Bottom line imo is this - No way do I hold anything at all against the kid, a player, Jude in this case, job is to play as hard as he can on every snap when he is in the game. J.J. Jude is obviously a great back and he was doing his job, you can't tell a player not to try.

 

As for the honorable Coach, "Will Rodgers never met Coach Matney" :

 

I love your posts oldrambler and I respect your opinion. I respectfully disagree with your assessment of Jim Matney. See my above post.

How exactly did Matney embarass other teams? He played his starters longer than the unwritten code allows? Is that it?

As one of the few people on this forum who actually knows Jim Matney, I can't disagree more. I realize my opinion may not count for much. I do however know Jim personally and can say without hesitation that he is very likeable and fun to be around. I consider him to be a good man, and a loyal friend.

 

I understand the criticism against him as a coach. He has done some things that bring a lot of heat on himself, and deservedly so. I am not excusing that, as I have disagreed with a lot of them. My point simply is those things may shape his coaching legacy in the eyes of others, but they in no way define the man. I know that is maybe hard to understand, but my opinion comes from more than 30 years of knowing him. If you talk to the former players of his and others who know him well, I think you would find the vast majority of them would agree.

 

Watusi, your opinion counts with me, and if you say it, I believe it. I'm sure your experience with Matney has been pleasurable and have seen another side of him. But, as you said, he brings a lot of this on himself. And, I have to say what I've seen of him and heard from his mouth makes me not care too much for him. And, I tend to believe it's that side of Matney that has turned so many other people off as well.

The reality is, there are those that don't like Matney, and there are those that have yet to meet Matney.

 

I don't know the guy, but that's funny right there.

You must be mistaken because football players can't cut it in wreslting :sssh:

:lol: :lol: :lol:

 

Well played. My argument is that, he is a much better wrestler than football player---so he is just proving that wrestlers can cross over to football!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just playing around, in all honesty Jude is a great athlete and I wish him the best.

Just to share, Jude is receiving national press in wrestling as well. The Open Mat has him as the #105 best college prospect in the country. Consider this, only two Kentucky wrestlers made this entire list. The Open Mat also ranked him in the top 20 at his weight class this year. Both of those are great achievements!

As one of the few people on this forum who actually knows Jim Matney, I can't disagree more. I realize my opinion may not count for much. I do however know Jim personally and can say without hesitation that he is very likeable and fun to be around. I consider him to be a good man, and a loyal friend.

 

I understand the criticism against him as a coach. He has done some things that bring a lot of heat on himself, and deservedly so. I am not excusing that, as I have disagreed with a lot of them. My point simply is those things may shape his coaching legacy in the eyes of others, but they in no way define the man. I know that is maybe hard to understand, but my opinion comes from more than 30 years of knowing him. If you talk to the former players of his and others who know him well, I think you would find the vast majority of them would agree.

I have had interactions with Matney since I was in high school over ten years ago. I have found everything that Watusi says to be very true and don't have a bad word to say about the guy.

 

In regards to the former players, EVERY wrestler I know who has wrestled under him absolutely loves him. Seems like a guy who really looks out for and cares about his wrestlers.

 

I've also heard the same good things said about him from people who have coached beside and against him.