A quote from ESPN about another program that recently got the elephant out of their locker room:

 

In Praise of the Losing Team -- High School Version: The reverse of high school teams that run up the score are high school teams that never win. Red Boiling Springs in Macon County, Tenn., a countryside school with only a few hundred students in the upper grades, has not won a game since 2002, and has been outscored 287-24 in its past five outings. Reader Nick Meals of Knoxville protested that the Tennessean, Nashville's newspaper, just put the school's football futility on Page 1: "Is it right that the lead story in one of the major newspapers in the state focuses on the losing streak of a tiny rural school? If the Titans lose then fine, make fun of professionals, but give this treatment to 14- to 18-year-olds?" Nick, the story made me admire the players and coaches of Red Boiling Springs. No special qualities are required to play on a stacked winning team, no fortitude needed to take the field among superior teammates, knowing victory is likely. To keep trying after 40 straight losses is extraordinary -- compare such resolve to pro athletes who whine following the slightest minor setback. The kind of kids who still turn out for a high-school team that has little chance of winning, who still run hills in the August heat -- who never give up -- learn a lesson that will serve them well in life. Players and coaches of Red Boiling Springs School -- ESPN salutes you! Here's a quote for the locker room bulletin board: "Red Boiling Springs football exemplifies the larger purpose of sports: learning teamwork, fair play and determination. Anyone can walk an easy path. To refuse to quit in the face of great odds requires heart."

^Good stuff FC.

 

Later.

I don't have a dog in the hunt either, but I think that community support goes a real long way.

 

I feel that SEMPERFIFALCON made a good point with the "cause and effect" analogy of the team and the community, but I would like to break it down.

 

If a young man has a mother that contstantly berates him on a regular basis, says that he won't amount to much and that it's not even worth trying. She shows him, through her lack of support, that she could care less about him and what he accomplishes....and if there is an accomplishment, she dismisses it. If that young man isn't getting a positive outlook at home, how will he ever succeed? The young man periodically stays with a family (from time to time) that enforces positive standards with him and his outlook, on life in general....really does change. He believes that there is hope and he can accomplish things.

 

I really feel that if the Fort Knox Public wouldn't publicly humiliate them and actually get behind them, then they COULD start to see a change.

 

Now, with all that said.....there is an awful lot that needs to change at Fort Knox for them to become as successful as they once were, that much I agree to.

 

I feel for these kids, if they don't win tonight.....there's a chance that there are some players on the team could go their entire high school football "career" without having won a high school game at all. They don't need the public ridicule to go along with that.

 

With all of the success and turnaround that Fort Campbell has had, does anyone here REALLY know how Coach Berner got the job at Fort Campbell? Was it because the school administration was looking for a winner? Were they actively searching out coaches that wanted to make a difference? Was the then athletic director adament about finding the next Urban Meyer at the high school level? If you do know the real reason, PM me, I'd like to hear it.

 

Later.

 

Excellent Post

^Good stuff FC.

 

Later.

 

I agree.

I am now a Fort Knox fan.