Why I wonder whether Ferentz still has the fire

[tweeterhawk]

(among other things...)

At his Tuesday news conference, Ferentz made this comment:

“I think we’re practicing hard. I think we’re doing that. Last week, the effort was there and the guys were trying. It’s not that they weren’t trying. We just have to practice a little bit cleaner and then hopefully our execution will show up a little better on Saturdays.”

The bolded words are soft words -- "I think..." (twice), "...trying," "...a little bit cleaner...," "...hopefully our execution will show up a little better..."

Hopefully?

Seriously, coach?

A coach who knows who he is, what his program is doing, who has passion for the game, doesn't use namby-pamby phrases like that. If Ferentz uses those or similar words in the locker room and in practice, it is no wonder the team plays soft, loses focus, can't close out opponents, either loses close games or comes out with wins that are not representative of the effort for most of the game.

A coach who is ready to get after it would say something like "Our guys are practicing hard. Last week we showed the results of that work for three and a half quarters and then we slipped in some areas. We're working to clean things up this week. We expect our execution will be stronger this week."

 

[lightning1]

I think they are soft words because he knows this isn't a good football team and he doesn't want to plant any seeds that won't bare fruit in BIG play.

 

[DJL]

Honestly, nothing he says during these Tuesday press conference means much of anything. I watched the ISU game again because I read on here that he was getting on players on the sideline. After watching that, I would say he still has plenty of fire.

 

[OLWPAORWWM]

He's using weak verbs? FOR $3 MILLION A YEAR?

 

[lightning1]

"It's not that they weren't trying" is another way to say that the effort is there but the talent isn't?
That's the root of our problems. Question is: does KF have enough time to fix that so it shows up in the win/loss column?

 

[INTIMIDATORHawk]

Iowa fans have criticized his passion, salary, play calling, recruiting tactics and game management.

Now we move on and criticize his choice of words.



UNBELIEVABLE.

 

[3GHawk]

Iowa fans have criticized his passion, salary, play calling, recruiting tactics and game management.

Now we move on and criticize his choice of words.



UNBELIEVABLE.

You expect more from someone who hopped on the band wagon in October 2009?

 

[Eda]

General coach speak.

If you don't think he has fire, I'd say you should watch him coach on Saturdays. He's got fire, and has displayed it quite a bit more lately. I can think of several games last year where he has been giving out the business, to either officials and/or players, on top of the emotion he's shown thus far this year.

Exactly what kind if display/fire are you looking for? Rhoads-ish? Pelini-esque?

 

[NEIChawk]

He got fire, yes he do....he got fire, how 'bout you?

I would rather have a coach that's subdued than those mentioned above me.....Rhoads, Pelini, hell even throw in Mike Stoops.....Coach F will fight for his players when there's an injustice....He just goes about it with a very calm demeanor....

 

[vosov]

Wouldn't it so much better to have Rhoads and Pollard blowing smoke up our ***** all off season to then see a product out on the field that would embarrass Wal-Mart. We would all be asking for our $12 tickets back.

 

[imported_ankle23]

brutal post, OP.

 

[FreedComanche]

The content you get from him during the press conferences is the same no matter what point of the season or if they are winning or losing. He whipped the wussy Iowa press that covers him into exactly how he wants them to behave long ago. Howe is really the only one that ever asks real questions. And even he is kinda scared now since kf got mad at him a few years back.

 

[SteveGarvey]

Iowa fans have criticized his passion, salary, play calling, recruiting tactics and game management.

Now we move on and criticize his choice of words.



UNBELIEVABLE.

Hate those mock turtlenecks he wears sometimes too.

 

[LawVHawk]

He got fire, yes he do....he got fire, how 'bout you?

I would rather have a coach that's subdued than those mentioned above me.....Rhoads, Pelini, hell even throw in Mike Stoops.....Coach F will fight for his players when there's an injustice....He just goes about it with a very calm demeanor....

Marcus Coker could not be reached for comment...

 

[FreedComanche]

Iowa fans have criticized his passion, salary, play calling, recruiting tactics and game management.

Now we move on and criticize his choice of words.



UNBELIEVABLE.

Gee, can't we just let him be coach?

 

[LawVHawk]

brutal post, OP.

I wouldn't expect the Kool-Aid drinkers here to understand the point being made.

 

[Section136]

Its always so easy to pick out the posters who have built a majority of their post count in either the OT forum or the PC board back when it was alive. Twatter, GomerChampless and 0044 are three of them that immediately come to mind.

In other words they are pretty lost when it comes to discussing sports on a sports message board.

 

[FreedComanche]

I wouldn't expect the Kool-Aid drinkers here to understand the point.

I think it's safe to say that they never will.

 

[1hawkeye1]

I no longer pay attention to KF pressers. Each one sounds exactly like the last and he never says anything of substance.

 

[FreedComanche]

I no longer pay attention to KF pressers. Each one sounds exactly like the last and he never says anything of substance.

As is the Wednesday night call in show. Gotta hand it to him, though, because he's got certain folks that he has to deal with regularly, trained exactly how he wants them to be.