[NU Sports] Great article about Randy Walker

[John A. DeGroat]

if you don't like our views, then don't read them.

John DeGroat

Arthur Miller wrote:

>Oh, please.  Any credibility once afforded Schooler is greatly diminished
>with this analysis.
>
>Regarding leadership: There are many theories on leadership, and the "tough
>love" school is widely accepted as a valid one in some circumstances.  A
>demanding coaching style is not synonymous with negative reinforcement.
>Honestly, Bob, I have to wonder if you've ever played team sports in your
>life.  The statement "being a leader meant telling people what they needed
>to hear, even if that was uncomfortable" is one that 99% of college head
>football & mens basketball coaches would agree with.
>
>
>  
>
>>My take on this quote ["I'm not trying to be popular"] is that Walker is 
>>whining because no one else on his staff (since Glowik, Wilson and Kromer 
>>were run off) is willing to be the "bad guy" (ie. bully and intimidate 
>>players) while [blah blah]
>>    
>>
>
>This is just total speculation.  Now you're assuming that RW has alienated
>his staff, too?  You're really reaching here.  If you're going to throw
>these accusations out there, at least offer some rationale.  Oh yeah, and
>since when was Kevin Wilson "run off"?  The guy got a great opportunity with
>a historic program.
>
>
>  
>
>>I feel this statement [about NU playing the Rose Bowl and then going 0-8 in
>>    
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>
>  
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>>B10 play in 1998] is a poor reflection on Walker's character. It shows 
>>jealousy and insecurity. Why even bring up Barnett's history at 
>>Northwestern?
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>>
>
>If you'd consider the context, Bob, you'd understand why he made this point:
>That the team is now close to reaching a level of consistency it did not
>have previously, even after the stellar 95/96 seasons.  As most of us will
>acknowledge, the return of the Wildcats to the Big 10 cellar in 1998 took a
>lot of joy out of the 1995/96 peak.
>
>
>Disclaimer: I'm not a pie-in-the-sky Walker fan.  I know he has his
>limitations.  However, I find the criticisms of Walker as personified by
>Schooler & DeGroat to be increasingly difficult to take seriously.
>
>Merry Christmas.
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: nwu-sports-bounces at tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces at tssi.com] On
>Behalf Of John A. DeGroat
>Sent: Saturday, December 24, 2005 11:52 AM
>To: BSchooler at aol.com
>Cc: nwu-sports at romaine.tssi.com
>Subject: Re: [NU Sports] Great article about Randy Walker
>
>Schooler hit the nail on the head!
>
>John DeGroat
>
>BSchooler at aol.com wrote:
>
>  
>
>>In a message dated 12/24/2005 12:25:30 AM Central Standard Time, 
>>thehaze at earthlink.net writes:
>>
>> 
>>
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>>>A glowing piece on our coach was in Friday's Sun-Times.  I think we have 
>>>an outstanding person as our coach.  I'm glad Mark Murphy feels the same 
>>>way. -- Jim B.
>>>
>>>http://www.suntimes.com/output/campus/cst-spt-nu23.html
>>>
>>>   
>>>
>>>      
>>>
>>I read the article and came away with the opposite conclusion - that maybe 
>>Randy Walker isn't such an "outstanding person". I base this conclusion on
>>    
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>the 
>  
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>>following statements:
>>
>>Walker - "He told his players that being a leader didn't mean being 
>>somebody's friend. He told them that being a leader meant telling people
>>    
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>what they 
>  
>
>>needed to hear, even if that was uncomfortable."
>>
>>I disagree with this definition of leadership. Positive reinforcement has 
>>just as an important role in successful leadership as does negative 
>>reinforcement. Besides, the most successful leaders lead by example; not
>>    
>>
>intimidation. My 
>  
>
>>guess is that this Northwestern team fights for each other; not the
>>    
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>coaches. 
>  
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>>It's the same mentality that motivates a military basic training company; 
>>they've have only each other to rely upon after enduring a horrible
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>experience 
>  
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>>together. I wish Walker had more motivational arrows in his quiver besides
>>    
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>fear and 
>  
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>>intimidation.
>>
>>Walker - "'I'm always the bad guy',Walker said this week as the Wildcats 
>>prepared to face UCLA in the Sun Bowl on Dec. 30 in El Paso, Texas. 'I tell
>>    
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>the 
>  
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>>staff and the leaders of the team, 'It'd be nice if some of you would take
>>    
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>a 
>  
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>>little of that on.' I feel like the Wicked Witch of the West all the time,
>>    
>>
>but 
>  
>
>>I'm not afraid of being unpopular. I worry about trying to do the right 
>>thing'.''    
>>
>>My take on this quote is that Walker is whining because no one else on his 
>>staff (since Glowik, Wilson and Kromer were run off) is willing to be the
>>    
>>
>"bad 
>  
>
>>guy" (ie. bully and intimidate players) while, at the same time, justifying
>>    
>>
>
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>>this approach by rationalizing that he's just worried "about trying to do
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>the 
>  
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>>right thing". Of course, this completely ignores the possibility that other
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>
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>>coaches on the staff, as well as players, may prefer to motivate through
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>means 
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>>other than fear and intimidation. Like "being somebody's friend"?
>>    
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>Interestingly 
>  
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>>enough, we've had some folks on this List, including Jim Bendat, who have 
>>recently excoriated the late Woody Hayes for being a "bad guy" but don't
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>seem to 
>  
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>>object to Randy Walker assuming this role. And by the way, it's no
>>    
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>coincidence 
>  
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>>that Randy Walker has held up Woody Hayes as one of his coaching role
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>models.
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>>Walker - "Walker said he comes from a time when the priority was doing what
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>
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>>was in the best interest of the student-athlete and the group. It wasn't
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>about 
>  
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>>just making people feel good. That tough love is hard for his players to 
>>accept sometimes, but it is getting results on the field."
>>
>>Walker has erected a straw man. At Northwestern, and most other schools,
>>    
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>I'm 
>  
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>>sure, there never was a time when the priority hasn't been "doing what was
>>    
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>in 
>  
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>>the best interest of the student-athlete and the group". Walker then
>>    
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>destroys 
>  
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>>the straw man by saying, "It wasn't about just making people feel good." 
>>Which, of course, is Walker's justification for his "tough love" approach.
>>    
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>If you 
>  
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>>are stupid enough to buy this sophistry, then I suppose you can come to the
>>    
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>
>  
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>>conclusion that "tough love" and "making people feel good" are mutually
>>    
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>exclusive 
>  
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>>motivational approaches.
>>
>>Walker - "'Everyone talks about the Rose Bowl, and that was one of the 
>>greatest achievements in this school's history,' Walker said of the 1995
>>    
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>team 
>  
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>>coached by Gary Barnett. 'But three years later, they didn't win a Big Ten
>>    
>>
>game.'"
>  
>
>>I feel this statement is a poor reflection on Walker's character. It shows 
>>jealousy and insecurity. Why even bring up Barnett's history at
>>    
>>
>Northwestern? 
>  
>
>>But if you're going to do so, why denigrate it by pointing out the failure
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>to 
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>>win a Big Ten game in 1998? (While failing to mention Northwestern's shared
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>Big 
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>>Ten title in 1996). Wouldn't it have been much more gracious for Walker to 
>>have said something like, "Coach Barnett laid the foundation for our
>>    
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>success with 
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>>a great break through season in 1995 that led to a Rose Bowl appearance. We
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>
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>>feel we're building the consistency at Northwestern which will lead to
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>another 
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>>Rose Bowl appearance in the not too distant future."
>>
>>Walker - "'I've made clear my commitment to Northwestern,' Walker said.
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>'I'm 
>  
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>>not a 1-800 guy, calling everybody. Does everybody have a price? Sure. But 
>>there's a value in the kind of kids I get to coach, the institution I
>>    
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>represent, 
>  
>
>>where I live. I don't know if there's a better job.'''   
>>
>>Walker must be a liberal. He thinks we're so dumb we won't remember that he
>>    
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>
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>>said something just the opposite a few years ago. Remember? When things
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>were 
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>>going poorly during the 2002 season, Walker was quoted in one of the
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>Chicago 
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>>papers boasting about how he gets calls about other jobs. I'm not so sure
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>these 
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>>job inquiries Walker says he received weren't fabrications; but
>>    
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>nevertheless, 
>  
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>>the purpose of going public about calls about other jobs back in 2002 (an 
>>incredibly unprofessional move) was to threaten Northwestern with how he
>>    
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>could 
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>>leave anytime he wanted if he felt Northwestern didn't appreciate his
>>    
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>services.
>  
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>>And now for my disclaimer made necessary by the assistant Pop Warner coach
>>    
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>in 
>  
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>>Delaware who refers to himself in the third person as "Coach". This doesn't
>>    
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>
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>>mean I'm a person from Texas who "hates" Coach Walker. I feel he's done
>>    
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>some 
>  
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>>very good things at Northwestern. He has built some consistency. He has 
>>developed teams that never quit. He has produced an outstanding record of
>>    
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>graduating 
>  
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>>his players. But yesterday's article in the Sun Times is worthy of
>>    
>>
>discussion. 
>  
>
>>Some people think it shows that Coach Walker is "an outstanding person"
>>    
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>while 
>  
>
>>others, like myself, don't.
>>
>>Merry Christmas and Happy Chanukah!
>>
>>Bob Schooler
>>_______________________________________________
>>nwu-sports site list
>>nwu-sports at tssi.com
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>>
>> 
>>
>>    
>>
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