Combined feed (RSS)
Football: Quick update
By Jonathan Okanes
Wednesday, October 14th, 2009 at 3:40 pm in Mid-week.
I just got done watching the first 20 minutes of practice, as we’re allowed, and wide receivers Nyan Boateng and Verran Tucker as well as left guard Matt Summers-Gavin all appeared to be practicing in full capacity. Looks like they’re all on track to play Saturday.
[You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.]
October 14th, 2009 at 4:20 pm
From my experience, one of the first signs that a team is mentally unhealthy is when those who are physically unhealthy begin to take longer to heal, or do not play because they have given up. There is kind of a “why should I bust my butt for this team” attitude (witness Jackson in the 2007 Big Game. For someone who is always looking for good signs (and who plans on traveling 300+ miles to the game on Saturday), this is one of them. JO, I was going to ask you on the chat tomorrow whether, in your opinion, the team’s actions, the way they carry themselves, their enthusiasm, etc. reflect their confident words. In some ways this might be part of the answer.
October 14th, 2009 at 7:41 pm
Agree GoldenBear 77…it appears to me that these confident words are a “house of cards”. What is troubling to me is that when this team gets behind early, there doesn’t appear to be any proactive emotional leadership displayed by coaches/players (at least to me the casual fan) to turn things around within the game. And, when emotional leadership is displayed (circa @ UW 2007 post-locker room) it is usually too late.
October 15th, 2009 at 9:20 am
I don’t understand both of your responses…all of these guys practiced at full capacity…they aren’t sitting on the sidelines using the downturn as an excuse to not take part in the game…doesn’t that fact sort of negate your line of thinking, GoldenBear?!
I fully understand the notion of not trusting the words anyone uses; I wrote on an earlier comment thread that until we play a good game and win, nothing anyone–player, coach or AD–says will mean a thing. They can express all the most positive, uplifting perspectives, feed us all the cliches, but it doesn’t mean squat until those words translate on the field.
Go Bears!
October 15th, 2009 at 10:17 am
My line of thinking is that this is sign that their words of fight and confidence are not empty. That is, they are not using the “little” bumps and bruises as an excuse to sit out, as players sometimes do when they are whooped. There is still spark there. That is a good sign.
October 15th, 2009 at 10:42 am
i don’t know how any of them could possible have a bump or bruise. none of them have done anything since minnesota.
October 15th, 2009 at 11:18 am
I am with SamoBear and GoldenBear77 here. On the other hand, I think the real issue is, once again, the coaching staff: how did they let it get to this? How did JT not know that Riley might not be the QB (again)? Why can’t this team play confidently? I’ve been following the team for years and years and, one way or another, this always seems to happen, whether to greater (2007) or lesser (2008) degrees. If Jeff is so cerebral, why can’t he get the importance of emotion and do something about it? (And introducing the venerable, but nutty Harry Edwards ain’t gonna cut it.)