Post by rainman on Oct 6, 2007 6:21:33 GMT -5
Mountaineers have no lack of motivation
By Bob Hertzel
For the Times West Virginian
SYRACUSE— It was that great philosopher Yogi Berra who reportedly once observed about baseball that “90 percent of this game is mental and the other half is physical.”
Now you can make what you want out of that, considering that the esteemed Mr. Berra once also noted that “I really didn’t say everything I said,” but this week in particular this becomes an important matter for coach Rich Rodriguez and his West Virginia University football team as it tries to bounce back from a devastating loss to South Florida with a road game here against a rather schizophrenic opponent in the Syracuse Orange.
Following the loss in Tampa, many fans on both the Internet and the public airways through talk shows expressed the belief that WVU was not ready to play against USF, that its mindset wasn’t right. There were thoughts that the team was psyched out, if not by the intimidating sellout crowd dressed in green, then by a lack of confidence stemming from last year’s home loss to USF.
While no one went so far as to say Rodriguez should be ditched in favor of a modern-day Sigmund Freud well versed in the spread offense, the psycho-babble of the 21st century was being bandied around quite freely.
Rodriguez is not much of a believer in such matters. When the subject of getting his team back into “the right frame of mind” for Syracuse came up at his weekly news conference, Rodriguez took offense to the thought.
“All the fans are worried about is ‘what’s their mindset, what’s their mood, they weren’t thinking right.’ Listen, once the game is kicked off …”
Rodriguez’s voice trailed off there as another thought crossed his fertile mind. “As coaches we try to use psychological ploys to get them prepared, not to get them through the game. Obviously, if you win you have more confidence, and if you lose, you have less confidence. Outside of that, all of the psychological babble is just that.”
While Rodriguez is probably 100 percent correct in his analysis, believing that once the whistle blows all the psychology in the world can’t make a guy who runs a 4.6 40 run one in 4.3, he still shouldn’t underestimate the role psychology plays in preparing a team for a game.
Think Lloyd Carr wouldn’t have liked to have seen a psychologist before — and, for that matter, after — his Michigan Wolverines had their season and reputation destroyed by losing to Appalachian State. Anyone who believes that was a victory built on physical skills is fooling only himself.
Psychology has long been recognized as an important factor in coaching a football team.
In fact, a rather successful coach — Bernie Bierman of Minnesota — wrote a book entitled: “Winning Football Strategy, Psychology and Technique.”
The book was published in 1937, 70 years ago, right after Bierman had won three consecutive national championships and before he would win two others.
Google football and psychology and you come up with 2,280,000 sites.
That would seem to make it a rather valid subject for discussion.
Certainly, Rodriguez has more than his normal share of mental challenges in this week’s game
The first, of course, is to find a way to funnel the anger and embarrassment that comes with losing into a positive flow of energy for Syracuse. That, however, may be the easiest task Rodriguez faced as this game approached.
The players quickly seemed to be sold on moving forward.
“It is time to focus on a new goal,” said the senior safety Eric Wicks.
It started with a tough Sunday practice. Asked if it was one of the toughest he’s faced at WVU, Wicks answered: “Mentally, yes.”
Ah, but there are other problems to address. First there was the matter of getting ready with quarterback Patrick White coming off a thigh bruise, which put a flicker of doubt in everyone’s mind whether or not he would play or if backup Jarrett Brown would have to go.
Then there was the matter of getting center Mike Dent’s mind back into focus, having suffered through a dreadful evening of Steve Blass disease at center. Blass is the former Pittsburgh Pirates’ World Series hero who suddenly and inexplicably lost control of his pitchers and could never regain it despite some of the most bizarre therapy — physical and psychological — that anyone could ever endure.
On Friday night, Dent was snapping the football so badly that once it soared far over the head of 6-4 quarterback Brown and once seemed to be a direct snap to Owen Schmitt.
Rodriguez addressed the problem quickly and decisively, expressing his confidence in Dent and having him snap at a spot marked on the wall over and over after the first practice.
“It’s in the past. I have faith in my ability to do it,” Dent said on Tuesday night.
Dent understands the reaction among fans to his tough night.
“As a center, you’re another guy out there. Not too many people recognize you until you have a bad snap. That’s fair. That’s the position you play,” he said.
Then there’s the matter of getting his team straightened out in a unique, hostile setting, which is the Carrier Dome. It will be hot and it is indoors and the crowd is on top of you. Some players have trouble handling such a setting; some don’t.
“I kind of like it,” Wicks said. “The fans are screaming at you. They’re saying you’re no good, your family’s this or your family’s that. I use that for motivation.”
Rest assured, he will have no lack of motivation at Syracuse today.
By Bob Hertzel
For the Times West Virginian
SYRACUSE— It was that great philosopher Yogi Berra who reportedly once observed about baseball that “90 percent of this game is mental and the other half is physical.”
Now you can make what you want out of that, considering that the esteemed Mr. Berra once also noted that “I really didn’t say everything I said,” but this week in particular this becomes an important matter for coach Rich Rodriguez and his West Virginia University football team as it tries to bounce back from a devastating loss to South Florida with a road game here against a rather schizophrenic opponent in the Syracuse Orange.
Following the loss in Tampa, many fans on both the Internet and the public airways through talk shows expressed the belief that WVU was not ready to play against USF, that its mindset wasn’t right. There were thoughts that the team was psyched out, if not by the intimidating sellout crowd dressed in green, then by a lack of confidence stemming from last year’s home loss to USF.
While no one went so far as to say Rodriguez should be ditched in favor of a modern-day Sigmund Freud well versed in the spread offense, the psycho-babble of the 21st century was being bandied around quite freely.
Rodriguez is not much of a believer in such matters. When the subject of getting his team back into “the right frame of mind” for Syracuse came up at his weekly news conference, Rodriguez took offense to the thought.
“All the fans are worried about is ‘what’s their mindset, what’s their mood, they weren’t thinking right.’ Listen, once the game is kicked off …”
Rodriguez’s voice trailed off there as another thought crossed his fertile mind. “As coaches we try to use psychological ploys to get them prepared, not to get them through the game. Obviously, if you win you have more confidence, and if you lose, you have less confidence. Outside of that, all of the psychological babble is just that.”
While Rodriguez is probably 100 percent correct in his analysis, believing that once the whistle blows all the psychology in the world can’t make a guy who runs a 4.6 40 run one in 4.3, he still shouldn’t underestimate the role psychology plays in preparing a team for a game.
Think Lloyd Carr wouldn’t have liked to have seen a psychologist before — and, for that matter, after — his Michigan Wolverines had their season and reputation destroyed by losing to Appalachian State. Anyone who believes that was a victory built on physical skills is fooling only himself.
Psychology has long been recognized as an important factor in coaching a football team.
In fact, a rather successful coach — Bernie Bierman of Minnesota — wrote a book entitled: “Winning Football Strategy, Psychology and Technique.”
The book was published in 1937, 70 years ago, right after Bierman had won three consecutive national championships and before he would win two others.
Google football and psychology and you come up with 2,280,000 sites.
That would seem to make it a rather valid subject for discussion.
Certainly, Rodriguez has more than his normal share of mental challenges in this week’s game
The first, of course, is to find a way to funnel the anger and embarrassment that comes with losing into a positive flow of energy for Syracuse. That, however, may be the easiest task Rodriguez faced as this game approached.
The players quickly seemed to be sold on moving forward.
“It is time to focus on a new goal,” said the senior safety Eric Wicks.
It started with a tough Sunday practice. Asked if it was one of the toughest he’s faced at WVU, Wicks answered: “Mentally, yes.”
Ah, but there are other problems to address. First there was the matter of getting ready with quarterback Patrick White coming off a thigh bruise, which put a flicker of doubt in everyone’s mind whether or not he would play or if backup Jarrett Brown would have to go.
Then there was the matter of getting center Mike Dent’s mind back into focus, having suffered through a dreadful evening of Steve Blass disease at center. Blass is the former Pittsburgh Pirates’ World Series hero who suddenly and inexplicably lost control of his pitchers and could never regain it despite some of the most bizarre therapy — physical and psychological — that anyone could ever endure.
On Friday night, Dent was snapping the football so badly that once it soared far over the head of 6-4 quarterback Brown and once seemed to be a direct snap to Owen Schmitt.
Rodriguez addressed the problem quickly and decisively, expressing his confidence in Dent and having him snap at a spot marked on the wall over and over after the first practice.
“It’s in the past. I have faith in my ability to do it,” Dent said on Tuesday night.
Dent understands the reaction among fans to his tough night.
“As a center, you’re another guy out there. Not too many people recognize you until you have a bad snap. That’s fair. That’s the position you play,” he said.
Then there’s the matter of getting his team straightened out in a unique, hostile setting, which is the Carrier Dome. It will be hot and it is indoors and the crowd is on top of you. Some players have trouble handling such a setting; some don’t.
“I kind of like it,” Wicks said. “The fans are screaming at you. They’re saying you’re no good, your family’s this or your family’s that. I use that for motivation.”
Rest assured, he will have no lack of motivation at Syracuse today.
