Kill on sideline or in booth?

[CentralGopher]

For the bowl game? Any thoughts or preferences on this? I think I'd like to seem him back on the sideline since that's where head coaches usually are and where he is supposed to be at his best provided his health is back to where it needs to be.

 

[e.bigelow]

I think he should stay in the booth for this final game for continuity. Then, it can be re-examined after the season is over. But, if he decides to go back down, I am totally fine with that as well as I really want to see him back on the sidelines because I am sure that is what he wants. His decision.

 

[t-docious]

I wnat him back on the sideline getting after refs and all that, but he should stay in the booth for the bowl and thnk about a return next year.

 

[AF_Howie_2180]

I'd be happy if I was driving down 35 and looked over and gave him a friendly nod

 

[minibeaver]

For the bowl game? Any thoughts or preferences on this? I think I'd like to seem him back on the sideline since that's where head coaches usually are and where he is supposed to be at his best provided his health is back to where it needs to be.

I am ok with him being wherever "they"- including him- thinks he needs to be. I have wondered if this will end up being a permanent move (especially given the fact it hasn't seemed to affect play on the field)
The reason I say that is because I think "they" are afraid of another episode on the field, and the potential negative aspects of that. Maybe Kill is starting to warm up to the idea also, at least from the interviews I have heard he seems to appreciate being able to see everything from up there.

Anybody else think this could end up being the new normal? Kill in the box, Claeys on the sideline?

 

[short ornery norwegian]

how about this: Kill spends 1st half in the booth. Comes down at halftime to talk to the team, and spends the
second half on the sideline.

 

[MNVCGUY]

I am ok with him being wherever "they"- including him- thinks he needs to be. I have wondered if this will end up being a permanent move (especially given the fact it hasn't seemed to affect play on the field)
The reason I say that is because I think "they" are afraid of another episode on the field, and the potential negative aspects of that. Maybe Kill is starting to warm up to the idea also, at least from the interviews I have heard he seems to appreciate being able to see everything from up there.

Anybody else think this could end up being the new normal? Kill in the box, Claeys on the sideline?

Going to be interesting to watch it play out. The fact that he is not willing to say for sure one way or the other makes me think he will be back on the sideline for the bowl game. Leading up to all the other games since he came back he has left no doubt as to where he would be coaching from.

The part we have no real way of knowing is where things stand on his seizure treatment. I don't believe there have been any reported incidents but who knows what happens outside the public view. If they do finally have a strong handle on his condition then I could see him having a desire to return to the sidelines because as much as he can appreciate the view from the booth, he has been on the sidelines for most of his career and I would bet no matter what he says that is where he wants to be coaching from.

I am sure it is a really tough decision to make though because even if he feels like they have his condition under control, another sideline incident, especially in his first game back on the sideline would cast a major cloud over his long term prospects of being able to manage his seizures. The safe choice would be to stay in the box for the bowl game and revisit the idea of coaching from the sidelines next season but obviously he is going to make the decision that he thinks is right for him.

 

[minibeaver]

how about this: Kill spends 1st half in the booth. Comes down at halftime to talk to the team, and spends the
second half on the sideline.

I'm good with that. It would be cool for him to celebrate a win on the FIELD this bowl season!

 

[Governor Sibley]

He can spend the rest of his career in the booth so far as I'm concerned.

 

[minibeaver]

Going to be interesting to watch it play out. The fact that he is not willing to say for sure one way or the other makes me think he will be back on the sideline for the bowl game. Leading up to all the other games since he came back he has left no doubt as to where he would be coaching from.

The part we have no real way of knowing is where things stand on his seizure treatment. I don't believe there have been any reported incidents but who knows what happens outside the public view. If they do finally have a strong handle on his condition then I could see him having a desire to return to the sidelines because as much as he can appreciate the view from the booth, he has been on the sidelines for most of his career and I would bet no matter what he says that is where he wants to be coaching from.

I am sure it is a really tough decision to make though because even if he feels like they have his condition under control, another sideline incident, especially in his first game back on the sideline would cast a major cloud over his long term prospects of being able to manage his seizures. The safe choice would be to stay in the box for the bowl game and revisit the idea of coaching from the sidelines next season but obviously he is going to make the decision that he thinks is right for him.

Agree with all of this. I do think he would rather be on the sidelines if there were no risks to doing so. It is interesting he hasn't said definitively where he would be yet for the bowl game as well. I still wonder if his docs have said that part of his new regiment for controlling his disease is to stay away from the stress of the sidelines, or if he himself has weighed the risks/ rewards of sideline vs booth and decided booth was best for the program. I guess we will find out one way or the other soon. For the record I'm good with whatever, but it would be nice for him to celebrate a win on the field.

 

[Nokomis]

how about this: Kill spends 1st half in the booth. Comes down at halftime to talk to the team, and spends the
second half on the sideline.

He could pull a Narduzzi and come down to the field after the game is sewn up.

 

[Lakeville Goldy]

I am ok with him being wherever "they"- including him- thinks he needs to be. I have wondered if this will end up being a permanent move (especially given the fact it hasn't seemed to affect play on the field)
The reason I say that is because I think "they" are afraid of another episode on the field, and the potential negative aspects of that. Maybe Kill is starting to warm up to the idea also, at least from the interviews I have heard he seems to appreciate being able to see everything from up there.

Anybody else think this could end up being the new normal? Kill in the box, Claeys on the sideline?

I obviously have no inside information or anything, but I could see this becoming the new normal as you say. It could be a way to get Claeys a healthy raise by making him co-head coach or whatever title they want to give him. But as long as Kill's docs say he can be on the sideline, it should be up to him.

I certainly hope the decision isn't based off being afraid of an on field episode just on a public opinion basis (rather than a health basis) as that's not fair to Kill. People have seizures every day in public places. I can't imagine telling him to stay in the box because you don't want anyone to see him if he does happen to have a seizure. If that happens Souhan wins. Coach Kill has a medical condition. That condition means at any given time, regardless of treatment, regardless of what he's doing, regardless of the amount of stress there is a chance he can have a seizure. No matter how long he goes without a seizure, there will always be a chance he has another one. Period. That is the reality of Epilepsy. There is no cure. There is no guarantee any treatment will ever be 100%.

I hope he finds a treatment that is successful so that he never has another seizure. But there will never be a guarantee of that. If he goes for ten years without a seizure, there could still be one the next day. So unless a doctor determines his health is at risk with him being on the sideline, the decision needs to be Kill's. Hiding him like he's some kind of monster is insulting to him and demeaning to everyone who has Epilepsy. If they do that they might as well say no interviews, because he could have one on camera. And no public appearances.

And as long as the team is successful, frankly I don't are if he coaches from the sidelines, the booth, or sniffers' row at Rick's Cabaret. Whatever works for the team, the assistants and him.

 

[ruppertflywheel]

I think he should stay in the booth. Stay the course with his treatment recovery of becoming seizure free. Back on the
field next fall if all is well.

 

[Ogee Ogilthorpe]

He can spend the rest of his career in the booth so far as I'm concerned.

I would be fine with this, or even if he coached from a helicopter over the stadium.

For the life of me, I don't know why anyone cares. I'm fairly confident that this issues looms the largest with the contingent of folks that wouldn't be disappointed if he failed.

 

[mnsports1]

I would be fine with this, or even if he coached from a helicopter over the stadium.

For the life of me, I don't know why anyone cares. I'm fairly confident that this issues looms the largest with the contingent of folks that wouldn't be disappointed if he failed.

Maybe Kill doesn't care, but I would love to see him take the "Gatorade Shower," and celebrate immediately with his boys after the game.

 

[killme]

...I certainly hope the decision isn't based off being afraid of an on field episode just on a public opinion basis (rather than a health basis) as that's not fair to Kill. People have seizures every day in public places. I can't imagine telling him to stay in the box because you don't want anyone to see him if he does happen to have a seizure. If that happens Souhan wins.

I've read all the comments in this thread and I wouldn't be surprised if the biggest reason for him staying in the booth is, unfortunately, the fear of another sideline seizure. Kill has admitted he's stubborn, but I also think he's a great leader and may have made the decision to stay off the field because of that percentage of people that are uncomfortable with a public seizure. I think he belongs on the field, where he wants to be.

 

[MNVCGUY]

I've read all the comments in this thread and I wouldn't be surprised if the biggest reason for him staying in the booth is, unfortunately, the fear of another sideline seizure. Kill has admitted he's stubborn, but I also think he's a great leader and may have made the decision to stay off the field because of that percentage of people that are uncomfortable with a public seizure. I think he belongs on the field, where he wants to be.

I actually doubt his decision has anything to do with public perception of him having a seizure on the sideline. It would seem pretty clear from the way that they have handled things that the pressure and stress of the gameday sideline was viewed as at the very least a contributing factor to his seizures. Kill's goal in this is to not have a gameday episode period, regardless of where it happens. If being in the press box is helping him avoid seizures then it makes sense not to risk it by returning to the sideline until he is positive that doing so is not going to increase the risk of one happening again.

He knows as the coach he needs to be there, whether that means press box or sideline it doesn't really matter as long as he is there and able to be actively involved in the game management. Worst case scenario for him at this point would be to return to the sideline for the bowl game and have a seizure at some point during the game.