What's the Real Story?

by Drunk at Louise's West on Nov 1, 2009 11:11 AM CST Comment 15 comments

First let me say that I'm glad a night of Schooners awaited me and let me get to a point where cooler heads prevailed. I was pissed yesterday as I'm sure most Kansas fans were. Of course that's what makes us fans. Apathy is a curse. When my team loses I want to punch a hole in the wall, fight half the team and rip the coaches head off and spit down their necks. Of course a day later and a few hours of sobriety and I'm ready to jump back on the bandwagon, defend the players against the evil Missouri and Kansas State haters and build a statue for the coaches for what they've done in the past. It's a rollercoaster and while I'm not always proud of my anger it happens because I care.

Here's the thing I'm wondering though and if you peruse the Kansas message boards across the internet it shouldn't take long to see where I'm going. There are stories that Coach Mangino has lost this team because he's too much of a hardass. His coaches are stressed, his players are tight and unmotivated and it's showing on the field with our team checking out.

The offensive coaching is said to be a problem, offensive execution is suffering because of lack of leadership and guys are giving up when things start to go south. Again, not my words but it's out there. Another troubling rumor going about is the apparent partying ways of one Todd Reesing. Out in KC the night before the OU game culminating in closing down the Hawk in Lawrence before what I'm sure was a restful 4 hours of sleep?

So what's the real story? Is Todd jepordizing the season with his actions off the field? Has Mangino's hard nose ways gone from building up a program to alienating players who have given him their all? Are the assistants at odds with the big bear? What's the deal?

I'd like to put my Crimson and Blue glasses back on now and say it's all crap, but it makes you wonder after a day like yesterday.

Well I'm out, just needed to vent...think I'm headed to Manhattan to watch these Jayhawks regain the swagga and beat down some purple pussycats!!!...I hope.

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well...

as far as Mangino being a hard ass I don’t think that’s any secret. He’s demanding of his players, coaches and anyone in the program, but I hardly think it’s a bad thing and I don’t know why that would suddenly make a team give up. There’s no doubt making it as a football player in division one is tough and trying but that’s no different at Kansas or any other school.

As far as Todd seems like a classic rumor there but who knows. He has gotten the reputation as a bit of a party animal but I find it hard to believe that the night before a game that would be the case. At least I would hope.

Assistant coaches? Our defensive coaches have responded since the defense was called out after Iowa State, now it’s time for the offensive coaches to respond perhaps because clearly whatever we’re doing isn’t working there.

Some people are like Slinkies...not really good for anything but they make you smile when pushed down the stairs.

by Denverjhawk on Nov 1, 2009 11:42 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

I think its come to that

our players, especially on offense, are frustrated because for the past two years the same plays worked over and over, and now it fails completely. We had one touchdown drive yesterday against a team that gave up 52 points to TAMU. If I’m a player, I stop giving a shit quickly when we keep running the same 5 plays over and over again and it doesn’t work. Just my two cents.

We clearly have talent. I’m starting to shift a lot of the blame to the coaches not being able to find ways to use it, especially on offense. Every offensive player so far looks exceedingly worse and worse than they did last year and I think there is something fishy about that.

by KU Grad 08 on Nov 1, 2009 1:00 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

These two things almost seem contradictory to me- if Todd really is out boozing the night before games, how much of a hardass is Mangino really being? I guess it’s possible that Todd gets a special pass from MM for everything he’s done for the program up to this point. If that’s true, that would definitely contribute to any chemistry problems the team is having.

Reesing has always been a bright guy with a lot more on his mind than football- is he still thinking about studying abroad this Spring in Austria? If these rumors are true, and this is his way of “rebelling” against all the expectations that have been placed on him on the field, then that’s just incredibly lame, and I would lose a lot of respect I have for the guy.

by KennyGregoryRockThaCradle on Nov 1, 2009 1:31 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

agreed...

like I said above. I have a pretty easy time believing Mangino is demanding and I think that’s perfectly ok for a head coach of Division 1 football. I have a hard time though believing the Reesing rumors. They are pretty few and far between, seems like people reaching for something that isn’t there maybe.

Some people are like Slinkies...not really good for anything but they make you smile when pushed down the stairs.

by Denverjhawk on Nov 1, 2009 1:37 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

it's gotta be something, though

the game yesterday was just a total collapse…reesing fumbling on 4th and 1, and then the ball bouncing around like a pinball was ridiculous.

perhaps mangino isn’t being hard enough on these guys, or they’ve lost that hunger that got us to this point as a program.

we can’t really sneak up on people anymore, and it’s different being the hunted instead of the hunter…look no further than the b-ball team. there’s something to be said for taking every team’s best shot every game.

"He once had an awkward moment, just to see how it felt...he lives vicariously...through himself- He is the most interesting man in the world"

by Home Run Tony Cogan on Nov 1, 2009 9:14 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I don't know...

I think Mangino is pretty tough on guys but one thing we talked about in the OGT that is strange is that when a defensive player messes up he get’s relegated to he bench rather quickly.

On offense that rarely seems to be the case. Not sure if the competition isn’t there or the staff is hesitant to make changes but it’s pretty clear that the guys on defense who know they are competing every play for their jobs are responding. Maybe the offensive players need to feel that same competitive pressure if you will. Then perhaps they are better prepared for being the hunted rather than the hunter.

Some people are like Slinkies...not really good for anything but they make you smile when pushed down the stairs.

by Denverjhawk on Nov 1, 2009 9:39 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs

Seems to me that there may be nothing major wrong at all.

Mistakes and frustration lead to more of the same. It could be the case where this team, the players and coaches realize just like we do that they could be 8-0 and have made mistakes to prevent it. If things get back on track we may see it fuel this team and everyone who thought they either were giving up or something was wrong will see that they were just puzzled and angry like the fans.

The important thing is that the staff doesn’t let it get to the point where the players are playing tight and scared. Missouri dropped three straight and came out against CU looking like the old Mizzou. They could have let it take them over the edge but they didn’t. Kansas needs to do the same this week in Manhattan.

That's what we do at Kansas, we WIN.

by Ghost of Mark Randall on Nov 2, 2009 8:40 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Certainly possible...

we’ll know a lot more by the end of November. I will say though that the players definitely believe that if they had performed up to expectations that they should be 8-0. There is some frustration right now with a variety of areas but it also sounds like much of that might be addressed this week.

Some people are like Slinkies...not really good for anything but they make you smile when pushed down the stairs.

by Denverjhawk on Nov 2, 2009 9:26 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I'm just glad October is done

New Month. Three North Opponents. We must get those three wins.

Me no likey Clint Bowen.

by labbadabba on Nov 2, 2009 9:52 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Captain Obvious in

for his daily words of wisdom…

Me no likey Clint Bowen.

by labbadabba on Nov 2, 2009 10:06 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I got crucified for this last season but....

I think our new facilities have an influence on our team’s character.

In 2007, our team practiced on concrete, worked out in a smelly, leaky facility, and dressed in a drafty old, rusty pipped locker room. Guys like Rivera and JoMort feed off of that.

Now, we have plush leather couches in the locker room, with big screen plasmas and plenty of Xbox360s to keep the players happy.

And it shows.

Again, just my humble opinion.

Sawin' wood

by Rivethead on Nov 2, 2009 11:00 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

maybe so...

but there is no chance this program ever gets to the next level if we don’t make those improvements. It’s an arms race out there and facilities do make a difference in many players decisions to go to a school.

Some people are like Slinkies...not really good for anything but they make you smile when pushed down the stairs.

by Denverjhawk on Nov 2, 2009 11:04 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

So what is "the next level"?

A BCS bowl game? 2007 proved we didn’t need fancy facilities to do that.

I completely agree that it’s an arms race out there and that facilities make a difference in recruiting. But maybe these new kids we are now starting to recruit aren’t the type of tough, hard-nosed football players that thrive in a blue-collar Mangino system?

Sawin' wood

by Rivethead on Nov 2, 2009 11:48 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

One BCS bowl game is not consistency. Don’t get me wrong it was big and a great step forward, but I’m more concerned with consistently recruiting and fielding a high level team. Winning 8-10 games a year over an extended time frame. I guess that’s more what I’m thinking in terms of the next level.

Some people are like Slinkies...not really good for anything but they make you smile when pushed down the stairs.

by Denverjhawk on Nov 2, 2009 11:54 AM CST up reply actions 1 recs