Since he's first come to Chicago, I've heard talk about Lovie Smith and his lack of emotion on the sideline. I guess some folks want to see him jumping up and down and screaming at players when they screw up. Others have no problem with Lovie's demeanor. No doubt we've all heard arguments for both sides. Some believe a coach needs to scream and yell and throw stuff to inspire their players, while other think the player are grown men and professionals and don't need all the theatrics for inspiration.
In high school I ran cross-country. Our varsity coach was a lot like Lovie Smith. I mean, almost to a "T." We'll call him Mr. Ed for the sake of this blog. Mr. Ed was a quiet guy, clean cut, disciplined, a family man, and a devout Christian. He showed a tremendous amount of respect to his runners, the opposing teams, the IHSA, the school, and everyone involved in his program. He would talk to us before a big race and go down the line, telling each varsity runner what place they needed to finish for our team to win the meet and what time we'd need to get that position. No pep talks, no rah-rah, no preaching about how much we sacrificed at practices. He might say some things about running in a pack, or pacing, or how he thought other teams would run, but that was about it. It was all very dry and very technical.
Mr. Ed's counterpart was Mr. Steve. We were all pretty sure Mr. Steve was certifiable. He was the frosh-soph coach. It was Mr. Steve's job to weed out the weak and feeble underclassmen until only the strong survived. He took our class of fourteen freshmen and whittled us down to three varsity runners in two years. Mr. Steve served in the army and could've been a drill sergeant. Easily. Imagine R. Lee Ermey, and then turn his voice up about three octaves. You could hear his voice for MILES, and you swear he could SEE you when you were a mile away behind a grove of trees on the opposite side of the course.
Mr. Steve was the guy who would take us up to the starting line. He would talk to each of us individually. He knew we responded to different motivational techniques. Some guys didn't need much motivation at all. Me? I ran cross-country like Dick Butkus played football. I needed to hate the other teams out there. Mr. Steve would tell me things like, "These rich sissies like to go out fast, but don't let that get to you. Stick with them, they'll fade late, they think they're better than you. So, play with their heads. Be sure you spit in their direction for the first mile and a half and let them know you're still there. They'll break." And then the race would start and we knew it was just a matter of time before we could hear Mr. Steve screaming at us. During the race, Mr. Ed would calmly tell us what place we were in and whether or not our pace was fast or slow and Mr. Steve was the one who screamed, "PUMP YOUR ARMS, DAMNIT!"
To me, it was the proverbial perfect marriage. The head coach was the technical guy who developed our training regimen and crunched the numbers. The assistant was the firecracker who could fire you up and put the fear of God into you. That was the best coaching tandem I ever had the pleasure of working with in any sport, including my uninspiring college career.
Reading this, you might start to think that Mr. Ed was some kind of pushover. Or maybe he didn't have a very competitive spirit. You'd be dead wrong. When we lost a meet we should've won, it ate him up inside. He got mad. Oh yes. You could see those veins sticking out of his neck and forehead. But he contained his ire. The worst thing Mr. Ed ever said to me in two years is "Pete, I don't see how someone from [a weaker team in the conference] beat you today. You should've beaten him easily, and if you would've run the time I said you should've run, you would've done it." That stung more than anything Mr. Steve bellowed at me as a freshman or a sophomore. Mr. Ed didn't have to scream or swear or throw anything while he said it.
I screwed up again the next week, and he questioned my motivation and threatened to pull me off the varsity team. Again, he didn't yell, but he didn't have to. I was an elite high school athlete on a team that was bound for the state meet. I knew I screwed up, and he just had to let me know that HE knew I screwed up too. But you know what he was also saying by not screaming at me? He was saying, "Pete, I have respect for you as a person. I am not better than you, but you're not living up to your commitment to this team and that has to stop."
That's all it took. The next week, I ran the race of my life and placed exactly where Mr. Ed told me I should. As a team, we fell short of our goal of making it to state. But the next day in the local paper Mr. Ed was quoted as saying that I ran my guts out and placed very well considering the extreme competition that day.
That's a good coach, folks. I don't think I heard him yell twice in two years as a varsity runner. But he took his team to state three out of four years. I graduated, and the next year they took third place at state. The year after our terribly disappointing season, Mr. Ed, Mr. Steve, and their runners took the state by storm. That's what good coaches do. And if anyone told me that Lovie Smith was not a good coach just because he doesn't show enough emotion on the sideline, I would have to disagree vehemently.
I was an elite high school athlete. Only the elite of the elite get scholarships to college programs. After college only the elite of the elite get a shot at the pros. In my estimation, that means professional football players are elite to the third power compared to me. Trust me, these guys don't need to be yelled at. They know when they screw up, and it bothers them as much (if not more) than it bothers their coaches. They don't want to be benched, and that's all the motivation they need.
Of course, Lovie Smith doesn't seem all that willing to bench players who perform badly. Ask me again if it bothers me that Lovie isn't very emotional on the sidelines, and I'll say, "Not at all." There is nothing wrong with a coach who speaks softly and carries a big stick. I think professional athletes appreciate a "quiet" coach who shows respect to his players by not bawling them out on national TV. However, if a head coach can't (or won't) bench a player who's struggling, I have a BIG problem. I don't know if there is any greater motivation in professional sports than the fear of being benched.
Kim Cloutier
Damaris Lewis
Did You See That?
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It's not so much that Smith doesn't show any emotions per se, although that does bother me to some extent. It is how he is unwilling to bench Grossman until it is too late. It is how he refuses to have Benson sit on the bench and let the superior backs such as Peterson take the field.
When I see Smith not showing any emotions when the team screws up, I am reminded of the Dusty Baker era here in Chicago. I am reminded of how he didn't stand up for his players when it mattered the most. There were a lot of controversial, if not flat out BS, calls made in the Baker era, and anyone with half a brain could see that. Baker did nothing. He sat there like a bump on a log, chewing on that damn toothpick. So when I see Smith not saying, let alone doing anything, I worry. I worry a lot. He is smart enough to know when changes need to be made. This stubbornness gets annoying after some time.
cubs/bears
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Nothing wrong with quiet, but you have to back it up. Like the Pats coach for example. He never criticizes any one particular player, but the following week someone will be cut(sup Doug Gabriel) or he's starting a different player. To many to list there Pete, sorry.
Tracy00214-Is back!
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Tony Dungy almost never shows any emotion on the sideline either...
As Chicago fans, we're just used to picturing Ditka screaming at anyone that moved...yelling and cussing till he was blue in the face.
Lovie has his own style...what I wonder is does he have his Mr. Steve? You need that counter punch, maybe Rivera provided that? I know it's not Turner...he's like his brother, super nice guy. Maybe what the Bears really need is a Coordinator that can kick some tail. Motivate and approach players in a different way, so that everyone is clearly on the same page.
It's tough with Lovie, cause on one hand I respect the loyalty that he shows his players, and admire that he protects them from attacks...but on the other hand, wish he would move a little quicker on making some of these calls.
But then again, there is a reason he's a Head Coach...and I'm a guy sitting at my computer complaining about it.
Josh
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Hey Pete,
Another great blog!
I agree...I actually prefer Lovie's coaching technique. It always bugs me when I see coaches yelling at their players, especially in the pros. You are absolutely right about those guys--they play at such a high level, they already have the internal motivation needed to make adjust their performance. They are adult men, and should be treated as such.
BTW, I recently had an experience that reminded me just how hard pro athletes work. We recently had a "Sports Day" at work--one of those stupid corporate "motivational/rewarding" activities. Anyway, there were a bunch of sports games set up in the parking lot, like a speed gun to time your pitching. I played varsity softball in high school. I was a catcher, not a pitcher, but still felt that I could throw some decent heat.
Yeah, not so much. My highest speed was 42 MPH...and that was throwing my hardest and with absolutely no accuracy. Considering the pros routinely throw in the 80's and 90's...I was pretty humbled.
Kari - DaPrez
Geneva , IL
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cubs/bears: Your comment on one of my blogs inspired this one... ;) Anyway, I'm afraid Lovie doesn't have the *authority* to veto the Overlord Jerry Angelo's wishes. Grossman and Benson are Angelo's draft picks, and the big bossman doesn't want to admit he goofed. That's my take on things, anyway. And I think that illustrates how badly a meddling GM (or owner) can inhibit a coach's ability to run his team.
Tracy: There is a laundry list of coaches who were successful in the NFL with this style. Landry, Grant, Belicheck, Dungy... Of course, there were screamers who did well too: Madden, Ditka, Cowher... This is just off the top of my head, of course. ;)
Josh: Babich and Toub are screamers. Did you see Toub get into Jamar Williams' face after he missed a block that could've sprung Hester down the sideline? Ouch.
Kari: Thanks! :) You've inspired my next analogy/stretch piece. When I was a deejay at a local radio station in Dubuque, IA, we used to play charity basketball against the Minnesota Vikings every year. Humbling indeed!
Sneaky Pete
Rochelle, IL
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Well said Pete. I agree with you 100.24%. Look at the coaches who have had the most success professioanlly and personally, and I would bet the "quiet" coaches had more long term success than those who would lose it.
iB4e: Happy…
Austin, TX
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I think you're right, i.
I think Ditka's fiery personality is what spelled doom for him in Chicago. Remember when he chewed out Jim Harbaugh for throwing a bad pick against Minnesota? Ditka reamed Harbaugh so badly on the sidelines, that Harbaugh freaked and threw two more picks. And the Bears let a 21-point 4th quarter lead evaporate into a tragic loss. The next year Harbaugh was gone to the Colts (where he led the league in passer rating) and two years(?) after that, Da Coach was gone too.
Ironically, Ditka's fiery personality was also what got the Bears out of the basement and into the Superbowl.
Sneaky Pete
Rochelle, IL
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Well said, Pete. There's a huge difference between being gentle and being soft.
Dan TM is Stupendous…
Evanston , IL
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Yeah, look at the best coaches, Dungy and Belichick. You notice how they never really yell at anyone. When you do your homework and have all-time quarterbacks to build around, you get more goals accomplished.
Now look at everyone's least favorite firecracker in sports, Ozzie Guillen. His short fuse was the prescription for success those first years, but now he is a lunatic who's got everyone's back against him. John Gruden of the Bucs has the same story. Bill Cowher was a hot head for years, and he FINALLY won when he mellowed out a tad.
Emotion is short-lived. Its effects on people are even shorter. It's unnatural to be emotional all day (even under pressure), so those kind of leaders' careers are short-lived.
Deep South Sider
Atl, GA
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Yea, nice blog.
Personally, I like lovie's style - reminds me of Dungy. Both quality guys.
Squeeb
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I was afraid you would say that. After some time, I began to suspect that Angelo had a hand in things. It is one thing to wish the people you have picked success. In some way, I am still pulling for him. Rex seems to be a nice guy, who loves the game and genuinely wants to succeed. I can say the same for Benson.
However, it is another thing entirely for stubbornness to take hold. Both Grossman and Benson have shown that they do not grasp certain fundamentals of their respective positions. Maybe we can place part of the blame on the line. After all, without any weapons to throw to, Grossman is helpless. The offense needs to be able to make sure defenders don't block everyone. But they need to be able to leap and grab the ball at the right moment. This was demonstrated just recently by the Colts. Granted, it was a member of the defense who made an excellent interception. But it was that kind of catch that the members of our O need to be able to make.
That said, Grossman has shown that he is erratic. He throws the long ball when someone is open close by, or throws it too far. He also just throws the ball either too low for people to catch it, or throws the damn thing away when someone is open. This concerns me. That shows a lack of fundamentals. I am afraid that Grossman just doesn't "have it." That is a shame, as he is quite a talented player.
Benson is guilty of a lot of the same things Grossman is. He has shown that he lacks the fundamentals of his position. He is afraid to plow through people in order to make holes for himself. He is afraid to make cuts to the left or right. He wants to make a straight run. This cannot pass. He needs to be able to think on his feet, and find holes for himself. He does not have a bigger back like Jones to soften up the opposing D anymore. He needs to be able to make holes. He needs to take the hits. He looks like he is a deer in the headlights out there. He is better as a 2nd string RB. Give Peterson and/or Wolfe the bulk of the carries.
cubs/bears
Total Comments (1290)
Dan: Good point, and thanks for reading!
DSS: Good point about the Oz-man: Everyone's darling for two years, now it seems he's on the verge of losing his job.
Squeeb: For some reason, it always makes my day when you comment on my blogs... Hm. I wonder why? ;)
cubs/bears: Remember, that's merely my Completely Unprofessional Opinion. That and 50 cents will get you a cup of coffee... ;)
Sneaky Pete
Rochelle, IL
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It may be a completely unprofessional opinion, as you put it, but I suspect that it is correct.
cubs/bears
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good stuff pete...along that same line, i'll bet tony dungy would make you feel like total crap if you let him down..and he'd never raise his voice....
ZaZ
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thin analogies connecting high school cross country and professional football---that is the greatest tag line ever.....
ZaZ
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cubs/bears: Thank you for having faith in Ol' Sneaky!
Zaz: Re: Tag Line. Yeah, sometimes I write something and read it back and say, "Man, this is a stretch..." This was one of those times. I'm just glad everyone seems to have enjoyed it! :)
Sneaky Pete
Rochelle, IL
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And, frankly, I'm surprised no one has taken me to task about this line:
"I ran cross-country like Dick Butkus played football."
Sneaky Pete
Rochelle, IL
Total Comments (1056)
Man, this took me back...
Never played competitive sport in my life (well, unless you count intermural basketball in H.S.), but I had a phys.ed. teacher who played in the Orioles farm system...and served in the Army. The following is a true story:
We were in the gym one morning, and one guy just loafed and decided he just WAS not going to do push-ups. Well, our instructor just walked over, picked up a volleyball...and AIMED IT at the head of the "loafer"!!! Let it fly. At THAT point, our "loafer" dropped to do twenty along with the rest of us!!
We got the message.
(And, oh yeah, the "Butkus" line is CLASSIC!!)
DC Sports Nut: Nats,…
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Pete: Enjoyed reading this one., and I agree. I suspect that these players would normally be harder on themselves than the coach would be. I know that's true about me, and I'm not a professional athlete. However, as you say, the reality of the possibility being benched has to be conveyed, and certainly followed through on when performance is not up to par. If Angelo is pulling the strings, and I think you are probably right, then the approximate 10% probability of getting a wild card spot has now dropped to 0.1%!
Cubs/Bears: Hear what you're saying on Grossman, but remember Bradshaw? His first 3/4 years in the league were not good. You never know. The NFL of today does not have much patience when it comes to "growing" QBs though, so I'm doubting Grossman will survive and eventually thrive as Bradshaw did.
Interesting question though: In today's era, would Bradshaw have survived his first 3 years in the NFL and eventually succeeded to be the Hall of Famer he is?
Bails1968
Hollywood , MD
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Good Blog Pete, i am one of those people that was like Lovie was to nice on the sideline. I don't know. I'm just a fiery guy. Some people respond to that type of coaching.
I also was on a state championship track team in high school. my coach was the type of coach that would kick the chalk board to get his point across.
Lovie just holds on to long before he benches the Player that needs it.
Benson?
Dre Dilla
Queen Creek, AZ
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