Meyer wants practice ramped up, no excuses

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Coach Urban Meyer spent last week analyzing every play of Florida's season and came to these conclusions:

It's not the play-calling. It's not the players.

It's not the effort. It's not the energy.

Florida's struggles are directly related to practice. Yes, practice.
Although Meyer has a long list of problems for his offense, which ranks ninth in the Southeastern Conference and 89th in the nation, he attributes all of them to practice. Simply put, poor practices have made the Gators (4-3, 2-3 SEC) imperfect.

"When there's a lack of execution, how does that occur?" Meyer said. "The answer is not to say, 'That guy, that guy, that guy.' Is it because we don't practice it enough? Is it we don't get them in that situation enough?

"We're not into excuses. We're not into, 'This happened because.' It's, 'Fix the issues.' It doesn't look like us out there. It doesn't look like, 'Bang.' We all want that. How do you get that? You recruit it. You develop it. You coach it and you make sure you practice the mess out of it, and that's kind of where we're at."

It's probably not what frustrated Florida fans want to hear. They're calling for personnel changes, blame assessed, maybe even an offensive overhaul. They're expecting anger, finger-pointing, maybe even some promises.

Instead, the Gators believe better practices -- as well as healthier players -- will make a difference Saturday against rival Georgia (4-4, 3-3).

Injuries certainly have been an issue.

Running backs Jeff Demps, Mike Gillislee and Emmanuel Moody are banged up. So are offensive linemen Xavier Nixon and Jon Halapio. And quarterback John Brantley has played with bruised ribs, a sore shoulder and a sprained thumb on his throwing hand.

But the offensive woes have been a problem all season, even when those guys were healthy.

The Gators rank 10th in the league in rushing, eighth in passing and ninth in scoring. They are last in yards per play (5.0), and have twice as many negative plays (58) as touchdowns (26).

The result is Florida's first three-game losing streak since the end of the 1999 season. The Gators managed just two field goals at Alabama, put together two decent drives against LSU and scored a lone touchdown against Mississippi State.

"I don't think anyone wants to lose three in a row," Brantley said. "We're facing some challenges, but we're really going to be able to rise from it. We're sticking together. That's the biggest thing we want to see. We're just going to keep getting better. It's going to turn around."

With more practice, right?

"You practice like you play," center Mike Pouncey said. "It's something that we've been trying to key on this last week, executing a lot better than we've had and finishing. If you practice at half speed, that's how you're going to play. Obviously, we've got to get better in practice."

Meyer partly blamed his revamped coaching staff -- he had to hire four new assistants following the Sugar Bowl -- for practice inefficiency and said those issues were carrying over to games.

"Fundamentals don't improve for a lot of reasons," Meyer said. "No. 1 is you don't practice them at game speed. No. 2 that you're not taught very well. No. 3 is that the player is not good enough. No. 3 is not allowed around here. ... There's no trade or waiver wire. It is what it is, you got what you got, let's get them better and find out what they can do."

"We've obviously had some severe issues here the last three weeks that have been very damaging as far as the won-lost record," Meyer said. "The issue is not finding the blame, but it's finding a solution. That's what we're going to do this week."

Everything they do, they compete

Florida head coach Urban Meyer visited Patriots minicamp last year and came away with a strong liking of how the Patriots go about their business:

"The last practice- this is before they go on vacation- they did a two-minute drill and it was Tom Brady against the first-team defense," Meyer said. "And they scored right at the end. It was in shorts, and it was like they won the Super Bowl. They're all jumping around, and I'm thinking, 'Now I know why. Everything they do, they compete.' Someone says that about Florida and we're in good shape."

Your habits make it happen

"The things that you do when you're practicing, you don't know how it's going to benefit you," Reynolds says. "But if you create those habits all the time, then when it's time to make the play or make the shot, your habits are going to make it happen."

-Scottie Reynolds, Villanova guard

Making practice into game situations

“The quarterback position is 90 percent mental and 10 percent physical,” Brees says. “I try to simulate the game as much as I can in practice and visualize every play and every defense we could see. In essence I’m playing the game over and over so that no matter what situation happens, I’ve already played it and can anticipate what will happen.”

Total culture change the fix for Chiefs

Article in the USA Today on how the Kansas City Chiefs are trying to rebuild their football team through new GM Scott Pioli and new head coach Todd Haley. After going 2-14 last season, both men believe the entire culture needs to be changed.

"The thing Todd and I share is we have a genuine passion and a respect for the game," Pioli says. "We're going to find people who care. Those that don't care about playing and playing well, won't be here."

"Part of it is not only changing the culture of your football team and your locker room, it's changing the culture of all the things that touch your football team and your locker room."

Says Coach Haley:

"I want guys who want to be here practicing and playing every day that I can count on that are the same guy every day," Haley says. "I don't even care if they're great.

"I don't want a yo-yo team and I don't want yo-yo players."

Learning how to practice

"Right now the primary focus is on those things you really can't measure. I've talked about that before — the team chemistry, the unity. I'm always pounding that. I'm always talking about how efficient they have or have not been on the practice field. ... I said this way back in the first minicamp (in April) that it was a lot about learning how to practice. I think they've got it now."

-Steve Spagnuolo
St. Louis Rams Head Coach

The Ultimate Teammate

This is a little bit from an article a couple of years ago in Sports Illustrated about Tom Brady and his leadership qualities.

"I love seeing us get better," Brady says, "and I don't think you get better in games. The improvements come in practice."

His high school teammates recall a practice dropback drill called the Five Dots, wherein a quarterback matches his steps precisely to marks on the ground. Brady marked out a Five Dots course in his backyard and worked on it every day before school. Even then he knew that preparation and rehearsal, the grinding work of constructing football excellence, pays off in the public performance.

Talking about being with his teammates:

"All I wanted was the camaraderie, to share some memories with so many other guys. I mean, if you choose to alienate yourself or put yourself apart, you know, play tennis. Play golf."

Speaking of the perfect game:

"The perfect game's got to be for the highest stakes, and it's got to come down to the end. You don't remember the ones you win 35-12. You remember the ones you win 38-35, the dogfights. Those are the ones that are memorable. Who wants everything to come easily?"

Says former wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson:

"Brady doesn't feel he has to tell people he's smarter or better. He just shows it. And the thing about him I like most: He still takes coaching. He's still learning."

49ers set the model for Pelini

Article in the World Herald on Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini's time with the San Francisco 49ers and the high standards that were developed:

Nebraska coach Bo Pelini learned during his first professional coaching job that a championship-caliber team couldn't afford to waste its opportunities to improve, the reason why he fills every NU practice with unyielding pleas of perfection.He spent three seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, where every day was valued and every little detail emphasized.That's where he crafted his definition of hard work.

"I learned about what it was to watch a team give it up in practice every day and practice with the tremendous speed and commitment that was really second to none."

During Pelini's stint with San Francisco, from 1994 to 1996, the 49ers reached a double-digit win total each year. They won the Super Bowl in 1995. But the 49ers, as talented as they were, had a set of expectations to reach each year, Pelini said. It was an environment that demanded relentless effort and created pressure on each member of the organization to perform.

He's hoping to create a similar environment at Nebraska.Pelini said his players are finally beginning to understand what it takes to meet the lofty expectations he and the staff have in place. The players just have to make the conscious decision to fully commit themselves each day.

"Every day counts," Pelini said. "Ultimately, you have to wake up every day and look in the mirror and make a decision to compete every day. It can't be a some-of-the-time thing. You have to make that decision every single day."

Opportunity starts in practice

It is the ONE opportunity that matters. You can't be concerned about other guys getting more opportunities or more chances to make a play. At some point the opportunity will be yours. When you have the chance to make a play, to make a difference, at that moment that is all that matters. Everyday, I practice with that opportunity in mind.

-Antwaan Randle El

Redskins WR

Championship caliber teams focus on the little things

Article in the Boston Hearld on how newly accquired Celtics guard Stephon Marbury is adjusting to playing on a championship-level team:

As Marbury spoke, he still was breathing hard even though he’d been on a diligent workout regimen all year. But this was, he was realizing, quite different. This was Celtics abuse.

“Oh yeah, but it’s good,” Marbury said, summoning the energy for a brief smile. “It was a hard practice today defensively. Defensively this team is amazing. They work at it. They get after it. That’s what it’s about. That’s why they won the championship.”

For now, the road is not smooth for someone anointed as a star/savior in all his other basketball stops.

“I know I’m going to have hiccups,” Marbury said. “Adjusting to these guys is difficult because they play at a high level. It’s not a level where I’m used to. I haven’t played at this level. I’ve never played at a championship level before, so for me, adjusting my style of play, adjusting how I prepare . . . it’s all the same as far as going in with a mind-set, but doing things the way they do things is (what’s) very important.

Paul Pierce offered a knowing nod.

“Even though it was just one day, I think he got a chance to see how we practice, how we get in here early, get our shots up, how we lift the weights - our preparation,” he said. “I think that’s key. A lot of teams, when you’re not winning, you know, the preparation and doing the little things isn’t there. But when you’re a championship-caliber team, you start looking at all the little things from the time you get in the gym to practice and the things you do after. I think him and Mikki (Moore, who is also newly acquired) are starting to see that.”

Better practice, better Bluejays

Story out of the World Herald today on Creighton Basketball and their improved work ethic in practice recently. Whether they bring the consistency everyday remains to be seen:

Dana Altman has long been an advocate that perfect practice makes perfect. That's one reason the Creighton coach has told anyone who would listen the last couple of months that his basketball team wouldn't overcome its inconsistent ways until it started getting more consistent in practice.

Altman acknowledged after Wednesday's 79-68 win over Drake that he has seen some improvement in his players' approach to daily drills. Several players also said they sense a greater devotion to practice.

"Guys are going a lot harder, guys are showing up earlier and staying late after practice to get it done," guard P'Allen Stinnett said. "The attention to detail, and the focus during practice is a total 180. A lot of times, Coach would have to tell us not to walk from drill to drill."Now, guys are hustling from drill to drill.

Guys are picking each other up, we're talking to each other more in practice and in the locker room. We're just getting along much better. I don't know if that comes along with the winning, but it's definitely much better."

No player understands Altman's expectations better than Dotzler, the senior guard from Bellevue West. He said there's still room for improvement in practice.

"At times, we've done a better job and guys are working hard," Dotzler said. "But Coach wants consistency, and if we're going to make a run at this thing, we still need to be more consistent in practice."

Buc Ball

Tampa Bay Bucs defensive cordinator Monte Kiffin has created a defense over the last 13 years that has dominated the NFL known as 'Buc Ball'.

"Buc Ball isn't for everybody," said Kiffin, a native of Lexington, Neb., who played in the defensive line at Nebraska and later served as the Huskers' defensive coordinator in the 1970s. "You have to buy in to what we do. I think Brooks says it best."

Kiffin is referring to future Hall of Fame linebacker Derrick Brooks. What Brooks is saying could be said for every single sport when it comes to defense. Says Brooks:

"Buc Ball is more of a state of mind," Brooks said. "It's believing what we do, buying into it. It's maxing out every play - whatever your maximum ability is. For instance, if you run a 4.6, you run a 4.6 every play. If you run a 5.0, you run a 5.0 every single play. Max out."

If your job is to take on the fullback and turn the play in to a strong safety, that's what you do, and trust that the strong safety does what he's supposed to do. Not try to turn back the fullback and make the tackle. That might mess up everybody."Buc Ball also is about accountability.

That's the one word that hasn't wavered my entire career here, no matter who you are or where you come from. When you become a Buc, you buy into accountability. That goes beyond football."

"If it's not your style of football or the way you carry yourself, you won't be here long," Brooks said. "You won't get the chance to play Buc Ball."

Commitment to the Team

Good stuff from Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro (shown left) talking about his high draft picks Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah. Both players were top 10 picks in the draft (Thomas 2 years ago, Noah last year) and have not quite reached their potential so far as NBA players. Here is what Coach Del Negro has to say about the situation:

Del Negro said of them: "They're young and have to find their way. When you're on the court, you have to value those minutes. The guys who are focused, know their role, commit to it and come with effort every day will play.

"I can handle mistakes. But I can't handle lack of effort. And I can't handle lack of commitment to the team. Those guys know that. They're working better. That's always a work in progress with a young team."

"Commitment is coming in with energy every day, with focus, trying to get better, lifting weights, being on time, paying attention in meetings, being ready to play, knowing what your role is, who you're guarding, what their strengths and weaknesses are, how you can affect the team in a positive way," he said. "Commitment is being a professional, working every day to get better individually. As that happens, the team gets better."

"It's not just one guy," Del Negro said. "As a team, we have to jell and there are always bumps. If guys commit to the team, they'll get a chance."

A Winning Attitude

New Orleans Hornets forward James Posey (pictured left) has won 2 NBA titles in the last 3 years (Miami & Boston). The intangibles that he brings to his team are seen as priceless to this teammates.

Says coach Byron Scott: "He has changed our culture because we came into training camp talking about how our defense has to get better in order to win a championship, and no one knows that better than James.

And he's always the first guy off the bench to scream and yell. We needed that. All the guys ask him questions, and you know they're going to listen to him because he has two rings and these guys want to win one.He's like a few players in this league that can affect a game without scoring. He's going to take the charge, he's going to guard the best players, he's going to communicate at all times. I loved him for all those reasons. He's won where he's been. He hits big shots in big games, he defends the best players almost every night."

"It's a mind-set, and I'm trying to get my teammates to buy into that. I'm just trying to share some of the things that I've learned on those two teams where I won and the mind-set as far as preparing yourself to actually win a title. What I keep telling them is: It's a process. You can't get bored with it.

You have to prepare for it each day by practicing hard, getting better and looking at the bigger picture of what you're trying to achieve. You can't get too high in this game in this game and you can't get too low. You've just got to keep working and keep pushing."

UNC Practice

Dummy Offense- Boston Celtics Philosophy

There are 3 levels at which teams go about running their Dummy Offense:

*Running through the set: this is a team that actually goes through the proper patterns of the sets but with no purpose; they feel that getting the patterns down is all there is to it

*Execution: this is a team that understands it’s more than just getting the patterns down; it’s an emphasis on timing and spacing, putting passes on time and on target, cutting hard with game speed cuts, cutting with a purpose. It’s an emphasis on the details of the pattern and the fundamentals of the pattern that separates them from other teams

*Perfection: this is a step that only the very best understand. Only the best know it’s not just a warm up and that it’s execution with perfection — (1) on every rep….(2) from every player….(3) every time!

Getting the Most out of Practice

With the Lakers only having one game this past week, Kobe Bryant wanted to make sure that his teammates didn't relax. Here is a little from the L.A. Times article:

Do you want to be great or just good?

That was the question Kobe Bryant posed to his young Lakers teammates during practice today.

He doesn't want his teammates to become complacent with a 4-0 start, or for them to relax because they have so much time off in-between games, or for them to not put in a high-level effort in practice.Come to work and work hard ever day, Bryant has impressed upon his teammates.

"That's our message for the week is we can either be good or we can be great," Bryant said.

"This is the time that we can really use to get better to make another step forward."

"We're striving for perfection," Lamar Odom said. "We're striving to be perfect."

The result? Last night: Lakers 111 Houston 82