Playing Colvin - Mac's biggest mistake

gocubs2118

Well-Known Member
Mar 31, 2006
18,599
2,829
113
37
Illinois
Mac obviously had the final decision...For the record, I knew how it was going to look, I stated my opinion before the decision was made (Which was, don't do it), and I had everything explained to me. I think Mac made the right decision...Perhaps he could have left Colvin out unless absolutely needed, I wasn't in Texas, I don't know. Bottom line, this is not as big of a deal as some are making it out to be.

Everything is a big deal when there is an opportunity to bash coach Mac.
 

Tre4ISU

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Dec 30, 2008
28,211
9,323
113
Estherville
First, if Colvin didn't learn his lesson that will take care of itself. He will be gone before long.

I think Mac decided to bring him back before talking to the players. In the end I think he wanted reassurance in this decision so he wanted to make sure the team wasn't going to find it unfair. I do not buy that they made the decision. Your going out and finding players mid-season wouldn't work. It just wouldn't but I think you realize that it a stretch.

I guess I just don't have a problem with this. Now, if today it had come out that the team resented this decision, I would have a huge problem. I think this was the best option for the team.

Having said that, I think the best idea for Mac would have been setting a less hard line on the suspension length. I hate indefinite. That word seems real soft. I would have said "we will take a look at the situation in two weeks, and go from there" with the intention of holding it until February. I know it is the same thing but it just doesn't seem as soft. I think Mac has learned his lesson there. I doubt he has ever had two guys unavailable at the same position within a week and lasting all season. I am also sure he never would hvae uessed that would happen. I realize that you should always account for all possibilities, but what has happened has been pretty unexpected.
 

Dryburn

Well-Known Member
Apr 3, 2006
10,033
517
113
Somewhere in the U.S.
“When Craig Brackins looks at you and says, ‘Mac, you don’t have a choice,’ I had to play him,â€￾ McDermott said.

It really amazes me that more people on here don't have a problem with this.

Why don't you have a choice GMac? And why are you even discussing it with your players in the first place? This was discipline handed out by you, the head coach, to another player. I hope you didn't ask for the team's input when you decided to suspend him. Did you?

If you need to get input, or you need to discuss it with someone to help formulate your decision, then talk to your assistant coaches, or even your AD. Why the hell would you ask the players? Of course, they are going to say let the kid back on. For one thing, they would want the same treatment in the future if they ever get in trouble. Did you honestly think that the players would tell you no, they don't want you to let him back?

If you actually asked the team what they thought you should do, it shows incredible weakness on your part as a coach and a leader. And worse, to admit to a newspaper that if your "star" player tells the head coach that he has no choice, and you concur......wow.

And yet we wonder why this team shows no discipline on the floor during a game.
 
Last edited:

kg-cyclone

Well-Known Member
Oct 30, 2006
4,113
164
63
“When Craig Brackins looks at you and says, ‘Mac, you don’t have a choice,’ I had to play him,” McDermott said.

It really amazes me that more people on here don't have a problem with this.

Why don't you have a choice GMac? And why are you even discussing it with your players in the first place? This was discipline handed out by you, the head coach, to another player. I hope you didn't ask for the team's input when you decided to suspend him. Did you?

If you need to get input, or you need to discuss it with someone to help formulate your decision, then talk to your assistant coaches, or even your AD. Why the hell would you ask the players? Of course, they are going to say let the kid back on. For one thing, they would want the same treatment in the future if they ever get in trouble. Did you honestly think that the players would tell you no, they don't want you to let him back?

If you actually asked the team what they thought you should do, it shows incredible weakness on your part as a coach and a leader. And worse, to admit to a newspaper that if your "star" player tells the head coach that he has no choice, and you concur......wow.

And yet we wonder why this team shows no discipline on the floor during a game.

Here's an idea...Instead of beating a dead horse.

Why don't you ask CW or another media member to ask Mac? They we'll all know...
 

Final42b

Well-Known Member
Jan 4, 2009
6,321
1,930
113
Ames
Give it up people its not that big of a deal, and i bet if most of you were in Macs position you would have done the same thing.
 

Tornado man

Well-Known Member
Sep 16, 2007
11,913
-539
113
63
Ames, IA
Mac obviously had the final decision...For the record, I knew how it was going to look, I stated my opinion before the decision was made (Which was, don't do it), and I had everything explained to me. I think Mac made the right decision...Perhaps he could have left Colvin out unless absolutely needed, I wasn't in Texas, I don't know. Bottom line, this is not as big of a deal as some are making it out to be.

But Mac made it a big deal by publicly detailing how that he asked for the team's input on the matter, even bringing up not wanting to contradict Brackins' wishes, since he decided to come back this year.
This smacks of a coach constantly concerned about his "approval rating" from his players. It results in chaos, since the players realize they have all the power.
 

kg-cyclone

Well-Known Member
Oct 30, 2006
4,113
164
63
But Mac made it a big deal by publicly detailing how that he asked for the team's input on the matter, even bringing up not wanting to contradict Brackins' wishes, since he decided to come back this year.
This smacks of a coach constantly concerned about his "approval rating" from his players. It results in chaos, since the players realize they have all the power.

Haha, yeah right...Pretty sure if Mac had it his way, nothing would ever come out of the locker room.
 

Tornado man

Well-Known Member
Sep 16, 2007
11,913
-539
113
63
Ames, IA
Haha, yeah right...Pretty sure if Mac had it his way, nothing would ever come out of the locker room.

No, I was referring to Mac's very public comments yesterday, about how lifting Colvin's suspension was arrived at. He didn't have to give any specifics, but felt the need to, as in "it's not just my idea, but the rest of the team's too."
 

Spam

Well-Known Member
May 21, 2008
7,996
2,666
113
Mac obviously had the final decision...For the record, I knew how it was going to look, I stated my opinion before the decision was made (Which was, don't do it), and I had everything explained to me. I think Mac made the right decision...Perhaps he could have left Colvin out unless absolutely needed, I wasn't in Texas, I don't know. Bottom line, this is not as big of a deal as some are making it out to be.

I don't think it's that big of a deal either. It justs destroys the "extreme integrity" guy image that some of us had of Mac. If most other coaches would have done something like this, I wouldn't have cared, because few of them are men of integrity. This incident certainly doesn't make Mac a monster, either.

As for a mistake towards the team, therefore the team decides viewpoint, I couldn't disagree more. When a player punches someone in the face at a bar, is that a mistake towards the team also? No. Is it a mistake towards the coach? No. The player is tried in a court of law and if convicted, he is sentenced. The guy who got punched does not decide the sentence. It doesn't end there, however. The coach then comes in and imposes additional punishment on the player, typically in the form of a suspension or firing.
 

hard2clone

Member
Dec 29, 2008
88
5
8
I'm still failing to realize why its such a big deal to ask for the team's input on this decision.

You're right. If my boss asked all my coworkers if I should be able to come back early from being suspended from work, that'd be ok too.

What if one of his teammates said, no, I don't think it's right to bring him back? Then there'd be separation in the locker room and an outcast that 'didnt want what was best for the team'.

I think you actually need to use that lump 3 feet above your *** to think with instead of just keeping it in Mac's lap.
 

kg-cyclone

Well-Known Member
Oct 30, 2006
4,113
164
63
No, I was referring to Mac's very public comments yesterday, about how lifting Colvin's suspension was arrived at. He didn't have to give any specifics, but felt the need to, as in "it's not just my idea, but the rest of the team's too."

We are having the same discussion whether he explains his decision or not...Are you really trying to make an argument about Mac trying to give the fan base as much information as possible?
 

kg-cyclone

Well-Known Member
Oct 30, 2006
4,113
164
63
I don't think it's that big of a deal either. It justs destroys the "extreme integrity" guy image that some of us had of Mac. If most other coaches would have done something like this, I wouldn't have cared, because few of them are men of integrity. This incident certainly doesn't make Mac a monster, either.

As for a mistake towards the team, therefore the team decides viewpoint, I couldn't disagree more. When a player punches someone in the face at a bar, is that a mistake towards the team also? No. Is it a mistake towards the coach? No. The player is tried in a court of law and if convicted, he is sentenced. The guy who got punched does not decide the sentence. It doesn't end there, however. The coach then comes in and imposes additional punishment on the player, typically in the form of a suspension or firing.


IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU!!! Get over that mind block...
 

capitalcityguy

Well-Known Member
Jun 14, 2007
8,339
2,126
113
Des Moines
I'm still failing to realize why its such a big deal to ask for the team's input on this decision.

Well…when you get a bit older and have some more of life's experiences behind you, it will probably (hopefully) become more clear to you.

Not too many times in life is the easy choice necessarily the correct choice.
 

kg-cyclone

Well-Known Member
Oct 30, 2006
4,113
164
63
Well…when you get a bit older and have some more of life's experiences behind you, it will probably (hopefully) become more clear to you.

Not too many times in life is the easy choice necessarily the correct choice.


I love posts like this...I wish somebody had a microscope on your life. Think we would find anything?
 

jsb

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Mar 7, 2008
33,384
39,491
113
But Mac made it a big deal by publicly detailing how that he asked for the team's input on the matter, even bringing up not wanting to contradict Brackins' wishes, since he decided to come back this year.
This smacks of a coach constantly concerned about his "approval rating" from his players. It results in chaos, since the players realize they have all the power.


See, I don't think you listened to Mac---you're just reading the paper. I listened to him last night and there were some things that were pretty darn evident:

1. He struggled with the decision because he knew it meant going back on his word.

2. He wouldn't have made the same decision if Chris hadn't been a model teammate in the last 2 weeks.

3. He asked the players their input, but the decision wasn't made based on what they said, but he used that to make his decision. I don't get the idea that it was a 'tell me what I should do, I'll do what ever you want' type of conversation. I get the impression that it was more of a discussion with the players.

4. He had a real fear of not having any players available.

Again, I'll say that listening to him might be of some use for you. And I'll also say I've had some questions if the players really like the guy (and for the life of me, I can't understand why they wouldn't, but that's another issue), and this kind of made me feel better about that.

I would guess that some of you who are throwing the fit over reducing the time of the suspension are the same ones that threw a fit over having it in the first place. You'd be mad no matter what he did.
 

Latest posts

Help Support Us

Become a patron