redpony wrote:Too bad about the injuries. However, good coaches find a way to win with the talent available. You can't base your team's success on just one or two players. Let's try to win CUSA and then more.
GO PONIES!!!
I'm not going to get into name-calling, but you can't believe it's just that easy — lose some key players and roll out others who should be expected to perform at the same level. Even if you modify the references made here to star players on other teams — not one of our injured players dominates her games like Kobe Bryant, Alexander Ovechkin or Landon Donovan — the idea that teams can just keep going while losing that many players is idiotic. June Jones said as much the other night after the game against TCU, when he said something about how our starters did a good job, but when players got banged up or simply tired, our reserves aren't as talented as TCU's. Same thing applies here — take out starters, and it makes sense that the backups aren't as effective, or they would be starters.
We can acknowledge that the injured players here aren't stars — although Mallory Baum is really good, and Redmon and Bartol are on their way — but put it into terms of another team. For familiarity's sake, try the Dallas Cowboys. Forget Jason Witten, DeMarcus Ware, Miles Austin, Jay Ratliff, etc. But let's say the Cowboys suddenly lose Andre Gurode, Bradie James, Gerald Sensabaugh and Martellus Bennett — all good players, but none viewed as game-changing superstars, right? Well, their backups suck. You take Gurode out, and Tony Romo might get killed and there will be little inside running room. Bradie James would be replaced by who, Jason Williams? Yikes. Same with Sensabaugh and Bennett (and I don't even like Bennett's game much) — their backups are awful. The Cowboys still would have their star players, but without the supporting players around them, other teams can gang up more on the stars.
I used to believe you when you said you had no personal vendetta against Coach Erwin and Coach McClements, but to suggest that Coach Erwin should be able to just snap his fingers and move on without a change in his team's fortunes is either idiotic or (at best) horrifically misguided. Common logic dictates that coaches play their best players in the starting lineup, or as the first reserves into the game. Losing any of them, by definition, means a team is weaker. That is the case with every coach of every team in every sport.
Just out of curiosity, how many games have you seen this year? Can you offer anything about the strengths or weaknesses of any of the players who are injured here? What about Katie Bass, who missed several games at the start of the season? The Mustangs are a visibly improved team since last year. Try abandoning your anti-Erwin crusade and supporting the team.
