JonDMiller
Publisher/Founder
At 39 years of age, I still learn lessons every day.
My two daughters teach me patience. My wife tries to teach me to be more tidy, among other things.
And typically once a football season, Kirk Ferentz teaches me a thing or two.
Back in 2006 & 2007, I was adamant that Iowa's offensive philosophy did not match up with its offensive personnel. Then in 2008, Iowa, doing the same things it had always done, got things back on track and in 2009 took it to another level. Ferentz had maintained during that 'slide' that it was about execution, or lack there of. Nothing was broke, he said in so many words, so no need to fix it.
That debate is coming up again on the message boards, but I am siding with Ferentz after looking the fool a few years ago.
With Tuesday night's shocking revelation that senior receiver Derrell Johnson-Koulianos is in police custody for an arrest and according to KGAN Television in Cedar Rapids, "faces multiple counts of possession of controlled substances, keeping a drug house and two counts of unlawful possession of a prescription drugs," I once again feel the fool.
I had begun to feel that DJK had turned a corner, that he was busting it on the field, that he was finally 'getting it'. I said that sometimes you just have to let players be players, as long as their behavior was not divisive to team chemistry or morale. I said that DJK's career might be looked upon as a player that was not used enough, because he just made plays and the doghouse stuff seemed like some sort of generation gap.
Well, I was wrong.
I don't want to go too far here, because Derrell will have his day in court and we do not know all of the details...just like we didn't have all of the details on why DJK was in Ferentz's doghouse so many times during his playing career, or seemingly so.
In light of Tuesday night's shocking news, I am prepared to say 'Ferentz Knows Best' on issues like this going forward. None of us is privy to all of the information he is privy to at all times. I am not saying the guy is omnipotent, but he has more details than any of us.
The next time a player is in a doghouse, I will be very, very, very reticent to take the side of the player, or at least, opine the way I have the last two weeks as it relates to DJK.
In no way, shape or form do I think Ferentz had any knowledge of things like this, otherwise DJK would have been long gone. But, if these charges stick, then this type of decision making, these types of character flaws probably manifested themselves in other areas that Ferentz has control over.
I hope this turns out to be something DJK was not aware of, or something that was going on under his roof that he was not involved in...I really, really hope that is the case.
If not, DJK was just a few weeks away from going out and playing his last game, giving it his all, running a good 40 yard dash time at the NFL combine and someone paying him a few hundred thousand dollars in the NFL with a chance, through on field merit, to earn more.
If the charges stick, that's likely gone...as will be the fond memories.
My two daughters teach me patience. My wife tries to teach me to be more tidy, among other things.
And typically once a football season, Kirk Ferentz teaches me a thing or two.
Back in 2006 & 2007, I was adamant that Iowa's offensive philosophy did not match up with its offensive personnel. Then in 2008, Iowa, doing the same things it had always done, got things back on track and in 2009 took it to another level. Ferentz had maintained during that 'slide' that it was about execution, or lack there of. Nothing was broke, he said in so many words, so no need to fix it.
That debate is coming up again on the message boards, but I am siding with Ferentz after looking the fool a few years ago.
With Tuesday night's shocking revelation that senior receiver Derrell Johnson-Koulianos is in police custody for an arrest and according to KGAN Television in Cedar Rapids, "faces multiple counts of possession of controlled substances, keeping a drug house and two counts of unlawful possession of a prescription drugs," I once again feel the fool.
I had begun to feel that DJK had turned a corner, that he was busting it on the field, that he was finally 'getting it'. I said that sometimes you just have to let players be players, as long as their behavior was not divisive to team chemistry or morale. I said that DJK's career might be looked upon as a player that was not used enough, because he just made plays and the doghouse stuff seemed like some sort of generation gap.
Well, I was wrong.
I don't want to go too far here, because Derrell will have his day in court and we do not know all of the details...just like we didn't have all of the details on why DJK was in Ferentz's doghouse so many times during his playing career, or seemingly so.
In light of Tuesday night's shocking news, I am prepared to say 'Ferentz Knows Best' on issues like this going forward. None of us is privy to all of the information he is privy to at all times. I am not saying the guy is omnipotent, but he has more details than any of us.
The next time a player is in a doghouse, I will be very, very, very reticent to take the side of the player, or at least, opine the way I have the last two weeks as it relates to DJK.
In no way, shape or form do I think Ferentz had any knowledge of things like this, otherwise DJK would have been long gone. But, if these charges stick, then this type of decision making, these types of character flaws probably manifested themselves in other areas that Ferentz has control over.
I hope this turns out to be something DJK was not aware of, or something that was going on under his roof that he was not involved in...I really, really hope that is the case.
If not, DJK was just a few weeks away from going out and playing his last game, giving it his all, running a good 40 yard dash time at the NFL combine and someone paying him a few hundred thousand dollars in the NFL with a chance, through on field merit, to earn more.
If the charges stick, that's likely gone...as will be the fond memories.
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