Based on this AM's BR MA article, I believe you can take alot from these players words. Hopefully after this last weekend they have now developed a mindset to come out and put Arky away as they did GaTech last year. I know we had more time for GTech.....but I am looking for something to give us hope!!! Good words from the guys. When the Tigers got back to Baton Rouge on Saturday night, Miles gathered the team and accepted full blame for the loss. He repeated that message Monday morning. “It makes you earn so much more respect for a man who comes out and says something like that,” senior tight end Richard Dickson said. “Coach Miles has done great things here, been a great coach. The way he comes out and says that means a lot to you as a player and as a man. I earned a lot of respect for our coach for the way he talked to us.” Added Ridley, “I respect him. Any head coach that does that in front of the team and in front of the assistants, that comes up there and says, ‘This was my fault,’ it takes a lot for somebody to swallow their pride and say, ‘I messed something up.’ “He did what he needed to do. There’s nothing else that needs to be said. It says a lot about the person he is, and not just the coach. The team, that was something we needed to hear.” Several players also insisted Miles didn’t deserve all the blame or all the torrent of criticism that has crashed down around him. “He tried to take the blame for the whole game, but I don’t think that’s fair,” LSU guard Lyle Hitt said. “There’s more to the game than just the last 30 seconds. That loss is on everybody’s shoulders.” Added linebacker Kelvin Sheppard, “People are trying to say the end of the game is the big reason we lost, but the game could’ve been won at any time during the game. “He’s taking all the pressure, and it’s really not his fault.” Maybe not. But Miles made sure Monday there was no lingering confusion about his role in one of LSU’s most disheartening setbacks this decade. “I certainly understand the criticism,” Miles said. “I’m critical myself. “Our football team is going through a very difficult time with this game, and I understand the criticism of the head coach. I’m critical myself.”:geaux:
Great to hear! If his players stand behind him then I take back my offer to buy his bus ticket out of here. I guess he showed that he can give our team what they need. We will see how they respond but it looks like Miles saw a need to direct OUR team and he did it. I have to respect that. Good Job Les.:thumb:
Glad to hear this. Maybe something positive comes out of all this. I mentioned in another post yesterday that maybe it's good that this happened, as it now forces CLM to make necessary moves to improve the team. :geauxtige
I will always cheer for Les as long as he is a Tiger, i will always wish for the best, and hope he has great success. I don't trust him as an in game coach anymore, however. :geaux:
Well, you can focus on that. Personally, I will focus on the positives, that he accepted blame, he explained the misinterpretations of his gestures between the last two plays, and that he will take steps to minimize these issues from occurring again. JJ will be fine and will hopefully grow from the entire experience, both in-game and post-game events. I just hope we make a change at OC, that is the only outstanding issue for me presently. Now, its time to move forward and focus on Arky, for which it sounds like the team and HC have already done, and support our team in entirety!
I agree with that. Some people call it Sunshine Pumping, but I don't follow football, and take significant time out of my life, to get mad and stay angry after losing or not "winning like we should." Criticism is fine, but let it be objective and constructive. Far too much whining already goes on in the world, we don't need more of it here:tigereye:
I'm pretty sure JJ's on board and doesn't hate Miles, if that's what you're implying. Men (even coaches) screw up sometimes. The team knows that and aren't going to write the guy off like some of the fans would like to. If the team's behind him, I am too.
