PetePierson wrote:Bootz2004 wrote:
No one is hating on him. We just know who he is. You even admit yourself that you're halfway expecting him to come back down to earth sooner rather than later. I feel we can avoid getting caught up in the "FitzMagic" by not relying on him longer than we have to. I hope he goes out there, plays flawlessly and we win. But that doesn't mean it'll happen or that it's likely.
It was either you or another poster who asked the best or most poignant
question in this thread; when is the right time to make the switch?
I had to answer this question last year when my team was in a similar predicament. More than a few times. Hold on. Lemme get into character.
*adjusts sunglasses*
*checks his watch*
*dusts off the top of the podium*
Thank you for the question. I know you're going to hate me for this answer. I'm not trying to ruffle your feathers with coach speak, just gonna say what we think is true.
We will make the change when we're ready, if we make a change at all.
You see, it's not just a matter of availability. We understand that our former starter is coming back. We like him alot. That's why he was a starter for us in the first place, because we like his skillset and how he fits onto our team. But just because a player is now available doesn't mean that he's the best available at this time.
He hasn't practiced for weeks. His timing may be off with the rest of the guys. Conditioning probably will be a bit rusty as well; not a ding on him, just a likelihood. We have to see how he plays in practice, how he gels with the team. Some guys can return from injury or another leave of absence, and it's like they haven't missed a moment. A rare few actually are markedly better than they were before they left. Others come back and they're just never quite the same guy as they were before. Maybe it's mental, maybe it's physical, maybe it's a bit of both. My point is that I'm not going to make a promise about who starts where without properly evaluating the state of the team and the state of the players on our team.
Let's talk about our backup. We like him alot too. There's a reason that he won the number two job in training camp. He's smart, he's capable, and he spins a pretty ball. He's won us some games. Actually he's undefeated this year. Alot of teams would love to have him taking snaps for their offense. He's done nothing to lose his job. Quite the opposite.
There's a dictomy in team management that makes no sense, because there are two usually accepted truths that are in opposition. The first truth is that a guy shouldn't lose his job due to injury or otherwise being away from the team; basically that he should keep his starting spot so long as he isn't underperforming on the field. The second truth is that every job is always in competition, because this is a hyper competitive sport and we are a hyper competitive team. On this team, we believe in the second truth more than the first. If a player who was a backup gets into the game in a starting role, through injury or otherwise, and he's so good that he is winning us football games singlehandedly, then absolutely he's going to stay in the game. We will not punish our backups for excelling. On this team, we reward them. Not only because it's right, but because playing great players is the best way to win games.
Now that doesn't mean that our backup is now our annointed starter. Nor does it mean that our former starter is now our backup. What it means is that these guys are going to compete in practice ferociously, and my former starter has to prove that he is a better football player than his former backup. He did it once during training camp already. If he does it again, then he gets his job back. If not, then he is now the new backup. And that's not a knock on him. It's just that the competition has been elevated, and we expect him to rise to the occasion. The man who we feel will give us the best chance to win will play, and that's because he's proven his dominance in practice.
What I want these young men to understand, and for you to understand, is that they are both on the same team. Striving towards the same goals. We all want to win. That's why we are here. To win championships as a family. All it takes is one illness, one injury, and either player could be The Guy on game day. And I fully expect them to support one another for the betterment of the team, just like I expect them to support the decision of the coaching staff as far as who gets the starting nod. It's a long season and this is a tough conference. We're going to need them both.
Next question.
