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Effort v. Accomplishment

A different take on the talent issue.

I'm a bit uncomfortable with columnists and commentators who say things like "30 of our players don't belong on a BCS school roster", or that KC is not a "Pac 10" QB.

That may be a realistic assessment of the talent they brought to UCLA, but I do not find it productive to run that mantra, over and over, today.

These players are us. They are Bruins. They are here. It serves no purpose to denigrate their abilities or accomplishments.

To me, the key is: Did they leave it on the field? Did they play to the top of their abilities? Did they make every effort to win?

If they did, they deserve praise -- no matter the outcome.

Said another way, I am one who prefers to grade effort rather than accomplishment.

I came to this view within a year or two of the start of my long, law school teaching career.I had students who came to school with 4.0 averages and perfect LSAT's. And, I had students who came to school with far less (some might say they did not belong in a Big 10 law school, but not me.)I learned that in terms of sheer character, tenacity, and desire, I would take an overachieving, go more than the extra mile, "less qualified student" than a slacker with great ability who never reached that ability for lack of effort. Many of the best lawyers I helped train were the high effort overachievers. Many of those who got lost in the world of the law were the highly qualified slackers.

Obviously, we would prefer to have players who bring both skill and character to the field. People who come, practice hard and play hard. 

And, we will.

But, at this point, it serves us no good to continue the discussion about the "bare cupboard". That "cupboard" is a Bruin locker room. The "remnants" on the shelves are OUR players.

In time, we will restock the cupboard.

For now, I think we should stick to the standard that most in BN are applying. Are we playing hard? Are we playing to the best of our abilities? Are we showing character?

Because of Ike, I missed the last two games. All I know, I've read here. There was an undercurrent, after BYU, that we did not put out a full effort.

But, from yesterday's thread, it appears we did in the Az game. From what I've read in both games, and having seen him in the Tennessee game, there is no "quit" in Kevin Craft. If that is so, I don't want any columnist telling me he does not belong in the Pac 10 or in a Bruin uniform.

It is one thing to discuss putting other players into the game, and another to denigrate those who are playing by challenging their right to be Bruins.

BN has been both realistic and positive about the Bruins who represent us on the field. I think it's time for us to circle the wagons around these guys, to protect them from the slings and arrows of the outside world and to encourage them to leave it on the field.

And when they do whether we win or lose, we should praise them.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of BruinsNation's (BN) editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of BN's editors.

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Amen

They are Bruins. That’s pretty much all they need to be in order to gain my support. If they leave it all on the field, that is all I can ask for.

If I recall, a wise Coach once said that success is knowing that you have performed your best. If that is their best, then that is all we can ask for.

by bruinbabe2000 on Sep 21, 2008 9:20 AM PDT   0 recs

I got chills reading your post

Very well said, and I completely agree. You can’t ask anymore of anyone than what they can do, and our Bruins our dong their absolute best and leaving it all on the field, as far as I can tell. Their record at the end of the year may be that of a losing season, but all I see is win, win, win…

by uclaisthebest123 on Sep 21, 2008 9:26 AM PDT   0 recs

Well Said, 66.

They are my team—they are my Bruins.

Love My Bruins

by Bruingirl83 on Sep 21, 2008 1:13 PM PDT   0 recs

Couldn't have said it better

I’ve been thinking this all weekend. Yet couldn’t find the words that 66 did.

by bruinscv on Sep 21, 2008 10:30 PM PDT   0 recs

We need T-shirts...

…to wear to games, or to wherever we watch them.

Something like the WIlliam Faulkner quote:

“The man who removes a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.”

or something…

by bruinchick on Sep 21, 2008 11:15 PM PDT   0 recs

How about the Churchill quote

“Ending a sentence with a preposition is something up with which I will not put.”

by Fox 71 on Sep 22, 2008 7:48 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

"of which" vs. "up with which" ?

Fox71… too much time on the golf course?

BillSouthBay

by BillSouthBay on Sep 24, 2008 11:37 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Whoever said it first,

“Up with which” is much funnier than “of which.” From the Language Log:

An old, old story about Winston Churchill (almost certainly misattributed) is retold one more time by Joe Carter at The Evangelical Outpost: After an overzealous editor attempted to rearrange one of Winston Churchill’s sentences to avoid ending it in a preposition, the Prime Minister scribbled a single sentence in reply: “This is the sort of bloody nonsense up with which I will not put.”

by Bruinut on Sep 24, 2008 3:13 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

First of all, Bill...

there is no such thing as too much time on the golf course. I only played 27 today (it got dark.)

I was very comfortable with the “up with which” part of the quote. I heard it first in an opinion by Justice Sills in some case. The old time lawyers will remember Justice Kaus, whose opinions were pretty much the equivalent of a textbook on whatever area of the law he was talking about. Sills is just as good, but for a different reason. He sees the absurdity in cases, and he talks about it. And he explains his position so that you can understand.

You guys with Lexis or Westlaw access, look up “Sills” and “latte.” That was one of my favorites.

by Fox 71 on Sep 24, 2008 5:41 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Nice, 66

I second the “Amen.” I could not agree more on effort versus accomplishment or credentials.

In addition to recognize their leaving it all on the field, we can recognize that they are honest-to-gosh students, holding their own at a great university. More character factory than football factory, UCLA places great demands on these kids’ time, aside from the demands of football.

Bruinchick, great quote, if a bit long for a t-shirt. Also, I’m not sure how many football players would embrace “small stones” as a rallying sentiment. I’d buy and wear a shirt that said simply “We Love Our Bruins.”

by Bruinut on Sep 22, 2008 12:27 PM PDT   0 recs

Wise Words

I agree completely. Our Bruins need our support no matter what …. they will improve!

by Desert Brewin' Fan on Sep 22, 2008 10:24 PM PDT   0 recs

No Matter What

Love My Bruins

by Bruingirl83 on Sep 23, 2008 8:36 AM PDT   0 recs

I like that a lot

on a shirt. Along with a picture of a bruin, maybe.

by Bruinut on Sep 24, 2008 3:15 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Great Post '66

Your post captures everything that is right in our approach to football and life in general. It’s about that powerful word “TRY”. Well done!

Side note, this is one of my favorite quotes, I would love to see that on a shirt:

“The most important thing in life is not the triumph, but the struggle.
The essential thing is not to have conqured, but to have fought well.”
                                                                -Baron Pierre De Coubertin

by dcbruin on Sep 30, 2008 6:49 PM PDT   0 recs

That Is A Great Quote

I learn a lot hanging out here.

Thanks.

sjh

by Class of 66 on Sep 30, 2008 9:01 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Hrmmphh...

Persistent struggle without triumph is rather masochistic. The trick is to define triumph appropriately.

The essential thing may indeed be to fight well, but the sweet thing is the triumph.

I thought his more famous quote was “The important thing is not to win, but to participate”, in the spirit of the Olympics (he founded the IOC). Not sure how many people here would agree with that, outside of the Olympics.

by tasser10 on Oct 1, 2008 8:57 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I'm pretty sure Coach would second M. De Coubertin's statements.

But I’m not so sure about his place in history. Remember the Honeymooner’s episode in which Norton dressed up as Baron Pierre De Coubertin, the designer of the sewers of Paris?

by Fox 71 on Oct 1, 2008 1:08 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I would use different words

As in, the most important thing in life is not the triumph, but the effort. But I think his second sentence takes care of that.

Then again, if you fight well and never triumph…then something is just not right…

by tasser10 on Oct 1, 2008 3:12 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

If you fight well and never triumph ---

I don’t know who you are. If you fight poorly and never triumph, you could be Chuck Wepner, the Bayonne Bleeder.

by Fox 71 on Oct 1, 2008 6:49 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

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