A Season to be Thankful

Some members of the media have asked me how I'll be celebrating Thanksgiving this year, so, I thought I'd share. 

First, I'll wake up and check out some game film from last week. That's usually from 6am to around 9am. I'll gather my notes, call my assistant coaches in for a 9am meeting at the facility to review and augment our game plan for our next opponent. 

After that meeting, which usually runs us to around noon, I'll send out for lunch. This year, we'll probably grab a sandwich and work through lunch. I'm a firm believer in the 'working lunch'. No time for dilly-dally, gentlemen. 

Around 1pm, we'll take a quick break to call our families and wish them a happy Thanksgiving (because, when you think about it, family is 'the reason we do what we do', right?)

At 1:03pm, we'll go back to the film room and re-evaluate our game plan and discuss ways that we can better execute our plan. This will usually take us into the evening hours. 

Around 7pm, we take a dinner break. I'll pop in some microwave pizza rolls and snag a six pack of 7-Up from my office fridge. My assistant coaches are allowed to leave the facility and go spend time with their families (because that's what it's 'all about', right?). 

I'll usually wrap up my Thanksgiving by typing up my notes from the day and returning home around 9pm. I'll help myself to leftovers and probably see if my wife had a nice time with family (because, really, that's 'the most important thing', right?). 

So, happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope you spend quality time with you and yours. Because, that's the most important thing and what it's all about and why we do what we do.....right?

On Jackals!

Coach 

It's Just a Game. Let's Never Forget That.

Perspective. 

It comes to many of us in unexpected ways. I got a heavy dose of it last week when my starting running back went down with a torn ACL. I'll admit I was saddened for my team, myself, and, most importantly, for him. 

I was wringing my hands, trying to figure out how we were going to play with our rookie backup. Nothing against our guy, but, I was throwing up in the locker room toilet, sweating like a rhino and farting blood at the prospect of using our inexperienced back. Doomsday! 

At that low point, I pulled myself together enough to turn on the TV in my office. 

I saw a news story about a young man who lost his arm in an accident of some sort. It was heartbreaking! 

This kid was driving, or something, and somebody, like his friend, had a few drinks..and, then, either he...or the driver..slammed the car into something or other, causing injuries...and he was talking about how he didn't have an arm, but, he still had a good attitude because he didn't die. Come to think of it, it might have been the other way around - that his FRIEND lost HIS arm because THAT GUY was driving and HE had a good attitude and....well...

...the point is...it's just a game. 

Perspective. I got it loud and clear. 

If this kid (or his friend) can have a good attitude after losing an ARM, then, why can't I pick up the pieces and turn this into a learning, growing, positive experience for this football team?

Ya know, now that I think some more, it might have been his dad's leg. 

On Jackals!

Coach

Game Day Ritual: Pullin' Pork

A lot of people ask me, "Coach, what is your game-day meal?" (again, I'm not making it up. People ask me these things...a lot).

Well, if it's an early game, I start with a coffee - black. None of this 'sugar' or 'creamer' crap. I usually take down a plate of eggs, bacon and toast and bury it with a gallon of 2%.

If it's an afternoon game, I'll knock out the breakfast, as previously described. Then, for lunch, it's pulled pork sandwich time. I'll Hoover about three of those with Hawaiian bread, inhale a pile of cole slaw and follow it by scarfing down a basket of fries...and guzzle it down with a fountain soda the size of a fat baby.

If it is a night game - breakfast & lunch as described, but, after that, I'll just graze.

Up until game time, it's just lighter fare - carrots, celery, cauliflower, hamburgers, rib tips, meatballs in a bbq glaze, chicken tenders, hot wings, pork tenderloin, mushroom caps filled with crabmeat, lasagna, fettuccine alfredo, fried shrimp, fried cheese, fried chicken...and cucumber sandwiches.

My post-game ritual usually involves 30-40 minutes of shitting my brains out.

On Jackals!
Coach

Nobody Is More Upset Than Me.

Hey, listen, I'm not happy. Believe me. Nobody is more upset than me and those men in the locker room. You may THINK you're upset with our play of late, but, believe me, NObody is as upset as I am.

This, of course, preempts your attempt at criticism because I've already criticized myself. So, no further assessment needed from the fans or media, really.

You know who our quarterback's toughest critic is? Oh, sure, you might guess 'the media' or, maybe 'the fans', but, you'd be wrong. It's...(wait for it).....Himself. (Mind blown? I thought you might not see that coming).

See, what the fans often fail to understand is that a coach or athlete's harshest critic is the one between their ears.

So, when you blame me for calling a five-yard-out pattern on a critical 3rd and 9, your judgment is unnecessary. I've already judged myself. The cascading boos, deafening shouts of violent outrage and cacophony of raucous insults aren't nearly as devastating as the taunting in my head.

I know you've paid over $75 for your upper deck ticket, $50 to park your car, $100 for concessions, $10 per beer, so, yes, you certainly have reason to be feel down in the dumps.

That said, I feel worse. Trust me.

On Jackals!
Coach

I Was the First to Call My Players "Gentlemen".

If I'm not mistaken, I believe I was the first coach to ever use the term "gentlemen" when speaking to my team directly. 

Oh, sure, I'm aware that Vince Lombardo would address his players as 'men' and, many other times, you'd hear Herb Alpert say "come on, boys!" to his Holidays On Ice Miracle hockey team in the 80's, but, I was the first to address my players with the formal 'gentlemen'.

I used it when I wanted them to think things were serious, important and oddly militaristic.  

See, when you're trying to make something sound more important, it's great to use terms like 'gentlemen' and follow it with something vague, yet, pithy. 

Platitudes like "this is your time" or "tonight is your night" are wonderfully empty phrases that SOUND like they mean something important. 

Also, try "Gentlemen, we control our own destiny" - even though, that phrase is a complete paradox of thought, it conveys gravity. Sure, destiny means fate which, by definition, means you have NO control, it's a great motivator to say you do! Especially, when you address it formally! 

Now, gentlemen, let's go out and give 110%!

On Jackals!

Coach

How Do You Practice 'Wanting it More'?

For years, my gameplan has been simple. Want. It. More.

Years ago, at a speaking engagement, a young coach asked me a question. (again, this really happened and I'm not using a made-up situation to make it seem like I hadn't thought about it). He asked me, "How do you practice 'wanting it more'"? - Great question. Glad he asked it.

Here's what I did last season with the Jackals: I stood in front of the team with a TV monitor and DVD player. I asked the players to sit and try to watch 15 seconds of what I was about to show them. I pressed 'play' and showed a Jonas Brothers concert. 

After barely getting through the allotted time, I switched it off and asked them a question: "How bad to you want to beat the living crap out of them right now?"

Our starting strong safety jumped up and shouted, "Ass-whoopin' time!!". My defensive end started punching the seat in front of him and his backup screamed "Kill them sonsabitches!". 

After several minutes of screaming, bashing folding chairs, punching walls, tearing off clothing and collectively vomiting in rage, I said something else to them: 

"Take what you feel about the Jonas Brothers, right now....Take how much you WANT to hurt them...and...gentlemen...want it even MORE." 

They did. Soon, the entire team was rioting, burning Nick Jonas in effigy, bare-ass dumping on street medians as they marched to the practice field, spitting blood and throwing rocks at squirrels. 

It. Was. Beautiful. We won our game that week by a score of 10-7. 

So, my message to you today is this: Find the inner 'want' in you, then, want it more. Practice wanting it more by manifesting a 'want' into a physical tirade of childish, boorish, borderline-psychopathic behavior. THEN, you'll find success. 

On Jackals!

Coach

Winners Win..

Some students in my Football Coaching 101 class asked me "what makes a winner?" (no, really, they did. I'm not asking myself that question in order to make it appear that I really want to spout an opinion on it...)

I answered, "Simple. Winners win."

Think about THAT for a minute. I mean, a whole minute.

What separates winners from losers? Well, like I said - winners win, losers lose. But what MAKES the winner? Ah-HA! Great question.

I put it to you like this. If you don't win, you lose. If you lose, you don't win. That's the bottom line. You make your own bed. You make your own breaks. You make your own win. THAT'S what makes a winner - making yourself win.

Any questions?

On Jackals!
Coach

Make Plays!

Gentlemen, 

If you unscrewed the top of my head, footballs would fall out. That's how much I think about football.

This is my first blog post, so, just bare with me as I begin this process. It will be a journey of highs and lows, but, at the end of the day, when all is said and done, we'll be a better football team...because of this blog. 

If I'm not mistaken, I was the first to use the words "make plays" when referring to keys to a particular game strategy. I believe it was sportscaster Len something-or-other that asked me, "Coach, what do you see as the key to today's game?". I responded with something that, on the surface, might seem trite, simple, insipid, or smug, but, if you look deeper it's not. It's just the damn truth. 

My football winning philosophy is pretty darn simple: Make. Plays. 

What do I mean by that? Simple. Let's say the coaching staff calls a play. That play is one that needs to be made...so, we expect you to make that play. If you don't make that play, there will be another chance, but, if. subsequently, you don't make THAT play, well, then, non-made plays have a way of adding up into one big, fat, stinking pile of non-making-plays. 

I, also, believe I was the coach who started using the phrase "when you talk about..." to begin sentences.
I notice that many analysts have adopted my segue. More power to them, I say! 

I recall Bob whutzitz on one of them sports channels asking me about Tennesee. I was at a loss for a quick answer, so, I stalled for a few seconds by saying "..when you talk about Tennessee, you have to talk about..". And it bought me something very valuable...TIME. 

In the seconds it takes to say that phrase, you can formulate a thought that will sound intelligent, even though, more than likely, it's banal, redundant coach-speak. 

Anyway, I hope these things help. I hate to make this all about me, but, there we are. 

On Jackals! 
Coach