Pre-season Poll: Class 6A Region 1

[Governm]

A simpleton is someone who is so myopic that they can't get out of themselves to recognize the achievements of others. A simpleton would never give credit to anyone for beating his team. A simpleton would constantly place the blame on his own team for blowing a game. I have watched time and time again you say that the only reason WB is not good is because they hurt themselves, and not just with the Bearden game from last year. It is always WB shooting themselves in the foot. It is always WB and its coaching. It is always WB and turning the ball over. It is always WB with its penalties. It is never, "William Blount just isn't as good as another team." Sometimes other teams are better than your team. Just recognize that. WB is always the star of your story, and that my friend is the definition of a "simpleton". It is one thing to root for your favorite team. It is another to have absolutely NO objectivity when making comments on here. You are a fanboy.

You would have a point if our issues with turnovers and penalties weren't a constant theme. Last year we left over 100 points on the field in redzone turnovers alone. If those things only popped up in some games I would congratulate the other team and not complain about it. But when your team is turning the ball over 5 or 6 times (often more than that) a game every year on average the problem is clearly internal! But I suppose you are smarter because you think it's better to assume every single defense we play is awesome at generating turnovers. Edited July 16, 2015 by Governors91

[Governm]

Everyone wins some and loses some, that's part of playing the game. So yeah I get why some may call me a sore loser. But you cant understand where I'm coming from unless you have watched WB year after year like I have. From where I'm sitting WB's problem has been a lack of leadership, discipline,and a winning culture. Those are the things that win those tight games that go down to the wire. Teams can be comparable or evenly matched in talent/athletic ability but the team that is more disciplined and has better coaching is going to win the game 9 times out of 10. That's why WB loses more often than not.

Edited July 16, 2015 by Governors91

[BigPoppaPump]

You would have a point if our issues with turnovers and penalties weren't a constant theme. Last year we left over 100 points on the field in redzone turnovers alone. If those things only popped in some games I would congratulate the other team and not complain about my team. But when your team is turning the ball over 5 or 6 times (often more than that) a game every year on average the problem is clearly internal! But I suppose you are smarter because you think it's better to assume every single defense we play is awesome at generating turnovers.

 

I think sometimes other teams are great at generating turnovers.

 

I think sometimes a team can shoot themselves in the foot by turning it over themselves.

 

If there is a theme between the two constantly happening, I think your team may just not be good at all.  And if it's been happening since 09, then obviously the program is just a bad program.  

 

But sure, you know, maybe it's just really good players being really undisciplined, having bad luck, having bad coaches, and shooting themselves in the foot for 6 straight years.

[BigPoppaPump]

Everyone wins some and loses some, that's part of playing the game. So yeah I get why some may call me a sore loser. But you cant understand where I'm coming from unless you have watched WB year after year like I have. From where I'm sitting WB's problem has been a lack of leadership, discipline,and a winning culture. Those are the things that win those tight games that go down to the wire. Teams can be comparable or evenly matched in talent/athletic ability but the team that is more disciplined and has better coaching is going to win the game 9 times out of 10. That's why WB loses more often than not.

 

I've been around a couple of bad programs in two of the places I've lived.  One in state and one out of state.  What you have to realize, is that William Blount is not an anomaly.  All bad programs feel like they are on the edge of actually winning.  So they say, if we just didn't turn the ball over. Or if we had a better coach.  Or if the administration supported the team.  Or if we didn't lose so and so to that private/city school.  The list goes on and on.  But what those people fail to realize is that there is a theme.  It's not a constant string of bad luck that goes on for years and years and years. It's not one or two bad things.  It is a losing culture.  The bottom line is, losers find a way to lose, and winners find a way to win.   

[Governm]

Let me ask you something BigPoppapump. Would you say all the UT teams under Dooley were just bad teams that didn't have any athletes? Would you say that the 2012 team lacked athletes when they had awesome receivers like Patterson and Hunter? If you weren't an idiot you would say of course not. Dooley's coaching and the culture he brought in was terrible. Anyone with a brain could see that. And anyone with a brain can see that Butch Jones is a better coach that has brought in a better culture. The players sell out for him and are willing to run through a brick wall for him.

WB has had a Dooley-esque culture since Meadows left. It has been commonplace to see players goofing off before big games, giving minimal effort, and having a losing attitude, among other things. So yes WB has been a bad football program but it's not because they have lacked talent. WB has a great coach now and you can already see that winning attitude and culture falling into place. It's a night and day difference to the team that took the field last year. We dominated a Cleveland team that is projected to finish 3rd in their district this year and now has a coach that won the state title last year in a spring scrimmage. Say what you want about scrimmages not meaning anything but last year we got beat 42-14 by Knox Catholic in a spring scrimmage and had some of our players asking coaches when the scrimmage was going to be over and slinging helmets at the fence and acting like babies. When we scrimmaged Cleveland everyone was giving it their all because they believe in Shadowens and what he is selling. The culture is changing and you will see a new WB team take the field this year. And BTW I never once said we have great talent every year. I have constantly said we have the talent to be a decent team and there's no excuse for us to win 2 or 3 games every year. We can and should be better than that.

[Governm]

I've been around a couple of bad programs in two of the places I've lived. One in state and one out of state. What you have to realize, is that William Blount is not an anomaly. All bad programs feel like they are on the edge of actually winning. So they say, if we just didn't turn the ball over. Or if we had a better coach. Or if the administration supported the team. Or if we didn't lose so and so to that private/city school. The list goes on and on. But what those people fail to realize is that there is a theme. It's not a constant string of bad luck that goes on for years and years and years. It's not one or two bad things. It is a losing culture. The bottom line is, losers find a way to lose, and winners find a way to win.

Bingo! That's pretty much what I'm saying. The coaches we have had have brought in bad cultures. It's like with David Gregory. Every year he had low expectations and would give excuses about why it was going to be hard to win. He would say things like: we are young, we have a tough schedule, we are in the same county as Maryville and Alcoa and they take the talent etc. etc. I never once heard or read where that guy said anything really positive. And he was our head coach! Is that really the type of guy you would want leading your football program? Contrast that with Shadowens who constantly reminds the players that his expectations are very high and their goal is to host a playoff game this year. Shadowens has brought excitement back and the last two coaches never did that.

[BigPoppaPump]

Bingo! That's pretty much what I'm saying. The coaches we have had have brought in bad cultures. It's like with David Gregory. Every year he had low expectations and would give excuses about why it was going to be hard to win. He would say things like: we are young, we have a tough schedule, we are in the same county as Maryville and Alcoa and they take the talent etc. etc. I never once heard or read where that guy said anything really positive. And he was our head coach! Is that really the type of guy you would want leading your football program? Contrast that with Shadowens who constantly reminds the players that his expectations are very high and their goal is to host a playoff game this year. Shadowens has brought excitement back and the last two coaches never did that.

 

Shadowens is a great coach my man. He will be successful because of that, in due time.  Be cautious by placing high expectations on him this year though.  I mentioned it earlier.  He still has that same coaching staff from previous years.  One man doesn't change a culture.  He needs assistants to push that culture.  He doesn't have that yet.  I think what I gather from your posts is that the WB community has been starved for so long for an actual coach that it's hard to recognize what a good coach does.  He places high expectations on a program, not because it may even be attainable, but because he has to shock the kids back out of the lull of complacent, apathetic coaching staffs who had no expectations.  William Blount will not be hosting a playoff game this year and they won't be close to it.  That doesn't mean Shadowens should lower that standard.  But it also doesn't mean that that the community should take what he says expect that from him.  I'm glad that you are excited and you should be.  But it takes even the greatest coaches more than a year to revive dead programs, and even longer with no help to do so.  

 

Again, the only reason we're even having this conversation is because after watching what I saw in 7 on 7, I just made my observations.  I don't think they have the ball players that the other teams I saw do aside from Jefferson County.  That doesn't mean I don't think WB isn't moving in the right direction.  They are.  But there may be some others who are making those strides as well.  

[Governm]

I think one of the most important things a coach can do for a team is get his players to believe they can win. That's why coaches like Joe Gaddis are so successful. That guy knows how to get his players and fanbase excited. Contrast that to Justin Ridge. Last year WB started the season 0-3 but won 3 straight games to be 3-3 after 6 games. I was on the field for his postgame speech after the Lenoir City game which was the 3rd straight (and last) victory. His speech was very uninspiring and there was a complete lack of enthusiasm. One of the last things he said was "we got a tough game against Knox West next week. Let's work hard in practice this week and see how it goes". All of this was said in a flat tone. WB ended up getting beat by Knox West 70-14. I think one of the big reasons it ended up being that bad was because our coaches and players expected it to be that bad. You could just hear it in the coach's voice. He didn't think WB could compete and the players lived up to his expectations the next week.

Edited July 16, 2015 by Governors91

[Governm]

I,myself,don't have any lofty expectations for this year. However I do expect to see this team compete and give it their all every week and I expect to not see a repeat of the Bearden game last year. As far as wins and losses I expect us to win more than 3. If we win more than 3 games and compete every week and don't shoot ourselves in the foot I will be happy. Those are my expectations.

Edited July 16, 2015 by Governors91

[Bc9995]

Let me ask you something BigPoppapump. Would you say all the UT teams under Dooley were just bad teams that didn't have any athletes? Would you say that the 2012 team lacked athletes when they had awesome receivers like Patterson and Hunter? If you weren't an idiot you would say of course not. Dooley's coaching and the culture he brought in was terrible. Anyone with a brain could see that. And anyone with a brain can see that Butch Jones is a better coach that has brought in a better culture. The players sell out for him and are willing to run through a brick wall for him.

WB has had a Dooley-esque culture since Meadows left. It has been commonplace to see players goofing off before big games, giving minimal effort, and having a losing attitude, among other things. So yes WB has been a bad football program but it's not because they have lacked talent. WB has a great coach now and you can already see that winning attitude and culture falling into place. It's a night and day difference to the team that took the field last year. We dominated a Cleveland team that is projected to finish 3rd in their district this year and now has a coach that won the state title last year in a spring scrimmage. Say what you want about scrimmages not meaning anything but last year we got beat 42-14 by Knox Catholic in a spring scrimmage and had some of our players asking coaches when the scrimmage was going to be over and slinging helmets at the fence and acting like babies. When we scrimmaged Cleveland everyone was giving it their all because they believe in Shadowens and what he is selling. The culture is changing and you will see a new WB team take the field this year. And BTW I never once said we have great talent every year. I have constantly said we have the talent to be a decent team and there's no excuse for us to win 2 or 3 games every year. We can and should be better than that.

I told myself I wasn't going to comment on any of your posts this year because lets be honest it's a waste of time. But I have to call you out on this one. Last spring when everyone was jumping all over you because WB got smacked by Catholic, you repeatedly said that its a spring scrimmage and it doesn't mean anything. All because the results weren't to your liking. This year, now that WB beat up on another team, a team that typically is pretty good, the spring scrimmage can tell us how the whole season will shape out.

 

I am only saying this to point out that you are hypocrite, at least when it comes to WB, and I don't need you to rant about how the scrimmage shows a different culture, attitude, and displine. We got it.

[BigPoppaPump]

I think one of the most important things a coach can do for a team is get his players to believe they can win. That's why coaches like Joe Gaddis are so successful. That guy knows how to get his players and fanbase excited. Contrast that to Justin Ridge. Last year WB started the season 0-3 but won 3 straight games to be 3-3 after 6 games. I was on the field for his postgame speech after the Lenoir City game which was the 3rd straight (and last) victory. His speech was very uninspiring and there was a complete lack of enthusiasm. One of the last things he said was "we got a tough game against Knox West next week. Let's work hard in practice this week and see how it goes". All of this was said in a flat tone. WB ended up getting beat by Knox West 70-14. I think one of the big reasons it ended up being that bad was because our coaches and players expected it to be that bad. You could just hear it in the coach's voice. He didn't think WB could compete and the players lived up to his expectations the next week.

 

I agree 100% that you have to motivate kids and set the bar high. Good coaches do that both internally in the program and externally to the community and media. I don't think you're wrong. Here's where you have to be careful though. No matter how many hoorah speeches and excitement that a coach generates, kids have to see results. They have to see success.  They have to see that all of the excitement and work they're putting into their craft creates results.  That's when they really buy.  Do lazy uninspiring coaches hurt themselves? No doubt. But I've also seen exciting, flashy, exuberant coaches who have no substance flame out as well.  I guess what I'm saying, is that all of these expectations and excitement alone won't generate many, if any wins.  Is it important? Yes. Does it hurt? No. But in the end it'll be the hard work that a team and staff put in and the talent that it puts on the field.  Again, that'll happen, but I just don't see it happening as fast as you do.

[Knoxvul]

I think one of the most important things a coach can do for a team is get his players to believe they can win. That's why coaches like Joe Gaddis are so successful. That guy knows how to get his players and fanbase excited. Contrast that to Justin Ridge. Last year WB started the season 0-3 but won 3 straight games to be 3-3 after 6 games. I was on the field for his postgame speech after the Lenoir City game which was the 3rd straight (and last) victory. His speech was very uninspiring and there was a complete lack of enthusiasm. One of the last things he said was "we got a tough game against Knox West next week. Let's work hard in practice this week and see how it goes". All of this was said in a flat tone. WB ended up getting beat by Knox West 70-14. I think one of the big reasons it ended up being that bad was because our coaches and players expected it to be that bad. You could just hear it in the coach's voice. He didn't think WB could compete and the players lived up to his expectations the next week.

I see what you are saying, had he hyped his team up and stated lets go knock off the number 1 team in the state in 5A, then you guys wouldn't have coughed the ball up or been penalized so much. Just maybe the score would have been 60-14 or maybe even 21. Your boys were beat when they watched film on West and your coach could have said nothing to change that.