Kruger is soft

[sheepdogs1]

+100

So many posters on this board haven't even enjoyed the fun ride that has been this season. They've been too busy *****ing and moaning and offering doomy, gloomy predictions of imminent collapse. And with certain of the usual suspects, it's been going on relentlessly. all. season. long.

Do you think it is at all possible that the criticalness delivered by some posters is a function of them wanting better for the team much like people are self critical of themselves because they want to aspire to a level not yet reached?

 

[kbsooner]

We've come a long way friends, enjoy the ride!

 

[SoonerTraveler]

Just too nice. It really showed during his halftime interview. He should be irate about this crap happening again. Seems happy as ever. Just doesn't have that killer mentality to finish teams off and it reflects this team and past OU teams he's coached.

It is really a shame that Mike Stoops does not coach basketball.

: irate

 

[SoonerinNC]

To some degree the screamer thing is a carryover from the Vince Lombardi years. He was the famed Green Bay Packer coach from the 60's and a real screamer and spent the first half of the week convincing the players that they weren't very good.

The kids coaches everywhere decided to be severe and a big a screamer as Lombardi. Unfortunately they were not nearly the psycologist as Lombardi who had his team thinking they were the best in the world by Saturday. So the kids suffered while coaches whose job was to teach and encourage screamed away and many were very abusive.

College level athletics are certainly different but I think the people who watch Sooner practices will tell you that Kruger, while encouraging his players is not soft with them.

And what do you expect in an interview. If he rants at the refs he will be in trouble and he is not the kind of guy who criticizes his players in the press. I suspect he had a different face on in the locker roof at half time. If he needed to get on someone's case the locker room is the proper place.

I have seen him get in the officials face.

 

[BlackwellSooner]

I have seen him get in the officials face.

yep, I saw it just a few games ago where Lon got pretty irate with an official. Does he get T'd up like some coaches to "inspire" his team? No, not his style. But when an official blows a call like happened last week, Lon gets on his case!

 

[SoonerTraveler]

To some degree the screamer thing is a carryover from the Vince Lombardi years. ...

Obviously, there are different ways to be a winning coach. In a different era, Bud Wilkinson was a head coach that was the opposite of the screamer personality. Bud always presented himself as a gentleman.

http://espn.go.com/classic/biography/s/Wilkinson_Bud.html

Bud Wilkinson valued the kind of people who played football for him and what they learned about discipline, readiness and character.

Its even been reported that Bud’s assistant Port Robertson did not instill discipline through yelling or cussing

http://www.sliceok.com/September-2014/Port-Robertson-Behind-the-Scenes-of-Sooner-Sports/

Port Robertson presided as OU’s wrestling coach over three national championship teams and nine conference champions and coached an Olympic team to three gold medals; he also served under Wilkinson as coach for the football team’s incoming freshmen. According to this biography, though, his most influential position was as an academic counselor and mentor to years and years of male athletes. Sometimes called “the school’s athletic sheriff,” Robertson sat in on study halls, routinely asked students about their grades, encouraged them to go to class and labored ceaselessly to encourage kids to develop into engaged learners and dedicated citizens. It’s no accident that one of the later chapters is titled “Everyone’s Father.” He didn’t yell or curse, but he never had trouble keeping students’ attention or making himself clear. Very clear. To paraphrase Santayana slightly, those who cannot learn from history are peaheads who can run the stadium steps a few times.

 

[BCSooners]

I saw him in the officials eat about 3 times tonight, he just doesn't make a spectacle of it.

 

[skyvue]

Do you think it is at all possible that the criticalness delivered by some posters is a function of them wanting better for the team much like people are self critical of themselves because they want to aspire to a level not yet reached?

No, quite the opposite. There's a huge difference between being self-critical and criticizing others.

Instead, it's a function of people who have so much invested in the successes and failures of a bunch of college athletes that they lose all perspective. Some of the posts in the game thread are nothing short of disrespectful to these young men who sweat and bleed for the school we pull for, and there's no justification or excuse for that.

 

[BoomSoon]

LK will rip and challenge players. He just doesn't publicly embarrass them. Just because it's not on your TV, don't think he's not pushing them. He's a fighter. The stories about him as a player at K State are legendary.

 

[AltSooner33]

Did you have to post the picture kb? Just gives me a horrible feeling seeing that lol.

 

[KCRuf/Nek]

Occasionally, I wonder why Kruger doesn't jump an official or chew on a player for something dumb. But I've learned that it's just his personality and, since he's in his 60s, he probably isn't going to change. Either way, I'm happy he is our coach.

He's not that sort of coach. He's the type that coaches his team in practice and gets them prepared to play. Once the game begins he still coaches but allows his players to play. He's never been and never will be an all about me coach and look at me roam the sidelines and get upset. As someone else mentioned he gets in people's asses but he doesn't wave a flag while he's doing it. Soft? anyone that saw him as a player knows better than that. No one stuck in the dagger and twisted it like he did.

 

[NickZepp]

I don't know why people complain about success.

everybody got to deviate from the norm

 

[p230]

His coaching style is fine I believe. I know there is a huge difference between his job and coaching my preteen girls in the summer but the coaches who yelled at the players and refs never really seemed to make a difference. We were watching our high school girls in the playoffs and the coach called a timeout after they messed up something. Ranted and raved at them and as they left the huddle for the court I could see them roll their eyes after they turned their backs. I also found whith my girls staying calm helped them stay calm. It can work for some coaches obviously but I don't think Lon is wired up that way.

 

[KCRuf/Nek]

His coaching style is fine I believe. I know there is a huge difference between his job and coaching my preteen girls in the summer but the coaches who yelled at the players and refs never really seemed to make a difference. We were watching our high school girls in the playoffs and the coach called a timeout after they messed up something. Ranted and raved at them and as they left the huddle for the court I could see them roll their eyes after they turned their backs. I also found whith my girls staying calm helped them stay calm. It can work for some coaches obviously but I don't think Lon is wired up that way.

I'm sure you were very familiar with that rolling of the eyes look. :sherri175_jpg_xs:

 

[scrybe]

Do you think it is at all possible that the criticalness delivered by some posters is a function of them wanting better for the team much like people are self critical of themselves because they want to aspire to a level not yet reached?

No, I think it's a function of "them" being idiots.

 

[StatGeek]

No, I think it's a function of "them" being idiots.

:woot

 

[p230]

I'm sure you were very familiar with that rolling of the eyes look. :sherri175_jpg_xs:

Yes I am:ez-roll:

 

[Zimwillett]

No, quite the opposite. There's a huge difference between being self-critical and criticizing others.

Instead, it's a function of people who have so much invested in the successes and failures of a bunch of college athletes that they lose all perspective. Some of the posts in the game thread are nothing short of disrespectful to these young men who sweat and bleed for the school we pull for, and there's no justification or excuse for that.

I'd add that it's a failure to appreciate how difficult it is to play and coach at this level and/or a lack of respect for your opponents. For the most part, the other teams on OU's schedule all have talented players and coaches who are going to make plays and/or occasionally force OU into bad plays. That doesn't make OU or Kruger "soft." That's the nature of the game at this level.

 

[skyvue]

I'd add that it's a failure to appreciate how difficult it is to play and coach at this level and/or a lack of respect for your opponents. For the most part, the other teams on OU's schedule all have talented players and coaches who are going to make plays and/or occasionally force OU into bad plays. That doesn't make OU or Kruger "soft." That's the nature of the game at this level.

Yep.