So, I have a friend who sits directly across from the Kentucky bench on the visitor's side. He has a perfect view of the UK sideline and has for many years. For whatever reason he has taken a particular interest in watching the UK sideline activity during games and this is what he as reported in regard to this past season.
In the first part of the season things were generally calm on the sideline; coaches seemed calm, prepared and focused on the task at hand. "In control" and "appearing to have a plan" were the words he used. This trend continued through the Auburn game. Then, when the Cats returned to Commonwealth for the UT game something had changed. He told me the sideline looked like absolute chaos with CMS running around like a chicken with it's head cut off yelling at Dawson and Elliot and anyone else who would listen. My friend felt like there was a palpable change in the UK sideline culture......in fact, if he didn't know better it appeared as if CMS was a man in a state of Panic attempting (as folks in panic mode do) to micro-manage and control every last aspect of the team, which as we all know leads to a loss of leadership, chaos and has the opposite effect of what any coach would want - lack of control and disorganization, as no one person can possibly oversee every aspect of a football team. My friend said this trend continued until the last whistle of the UL game EXCEPT for the 2nd half of the Charlotte game in which things seemed calm again like they had earlier in the season. And yes, my friend did stay for the whole Charlotte game in club seats of that one.
Having stated the above......is it that simple or is my friend just full of hot air "pop" psychology? Could it be that simple; that CMS just simply panicked and tried to control too much in a desperate attempt to get that elusive 6th win? Personally, I don't know the answer as I sit on the UK side and never watch the bench.......anyone else notice what I have described above? If so, can he learn from this mistake or, in the heat of battle, will he be doomed to repeat it?
In the first part of the season things were generally calm on the sideline; coaches seemed calm, prepared and focused on the task at hand. "In control" and "appearing to have a plan" were the words he used. This trend continued through the Auburn game. Then, when the Cats returned to Commonwealth for the UT game something had changed. He told me the sideline looked like absolute chaos with CMS running around like a chicken with it's head cut off yelling at Dawson and Elliot and anyone else who would listen. My friend felt like there was a palpable change in the UK sideline culture......in fact, if he didn't know better it appeared as if CMS was a man in a state of Panic attempting (as folks in panic mode do) to micro-manage and control every last aspect of the team, which as we all know leads to a loss of leadership, chaos and has the opposite effect of what any coach would want - lack of control and disorganization, as no one person can possibly oversee every aspect of a football team. My friend said this trend continued until the last whistle of the UL game EXCEPT for the 2nd half of the Charlotte game in which things seemed calm again like they had earlier in the season. And yes, my friend did stay for the whole Charlotte game in club seats of that one.
Having stated the above......is it that simple or is my friend just full of hot air "pop" psychology? Could it be that simple; that CMS just simply panicked and tried to control too much in a desperate attempt to get that elusive 6th win? Personally, I don't know the answer as I sit on the UK side and never watch the bench.......anyone else notice what I have described above? If so, can he learn from this mistake or, in the heat of battle, will he be doomed to repeat it?
