Things I'm Thinking about:

[Bark's Lounge]

That's you in the green shirt in the middle, isn't it?

Great guess. I still wear that green shirt from 1986 and I still have the perm in place - minus the middle section of my hair... think Steven Wright with a million dollar smile.

 

You continue to make me laugh.....and frighten the hell out if me all at the same time.

I'm not very good at taking compliments, but thank you kind sir. Believe me when I say - "A tear is dropping my eye" as I type this response.

 

Mucho Respect,

 

Bark

[70charger]

Re: Jerry Kill. Tim Brewster left the cupboard bare, and it often takes more than three years to build up a program.

 

But that's what Kill does - he builds programs, and he does more with less. If this were the NFL and the guys on the roster were finished products, then I would care very much whether he's on the sideline for the big game. But this is college where X's and O's count for very little overall (see Charlie Weis's decided schematic advantage), and the things that really matter are recruiting and development. Minnesota is not going to get the five-star players that are going to Michigan and Notre Dame and USC. But if they can turn the two- and three-star guys into players, they can win. That's what Kill does.

 

Of course I'd like to see him on the sideline every game, but a college coach does so much more, and it isn't the time to throw in the towel on him yet.

[IdahoPilgrim]

Re: Jerry Kill. Tim Brewster left the cupboard bare, and it often takes more than three years to build up a program.

 

But that's what Kill does - he builds programs, and he does more with less. If this were the NFL and the guys on the roster were finished products, then I would care very much whether he's on the sideline for the big game. But this is college where X's and O's count for very little overall (see Charlie Weis's decided schematic advantage), and the things that really matter are recruiting and development. Minnesota is not going to get the five-star players that are going to Michigan and Notre Dame and USC. But if they can turn the two- and three-star guys into players, they can win. That's what Kill does.

 

Of course I'd like to see him on the sideline every game, but a college coach does so much more, and it isn't the time to throw in the towel on him yet.

 

I agree that a college head coach is so much more than just being on the sideline, and from what I've heard Kill does do all the other stuff well.

 

But it is still imperative he be there on the sideline running his gameplan and making adjustments as necessary. That's not an optional part of the position.

 

Being a pastor involves a variety of different tasks, all of which are important - pastoral care, administration, teaching, outreach, etc. It's not just the one-day-a-week-job that some joke it to be. But even if I do all that well, if I'm not able to lead worship and preach on Sundays, for whatever reason, I'm not doing my job and I need to be replaced.

[Guest USAFChief]

Re: Jerry Kill. Tim Brewster left the cupboard bare, and it often takes more than three years to build up a program.

 

But that's what Kill does - he builds programs, and he does more with less. If this were the NFL and the guys on the roster were finished products, then I would care very much whether he's on the sideline for the big game. But this is college where X's and O's count for very little overall (see Charlie Weis's decided schematic advantage), and the things that really matter are recruiting and development. Minnesota is not going to get the five-star players that are going to Michigan and Notre Dame and USC. But if they can turn the two- and three-star guys into players, they can win. That's what Kill does.

 

Of course I'd like to see him on the sideline every game, but a college coach does so much more, and it isn't the time to throw in the towel on him yet.

 

in addition to Idaho's points above, I'd add that unless he can add some four star recruits here and there, and snare the occasional five star, I don't think he can win. I don't think any coach can, for that matter.

 

IMO, "coach them up" is a decent theory, but talent wins in the end, and other coaches can "coach up" better recruits too, leaving you still behind if you're always starting with less talented recruits.

[JB_Iowa]

Thing I'm thinking about:

 

How much the Tigers could use Glen Perkins. (Geez, Benoit).

[Joe A. Preusser]

Kevin Corriea: He was exactly who I thought he was. He was not my first choice in the off season but I'm glad we signed him. If only we could add a "Big Tanaka... Hey that's my Hat" to the roster so people don't expect Correia to be Kershaw because we don't have a Kershaw.

 

Great post RB. When I read the part about KC I had a pleasant flashback to Denny Green's press conference after his team (Cardinals?) gave up a 21 point lead to the Bears:

 

Who's Kevin Correia? He WAS! who we THOUGHT! he WAS!

[diehardtwinsfan]

Being a pastor involves a variety of different tasks, all of which are important - pastoral care, administration, teaching, outreach, etc. It's not just the one-day-a-week-job that some joke it to be. But even if I do all that well, if I'm not able to lead worship and preach on Sundays, for whatever reason, I'm not doing my job and I need to be replaced.

 

And if you are like the pastors I know, Sunday morning is probably one of the smaller parts of your job too.

[diehardtwinsfan]

Thing I'm thinking about:

 

How much the Tigers could use Glen Perkins. (Geez, Benoit).

 

The problem is that they don't have jack squat to trade. Unless they think they can flip Castellanos for a stud P or SS prospect to flip to us for Perk...

 

Their farm system sucks.

[Bark's Lounge]

Great post RB. When I read the part about KC I had a pleasant flashback to Denny Green's press conference after his team (Cardinals?) gave up a 21 point lead to the Bears:

 

Who's Kevin Correia? He WAS! who we THOUGHT! he WAS!

 

 

[Bark's Lounge]

This seems like a safe thread to post this picture.

 

What the hell is going on in this picture? Captions?

 

I miss the game threads...

 

[D. Hocking]

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ENgVcx4tEYc/US0nI8rEoFI/AAAAAAAAQyE/45WEZu6NDQ8/s1600/jets85.jpg

 

Is this from the pool of free agents Ryan is looking at? He might be able to get some cheap multi-year deals. I see some potential 4 or 5 pitchers who would do some good pitch to contact.

[JB_Iowa]

The problem is that they don't have jack squat to trade. Unless they think they can flip Castellanos for a stud P or SS prospect to flip to us for Perk...

 

Their farm system sucks.

 

I know and frankly, their window is starting to close a little anyway. But as you sit through some of these games, you realize how valuable a closer is to a good team ... and how dubious his value is to a lousy team. (Not saying there isn't any value cuz I've posted before about how it may be valuable to a young team to have someone reliable to close it out if they ever manage to get a lead but its hard to watch the closer struggles in the post-season).

 

On the other hand, TB which is on its 3rd pitcher even though the game is only in the 4th inning and the score is 0-0. Very weird.

[IdahoPilgrim]

And if you are like the pastors I know, Sunday morning is probably one of the smaller parts of your job too.

 

Small in terms of time commitment required; but by far the most important part of what I do.

[Oxtung]

Re: Jerry Kill. Tim Brewster left the cupboard bare, and it often takes more than three years to build up a program.

 

But that's what Kill does - he builds programs, and he does more with less. If this were the NFL and the guys on the roster were finished products, then I would care very much whether he's on the sideline for the big game. But this is college where X's and O's count for very little overall (see Charlie Weis's decided schematic advantage), and the things that really matter are recruiting and development. Minnesota is not going to get the five-star players that are going to Michigan and Notre Dame and USC. But if they can turn the two- and three-star guys into players, they can win. That's what Kill does.

 

Of course I'd like to see him on the sideline every game, but a college coach does so much more, and it isn't the time to throw in the towel on him yet.

 

Certainly Kill has been billed as a program builder and a man that "coaches players up" but year 3 is where he has made the big jump at SIU and NIU. It certainly isn't going to happen here in year 3.

 

Another problem, for me, is when I look at his roster I can't point to players and say, man this kid is going to be a beast in a couple of years! Vereen and Wells both seem to have taken steps backwards this season. The DE's are no where to be found. Hageman is a senior (and hasn't played as well as I'd expected), the WR are a mess, though Wolitarsky has looked ok the last 2 weeks. Maxx-Williams certainly looks good, Rodrick Williams has been hot/cold, and it is still too early to say much about Leidner. He appears to be a more elusive runner than he should be. Can't say much about how he will throw the football at this point. The offensive line is always tough to evaluate individually but as a group they have been hit and miss as well. Perhaps more will emerge at some point but right now that isn't a very encouraging list.

 

BTW, X's and O's can certainly win football games. If they didn't there wouldn't be a slew of different offensive and defensive schemes all trying to find some niche/advantage. If you need a specific example, Mason's offense (too bad his defense was bad usually) and Urban Meyer at Utah.

[Oldgoat_MN]

I saw a thread titled, "Things I'm Thinking".

Then I saw it was written by Riverbrian.

 

Naturally, I made myself a drink and sat down to laugh with our strange and interesting Riverbrian.

 

Instead I got a post I just agree a lot with, along with some useful things to know about Epilepsy.

 

Thank you for sharing all that, Riverbrian.

[Guest USAFChief]

Leave of Absence for Kill.

 

I wish him the best, but I have a hard time even imagining how this all ends well.

[Mike Sixel]

Ya, the Kill things could go downhill fast.....I was very hopeful when he was hired, but a lot of what you see on the field makes you scratch your head. Two weeks in a row with no sense of urgency in games you are losing is inexcusable. And that is on the coaching.

 

I want the NDSU coach, if you are going to go with a coach not already in D1.

[Benchwarmerjim]

the thing I am thinking about is that Twins fans have to let David Ortiz go.

There is a whole wave of Twins fans, young people to mid 2000's bandwagon fans to only want to bee seen at Target Field only fans, that never saw Ortiz play in the Twins uniform.