Sportsjunkie330 Posted February 23, 2014 Report Share Posted February 23, 2014 Dambrot throws players under the bus...again.Nice job kicking them when they are down. You're the highest paid employee in the Athletic Department Keith. Take some responsibility when things go bad.Be careful, you may get called a troll if you say negative things on this site. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zippy5 Posted February 23, 2014 Report Share Posted February 23, 2014 I agree with Dambrot. They did show quit. However, I think that it's his job to make sure that doesn't happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OZoner Posted February 23, 2014 Report Share Posted February 23, 2014 Dambrot throws players under the bus...again.Nice job kicking them when they are down. You're the highest paid employee in the Athletic Department Keith. Take some responsibility when things go bad.Well, I think he's right. I never thought the Zips were interested in competing aside from a couple players. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LZIp Posted February 23, 2014 Report Share Posted February 23, 2014 I agree with Dambrot. They did show quit.However, I think that it's his job to make sure that doesn't happen.This. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UAZip0510 Posted February 23, 2014 Report Share Posted February 23, 2014 Be careful, you may get called a troll if you say negative things on this site. No, that only happens when you troll. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zestycoyote Posted February 23, 2014 Report Share Posted February 23, 2014 Be careful, you may get called a troll if you say negative things on this site. You can say negative things. It's just that you only showed up on this site when the team was down. Other posters might be more open to your opinions if you stick around and/or post something positive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balsy Posted February 23, 2014 Report Share Posted February 23, 2014 @UAZip0510 +1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GP1 Posted February 23, 2014 Report Share Posted February 23, 2014 I agree with Dambrot. They did show quit.However, I think that it's his job to make sure that doesn't happen.I expect better leadership out of the guy making more than anyone else in the Athletic Department than a general statement about guys "quitting". That's a horrible thing to call a college athlete for lots of reasons and can lead to revolts. Mostly, it is the kind of thing fans say when they don't know what else to say and they think they know what is in the heads of the players. I hate to think that the only thing Keith had to say after that game last night was a statement directed at his players and not his preparation, motivation or game strategy. It's easy to pile on guys when they are down. It's the ultimate cheap shot. Friends, family, classmates, the media, etc. pile on when things aren't going well. That's when a really good leader takes a beating for the people below him. It's the point when you give guys a hand up, not another cheap shot.It's also easy to be another person patting guys on the back when things are going well. Friends, family, classmates, the media, etc. pat you on the back when things are going well. When things are going well, that's when a good leader treats his players the worst and pushes them to be better. Kick a guy when he is up, not when he is down.This isn't the first time I've posted about Keith throwing his players under the bus when things haven't gone well. I'm sure it won't be the last.Maybe after the next victory, he can entertain the fans with one of his famous, "When I coached Lebron..." stories. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balsy Posted February 23, 2014 Report Share Posted February 23, 2014 You can say negative things. It's just that you only showed up on this site when the team was down. Other posters might be more open to your opinions if you stick around and/or post something positive. I am a troll. I don't wear blinders.It also helps if you offer something of substance; instead of posts that don't offer anything of substance/playing victim. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UAZip0510 Posted February 23, 2014 Report Share Posted February 23, 2014 It also helps if you offer something of substance; instead of posts that don't offer anything of substance/playing victim. Nailed it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UAZip0510 Posted February 23, 2014 Report Share Posted February 23, 2014 Dambrot knows these guys. He's spent hours and hours of time with them on and off the court. He knows what buttons to push and when to push them. Is it risky? Absolutely. Do I think it's calculated? Definitely. Do I think it will work?Well, I sure hope so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GP1 Posted February 23, 2014 Report Share Posted February 23, 2014 Dambrot knows these guys. He's spent hours and hours of time with them on and off the court. He knows what buttons to push and when to push them. Is it risky? Absolutely. Do I think it's calculated? Definitely. Do I think it will work?Well, I sure hope so. I don't know if it will work or not either. What I do know is playing Miami will sure make it look like it worked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave in Green Posted February 23, 2014 Report Share Posted February 23, 2014 The people I pay attention to on this forum are those who call out both the bad and the good as they see it. Those who dwell excessively on the negative and rarely have good things to say remind me of former VP Spiro Agnew's colorful quote about the "nattering nabobs of negativism." I mostly tune them out.As for Coach Dambrot, he's an honest man who calls them as he sees them and is always trying to do the right thing for his players. If he glossed over weak effort from the players, someone would be criticizing him for using PR speak instead of speaking the truth that everyone else saw with their own eyes. Everyone knows Coach Dambrot believes poor offense can be compensated for by strong defense, and when he sees his players not doubling down on defense when the offense is sputtering, he speaks his mind.The players who didn't play D with more effort and intensity called themselves out. Coach Dambrot simply reaffirmed it. And, yes, it's his responsibility to get his players to do better. He's tough on his players when he believes they need toughness and he's protective of his players when he believes that's called for. Fans will always second-guess the coach no matter what he does. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skip-zip Posted February 23, 2014 Report Share Posted February 23, 2014 I actually want Keith to start getting tough on these guys. For the first time that I can remember, I think he has been far too accepting of deficiencies with this team thus far.Keep on coaching Keith !! You get paid plenty of money to do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valpo Zip Posted February 23, 2014 Report Share Posted February 23, 2014 The team did quit and KD is right in saying that, but the problem is in what he didn't say. It is easy to point fingers at others instead of looking in the mirror.KD knew few days ago that they will be missing 3 players, what adjustments were made? what was the plan? go out there and wing it?KD has been on the top of this program for 10-11 years now? that's long enough for him to be blamed when something goes wrong. If young players not performing well: He recruited them!if upper classmen not leading well: He didn't develop them into leaders.if The team is too young: he didn't balance recruitmentif we don't have good assistant coaches: they are his guysif fans don't show up for regular season games: he created that culture.Like GP1 said, he has been paid mightily and has had control over every little detail of this program for long enough for him to every now and then say that he did something wrong.Just to be clear: I am not trolling, I don't want KD fired, and I will not be rooting for the buckeyes or Kentucky. I just feel that some accountability is needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GJGood Posted February 23, 2014 Report Share Posted February 23, 2014 They can worry about next year after this year. Games still to be won.I agree there is no chance for the NIT because they'd have to have won the regular season title (auto-bid) or have a stellar overall record like Toledo has for an at-large. With the MAC tourney, there is still a chance for the NCAA. There are also still two other tournaments, the CBI and CiT, that the Zips could find themselves in, so it is definitely not time to look toward next year.People scoff at the CBI and CiT but Shaka Smart has even said one of the best things that ever helped the VCU program was making their run in the CBI the year before they went to the Final Four. The NCAA bid would be ideal, but if it doesn't happen we still need this team to keep playing as long as they can.For what its worth, and I hope it doesn't come to this, I'd much rather see the Zips in the CBI than in the non-bracketed CiT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave in Green Posted February 23, 2014 Report Share Posted February 23, 2014 @Ada Zip, I think it's fair to say that Coach Dambrot has had some varying degree of influence on everything you mentioned. But no one has total control of everything. Like everyone else, he works to the best of his ability within the limitations of the circumstances he's given to work with. Even the best leaders don't always get the best results because there are too many variables that are ultimately beyond their control.It shouldn't be assumed that Coach Dambrot is publicly laying all the blame on the players just because he isn't quoted after every loss taking the blame himself. First of all, whenever he talks about "we" he's talking about the whole team including the players and the coaches. Secondly, head coaches make many hundreds of words of comments to the media after each game, and a typical sports story has at most a few dozen words of quotes.It may not show up in the quotes that sports writers end up using, but anyone who's spoken with Coach Dambrot knows that he readily takes responsibility for those things he can control or influence. I've been fortunate enough to have a number of extended conversations with him, and he really does agonize over doing the right thing for each and every one of his players. I honestly don't believe that he ever tries to throw his players under the bus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZachTheZip Posted February 23, 2014 Report Share Posted February 23, 2014 Maybe he should throw them under the bus. He's too much of a softy to get this bunch of divas to play their best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GP1 Posted February 23, 2014 Report Share Posted February 23, 2014 Secondly, head coaches make many hundreds of words of comments to the media after each game, and a typical sports story has at most a few dozen words of quotes..Keith has been doing this for a long time now and knows what words make the paper and which don't. I don't think he used that word by accident. Nobody questions his commitment to the kids. Some of us are questioning his lack of accountability in his public comments when things go bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave in Green Posted February 24, 2014 Report Share Posted February 24, 2014 @GP1, I understand the point you're trying to make. So far this season we've seen lots of signs of frustration from the players, the coach and the fans. We're all in this together. But we all see it from different perspectives, so I think it boils down to a matter of personal interpretation. I interpret some of the comments I see here as assumptions that Coach Dambrot is deliberately trying to duck accountability. I don't see it that way from my perspective, so I'm just offering the counterpoint that assumptions should always be challenged and not accepted as if they're proven fact. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomzip Posted February 24, 2014 Report Share Posted February 24, 2014 Maybe he should throw them under the bus. He's too much of a softy to get this bunch of divas to play their best.I have had a strange feeling all year about this team I never miss games, and I have missed a few this year and like whatever, maybe the players attitude is rubbing off on me. They will struggle to keep the 20 win season steak, I see 20 and done if they are lucky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UAZip0510 Posted February 24, 2014 Report Share Posted February 24, 2014 The impact Alex Abreu has had on this team has been a major one. According to plan, Betancourt should still be playing 10-15 minutes per night and taking over next year. Turnovers shouldn't be a major issue. Diggs should be the third scoring option. Looking back, we should have seen the struggles of this year coming. With that said, I still believe they can win the MAC Tournament if they at least get Harney and Kretzer back. The biggest thing now is to try to grab a top four seed. The difference between four and five in this tournament is gigantic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valpo Zip Posted February 24, 2014 Report Share Posted February 24, 2014 @Uazip0510: If you want to use the "Alex should have been our PG" argument, I will counter with the "Q shouldn't be playing" argument as his eligibility should have expired last year. IMHO, should have could have would have are just too lame for excuses after 30 games into the season.@Dave: I am glad to hear that KD assumes responsibility in his personal conversations. As I reflect on this, I feel that I used to like him a lot more when I used to personally talk to him when I was living in the area. Also, most of his vivid "defenders" seem to be people who personally interact with him on a regular basis. Nevertheless, as a fan whose only interaction with their coach is through his coaching performance and what he says in the media, he continuously rubs me the wrong way.Last game against EMU, he goes says something likes this:-----------------------------------------------------In ypsilanti our shooters made 10-19 from behind the arc, today they only shot 3-23... (sarcastically): it must be bad coaching!-----------------------------------------------------What I heard was: "Don't you dare blame me, it is the shooters you should blame.What I wanted him to say : "EMU adjusted to our offensive schemes since we last played them, they made it tougher for our shooters, we need to find better ways to get them open" Do you see the difference?Yesterday, rather than saying that the team quit, wouldn't it be better if he said: "we were missing some key pieces and we failed to make the necessary adjustments, we will try to do a better job next week"What is KD afraid of? he has a 10 year contract that pays him more than he will ever need. Who is he trying to impress? We (as fans) will not think any less of him if he publicly assumed responsibility rather than blaming the 19 year olds that he recruited. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balsy Posted February 24, 2014 Report Share Posted February 24, 2014 I wouldn't be so cynical Ada Zip... of course glass house here, I'm a very cynical sports fan because I've been tortured by a decade of the Cleveland Browns and lack-luster performances by the Zips in "games that matter", that it's made me cynical...so I guess I can't say a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glib Shanley Posted February 24, 2014 Report Share Posted February 24, 2014 As this is my first post, I will apologize upfront if it is out of line:First, i've been a season ticket holder for a few years, so while that fact doesn't give me any additional insight, I'm not totally a newbie.When i read this quote in the Beacon:“We were jittery to start. Big crowd. Can’t put the ball in the basket. Then showed quit. It’s as simple as that,” Dambrot said. “We didn’t shoot it well enough to play very well, but we could have competed better. We didn’t even try defensively; we had some guys who didn’t even try.”I didn't see it as throwing anyone under the bus. He used the word "We", he didn't give any names, he kept it pretty vanilla.As close as he came was saying we had guys that didn't even try.He seems to be dealing with a ton of emotional upheaval this year, starting with Dan Peters' battle for survival and going all the way through the ongoing rumors of Abreu's return. This includes the not-so-secret battles of Q, Tree and Harney.He's tried different approches, different lineups, different motivations, but for the first time in a long time, this team is not responding the way he's hoped.Being a true NE Ohio sports fan, I realize it's our custom to go after the head coach when things don't go right.But, in this case, I honestly do think he's trying a number of different things.Full Disclosure: I did have my picture taken with Coach at the golf outings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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