Even with the letdown against UK (frankly, after the long streak, I felt that one coming--didn't surprise me) and the late-midseason breakdown/slide that produced the UGA-Mizzou loss(es), with the comeback wins along the way, then the strong finish last year, followed by the "promising"/"more like the good ol' days" recruiting class, I had high hopes heading towards and into 2019...Then came the deterioration of that aforementioned "recruiting haul" (subsequently somewhat explained away with that "we sorta expected a good deal of it so it isn't that big a shock" story--which, after all, still then begs the question, "Then why were these our targets in the FIRST place?"); I'd just about accepted, even gotten over all that and was back to "guardedly optimistic", when we were recently hit with various injuries and behavioral losses. OK, the McWilliams injury is only worrisome because we are unaccustomely already thin at experience in the defensive backfield (the young man himself was generally every opponent offense's target as the season went on: his loss just hastens the chances more promising young underclassmen will now get), but the rash of players facing disciplinary problems due all too often to gender-related physical abuse is worrisome, to say the least. The latest and highest profile example to surface has been Huggins (on ANY level, what part of "Don't strangle your female tutor?" is something that needs reviewing???)--who, along with several others, is now in "playability limbo" because of the incident in question last year. The only reason it isn't worse, that it is still "being addressed" and that he may well still play, is because the young woman refused to press charges and there is apparently a "satisfactory treatment process and resolution underway"--while still under a cloud, from what I understand could still eventually play. As for the other unfortunate such messes currently dogging the eligibility of several additional players who more than ever will be important to our in-season growth and improvement, well, all we can do is hope for the best.
Headlines somehow implying some connection between the arrival of Coach Mullens and these particular kinds of problems are not just unfair, they ignore both the times we live in AND the recent history of our program--who and when these young men were recruited, the lack of oversight and/or interest shown by MacEllwaine and the previous regime in either personal integrity or eventual team chemistry in building a winning program. I don't believe that is Coach Dan or his staff's problem or approach.
The main question, from where I'm sitting, is: "What kind of young men are these?" What are they THINKING??? And of course the directly-related follow-on, "What kind of TEAM do we have any chance of fielding if that isn't considered?!!"
I have a feeling that Mullen and Co. are, if not "wringing their hands" over this very problem, are in fact redoubling already determined plans to consider and apply every effort to answer such questions--and to see those answers manifest in the young men they bring in, and how that comes together to be reflected in onfield play.
Let us hope that is indeed the case. Otherwise, rather than the exciting season heralding the promise of great days ahead, as we had hoped and seemed otherwsie headed for, this could well be one of frustration, disappointment and uneven play.
Headlines somehow implying some connection between the arrival of Coach Mullens and these particular kinds of problems are not just unfair, they ignore both the times we live in AND the recent history of our program--who and when these young men were recruited, the lack of oversight and/or interest shown by MacEllwaine and the previous regime in either personal integrity or eventual team chemistry in building a winning program. I don't believe that is Coach Dan or his staff's problem or approach.
The main question, from where I'm sitting, is: "What kind of young men are these?" What are they THINKING??? And of course the directly-related follow-on, "What kind of TEAM do we have any chance of fielding if that isn't considered?!!"
I have a feeling that Mullen and Co. are, if not "wringing their hands" over this very problem, are in fact redoubling already determined plans to consider and apply every effort to answer such questions--and to see those answers manifest in the young men they bring in, and how that comes together to be reflected in onfield play.
Let us hope that is indeed the case. Otherwise, rather than the exciting season heralding the promise of great days ahead, as we had hoped and seemed otherwsie headed for, this could well be one of frustration, disappointment and uneven play.