"Nothing I could have done" - Jeff Capel

[seniorsooner]

Well I'm not exactly sure how often you wanted players to be benched, but I distincly remember WW, TG, TMG, Pledger and Fitzgerald all being suspended/benched at different points in the season. I suspect that Willis's playing time was limited due to disciplinary issues also but there is no public documentation of that.

I always find it interesting when people on here say that they would rather he just bench TG, WW, TMG, etc and play the "scrubs" just so long as the "scrubs" play hard. Do you realize how embarrassing that would get? We would lose games by 30 to 40 points, if not more. It would be a nightmare. Do you really think that would be good for the program in the long term? If so, I have to disagree. Also, isn't it his job to try to win games? Or just put a team on the floor that "plays hard"? I'm sure he could go down to Huffman and find 5 guys that would "play hard", why not just do that? Granted we would go 0-31, but according to some of you you'd be fine with that.

 

[billyball]

I felt it was based on once the guys got on campus.

His fault was on the recruiting trail and evaluating talent.

This and more importantly, character.

 

[MsProudSooner]

If you don't have a competitive backup player, it puts the coach between a rock and a hard place with regard to using the bench to discipline a player.

In reality, it's impossible to discipline a player who simply doesn't care about anything else but himself. And I think that's the situation we were in with TMG.

 

[skyvue]

If he had benched everyone would you be happier.

Heck, yes, I would have been happier. If you're in the midst of a disastrous season, as we were, then you've got nothing to lose, and you'll be doing those players a favor by shaking them up.

Capel admitted the new guys made it clear that they weren't willing to work hard in the summer. Well, ding! Ding! Ding! Hear that alarm, coach? Action is needed! That's when you make it perfectly clear that they'd darned well BETTER work hard, or they won't see playing time, McDAA or no.

And then you back your words up with actions. Any coach has a responsibility to the young men, too, to make them the best players and the best people he can, and if they come in spoiled and unmotivated -- as these clowns clearly did from the jump, as Capel's admitted -- Job One is demonstrating in no uncertain terms that they've entered a brave new world, that this is no longer high school or AAU, and that no one is handed playing time, it must be earned.

TMG may have been selfish and self-centered -- I have no idea -- but if he was, there's only one way to reach him: Take away the thing he wants most -- playing time.

As it was, we lost early and late and often, so nothing whatsoever was gained by coddling these guys.

Sorry, but Capel has admitted there were early warning signs, and he blew it by not taking stronger action right then. I can forgive him that mistake, if he learns from it, but saying he couldn't have done anything differently? That's a head-scratcher, even given all his other statements.

 

[skyvue]

If you don't have a competitive backup player, it puts the coach between a rock and a hard place with regard to using the bench to discipline a player.

True, but that's on Capel, too. He's been good at snagging the McDAA's but not very good at filling out his bench.

And I'd rather play lesser talents and lose some games early, if it causes the spoiled players to see the light, than start the prima donas despite their lousy work habits, thereby enabling and accommodating their lousy attitudes and swollen egos.

We lost those early games, anyway, so nothing whatsoever was gained.

 

[NickZepp]

We've got to start getting guys to OU that stay at OU. I know Capel said that he has tried to recruit guys that fit at OU, but looking at the results he's failed miserably at recruiting guys that fit at OU.

 

[Big Old Booger]

After watching this interview, I feel worse about our chances to improve than I did before. Capel comes off as a little defensive and the quote about "nothing I could have done" tells me he doesn't have a clue how to motivate and discipline a team.

I sure hope I'm wrong...

 

[luckyc1423]

After watching this interview, I feel worse about our chances to improve than I did before. Capel comes off as a little defensive and the quote about "nothing I could have done" tells me he doesn't have a clue how to motivate and discipline a team.

I sure hope I'm wrong...

I believe this year is real evident that he is unsure how to motivate different personalities...we were to talented to have sucked that bad...
He needed to make an example out of someone...he needed to kick someone off the team
Most importantly he needed to be a fearce leader and he didnt!

 

[seniorsooner]

This is really getting tiresome.

 

[aaron7]

For those questioning everything Capel does, if he benches any good player next year at the first sign of having a poor attitude and the team goes 14-17 but plays hard, does Capel earn the chance at one more year?

 

[topcat]

For those questioning everything Capel does, if he benches any good player next year at the first sign of having a poor attitude and the team goes 14-17 but plays hard, does Capel earn the chance at one more year?

No. Next year we better make the dance. Missing the NCAA tourney 3 of 5 years won't cut it at OU.

 

[Big Old Booger]

For those questioning everything Capel does, if he benches any good player next year at the first sign of having a poor attitude and the team goes 14-17 but plays hard, does Capel earn the chance at one more year?

I'll cut him a lot more slack if he's doing it to discipline a player or prove a point to the player/team.

If he does this, he won't be the first coach at OU or in college basketball to have done something like this.

 

[qwertyqaz]

hilarious thread.

 

[dsuits]

We sure do have a lot of high school girl coaches on this board that know how to handle todays youth. I almost think you guys want OU basketball to die so you can pat each other on the back for having all the answers. This is getting weaker by the day. Coach made some mistakes. Move on. If Jeff moves on from OU I hope he can find enough time to visit you at work and tell you on a daily bases that you haven't a clue. Sorry for the rant, now continue on living a angry, sad, and lonely life. BOOMER SOONER!

 

[FaithfulSooner]

Nothing to see here folks. Just the same ol' naysayers posting about nothing. I guess sense he didn't get fired they have to talk about something. BOOMER SOONER BABY!!!

 

[Cleavon Little]

How many times and how many ways can people rehash the same old stuff? Nick, is there anyone on this board that doesn't know your opinion on his recruiting? Should you make a post saying "I think Capel sucks at recruiting" and the mods can sticky it? Are you just trying to add posts to your total number? I'm sorry Kelvin left, Nick. Here's a pat on the back. It's been four years now. Might get a little therapy.

He's a bad recruiter. He should take more blame himself. It's like some people here think we need Andy Griffith to come in and recruit a bunch of half-ass talent (oh, but really really nice guys who bleed Crimson and Cream), stink the place up for four years with each one of them, and then as a coach take all the blame for every loss. Final Four, here we come!

I agree he made many mistakes this year. Unlike some, I'm sure you have an idea of what they are, so I won't act like I know something by repeating them for the 1000th time. I also agree it was tough not hearing from him for a while. He's talking now. It's hurting him worse than anyone on this board, but he's looking forward to the challenge. He didn't set out going, "Man, I'd better go get some thugs, since OU can't recruit top-notch talent. Better settle for less. Better go get the knuckleheads cause my school is primarily a football school, and I love me some ones and dones."

He's not leaving next year. He's your coach for one more year. Find new ways to criticize him if you must keep it up, because most of us are sick of reading the same stuff. I agree that many people here want him to go down in flames so they can smugly pat themselves on the back. News flash people, wanting Capel to fail means wanting your favorite college basketball team to fail.

I hated this season too. I wondered what went wrong too. I'm getting over it now, and just want to read some stats on some incoming guys as we find out who they are, and find out news on Tiny's situation. How many ways can we tweak over figuring out where things went wrong? Maybe I should start repeating my same old warmed-over opinions over and over and over and over again to anyone who will read them. Then I could get enough posts under my name that people might be fooled into thinking I'm an expert, rather than a computer nerd who reads way too much BS on message boards.

"It's like going on a date with a Chatty Cathy doll. I expect you have a little string on your chest, you know, that I pull out and have to snap back. Except I wouldn't pull it out and snap it back - you would. Agh! Agh! Agh! Agh!"

 

[Sooner Quick]

I actually felt encouraged after the interview.

I still wonder how different the work ethic would had been had Darby still been here.

 

[Mr.B!!!]

How many times and how many ways can people rehash the same old stuff? Nick, is there anyone on this board that doesn't know your opinion on his recruiting? Should you make a post saying "I think Capel sucks at recruiting" and the mods can sticky it? Are you just trying to add posts to your total number? I'm sorry Kelvin left, Nick. Here's a pat on the back. It's been four years now. Might get a little therapy.

He's a bad recruiter. He should take more blame himself. It's like some people here think we need Andy Griffith to come in and recruit a bunch of half-ass talent (oh, but really really nice guys who bleed Crimson and Cream), stink the place up for four years with each one of them, and then as a coach take all the blame for every loss. Final Four, here we come!

I agree he made many mistakes this year. Unlike some, I'm sure you have an idea of what they are, so I won't act like I know something by repeating them for the 1000th time. I also agree it was tough not hearing from him for a while. He's talking now. It's hurting him worse than anyone on this board, but he's looking forward to the challenge. He didn't set out going, "Man, I'd better go get some thugs, since OU can't recruit top-notch talent. Better settle for less. Better go get the knuckleheads cause my school is primarily a football school, and I love me some ones and dones."

He's not leaving next year. He's your coach for one more year. Find new ways to criticize him if you must keep it up, because most of us are sick of reading the same stuff. I agree that many people here want him to go down in flames so they can smugly pat themselves on the back. News flash people, wanting Capel to fail means wanting your favorite college basketball team to fail.

I hated this season too. I wondered what went wrong too. I'm getting over it now, and just want to read some stats on some incoming guys as we find out who they are, and find out news on Tiny's situation. How many ways can we tweak over figuring out where things went wrong? Maybe I should start repeating my same old warmed-over opinions over and over and over and over again to anyone who will read them. Then I could get enough posts under my name that people might be fooled into thinking I'm an expert, rather than a computer nerd who reads way too much BS on message boards.

"It's like going on a date with a Chatty Cathy doll. I expect you have a little string on your chest, you know, that I pull out and have to snap back. Except I wouldn't pull it out and snap it back - you would. Agh! Agh! Agh! Agh!"

:clap:clap:clap:clap:clap:clap:clap:clap:clap:clap:clap:clap:clap:clap:clap:clap:clap:clap:clap:clap:clap:clap:clap:clap

 

[NickZepp]

How many times and how many ways can people rehash the same old stuff? Nick, is there anyone on this board that doesn't know your opinion on his recruiting? Should you make a post saying "I think Capel sucks at recruiting" and the mods can sticky it? Are you just trying to add posts to your total number? I'm sorry Kelvin left, Nick. Here's a pat on the back. It's been four years now. Might get a little therapy.

I don't care about Kelvin Sampson he's not our coach, I never said anything about him in this thread or most threads. I refer to recruiting as a little bit differently than other people. Recruiting to me is what guys do at OU, and the guys Jeff Capel has got have done very little that's why we are in a tough spot right now.

 

[Cleavon Little]

Don't play dumb. It's not what you say but how freaking much you and your ilk say it. And it's not you personally; you just got me going. If you were the only one rehashing the same tired old crap I'd just ignore ya.