(has anyone ever seen a bright, sunny night?)
Anyway...I woke up at o'dark thirty and had nothing better to do after fixing the coffee and letting the dogs out, so I read a bunch of Oregon football message boards. LOTS of people calling for the firing of Helfrich and his staff. Lots of people moaning about how they can't coach. Lots of people giving lots of reasons for why they want him terminated. Lots of people repeating reasons others gave as if that made them more powerful.
Well, being a BIT of a contrarian...I started thinking. Why are they all down on him - I mean, besides the clearly obvious part about him not being named Chip and not (somehow) doing the impossible and winning the National Championship every year? Well, many of those "Lots" told me why...It's because we are Oregon and we don't lose games. (I must have missed that memo, I guess.)
Ok...that made me think even more. We lost to Nebraska by three. We lost to Colorado by three. We lost to California by three (in double overtime). We have one of the greenest (not talking colors of unis) teams around. We've had key units decimated by injuries and found our senior leadership morphing into freshmen and sophomores making the plays. We have 4 wins so far this year with those three games in the loss column in a quintessential "rebuilding" year....and all this is being held over Helfrich's head.
We had a kid that overestimated his own abilities make poor decisions on extra points vs. Nebraska. If we convert 2 of those, we win. Somehow, that is laid at the feet of the Head Coach.
We had our QB throw the absolute worst fade route (which was open) he has EVER thrown and got it intercepted vs Colorado. Somehow that is laid at the feet of the Head Coach.
We had our Freshman QB throw a rope at our WR (who was open) and the LB make a great play to intercept the pass in double overtime vs.Cal. Somehow THAT is laid at the feet of the Head Coach.
Three games. All decided (one way or the other) by plays made or not made by the guys on the field. Convert 2 more XPs vs Nebraska, throw the fade correctly (or even close to it) against Colorado and put a little more air under the throw at California and we're going for win #8 against OSU and people are looking at our injuries, suspensions, dismissals, etc. and saying what a TERRIFIC job our staff did in what was obviously a rebuilding year.
Three games - the outcome of each hinging upon performance by players, but being hung around the neck of the Head Coach like an albatross as a reason for firing him. Firing him - a head coach that (with a record-setting, nausea-inducing defense the last season and carrying over into this) came into this year AVERAGING 11 wins per year.
There are LOTS of coaches who go their entire careers and NEVER have an 11 win season; but, we have one (count them...it doesn't take many fingers) season where we fall back into the pack (for very clear and definite reasons that were clear and definite BEFORE the season started)...and people pick up pitchforks, light torches and scream at the rooftops to fire the Head Coach.
I thought about that, re-read some of the message boards, and figured, "Either some of these posters know NOTHING about what they're saying, or they're certifiable." I was pretty sure which side I'd lay my money on (although, with some, I might hedge my bet and put money on both sides). I just hope our powers-that-be in the AD know more than the average fan.
I have GOT to find something better to do when I wake up early!
Anyway...I woke up at o'dark thirty and had nothing better to do after fixing the coffee and letting the dogs out, so I read a bunch of Oregon football message boards. LOTS of people calling for the firing of Helfrich and his staff. Lots of people moaning about how they can't coach. Lots of people giving lots of reasons for why they want him terminated. Lots of people repeating reasons others gave as if that made them more powerful.
Well, being a BIT of a contrarian...I started thinking. Why are they all down on him - I mean, besides the clearly obvious part about him not being named Chip and not (somehow) doing the impossible and winning the National Championship every year? Well, many of those "Lots" told me why...It's because we are Oregon and we don't lose games. (I must have missed that memo, I guess.)
Ok...that made me think even more. We lost to Nebraska by three. We lost to Colorado by three. We lost to California by three (in double overtime). We have one of the greenest (not talking colors of unis) teams around. We've had key units decimated by injuries and found our senior leadership morphing into freshmen and sophomores making the plays. We have 4 wins so far this year with those three games in the loss column in a quintessential "rebuilding" year....and all this is being held over Helfrich's head.
We had a kid that overestimated his own abilities make poor decisions on extra points vs. Nebraska. If we convert 2 of those, we win. Somehow, that is laid at the feet of the Head Coach.
We had our QB throw the absolute worst fade route (which was open) he has EVER thrown and got it intercepted vs Colorado. Somehow that is laid at the feet of the Head Coach.
We had our Freshman QB throw a rope at our WR (who was open) and the LB make a great play to intercept the pass in double overtime vs.Cal. Somehow THAT is laid at the feet of the Head Coach.
Three games. All decided (one way or the other) by plays made or not made by the guys on the field. Convert 2 more XPs vs Nebraska, throw the fade correctly (or even close to it) against Colorado and put a little more air under the throw at California and we're going for win #8 against OSU and people are looking at our injuries, suspensions, dismissals, etc. and saying what a TERRIFIC job our staff did in what was obviously a rebuilding year.
Three games - the outcome of each hinging upon performance by players, but being hung around the neck of the Head Coach like an albatross as a reason for firing him. Firing him - a head coach that (with a record-setting, nausea-inducing defense the last season and carrying over into this) came into this year AVERAGING 11 wins per year.
There are LOTS of coaches who go their entire careers and NEVER have an 11 win season; but, we have one (count them...it doesn't take many fingers) season where we fall back into the pack (for very clear and definite reasons that were clear and definite BEFORE the season started)...and people pick up pitchforks, light torches and scream at the rooftops to fire the Head Coach.
I thought about that, re-read some of the message boards, and figured, "Either some of these posters know NOTHING about what they're saying, or they're certifiable." I was pretty sure which side I'd lay my money on (although, with some, I might hedge my bet and put money on both sides). I just hope our powers-that-be in the AD know more than the average fan.
I have GOT to find something better to do when I wake up early!
