues with a couple of OU assistant coaches, instead of putting 100% of the blame on the "pampered players". You otherwise can't just explain away losing almost one half of the recruited linemen over the past three years.


But you also have to look at whether or not that player was happy here, going to get the chance to play, and was the best at that position at the time.

[tulsaoilerfan]

I'f I'm not mistaken, Akim left because he was homesick at being so far away from home. I think that you have to take each case individually.

Vic, do you think that Coach should have pampered Mo Dampeer to keep him on the team. Ultimately, it is up to the players to prove that they belong on the team. The Sooners are not an entitlement program.

Also, do you think that living in Southern California or Florida has a few perks that OU doesn't? Maybe that might make putting up with the hard work a little more bearable?
looking at all those tanned blondes with big ole tittays would surely make it more bearable:D

[Stitch Face]

"I could kind of sense when they left," said running back Adrian Peterson, "that a lot of other guys came in and felt like, you know, they were going to do the same thing those guys did because they had OU on the side of their helmet."

Awesome, accurate statement by AD. This is largely what supposedly brought down the winning streak - guys just going through the motions after the "easy" successes of the '56 team.

[AlabamaSooner]

Awesome article I think because it really hits the nail on the head. Time to get that early Stoops era mentality back. Work hard and earn back that swagger that we've lost. :)

[FlatheadSooner]

"It was kind of like the hurricane's coming, but no one's listening to you," said strength coach and director of sports enhancement Jerry Schmidt. "You give 'em warning, you give 'em warning, you give 'em warning and they think, 'Oh, it's going to veer off. It's not going to hit us.' Then all of a sudden it's right on you and it's too late. Sometimes it takes a storm to wake 'em up."

And then all of sudden, WHAM! The storm smacks 'em in the teeth. And they say 'I shoulda heard the warning, I shoulda heard the warning, I shoulda heard the warning, I shoulda heard the warning'. And then the storm circles back around and hits 'em in the kidneys with this here 2 by 4, WHAM!

[Desert Sapper]

Hopefully we can allign the stars at some point and get the 5* kids to perform like blue-collar bada$$es. Like maybe that one kid. What's his name? Adrian Petersomething.

[TUSooner]

That was god, thoughtful article with some honest assessments. I didn;t see as blamong everything on "pampered players" but I think you have to realize that that was part of the whole scene, at least a good analogy for the mindset expressed by AD. If the guys feel like they didn't work hard enough last year and they will work harder this year, that can only be a good thing. That Wilkinson guy summed it up pretty well back in the day when he said something like, "It takes more than the will to win; it takes the will to prepare to win."

[Sooner-N-KS]

Why, oh why, can't people take the time to paste the entire article?

Because there's a little thing called copyright infringement. It's generally acceptible to copy a portion of an article, but to post an entire article breaks copyright laws.

If you look at the bottom of that web page you'll see this:

Copyright © 2006 , World Publishing Co. All rights reserved.

[Doged]

My understanding of the law (no, I'm no lawyer) is that it's fine to copy or quote from an article so long as you 1) do not charge people to read it (can't reprint it in your local newspaper, for example, without paying syndication fees) and 2) keep all byline and copyright information intact (can't claim it as your own work).

I could easily be wrong about that, though.

[Sooner-N-KS]

Why, oh why, can't people take the time to paste the entire article?

Here are a few links about copyright infringement of newspaper articles:

http://experts.about.com/q/Copyright-Patents-915/copyright-law-concerning-newspaper.htm

http://www.chillingeffects.org/fairuse/notice.cgi?NoticeID=939

http://www.templetons.com/brad/copymyths.html

[Sooner-N-KS]

My understanding of the law (no, I'm no lawyer) is that it's fine to copy or quote from an article so long as you 1) do not charge people to read it (can't reprint it in your local newspaper, for example, without paying syndication fees) and 2) keep all byline and copyright information intact (can't claim it as your own work).

I could easily be wrong about that, though.


Several years ago the LA Times and Washington Post sued Freerepublic.com, a forum about politics, for members posting entire news articles. The newspapers were about to win when Freerepublic.com agreed to no longer allow members to post entire articles.

Here's a link to the court's case summary.
http://www.law.uh.edu/faculty/cjoyce/copyright/release10/LosAngT.html

I'm not trying to make a stink about this at all, and it's not my business if someone here decides to post an entire article. I'm just trying to point out that people don't need to have an attitude about someone respecting copyright laws. Don't get an attitude. Just click on the link and read the story.

[Luthor]

Here's the Tulsa World article: http://www.tulsaworld.com/SportsStory.asp?ID=060830_Sp_B1_Warni53710


Here's the point I found most interesting:

Defensive coordinator Brent Venables said that instead of landing recruiting classes filled with blue-collar guys hungry to prove themselves, OU signed classes full of high school stars.

"That's what's hard," he said. "A lot of times, you recruit a higher-ranked guy that's gotten a lot of attention, that's been told how good he is, he maybe had special treatment in high school and next thing you know, he doesn't have the type of characteristics it takes to become a great one."


The point is that OU has created hard workers rather than pampered stars. Let's hope that really shows this year.


Barry Switzer aparently disagrees with Venables philosophy. Barry says you do whatever it takes to get the top players in the country on your team and let them play. He supports that with a story of the Cowboys vs Niners NFC championship gamewhere he told the team that protecting the ball was the key to the game. The Cowboys immediately turned the ball over on the first 3 posessions and started off with a 21 point deficit. Of course the Cowboys won anyway so Barry said what the hell did his coaching have to do win winning the game? Barry's philosophy also won you guys 3 trophies if I remember correctly.

[boomrsoonr]

Coaching is a big part of any sport. But if the players don't execute, well, it's all kind of pointless.

It's a mixed bag. You need good athletes. Did we have the "best" athletes at every position in 2000? No. Did Stoops alone go out there and win the ball game because he's a good coach? No.

We had good athletes (not necessarily the best in the country) that executed extremely well and did what the coaches wanted of them. And, most importantly, they played like a "TEAM". Thus, MNC #7.