Some useful advice

Here is an excerpt -- one that has many applications on and off the court -- from a great column by Jack Fertig:

This GM took him aside and explained what NBA teams who were checking him out wanted to see. I happened to be a participant (as a listener only) to the conversation in which he said, “You know Fresno State’s good enough to be in the NIT … BUT, you guys want to go to the NCAA’s. Well, you know you’re good enough to be a first round pick … BUT you want to be a lottery pick. Think about it. The teams that are picking in the lottery are teams that lose … and because they lose - a lot - they probably have no leaders and no true superstars. When they come to see you play - or practice - don’t show them a guy who’s tough to coach, is moody or is a pain in the butt. That’s what they have now! They don’t need any more of that type of player.”

Jack Fertig with a pair of interesting columns

Jack Fertig offers a pair of columns as he has returned from the club basketball tournament centrals -- Las Vegas and southern California -- with more grist for the mill.

Go here and here.

By the way, here is Jack's personal site where you can read about his college coaching background and also order his books. As for the latter, here's one entry from "Life's A Joke"

Search for the positives

On many teams, lack of confidence by certain players is not something you have to worry about. On almost every team, there are guys who, if you bought them for what they are worth and sold them for what they thought they were worth, you could erase the national deficit. We had one such player on our team at USC. He would never admit to a mistake and was one of the most difficult guys to coach.

One day he came up to me and complained that the coaching staff was constantly on his case and that we never complimented him. Wasn't there anything he was doing well?

I looked at him, searched for a while and finally said, "You're the best at creating rebounds."

Unfortunately, it was the truth.

Jack Fertig nails it

Like in most aspects of life, "winning" in sports builds personal power and allows for episodes of despicable behavior to be generously discounted or overlooked. For these "successful" coaches, the hoi polloi are something to be used in any manner as personal playthings and then discarded when dis-interest sets in or their 'usefulness' has expired.

Jack Fertig nails it today (as he does most times) focusing on his past experiences with Nick Saban. Unfortunately, there are more users and abusers in the coaching ranks just like Saban, just as there are such bankrupt individuals throughout society. There are also those coaches who demonstrably live a commendable moral code -- some who win more contests than they lose plus others who aren't as W-L successful. These are the people who don't climb over the cast aside bodies on their way to the so-called top -- the ones who should be recognized for their positive roles in developing character within our young people.

Anyway, enough of our rambling and on to Jack Fertig:

The Two Sides of Nick Saban

Most people are lauding Alabama’s Nick Saban as a turnaround expert and a brilliant football coach. Both of those complimentary phrases are beyond argument. Saban is both and I defy anyone to challenge them.

As a person, there have been several other descriptions. Most of these are true as well. Here’s my first hand account of dealing with Nick Saban, man of many adjectives, each of them carefully designed by Nick himself (both the complimentary and not-so)...

Go here for the remainder.

Jack Fertig's blog can be found here. His web site here.

Jack Fertig's "The Play of the Year"

Talk about a teachable moment. Every coach of every sport in America should be requesting this piece of tape.

What Coaches Live For: THE PLAY To Show Their Players How the Game Should Be Played
Jack Fertig
September 20, 2009

...THE PLAY was a simple running play that Boise chose, I believe, because following the TD pass, the noise level, momentum and atmosphere in the stadium was such that they just needed to run a play, get tackled and huddle for the next one, allowing the crowd to settle down - even just a little bit...

...Instead, the Bronco running back broke free and was heading for the end zone!

...And then it happened! An honest-to-goodness miracle! The defensive back from Fresno chasing the Bronco back (actually, there were two of them) somehow got a hand on the ball just before the Boise State player was to cross the goal line … and he fumbled! The ball popped out and was heading for the back of the end zone. As soon as it rolled out, the 74-yard run would be nullified and turned into a mere touchback, just as if Boise State had punted the ball out of the end zone. Bulldogs ball, on their own twenty...

...But WAIT! Out of nowhere - and when you stop to think about it, for no reason, Titus Young, he of the kickoff return that gave the Broncos the ball on the 12-yard line after Fresno’s field goal, pounced on the ball - just before it was to exit the end zone. Touchdown, Boise State. Teaching point: to every football player who would ever buckled a chin strap. As a matter of fact, THE PLAY ought to be shown - and explained to every athlete, male or female, who plays a team sport.

Come on now. That’s a little bit of an exaggeration, no? Absolutely not - and here’s why. Here’s a play where the back from Boise State had broken loose and was being chased by defenders. From where Young started, there was no way he could get ahead of those defenders to throw a block, and watching the play, Boise’s running back didn’t need a block. He was either going to outrun his pursuers or they were going to tackle him just short of the goalline, setting up a first and goal for Boise with ten and a half minutes to go in the third quarter. There was no need, nor would any coach ever criticize him for not following the play. I don’t think there was another person in the stadium or watching on television who would have felt any other way.

No person other than Titus Young. What would possess a player to full-out sprint when there was no reason to do so - except celebrate with your teammate when he scored. Or dive on the ball he might fumble before he crossed the goal line. The change in attitude of the team and the crowd was noticeable. Had FSU taken over at its 20 following a touchback, the mood would have been, “Boy, did we dodge a bullet there. Let’s get on with business and score again.” A score that would have put them ahead. Big favorites don’t like playing from behind. On the road. Even if it’s early in the second half...

Go here for the entire column.