This evening in Austin, the University of Kansas attended an event in a very large stadium designed for American football. KU sent a troop of a hundred or so, presumably on a plane with a lot of equipment on a bus, maybe? I don’t know the logistics of this fiasco. I can’t imagine the team and the gear are on the same shipment, because I can’t imagine how any consistency in plan or execution is possible with this club.
I don’t fault the kids. The first and most obvious failure is the lack of a strength and conditioning program. These are 17-22 year old kids, who I believe are for the most part doing what they are told to do. “They just manhandled us.” The explanation from Turner Gill in an interview with Nate Bukaty.
“I do like the fight of our defensive players, it was good to see those guys on the defensive end fighting.”
“We didn’t expect to have that kind of performance.”
“We’re just not hitting on all cylinders in all phases.”
“You’ve just got to keep working.”
Announcer Bob Davis suggested that a positive was the lack of an utter and complete meltdown in the third quarter just after the half. I’m getting the vanilla version of the post-game pressers. I’m sure the guy is going to be roasted by any and every reporter in attendance, because what happened tonight was absolutely astounding.
It sounds bad that the Hawks had 3 first downs. The first one came on a personal foul penalty against Texas for roughing the passer. The third of the first downs was against a largely fourth-team defense in the fourth quarter. The Jayhawks kept a large percentage of their first-teamers in the entire game. They were all whipped against everyone they played.
This isn’t a good Texas team. In Austin, they consider their version of the Longhorns horrendous. The last two home conference victories in football are now both against Kansas, the previous one in 2009, when the Big XII had divisions and such…
Rich Baldinger repeatedly cited elementary-school level football fundamentals as massive failures of practically the entire team. Brandon Bourbon led the team in total yards with 23, outgaining the entire offense. At least he led the team in fumbles. Coach Gill helplessly challenged the obvious fumble. (It was the second of the three first downs.)
This was the damnedest thing I’ve ever seen. I know what bad Kansas football looks like. It’s never quite looked like this. They are as bafflingly devoid of direction and aspiration as any collective I’ve seen. I feel awful for those kids, a great many of which had talent at one point. They’re pretty much collectively broken right now. They’re a joke across the country, much less on their own campus. It’s a horrible situation for a high-profile kid. (Relatively high-profile, I suppose.)
The TV announcers for the Jayhawk Network were pretty good, all things considered. Each made it a point that they’d never seen anything quite like what they were watching. Baldinger thought the lights were too bright.
The Athletic Department is getting their money’s worth, I hear. I’ve read the contract, and I would propose that the staff could quite possibly be fired at this point for not doing the job. I think it could be taken to court, in fact. The guaranteed contract continuously makes assumptions that there will be actual football competitions, it appears. I’m pretty sure this is utter incompetence from the top down. There is too much blame to be spread on this mess.
It’s got to be cleaned up. They have to start cleaning, and the sooner the better. If I wake up, and the strength and conditioning coach John Williams is still at his post, I’ll be disgusted. This was fucking horrible. I couldn’t sleep last weekend after watching the K-State mess. I kept checking the news outlets for word of HCTG’s firing. It never happened. It has to happen. He’s killing a program he’s already killed. He’s got to be stopped.
Vic Shealy’s on the air now. He either sounds legitimately shaken, or like he’s Beavis/Butthead’s neighbor.
This is the guy, by the way, that has the Jayhawks playing in a defensive scheme that they quite clearly can’t perform in. We’re dropping shit out of linebacking corps and mixing in a bunch of stupid ass blitz schemes that don’t work because they never draw an effective mismatch, or even an even-man advantage. With three guys up front. It’s not even an attempt at competition the way it’s currently schemed. I can’t listen to this guy right now, because it’s pretty clear he can’t evaluate what the hell is going on. It’s tough being handcuffed by a strength program that’s making players weaker and a conditioning program that neither emphasizes speed nor endurance. We can’t lose sight of that, Jayhawks. I keep telling myself this can’t get worse. I’m wrong a lot.
Chuck Long is coming up. This is due to be a painfully long rant of this very uncomfortable moment in time. I want to remember this.
I want to remember this because I remember the Orange Bowl. Somehow, a team that won the Orange Bowl 46 months ago has become the worst Kansas football team I’ve ever seen. “I wish it was better, but hey, life goes on,” Chuck Long. More Chuck below:
“We had a tough night.”
“They just manhandled us. They just totally manhandled us. They played great, and I just felt like they were smothering us all night.”
“I’m hoping tonight’s just a hiccup, and not a pattern. But they just manhandled us, and we couldn’t get anything going.”
Again, Chuck is imprisoned by a team that is getting slower, weaker, and less in shape. They’ve still got to play a third of a football season. I’m baffled that the staff feels on any level that there could possibly be a recovery at this point. He’s being questioned with kid gloves a bit about the Hawks “hurry up” offense they’re still employing, and about the wear it might be placing on the defense. He’s kind of sidestepped this one. Turner Gill has previously stated, “That’s how we play.”
Showing posts with label Kansas Jayhawks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kansas Jayhawks. Show all posts
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Painful Indifference
I talked to a friend earlier today, (I say talked, but these days, it's damned near impossible to get anyone to talk over the phone. I've mostly quit trying. It's all made up of a bunch of text messages, chat room crap and things like that) and found out a little about myself from our brief exchange of ideas.
I've known for a long time I've got a poor attitude about a lot of things, and I think I'm trying to work on that character defect. I even think it's a sincere effort, but I've never exactly been in this position of general dissatisfaction and confusion. Well, I have been in exactly this position, but I guess I didn't give a damn about it or about anything else until this past year. I just kind of let it slide, along with everything else...
Some time back, I had a dream. In it, my friends' wife and kids were walking by my place while I was working in the yard. I saw them walking by, and waved, and his son yelled out to me, "Pants are for suckers!" So periodically, usually on the weekend, I'll call (or text--usually text these days, sadly) to remind my friend we're both probably on the wrong side of the sucker fence. His son, incidentally, is still young enough to lack the lasting ability to remain fully clothed at all times. It's great to be too young to care...
Anyway, this morning I'd relayed that I thought a new pantsless look was going to become a trend. It seems that way, anyhow. Some young actress (I assume she's an actress. I don't know what she does, but she looks good doing it.) by the name of Blake Lively decided to trot around the Letterman set wearing what appeared to be only a shirt, and a set of heels. Good for her. I liked it, anyway. I further notified my friend that this look would probably be best pulled off by the hot chicks, since they aren't really expected to think in our society, anyway. I'd just stop wearing pants, too, since no one had come to expect me to think for the past couple of decades either.
He replied, in reference to the hotties, "I haven't been giving them a break. Have you?" I'd told him previously that I wasn't giving out any more free passes based on looks. I expected, perhaps wrongly, for people to behave like human beings.
"Nope. Not gonna start now either, tho i've realized it's pretty unlikely i'll ever find anyone i really like. And I won't keep around anyone i dont. So it goes.." I find it hard to express myself in 160 characters.
"Well, at least your attitude sucks. That helps quite a bit" He had over a hundred to spare.
He lives less than a half mile away, and I've been over to his home maybe a couple of times in the past year. It's not that I don't want to see him and his family--I love them to death--It's just that each trip over there is a somewhat painful reminder of all that I don't have in life. I'm not even sure that I want what he's got...the home, the beautiful wife, and the wonderful kids...but it's another example of complete failure and lack of effort on my part to advance myself in any way, until very recently. So I don't go over there, unless I must.
"I struggle with it constantly, and i know it's a tremendous weakness. It's hard giving anyone a break when you don't like yourself." I replied.
"You've got to give to get. If you need a lift, lift someone else up. What other cliches can I think of. I hear ya, but you would the means to like yourself better could include forgiving others of their shortcomings and your own" Well, this is another thing I hate about these texts. Sometimes they come through on my end fragmented--I never know. Maybe this was the complete thought. He's got stuff going on over there. This morning, I didn't over here.
"I try that. I dont open that club in the mornings for fun. Come to think of it, I dont do much of anything for fun. Thats part of the problem. When I do try to give, i know nothing should be expected, and that is very often the case. Just numb to everything, like being f-d up, but no benefits." And I meant every word of this. Sad, but true.
"I guess I understand some of what you said. How much do you distinguish between rewarding and fun? Maybe too much. That should certainly be rewarding and therapeutic. You can not be both numb and aware unless you lacked emotion or an understanding of your surroundings and this is certainly not your condition. So, you are neither numb or lack understanding, but lack clarity of purpose. Who do you serve? This is a question worth considering. Then consider who you should serve and how you will rectify this shortcoming. This is all I think about in family relationships, work, socially...whatever." Okay, he's way over 160 characters now. But not done: "In conclusion: If you are not willing (and without reluctance or cynicism about it) to serve others, you will remain unhappy. This is a decision we make. I feel guilt when I am selfish or have been inconsiderate of others because I have failed to serve them. It takes away from them. I guess this is 'my thing' right now. This is my own path and testimony, but it could be good"
My friend brokers mortgage loans. I think. Or he did. He just started a new job, and I don't exactly know what he's doing now, but he continued, "My new motto: Realtors are People also. (Indicating they are something in addition to being homo-sapiens opposed to the 'Realtors are people too',indicating inclusionary status of a group. They may be jerks at times, but they are human. I am human. Human. Do you realize how enjoyed the next warm up should be? With or without pants"
A change in the weather could certainly do me a world of good right now: "thx. I just have absolutely no idea what my purpose or place in life might be. I'm confused and frustrated a lot. It's not what I want. With or without pants."
"Your purpose is to serve others. That is my point. Be happy about that. Not expecting people to serve you, you see. I have alwasy been a bit of an existentialist"
So ended our conversation. Then I wondered how much time Sartre spent wandering around looking for a belt to keep his pants up...
And I guess it's a good thing I don't take the world of sport too damned seriously anymore. It's one of my few pursuits, however, that I would classify as "fun." I enjoy watching legitimate competition. I've blown up TVs and wrecked apartments over the outcomes of events in the past, and at least I don't take this business too goddamned seriously now. I can't get hung up with that sort of emotional investment, since I have absolutely no control over the eventual outcomes.
It's time to give my Jayhawks a break, I suppose. I'll never understand why they waited until they were done playing to give a damn, but that's none of my business, except that I'd spent quite a bit of time pulling for them for reasons I no longer understand. I'll give them a break for playing ten minutes of legitimate basketball over the past 80 or so allotted to them. And I'll give them a pass for bawling like little kids, despite their apparent continuing indifference to the task at hand. I take nothing away from Northern Iowa. A team should have to play basketball with skill and effort the entire time the clock is running to win a contest, and this was accomplished by their fine squad. I wish them the best.
They're all just kids, and god only knows I've spent far too much of my adult life crying over likewise spilled milk...now I guess I can root whole-heartedly for K-State and Frank Martin. I'm positive that bunch will put forth their best effort, and perhaps they can teach me a thing or two about how to be a better person today.
I've known for a long time I've got a poor attitude about a lot of things, and I think I'm trying to work on that character defect. I even think it's a sincere effort, but I've never exactly been in this position of general dissatisfaction and confusion. Well, I have been in exactly this position, but I guess I didn't give a damn about it or about anything else until this past year. I just kind of let it slide, along with everything else...
Some time back, I had a dream. In it, my friends' wife and kids were walking by my place while I was working in the yard. I saw them walking by, and waved, and his son yelled out to me, "Pants are for suckers!" So periodically, usually on the weekend, I'll call (or text--usually text these days, sadly) to remind my friend we're both probably on the wrong side of the sucker fence. His son, incidentally, is still young enough to lack the lasting ability to remain fully clothed at all times. It's great to be too young to care...
Anyway, this morning I'd relayed that I thought a new pantsless look was going to become a trend. It seems that way, anyhow. Some young actress (I assume she's an actress. I don't know what she does, but she looks good doing it.) by the name of Blake Lively decided to trot around the Letterman set wearing what appeared to be only a shirt, and a set of heels. Good for her. I liked it, anyway. I further notified my friend that this look would probably be best pulled off by the hot chicks, since they aren't really expected to think in our society, anyway. I'd just stop wearing pants, too, since no one had come to expect me to think for the past couple of decades either.
He replied, in reference to the hotties, "I haven't been giving them a break. Have you?" I'd told him previously that I wasn't giving out any more free passes based on looks. I expected, perhaps wrongly, for people to behave like human beings.
"Nope. Not gonna start now either, tho i've realized it's pretty unlikely i'll ever find anyone i really like. And I won't keep around anyone i dont. So it goes.." I find it hard to express myself in 160 characters.
"Well, at least your attitude sucks. That helps quite a bit" He had over a hundred to spare.
He lives less than a half mile away, and I've been over to his home maybe a couple of times in the past year. It's not that I don't want to see him and his family--I love them to death--It's just that each trip over there is a somewhat painful reminder of all that I don't have in life. I'm not even sure that I want what he's got...the home, the beautiful wife, and the wonderful kids...but it's another example of complete failure and lack of effort on my part to advance myself in any way, until very recently. So I don't go over there, unless I must.
"I struggle with it constantly, and i know it's a tremendous weakness. It's hard giving anyone a break when you don't like yourself." I replied.
"You've got to give to get. If you need a lift, lift someone else up. What other cliches can I think of. I hear ya, but you would the means to like yourself better could include forgiving others of their shortcomings and your own" Well, this is another thing I hate about these texts. Sometimes they come through on my end fragmented--I never know. Maybe this was the complete thought. He's got stuff going on over there. This morning, I didn't over here.
"I try that. I dont open that club in the mornings for fun. Come to think of it, I dont do much of anything for fun. Thats part of the problem. When I do try to give, i know nothing should be expected, and that is very often the case. Just numb to everything, like being f-d up, but no benefits." And I meant every word of this. Sad, but true.
"I guess I understand some of what you said. How much do you distinguish between rewarding and fun? Maybe too much. That should certainly be rewarding and therapeutic. You can not be both numb and aware unless you lacked emotion or an understanding of your surroundings and this is certainly not your condition. So, you are neither numb or lack understanding, but lack clarity of purpose. Who do you serve? This is a question worth considering. Then consider who you should serve and how you will rectify this shortcoming. This is all I think about in family relationships, work, socially...whatever." Okay, he's way over 160 characters now. But not done: "In conclusion: If you are not willing (and without reluctance or cynicism about it) to serve others, you will remain unhappy. This is a decision we make. I feel guilt when I am selfish or have been inconsiderate of others because I have failed to serve them. It takes away from them. I guess this is 'my thing' right now. This is my own path and testimony, but it could be good"
My friend brokers mortgage loans. I think. Or he did. He just started a new job, and I don't exactly know what he's doing now, but he continued, "My new motto: Realtors are People also. (Indicating they are something in addition to being homo-sapiens opposed to the 'Realtors are people too',indicating inclusionary status of a group. They may be jerks at times, but they are human. I am human. Human. Do you realize how enjoyed the next warm up should be? With or without pants"
A change in the weather could certainly do me a world of good right now: "thx. I just have absolutely no idea what my purpose or place in life might be. I'm confused and frustrated a lot. It's not what I want. With or without pants."
"Your purpose is to serve others. That is my point. Be happy about that. Not expecting people to serve you, you see. I have alwasy been a bit of an existentialist"
So ended our conversation. Then I wondered how much time Sartre spent wandering around looking for a belt to keep his pants up...
And I guess it's a good thing I don't take the world of sport too damned seriously anymore. It's one of my few pursuits, however, that I would classify as "fun." I enjoy watching legitimate competition. I've blown up TVs and wrecked apartments over the outcomes of events in the past, and at least I don't take this business too goddamned seriously now. I can't get hung up with that sort of emotional investment, since I have absolutely no control over the eventual outcomes.
It's time to give my Jayhawks a break, I suppose. I'll never understand why they waited until they were done playing to give a damn, but that's none of my business, except that I'd spent quite a bit of time pulling for them for reasons I no longer understand. I'll give them a break for playing ten minutes of legitimate basketball over the past 80 or so allotted to them. And I'll give them a pass for bawling like little kids, despite their apparent continuing indifference to the task at hand. I take nothing away from Northern Iowa. A team should have to play basketball with skill and effort the entire time the clock is running to win a contest, and this was accomplished by their fine squad. I wish them the best.
They're all just kids, and god only knows I've spent far too much of my adult life crying over likewise spilled milk...now I guess I can root whole-heartedly for K-State and Frank Martin. I'm positive that bunch will put forth their best effort, and perhaps they can teach me a thing or two about how to be a better person today.
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