THE SELFISH ONES

If you have coached at any level, you always have the player or players that are so selfish, they should be shipped out.

Rod Marinelli was fired Monday as head coach of the Detroit Lions after going 0-16.   He has always been a ‘man’ about the losses and yesterday he was a ‘professional’ at his news conference.  He took the blame and never once, called out his players to the media.   The same can’t be said of Lions cornerback Leigh Bodden, who still has a job.  Detroit Free Press on the unproductive defensive back who ripped the coaching staff.

“When I first stepped foot in the door, did I start?” Bodden said. “That doesn’t make any sense. I don’t know what conclusion they had for that. It ain’t like I didn’t make plays during training camp. It was just baffling to me. From that point, I wasn’t happy

-Coach Finamore

hoops135@hotmail.com

PART OF PROBLEM OR SOLUTION?

Rod Marinelli got fired by the Detroit Lions.

I’m sorry but it wasn’t his fault.

They should’ve given Marinelli another year.

Marinelli is a great man.  He never once blamed the 0-16 season on any one player or any coach.  He never threw anyone under the bus.  He’s all about integrity, fundamentals and hard work.

Different players will make the difference, not a new coach.

I watched the game this past Sunday against the Green Bay Packers and I saw a bone-head play by one of the Lions defensive backs.  After he knocked down a pass, he got in the face of the packers receiver and was assessed a flag; unsportsmanlike conduct – 15 yards, automatic first down.  (Hey Coach Marinelli, good play.  Oh wait, you are over there on the sidelines, my bad)

Vince Lombardi would struggle with this team.

Eric Mangini, who was fired by the New York Jets and was called ‘Man-Genius’ seems to have an interview with the Cleveland Browns – who fired their coach yesterday.  The AP has the story.

Former NFL player and current high school football coach charged with child rape.  NBC Sports reports.

SLOW START

I talked to a high school basketball coach yesterday right after he lost a tough game.  It’s the second time in a row his team has come out slow to start the game.

“Don’t worry.” I explained to him.  “It’s only Decemeber!”

Now is the time to get the kinks out.  Get after it in practice, get better and coach for Jan.-Feb.-and of course March.

Which brings me to something a big time college D-1 basketball coach said to me a few years ago.

Me: Coach, are you guys having Midnight Madness this year?

Coach: Steve, we don’t worry about Midnight Madness, all we care about is March Madness!

-Coach Finamore

Hoops135@hotmail.com

COACHING TREE

You hear it all the time.  ‘So and So is from So and So’s coaching tree.’

Pat Summit has 70 former staff members coaching basketball!  GMANews TV has the story.

Is it me or has there been more talk than ever before about coaches being fired and hired?

Fred Hill at Rutgers, who I think is a good dude has to play the top 3 teams in the nation…all in a row!  That’s right, starting tomorrow at North Carolina.  New York Times has the story.

-Coach Finamore

Hoops135@hotmail.com

YOU WANT DISCIPLINE?

A few nights ago I watched ESPN2 show a documentary starring Boys and Girls High School boys basketball coach Ruth Lovelace.  I thought it was pretty good.  During the doc they interviewed former Boys High coach Frank Mickens. Mickens coached the boys basketball team back in the day.  Slam on-line has an interview with Lovelace.  Mickens hired her back in 1994 and people thought he was making a mistake.

You wanna talk about discipline?  This guy was the best!

To go along with his coaching duties he was also the principal at the school.

Here is a brief bio of Mickens via Brickley.com

I recall as a youngster watching his teams scrimmage up at Bishop Ford and my friends and I would make sure to get there early so we can see them go through their warm-ups; it was that enjoyable and productive.

Mickens’ teams played with passion, confidence and most of all discipline.

They pressed full court, shared the ball and dove all over the floor for loose balls.  I loved watching them draw offensive fouls.

He got in their faces on the sidelines and these kids responded.  He was as hard-nosed as you can get.

His main task as principal was to keep the disruptive students out of main-stream.

It makes me laugh when pundits say you have to coach players and be cordial and positive.  Don’t yell at them because Johnny doesn’t respond too well to screaming.

Give me a break!

-Coach Finamore

Hoops135@hotmail.com