Why Tedford Sticks With Longshore
I know most of you are disgusted with Nate, who really did not perform well at all tonight. You know things are going pretty badly for you when the most exciting part of the entire game is seeing you hindered on the field and your backup looking ready and willing to enter the huddle.
That being said, many of you are probably getting a hoot out of our coach’s…uhh, “positive spin” on Longshore’s performance:
“I thought Nate played well. Obviously, there were a couple of plays that he’d like to have back. He was making pretty decent reads. He got rid of the ball quick; I don’t know that we got sacked. We stayed out of some long yard situations, which you can’t get in against these guys (USC). It’s a tough game to play as a quarterback when you do have to throw the ball a lot in those conditions. Obviously, you’d like to have a couple back, but I thought he threw some nice balls as well.”
Is Tedford correct? Well, yeah, somewhat. But rain causes slippage, not misdirection. Longshore’s throws were all pretty good spirals. As the game wore on though, it was clear he was underthrowing/overthrowing many of his balls. That ankle is not healed, or Nate’s game lacks finishing touch.
So why does Jeff keep on throwing Nate back into the fire? Why is he so firmly loyal when statistics and performance show that it might be best to make a change? Probably the strongest reason is that Longshore is a junior, and by all indications he is lined up to have the starting job next year. Benching him essentially ends his career at Cal, and I don’t think Tedford wants to start showing he bows to the self-entitled madness of the crowd.
But I think the issue runs deeper. If you’ve seen Tedford’s profile, you’ll know his father abandoned him at an early age. If you know Tedford’s role in this program, it’s that he takes to the athletes like his second family. He does not want to betray them like his father betrayed him, especially the leader in the locker room. It’s why he stuck with Ayoob long after his ineffectiveness was cleared, it’s why he sticks with Longshore now. It is a desirable and admirable approach for a head coach to take, especially in an age of rampant NCAA corruption and coaches throwing players under the bus.
Do I agree with this stance? Not necessarily; I’ve always believed in playing to win, and loyalty can often hinder your judgement. But remember that Tedford was once that kid who struggled to make ends meet, and despite all the odds, he prevailed and ended up fulfilling his Personal Legend. He had to fail many times to get to where he is. Perhaps Cal players and their fans will have to do the same, and should take that lesson to all aspects of their lives. And I’m okay with that.
Tedford probably knows Longshore is struggling, but inside he probably knows that it’s best to learn to fail than endlessly succeed. It gives you the mental buildup to deal with future criticism and helps you to pursue your dreams. Look at Ayoob, working with a high school football team and still coming to every Cal football game. I think Longshore’s future is a little more promising, but I’m pretty sure that the vote of confidence his coach gives him will go a long way.
If you win, good; if you lose, good. You grow more confident from the former, you mature from the latter. The failures of this year will serve us well next year, and as long as Tedford is here, the chance for success is on the horizon. Hopefully Longshore will learn these lessons in the final games and go out on a positive note into next year, and help lead Cal to building the legacy we long hoped for. Go Bears.
(Report card coming tomorrow.)
Now, please leave your rational comments as to why Tedford should not stick with Longshore. Rational, fellas.
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Plus, it's just more fun to watch a qb who can make a play out of nothing. Watching Riley scramble, run and throw against OSU was some of the most exciting stuff I'd seen from our team all year.
lastly, our fanbase is in full revolt of longshore and I worry that our team is too. I heard some call fans singing on bart: "you know it, you tell the story! you tell the whole damn world THAT NATE LONGSHORE SUCKS MY @$$!" classy stuff
I buy it a little, but I do think Riley's relative youth (only a freshman) as opposed to Rodgers (junior transfer, 3 years of eligibility) does also contribute to his sticking with Longshore.
Yep. Can't really fault with you there. Watching Longshore attempt to run up the gut was mystifying.
Another interesting stat, but I think most of those INTs have come when Cal is behind. Usually we're far ahead in the 4th quarter and hand the ball off to Forsett (and Lynch last year). I recall our one comeback against UW was mainly Lynch running it up.
So no, I guess Longshore isn't a clutch QB. But he wouldn't be the first.
There are two options:
1) Let Longshore have his final three games, and then bite the bullet next season and start Riley -let him and the receivers develop so that we can have a spectacular offense the last two years.
2) Let Longshore finish off his senior season. Given the amount of youth on offense, I don't see this team getting more than 1 (maaaybe 2) wins than in option #1. Furthermore, now you've delayed Riley's development an entire year.
Its wrong to think about winning now. If Tedford wants to win now, he'll have to be satisfied with 9-3 seasons. But if Tedford makes the sacrifice, I can see Riley's junior year being a very special one for Cal.
Watch footage when the defense comes onto the field after Longshore throws an interception. It's not a look of eager anticipation. It's a mixture of disappointment and anger, a psychological state that wreaks havoc on defensive composure.
And therein is the most dangerous part of letting a stagnating quarterback continue to start. The quarterback is not just the leader of the offense. The entire team is affected by an offense's performance. When Longshore throws an interception at a crucial fourth quarter drive, he kills momentum for not only the offense but the defense as well, and inspires the opponent to take advantage of the swing.
And most importantly, what kind of message does Tedford send when he continues to start Longshore? He sends a message that he supports incompetence, in order not to hurt Longshore's feelings. While this may sit well with those who have been in the same situation, there's a point at which the interests of the team need to take priority over the interests of an individual.
If Tedford continues to prioritize his emotional judgement, the team will lose confidence in his leadership altogether, and we will have a far greater problem than an inept quarterback.
I disagree with none of this. I'm sure he'll figure it out and hopefully become more flexible as the years go on.
Refreshing? Yes. Heroic? I'm not really sure. There are still 70-80 other players on that team that deserve effectiveness as well.
I have no idea why Tedford didn't put in Riley for the Big Game, but it has to keep him up at night now. No doubt Riley would have scored more than one TD with that much offensive fire power.
a) He stares right at his receiver, making it far to easy to lose a last minute drive on an interception (think UCLA, Stanford, etc.)
b) He has shit for an arm. His long receptions are short throws that Jackson or Hawking runs after the catch. Plus, no defense ever respects the long ball with him... just look where the corners are even with Cal's talented WRs.
c) He's not very bright. Look how many times he screws up what play they are running... or has delay of game penalties. It's embarrassing.
d) He's not mobile at all. Why should a defense ever respect his chance for a run? And naturally, they'll blitz him everytime.
Best of BN, 2007 at Bears Necessity
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