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Bowen as Gable and Weis as Laughton? The second part fits. |
As an interim coach, the expectations are always pretty low.
It always feels like a mutiny at sea. If things got so bad that the crew
revolted against the captain and tossed him overboard to the sharks, then the
fact that the boat made it to any port seemed like some sort of victory. And it
seems to me that when there was one mutiny on the high seas, a second mutiny
was not too far behind that tried to restore the captain to his former powers
(or, in the captain-to-the-sharks scenario, a first mate or the highest
remaining crew member that wasn’t part of mutiny number one).
It’s about the same thing for interim college football
coaches. KU could lose every game the rest of the season by 45 points and the
media/fans/alumni will shrug their shoulders and say, well, what was Bowen
going to do? The KU athletic department mutinied and threw the football coach overboard,
leaving the helm to a guy who hasn’t been a college football head coach before.
He might get the boat to port so the crew can avoid dying of scurvy (i.e., one
conference win somewhere), but if the crew continues to complain about where
the ship is going (this one is fairly self-explanatory), then he’ll get put
under the same scrutiny that the original captain was. Although in a college
football situation, it is exceedingly rare to then fire the interim head coach
and replace him with an interim interim head coach. I don’t know if that’s even
happened. But if it happens anywhere, it’ll be Kansas. Yay, Jayhawks.
But to get rid of Bowen during the season, no matter what
happens in the next nine games, would be a dreadful mistake. He’s a Lawrence native
who wanted to be KU’s football coach from the time he was a small boy. That
dream only intensified when he played linebacker for Glen Mason in the early 90’s.
To ditch him would result in a mutiny by any remaining season ticket holders
and fans. The band would show up to the remaining games because they kind of
have to, but they might be the only people in the stadium. Actually, the KU band
is of its own mind and might mutiny as well. (I am a KU band alum as well, so I
give them credit to stand up for such things.)
Because I’m reasonably certain they’re going to get beaten
badly on Saturday. Bowen could every motivational tactic he has and get them
psyched up as much as possible and they would still be a terrible football
team taking on a team that averages 401 passing yards a game, 3rd in the country. However, when mutinies happen at sea, there’s a definite spark in morale and going about the same exact tasks that made people want to
mutiny in the first place, because now there’s a new captain that the mutineers
feel is listening and responding to their needs. Captain Bowen, whether they
listen and stay motivated is up to you.
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Any mention of Clint means a gratuitous pic of Julie. No mutiny required |
Photos courtesy: filmaffinity.com, usmagazine.com
PS- if you're confused by the headline, Lawrence (the home of KU) is on the Kansas River, commonly called the Kaw
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