Kill Press Conference

Donate To GopherHole
So AJ lied about being called a faggot? Doubt it.
 

Johnnyboy18 said:
So AJ lied about being called a faggot? Doubt it.
Click to expand...

He has already been established as someone willing to say whatever he wants on the internet. He's also been established as an atheist. Put these two things together and there is no way that if this were true he wouldn't be making a bigger deal out of this. It only gets mentioned as an aside in his letter, like he's not even upset.
 


Go4Broke said:
People who know Tony Dungy have never seen him scream at and belittle one of his players as long as they have known him. And there are many other very successful coaches past and present who have never done it either. A mature person doesn't need to raise his voice to motivate people. By many accounts Jerry Kill is a red-faced little tyrant who often loses control of his emotions and apparently feels comfortable treating 21 year old college football players like his children. This whole fiasco is on Kill because he has progresses beyond a one size fits all coaching style which apparently worked for him in the minor leagues.
Click to expand...

There's only one way to coach, and that's the Tony Dungy way. No other coach in the history of football has won games and won the respect of his players by doing it differently. So Bill Parcells, Bill Belicheck, John Madden, Bo Pellini, Steve Spurrier, Will Muschamp, Brian Kelly..........they're all doing it wrong. It's too bad nobody ever told those guys how to motivate players or they might have won some big games and had a little success.
 

The likely national championship matchup could feature Saban vs Brian Kelly, two fellas known for their mild-tempers.
 



Feel like the U and Kill are spot on. Inmates can't run the asylum. There has to be some organization and order with 120 kids on board. AJ got out of line, then got cranky when he was corrected, took his ball and went home.

The rub, of course is the attention its getting....and losing Barker's on the field production. I won't miss his attitude, but I will miss the 7 TD's. Offense has sputtered since the Purdue game it seems.
 

Halsey Hall said:
Reading what Barker tweeted re his girlfriend makes it look like he sees himself as a victim.
A victim would rather have you feel sorry for him than take a situation to Kill like a man and have a discussion. If Kill doesn't satisfy you, then you go to Norwood. Schmidt and Doogie said he should have gone right to Norwood. That makes no sense.
Click to expand...

Im still confused about his "girlfriend" tweeting screed. Is "girlfriend" a reference to (a) Kill, (b) his mom's friend, or (c) his actual girlfriend? Dude makes my head hurt
 

Go4Broke said:
apparently feels comfortable treating 21 year old college football players like his children
Click to expand...

Kill's daughters are both 21 and over. What the hell does age have to do with it? Most 21 year olds, especially athletes, are effectively children and should be treated as such. If they weren't children, they wouldn't need someone looking over their shoulder forcing them to go to class and get their homework done. You earn the right to be treated like an adult when you start acting like one.
 



John Galt said:
Go4Broke said:
Kill is no silver tongued orator when things are going good. His opening statement at the press conference was pathetic. It provides plenty of clues how he treats players when nobody is watching. People need to ask themselves this question: If Tony Dungy was coaching the Gophers would this situation have happened?[/QUOTE]

Who cares. He never coached the Gophers.
Click to expand...

+1
Click to expand...
 

zambam said:
He's also been established as an atheist. Put these two things together and there is no way that if this were true he wouldn't be making a bigger deal out of this. It only gets mentioned as an aside in his letter, like he's not even upset.
Click to expand...

What does that have to do with anything?
 

Go4Broke said:
People who know Tony Dungy have never seen him scream at and belittle one of his players as long as they have known him. And there are many other very successful coaches past and present who have never done it either. A mature person doesn't need to raise his voice to motivate people. By many accounts Jerry Kill is a red-faced little tyrant who often loses control of his emotions and apparently feels comfortable treating 21 year old college football players like his children. This whole fiasco is on Kill because he has progresses beyond a one size fits all coaching style which apparently worked for him in the minor leagues.
Click to expand...

The bold part. I haven't known a single "MATURE" coach in my life then, if that is the case. And, I think I have had some GREAT coaches throughout my life. IMO. Just because someone raises there voice to get a point across doesn't make them less mature. Especially in a coaching scenario when you are supposed to be competing at the highest level of CFB.

Can't say I would agree with anything you are saying in the least bit.
 

dpodoll68 said:
Kill's daughters are both 21 and over. What the hell does age have to do with it? Most 21 year olds, especially athletes, are effectively children and should be treated as such. If they weren't children, they wouldn't need someone looking over their shoulder forcing them to go to class and get their homework done. You earn the right to be treated like an adult when you start acting like one.
Click to expand...

+ 1. Nicely said Dpo.
 



When this story first broke, I was reticent to condemn or condone Coach Kill's actions...I'm definately not happy with how Barker handled things but ultimately, the man making 2 mil a season is responsible for everything that happens within his program.

The more I think about it, the more upset I'm getting at Coach Kill. Barker had earned a scholorship by proving himself to be the best receiver on the team from UNLV right through to his injury. This is a situation that could have been avoided if Coach Kill had simply done the right thing and given Barker the assurance that his production would be rewarded. It sounds like Coach Kill was trying to save a scholie but if you can't reward a walk-on who fought his way thru injuries to become the team's best offensive weapon, then who can you reward?

My final conclusions on this matter:

A)Kill's judgement was poor in holding the scholie over Barker's head...He should have reassured him long ago...I almost believe he didn't give it to him because Barker wasn't one of his own recruits.

B)Kill's handling of the disgruntled albeit valuable player was poor.

C)His tirade on Thursday (if it went down as AJ suggests) sounds like it was waaaaaay over the top.

D)I believe AJ's story about the slur but also believe Coach Kill didn't witness it.

E)I have lost some confidence in Coach Kill's ability to run a program.

F)Not ready to call for his FIRING but if more garbage comes out about Kill or members of his staff abusing players, I say let's move on.
 

Moses, I believe you are overreacting to this. If more players had come out in support of Barker, I would agree. But we haven't seen much.

Also, just so you know Kill gets 1.2 million, not 2.
 

zambam said:
Moses, I believe you are overreacting to this. If more players had come out in support of Barker, I would agree. But we haven't seen much.

Also, just so you know Kill gets 1.2 million, not 2.
Click to expand...

Would you agree with my points A thru E?
 

Moses87 said:
Would you agree with my points A thru E?
Click to expand...

A and D. I would have mentioned something to Barker that if he kept up with his rehab and was able to perform in the bowl game, there is no way he wasn't getting a scholarship. I probably wouldn't have guaranteed it. I also think Barker being called a faggot by a assistant and Kill not knowing is completely plausible.

On the others, I likely would have reacted similarly (I don't believe Barker's story on how over the tirade was). The guy openly admitted to not doing what the training staff was telling him to do. You can't have that out of a star player and it needs to be known that that behavior is not acceptable no matter who it is.
 

Moses87 said:
When this story first broke, I was reticent to condemn or condone Coach Kill's actions...I'm definately not happy with how Barker handled things but ultimately, the man making 2 mil a season is responsible for everything that happens within his program.

The more I think about it, the more upset I'm getting at Coach Kill. Barker had earned a scholorship by proving himself to be the best receiver on the team from UNLV right through to his injury. This is a situation that could have been avoided if Coach Kill had simply done the right thing and given Barker the assurance that his production would be rewarded. It sounds like Coach Kill was trying to save a scholie but if you can't reward a walk-on who fought his way thru injuries to become the team's best offensive weapon, then who can you reward?

My final conclusions on this matter:

A)Kill's judgement was poor in holding the scholie over Barker's head...He should have reassured him long ago...I almost believe he didn't give it to him because Barker wasn't one of his own recruits.

B)Kill's handling of the disgruntled albeit valuable player was poor.

C)His tirade on Thursday (if it went down as AJ suggests) sounds like it was waaaaaay over the top.

D)I believe AJ's story about the slur but also believe Coach Kill didn't witness it.

E)I have lost some confidence in Coach Kill's ability to run a program.

F)Not ready to call for his FIRING but if more garbage comes out about Kill or members of his staff abusing players, I say let's move on.
Click to expand...

From the sound of things Barker turned into a little brat when he didn't get his schollie. IMO that very action justifies Kill in not giving it to him. Grow up and be a man, do what your coaches ask you do do and he likely would have gotten it but that isn't what happended.
 

Moses87 said:
The more I think about it, the more upset I'm getting at Coach Kill
Click to expand...

I had the exact opposite reaction. Hard to see what Kill did wrong here, even if everything this bell end says is true. Kill absolutely smothered this story in his presser. He said he wishes AJ well and he's sorry it turned out this way. But, practice is open and if you want to know how I [Kill] coach the kids, all you have to do is come and see. Game. Set. Match.

How can you accuse Kill of having poor judgment, he recognized the talent and started a walk on with 1 career reception. This kid owes the fact that we even know his name to coach Kill's judgment. Furthermore, Kill said he'd have given the scholly next year. Plus, schollys are not something you can fling around like candy, you have to follow NCAA rules on timing, and consider where you're going to need them for recruiting. If anything Kill's judgment was poor only b/c he didn't kick this headcase off the team long ago.

Why would you believe this dude's story about anything? He's shown himself to be a tool of the first order, I believe nothing he says. I don't even believe that his mom's friends think he's good cheese.
 


When lesser players are getting free room and board and you're paying your own way, I can totally empathize with Barker. He deserved a scholie but it sounds like Kill simply didn't wanna reward him because he wasn't one his guys.
 

Moses87 said:
When lesser players are getting free room and board and you're paying your own way, I can totally empathize with Barker. He deserved a scholie but it sounds like Kill simply didn't wanna reward him because he wasn't one his guys.
Click to expand...

Prior to this year he had more drops than catches. UNLV game he had 3 for 100 yards. Good game, but scholarship worthy? For real?
 

Moses87 said:
When lesser players are getting free room and board and you're paying your own way, I can totally empathize with Barker. He deserved a scholie but it sounds like Kill simply didn't wanna reward him because he wasn't one his guys.
Click to expand...

That's one interpretation of what happened.

Another interpretation is that Barker (admittedly) wasn't listening to the trainers, who then decided to perform his own diagnosis and treatment, then berated the trainers and Kill found that behavior unbecoming of someone who deserved a scholarship.
 

Moses87 said:
When lesser players are getting free room and board and you're paying your own way, I can totally empathize with Barker. He deserved a scholie but it sounds like Kill simply didn't wanna reward him because he wasn't one his guys.
Click to expand...

Didn't sound that way to me at all. Kill was right to not give it to him given the tirade he has gone on when he didn't get his way. Mommy and daddy are paying his way anyway so what does he care about the money. It was simply status to him. We don't need someone with an ego like that on the team.
 

was funny when a 21 yr old says that his dad doesn't mind paying the tuition.
 

proudgopher said:
Can't agree with you on this one, Go4. Kill has every right to insist that his players follow his rules and the U's procedure for handling this type of grievance. Barker was way out line going public with this. Second, he quit on his team and on us fans before the season had ended. He could have at least been ready for the bowl game. Finally, he whined about not being awarded a scholarship. Kill said that this would be discussed after the season. Remember, he only played in a handful of games in his short Gopher career.
Click to expand...


Would somebody answer this for me: did AJ quit on the Gophers or did Coach Kill tell AJ that scholarships are a dime a dozen? From AJ's perspective, it might be that he heard from 2 sets of coaches over the years that if he worked hard, produced, he might have a chance at a scholarship. I wasn't there. Nobody on GH was there. Yet, we have a few hundred guys claiming to know what is right and wrong here without giving the question a chance to be answered before there are a 100 childish counter rants. I'm trying to be open minded to both situations and so far all I am reading is not so clever torts and retorts.

My questions are the following: Was Coach Kill and his staff pressuring an injured player to play before that player thought it was safe to play on that limb? Did Jerry Kill claim that any player who performs on the field well can earn a scholarship? Was AJ Barker part of a discussion with Kill about scholarships? Did the trainer blow up at AJ or did AJ blow up at him? What were the underlying issues that resulted in the argument? Why do non scholarship athletes play at all on the team when they are not compensated like other athletes, e.g., the scholarship? Why would any coach go after a guy like AJ to play during the Nebraska game when the player has already committed several years of service without anything but an annual dinner and a thank you? Isn't that just evidence that the coaches have more invested in the record than in the player?

This is a real effed up situation that isn't fair to anybody. I think the best situation is for AJ to return to the team, an apology given for any angry words, and the promise of a semester scholarship for leading the team in receptions while the scholar athletes suck!

There! My bias came out after all. My wifes a b#h!! My @)%^&U are all @O(U#$%Y. And, so are yours!!! Take that! Bunch of OUU)@#$)(#40
 

It sounds like Kill wanted AJ to prove he could stay healthy before he was rewarded with a scholarship...looks to me like Kill made the right decision. I usually don't subscribe to the theory of players being inherently "injury-prone" but if you don't put in the work that professional scientists prescribe, I can see why he can't get on the field. It would have been a wasted scholarship long-term on this "me-first" diva of a wide receiver.

The war on science continues...
 

After reflecting on this situation some more and hearing the Barker interviews, I have become pretty convinced of the following:

1. Barker is likely exaggerating the verbal abuse etc. being dished out by Kill

2. Barker was desperate to get a scholarship (probably to prove something to his highschool coach or whomever) and was anxious to have some assurance given his performance that one was coming his way

3. Barker's injury and missed games heightened his anxiety about receiving a scholarship and the worsening of his condition before the Michigan game probably made him even more paranoid about receiving one

4. Kill, as part of his make players tough spiel, thought it would be a good idea to hold the scholarship over Barker's head as "motivation" to get him back on the field quicker (given no MRI was done until very recently he likely had little knowledge of the extent of Barker's injury). It's probably a tactic he has has used in the past with players he thought were being too soft, etc.

5. Kill's games with the scholarship caused Barker (who was already in a fragile / anxiety ridden mental state regarding the scholarship) to snap, leading to him becoming completely unhinged.

The rest is history. Bottom line, while Kill probably couldn't have totally seen this coming, I think he completely mishandled the situation and, as a result, lost the best receiver on the football team, which will impact the remainder of this year and next. This isn't the end of the world and Kill's job should be safe, but I think it highlights the fact that Jerry needs to re-assess, a bit, his tough-man, aw-shucks, break-down players and build-them up schtick. I am not saying there needs to be a radical change (because it is clearly what works for him), but some tweaking to deal with the higher-ego / higher-talent players he is going to need to compete for B1G relevancy. You're not in the MAC anymore, Jerry.
 

Studwell55 said:
Why don't schools have a zero-tolerance policy for any athlete writing on the internet for any and all school-related matters?

It could be simple. "If you talk about the University or the team, you're gone."

It's for the good of the student.
Click to expand...

Being that we can't keep our star basketball players from contacting females who have restraining orders against them on the web, we may not want to toughen the internet restrictions.
 

dpodoll68 said:
Kill's daughters are both 21 and over. What the hell does age have to do with it? Most 21 year olds, especially athletes, are effectively children and should be treated as such. If they weren't children, they wouldn't need someone looking over their shoulder forcing them to go to class and get their homework done. You earn the right to be treated like an adult when you start acting like one.
Click to expand...

So how did treating Barker like a child work out for Kill and his team? From where I stand Kill lost his best receiver (by far) and gave huge amount of ammunition to every recruiter the Gophers will compete for players against in the next few years. Kill could not possibly have handled this whole situation with Barker any worse than he did. With a little bit more communication and dialogue and a lot less screaming and demeaning verbal abuse Barker would still be on the team and would be a huge weapon for us next year. Kill is an ass and he has been right from the start. I can't believe you guys are buying his aw-shucks BS.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.



Top Bottom