Football: Onward and upward; Coach Jeffs guest coaching Waterloo? Paopao helping Laurier?

Here's the latest, and hopefully last story on Waterloo that doesn't involve coach Dennis McPhee's efforts to resume the Warriors' rebuilding effort.

(Update) The classic tack-on, or rider is that two coaches are going to be guest instructors with the opposing team. After being asked by Toronto Star columnist David Grossman, who was kind enough to forward it, the universities put out a unique release.
"WATERLOO, Ont. - University of Waterloo coach Joe Paopao will be a guest observer for Wilfrid Laurier University to mentor the Hawks quarterbacks coach before the start of the Warrior training camp. The UW camp starts a week after Laurier's. This is an example of the two programs helping each other out which is common in football circles, and particularly between Waterloo and Laurier over the years.

Head Coaches Gary Jeffries and Dennis McPhee have a tremendously supportive relationship as do Athletic Directors Peter Baxter and Bob Copeland which is somewhat unique in university circles given the schools geography. The swim team and the pool situation is another example where Laurier varsity athletes and coaches trained at Waterloo.
Taking this on face would be a sporting response. A unique situation begets a unique response. It is in Laurier's interest to be benevolent and help out a team in a time of need. It fits with the whole belief the chain is only as strong as the weakest link, it's not the Canadian way to not offer a helping hand.

However, this is also trying to having it both ways, raised to a George Costanza level (and how did that usually work out for him?). Joe Paopao should go join Laurier if he wants to coach at Laurier so badly. Waterloo's problems in the past have stemmed from being overshadowed by Laurier, so how does this help its credibility with recruits?

What exacerbates the cognitive dissonance is Waterloo is sitting out a year because something very bad happened. Yet it is keeping the same leadership and rewarding it with outside consultants such as Jeffries and CFL folks. It's like punishing a misbehaving child and then buying her/him a new toy the next day.

All of this is confusing. UW's internal report and the recommendations within it are solid, but people would respect it a lot more if it had acted rationally and reasonably instead of causing international headlines. Far be it to say leadership is knowing how to react, not just reacting.
"Copeland said he’s convinced the penalty fit the crime.

" 'The debate on (suspending the season) will never rest,' he said. 'We need to have a long-term view. In the short-term, it’s very emotional, especially for the seniors.

" 'But integrity has been our guidepost. I know the same decision would be made today.' " (Emphasis mine.)
You're saying you still would not be able to allow the team to play its season, but you're committed to the same leaders? That does not compute.

Copeland apparently doesn't use others' working definition of integrity. It was also nice, in the I-have-to-laugh-like-hell way, to see someone finally ask the question long after the fact. Anything to aid Waterloo's plausible deniability, eh?
"Copeland said UW's decision to suspend the season was in no way connected to the announcement the university’s president, David Johnston, would be named Canada’s new governor general.

" 'To suggest the decision to suspend the team is related to that is completely baseless,' he said.
Weak. Presumably there just wasn't space for answers to follow-ups such as, "Then why wasn't he present and available for comment when you cancelled the season, even though he was on campus?" or, "Then why did you go from coming down hard on a team for embarrassing the university to allowing it to continue, with some key changes?" Those were asked, yes?

(Please don't parrot Copeland's "sacrifice eight games to spare a life" nonsense. Nothing more than politically correct jibber-jabbery that panders to irrational fear, people peddling easy answers and misconceptions about medical science.)

To suggest those questions weren't asked and that highlighted passage was just a CYA move is completely baseless.

Onward and upward. Waterloo says it is committed to returning to OUA football in 2011.

Related:
UW probe clears coaches, calls for more education, tests (Christine Rivet, Waterloo Record)
Next PostNewer Post Previous PostOlder Post Home

0 comments:

Post a Comment