Kill Press Conference

[Moses87]

5 Bottom Lines:

1)AJ Barker was our best and most DYNAMIC offensive player....566 yards and 7 TD's on a team that's STARVING for offense. 18.6 yards per catch...Awesome production!

2)Barker's production should have warranted an assurance of a scholorship even when he got hurt. Just compare all the other so-called scholorship players and their production. Brandon Green??? Tufts-Crawford? The only other receiver close is Fruchte. Barker proved his worth and in my opinon is the main reason we are going bowling again. Anybody who can't see that he deserved a scholorship is fricking blind!

3)Jerry Kill failed to handle the situation properly. I'm sure most coaches have berated players in front of the whole team. I'm sure most coaches have lost their composure and temper when angered. Where Kill failed was in his private meeting where he refused to do the right thing and give Barker his scholorship. Stubburnness can be a positive but there are times when you have to admit your mistakes and move forward.

4)Jerry Kill lost his best offensive player and got his name slung around in the mudd...This story went national and whether or not Barker is exagerating or making false claims, Kill's reputation is severely smudged and damaged.

5)I've lost confidence in Jerry Kill. Our team has played scared and looked poorly coached in ALL of our road games(Including the Illinois game, which we only won because they are that bad). He could restore some of the lost confidence between now and January 1st but I've lost all optimism for his regime.

 

[Minnesotagg]

5 Bottom Lines:

1)AJ Barker was our best and most DYNAMIC offensive player....566 yards and 7 TD's on a team that's STARVING for offense. 18.6 yards per catch...Awesome production!

2)Barker's production should have warranted an assurance of a scholorship even when he got hurt. Just compare all the other so-called scholorship players and their production. Brandon Green??? Tufts-Crawford? The only other receiver close is Fruchte. Barker proved his worth and in my opinon is the main reason we are going bowling again. Anybody who can't see that he deserved a scholorship is fricking blind!

3)Jerry Kill failed to handle the situation properly. I'm sure most coaches have berated players in front of the whole team. I'm sure most coaches have lost their composure and temper when angered. Where Kill failed was in his private meeting where he refused to do the right thing and give Barker his scholorship. Stubburnness can be a positive but there are times when you have to admit your mistakes and move forward.

4)Jerry Kill lost his best offensive player and got his name slung around in the mudd...This story went national and whether or not Barker is exagerating or making false claims, Kill's reputation is severely smudged and damaged.

5)I've lost confidence in Jerry Kill. Our team has played scared and looked poorly coached in ALL of our road games(Including the Illinois game, which we only won because they are that bad). He could restore some of the lost confidence between now and January 1st but I've lost all optimism for his regime.

AJ Barker is a punk. I commend coach Kill for not giving into this little brat. We don't need self-centered momma boys on this team. I have more faith in coach Kill getting the job done than ever. Kill's reputation has been severely damaged? Good god man, no wonder this program hasn't won for years. Do you honestly think this is the first kid to leave a program because the coach yelled at him?

 

[Ski U Mah Gopher]

Moses, you never had confidence in any Minnesota coach. Why should this coach be different.

 

[Minnesotagg]

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.

Seriously? You think Kill should baby the kid so he doesn't run home to his mamma? Treat him with kid gloves because he is sensitive? Let me clue you in, football coaches yell. They scream. They humiliate. If you want a nice guy football coach you ought find one coaching in peewees, but this is big boy football. The kid isn't that good and the team is better off without him in the long run.

 

[OddStack]

5 Bottom Lines:

1)AJ Barker was our best and most DYNAMIC offensive player....566 yards and 7 TD's on a team that's STARVING for offense. 18.6 yards per catch...Awesome production!

2)Barker's production should have warranted an assurance of a scholorship even when he got hurt. Just compare all the other so-called scholorship players and their production. Brandon Green??? Tufts-Crawford? The only other receiver close is Fruchte. Barker proved his worth and in my opinon is the main reason we are going bowling again. Anybody who can't see that he deserved a scholorship is fricking blind!

3)Jerry Kill failed to handle the situation properly. I'm sure most coaches have berated players in front of the whole team. I'm sure most coaches have lost their composure and temper when angered. Where Kill failed was in his private meeting where he refused to do the right thing and give Barker his scholorship. Stubburnness can be a positive but there are times when you have to admit your mistakes and move forward.

4)Jerry Kill lost his best offensive player and got his name slung around in the mudd...This story went national and whether or not Barker is exagerating or making false claims, Kill's reputation is severely smudged and damaged.

5)I've lost confidence in Jerry Kill. Our team has played scared and looked poorly coached in ALL of our road games(Including the Illinois game, which we only won because they are that bad). He could restore some of the lost confidence between now and January 1st but I've lost all optimism for his regime.

How do you give a scholarship based on 4 career catches over a kicker that has produced for a season and is on his last? He did the right thing with the information he had at the time!

 

[Maximus]

According to Chip's new article, Jerry kill showed up at DL Wilhite's presentation in a scholars program shortly after a rough practice where he was berated. Calls Barker after his brother hits a game winning shot.

The man is a monster

 

[Gopher Gold]

According to Chip's new article, Jerry kill showed up at DL Wilhite's presentation in a scholars program shortly after a rough practice where he was berated. Calls Barker after his brother hits a game winning shot.

The man is a monster

Could you link that article, if you get a chance?

 

[jamiche]

Moses, you never had confidence in any Minnesota coach. Why should this coach be different.

What Minnesota coach has warranted much confidence?

 

[jamiche]

Seriously? You think Kill should baby the kid so he doesn't run home to his mamma? Treat him with kid gloves because he is sensitive? Let me clue you in, football coaches yell. They scream. They humiliate. If you want a nice guy football coach you ought find one coaching in peewees, but this is big boy football. The kid isn't that good and the team is better off without him in the long run.

Tough guy talk on an anonymous internet message board is ridiculously easy. Kill's job is to get the best out of people and he lost one of the best players on his team because he failed to read the situation. He had a kid who was a little immature but who didn't get into trouble and who tried damn hard. He gets paid to be the adult and to have some patience. Yelling at a sensitive kid in front of the team instead of taking him aside to let him know what he did wrong was a mistake. If he really treated him like "one of his daughters" then he would know that sometimes you have to count to ten.

 

[Parski1]

Tough guy talk on an anonymous internet message board is ridiculously easy. Kill's job is to get the best out of people and he lost one of the best players on his team because he failed to read the situation. He had a kid who was a little immature but who didn't get into trouble and who tried damn hard. He gets paid to be the adult and to have some patience. Yelling at a sensitive kid in front of the team instead of taking him aside to let him know what he did wrong was a mistake. If he really treated him like "one of his daughters" then he would know that sometimes you have to count to ten.

Yelling at a sensitive kid? Wow....just think how Barker would do in military training. He would cry and crumble.

 

[bleedsmaroonandgold]

Did Barker deserve a scholarship and did is he acting like an idiot are two totally different questions. Assuming that Barker was doing nothing wrong behind the scenes at practice (which isn't necessarily a given), I think he has a fair point that he deserved a scholarship. There are also reasons why Kill wouldn't offer him one. I would harbor no ill-will if Barker waited until the end of the season, and said "alright, I have given it my all here at Minnesota, apparently this isn't the right fit going forward, and I am going to move on to a school that has offered me a scholarship. I would like to thank Coach Kill and the Gopher fans for all of their support during my time here". He didn't do that, he threw a temper tantrum. The players that I want are the players who get yelled at at practice, say "that's the last time I make that mistake", put their heads down, and go to work. That is the kind of player I tried to be playing hockey growing up (and anybody who has seen the quality of my game would know that I earned quite a few angry tongue lashings over the years).

 

[GopherInPittsburgh]

Could you link that article, if you get a chance?

From BleedGopher:

Chip Scoggins: Exacting coach, self-reliant player bound to disagree

Kill wanted to set a new tone and new standard for doing things, and he zeroed in on Kirksey.

"It was never a personal attack on me," he said. "I never thought anything that was said or done to any of the guys while I was there was a personal attack on anybody. There's a method to the madness."

Did he ever consider that method a form of abuse?

"No, not at all," Kirksey said. "Anything he said to me or any other guys, it was always a way to get guys to push themselves to be better than they were. I like to believe that he loves the program, he loves the guys. He's not the type of person that he's being accused of. I hate to see him being looked down on."

http://www.startribune.com/sports/go...180071341.html

Go Gophers!!

 

[tpbeight]

5 Bottom Lines:

1)AJ Barker was our best and most DYNAMIC offensive player....566 yards and 7 TD's on a team that's STARVING for offense. 18.6 yards per catch...Awesome production!

2)Barker's production should have warranted an assurance of a scholorship even when he got hurt. Just compare all the other so-called scholorship players and their production. Brandon Green??? Tufts-Crawford? The only other receiver close is Fruchte. Barker proved his worth and in my opinon is the main reason we are going bowling again. Anybody who can't see that he deserved a scholorship is fricking blind!

3)Jerry Kill failed to handle the situation properly. I'm sure most coaches have berated players in front of the whole team. I'm sure most coaches have lost their composure and temper when angered. Where Kill failed was in his private meeting where he refused to do the right thing and give Barker his scholorship. Stubburnness can be a positive but there are times when you have to admit your mistakes and move forward.

4)Jerry Kill lost his best offensive player and got his name slung around in the mudd...This story went national and whether or not Barker is exagerating or making false claims, Kill's reputation is severely smudged and damaged.

5)I've lost confidence in Jerry Kill. Our team has played scared and looked poorly coached in ALL of our road games(Including the Illinois game, which we only won because they are that bad). He could restore some of the lost confidence between now and January 1st but I've lost all optimism for his regime.

1. AJ Barker......dynamic? NO. Most productive early in the year? Yes.

2. Barker the main reason we're going bowling again? NO. Not even close.

3. You don't give in to whiny, disrespectful players. Not if you have any hope of running and controlling a team in the long term. As soon as kids know that acting out is a way to get what they want, that's what you're going to get. Kill sets the conditions, the players comply. There can be no other way.

4. AJ Barker the best offensive player? NO. Not even the most important. Nelson, Kirkwood, Ed Olson Jr. & Campion are better players or at least more crucial to the success of the offense.

5. You've lost confidence in Jerry Kill? Is it because he's taking the Gophers to a bowl in his second season? Is it the 6 wins? Is it the obvious improvement of the team? Is it his last recruiting class, many of which are now playing as true freshmen?

 

[Moses87]

Did you see the UNLV Game? Losing and going nowhere fast, Barker took a short hitch route and beat his man along the sidelines and went 45 yards, setting up our first points.

Did you see the Western Michigan game? With Gray out of the game and Gophers teetering on the brink, it was AJ Barker who scored 2 quick TD's before the half to essentially win that game for us.

Did you see the Purdue game? Once again, it was Barker who made huge plays and scored two TD's lifting the Gophers to a huge win.

His yards per catch avg of 18.8 is DYNAMIC! 7 TD's in 8 games is Dynamic on a team that's starved for points. Are his numbers and production dynamic on a prolific offense? Of course not..but he's had to endure 3 different QB's and ALL of them found AJ more often than other players...3 QB's all agreed that he was the best option...Is AJ going to win the Biletnikoff award or set the NFL on fire? Of course not! But in our pedestrian offense, he stood out because he made the most big plays...

I've lost confidence in Coach Kill because he let his own stubburness get in the way of doing the right thing. He should have reassured Barker that he was going to get that scholie. But Kill didn't wanna waste a scholie on a Brewster holdover...Now, he's got a PR nightmare on his hands...Good luck, recruiting now.

More on the lack of confidence stuff. Why is it that the Gophers came out at Iowa so flat and scared looking? The same team that dominated Syracuse a week earlier looked scared and un-prepared. That was a re-occuring theme for this team on the road. A lot of that comes down to preparation and coaching. Where were the in-game adjustments at Iowa when our right side of our defensive line allowed Weismann (he of the 4.9 40) to rumble for 200 yards thru gaping holes?

Of course I saw progress too, but its not hard to improve when you inherit the 100th best program in the nation...So, now he's elevated us to the top 65 perhaps...But I don't see him taking us much higher. He had 2 years to work with a terrific QB prospect in Gray didn't really show any sign of improving before his injury. His recruiting has already been quite poor and the Gophers are consistently ranked 11th or 12th in the Big Ten since he came on board. So, aside from tight wins over UNLV, Western Michigan and Syracuse, why exactly should we be sold on Kill?

 

[dpodoll68]

I've lost confidence in Coach Kill because he let his own stubburness get in the way of doing the right thing.

Whether it's "objectively" "right" or "wrong", Kill's way IS the right way for all practical purposes. That's the way it is, and they way it has to be. If his way is not "the right way", he will be shown the door in due time. As long as he has an office at Bierman, his way is inherently and unequivocally "the right way". That's what many posting about Barkergate don't seem to understand.

But Kill didn't wanna waste a scholie on a Brewster holdover

BS.

Good luck, recruiting now.

Also BS.

More on the lack of confidence stuff. Why is it that the Gophers came out at Iowa so flat and scared looking? The same team that dominated Syracuse a week earlier looked scared and un-prepared. That was a re-occuring theme for this team on the road.

You mean the Gophers play much better at home than on the road?!?!? Surely this is a unique development among sports teams!!!1!

Gray didn't really show any sign of improving before his injury.

Did you actually watch any of the games he played in? Moreover, do you have access to, and an ability to read an understand, statistics? Do you understand how a standings column works?

So, aside from tight wins over UNLV, Western Michigan and Syracuse, why exactly should we be sold on Kill?

I may interfere with the curriculum your rudimentary math instructor is working on with you, but 6>3. Bowl>no bowl. Hope this helps.

Let us know when your "Nelson to TE" campaign is going to start.

 

[OddStack]

dpo,

You can't reason with ignorance! Let Moses build his case as to why Les Steckel should be our next coach rather than continue to type garbage about this issue.