Don't Quit

"We were saying, 'Don't quit'. You never quit, even if it looks ugly. If you quit every time something looks ugly, you miss an opportunity to do something special."

-Chiefs Linebacker Andy Studebaker after the Chiefs 23-20 OT win over San Diego

Clint Hurdle positive on the Pirates

New Pirates manager Clint Hurdle is taking over the Pirates with many wondering why he would put himself in such a tough situation, being that the Pirates have been one of the least winning teams in the MLB in the last 20 years. He has taken on the task with lots of energy and enthusiams. Here is a little from an espn.com article: Hurdle has charged his entire coaching staff with this mission: Bond with these players. Do whatever it takes to forge a connection that keeps this entire locomotive steaming down the same track. "I'm not talking about a Kumbaya campfire thing," Hurdle quipped. "We just want to make sure, from a coaching standpoint, we don't have any 'oh-no' coaches here. And by that I mean, we've all had a coach in our life where, when you saw this guy coming, the first thing you thought was, 'Oh, no. Here we go again.' We want to open up the line of communications where they see us walking up to them and they go, 'I wonder what he's got for me today.'"

Coach McCarthy on building a culture

"You have three choices in life when looking at any situation. You can take a positive angle, a negative angle or no angle at all.

"I clearly believe in positive mind-sets. Positive needs to be the starting point. I believe in positive reinforcement. Negative reinforcement is a useful teaching tool, but it is a short-term teaching tool.

"At the end of the day, when you're building a program, it's all about culture. Positive culture equates growth, and that is very important to me - that everyone in our program continue to grow."

Gill remains on even keel despite KU’s ups, downs

Good article in the Lincoln Journal Star about Kansas coach Turner Gill and his mindset of staying even keel. After losing to I-AA North Dakota State in game 1 and then beating #17 ranked Georgia Tech the following week, Gill is stressing that his players and coaches stay focused on what is ahead:

"We're trying to build over a whole football season. We're not letting one or two games, or three or four games, define who we are at this point in time. The main thing is we've got to get our guys to handle prosperity, and that's part of the process of the teaching of us as coaches to players, and players to players," Gill said.

One player who Gill stuck with was junior tight end Tim Biere. Against North Dakota State, the Omaha Westside graduate fumbled twice and dropped two passes. But Saturday, he made his first touchdown reception and played an important role in helping Sims hit the century mark.

"We just said one thing to him and then we moved on," Gill said in regard to Biere's opening-game performance. "We're trying to teach our staff and players that we're not going to spend a whole lot of time on negative things. We'll get it corrected and then we'll move on. That's what he did, and I'm proud of him."

Manuel’s Positive Energy Ignites Mets

From the NY Times:

Of all the strategic decisions a manager makes over the course of a game, whether calling for a pitching change, switching a defensive alignment or ordering an unexpected dash on the basepaths, there are also the less-nuanced motivational tools to employ.

For Jerry Manuel, who has operated all season under the public scrutiny regarding his job security, pushing his players’ emotional buttons may be his greatest strength.

In the Mets’ 7-6 victory over the Florida Marlins on Sunday, Manuel’s positive outlook was cited as one of the reasons for a triumph that extended their home winning streak to eight games. Manuel has faced some withering criticism this season, but he has also provided some evidence of a job well done, and players were quick to note how Sunday offered a strong case.

With the Mets trailing by 5-0 in the sixth inning, Manuel refused to allow his players the luxury of conceding the game, even though they had overcome that large a deficit only once this season. And even though they had only eight outs left, Manuel remained vocally enthusiastic in the dugout. Apparently, it had an effect.

“I give Jerry credit on that one,” Jeff Francoeur said, “because he was in the dugout cheering us on: ‘Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go.’ ”

But other players, too, have noted how Manuel, despite the pressure he has worked under this season, has never changed his upbeat approach. Whether it is the unusual step of calling the entire team into his office back in May to urge it to stick together, or cheering on his players in the dugout, his upbeat vibe has taken root.

“He’s by far the most positive guy I’ve ever played for,” the first-year Met Jason Bay said, “and I don’t care if you’re playing Little League or major league baseball, positivity goes a long way. It tends to be contagious. That’s no slight to anybody else. That’s just, given the market, the uncertainties, the ups and downs we’ve gone through.

“He’s never wavered on his stance of being positive and standing behind guys. I know it’s easy to get caught up in certain things, but he hasn’t. He’s really been the same guy to us, from spring training until now, and I understand how difficult that is and I respect that.”

The Relaxed Phillies Keep on Rolling

Good article here on the Philadelphia Phillies, who are in 1st place in the NL East, keeping an even keel on things:

“It’s the mentality in here,” pitcher Joe Blanton said. “We go out, play hard and stay relaxed whether we’ve won eight in a row or lost eight in a row. Everyone trusts in their abilities.”

“I think it becomes a feeling where you expect to win, but on this club, you get that feeling all the time,” Raul Ibanez said. “Even when we lost a couple and went through that little rut, you can’t tell. Guys are preparing the same way, guys are intense every day. Nobody gets complacent in here.”

“The way I look at it, and I’m sure the way a lot of our players look at, is we do the day-to-day thing,” Manuel said. “We come out here and try to win every day. Having a lead is great. Challenging yourself to add to that lead is good. That kind of shows what kind of team we have. We want to add to that lead and see how big of a lead we can get.

Krzyzewski works his magic again

Despite an up and down season, Duke captured another ACC Tournament crown yesterday by defeating a tough Florida State team. The personal goal for Coach K this year was to live in the moment, to enjoy the process rather than taking it for granted. Said Krzyzewski:

“I think the kids would tell you, too, our whole staff, we've been really energized the whole time, really positive and enjoying it – enjoying it but working hard.”

Tough losses against North Carolina, Boston College, and a 27 point loss by Clemson really tested Coach K and his players.

“That's just who coach is, a competitor,” Duke forward Kyle Singler said. “Even when we were taking losses during conference play, it was all about getting better during the season. We wanted to play as well as we (could), but our main focus was on getting better and being at our best at the end of the season.”

Staying with it

After going on a big losing streak, the Celtics have found their form as seen in their win over the Suns last night. Said Paul Pierce,

"I don't think this is a team that will get shaken or rattled when we go through a struggle," said Paul Pierce, who had 12 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. "We stay together and we kept our heads up. I never really thought we lost our confidence. We're still the defending champions. It's just a matter of remembering who we are as a team."

Consistent Leadership

Ohio State senior QB Todd Boeckman, who saw his playing time dwindle because of freshman standout Terrelle Pryor's playmaking abilities, has maintained a dignity about him that really identifies him as a great teammate. Here is an excerpt from an article about the Ohio State senior class:

Perhaps more than any other player, Todd Boeckman has served as a symbol for Ohio State's senior class.

He celebrated Big Ten titles and struggled in big games. He earned local and national recognition and endured the pain of subpar performances. He handled both the highs and the lows with class.

Despite losing the starting quarterback job to true freshman Terrelle Pryor in Week 4, Boeckman still joined fellow captains James Laurinaitis, Malcolm Jenkins and Brian Robiskie to meet the media after every game. He remained a leader in the locker room, on the practice field and on the sideline, even if he could no longer be one on Saturdays.

For those reasons, no player on the field at University of Phoenix Stadium had more support than Boeckman as he reclaimed a critical role in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl against Texas. The senior helped Ohio State rally in the fourth quarter and was seconds away from a perfect end to his career when Texas scored the game-winning touchdown to win 24-21.

"To see him go in there, it proves the old adage that good things happen to good people," Ohio State tight end Rory Nicol said. "He stayed the course all year. Yeah, he was ticked off in his mind all year long. Who wouldn't be? He did the right thing, he did what was best for the team. He forgot himself."

McNabb had right mental approach after benching

Donovan McNabb may some day reveal the true emotions he felt after getting benched for the first time in his career.

McNabb got yanked at halftime of a 10-7 game at Baltimore on Nov. 23, the Eagles fell apart. A three-point deficit turned into a 36-7 rout.Now isn't the time. Not with the Philadelphia Eagles making a push for the playoffs and McNabb leading the way.

"The only thing I'm focused on at this particular point is playing the Cleveland Browns," McNabb said.

The Eagles (7-5-1) host the Browns (4-9) tonight in a game that has important playoff ramifications. No one could've imagined Philadelphia playing meaningful games 2½ weeks ago.After McNabb got yanked at halftime of a 10-7 game at Baltimore on Nov. 23, the Eagles fell apart. A three-point deficit turned into a 36-7 rout.

The Eagles were 5-5-1 and going nowhere. McNabb's future with the team after 10 seasons was clearly in doubt. His relationship with coach Andy Reid was being questioned.Watching a healthy McNabb stand on the sideline in a hooded sweatshirt and jacket while Kevin Kolb ran the offense was strange. It seemed to signal the end of an era in Philadelphia.

McNabb never pouted, though. He didn't criticize coaches, blame his teammates or demand a trade. Instead, McNabb responded like a leader.

"He's always been positive," running back Brian Westbrook said. "He remained the leader of this team, a person that everybody on the team looks at as the leader and goes to for advice. That situation with being benched, I'm sure it was a situation that made him sad or depressed or whatever. But he came back to work, worked hard to be that leader and he helped us win those last two games."

Behind McNabb's arm and Westbrook's legs, the Eagles beat NFC West champion Arizona 48-20 on Thanksgiving and upset the conference-leading Giants 20-14 at New York last Sunday.

The Eagles will make the playoffs if they win the last three games and the Falcons lose once.McNabb has completed 67 percent of his passes (46 for 69) for 451 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions since his benching. Reid said the five-time Pro Bowl quarterback just needed a break from the action.

"He's a great player," Reid said. "Sometimes you just need to take a step back and things kind of clear up for you. He's playing great football right now."