I'm sorry Tony

[CMJ]

Why can't we just be happy that Tony was drafted? Detroit ans are excited about his potential, just read their reactions (we have a thread with links!). I am excited! If he makes the team, he'll be the first NT player to ever actually make a roster, right (none of our other drafted guys ever stuck anywhere from what I recall)?

After the initial disappointment, I don't care if he fell to the 2nd round anymore. He has the chance to make a freaking NBA team! This sniping back and forth is ridiculous on both sides. Right now people blaming Benford need be above the fray and those saying Mitchell stunk up the joint need to realize this isn't the time or place.

Let's be happy we have someone who is probably going to make a roster. If/when he does I am gonna buy a Pistons shirt and root for them like they're the Mean Green.

[meangreener]

So please point out the games that Mitchell missed due to suspension?

If he quit, why was he on the floor? Why wasn't he on the bench and told "you can play when you figure out you want to play"?

That never happened. If Mitchell dogged it as much as some of you say, why didn't it happen?

Because Benford is inept?

Is it that hard to figure out?

Did you even do to a game? It wasn't hard to notice.

[Harry]

I realize that draft night was kind of a cathartic thing, but many of you guys are basically perpetuating your own negative image of North Texas. Yeah, TM may have coasted a bit, but it likely cost him a Hell of a lot more than it cost us since we weren't going to win anyway. It sux, but that's just what freaking happened when we lost JJ.

And as far as us never getting another player of his caliber is concerned, I call BS on that one. Getting a big guy with his skills will be difficult without big winning, but a big scoring guard/small forward type who ups his level of play once he gets here is not beyond the realm of possibility. Not saying that Benford would have any part in that development, but I think it COULD happen sooner rather than later.

I guess it's time to wish Tony the best in Motor City, and time to try and think of new ways to insult Benford. Nothing much else happening around here in the basketball world until November anyway. Unless...ah, never mind.

Thank you voice of reason.

[GrandGreen]

Mitchell has nobody to blame but himself for slipping so far in the draft. He committed two very bad basketball sins, he did not hustle and appear to care for a lot of his sophomore year, and he was stupid enough to admit it. Benford was a horrible coach but I doubt he ever told Tony not to play hard.

As far as NT never seeing another Tony Mitchell, why not? Tony was a player with great potential; he was not a great player. There have been many at NT that were much better. Tony could out jump almost anyone, but he couldn't make his own shoot; handle the ball very well and most importantly lacked the great desire to be the best.

[MeanGreenTexan]

To me, Tony's admitting in pre-draft interviews to "coasting" is telling of his strong character. People talk about personal responsibility, and that's exactly what Tony took for his drop in production last season. He told scouts that he didn't average a double-double for a second consecutive season because in hindsight he didn't work as hard as he possibly could've...when he easily could've said his stats dipped in his sophomore season because he had a coach who couldn't design an offense that would help keep him from being double and triple teamed every trip down the floor...or because he had a coach who insisted upon playing him almost exclusively out of position at the 5 with the protection of a 6'5" power-forward to help him on the glass...or because he had a coach that, despite his insistence at the beginning of the season, never put this team in a position to be a transition basketball team, thus playing to Mitchell's strengths.

Tony isn't lazy. It's really easy to cherry-pick the times he was last up the floor...of course you do this without showing how hard he had just worked on the offensive end to try and establish post position and cope with the impending triple team...doing so right after being asked to be the only real post-defender and rim-protector. He was the focal point every single time up and down the floor. That can make a guy tired. You question his motor all the while forgetting that a motor needs gas.

Tony has his faults. He challenges far too many shots when the better play is to simply play for a rebound. He gets down on himself far too easily. He doesn't have a mean streak and can be too passive and unselfish. And...and I believe this is where a lot of the vitriol towards TM actually stems...he isn't a leader and isn't comfortable in the alpha role. He tried...he tried to be the face of the team and of the school, but it's simply not a facet of his personality.

Tony will carve himself out a nice NBA career...not as a star, but as a versatile 15-25 minute a night contributor...I don't like that he's in Detroit, but looking at their roster he should be able to contribute immediately.

CBL,

This is probably the best, most thought-out response on this whole Benford VS Mitchell argument I've read, period. Kudos.

It's important to know that both of these guys have taken the high road. I believe they both respect each other.

What on earth was TM supposed to say in his interviews where he admitted to "coasting"? "My coach is a bonehead who didn't put me in a position to make plays"? That response would have taken him out of the draft altogether. No one is going to draft that guy. So, he took the high road and put it on himself. It made him look bad, and alot of you will hold onto those words and never let him live it down, despite him being the best player to ever lace up for North Texas.

Benford is taking the high road as well, not saying: "Tony Mitchell was a cancer to my team, he never played with full effort." We expect this out of the head coach. Why wouldn't we expect this out of the player as well?

To me it still boils down to simple facts, and one glaring difference.

2011 - 2012: 14/10 per night with no Jones & Williams (the 2nd & 3rd best players on the team). Complete difference-maker. Dominant player in all facets of the game offensively & defensively. Johnny Jones is Head Coach.

2012 - 2013: 13/8.5 per night with no Walton & Patton (bench players). Lost on offense (constantly double/triple-teamed in the post, and trapped when out on the wing), out of position on defense. Tony Benford is Head Coach.

[Harry]

great opinions by CBL and CMJ...agree with both of you.

Benford haters are going to hate. Tony could have some things better but still remains a giant talent. Both Benford and Tony handled it with class...neither pointed a finger.

All of this stuff will move aside when Tony starts playing. As CMJ states can't we just be happy we have landed a player in the NBA? I think sometimes we can be our own worst enemy...GMG

[GrayEagle]

I think MeanGreen Texan's explanation nailed it.

In all of Benford's 20+ years of coaching he never learned to adjust coaching to fit the strength of his players. To me, TM's forte was athleticism and he didn't have much leeway to use it with Benford's style.

Edited June 28, 2013 by GrayEagle

[Green P1]

As much as this board likes to poo poo the star system when our little recruits don't get any.... So many saw the boatload of stars next to Tony's name and went nuts. We love it when our cute little 1-2 star guys do more than they should.... but heaven forbid a 5 star guy not preform like Lebron. We'll dump all over his accomplishments and label him a cancer. This fanbase just doesn't deserve nice things.

[IslandEagle]

To me, Tony's admitting in pre-draft interviews to "coasting" is telling of his strong character. People talk about personal responsibility, and that's exactly what Tony took for his drop in production last season. He told scouts that he didn't average a double-double for a second consecutive season because in hindsight he didn't work as hard as he possibly could've...when he easily could've said his stats dipped in his sophomore season because he had a coach who couldn't design an offense that would help keep him from being double and triple teamed every trip down the floor...or because he had a coach who insisted upon playing him almost exclusively out of position at the 5 with the protection of a 6'5" power-forward to help him on the glass...or because he had a coach that, despite his insistence at the beginning of the season, never put this team in a position to be a transition basketball team, thus playing to Mitchell's strengths.

Tony isn't lazy. It's really easy to cherry-pick the times he was last up the floor...of course you do this without showing how hard he had just worked on the offensive end to try and establish post position and cope with the impending triple team...doing so right after being asked to be the only real post-defender and rim-protector. He was the focal point every single time up and down the floor. That can make a guy tired. You question his motor all the while forgetting that a motor needs gas.

Tony has his faults. He challenges far too many shots when the better play is to simply play for a rebound. He gets down on himself far too easily. He doesn't have a mean streak and can be too passive and unselfish. And...and I believe this is where a lot of the vitriol towards TM actually stems...he isn't a leader and isn't comfortable in the alpha role. He tried...he tried to be the face of the team and of the school, but it's simply not a facet of his personality.

Tony will carve himself out a nice NBA career...not as a star, but as a versatile 15-25 minute a night contributor...I don't like that he's in Detroit, but looking at their roster he should be able to contribute immediately.

So the way to get a job is to tell your prospective boss that you coasted on your last job??

[Graddean]

I hope TM makes a big success in the NBA whatever the reason he slid in the draft. He is one of ours.

I also hope for success for Benford next year. He is our head coach, and as long as he is, we hope he succeeds.

I would like to tap the brakes on TM being the greatest bb player to hit our campus. The most heralded yes, but that doesn't mean the best. Does anyone else remember John Savage. Savage came from Detroit, TX and played on a dirt court. He came when freshmen could not play varsity. In his three years he made All Missouri Valley and Honorable Mention All American. He is 9th in career scoring, 8th in scoring average, 7th in rebounding, and 5th in field goals. Remember, this was before the shot clock and the three point shot. He accomplished this while playing in the best basketball conference in the country at the time, the Missouri Valley Conference or as frequently called "The Valley of Death." He played against two NCAA championship teams and the runner up team the third year. He was also drafted in the fifth round by the LAL. This was a time when there were only 9 draft picks per round.

Also Joe Hamilton, not only had a great career here, but also did quite well in the old ABA.

These guys may not have been heralded recruits, but they did perform. By the way, Savage played on teams that were sub 500.

[Censored by Laurie]

So the way to get a job is to tell your prospective boss that you coasted on your last job??

Where did I say that?

I said that he basically had two options when asked about his dip in production...lay it at the feet of Benford or take personal responsibility...he chose the high road and perhaps to his detriment (though as someone pointed out, had he blamed Benford and taken no onus upon himself that may well have hurt him more).

It does seem, however, that the consensus opinion seems to be that Detroit got a steal at 37.

Also...do tell me how your job is in anyway similar to the NBA. The professional athlete - to - middle-class desk job comparison has to be the most inane argument in sports.

[MeanGreenTexan]

So the way to get a job is to tell your prospective boss that you coasted on your last job??

Wow.

[TIgreen01]

Gotta side with the people saying Mitchell not blaming someone else (ie: Benford and/or teammates) was the best thing he could have done from a character standpoint. It absolutely cost him money. As far as taking this answer and then assuming he coasted through the season would be a mistake, impo.

By contrast, the constantly leaked "opinion" from the program insiders were that our players were not mature and coasting through the season. We all know that they were pointing the finger at Tony Mitchell. Why let that rumor out? Especially from the AD's office?! When faced with the same question ---a question that he KNEW ahead of time would cost him money--- Tony Mitchell didn't blame those same people who started the rumor that he was coasting.

Some people on here are confused as to who was the cancer inside the North Texas basketball program. I am not. It wasn't Tony Mitchell.

[UNT90]

Gotta side with the people saying Mitchell not blaming someone else (ie: Benford and/or teammates) was the best thing he could have done from a character standpoint. It absolutely cost him money. As far as taking this answer and then assuming he coasted through the season would be a mistake, impo.

By contrast, the constantly leaked "opinion" from the program insiders were that our players were not mature and coasting through the season. We all know that they were pointing the finger at Tony Mitchell. Why let that rumor out? Especially from the AD's office?! When faced with the same question ---a question that he KNEW ahead of time would cost him money--- Tony Mitchell didn't blame those same people who started the rumor that he was coasting.

Some people on here are confused as to who was the cancer inside the North Texas basketball program. I am not. It wasn't Tony Mitchell.

Bravo, and spoilt on. The leaked information was a disgusting move. You don't spread rumors about your own athletes.

Be accountable.

[emmitt01]

Gotta side with the people saying Mitchell not blaming someone else (ie: Benford and/or teammates) was the best thing he could have done from a character standpoint. It absolutely cost him money. As far as taking this answer and then assuming he coasted through the season would be a mistake, impo.

By contrast, the constantly leaked "opinion" from the program insiders were that our players were not mature and coasting through the season. We all know that they were pointing the finger at Tony Mitchell. Why let that rumor out? Especially from the AD's office?! When faced with the same question ---a question that he KNEW ahead of time would cost him money--- Tony Mitchell didn't blame those same people who started the rumor that he was coasting.

Some people on here are confused as to who was the cancer inside the North Texas basketball program. I am not. It wasn't Tony Mitchell.

Wait a minute. Are you saying that the proper response when you've replaced the most successful coach in program history (by NCAA appearances) with an inept assistant (after saying you'd only entertain former head coaches) ISN'T to blame a 19-20 year old when the experiment fails? How novel.

Might I presume that you share my distaste with leaking the rumor that said former coach ran a program devoid of discipline (though a criminal history search would find no NT players names svae one who also was arrested under the new regime)?

It's almost like you're suggesting that the persons who are paid (and handsomely) to run our athletic programs would rather indict the character of the youth they are entrusted to mold than to simply say "my bad" when a clear mistake is made.

Edited June 28, 2013 by emmitt01

[KRAM1]

The only thing Benfird led Mitchell to was a poisoned pond.

Less than 10 wins next year.

In one year, this program has become a mess. And there is no accountability.

You seem hung up on that number ten...as I recall you were suggesting TM to Portland at the 10th draft spot. Perhaps your prediction of less than 10 wins next season will turn out about like your 10 spot idea in the draft. Remind me to not go to Vegas with you! ha!

[laxtonto]

I hate to be "that guy" but I have a simple question that will more than likely involve a lot of people voting me down. Has any one of you actually had to coach collegiately in any sport? What about played a sport in college within the last 10 years or so? Things have changed radically, both within the NCAA, the coaching enviroment and socially that have put a major twist on how a coach can "coach". Coaching men's lacrosse at the college level was one of the hardest things I have ever done and most of those difficulties were driven by the players and not by the an abject lack of talent on a roster. If you combine the two, things get even worse. Throw in a healthy dose of restrictions of when, what, where, and, how you can interact, practice, or discipline a player and it makes coaching a much harder job than it really could be and a job I will probably not every pursue again.

It is not anywhere as easy or simple to "motivate" a player as people imply. It is not like it was in many people's high school days where the coach could demand that you play or you sit or I run you to death or punish you just because I am the all powerful coach and my word is law and I answer to no one. There are pretty lengthy restrictions on what a coach can or can't get away with and beyond that there is little that a coach can do long term to force someone to give 100% effort all the time. Think about your motivations or actions or mindset as a Freshman in college. How did you reacted to authority figures, how you were so sure that they just don't "get it" or that they "just don't care" about what you want. How do you coach and more importantly motivate those guys all the time? It is a true art form, and the real secret is that much of that motivation comes from within.

There are certain tasks or fostered environments or punishments or psychological games that a coach can use on a player, but when it all comes down to it, it is the player that provides the motivation. The coach can help strengthen the resolve, can help temper that motivation into excellence, help find something to be the fire to drive you forward, but the coach can't be your sole source of motivation. A coach can only pick you when you are down, can only try and help the player to understand that they need to dig deep within and find it within themselves a source of personal motivation. Some individuals use pride, some use hate, some have a lofty goal, or even an undeniable will to be the absolute best, but none use their coach as their sole source of motivation. Having a coach "force" you to be motivated is unsustainable and eventually the message is lost. To state it as anything other than "the long term motivation comes from within and is the responsibility of the player" is a massive disservice to all athletes. The will and drive to win or improve or to just work hard comes from within and it is something as an individual you have to address everyday. If you have to have a coach constantly push you, constantly monitor you, constantly makes sure that you are giving your all, then when people recognize that is in fact the case they are well within their right to question your drive or motivation. That is life. That fact is true in any discipline, any business, and to think that it does not apply to athletics is asinine. If you mentor at work has to constantly ride you to provide your best work, is it a bad thing when other departments question your motivation if you desire to transfer to their department?

A big part of this is that some players have more talent than others. Welcome to the real world. Some have unworldly gifts that make any game easy to grasp and provide such an athletic advantage that they can do much more than their teammates with much less effort. The problem with those types of gifts is that after a while it is easy for a player to develop apathy. Motivation can be hard to sustain because there is nothing to set your sights on in the near term that requires you to put in greater effort. With no unscalable mountain in the foreground and the titanic dreams of being an all-time great as a professional seeming so far away, it is fairly evident the TM sometimes lost his focus and sometimes did not put forth the effort he should. There is no real point in denying it and there is also no real need to justify why it did or did not happen.

Kids are kids and what he went through last year hopefully was a learning experience for him that he can use the rest of his life. Lets not forget that we are talking about young adults that are still finding themselves in life, much less are completely sure in their views and personal identities. Hopefully this now provides Tony with a constant "thing" to keep his motivation up and always going. Internal motivation is built in layers. Many have used the "jilted lover as a 2nd rounder" view as motivation to prove themselves that all 30 teams made a mistake. Some have used the fact that they are finally not the best player on the bus or the most gifted in the arena. Some have used their kids, spouses or even a personal relationship fostered with their coach or player or an influential mentor. Many have just refused to motivate themselves and ave seen their prodigious talents wasted. It is all up to TM and I have faith that he will do well.

People confuse the fact that many players used their love or respect or admiration for the previous staff as part of their individual motivation. That is radically different than to say that the former staff motivated the players and this one did not. Those things the players used with JJ, those relationships, are hard to build and take time and are generally started early on in their recruitment process. With JJ's departure and with many players wanting a familiar face in Forrest, Benford was not necessarily going to instantly provide those feelings that the players used as motivation with JJ. That is completely different than to state that this staff did not try to motivate them. They tried, and it looks like sometimes it failed to reach the players. I am not sure that the players ever trusted Benford last year and therefore some lacked one of the former cornerstones they used for their individual motivation. The question really falls to, did the new staff not push the right buttons or did the players just did not want to listen? Both are correctable and only one requires a new coach.

Something else to be mentioned is that most of the motivation that is not provided from within the individual is generally provided by and driven from the culture of the team. The coach can generally manipulate the culture of the team much easier than you can manipulate the players' individual desires or motivations. The tight-knit group that comes from being teammates and being around each other all the time, the cohesion it provides, is a much greater motivator than any coach. The great teams monitor their own, and police their actions among themselves to try and keep everyone on task and use each other and their common bond as motivation. I would like to think that the culture of the team did not radically change from JJ to Benford. The roster for the most part had many of the key faces. So what happened to the internal level of motivation provided by the teammates?

[CMJ]

I hate to be "that guy" but I have a simple question that will more than likely involve a lot of people voting me down. Has any one of you actually had to coach collegiately in any sport? What about played a sport in college within the last 10 years or so? Things have changed radically, both within the NCAA, the coaching enviroment and socially that have put a major twist on how a coach can "coach". Coaching men's lacrosse at the college level was one of the hardest things I have ever done and most of those difficulties were driven by the players and not by the an abject lack of talent on a roster. If you combine the two, things get even worse. Throw in a healthy dose of restrictions of when, what, where, and, how you can interact, practice, or discipline a player and it makes coaching a much harder job than it really could be and a job I will probably not every pursue again.

It is not anywhere as easy or simple to "motivate" a player as people imply. It is not like it was in many people's high school days where the coach could demand that you play or you sit or I run you to death or punish you just because I am the all powerful coach and my word is law and I answer to no one. There are pretty lengthy restrictions on what a coach can or can't get away with and beyond that there is little that a coach can do long term to force someone to give 100% effort all the time. Think about your motivations or actions or mindset as a Freshman in college. How did you reacted to authority figures, how you were so sure that they just don't "get it" or that they "just don't care" about what you want. How do you coach and more importantly motivate those guys all the time? It is a true art form, and the real secret is that much of that motivation comes from within.

There are certain tasks or fostered environments or punishments or psychological games that a coach can use on a player, but when it all comes down to it, it is the player that provides the motivation. The coach can help strengthen the resolve, can help temper that motivation into excellence, help find something to be the fire to drive you forward, but the coach can't be your sole source of motivation. A coach can only pick you when you are down, can only try and help the player to understand that they need to dig deep within and find it within themselves a source of personal motivation. Some individuals use pride, some use hate, some have a lofty goal, or even an undeniable will to be the absolute best, but none use their coach as their sole source of motivation. Having a coach "force" you to be motivated is unsustainable and eventually the message is lost. To state it as anything other than "the long term motivation comes from within and is the responsibility of the player" is a massive disservice to all athletes. The will and drive to win or improve or to just work hard comes from within and it is something as an individual you have to address everyday. If you have to have a coach constantly push you, constantly monitor you, constantly makes sure that you are giving your all, then when people recognize that is in fact the case they are well within their right to question your drive or motivation. That is life. That fact is true in any discipline, any business, and to think that it does not apply to athletics is asinine. If you mentor at work has to constantly ride you to provide your best work, is it a bad thing when other departments question your motivation if you desire to transfer to their department?

A big part of this is that some players have more talent than others. Welcome to the real world. Some have unworldly gifts that make any game easy to grasp and provide such an athletic advantage that they can do much more than their teammates with much less effort. The problem with those types of gifts is that after a while it is easy for a player to develop apathy. Motivation can be hard to sustain because there is nothing to set your sights on in the near term that requires you to put in greater effort. With no unscalable mountain in the foreground and the titanic dreams of being an all-time great as a professional seeming so far away, it is fairly evident the TM sometimes lost his focus and sometimes did not put forth the effort he should. There is no real point in denying it and there is also no real need to justify why it did or did not happen.

Kids are kids and what he went through last year hopefully was a learning experience for him that he can use the rest of his life. Lets not forget that we are talking about young adults that are still finding themselves in life, much less are completely sure in their views and personal identities. Hopefully this now provides Tony with a constant "thing" to keep his motivation up and always going. Internal motivation is built in layers. Many have used the "jilted lover as a 2nd rounder" view as motivation to prove themselves that all 30 teams made a mistake. Some have used the fact that they are finally not the best player on the bus or the most gifted in the arena. Some have used their kids, spouses or even a personal relationship fostered with their coach or player or an influential mentor. Many have just refused to motivate themselves and ave seen their prodigious talents wasted. It is all up to TM and I have faith that he will do well.

People confuse the fact that many players used their love or respect or admiration for the previous staff as part of their individual motivation. That is radically different than to say that the former staff motivated the players and this one did not. Those things the players used with JJ, those relationships, are hard to build and take time and are generally started early on in their recruitment process. With JJ's departure and with many players wanting a familiar face in Forrest, Benford was not necessarily going to instantly provide those feelings that the players used as motivation with JJ. That is completely different than to state that this staff did not try to motivate them. They tried, and it looks like sometimes it failed to reach the players. I am not sure that the players ever trusted Benford last year and therefore some lacked one of the former cornerstones they used for their individual motivation. The question really falls to, did the new staff not push the right buttons or did the players just did not want to listen? Both are correctable and only one requires a new coach.

Something else to be mentioned is that most of the motivation that is not provided from within the individual is generally provided by and driven from the culture of the team. The coach can generally manipulate the culture of the team much easier than you can manipulate the players' individual desires or motivations. The tight-knit group that comes from being teammates and being around each other all the time, the cohesion it provides, is a much greater motivator than any coach. The great teams monitor their own, and police their actions among themselves to try and keep everyone on task and use each other and their common bond as motivation. I would like to think that the culture of the team did not radically change from JJ to Benford. The roster for the most part had many of the key faces. So what happened to the internal level of motivation provided by the teammates?

Someone remind me to plus one this post tomorrow. I've already used up mine today.

Very well argued lax!

[Harry]

I hate to be "that guy" but I have a simple question that will more than likely involve a lot of people voting me down. Has any one of you actually had to coach collegiately in any sport? What about played a sport in college within the last 10 years or so? Things have changed radically, both within the NCAA, the coaching enviroment and socially that have put a major twist on how a coach can "coach". Coaching men's lacrosse at the college level was one of the hardest things I have ever done and most of those difficulties were driven by the players and not by the an abject lack of talent on a roster. If you combine the two, things get even worse. Throw in a healthy dose of restrictions of when, what, where, and, how you can interact, practice, or discipline a player and it makes coaching a much harder job than it really could be and a job I will probably not every pursue again.

It is not anywhere as easy or simple to "motivate" a player as people imply. It is not like it was in many people's high school days where the coach could demand that you play or you sit or I run you to death or punish you just because I am the all powerful coach and my word is law and I answer to no one. There are pretty lengthy restrictions on what a coach can or can't get away with and beyond that there is little that a coach can do long term to force someone to give 100% effort all the time. Think about your motivations or actions or mindset as a Freshman in college. How did you reacted to authority figures, how you were so sure that they just don't "get it" or that they "just don't care" about what you want. How do you coach and more importantly motivate those guys all the time? It is a true art form, and the real secret is that much of that motivation comes from within.

There are certain tasks or fostered environments or punishments or psychological games that a coach can use on a player, but when it all comes down to it, it is the player that provides the motivation. The coach can help strengthen the resolve, can help temper that motivation into excellence, help find something to be the fire to drive you forward, but the coach can't be your sole source of motivation. A coach can only pick you when you are down, can only try and help the player to understand that they need to dig deep within and find it within themselves a source of personal motivation. Some individuals use pride, some use hate, some have a lofty goal, or even an undeniable will to be the absolute best, but none use their coach as their sole source of motivation. Having a coach "force" you to be motivated is unsustainable and eventually the message is lost. To state it as anything other than "the long term motivation comes from within and is the responsibility of the player" is a massive disservice to all athletes. The will and drive to win or improve or to just work hard comes from within and it is something as an individual you have to address everyday. If you have to have a coach constantly push you, constantly monitor you, constantly makes sure that you are giving your all, then when people recognize that is in fact the case they are well within their right to question your drive or motivation. That is life. That fact is true in any discipline, any business, and to think that it does not apply to athletics is asinine. If you mentor at work has to constantly ride you to provide your best work, is it a bad thing when other departments question your motivation if you desire to transfer to their department?

A big part of this is that some players have more talent than others. Welcome to the real world. Some have unworldly gifts that make any game easy to grasp and provide such an athletic advantage that they can do much more than their teammates with much less effort. The problem with those types of gifts is that after a while it is easy for a player to develop apathy. Motivation can be hard to sustain because there is nothing to set your sights on in the near term that requires you to put in greater effort. With no unscalable mountain in the foreground and the titanic dreams of being an all-time great as a professional seeming so far away, it is fairly evident the TM sometimes lost his focus and sometimes did not put forth the effort he should. There is no real point in denying it and there is also no real need to justify why it did or did not happen.

Kids are kids and what he went through last year hopefully was a learning experience for him that he can use the rest of his life. Lets not forget that we are talking about young adults that are still finding themselves in life, much less are completely sure in their views and personal identities. Hopefully this now provides Tony with a constant "thing" to keep his motivation up and always going. Internal motivation is built in layers. Many have used the "jilted lover as a 2nd rounder" view as motivation to prove themselves that all 30 teams made a mistake. Some have used the fact that they are finally not the best player on the bus or the most gifted in the arena. Some have used their kids, spouses or even a personal relationship fostered with their coach or player or an influential mentor. Many have just refused to motivate themselves and ave seen their prodigious talents wasted. It is all up to TM and I have faith that he will do well.

People confuse the fact that many players used their love or respect or admiration for the previous staff as part of their individual motivation. That is radically different than to say that the former staff motivated the players and this one did not. Those things the players used with JJ, those relationships, are hard to build and take time and are generally started early on in their recruitment process. With JJ's departure and with many players wanting a familiar face in Forrest, Benford was not necessarily going to instantly provide those feelings that the players used as motivation with JJ. That is completely different than to state that this staff did not try to motivate them. They tried, and it looks like sometimes it failed to reach the players. I am not sure that the players ever trusted Benford last year and therefore some lacked one of the former cornerstones they used for their individual motivation. The question really falls to, did the new staff not push the right buttons or did the players just did not want to listen? Both are correctable and only one requires a new coach.

Something else to be mentioned is that most of the motivation that is not provided from within the individual is generally provided by and driven from the culture of the team. The coach can generally manipulate the culture of the team much easier than you can manipulate the players' individual desires or motivations. The tight-knit group that comes from being teammates and being around each other all the time, the cohesion it provides, is a much greater motivator than any coach. The great teams monitor their own, and police their actions among themselves to try and keep everyone on task and use each other and their common bond as motivation. I would like to think that the culture of the team did not radically change from JJ to Benford. The roster for the most part had many of the key faces. So what happened to the internal level of motivation provided by the teammates?

Great post. I really enjoyed reading that and agree.

[forevereagle]

It's nice to see that we are consistent in bashing our own player.

[Green P1]

It's nice to see that we are consistent in bashing our own player.

Boy... That one guy makes himself seem like a grade A douchebag.

[forevereagle]

Boy... That one guy makes himself seem like a grade A douchebag.

ODU fan had it right.

Don't think i've ever heard someone bad mouth their own player like that haha

[MeanGreenTexan]

It's nice to see that we are consistent in bashing our own player.

[UNT90]

You seem hung up on that number ten...as I recall you were suggesting TM to Portland at the 10th draft spot. Perhaps your prediction of less than 10 wins next season will turn out about like your 10 spot idea in the draft. Remind me to not go to Vegas with you! ha!

Dude. If we win 37 games next year, I'll by you a keg of your favorite beer.

Sadly , there is a lot more information to predic next season than there was to predict the draft.

And the only luck I have in Vegas are at the poker tables and one time playing craps, so you definitely don't want to go there with me.

[MeanMag]

Embarassing