Interesting article on PJ going into the second year...
http://www.mlive.com/broncos/index.ssf/2...cart_river
He does touch on something I have been pondering for awhile regarding last years debacle. He apparently is NOT going to coach a system that fits his players, he's going to fit his players to his system. Last year he apparently didn't have the athletes that fit his system... especially on defense. Notice how we moved from a 3-3 front to a 4-3... Forcing kids into positions/schemes that were likely completely new to them... and combined with a lack of depth its not surprising that we struggled up front on D last year.
When Cubit came to WMU I don't think he made much of a scheme change initially with the players he inherited from Darnell's last year... Curious to look back and see how that went down. Cubit seemed to be more of a coach to the strengths within the system... not to the system regardless... Kind of a moving target... I think if PJ stays consistent with his philosophy it should work over time...
What's missing in the article, as usual, is any consideration of where the captain came up short. Nope, he always seems to grade out 100%. And even on those occasions when he remembers to pay lip service to taking some responsibility, there is never anything specific.
Typical.
good article.
He is ours, we* picked him...might as well enjoy the ride.
* as is the WMU administration...who represents the collective "we"
A good interview. I made note of the call-in number for attending practice. I want to see how things shake out leading up to the season kickoff.
I agree it was a good article. We all need to go to a few practices and see what is going on and report back on your "findings" since our local coverage needs some assistance.
As long as it isn't stupid stuff like "Fleck had ugly neon cleats on today, his hair was all crazy, and wish he would not wear Oakley glasses cause I cant stand that brand"
blah, blah, blah and then fight over it...
LOL
One thing that is huge for any progress this year would be not to have the injuries as we did last year. . . even before the season even started.
So far so good. However, pre-season can be tough with the full contact after the first week of practice.
I'll engage my optimism once we are deep into the pre-season if we are free from any serious injuries.
(08-01-2014 02:14 PM)bostonbronco Wrote: [ -> ]One thing that is huge for any progress this year would be not to have the injuries as we did last year. . . even before the season even started.
So far so good. However, pre-season can be tough with the full contact after the first week of practice.
I'll engage my optimism once we are deep into the pre-season if we are free from any serious injuries.
Agree. I have had the opportunity to spend time listening and watching Coach Nichol with our players this spring/summer during workouts. Our new strength training coaching staff is very, very good and IMO this too will also help keep players healthy.
My take away from that article is that I think maybe he heard some of what was being said regarding all of the talking and silly stuff that was front and center last year. He found a way to explain much of that away, which I may or may not buy, in claiming that it was all done for the benefit of recruiting. If that was that case, then it apparently was a stroke of genius if this class pans out as expected.
I simply like the fact that he said, he and his staff have been working and focusing more on football and player development. Lets hope that this specific focus also pays off this year. I guess we get to find out if he and his staff can coach. Or if its going to become the same rhetoric and excuses to sugar coat a rough year. My only concern with that is that he has another built in excuse going into this season. We are young and inexperienced. While true, at some point you have to put the onus on yourself and simply get the job done.
I guess we will see.
I am serious when I say I did not learn one new things from this article.
(08-01-2014 02:28 PM)Hoekjeness Wrote: [ -> ]I am serious when I say I did not learn one new things from this article.
But that's because you have probably heard the exact same things during your own personal 1 on 1 sit downs with PJ.
Or because its basically exactly what he is going to say every single time we hear or see him speak.
But what you are really saying is, David Drew didn't give us any insight in this piece. You should all go to all of the other media outlets that will give you more than this. Correct? And again I ask, where exactly would that be?
(08-01-2014 02:26 PM)WheresWaldo42 Wrote: [ -> ]My take away from that article is that I think maybe he heard some of what was being said regarding all of the talking and silly stuff that was front and center last year. He found a way to explain much of that away, which I may or may not buy, in claiming that it was all done for the benefit of recruiting. If that was that case, then it apparently was a stroke of genius if this class pans out as expected.
I simply like the fact that he said, he and his staff have been working and focusing more on football and player development. Lets hope that this specific focus also pays off this year. I guess we get to find out if he and his staff can coach. Or if its going to become the same rhetoric and excuses to sugar coat a rough year. My only concern with that is that he has another built in excuse going into this season. We are young and inexperienced. While true, at some point you have to put the onus on yourself and simply get the job done.
I guess we will see.
Honestly, I don't think he's changed his tune one bit and gotten any "quieter." It only appears that way to us because there's just been less coverage this off season. His quotes from media day were a prime example.
Fleck has said from the very beginning that he was going to focus his first year or two on recruiting and building a strong foundation. I haven't heard or seen anything different, including this article.
And I don't see "youth and inexperience" as a built-in excuse. It's a reality. Do you disagree with what he says about our current roster? Because I don't.
What do you want him to say? We are a veteran group and experienced? Because we'd all be laughing at him if he said that too.
(08-01-2014 02:34 PM)WheresWaldo42 Wrote: [ -> ] (08-01-2014 02:28 PM)Hoekjeness Wrote: [ -> ]I am serious when I say I did not learn one new things from this article.
But that's because you have probably heard the exact same things during your own personal 1 on 1 sit downs with PJ.
Or because its basically exactly what he is going to say every single time we hear or see him speak.
But what you are really saying is, David Drew didn't give us any insight in this piece. You should all go to all of the other media outlets that will give you more than this. Correct? And again I ask, where exactly would that be?
We've all heard them. It's all just repetitive stuff that we've been hearing since he's been here. I don't know why we act surprised. As I said earlier, it's all been a pretty consistent message from the day he's been here. Some just chose to twist and spin certain things here and there along the way.
I'm saying that right now, there doesn't seem to much very good insight on the program at all IMO. That falls on everyone, not just Drew and MLive.com. It's a little disappointing.
(08-01-2014 02:28 PM)Hoekjeness Wrote: [ -> ]I am serious when I say I did not learn one new things from this article.
Not much knew for me either. I have been talking about some of this for awhile now. Like lack of talent after evaluating players to fit his style of play. Also bringing in talent with the 2014 class and plugging "holes" with the 2015 class and have a solid foundation of players who fit his system.
Yes we are still evaluating Fleck as a coach, but it is "his" system and we need to at least give him a chance to pass or fail with it.
No, not at all. I completely agree with those comments. And it is the reality that they are young and inexperienced.
I just go back to last year and all of the talk and rhetoric that revolved around his arrival. At that time, there was no talk at all of the lack of talent or not having players etc. But after things began to unravel quickly, that became the built in excuse. It may have been accurate and most likely was, but prior to the wheels coming off there had been no mention of it.
At least this year, there is mention of being young and inexperienced now. And that they are hoping to build for the future. That in itself might show a bit of growing from the coach. Understanding that as you say, he cant say they are a veteran group and expect to win it all this year. Its a different feel, by tempering things a little bit.
So yes, I agree with exactly what was said and what you said. BUT, at the same time, that is a built in excuse, because we all know it to be true before the season even starts. And he can fall back on that at any time during the season when things don't go their way. That's all I was saying.
(08-01-2014 02:38 PM)Hoekjeness Wrote: [ -> ] (08-01-2014 02:34 PM)WheresWaldo42 Wrote: [ -> ] (08-01-2014 02:28 PM)Hoekjeness Wrote: [ -> ]I am serious when I say I did not learn one new things from this article.
But that's because you have probably heard the exact same things during your own personal 1 on 1 sit downs with PJ.
Or because its basically exactly what he is going to say every single time we hear or see him speak.
But what you are really saying is, David Drew didn't give us any insight in this piece. You should all go to all of the other media outlets that will give you more than this. Correct? And again I ask, where exactly would that be?
We've all heard them. It's all just repetitive stuff that we've been hearing since he's been here. I don't know why we act surprised. As I said earlier, it's all been a pretty consistent message from the day he's been here. Some just chose to twist and spin certain things here and there along the way.
I'm saying that right now, there doesn't seem to much very good insight on the program at all IMO. That falls on everyone, not just Drew and MLive.com. It's a little disappointing.
OK, I will agree with you on that. But I also think that maybe that in itself is by design from the program. I don't think that they want to give out too much information or let people get too far inside. Its hard for me to articulate what I mean by that, but for all of the apparent public vibrato that PJ exudes, I don't really think that he feels he owes the media and those that cover the team any real access. And I don't really think that he gives that much access to those folks. Otherwise, I think you might see more in depth stuff from anyone or everyone that tries to cover the program.
I mean... we were returning a 4-8 team that lost some pretty key players too, so we knew it wasn't going to be good, but what we didn't know or expect was that we were going to have 15 injuries as well. We barely even had the bodies to field a competitive team. And it showed.
Actually, we DIDNT have enough bodies to field a COMPETITIVE team.
What we saw last year was rarely competitive.
(08-01-2014 02:44 PM)WheresWaldo42 Wrote: [ -> ]OK, I will agree with you on that. But I also think that maybe that in itself is by design from the program. I don't think that they want to give out too much information or let people get too far inside. Its hard for me to articulate what I mean by that, but for all of the apparent public vibrato that PJ exudes, I don't really think that he feels he owes the media and those that cover the team any real access. And I don't really think that he gives that much access to those folks. Otherwise, I think you might see more in depth stuff from anyone or everyone that tries to cover the program.
I disagree there. Having been involved previously, I don't think it's intentional at all. I believe there are very few "trusted" people covering the program right now. Therefore, we're seeing limited access. There's a slight, but important difference there. Like anything else, you have to earn trust to get trust. Mat Kanan being no longer with the program also plays a small factor into that also IMO.
I think you are correct. And that trust is what a few of DD's predecessors were able to cultivate with previous coaches. Its going to be up to him to grow those relationships with PJ and Hawk if he wants to get into that circle of trust and get better info.
Other than that, I just don't think there are really all that many others that are invested enough in covering the teams to ever really have a chance to earn that trust.
Youth and experience should not be an excuse in fall of 2015. After this 2014 class has a year under their belts, the 2015 class comes in and fills holes, and our veteran players are into Flecks system that excuse will not fly with anyone. Now granted, this 2014 schedule is much easier than playing MSU, and Ohio State in 2015. But really no excuses in our MAC schedule for 2015 and beyond. If (and we are all still evaluating) our coaches can really develop and coach talented players our future is extremely bright.