to Slim 589

[bhsOL]

Slim589, I wanted you to see my post in another board "Coaches taking heat" because I know you are just as frustrated as me.

 

"relaxed1,

 

I agree with you when you say that coaches are being challenged too much. However, I think that there are some cases that are absolutely true. I played and started at guard at Blackman last year as a senior. God only knows how much blood, sweat, and tears I put in. Blackman opened my sophomore year (2000-2001). In the 2001 season we went 8-4, becoming the first team ever in the state of Tenneessee to make the playoffs in its first full varsity schedule (we had a J.V. schedule in 2000). My senior year we went 9-4. We had a chance to beat Riverdale in the playoffs twice when we took the lead: 2001 (16-0) and 2002 (13-10). This goes to show you that we were pretty good for a new school. Now this year Blackman is 1-6. They are pitiful. It has to do with the coaching. They have a senior QB with game experience and for the first few games they started a sophomore with no game experience who threw 4 or 5 interceptions and only 1 touchdown. They don't teach the o-line how to really block some one. They got people starting in differnent positions who are so clumsy that they can't even walk without bumping into something. They even had to move a couple of freshmen up to varsity and both of them are starting now. And on kickoff returns, the coach tells them to form a "wall" going parallel with the sideline, which allows the kickoff team to easily get to the ball carrier and drill him every time. No one on the team ever hustles because the coaches don't know how to discipline them to just give it your all.

 

I know the head coach doesn't even give it his all. All he does is stand around and smoke cigarrettes and ACTS like he cares. The only reason he is out there is so that his son can play. I'm not going to bash his son on here because he is one of my friends, so I'll try to speak kindly about him. Last year one of our starting linebackers got hurt and all of a suddenly his son moved from 2nd or 3rd string safety to starting linebacer (all 140 lbs. of him). Riverdale put up 21 straight points during the regular season last year just by running the ball at him every play. I talked to coach Rankin after the game and he said he laughed when he found out that he was starting because he knew he wasn't very good and it would be a cake walk. Blackman's coach says he is going to quit after his son graduates, but it would be best for Blackman if he'd quit NOW.

 

You should hear all the comotion in the stands. You wouldn't believe how mad the fans are. I know of several of the dads that could take this team and turn it back into a better playoff team than the head coach can. One bad thing is that my little brother still plays for Blackman; he's a junior. I feel sooooo sorry for him and I can see the hurt in his eyes when he comes home at night just full of frustration, knowing all the horse crap that goes on there.

 

I guess that my point of writing all of this is just to vent off some frustration because I am upset to see my former team sucking like this. If any of the Blackman coaches (every one but the linebackers coach) see this, I know that yall look on here a lot, I just want to tell yall that yall stink!!!!!!!!

Yall stink!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Edited October 15, 2003 by bhsOL

[twittycanes]

May I comment about this? Well I have heard that Blackman lost a lot of players to other schools. If that is so they might have to rebuild again, maybe they lost them because of the coach, I dont know, but try & keep positive in front of your brother. If you dont he will have even a rougher time. Give him all the support you can & help pull him thru all of this. It will get better.

[Guest Oakland]

if this is truly the state of blackman football, then i am shocked and apalled that a david alsup coached team could get in this bad of a situation, for many years i have respected and admired david alsup for making oakland into one of the state's top teams by the time he left. of course winning makes things go over so much better, and i truly hope that coach alsup that he can right the ship or if things have truly gotten out of hand, resign, reagrdless of what happens he is still one of the best coaches rutherford co has seen

[Guest region4fan]

BHSOL...........even though this is a serious topic, I must comment that I am so glad to see you posting again. I have missed your insightful posts. I have much respect for you. If you are saying these things , I know they have to be true.

 

Now I am not at the practices to hear what is going down, but I have heard that Alsup may be suffering from some health problems. To what extreme I don't know, but I can tell you that some health issues can totally change one's personality. Is that what is happening? I am upset over some of the quotes from Alsup in the paper. I realize that sometimes one can be mis-quoted. However, you can't mis-quote yourself on the radio, can you?

 

I know that Blackman came out like gangbusters the first 3 years. They lifted the bar high. That puts a lot of pressure on kids to perform as expected. ( ask Riverdale about pressure) No one expects them to have to rebuild. I know they have a successful feeder school and much talent is coming their way. But their fans expect another stellar year just like before. That makes it tough on everyone.

 

 

Now I was not happy to see all the press toward the Locke kid. I am sure Juicy is putting the squeeze on . Just like he threatened to go to BA with Eric when Rankin wouldn't let Locke pass. But you can't let a dad run your program. Don't put undue pressure on the Locke kid either. You saw how his brother cracked under all the pressure. Don't do it to the brother

too.AND.... You can't cast aside your older kids.I was impressed with the Emerson kid in our game. He can throw. Hit #84 or #22. Those kids can catch the ball and get some yds.

 

I am sad to see all this going down. I think it has to be especially hard on Alsup's son. It is tough to be a coach's kid especially when the heat is on your dad. I don't know a good solution in this situation. BHSOL keep your brother's spirits up.

[82cat]

Blackman without Rico = Siegel !!!!!

 

 

 

*Not really but he may be the most underestimated player for a school in some time. How many games did he win for Blackman------- a lot I'm sure

 

I heard at the first of the year from people and parents closely associated with Blackman that they would win one game this year against Siegel.

 

You can blame it on the coaches if you wish there may be some blame there also but I don't see the talent there right now to win consistently. It looks like some good young talent is on the way so excuse me if I don't feel to sorry for you right now!

 

Locke will be a good solid player he is just a kid and I hope everyone just lets him play (including his dad) and be his own person. The bad thing for him is if he develops I think a lot of D1 coaches will not give him a chance because of his dad.

 

All the teams in Region 4 better get better because no one is getting worse all have a lot of juniors coming back next year and it will be competetive again.

[Guest region4fan]

Hey BHSOL.....don't you love how all of us are answering for Slim??? Last we heard he had his computer crash. Since we haven't heard from him since, I assume it is still on the mend. I am anxious to hear his take on this, as well as JohnnyC's.

[JohnnyC]

Oakland2001 has heard what I have to say. There is absolutely no team unity at all. A team that does not play as a team will never win. And the fact that coach's are telling them that they don't deserve to win, does not help matters. Is a coach not supposed to motivate his team? Until there is adequate coaching, from all the coach's, not just Alsup, they will not win. Until the team comes together, they will not win.

 

-JohnC

[slim589]

Guys there are a few games left and I have a lot to say but I will save it until the seasons end. My son and the rest of the seniors have taken a bad rap for this season in the papers and the radio and it's very undeserving! Heck if you have followed Blackman football since the beginning, everytime we have lost or had a bad game it was always the players fault! We won the previous years at Blackman b/c we had a team full of big time talent alone! What is funny to me is according to Alsup the Blaze has never had senior leadership! I've been around football my entire life and played at a very prominate high school under some very good coaches so I know good coaches and good role models! I'll give you guys the whole story of 4 years of frustration when the time is right! For now I will just be there for the team on friday nights. These guys have tried to be a TEAM but the coaches jerk the carpet out from under them every chance they get! This group was DOOMED before the season ever started! I'm surprised the whole freshman team isn't starting on varsity! Varsity football is a whole different MONSTER as anyone who knows football will tell you, these 2 young guys could have helped the varsity but you bring them along slowly. You don't just give them the keys to the car right from the get go? Talk about breaking a teams moral and taking their confidence away! Leadership it's a funny word when certain peaple say it!(lol) As far as the two freshman that are on varsity I'm proud of them both b/c they are just doing what is asked of them. They will both be great players when the TIME is RIGHT! And as far as Juicy goes he has been as quite as a mouse when it comes to Marcus so don't give him a hard time on here b/c this time he and his family doesn't deserve this negativity!

 

The Blazes #1 (FRUSTRATED ) FAN,

Slim589

[twittycanes]

Well put Slim, it takes character be have the attitude that you have right now. I dont have a dog in this hunt but I admire the way you are handling your frustrations. Good Luck to ya'll the rest of the year.

[Guest region4fan]

Slim is as good of a man as it gets. It is a shame that you are not the coach instead of Alsup. Keep believing in the kids and be there for them, Slim. I don't know where they would be w/o your guidance.

[bhsOL]

Oakland2001, I'm sure that at one time coach Alsup was a great coach, after seeing the success he had at Oakland, but when I go to the games and practices, I can just tell that his heart is just not any more. I'm sure you know Coach Watson. He was kinda like a second father to me during football. He told me things about stuff outside of football like things going on in his life so I guess he felt like he could tell me anything. One time when I was at his house for lineman night, he told me that Coach Alsup has told him that sometimes he wishes that he didn't even take the job at Blackman. That goes to show that his heart is not in it any more.

 

 

Slim589, see you at the game Friday. I sure we will once again talk about how disgusted we are.

[shady04]

The only thing that I will say is that i NEVER thought that Blackman's season could get this bad. Now let me speak from a fan's prospective. It is obvious that the games were not the same to go to. I mean we had alot to show up, but they would just sit down, and applaud every now and then. The students arent into it as much. I mean it use to be special going to a Blackman home game, and now its like every halftime people were saying "well is Riverdale playing at home tonight?" And just leave. I dont know, it has been frustrating. I will not comment on the coaches because i dont play so i have no right to say anything about them.

But hey with all this going on im still looking forward to going to the game Fri night against Riverdale, because i will always be a fan through thick and then.