OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post

The Professor · 03-05-2003, 08:45 PM

Spurrier? I may be judging him too quickly...

...but it seems to me that he has a lot of learning to do in the pro game. As a coach in 2002 I thought he did poorly.

- He obviously believed his 'Fun & Gun' approach would succeed in the NFL. He was secure enough in 'his' system to trust in the already failed NFL commodities Shane Mathews and Danny Weurffel. Their knowledge of the Spurrier system did them no good, they lit up a pre-season game or two and, by the regular season, looked like the backup quality players they are.

- Shuffling QB's?? Continuity counts for something and Spurrier never tried to establish it. By midseason when the cause was clearly lost, he ought to have gone with Ramsay the remainder - good or bad - rather than shuffling back to either ex-Gator QBs.

- QB shuffling or no, Spurrier's system simply didn't light up the NFL. I don't think it ever will, not in the ways Spurrier himself and his fans think it will. People are quick to label Spurrier a guru, an uber-innovator, a genius. I don't think so. He's not doing anything a lot of better pro coaches have done before him. Spurrier's greatest innovation was taking a pro passing scheme and turning it loose on the college ranks. NFL defenses aren't SEC defenses.

- There were games last year where I got this gut feeling that Spurrier was simply overmatched. Maybe with a season under his belt, we actually will see some magic. I'm not anti-Spurrier by any means, I just think he is overrated. If he survives working under Dan Snyder, I think Spurrier can become a decent (not great) NFL coach. Can his ego handle that? How long before he decides being an 'OK' NFL coach just isn't the same as being an NCAA 'Diety' ? Whoever compared Spurrier to Pitino, I think that is a good comparison. Spurrier may be a real gem, but for now, I think he is really out of his element...

03-05-2003, 08:45 PM	#12
The Professor Hall Of Famer Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: East of East Posts: 3,020	Spurrier? I may be judging him too quickly... ...but it seems to me that he has a lot of learning to do in the pro game. As a coach in 2002 I thought he did poorly. - He obviously believed his 'Fun & Gun' approach would succeed in the NFL. He was secure enough in 'his' system to trust in the already failed NFL commodities Shane Mathews and Danny Weurffel. Their knowledge of the Spurrier system did them no good, they lit up a pre-season game or two and, by the regular season, looked like the backup quality players they are. - Shuffling QB's?? Continuity counts for something and Spurrier never tried to establish it. By midseason when the cause was clearly lost, he ought to have gone with Ramsay the remainder - good or bad - rather than shuffling back to either ex-Gator QBs. - QB shuffling or no, Spurrier's system simply didn't light up the NFL. I don't think it ever will, not in the ways Spurrier himself and his fans think it will. People are quick to label Spurrier a guru, an uber-innovator, a genius. I don't think so. He's not doing anything a lot of better pro coaches have done before him. Spurrier's greatest innovation was taking a pro passing scheme and turning it loose on the college ranks. NFL defenses aren't SEC defenses. - There were games last year where I got this gut feeling that Spurrier was simply overmatched. Maybe with a season under his belt, we actually will see some magic. I'm not anti-Spurrier by any means, I just think he is overrated. If he survives working under Dan Snyder, I think Spurrier can become a decent (not great) NFL coach. Can his ego handle that? How long before he decides being an 'OK' NFL coach just isn't the same as being an NCAA 'Diety' ? Whoever compared Spurrier to Pitino, I think that is a good comparison. Spurrier may be a real gem, but for now, I think he is really out of his element... __________________ History isn't really about the past - settling old scores. It's about defining the present and who we are."