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| Source: KU Sports |
Partly because I haven’t written in some time, and partly because there is so much to talk about, this post will cover a lot of things in a short amount of time, so this is just a warning if it comes across as a little superficial. Rather than striking when the iron was hot, I pushed posts back, and pushed some more posts back, sort of letting all of these micro-stories amalgamate into one giant blob of arbitrariness. When writing, I really try not to spread myself too thin (I like to think I provide a little analysis here and there), but I have made my bed (by pushing off writing for some time), so now I have got to lay in it. Brace yourselves for little to no logical or causal relation, but I will try.
Line item one: Anthony
McDonald will be playing football for KU this coming fall (as I have covered
here). Line item two: Justin McCay likely won’t.
Just a few weeks after McDonald, a fifth year transfer linebacker from Notre Dame, committed to KU, and the Jayhawk Express was really gaining some tangible momentum, the NCAA Ruling Committee denied Justin McCay hardship, bringing the train to a screeching halt. Screeching halt may be a tad overstated, but it was the only thing semi-poetic that I could think of, but I digress. For whatever reason, his plea did not merit another season of eligibility, although KU will appeal the ruling. I am surprised that things did not/have not turned out favorably, and I wasn't the only one.
Although I hate to see McCay slighted, it is what it is. The wide-receivers should be plenty deep enough, and if they can just find three, ideally four, reliable targets, then Dayne Crist will be more than fine (by the sounds of it, the wide-receiving core has taken a collective step up). Defensively, McDonald brings another body and some experience. We’ll take both.
Just a few weeks after McDonald, a fifth year transfer linebacker from Notre Dame, committed to KU, and the Jayhawk Express was really gaining some tangible momentum, the NCAA Ruling Committee denied Justin McCay hardship, bringing the train to a screeching halt. Screeching halt may be a tad overstated, but it was the only thing semi-poetic that I could think of, but I digress. For whatever reason, his plea did not merit another season of eligibility, although KU will appeal the ruling. I am surprised that things did not/have not turned out favorably, and I wasn't the only one.
Although I hate to see McCay slighted, it is what it is. The wide-receivers should be plenty deep enough, and if they can just find three, ideally four, reliable targets, then Dayne Crist will be more than fine (by the sounds of it, the wide-receiving core has taken a collective step up). Defensively, McDonald brings another body and some experience. We’ll take both.
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Do you recall the 2011 KU Football Recruiting Class that had fans thumping their chests and buying season tickets? Yeah? That wondrous class? Well, that beloved, and now volatile, class is evaporating by the minute.
The washouts of the 2011 recruiting class continued earlier today when Collin Garrett and Chris Robinson were kicked off the team for an altercation at the Hawk early Saturday morning. Their names can be added to the already long list of Brock Berglund, Travis Bodenstein, Javonte Daniel, Phil Ford, Tanner Gibas, Jason Hensley, Darrian Miller, Adonis Saunders, and Dreamius Smith. That makes 11 out of the 27 in that class (not to mention that Ben Heeney was granted diversion on DUI last July) who are all gone--basically within 1 year of their signing.
Do you recall the 2011 KU Football Recruiting Class that had fans thumping their chests and buying season tickets? Yeah? That wondrous class? Well, that beloved, and now volatile, class is evaporating by the minute.
The washouts of the 2011 recruiting class continued earlier today when Collin Garrett and Chris Robinson were kicked off the team for an altercation at the Hawk early Saturday morning. Their names can be added to the already long list of Brock Berglund, Travis Bodenstein, Javonte Daniel, Phil Ford, Tanner Gibas, Jason Hensley, Darrian Miller, Adonis Saunders, and Dreamius Smith. That makes 11 out of the 27 in that class (not to mention that Ben Heeney was granted diversion on DUI last July) who are all gone--basically within 1 year of their signing.
We were expecting some
attrition when Weis took over, but now that nearly 50% of Gill’s recruiting class has been booted,
that tells me something. I am sure that these players all had (several) checks
by their names when Weis took over, and the, um, I don’t know, umpteenth (and
final) straw was what broke the camel’s back. Ungratefulness and entitlement are widespread epidemics right now in college sports, and the Kansas Football team is Example 1a.
When news came out that James Sims was to be suspended for only three games in the 2012 season for a DUI, but Garrett and Robinson were shown the door for a little skirmish outside of a bar with some (in their defense) testy bouncers, it got me thinking; I believe that prior to the incident he, Sims, did not have as many (if any) of those infamous "checks" as the aforesaid dismissed players. My disclaimer, I said "I believe" and not "I know", so don't hold me to it. It is just a gut-feeling.
Funny thing was, Sims was a Mangino recruit that kept to his word, signing with Gill; Garrett and Robinson were both Gill signings. I wouldn’t be terribly surprised if just abut every single player that Gill had brought in has a strike against them. I'm not saying that Mangino pitched a shutout either, but his dismissals were not to this extent by any means.
I am not trying to stir the pot or anything, but after seeing a lot of things first hand, and hearing a lot of things second hand, it wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest if Garrett and Robinson were on the brink of dismissal before Saturday's run-in with the authority figures.
Right, wrong, or indifferent, these dismissals do send a message to the team. A message that Weis is the CEO of the business, and if the employees are not doing their job, then they will be cut loose. I think by sticking to his guns, Weis maintains his credibility.
Credibility is something that must be established early for a football team, and can't be fabricated later. One thing that really seemed to plague Gill last season was that after being lax and what not for-- I don't know-- the first two-thirds of his time as head coach, he suddenly tried to demand respect and discipline from his players to salvage what would end up as a 2-10 season.
As Weis said, it is easier to loosen up on a team after it has been rigid, than it is to tighten up on a team that has been loose. It is also easier to decelerate a car from 60 mph to 30 mph, than it is to get it up to 30 mph from a stand still.
Trying to tighten up the screws on a team that has been loose will send a strange message. Where has this come from? Who does Coach think he is all of the sudden? Which is exactly what the team must have been thinking during last season's "November to Remember". You have got to be on them right from the start if you are going to be on them at all.
Now to shift gears a little bit (sorry that I couldn't make a seamless transition like usual!), Weis released his plan for the Spring Game this Saturday:
• During pregame warm-ups, all defensive players will be in white jerseys and offensive players will be in blue jerseys, while quarterbacks will wear red jerseys. After warm-ups, offensive and defensive players will then change into their respective blue or white jerseys.The following outlines the details of the game:
Never, never in all my years of following Kansas Football have I seen such an elaborate Spring Game plan. You could go back through a lot of coaches, but in recent memory, Mangino was so paranoid that he planted trees around the practice field ("Mangino Grove"), and routinely yelled at people to stop watching practice, so you can imagine that he kept the Spring Game plan close to the nest. Turner Gill, and his jargon-infused speech, never really talked about the logistics of his program, so we got more fruit salad and a veggie tray, and less meat and potatoes. I'm not saying Weis's way is the right way necessarily, but it sure is fun to soak in as a fan.
I'm sure I have come off as a pollyanna at some point or another, making a mountain out of these little mole-holes, these seemingly insignificant nuggets from Coach Weis, but when the team hasn't played a game yet, this is all that I can go off of. And it is fun to stay optimistic in April. It can make the difference between coping and collapsing.
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I know this is what you have all been waiting for, but naturally, it is what I am going to touch on the least... Practicing celebrating. Speaking of making mountain's out of mole-holes, kudos to the media for spinning this story wildly out of control. Here is a nice summation of what transpired, and below is Weis's little rant:
Yes, I know that the media are given the short end of the stick, having to be at the practice field at 6AM and for no more than an hour and a half, for that matter, but c'mon, have we blown this thing out of proportion? I can't talk football with my Kansas State buddies because Kansas "doesn't even know how to win right". Before I even open my mouth, they have made mince meat out of my argument.
In all honesty, I'm old-school. Sure, you celebrate as a team and all, but what ever happened to just scoring a touchdown and tossing it to the official? Acting like you have been there before? If Weis is advocating for team unity, bravo! If he wants a bunch of sideshows, then hand me a barf bag. Of course I think it is the former, but you never really know how these 18-22 year kids will take it.
In just in a few short sentences, I have talked this ad nauseum. If there is anything worthwhile to take from this it is that at least the inmates are no longer running the asylum.
I implore you all to come out to the Spring Game on Saturday. The coaches deserve it, the players want it, and we need it. Let the Spring Game mark the end of 2011, and the beginning of 2012 and beyond. Hopefully the practice will be a breath of fresh air, granted highly-pollinated air, but fresh air all of the same. Soak up the atmosphere and stay after the practice to sing the alma mater. It is the dawning of a new era.
When news came out that James Sims was to be suspended for only three games in the 2012 season for a DUI, but Garrett and Robinson were shown the door for a little skirmish outside of a bar with some (in their defense) testy bouncers, it got me thinking; I believe that prior to the incident he, Sims, did not have as many (if any) of those infamous "checks" as the aforesaid dismissed players. My disclaimer, I said "I believe" and not "I know", so don't hold me to it. It is just a gut-feeling.
Funny thing was, Sims was a Mangino recruit that kept to his word, signing with Gill; Garrett and Robinson were both Gill signings. I wouldn’t be terribly surprised if just abut every single player that Gill had brought in has a strike against them. I'm not saying that Mangino pitched a shutout either, but his dismissals were not to this extent by any means.
I am not trying to stir the pot or anything, but after seeing a lot of things first hand, and hearing a lot of things second hand, it wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest if Garrett and Robinson were on the brink of dismissal before Saturday's run-in with the authority figures.
Right, wrong, or indifferent, these dismissals do send a message to the team. A message that Weis is the CEO of the business, and if the employees are not doing their job, then they will be cut loose. I think by sticking to his guns, Weis maintains his credibility.
Credibility is something that must be established early for a football team, and can't be fabricated later. One thing that really seemed to plague Gill last season was that after being lax and what not for-- I don't know-- the first two-thirds of his time as head coach, he suddenly tried to demand respect and discipline from his players to salvage what would end up as a 2-10 season.
As Weis said, it is easier to loosen up on a team after it has been rigid, than it is to tighten up on a team that has been loose. It is also easier to decelerate a car from 60 mph to 30 mph, than it is to get it up to 30 mph from a stand still.
Trying to tighten up the screws on a team that has been loose will send a strange message. Where has this come from? Who does Coach think he is all of the sudden? Which is exactly what the team must have been thinking during last season's "November to Remember". You have got to be on them right from the start if you are going to be on them at all.
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| Source: KU Sports |
• During pregame warm-ups, all defensive players will be in white jerseys and offensive players will be in blue jerseys, while quarterbacks will wear red jerseys. After warm-ups, offensive and defensive players will then change into their respective blue or white jerseys.The following outlines the details of the game:
• Game rosters will list players for a blue team and a white team.
• Coaches for the blue team will be Rob Ianello (wide receivers), Jeff Blasko (tight ends), Charlie Weis, Jr. (student manager-offensive assistant), Dave Campo (defensive coordinator/defensive backs) and DeMontie Cross (linebackers).
• Coaches for the white team will be Ron Powlus (quarterbacks), Reggie Mitchell (running backs), Tim Grunhard (offensive line), Clint Bowen (defensive backs), Maurice Crum (defensive graduate assistant), Matthew Middleton (quality control-offense) and Kyle Brey (quality control-offense).
• Due to a lack of depth at defensive line, all defensive linemen will be dressed in alternate colored jerseys and will be rotated for both teams by Buddy Wyatt (defensive line) and Rod Jones (defensive graduate assistant).
• Specialists also will wear an alternate color.
• There will be no kickoff/kickoff returns. For possessions to start the half or after scores, the ball will be placed at the 30 yard line.
• Punts/punt returns will end when the returner fair catches the ball, picks up a rolling ball or when a defensive player downs the ball. Normal rules will apply for touchbacks.
• A coin toss will decide who gets the ball to start the game.
• There will be four 15 minute quarters (running time). The clock will only stop for timeouts or injuries with the exception of the last two minutes of each half, in which normal game clock rules will be followed. (Officials may stop the clock at their discretion.)
• MVP’s will be announced after the game and the Jayhawks will join the band for the Alma Mater immediately following the game.Never, never in all my years of following Kansas Football have I seen such an elaborate Spring Game plan. You could go back through a lot of coaches, but in recent memory, Mangino was so paranoid that he planted trees around the practice field ("Mangino Grove"), and routinely yelled at people to stop watching practice, so you can imagine that he kept the Spring Game plan close to the nest. Turner Gill, and his jargon-infused speech, never really talked about the logistics of his program, so we got more fruit salad and a veggie tray, and less meat and potatoes. I'm not saying Weis's way is the right way necessarily, but it sure is fun to soak in as a fan.
I'm sure I have come off as a pollyanna at some point or another, making a mountain out of these little mole-holes, these seemingly insignificant nuggets from Coach Weis, but when the team hasn't played a game yet, this is all that I can go off of. And it is fun to stay optimistic in April. It can make the difference between coping and collapsing.
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| Source: KU Sports |
"I can tell you guys aren't used to winning. (Pause) Hey. Hey, fellas. OK. Winning a football game is not supposed to be an uncommon occurrence. I know that's a novel concept around here.
"OK. When you win a football game, there's supposed to be a celebration that looks like a celebration. And that was a pile of crap.
"I believe in practicing everything, including winning. That's what this is all about.
"This isn't about you guys jacking around over here.
"This is about, third game of the season, you're sitting here 2-0. You're playing TCU, you haven't won a conference game in about eight years. (bells) … and you hit a field goal to win the game. Act that way!"
Yes, I know that the media are given the short end of the stick, having to be at the practice field at 6AM and for no more than an hour and a half, for that matter, but c'mon, have we blown this thing out of proportion? I can't talk football with my Kansas State buddies because Kansas "doesn't even know how to win right". Before I even open my mouth, they have made mince meat out of my argument.
In all honesty, I'm old-school. Sure, you celebrate as a team and all, but what ever happened to just scoring a touchdown and tossing it to the official? Acting like you have been there before? If Weis is advocating for team unity, bravo! If he wants a bunch of sideshows, then hand me a barf bag. Of course I think it is the former, but you never really know how these 18-22 year kids will take it.
In just in a few short sentences, I have talked this ad nauseum. If there is anything worthwhile to take from this it is that at least the inmates are no longer running the asylum.
I implore you all to come out to the Spring Game on Saturday. The coaches deserve it, the players want it, and we need it. Let the Spring Game mark the end of 2011, and the beginning of 2012 and beyond. Hopefully the practice will be a breath of fresh air, granted highly-pollinated air, but fresh air all of the same. Soak up the atmosphere and stay after the practice to sing the alma mater. It is the dawning of a new era.
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