What a difference a day makes.Wednesday night we witnessed a Pac-10 coach who doesn’t know how to win … last night we saw a coach that does.
Sure, Cal’s Jeff Tedford represented the conference well, notching the Pac-10’s first win after three bowl-season losses, with an emphatic 45-10 beat down of those weirdos … I mean, Aggies … of Texas A&M. Tedford proved once again that he is indeed the Pac-10’s second best coach.
But perhaps more importantly Tedford showed an ESPN audience how to win with class. When the Bears scored their last touchdown with 28 seconds left in the game, Tedford could be seen on the sideline visibly upset because his back-up quarterback Steve Levy called a running play for back-up running back Bryan Shutte, instead of taking a knee as he was instructed.
Tedford was yelling, “What are you doing? What are you doing?,” while the rest of the Cal sideline celebrated, and as Levy came off the field, Tedford grabbed Levy’s facemask and let him have it. Afterward he presumably apologized to Aggie coach Dennis Franchione, then explained his animated conversation with Levy to Erin Andrews.* Excellent.
Of course, no one can say Karl Dorrell doesn’t have enough class to pull off a move like Tedford’s … but we’ll never really know, because he lacks the coaching prowess to build a 35-point bowl game lead in the first place.
Fight On! Beat the Wolverines!
* A gratuitous mention of Erin Andrews as a bonus, since we missed our typical Thursday fare yesterday …
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6 comments:
Any program can win but it takes a great coach to win with class. Too often, these qualities are overlooked. Good post!
I could've done with the Cal players and coaches engaging in a full blown orgy on the sideline late in the 4th quarter. Geez, I know they had a good game, but it is after all, the Holiday Bowl.
Seeing JT get in the face of Levy after that last TD was pretty much the epitome of his class and style.
Back in 2004 JT flat out refused to try to run up any scores - particularly in the game against Southern Miss - at the cost of the Rose Bowl. Oh, and he also never whined and cried to the voters the way some burnt orange coach did.
And, as far as the Cal players celebrating - why the hate? Sure, it was a 2nd tier game, but they flat out schooled aTm and gained a 10-win season. Does that mean that after winning the Rose Bowl the SC players should temper their celebration some since it isn't the National Championship?
The Pac is now 2-3 in the post season ... let's get to .500!
Go Bears!
socal oski,
No hate intended. Just mentioned the celebration to show that Tedford kept his level head, while others didn't quite understand what he was trying to do, including just about everyone else in the stadium, in the broadcast booth, etc. No reason for kids not to enjoy a 35-point win.
DT,
You misunderstood me. My semi-rhetorical question regarding the animosity toward the Cal players celebrating the win was directed toward ted, not your post.
But, it is nice to see the cream of the Pac winning their bowl games, isn't it?
Hey socal, celebrating is fine with me, even at the Holiday Bowl, but that display looked like an audition for Brokeback Mountain II.
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