Best posts made by FarNrthJHwk

@mayjay I posted this in the thread that brought me to this site earlier this morning.

“Complaining about a problem without a solution is whining” President T. Roosevelt

I had this quote in my classroom and locker rooms through my time.

I had a junior player come up to me in my 3rd as a coach and ask me why a freshman was getting more time at practice with the 1s. At first I tried to tell him that this other kid was a better player without saying that to him. Then I remember this quot, and I asked him if he knew why and what he could do to change that? I asked him to come up with a solution by the next day and let me know and we’d talk about it.

He wrote out a list of five solutions.

1. Work harder in and out of practice.
2. Become a better student if the game.
3. Become a better teammate.
4. Do what is needed to help the team.
5. Get #14 kicked off the team. Sorry coach that’s just a joke.

That kid became an assistant for me 6 years later and replaced me as head coach after I retired. It was that note that made me want to work with this kid. He didn’t whine. He didn’t quit or make excuses. He tried. He learned and now he’s winning not just at basketball but teaching and life.

So I googled “fire Bill Self” cause apparently that’s a thing now.

This was the 5th one down to click. I wonder how @JRyman new this year would spark this debate three years ago.

Then again @JRyman hasn’t posted for over a year after some looking into it so maybe he fell off the cheering stage for KU? Is it cause they still have Bill Self as coach?

Sure Coach Self has had it rough since 2012. But these loses aren’t as bad as those first round loses to the Bucknells and Bradleys. He survived those set backs in sore he will from the Oregon loss as well.

But why did the writer use this year as a time Self might leave or be fired?? Was it because they saw when son Tyler was graduating? Did they see the weakened in recruiting and lack of depth? Why this year and not last or next years?

I don’t think Self leaves. Where is he going?

But could you imagine the spin cycle the coaching carousel would take if Coach self was fired from KU? How many other coaches would be fired just so they could get their hands on Self for their head coach?

Remember what President Roosevelt reportedly said “Complaining about a problem without a solution is whining.”

Yes I am a new member as I wanted to comment on something I saw online last night.

Now to read other commentary on the rest of this board.

@Texas-Hawk-10 Could be the players want to be the ones who get coach over that hump and out the pressure on themselves?

They get tight. They get “puckered” (which seems to be the word of choice around here). They try to hard to get coach the next Final 4.

Look at how they have played this past season. Once Number 13 was wrapped up it seemed the guys were a little more relaxed. You hear them and coach talk about how non of them want to be the team that snaps the streak of conference titles and they put that pressure on themselves.

Maybe the same can be said about the players wanting it so bad for coach in the Elite 8 that they put the pressure on themselves.

And once shots stop falling you tense up a little more to try to get the next one in and so on.

This was an incredible story.

After dealing with lots of teenagers and listening to them and working with kids who lost a friend or family member to suicide. All I can say is there are no answers.

There’s no right or wrong. You can do everything in your power and it’s still not enough.

It hurts.

@Crimsonorblue22 I’d hope not.

I’ve got the chance to meet a lot of coaches in the 15 years I coached HS ball. I got to meet Coach Self at a coaching clinic in 2006. Was brief but he is a great person. He shook hands with people and talked with us lonely HS coaches just to see how we were doing. Listening to him talk Xs and Os was an amazing experience.

@mayjay of course, since Bill already tried that last year by getting rid of Brannen Greene, and it didn’t work!

That’s funny. Well played.

Those two kids became pretty dynamic the next two years as teammates. They pushed each other to be better in the summer and just fed off of each other’s energy.

#14’s dad asked me what I said to him after his freshman season to make him work even harder. This kid was talented as a pg. handles for days. Court vision and a good shoot. Natural leader. I told his dad it wasn’t me. Wish I could take credit but it was his competition onnthe team. Unfortunately after his junior year he tore his Achilles heel and ACL in a bad wreck and was never able to play any more. His leg was orettt screwed up.

http://es.pn/2n94ST1 Cal getting it from National media for not winning it all enough.

@Texas-Hawk-10 So the defensive intesity the improved in the second have just happened! That wasn’t an adjustment made by the coaches?

I feel like you are asking to hear a story about Bill Self in the under 12 timeout telling jokes are pointing out a celebrity in the crowd ala Joe Montana in smthe suoer bowl pointing out John Candy innthebhuddle before the 49ers went on a game winning drive?

Different people handle pressure differently. Maybe Frank put so much pressure on himself to carry the entire team it affected him? How does Coach Self stop that? Bench him?

As a coach you can prepare prepare and teach and talk about it. But once the flame of the game is lit. Things change.

@nuleafjhawk Good to know. Gotta have something to fill my time during retirement now that basketball is over and I don’t get to scout any more.

@cragarhawk Whitlash, MT hence the name here. Not much around. Not much to do but stay warm in the winter and enjoy the outdoors once we thaw out.

@wissox yikes. Thanks for that. Fat thumbs and new phone.

Sorry

@JayHawkFanToo Got enough firewood to last. Collected a lot with this cabin but there are plenty of trees around.

There’s a sign in the Postoffice that reads, “Welcome to God’s country. Because if your car breaks down only God can fix it.”

It’s pretty true

When I split the land and built the road decided that the two cabins would be within a half mile. That way if all else fails we could snowshoe and play cards and see somebody.

I enjoy being up here. Last winter which was my first had a few questionable weeks but this year it was all good.

@jayballer54 where will KU be ranked st the end of this season?
Ended the regular season as #1. Will we be 4th? 5th? 6th? Can’t see us going too much lower than that.

When I read about this and they said fund raising wasn’t going to be enough. I wondered how many alumni are or have played professional ball? How many ex players became coaches at different levels?

Why not ask some of those guys for some backing?

Unless they knew Hurley was going to retire soon and knew finding a replacement would be almost impossible.

But it’s always sad to see any school close their doors.

Does anyone know (or care) what Gonzaga fans blamed Mark Few’s curse of the Sweet 16 on?

He had only reached the Elite 8 once before this year with 6 apparences in the Sweet 16.

This is in 17 total apparences before this year.

@nuleafjhawk as a former student and teacher I do ha e say that unless it’s a long term sub that the subs still follow the lesson plan of the teacher.

They don’t go in and change the whole course of study in one or two days.

Also the students usually try and show up said substitute teacher by breaking normal classroom rules or being a rebel. Driving the substitute to yell, cry or drink in frustration.

@jaybate-1.0 said:

Frank is the Ernie Banks of KU Basketball and if you know of Ernie you know that is the highest praise!!!

Yes. Yes it is.

You could see how bad Frank wanted it the other night. How often in all the games he played at KU did you see him get after another player verbally on the court? He did it with Svi, he did it with Josh too against Oregon, perhaps a few other teammates got it too that the camera didn’t catch.

The other thing I love about Frank was win or lose, great game for him or whatever. He always gave credit to his teammates and coaches. He never set blame to anyone. In a loss he gave credit to the other team and coaches.

He was modest beyond belief. And a true leader. I hope someday he’s on a sideline coaching young boys into becoming young men the right way.

@BeddieKU23 No I didn’t think he’d stay for his entirety but was just wondering.

Never know though. Maybe he loves the experience of campus life?

Oh who am I kidding.

@Eric-san As a retired coach in public I would take the blame for 90% of our losses. Never once did I blame a player or team for the loss. The other 10% were bad nights, bad breaks.

To me what happened Saturday was just that a bad night. Especially after the past three games came soneasily. Once you hit that bump in the road it just adds added pressure to the situation.

Last year KU won by around 18 points a game before losing to Nova. This year they were winning by around 30.

So when everything is falling and the ball bounces your way wow the feeling of ease makes the game easy.

When the shots aren’t falling or the ball bounces out of your hands into the opponents you seem to push the issue a little more adding pressure.

@nuleafjhawk Yet how many people called you out on it?

@Texas-Hawk-10 I understand that point of view and wanting to know.

Sat in a coaching clinic in very early 1990s and listened to football coach Tom osborn talk about his issues in bowl games and against Oklahoma. And how fans were always on him and wanted him fired or to change what he was doing the weeks leading up to those big games. How he’d go home and try and to think of ways to make those changes. From personell, to different coaches to going to a different school to coach. It weighed on him. He then decided that if he stood his ground good things would happen.

Wishing a few years he played for 4 national titles in 5 years and won three. Now he is known as one of the greatest college football coaches.

Not saying Coach Self can’t change things but what in your opinion does he need to change from Sweet 16 to Elite 8 in 48 hours?

Maybe his scouting of the other team? Manning. Dooley and a few others have left and they did scouting. They moved on so maybe that’s not it?

Maybe his philosophy? There are so many coaches in college basketball that the goal each season is to make the final 4. Not to win it all. They just want that chance in the Final 4. So the pressure starts on day 1 for some of these teams to reach that milestone of the Final 4.

There are an infinite number of reasons why something doesn’t work or doesn’t happen. Sometimes in life and in sports we just need to accept we can’t fix it or figure it out and just keep pushing forward.

@Fightsongwriter There are actually people out there that have not only said this but tweeted it talked about it on radio and on other sites.

Me, no I wouldn’t fire a coach like Self unless there were internal issues such as NCAA infractions.

Did the writer of this thread three years ago is not suggesting Slef be fired either for what I can understand. He is asking if Self leaves, be it on his own or by someone else’s hand.

Self runs one of the most respected programs among HS coaches in the country. The coaches can help a kid decide what’s right for them and where to go and I know that parents push kids in other directions for their own sake.

I have no issues with self being at KU.

@globaljaybird This is what I googled and this was the 5th headline so I read it. To reply I signed up today. I don’t know anyone here. Wasn’t trying to start an argument, was just wondering why someone would write this three years ago and have this year in the post. Then I read more and more and am enjoying things here. If for some reason this doesn’t set well with you I can delete my account an Hi on enjoying my retired life and prepare for flyfishing right out side my house. The retired life is good. Sorry I tried to add this to this post originally and it didn’t work then I added it to the wrong post and don’t know how to delete it now. Butbhere it is. Sorry. All

Nice share @Statmachine

The one thing that’s been a constant at Kansas is the recruiting. Roy always had solid classes, Self seems like he finds one or two guys late that make impacts for his teams.

Next year should be another solid team if those who are to return do as the article points out.

@wissox Great so you were the reason they sold that 1 season ticket last season.

Just south of the Canadian border about 4-5 miles as the crow flies. Whitlash MT. Only way to get here is on dirt roads. Lothair is the closet town to me.

Retired up here. It’s not for everybody but I completely enjoy it. Spent 17 years in Wyoming before that.

Enjoy the fishing, hunting and just watching the wildlife.

I’m learning a lot about recruits and having a good time looking them up.

Thanks for all those with insight on all of this.

Can’t wait to see how it all unfolds for next season.

@dylans Well yeah you can get lost on the wrong road. Usually there’s somebody there to let you know though. There’s a few trails that go back and forth across the boarder. But there is a border crossing there with border patrol.

I will have been here two years in June. Wasn’t planned, just kinda fell on my lap. Lost my wife 23 years ago and lost contact with her parents shortly after. Well when her dad passed, he left everything to me as she was an only child and he had lost his wife a few years after his daughter. There were 200 acres in Montana included. So when I found out and I visited I decided to retire and move. Sold half to an old coaching friend and he lives across the road basically.

This summer the cabin should be finished. Built a aluminum barn first and built living quarters in it for the time being.

Thanks to having a satalite I can get tv and internet. There is no cell service for about 40 miles south. There are days turning into weeks you just stay inside. Too much snow or too cold.

But I have a snow machine, 4 wheeler, and my truck. Most of the people that live near by are good with checking on us older types. Lol. There’s also a group of guys that will come around everynow and say hi, but you never go say hi to them. They don’t like trespassers much. You can probably put two and two together there. Lol

Not sure how many more winters I’ll spend up here, but a few more at least. Then might travel south or travel elsewhere for a few months and enjoy this Graceland from May to October.

No plans yet.

My late afternoon two cents on this, is to me this year it seemed the further you moved West the softer the team was.

You always here coaches say they want that “Philly tough” or “New York Tough” kid on their team.

After watching UCLA a few times this year, Ball didn’t like contact, he avoided it at all cost. Oregon may have been the toughest team in the Pac12 this year and it wasn’t Dorsey or Brooks that made them that way. Bell was their toughest piece until he went against Meeks who had a career night against him.

Who was KUs toughest player the past two years? The kid from Virginia Frank Mason. Speaking of of Virginia, West Vitginia plays a tough game inside the paint. Fouls or not they are a physical team. Maybe Tony Bennet should incorporate some of that to his Virginia team.

Duke didn’t have the toughness this year. Kentucky had Bam. South Carolina had a few guys taking a que from their coach. Gonzaga had the bearded giant and Williams-Goss who were both very tough physical guys.

Maye, Meeks, and Berry were all tough guys and played very physical ball. The toughness of the title game really affected Just Jacksons game.

So be it population, playgrounds or whatever on the east coast that toughness goes a long way.

Again that’s just me adding my two cents and not saying anyone is right or wrong in their beliefs.