Ron Wilson's Way of Calling Out His Team...

[Firehawk 305]

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article...ORTS05/70503003

I don't know about that one. He did everything but name names. I mean, he blasted his team pretty good there. I don't think Babcock would take it to that extent.

Do you think that this will have a positive impact on his team or a negative impact? I could see it going both ways. Either it could motivate Guerin and Marleau to play harder, or it could destroy chemistry and the Sharks could start to implode. Two 2-0 leads blown in this series, one on home turf as well.

Thoughts?

[Defenseman13 0]

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article...ORTS05/70503003

I don't know about that one. He did everything but name names. I mean, he blasted his team pretty good there. I don't think Babcock would take it to that extent.

Do you think that this will have a positive impact on his team or a negative impact? I could see it going both ways. Either it could motivate Guerin and Marleau to play harder, or it could destroy chemistry and the Sharks could start to implode. Two 2-0 leads blown in this series, one on home turf as well.

Thoughts?

The actual press conference was far from "blasting"...but yeah, it hurts as a player to hear the coach tlak about "you know who" that way when you know who it is. Nothing sucks more than letting your team mates down, never mind the coach. I don't think he went too far... he's a realist, and said what had to be said. It's in the player's hands at this point, and they blew it. They all know it. At this point he's not saying anything that any of the players don't already know.

Ron's words

[RyanBarnes! 293]

Wilson did the right thing, he mentioned no names, only that some players need to pick up their game.

[Firehawk 305]

I think we'll find out in game 5 what affect it had on SJ players.

[Williams29fan 6]

I Like the comments after the artical!

[Grypho 195]

Goes hand in hand with what I said in another thread about RW. This isn't new. He's always used the media primarily as a device to talk to his team, and everyone on the team knows it. Does it help/hurt? I don't know. Even if the Sharks were eliminated or advanced to eventually take the Cup I wouldn't have any way of knowing. I personally wouldn't do it, but that's a difference in coaching styles, and I'm not an NHL coach anyway, so who knows? I do know that during the game the players are thinking about what he's going say about/to them afterward. Of that I'm certain.

[ILWingsFan1 0]

I like that he didn't name names. I hate it when coaches trash a single player or two to the media. It's a team sport.

I think most definitely the Sharks will come out flying in game 5. The unnamed players will for sure have something to prove. The Wings have to be ready for it.

Go Wings!

[Firehawk 305]

I think game 5 could be an epic game honestly. The balance of power could shift from SJ to Detroit in this series, FINALLY. I'm still waiting for Hasek to pull out a shutout. He's due.

[BlakChamber 8]

Wilson did the right thing, he mentioned no names, only that some players need to pick up their game.

I agree.

And for whoever said Babcock wouldn't take it that far, didn't Babs call out Hasek by name a month or so ago?

[livediehockey80 0]

By far, the most disappointing performances have been with Marleau, Guerin, and Hannan.

But I think guys like Grier, Michalek, Cheechoo, and Clowe have been busting their asses on every shift. Nabokov has done a good job in net.

In playoff hockey, some guys show up and others don't.

We have guys who haven't made big contributions in this series. Todd (cough cough) Bertuzzi (cough cough).

[aarond 0]

The actual press conference was far from "blasting"...but yeah, it hurts as a player to hear the coach tlak about "you know who" that way when you know who it is. Nothing sucks more than letting your team mates down, never mind the coach.

But it in this case, I think they deserved it because of the way they let their team down. They didn't let their team down by making an honest mistake in the midst of still playing hard. They let their team down by being selfish. There is no way in the world a guy should get a one-on-one deep in your zone with a one-goal lead that late in the game. I can't believe that was simply a mental mistake in the heat of battle. I gotta believe that was because of some guys loafing it, looking for a puck to spring in their direction so they could fill an empty net. That deserves public humiliation.

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

Nothing wrong with what Wilson did at all. Even if he called out a few players specifically, it still wouldn't have been "wrong" or not "politically correct".

While I won't deny that it might affect the players in some negative fashion, they are professionals. They've worked their whole lives to get here and get paid to play the game, I sure hope they'd handle criticism like big boys as they have been coached and/or criticised playing hockey their whole lives in order to make them better players.

Edited May 4, 2007 by SouthernWingsFan

[HockeyCrazy3033 168]

I'm just always against coaches calling out players in front of the media and to the public. Keep it private.