My question for tomorrow night's Scott Shafer Show

[SWC75]

The show this year will be broadcast on Thursdays at 7PM from TGI Fridays on the third floor of Destiny USA, (just past the theater ticket booth and on the right after you walk down the hallway). I don’t know if they will take questions from the audience there but they say you can watch the show whereas when it was at a restaurant, their table tended to be in a secluded location. (Remember its Thursdays at TGI Fridays, not Fridays at TGI Thursdays). The football show is an hour in duration, (Coach Boeheim’s basketball show is usually 2 hours).

Note: because the first game is on a Friday Night, the first show will be on Wednesday, September 2nd. After that it will be on the Thursday before each game until the last game when the show will again be on a Wednesday, (11/25) due to Thanksgiving.

“Fans are invited to attend the show in person or participate via telephone (1-888-7-Go Cuse or 424-8599) or Twitter (@CuseIMG) using the hashtag #AskShafe. You can also listen to the show live each week on the Syracuse IMG Sports Network and Cuse.com. Wednesday's show will be on 99.1 FM and 97.7 FM, as well. The show will regularly air on 99.5FM (Syracuse)99.1 FM (Utica) and 1200 AM.” You can also get it on: http://tunein.com/radio/WGVA-1240-s29191/
That first phone number is 1-888-746-2873 numerically.

You can also send them in advance at this site:
http://cuse.com/sb_output.aspx?form=4
(I do both so they can be prepared to give me an informed, reasoned answer.)


"Coach, last year Pittsburgh was 1-5 in close games and this year they are 5-1. We have a young team that has been losing close games. Is there such a thing as “learning how to win” and how do you do that? Also, is there such a thing as “learning how to lose” and are we in danger of doing that?"

 

[donniesyracuse]

“learning how to win” ...“learning how to lose”

These are nonsensical concepts invented by people standing in front of microphones for too long with nothing to say.

You will be satisfied with Coach Shafer's thoughtful response until you realize he was talking about nothing. I think you will regret wasting the opportunity to ask a meaningful question.

 

[TheCusian]

The show this year will be broadcast on Thursdays at 7PM from TGI Fridays on the third floor of Destiny USA, (just past the theater ticket booth and on the right after you walk down the hallway). I don’t know if they will take questions from the audience there but they say you can watch the show whereas when it was at a restaurant, their table tended to be in a secluded location. (Remember its Thursdays at TGI Fridays, not Fridays at TGI Thursdays). The football show is an hour in duration, (Coach Boeheim’s basketball show is usually 2 hours). Note: because the first game is on a Friday Night, the first show will be on Wednesday, September 2nd. After that it will be on the Thursday before each game until the last game when the show will again be on a Wednesday, (11/25) due to Thanksgiving. “Fans are invited to attend the show in person or participate via telephone (1-888-7-Go Cuse or 424-8599) or Twitter (@CuseIMG) using the hashtag #AskShafe. You can also listen to the show live each week on the Syracuse IMG Sports Network and Cuse.com. Wednesday's show will be on 99.1 FM and 97.7 FM, as well. The show will regularly air on 99.5FM (Syracuse)99.1 FM (Utica) and 1200 AM.” You can also get it on: http://tunein.com/radio/WGVA-1240-s29191/ That first phone number is 1-888-746-2873 numerically. You can also send them in advance at this site: http://cuse.com/sb_output.aspx?form=4 (I do both so they can be prepared to give me an informed, reasoned answer.) "Coach, last year Pittsburgh was 1-5 in close games and this year they are 5-1. We have a young team that has been losing close games. Is there such a thing as “learning how to win” and how do you do that? Also, is there such a thing as “learning how to lose” and are we in danger of doing that?"

Great question!

 

[donniesyracuse]

A team plays well enough to win (i.e., makes enough plays, makes few mistakes) or it does not. Please tell me the difference between "learning to win" and "getting better?"

 

[SWC75]

A team plays well enough to win (i.e., makes enough plays, makes few mistakes) or it does not. Please tell me the difference between "learning to win" and "getting better?"

Hopefully, that's what the coach will tell us.

 

[donniesyracuse]

Hopefully, that's what the coach will tell us.

Why do we need him to tell us when we already know the answer?

 

[TheCusian]

A team plays well enough to win (i.e., makes enough plays, makes few mistakes) or it does not. Please tell me the difference between "learning to win" and "getting better?"

Is not learning to make plays or not make mistakes in critical moments a learned skill? Are not learned skills the responsibility of the coaches? Don't you want them to get better at those things? Or that if there's something they can do to help the process, that they explain it?

 

[donniesyracuse]

Is not learning to make plays or not make mistakes in critical moments a learned skill? Are not learned skills the responsibility of the coaches? Don't you want them to get better at those things? Or that if there's something they can do to help the process, that they explain it?

Seems like all of those things equate to being "better at football." "Learning to win" is a meaningless distinction created by an industry charged with making football seem more complicated and interesting.

 

[TheCusian]

Seems like all of those things equate to being "better at football." "Learning to win" is a meaningless distinction created by an industry charged with making football seem more complicated and interesting.

We know the goal. To get better at football. To learn how to win. You ask the question so that the guy charged with teaching the skills required to do those things can help us understand what they are doing to get "better at football" and "learn how to win" ... Unless you think it's not his job to win or get better.

I don't think an industry is out to make things more complicated and interesting. I think people love football and love their teams and so shows exist and coaches answer questions. I like to hear coaches talk about football when there are no games because there are no games.

He may give a BS answer. But I'm still curious.

 

[donniesyracuse]

We know the goal. To get better at football. To learn how to win. You ask the question so that the guy charged with teaching the skills required to do those things can help us understand what they are doing to get "better at football" and "learn how to win" ... Unless you think it's not his job to win or get better.

I guess I would prefer to ask questions more specific questions (e.g., what can you do to reduce penalties, how do you teach players to relax under pressure) rather than using some generic concept like "learning to win." You many as well ask: "how can this team get better?"

 

[Cheriehoop]

I guess I would prefer to ask questions more specific questions (e.g., what can you do to reduce penalties, how do you teach players to relax under pressure) rather than using some generic concept like "learning to win." You many as well ask: "how can this team get better?"

You do know that you can email or call in your own "specific" questions rather than critiquing someone else's question who's actually making the effort?

 

[donniesyracuse]

You do know that you can email or call in your own "specific" questions rather than critiquing someone else's question who's actually making the effort?

Forgive me, I always assumed that SWC posts his questions to generate discussion.

 

[TheCusian]

I guess I would prefer to ask questions more specific questions (e.g., what can you do to reduce penalties, how do you teach players to relax under pressure) rather than using some generic concept like "learning to win." You many as well ask: "how can this team get better?"

That's fine. I think if you ask too specific a question you get too specific an answer. "We tell our kids to just go have fun" or "We teach them to tackle a certain way - and grabbing the face mask is not something we teach"

 

[donniesyracuse]

That's fine. I think if you ask too specific a question you get too specific an answer.

Yep, and if you ask a generic question, you will get a generic answer. It does not really matter, we are going to get "coach speak" anyway.

I do appreciate the legendary SWC's work and I hope he does not take offense to my feedback.

 

[Chip]

I hope his answer is that they hired a new coach and got that turned around.

That would be funny.

 

[SWC75]

Forgive me, I always assumed that SWC posts his questions to generate discussion.

I do but that doesn't mean you can't contact them with a question you like better.

 

[SUskibum]

My best guess to the answer will be consistency, but I like the question very much, including the preamble.

The younger the team is often the more mistakes and less consistancy of execution there will be. As we continue to work hard, gain experience and get reps, we will continue to get more and more consistant. This will result in less overall mistakes, including the mistakes that happen during critical times.

 

[SWC75]

Donnie in Syracuse was basically right but I'm not sorry I asked the question. Summary to follow.

Still 7:48 so 12 minutes left for Donnie to call in with a better question.

 

[PhatOrange]

It's a good question and a real concept.

When you don't know how to win and things start going south it's the old 'here we go again'.

When you know how to win. You're confident that you're never going to lose. And yes players step up and make plays, they shut the door. That's part of knowing how to win.

 

[LAOrange]

Speaking of consistency: Steve, thanks for all your posts. Your analyses are always spot on.