Ron and the Panthers Locker Room

[GRWatcher]

Excellent article, for sure. Thank you! Not every coach can do this, it has to fit their personality. That he's a brilliant man & willing to try new things is obvious. & I love it.

I do think that's too lax an atmosphere, yes. How are you supposed to be a stern disciplinarian when the situation calls for it if you're buddy-buddy with everybody in the locker room?

Here's a thought. Maybe he won't have to be "a stern disciplinarian " because of what he's doing in the locker room. I don't recall that Hardy was a problem in the locker room. But I think Rivera can be constructive with discipline if it's needed. And don't even try to say that every coach has to be an asshole at some time because that's not true. 

[Krucid]

I don't like this. Players aren't supposed to be buddy-buddy with the coach. Was Ditka buddy-buddy with his players? The playersr should be intimidated by their coach.

When he coached the Cowboys, Jimmy Johnson would sometimes cut a guy just to prove a point to the guy. He was an asshole around his team. They were scared and had to toughen up.

But when the Cowboys won two Super Bowl titles, they carried him off the field. They loved him for it.

If this article is true, how is a player supposed to show discipline the coach is hamming it up and talking about puppies? Would Parcells do this? Would Bill Belichick? Did Bill O'Brien do that during Hard Knocks?

 

Sounds like you want him to coach based on fear and intimidation. That will only get you so far and make players resent you. He is trying to coach based off friendship and morals. Much rather have the latter.

[Ncpantherfan71]

I wasn't part of a locker room, but I was part of the military.  I have experience with both types, the hard nose boss and the type who treat everyone with respect and care for their troops.  I can tell you the hard approach got old pretty quick and it led to problems in the shop.  On the other hand, we would go above and beyond for the one who treated us with respect.  We knew he would have our back when we needed it, so we tried to have his every day.  That is a good environment for  success.  

When I became the boss I tried to be the type who cared and treated all with respect.  That didn't mean I was a push over, I still had to start the discharge process on 4 of my troops for not meeting the standards.

Ron grew up in a military environment where everyone had to take care of each other, and at least to me it looks like he runs his locker room the same way.

[pantherclaw]

It's an interesting article.  Definitely breaks the tradition that the locker room be a coach free zone.  Definitely see the benefits from it, especially if your leaders are in board with it.

[SIGCHI222]

I don't like this. Players aren't supposed to be buddy-buddy with the coach. Was Ditka buddy-buddy with his players? The playersr should be intimidated by their coach.

When he coached the Cowboys, Jimmy Johnson would sometimes cut a guy just to prove a point to the guy. He was an asshole around his team. They were scared and had to toughen up.

But when the Cowboys won two Super Bowl titles, they carried him off the field. They loved him for it.

If this article is true, how is a player supposed to show discipline the coach is hamming it up and talking about puppies? Would Parcells do this? Would Bill Belichick? Did Bill O'Brien do that during Hard Knocks?

 

So you would rather have this guy?

[Pejorative Miscreant]

The most interesting thing about the article is that Ron gets the philosophy from fighter pilots and sought advice.

The whole chain of command and talk of players losing respect arguments are muted. If this is employed in the military where chain of command is sacred, I doubt Ron discussing puppies or rap music with guys is going to cost him much respect. 

Also, I would love to hear the story on how Ron sought out fighter pilots to chat with.  This is an interesting approach and definitely looks at things through a different lense.  

[Jangler]

RRC needs a wad of gum to the noggin.

[Mr. Scot]

Maybe if Rivera were a bigger disciplinarian Hardy wouldn't have allegedly done what he allegedly did.

I too favor a more stern approach.

 

And in that vein, hey Zod, you should ban this troll.

[Mr. Scot]

From the article...

Rivera was so taken with this idea that he took a bunch of players to dinner at Del Frisco’s in 2013 and asked them to open up about what they thought of the team. The players didn’t hold back. “This guy was an a—, this coach was a jerk,” Rivera remembers the players saying. The coach shot back: “I’m blown away. All of this happened? You guys should have told me!”

One thing I've always liked about Rivera is that he's genuinely capable of learning.  that doesn't mean he won't repeat mistakes, but he has shown a capacity to accept that sometimes he might be wrong.

I think this is a good approach.

[Ncpantherfan71]

I'm sorry, but that is a crock of crap.

I do not expect the head coach to be out holding the hands of their grown adult players.  

Hardy did what he did, that is all on him.  He needs to take personal responsibility and own it.

I actually have more respect for Rice because he owned up to it and at least in the public eye has tried to make things as right as he can.

 

Now I do believe the team made an error letting him play that first game, but that was a time of major screw ups from the top of the NFL all the way down.

[Mr. Scot]

I wasn't part of a locker room, but I was part of the military.  I have experience with both types, the hard nose boss and the type who treat everyone with respect and care for their troops.  I can tell you the hard approach got old pretty quick and it led to problems in the shop.  On the other hand, we would go above and beyond for the one who treated us with respect.  We knew he would have our back when we needed it, so we tried to have his every day.  That is a good environment for  success.  

When I became the boss I tried to be the type who cared and treated all with respect.  That didn't mean I was a push over, I still had to start the discharge process on 4 of my troops for not meeting the standards.

Ron grew up in a military environment where everyone had to take care of each other, and at least to me it looks like he runs his locker room the same way.

Good insight.

People will follow a guy they respect into battle.  A guy they don't care about, not so much.

That's why guys like Harbaugh have a short shelf life.  Like a parent who yells all the time, you start getting tuned out.

[Jangler]

Maybe if Rivera were a bigger disciplinarian Hardy wouldn't have allegedly done what he allegedly did.

no way to prove that, Hardy most likely is a hard head and will never really listen to anybody.

[Ncpantherfan71]

 

That's why guys like Harbaugh have a short shelf life.  Like a parent who yells all the time, you start getting tuned out.

i have experience with that one too.  I could relate to the 19-20 year old kids in my shop so much better than I could with my teen age daughter.  Our relationship is still strained to this day.  In her eyes I was always too strict and she rebelled big time, and did the exact opposite of what I was trying to teach.

[L-TownCat]

Maybe if Rivera were a bigger disciplinarian Hardy wouldn't have allegedly done what he allegedly did.

may the ban hammer by with you always.

 

take him away @rayzor