Horton Says There Was a Players-Only Meeting Today

[Joneslab]

He says the meeting was because "half the team was on a different page."

No link, but all the UK writers just put this out on Twitter.

Completely unsurprising. The only interesting thing about it is that it corresponds to the timing of last year's freefall.

[Joneslab]

Per Jen Smith, Towles and Forrest called the meeting.

[Spiritof96]

What the hell does half the team being on a different page mean? Slacking? Griping?

[Katmendo]

What the hell does half the team being on a different page mean? Slacking? Griping?

Well, IMO, it means trouble.

There's only one way to get "one half" of the team, and it isn't underclassmen versus upperclassmen.
It means defense versus offense, if I had to guess.

Time will tell, but it doesn't sound good. It's kind of like you telling your friend that you and your wife had a parents only meeting due to one side of the marriage being on a different page.

Not exactly like saying it was to re-commit to goals. More like an accusation than a statement of solidarity.

But, if it heals them, it's great.

However, my experience in o serving these motions is that these sorts of things only produce in the movies. In real life, these things typically only publicize the existence of dysfunction.

It could make a difference, but the week before going on the road to Georgia, after a three game skid, is a tough place to try to put it together. Likely to lose this week, under reasonable circumstances, without other issues. If you do, it can undermine any progress by leaving it APPEARING to have been unrewarded.

[TrueblueCATfan]

WOW....well I hope this meeting helped....a lot of football left

[surveyor]

Jeff Maggard talked about this on the call-in show last night. He said it's all well and good to call a players meeting, but it's only words if it's not followed up on. He pointed out a few examples of where players meetings resulted in nothing. One example of positive results Maggard relayed was when Woodson called a players meeting back in 2006.

[lilproUK98]

Jeeez. I'm usually Mr. Positivity but this is just getting silly.

So many drama queens in our football program recently. I pray that this will somehow turn things around but I don't get a good feeling about it at all. I think we have major issues mentally and physically on both sides of the ball.

BUT, we have 3 VERY winnable games out of the last 4 if the team can just get their heads out of their behinds! IMO, changes in philosophy, effort, execution, AND motivation need to be made for us to win those 3 extremely winnable games.

I pray that this is a turning point and the ship has been righted and we get those 3 wins and get to 7-5 and a good bowl and an overall successful season. It CAN be done.

[George]

Sounds like we have a bonafide $#!+ show on our hands.

[Lighthouse]

I don't understand why folks think the meeting isn't a good thing. Obviously some players, who are there for every practice and game, thought it would help and I don't see how a meeting would hurt. These are young men and a pep talk by their teammates just might make a difference, and I bet they realize what a tough game and schedule they have coming up. IMO, having leaders step upis never a bad thing.

[justford]

Maybe a coaches only meeting needs to be called.

[KevinHall]

Sometimes these work but most times they don't. Unless someone stepped forward, who the entire team respects, and really laid everything out there that needs to be done better then it was a useless endeavor.

[George]

The fact that they felt a meeting was necessary in the first place doesn't bode well for where they're at as a team. To then learn that "half the team was on a different page" is even more disturbing moving forward. This isn't Remember The Titans; chemistry issues rarely sort themselves out after one heartfelt meeting and an enthusiastic practice.

[surveyor]

I tend to agree with the notion that this meeting isn't a bad thing. If concerns or opinions are heard that otherwise would not have, it's a plus - whether those concerns/opinions are negative or positive. Certainly better to know them than never having known them - as with the "half the team was on a different page" thing.

[40bill]

As a parent and grandparent I well understand young people not being on the same page. as a football fan, I get concerned that the staff hasn't found some way to address this. Some coaches...Kiffen and Dooley at UT...struggled with this. Others seem to manage it better. Sometimes it seems every team we have had since Brooks next to last season doesn't seem to be able to pull in the same direction....same page or not. This year and last seem to have plenty of dysfunction in all three phases of the game. Some is youth. Maybe some is the talent level. Some has got to have to do with the coaching.

[Lighthouse]

Glad to see you back Bill. How are things with your Mom?