Comments

Thanks, Dan.  This is very insightful, not just about last season, but about Coach Grobe’s general style and personality. 

I am very encouraged to read Coach Grobe’s honest assessment of last season’s team.  After being frustrated by such a complacent basketball team over the winter, I forgot that the word “complacent” was also used quite a bit on this blog and others in reference to the 2009 football team too.  I am certainly willing to have faith that Coach Grobe and the staff were also astute enough to diagnose that complacency when it was apparent to everyone else and that they indeed “worked hard all the while trying to make sure every shingle is battened down and snug” to keep that complacency from seeping further through the team.  As it turns out, sometimes the most motivated and driven individuals need to re-learn the lesson about how damaging complacency can be.  I can accept that. 

But I think it’s telling that over the course of last year, we were able to pick up only scant evidence of that hard work to turn the season around through some of Coach Grobe’s carefully-chosen words during press conferences and maybe through a few of his actions (Alex Frye’s unofficial suspension?).  But for the most part, it seems as though he kept discussion about the team’s mental state in-house.  And that’s perfectly fine.  It’s always best to take the high road when it’s available, and I admire Coach Grobe for his loyalty to his players and to his staff. 

However, it’s noteworthy that the team still found itself outside of the bowl picture at the end of the season.  So I just hope that if complacency rears its ugly head this season, it doesn’t take spending the another holiday season at home watching bowl games to remedy the situation.

DC on 09/02/2010 (6:15 pm)

Hey G in OH,
They give me a seat in the press box, 6th floor of Deacon Tower. I always arrive ridiculously early to miss the traffic and to not miss the pregame buffet. So I’m sure I’ll be there by 4:15-4:30. If you want, I’ll take the elevator down to the Black Lobby at 5:45 and maybe we can meet there. Halftime and post-game are blurs, with too much to do and too little time to do it.
I haven’t been able to find a transcript of the chat either. So far I haven’t reached anyone who could tell me for sure if there is one. If I find there is, I’ll let you know.

Dan on 09/02/2010 (2:45 pm)

Dan, where do you usually sit during games? I want to come by tonight and shake your hand to thank you for your coverage of My Deacs.

Also, I’m sorry that I missed yesterday’s chat.  Is there a transcript of it available anywhere? I would love to read it. I searched the WSJ site and couldn’t find it.

Thanks,
G

G in OH-->NC on 09/02/2010 (2:09 pm)