@gE strikes again!

[420seriouscat69]

http://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/sam-mellinger/article62158357.html

[420seriouscat69]

Royals Daily report for Feb. 23 with The Star's Rustin Dodd and Blair Kerkhoff: The Royals practiced with the full squad for the first time at spring training. Players also were sized for their 2015 World Series rings.
John Sleezer [email protected]
As always, thanks for your help, and thanks for reading.


oscar Weber built Southern Illinois from three straight losing seasons to consecutive conference titles before he left, went 37-2 and won a second consecutive conference title in his second year at Illinois, and won the school’s first conference title in a generation his first year at K-State.

So, yes. I do think he’s a good coach.

There’s a reason I referenced the inkblot test in the column. Weber presents himself poorly, both on the sideline and in news conferences, and that stuff is important in modern college athletics, so his inkblot often ends up looking like a coach who is too sensitive and won’t take responsibly for mistakes.

I happen to believe there is a substance about him that he does a poor job portraying, but whatever, he has enough of a track record that we can make any case we want.

Point: He missed the NCAA Tournament three of his last five seasons at Illinois, when he had his own players.

Counterpoint: He was never going to live up to comparisons to Self, but did have a better season at Illinois than Self had* and has done better at K-State than Illinois has with his replacement.

* In Weber’s second season there, not his first, so even as those were mostly Self’s recruits the question about whose players they were is more ambiguous.

It’s interesting that the column was taken by many as a defense of Weber. I want to be clear, if the headline wasn’t clear enough: he’s behind schedule.

If the rest of the column wasn’t clear enough: he needs to improve. The roster turnover is on him. He professed to learn lessons at Illinois that would help him at K-State, but he’s repeated some of the same mistakes. He’s four years into a job at a major program and complaining about not having playmakers when he kicked the best playmaker he’s recruited here off the team.

But none of this means firing him right now is anything other than self-destructive or reactionary.

And saying he should not be fired right now is different than arguing about whether he should’ve been hired in the first place (which is where a lot of the Weber criticism seems rooted) or that he won’t be fairly fired after next season.

If you want Weber fired, the time was after last season. The roster turnover was largely his own guys, and they had a losing season. Firing him then would’ve meant firing the coach who won a conference title two years earlier, and went to the NCAA Tournament two of his three years there, so it’s not what I’d have done, but whatever. To each his own.

The K-State administration stuck with him, and this season the team has generally outplayed its talent level. The recruiting class is promising. That’s not a fireable offense.

Firing him now means resetting, and essentially wiping away a year-plus of investment in rebuilding the roster. Again, this is not an argument about whether Weber should’ve been hired four years ago, or whether he should’ve been fired last year.

We’re talking about whether a coach who beat the No. 1 team in the country, and lost a lot of close games while playing a lot of freshmen and other players who will be back next year should be fired.

The other question, and reasonable people can disagree here, is whether Weber is good enough for the job. I believe he’s a good coach, and that K-State will be noticeably better next year and that he can — can — be the kind of coach who puts K-State consistently in the top half of the league and NCAA Tournament.

When Weber was hired, I had the same reaction a lot of K-State fans had. It didn’t make sense to me, and I thought the program could do better. The more I learned about him, the more I saw how it could work. I thought Weber would be further along by now, which is why I’m not here saying he’s a great coach and that criticism of him is unfair.

I just think that firing him now would be a mistake.

I was once ridiculed for not saying Dayton Moore and Ned Yost should be fired, too. Crazier things have happened.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/sam-mellinger/article62158357.html#storylink=cpy

[Cartierfor3]

what? the Ned Yost comment? I disagree with Sam on that.

[420seriouscat69]

  Yes, Total dweeb!

[ChiComCat]

People want Weber fired
Somebody else who people wanted fired was successful
Weber will be successful

This reminds me of the tuck favorite

Our recruiting class is full of 2*s
Jordy Nelson was a 2*
Our class is full of Jordy Nelsons

[kso_FAN]

This is train of logic was pretty good too.

Maybe he should have been fired last year, but it would've been dumb to fire him last year, so its dumb to fire him last year.

At least that is what it seemed like.

[Dr Rick Daris]

none of his attempt at logic is logical and I now think mellinger is about 20 iq points dumber than I would have thought before he gave his weber opinions.

['taterblast]

it is impossible for a "keep weber" opinion to sound good or correct

[Dr Rick Daris]

If I met mellinger I'd tell him that I never would have hired oscar and that yes I would have fired him after last year and that yes I'd fire him after this year as well. so try that brainbuster on for size mellinger with your 94iq.

[EMAWzified]

it is impossible for a "keep weber" opinion to sound good or correct

Final four bitch
Weber is a flawed coach, but he is also a special coach.  Does he fit at KSU?  He will almost certainly be coaching KSU next season, and that will likely determine his career.  He will also almost certainly pass 400 DI wins and 300 wins as a high major coach next season, which is no small accomplishment in 19 years.

KSU's last Final Four banner is from 1964.  For all his flaws, Weber is one of the few coaches you can get who has the proven ability to take KSU to a Final Four if he gets the right players.  Before anyone bashes this staff's recruiting, remember that Weber and Lowery took SIU to two NCAA Sweet Sixteens not so long ago with players they (both) recruited.  If they can do that at SIU, they can recruit a Final Four squad to KSU.

I would not be at all shocked to see KSU in the Final Four during Wade's senior season.  I am not saying it will happen, but yes there are some pretty good pieces already in place, and more interesting pieces already in the pipeline.  Sneed looks like a very nice get, and I think xWhomper may turn out to be a pleasant surprise when he gets healthy.  Next season will answer some major questions for both Weber and KSU, imo.

[Cartierfor3]

it is impossible for a "keep weber" opinion to sound good or correct

Final four bitch
Weber is a flawed coach, but he is also a special coach.  Does he fit at KSU?  He will almost certainly be coaching KSU next season, and that will likely determine his career.  He will also almost certainly pass 400 DI wins and 300 wins as a high major coach next season, which is no small accomplishment in 19 years.

KSU's last Final Four banner is from 1964.  For all his flaws, Weber is one of the few coaches you can get who has the proven ability to take KSU to a Final Four if he gets the right players.  Before anyone bashes this staff's recruiting, remember that Weber and Lowery took SIU to two NCAA Sweet Sixteens not so long ago with players they (both) recruited.  If they can do that at SIU, they can recruit a Final Four squad to KSU.

I would not be at all shocked to see KSU in the Final Four during Wade's senior season.  I am not saying it will happen, but yes there are some pretty good pieces already in place, and more interesting pieces already in the pipeline.  Sneed looks like a very nice get, and I think xWhomper may turn out to be a pleasant surprise when he gets healthy.  Next season will answer some major questions for both Weber and KSU, imo.

have you lost your mind?

[Brock Landers]

If it's not a GPC cut and paste then yes, he has likely lost his mind.

[CNS]

Sam was watching TV and talking to his girl while writing that, or something.  It reads slightly better than a rough outline.  Also, that rough outline was full of stupidity and he did nothing to reason any of it other than basically say that oscar is Dayton Moore. 

I am with Rick.  Sam isn't smart, apparently.  Either that, or he thinks that the audience of that particular article is so dumb that it just won't matter, so why not put most of his focus on Better Call Saul.

[sys]

Weber is a flawed coach, but he is also a special coach.  Does he fit at KSU?  He will almost certainly be coaching KSU next season, and that will likely determine his career.  He will also almost certainly pass 400 DI wins and 300 wins as a high major coach next season, which is no small accomplishment in 19 years.

KSU's last Final Four banner is from 1964.  For all his flaws, Weber is one of the few coaches you can get who has the proven ability to take KSU to a Final Four if he gets the right players.  Before anyone bashes this staff's recruiting, remember that Weber and Lowery took SIU to two NCAA Sweet Sixteens not so long ago with players they (both) recruited.  If they can do that at SIU, they can recruit a Final Four squad to KSU.

I would not be at all shocked to see KSU in the Final Four during Wade's senior season.  I am not saying it will happen, but yes there are some pretty good pieces already in place, and more interesting pieces already in the pipeline.  Sneed looks like a very nice get, and I think xWhomper may turn out to be a pleasant surprise when he gets healthy.  Next season will answer some major questions for both Weber and KSU, imo.

i agree with more of that than i disagree with.  and i'd fire him as soon as i could find him.

[Trim]

Smellinger.

[michigancat]

this season the team has generally outplayed its talent level

what would our record be if we didn't "outplay our talent level"?

Overall, that was a very difficult read.

[Dr Rick Daris]

Sam was watching TV and talking to his girl while writing that, or something.  It reads slightly better than a rough outline.  Also, that rough outline was full of stupidity and he did nothing to reason any of it other than basically say that oscar is Dayton Moore. 

I am with Rick.  Sam isn't smart, apparently.  Either that, or he thinks that the audience of that particular article is so dumb that it just won't matter, so why not put most of his focus on Better Call Saul.

you forgot his great point that kstate shouldn't fire weber because southern illinois won the valley fourteen years ago.

[michigancat]

Weber is a flawed coach, but he is also a special coach.  Does he fit at KSU?  He will almost certainly be coaching KSU next season, and that will likely determine his career.  He will also almost certainly pass 400 DI wins and 300 wins as a high major coach next season, which is no small accomplishment in 19 years.

KSU's last Final Four banner is from 1964.  For all his flaws, Weber is one of the few coaches you can get who has the proven ability to take KSU to a Final Four if he gets the right players.  Before anyone bashes this staff's recruiting, remember that Weber and Lowery took SIU to two NCAA Sweet Sixteens not so long ago with players they (both) recruited.  If they can do that at SIU, they can recruit a Final Four squad to KSU.

I would not be at all shocked to see KSU in the Final Four during Wade's senior season.  I am not saying it will happen, but yes there are some pretty good pieces already in place, and more interesting pieces already in the pipeline.  Sneed looks like a very nice get, and I think xWhomper may turn out to be a pleasant surprise when he gets healthy.  Next season will answer some major questions for both Weber and KSU, imo.

i agree with more of that than i disagree with.  and i'd fire him as soon as i could find him.

yes, actually most of what he said is factual.

[Rage Against the McKee]

I'm sure oscar let out a huge sigh of relief after reading that article.

[renocat]

Wacky, have you heard if our redshirts will be back next year?   Will we issue a 4th scholarship when Hollywoods leaves?  I still think a stud assistant besides twocoaches would help. 

[yoga-like_abana]

I'm sure oscar let out a huge sigh of relief after reading that article.

I bet he will offer to mow Mellingers yard after that article

[CNS]

Sam was watching TV and talking to his girl while writing that, or something.  It reads slightly better than a rough outline.  Also, that rough outline was full of stupidity and he did nothing to reason any of it other than basically say that oscar is Dayton Moore. 

I am with Rick.  Sam isn't smart, apparently.  Either that, or he thinks that the audience of that particular article is so dumb that it just won't matter, so why not put most of his focus on Better Call Saul.

you forgot his great point that kstate shouldn't fire weber because southern illinois won the valley fourteen years ago.

Maybe a long term extension makes sense, then.  I mean, when Conf Armageddon hits, it would be nice if we could win our conf(the valley) quickly after settling in.  Who better than a guy who has done it.

[ChiComCat]

this season the team has generally outplayed its talent level

what would our record be if we didn't "outplay our talent level"?

Overall, that was a very difficult read.

Why the eff don't we have a higher talent level then?  If we outplayed our talent level to finish second to last, what has oscar done to our program?

[Canary]

this season the team has generally outplayed its talent level

what would our record be if we didn't "outplay our talent level"?

Overall, that was a very difficult read.

Why the eff don't we have a higher talent level then?  If we outplayed our talent level to finish second to last, what has oscar done to our program?

To be fair, that is often said about our football program as well.

[CNS]

Sam credited oscar with losing last year's transfers, but then implies that it isn't his fault that we have no talent. 

Weird.