coach dispenses rules.. player's break rules.. parents become invisible...

[monarch]

of course we are all getting a bit tired.. of this dismissal, suspension, and disciplinary game that is currently being played out right before our very eyes.  upon my view, i have never, ever, witnessed the university of texas being involved upon such a grand, perplexing, and yet completely humiliating spectacle.  our once great players, involving very key positions throughout a promising football team, constantly being brandished upon the national spotlight, upon the most shocking fashion.  we have all become abreast, to very well versed explanations as per the coaching staff.  we have heard only bits and pieces as per the player's themselves.. as they rush to re-establish themselves upon other college campuses.  but what about their parents?  has anyone seen or heard anything?  where are they.. why aren't they speaking out regarding their kids.  have the parents been somehow sworn to silence as per the university itself?  not a word, not a peek.  heck, not even a tweet!  why are the parents of these student player's that have been involved upon related discipline issues, being so very quiet?  something is very wrong here.  are these parents, doing their very best to assist the coaching staff to monitor their kids behavior issues, before they are hereby dismissed from the team itself?  what gives....  

 

[Sirhornsalot]

I protest this thread. Unfair formatting. Must be someone posting under Monarch's name this evening. I'm losing it.

Seriously though. I'll take whatever comes. If we go 4-8 or whatever, so be it. I kinda thought this might happen and honestly, I really like a discipline guy. And I really like a player who does well under a discipline guy.

Charlie, do what you need to do. I'll still watch every minute of it knowing the path we're on will lead to the right place - the top.

Monarch, I think the silence is an indication that there's merit to what Charlie has done. What parent is going to fight something or speak out on something when their kid is guilty? I would expect them to just move on and try to help their kid land in a good situation.

 

[monarch]

I protest this thread. Unfair formatting. Must be someone posting under Monarch's name this evening. I'm losing it.

Seriously though. I'll take whatever comes. If we go 4-8 or whatever, so be it. I kinda thought this might happen and honestly, I really like a discipline guy. And I really like a player who does well under a discipline guy.

Charlie, do what you need to do. I'll still watch every minute of it knowing the path we're on will lead to the right place - the top.

Monarch, I think the silence is an indication that there's merit to what Charlie has done. What parent is going to fight something or speak out on something when their kid is guilty? I would expect them to just move on and try to help their kid land in a good situation.

mark, of course what coach strong is trying to accomplish has merit.  i am certainly not disputing this fact.  my most immediate concern stems from what role is the parent playing to assist the coaching staff as per their kids behavioral issues before the kid becomes dismissed from the program itself.  i for one, could only imagine that if i had a child attending the university of texas as an athlete / player, and suddenly the coaching staff has made me aware that my child is exhibiting behavioral problems that could at some point have him / her dismissed from the team.. i would do any and everything possible to assist the school and coaching staff to repair my kids issues before they become a threat to himself vs herself, as well as the team that they are associated with.  this is the underlying issue, that i am having with the parents associated as per these problem players.  what are the parents doing to stop these problems?  why does it seem as though they are just to quiet?   

 

[Lukus Alderman]

I think an answer to your question may lie in the fact that these players no longer live at home. Many times, when kids leave for school, the role of the parents somewhat diminishes and it signals time for these kids to start growing up. Both parties recognize that growing has it's pains and there are consequences that accompany poor choices.

A second layer of that thought would be that some of these players come from single parent families, or even families without a present parent who cares enough to point them in the right direction. With that parent, once the child leaves the home most contact is cut off almost completely. So if troubles arise, no one is there for the kid.

And then there is the helicopter parent who is involved in every aspect. We've seen one or two of those recently and you definitely hear from the parent when troubles arise. Apparently none of these parents are helicopters.

I'm of the opinion that the most likely reason why you aren't hearing from parents is that communication between the staff and the parent is sufficient to the point that Strong lays out the ground rules and informs all involved of the consequences of breaking rules. To be able to suspend/dismiss up to 7 players without public parent backlash has to be due to clear communication of rules and consequences.

 

[Hornfan4life]

I think an answer to your question may lie in the fact that these players no longer live at home. Many times, when kids leave for school, the role of the parents somewhat diminishes and it signals time for these kids to start growing up. Both parties recognize that growing has it's pains and there are consequences that accompany poor choices.

A second layer of that thought would be that some of these players come from single parent families, or even families without a present parent who cares enough to point them in the right direction. With that parent, once the child leaves the home most contact is cut off almost completely. So if troubles arise, no one is there for the kid.

And then there is the helicopter parent who is involved in every aspect. We've seen one or two of those recently and you definitely hear from the parent when troubles arise. Apparently none of these parents are helicopters.

I'm of the opinion that the most likely reason why you aren't hearing from parents is that communication between the staff and the parent is sufficient to the point that Strong lays out the ground rules and informs all involved of the consequences of breaking rules. To be able to suspend/dismiss up to 7 players without public parent backlash has to be due to clear communication of rules and consequences.

I agree 100% with you, when a kid goes off to college he has to make his own decisions and live with them.

 

[J.B. TexasEx]

Parents? Not relevant.

Charlie F'n Strong is their daddy now.  What do their mommas have to say that will have any merit anyways?  "My baby didn't do it" ?



Don't be ridiculous.

 

[Juan]

It's a good topic, not just for us, but for the larger world as well.

However, it's tough to go too deep into this issue, in any direction, without running directly into a political discussion.

Coach Strong is putting some old school values out there.  Old School, old school.  Some (or most)(or all) of which seem to run contrary to modern US young person culture (selfies, twerking, planking). Even more so if you add hiphop culture/attitudes into the equation.  

-- don’t do drugs

-- don’t steal

-- tell the truth

-- be respectful to women

-- no guns (inside the program)

It's interesting to see the majority of Longhorn fans buying into it.  Will this last?  How long of a leash does Strong have with fans over this?  Which can probably be converted into - how long is Patterson's leash?

Yet, while there may exist a culture war in the outside world, there is no such war inside this program now.  No battles or skirmishes even.  There is only Coach Strong's way.  It's his way of the highway.

While there are a certain amount of top recruits who will be turned off by this approach (and prefer someone loosey-goosey with rules, like Sumlin), I think there are going to be plenty of top players and especially parents of those tops players who are equally drawn to Coach Strong's message.  It's a trade off.  While Strong is laying a proper foundation for a long run, it appears there will be no quick turnaround for us, as happens with some new coaching hires.

But, as always, we will see.

 

[bcherry168]

What Charlie Strong is doing with the program is very similar to the approach that Paul (Bear) Bryant took when he came to Texas A&M back in the 1950s. Circumstances with that team were similar. Of course, Bryant was able to do the Junction thing back then, and Charlie can't this day and time. But Bryant found out who was going to play and by his rules, and built a winning program around the Junction survivors.

If we want to compete with the very best consistently, we need the kind of kids that are tough and disciplined like Charlie is forging.

The rules he has are very simple, and are what every kid should follow. If the kids can't follow them, we do not need them.

Strong is going to build a program that we can all be proud of, and I am 100% in favor of what he is doing.

 

[streettopeschel]

of course we are all getting a bit tired.. of this dismissal, suspension, and disciplinary game that is currently being played out right before our very eyes.  upon my view, i have never, ever, witnessed the university of texas being involved upon such a grand, perplexing, and yet completely humiliating spectacle.  our once great players, involving very key positions throughout a promising football team, constantly being brandished upon the national spotlight, upon the most shocking fashion.  we have all become abreast, to very well versed explanations as per the coaching staff.  we have heard only bits and pieces as per the player's themselves.. as they rush to re-establish themselves upon other college campuses.  but what about their parents?  has anyone seen or heard anything?  where are they.. why aren't they speaking out regarding their kids.  have the parents been somehow sworn to silence as per the university itself?  not a word, not a peek.  heck, not even a tweet!  why are the parents of these student player's that have been involved upon related discipline issues, being so very quiet?  something is very wrong here.  are these parents, doing their very best to assist the coaching staff to monitor their kids behavior issues, before they are hereby dismissed from the team itself?  what gives....  

boy, do we see this differently.

1) i'm not tired of this disciplinary 'game'.

2) i'm far from humiliated. charlie was brought in as a change-agent. let him be one.

3) which of the players disciplined was 'once great'?

4) what about the parents? other than brad mccoy, how many parents do you ever hear from ? presumably if any of them thought their kid

     was being mistreated wouldn't they have said so after his dismissal? they'd have nothing to lose.

many said mack coddled and didn't hold them accountable. there's a new sherrif in town. we may look back on this like our version of the junction boys. weed out the ones that don't want it bad enough and build a strong base.

 

[Topstarr]

I agree.......and the parents know what their kids had done to get kicked off of the Texas Team and they cannot say they didn't and the parents are sad.

 

[drgilbert]

I don't have a problem with a strict disciplinarian. I would be embarrassed if the players weren't kept in check and we had multiple arrests.

 

[J.B. TexasEx]

Coach Strong is putting some old school values out there.  Old School, old school.  Some (or most)(or all) of which seem to run contrary to modern US young person culture (selfies, twerking, planking). Even more so if you add hiphop culture/attitudes into the equation.  

-- don’t do drugs

-- don’t steal

-- tell the truth

-- be respectful to women

-- no guns (inside the program)

It ain't that hard boys.  Get in line or get gone!

 

[Juan]

I can almost hear a small chorus of single moms pleading, "Get my baby to Coach Strong as soon as possible."

 

[PeteA422]

You know how judges used to give the option to guys in their courtroom of Join the military or go to jail?  I wonder how many aggie cops are wishing they could say, go to Strong/Moorer or go to jail?

 

[monarch]

boy, do we see this differently.

1) i'm not tired of this disciplinary 'game'.

2) i'm far from humiliated. charlie was brought in as a change-agent. let him be one.

3) which of the players disciplined was 'once great'?

4) what about the parents? other than brad mccoy, how many parents do you ever hear from ? presumably if any of them thought their kid

     was being mistreated wouldn't they have said so after his dismissal? they'd have nothing to lose.

many said mack coddled and didn't hold them accountable. there's a new sherrif in town. we may look back on this like our version of the junction boys. weed out the ones that don't want it bad enough and build a strong base.

why am i not surprised, as per the complete and yet arbitrary content of your post?  why streettopeschel, why?  is it because i now expect that when my good pal streettopeschel (for whom i simply adore) enters into any given thread, that he is just going to place upon his horse blinders, and head straight into the wonderful world of discombobulation?  well yes, i do now expect this.  therefore, i have decided to place upon my very own horse blinders.. and head straight into the wonderful world of "easyville".  ok, now that i have arrived to the quaint little community of easyville, please allow me to make things a little easier for you to comprehend.  first off, i shall introduce you to this great and endearing movie called.... 

surely, by now you have heard of this most famous and yet endearing movie (based upon a true story) regarding a much heralded white basketball guru, hired to coach a basketball team of mostly black players, upon a time of extreme racial strife in america.  right?  coach haskins, of texas western university had to face upon a daily basis, some of the most difficult problems involving human nature, race, culture, tradition, danger, discipline, respect.. you name it, he had to face it in order to meet his overall objective of making his team a national champion.  but upon my perspective, one of the most endearing aspects of this highly provocative movie, was not fact that coach haskins wanted to instill a certain amount of discipline vs character in his players in order to make them much better overall.  the very element that grabbed my attention, was the way that the parents of these players, became involved upon their daily collegiate activities, once coach haskins made them aware as per the enduring problems, that could make or break their kid's careers.  once those parents were made aware of just what was actually happening upon that campus.. they headed straight there, brandishing a no nonsense matter of fact attitude of you are going to fix your attitude, grades, behavior, or else.  heck, as we all know.. it got so very heavy, that parents got into the classroom with their kids to make sure that they were abiding by what the coach / professors required.  BULLSHIT, WAS SIMPLY NOT TOLERATED as per those particular parents.  they did not give a damn about appearances sake.  they wanted their kid's to succeed.  and they meant business.  now, please allow for me to remind you, that this was not in the age of information vs social networking.  those parents did not harbor computers to jump on and start tweeting vs facebooking information to their respective kid players.  they had to rely solely upon this discretion as per the school itself, to deliver pertinent information to them.  and back then, any information coming from the school was indeed priceless.  especially, from the standpoint of the black community.

so now streettopeschel, do you get it.  this is what i mean, when i speak of the disciplinary game.  it becomes somewhat a "game" to the very players that are often involved in the first place.  why can't they seem to get it?  why are they not listening to the objectives, as per a well respected head coach?  why do they have to keep being called out of practice upon such negative vs adverse situations regarding their character issues?  is this not a game?  you say that you are hereby "far from being humiliated".  oh really?  for i can assure you, that i am extremely humiliated whenever i see a write up in the national media, brandishing the university of texas upon such negative vs precarious aspects.  it makes me sick!  if i have stated this once, i have stated this very sentiment a thousand times.. "i love the university of texas" and i shall perform any and all, to ensure that it's stellar reputation endures throughout.  i spend my money to board flights to austin, tx.. i spend my money to book hotel rooms in austin, tx.  i arrive to the stadium, and i scream my head off to support my longhorns, in an effort to assist them to achieve gridiron victory.  so you had better believe that i get humiliated at adverse media headlines.  especially, when i am smart enough to know that these negative headlines, could very easily harm us with recruitment.  

it is indeed a privilege to play for the university of texas.. not a right!  therefore, i would think that whenever our coaching staff starts the vetting process as per their respective recruits, then they are hereby trying in earnest to select the best vs greatest players that they can find upon their respective positions.  simply due to the very fact that, there are only so many scholarships that they are allowed to extend.  therefore, this is what i mean when i speak of "once great" players.  most of these player's were some of the best at their respective positions coming out of high school.  isn't this the reason that they are now at the university of texas?  what do you mean, "what about the parents"?  please allow for me to repeat myself.. it is a privilege to be able to play for the university of texas, not a right!  therefore, any parent that harbors a student as per this most respected institution of higher learning, should hereby be thankful that their student is even at the university of texas.  they should hereby be prepared to perform any and all possible, to stem the tide of their child's exhibition of bad and intolerable behavior.  

i am a very strong believer, in the age old saying that "it takes a village to raise a child".  therefore, i shall not buy into the often used crutch, that the parent just does not know what is going on with their student away at college.  we are now living upon the age of information vs social networking on steroids.  no one could ever tell me, that today's parents are just not aware of what their kid's are not doing at school.  my problem vs issue that i have with these parents, are just why are they so very quiet during these times of adversity involving their student athletes.  are they showing up at the practices?  are they entering into the classrooms to make sure that their students are getting to class on time.. or at all?  are they doing any and all to show the coaching staff that they are trying to help their kid to alter bad behavior, before they are dismissed from the team?  and last but not least, once they have performed all that they could to try and help their respective child to not get dismissed, and yet the inevitable still occurs.. why aren't these parents trying to show support as per the head coach and his coaching staff, that tried to present so many chances for their kids to achieve in spite of discipline problems.  why not offer a positive "tweet" in support of coach strong and UT, even after your student has been dismissed, to let everyone know that the head coach tried hard to help their child.  why do these parents become so invisible?       

 

[streettopeschel]

sorry monarch...didn't read that last manifesto. mix in a 'shift/enter' from time to time.

As to my 'arbitrary' post, i simply responded point-by-point to your initial post.

no need to get snarky. anyway,  that's my job. 

 

[Lukus Alderman]

1. Much of Glory Road was "Hollywooded Up". It didn't take place in one year and I have my doubts that moms actually sat in a class. It's a great story, but I doubt it.

2. Even if that took place then, times are different now. Parents seem to be even less involved now than then. Even if you are lucky enough to find a mom willing to sit in class with a college football player, I would imagine that that player would quit before being humiliated. Moreover, the first response by Strong wouldn't be to call momma...rather he would call his enforcer, Pat Moorer. If that doesn't work, that's when you have to start wondering where the priorities lie for the athlete and whether or not he wants to be part of the team.

 

[streettopeschel]

1. Much of Glory Road was "Hollywooded Up". It didn't take place in one year and I have my doubts that moms actually sat in a class. It's a great story, but I doubt it.

2. Even if that took place then, times are different now. Parents seem to be even less involved now than then. Even if you are lucky enough to find a mom willing to sit in class with a college football player, I would imagine that that player would quit before being humiliated. Moreover, the first response by Strong wouldn't be to call momma...rather he would call his enforcer, Pat Moorer. If that doesn't work, that's when you have to start wondering where the priorities lie for the athlete and whether or not he wants to be part of the team.

did you just slip a stealth movie review in on us?

 

[Lukus Alderman]

did you just slip a stealth movie review in on us?

I can't get anything past you, you old hound!