Author Topic: No winner in Wolford’s blame game  (Read 5790 times)

Offline SoupCity

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No winner in Wolford’s blame game
« on: November 09, 2012, 08:34:11 AM »
No winner in Wolford’s blame game

Published: Fri, November 9, 2012 @ 12:00 a.m.

A football coach gets hired at the local university. When he sits down at his desk the first time, he finds three envelopes in the top drawer, with a note from the previous coach saying, “If things get tough, open them one at a time.”

So, the first year, the coach goes 3-8. He opens the envelope and it says, “Blame me! Tell everyone I let the program deteriorate and it’s going to take some time to rebuild.”

The new coach does. The next year, he goes 2-9. So he opens the second envelope and it says, “Blame the media! They’re too negative! How can you be expected to turn the program around when recruits keep reading about how bad things are going?”

So he does. The next year, the coach goes 3-8. So he opens the third envelope and it says, “Prepare three envelopes.”

It’s an old joke, but it’s a timely one this week. After taking the first approach in his first 21/2 years, Wolford switched to the second envelope at Tuesday’s press conference, criticizing reporters for presenting a “doom and gloom atmosphere” that has led to lower attendance at Stambaugh Stadium.

Criticizing the media is usually a good strategy — in sports or in politics — but this one was a head-scratcher. Wolford has enjoyed overwhelmingly positive coverage through most of his tenure, despite a 14-17 record that includes a 7-15 mark in conference games.

This season, the Penguins went from being ranked No. 3 in the country in late September to squeaking out a three-point victory over South Dakota (1-8) at home in early November. As one reporter said after Tuesday’s press conference, “What does he expect?”

Listen. While there are plenty of people who want Wolford fired yesterday, I’m not one of them. Barring a catastrophe next season, he deserves the chance to fulfill his five-year contract. But criticizing the media for “doom and gloom” is ridiculous.

Before the season, he said anything short of the playoffs would be a failure. That was his standard, which he repeated two weeks ago. So here’s the bottom line: If you set the high jump bar at 7 feet, don’t complain when the media isn’t impressed with a 5-foot jump. And if you want to use the media to criticize the previous coach’s program — which Wolford has — don’t be shocked when that same media criticizes yours.

Two weeks ago, I got an email from an area coach I respect. He lamented that Wolford “has never taken any responsibility whatsoever for the team’s demise.” He pointed to a quote from Penn State’s first-year coach, Bill O’Brien, who said this after a loss to Ohio State: “I could have adjusted better. I could have had a better game plan.”

Since Wolford is giving me advice about how to better do my job, here’s some for him: Show more humility. Take more blame. Even if you don’t believe what you’re saying, say it anyway. People like reading it.

Like any job, there’s a learning curve to being a head coach. This is the third year of a five-year process. He’ll figure it out.

And if he doesn’t? Well, his biggest problem won’t be what’s in the papers.

It’ll be what’s in that third envelope.

SFlbJoe Scalzo covers YSU sports for The Vindicator. Write to him at scalzo@vindy.com.


Offline SoupCity

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Re: No winner in Wolford’s blame game
« Reply #1 on: November 09, 2012, 08:38:18 AM »
I'm not a huge fan of Mr Scalzo; but his articles concerning Coach Wolford just get better and better.  He doesn't totally bash him while getting his point across very clearly.

The fact that Coach Wolford has now moved to "Envelope #2" just goes to show how desperate and disrespecting the coach is.  I think all would agree that a little bit of humbleness for Coach Wolford would do a lot for the fans. 

Will he ever get the point?  60% percent (year 3 out of 5) says that's a big NO.

Offline HLecter

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Re: No winner in Wolford’s blame game
« Reply #2 on: November 09, 2012, 08:39:09 AM »
As usual great writing from Scalzo.  Gem.
I HATE MIAMI.  WATERBOARDING IS NOT TORTURE.  ABORTION IS.

I missed a four-footer for par the other day--THAT DAMN BUSH!

Offline Double ET

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Re: No winner in Wolford’s blame game
« Reply #3 on: November 09, 2012, 10:13:43 AM »
Looks like the “blame Bush and “blame Foxnews” syndrome is re-surfacing for Wolf.

Offline ysuguins4

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Re: No winner in Wolford’s blame game
« Reply #4 on: November 09, 2012, 12:32:59 PM »
Scalzo is spot on.  I'm not giving up on Wolf yet, but he has got to quit passing the buck.

Offline IAA Fan

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Re: No winner in Wolford’s blame game
« Reply #5 on: November 09, 2012, 12:49:03 PM »
I have always liked Scalzo as well. I may not like everything that he writes, but the quantity of work is as it should be for a serious DI program, and he is only 1-man. I call that the "Elton John Syndrome". Elton created so many LP in the 70's and early 80's. Now, if you look at each of his songs over that 11-year period ...there was certainly a great amount of commercial crap, but there is about 3-lp's worth of great material there. Joe Scalzo will get the hang of writing a large number of articles ...he is doing more than fine now. Eventually the Vindy will be able to allow multiple writers

I think coach W was actually correct about the media, but it has no impact at this point. People need to develop a greater respect for coach W, before his words can mean anything. That has to start with himself.

People respected coaches H and T because of their performance on and off the field. Even when coach H was not having on-field success, the respect never left. Right now, coach Wolf is given no respect on or off the field.

Wolf has to realize that he made huge changes in the program. He is trying to create a finesse-team, in the birth-place of "smash-mouth" football. Sure, we (the fans) are not going to care if it is successful, but it is these changes that will become the first-thing people notice when the team is unsuccessful.

Coach T changed our program to an option-based team in the late 80's. He really came under some fire. He extinguished the fire with the success of the early-90's. He changed our team again in 1995 ...going to more of a pro-set offense. Again he came under fire in 95 & 96. However, the 1997 title run silenced the nay-Sayers once again. Coach W's early-season success silenced negative fans for a while ...but the past 5-weeks made the return of the negative fans so much worse.

I am willing to accept the idea that we just needed a win last week, but that is it. We need to develop a scout-team rotation program (get a couple regulars in there) and push our defense and special teams to the next level. I do not think that coach Shane's offenses are too difficult ...but maybe we installed a bit too much at once.

Offline Wick250

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Re: No winner in Wolford’s blame game
« Reply #6 on: November 09, 2012, 01:36:16 PM »
For far too long there had been a cozy relationship between the YSU athletic department and the local newspapers.  Scalzo is refreshing, talented, and his comments are fair and accurate.  The university made an enormous financial investment in Wolford and his staff.  It is ridiculous for him to expect that his failures will not be criticized.  And it is insulting to our fans, the good ones and the casual ones, to suggest that they do not understand exactly who is responsible for this nightmare of a season.