Some Respect for Mackovic

[SoCalCat]

Today's press conference was an emotional rollercoaster. Ill say it right now that I am not a big fan of John Mackovic. I have friends on this team who have tolld me before that they do not like their coach and is not a respectful person. Plus nobody likes losing, especially being winless in the pac-10. I dont know if Mack should still be coaching here or not.

HOWEVER, all i can say is that it is very difficult to do what Coach Mack did today. He in my opinion is a real man because he admitted his mistakes and is going to try and correct them. I greatly respect any man who can admit their faults and stive to improve on them.

I am not sure if he can change or will change, that will be seen in the future. If he does not change then off he goes. I am not sure what to think honestly of the entire situation. I do not belive people should be upset with Livengood. He confronted the problem and will now evaluate his decision. Lets give this a chance and see what happens. Hopefully things we start to improve.

GO CATS!!

[WilmasPimp]

SoCalCat,

I felt the same way you did, for about 5 minutes. I quickly realized EVERYTHING surrounding this fiasco is Mackovics own fault, and I can't help but think that this act he put on today is only for his own best interests.

[CatnPhx]

This is not some rookie, first year coach. This is a man who has been around the block a few times and knows right from wrong. If he's acting this way then it's his natural behavior and he will have a hard time controlling himself - just ask Bobby Knight.

[Auercat]

Mackovic has never physically abused a player like Knight. He also isn't into public humiliations like Knight. And he uses minor league language in comparison to Knight. He's never told the media to kiss his ass. He's never hit a cop. He's never thrown an opposing fan into a garbage can. And he's never overtly tried to embarass the UA or anyone associated with it like our friend Mr. Knight.

While I believe Mack can be kinder and gentler, he really has done nothing to deserve getting fired other than be a lousy on the field coach! What he said to the players makes him rude, but should not cost him his job. That being said, the gutless actions of the players have given Mackovic more job security than 2 more wins this season would have. Pretty ironic, isn't it?

Bearing Down on Mackovic Not Being Anywhere Near Knight

Auercat

[LuteLoyalist]

Sorry, Auer - but I gotta disagree with you here. If it was 5 or 10 players, maybe. But Not 41 (or 100, if they all really did sign a petition). Football players get discipline from the time they start playing Pop Warner... there is more to it than not liking a hardass coach.

I don't believe he was sincere. IMHO, He said what he was told to say to keep his job. The tears were a by product of his fragile ego having to accept a public humiliation in order that he might continue earning $800K per year.

I'm not a Bobby Knight fan AT ALL. But you know what - a VAST MAJORITY of his former players LOVED the man. They took his **** because they believed that he truly cared about them. That's the only way a disciplinarian type gets the most of his players.

Mack has not convinced his players that he cares about them. Why? Because I don't think he does. He is an egomaniac, and in his mind - those players exist to earn him victories and glory. He doesn't exist to help them develop and win. There is a difference.

Just my opinions on this embarassing mess.

[Auercat]

I'm not saying whether or not Mack is right or wrong, but what I'm distressed at is what a big bunch of p*ssies the players are. I just cannot believe that they went running to Dr. Likens like a little bunch of tattletales rather than try and handle the situation like the grown men they profess to be.

Also, I'm still trying to figure out what was so bad that Mack said. Is our society so soft now, that calling a player a disgrace, an embarassment or a ***** is considered abusive?

All in all I agree with you that Mack has done a very poor job and should have been judged on that basis. But now the players have turned this into a crybaby contest and Livengood cannot let them win. He and the university had to stand behind whatever Mackovic decided to do. You cannot let a group of immature kids dictate how things are run. Otherwise it's chaos!

Bearing Down on Clarifying My Displeasure With The Soft Players

Auercat

PS From what I'm now hearing most of the disgruntled players are Dick Tomey leftovers. Gee, what a shock that this bunch of babies are the remains of old softy himself!

[pc in NM]

I agree that it's hard to take one's lumps (I know, I weathered my share in my time!), so Mac does deserve praise for his performance yesterday.

However, I think that the whole story of just what his transgressions have been is yet to be told. Greg Hansen alludes to that is his column this morning:

This is what I saw when I walked up a tunnel to the visitor's dressing room at Husky Stadium on Oct. 12 in Seattle:

Rather than address his team and staff after a 32-28 loss to Washington, UA football coach John Mackovic chose to scold junior safety Clay Hardt in a public corridor.

"I don't know if I'll let you back on my team," Mackovic said.

"Coach, I work my butt off for you," Hardt said, loudly. "I'm never going to quit."

"I'll decide if you quit or not," Mackovic said.

The conversation lasted five minutes, maybe longer. It was such an awkward scene that I moved 10 or 20 yards down the tunnel to get out of earshot. Mackovic did not talk to his team after the game. After reducing Hardt to tears, he went to a media interview room and spoke calmly about the day's events.

Since that day, I've talked to a dozen Arizona players, assistant coaches and support personnel about the incident in the tunnel. One bizarre story led to another: a tirade after a loss at Wisconsin; the threat to fire coaches in a Monday team meeting; the humiliating criticism of tight end Justin Levasseur on the sidelines against UCLA.

If there has been a pervasive pattern of these types of behaviors, then a more appropriate "accepting of full responsibility" would be accomplished by the tendering of a resignation. The administration could still "refuse" to accept it, or "put it in it's pocket", but anything less is, IMHO, not being fully accountable.

If, on the other hand, we're talking about some isolated incidents that are contrary to the overall pattern of his treatment of players and coaches, then yesterday's humble acceptance of responsibility, apology, and commitment to chage were entirely appropraite.

But the question remains: What, exactly, has Mac apologized for?

[LegallyKenny]

I'm not sure any of us realize quite how significant it is for football players to rebel against their coach. In no other sport do the players come together as they do in football, because football teams must function as a unit more then in any other sport. As LL said, football players are taught discipline like few others, short of maybe the military. Thus, for them to turn on their coach suggests that far more is amiss within the program then we have been privy to.

[Hornge]

Getting back to the Bobby Knight analogy, what's really ironic is that he actually knows Knight quite well, as they used to be neighbors down the street from each other when they both coached at Army, Knight as the B-ball coach and Mac as an offensive asst. Maybe that's where Mackovic learned some of his motivational/discipline tactics. But to imply that Mac is even close to the type of player abuser of Knight is going way too far.

[LuteLoyalist]

Most of Knights players loved the guy, and the same cannot be said for Mackovic. Knight's players believe he cares about them and is trying to make them better - and that is clearly not the case with Mackovic.

[CatnPhx]

Auercat - My best friends have played for both Larry Smith and Dick Tomey. After Smith left, they were not too fond of Tomey but they still repected their new coach. They complained a few times, but being discplined athletes, they continued to work their butts off. If my friends did to Smith or Tomey what is happening to Mack then things must be very, very wrong on that team.

I think Greg Hansen's article says it all. If you think people like Hardt is a ***** then you don't understand the term. I'm disappointed in your stance on this issue and very surprised.

As far as my Bobby Knight analogy, it was stated because Bobby behaves the way he does NATURALLY and he will not change. I believe we are seeing the true Mack and he won't change. I wouldn't want my kid playing for someone like Mack if he treats kids the way he treated Hardt. Would you? Ok so Mack isn't a maniac like Knight (especially with the press) but don't try and convince me that Mack as an anti-Knight.