So i am trying to figure out if this is a blind Kool-Aid Forum or an exchange of opinion and
ideas. The latter makes this forum much more interesting. It feels like its 2007 all over again.
People who dared to criticize Brewster were jumped on and made out to be idiots.
+10000
It seems to me that whenever there's a disagreement on Gopherhole (which is just about always), there's rarely any meaningful or insightful analysis provided. Instead, people simply make conclusory statements. To bolster their conclusions even more, they cut people down and add forceful language. Intellectual honesty is demonstrated when a person admits that they have no idea whether or not something is true. If you can't understand, discuss and acknowledge all sides of an issue, and do so without attacking another individual, that's a pretty good indicator that you have little-to-no integrity.
In this particular case, most of us have little to no idea what's transpiring in the Gopher football program. Even the statement by Kill regarding the "65 players" they have to monitor for attending class, we have no idea how accurate that is or what that means in terms of grades. Most if not all of us have little to no idea whether Kill is an honest man. Instead, we hear what he says and jump to conclusions that he's an honest, straightforward man. If you're a really honest person, you would say "... we have no idea how honest this man is or how well he assesses things, whether he's a bit of a drama queen or whether he's really conservative in his statements". His demeanor and approach seem to really resonate with many Minnesotans. He comes off as "one of us". Therefore, he must be a great guy. Why don't we just stop trying to judge the man, and simply evaluate what we see? As Coach Kill has said many times, "I hear what you're saying, but I trust what you do".
Speaking of judging, there seems to be a lot of judging of what's on the minds of our players too. In fact, many people on here speak as if they know without a doubt that "these players have no discipline", "these players have given up", "these players haven't bought in", "these players are not very good", "these players haven't had enough reps", and so on and so forth. Well, guess what; if those brilliant folks were honest, they would add "or, perhaps the coaches are confusing the players", "or perhaps the coaches have humiliated the players", "or, perhaps the coaches have done a poor job of teaching", "or, perhaps Kill took the wrong approach with these kids". I don't understand human behavior any more or less than the next guy. But, I find it hard to believe that most of these kids aren't trying as hard as they can, giving it their all, working their butts off. I also find it hard to believe that our players are so unbelievably inferior to players at NDSU or NMSU. I also find it hard to believe they haven't bought in. In fact, I've heard players say just the opposite.
I also find it a little too convenient how so many people on here claim to know that Brewster ran and left a chaotic, undisciplined mess. Most if not all of you have no clue whether Brewster let the players do whatever they wanted or not. "But wait", you say, "I know so-and-so and he told me it was like vacationing at a resort in Brewster's program". So, in your mind that makes it true? Based on what I observed, Brewster was very involved with his players and did demand accountability. Everything else is just inflammatory speculation. Even individuals in the program would give differing accounts of how Brewster ran the program. That's just how life works. I'm sure there are people out there who think you're the greatest guy in the world, and others who think you're the biggest asshole they've ever met. Opinions are meaningless and irrelevant. What matters is how the other person experienced you.
Let's just be honest about what we see. Some people have certainly tried doing that on Gopherhole, but they just get blasted, berated and written off that they don't know what they're talking about. Statements like "you obviously never played college football" simply demonstrate how ignorant and arrogant the statement maker is. Why can't you articulate with intelligent analysis why you feel a certain way, and while you're doing it, admit that this may or may not be the case? Do you think that makes you less of a man?
As an example, many of us on here have noticed that McKnight has demonstrated behavior on the field that is not indicative of a positive, team-oriented player. Some may write it off to "frustration", others may see nothing wrong with his behavior, and others may not even notice what we're talking about. Nonetheless, is it not fair to ask: "has Coach Kill put up with this?" Coach has intimated that he won't stand for that crap. I sort of expected Coach to do something very serious about it. I thought he would bench the kid and tell him his services were no longer wanted. Instead, he kept playing him. To me, it seems like Coach is sending mixed signals on what he truly stands for. Do I know that for sure? Of course not. But it's what I've observed. And that's the key word "OBSERVE". I don't know anything more about it, and I can't make any conclusions. But I can say, "i'm a little surprised at what I've observed". That's all.
We've all observed other incidents on the field that have caused us to ask, "is this a coaching thing or a player thing?" In reality, none of us really know. All we can do is judge the results. Have we seen any progress? Some would say "yes" and others would say "no". Have we regressed? Some would say "yes" and others would say "no". But there's no definitive answer. Just like there's no definitive answer whether only three players on the team are giving it their all, as some have said on here. You can certainly give your observation. But to disparage a player without really knowing what's in a kids mind and heart is absurd. How can you possibly come to that conclusion? To another, it may look like he's trying harder than he ever has.
So, you're probably wondering "what the hell is this guy's point"? My point is, stop judging situations and people. Stop saying Kill is definitely the answer to our program, and stop saying Kill is over his head. We have no clue what's going to happen. Stop saying "Kill is blaming the players" and "Kill is accepting blame". Anyone can say they are taking some of the blame. What does that mean? What are the ramifications of that? Is Kill putting a "Goofer" shirt on himself and walking around campus? Of course not. It means absolutely nothing that he's putting some of the blame on the coaching staff. Is it going to affect his contract? Is it going to reduce the time he's given to turn the program around? Does he have to run extra laps? Does he skip a meal? Does he go without dessert? Do the players play better as a result? Do they try harder because he says it? Those of you who think that because he accepts some of the blame, that makes him a great guy. Let me tell you folks, the fact he has taken some of the blame is not relevant to whether he's going to turn this program around or whether he's a "stand up" guy. Please, stop talking about it. It's inane. All that matters is whether things are getting better, worse, or staying the same. And the honest answer to that is: "we really don't know yet". All we really know is that we're 1-5 and have been destroyed the past two games. Just accept that and leave it at that. You don't need to pretend like you know what the reasons are or what the problems are. Because none of us really know.
