Perspective-it's difficult to maintain

I was (silently for the most part) swearing like most of you I suspect, during much of last night's action. Why didn't we put them away early when it looked like we might? How do we miss so many point blank shot attempts? Why does every team seem to shoot well against us? etc, etc, etc.

Well we are not a Wooden era UCLA team and neither is anyone else. What we are is 25-5, with 4 tough fought hard earned road wins in the BT and an opportunity to tie for a title- at home. No easy task and no one will be shocked if IU puts together a great game, but we have a chance.

As fans we tend to be so parochial and so focused on out own teams flaws and failings. We seem to take it personally when our guys don't live up in every way, to what we think they should be.

The truth is that we overlook other teams' flaws and that every team goes through long scoring droughts in games, every team, misses "bunny" shots on occasion. Almost every team struggles a lot on the road. Almost every team loses some games they "should" win.

On a couple of boards Coach Beilein was criticized for not getting angry enough and the supposition that was hurting the team. Unfavorable comparisons were drawn between him and the "angry midget" (Izzo). Here is the counterpoint: A coach cannot be something he is not at heart, players see through phoniness. JB remains in control and so does his on court leader, Trey Burke. That cool under fire is an asset in close games under difficult circumstances.

Again we are 25-5 with many really nice wins and basketball left to play. I don't know how this season will turn out, but it has been one helluva ride.

'shoes

wshoes wrote:

On a couple of boards Coach Beilein was criticized for not getting angry enough and the supposition that was hurting the team. Unfavorable comparisons were drawn between him and the "angry midget" (Izzo). Here is the counterpoint: A coach cannot be something he is not at heart, players see through phoniness. JB remains in control and so does his on court leader, Trey Burke. That cool under fire is an asset in close games under difficult circumstances.
'shoes

That is exactly right. A leader can not be something he isn't. The people you mean to lead will see right through that. JB isn't a lunatic on the sidelines like Izzo or Crean. Not saying either way is right, because they have all been successful, but screaming and yelling when that isn't your personality will come across as fake.

Excellent points, 'Shoes---as is generally your norm. And as [I think] Fish is alluding to, based on his USMC background, that exposition applies clear across life in general.

And to go to the other extreme, ones known to constantly "lose it", or yell, scream and get crazy (e.g., Bobby Knight, Woody Hayes), when they try "making nice" with officials or their players, they are even easier to see through, that their whole act is staged.

As the saying goes...just be yourself. And that's a lot more desirable a tactic when you're a person like Beilein or Brady Hoke.

Exactly. This is what I was trying to show last week. Every team this year has had hiccups. If the rankings game out today, Michigan would be top 5. So if we are a top 5 team even after that PSU game, just think about how bad other teams must have looked at points this season.