The Moment I Realized Howland Lost Me

I've spent this past season lamenting, like many, that the cold, hard truth that was staring us in the face regarding Coach Howland. I held on to the past, and hoped against hope that he'd bend, that the team would suddenly take a major step and that we'd have the building blocks for another run over the next few years. Except, as I was sitting in the Sports Arena on Saturday it was someone who was never going to play that made me realize what so many have already figured out. Let me explain...

Like many, I was frustrated by the Bruins lack of passion, lack of heart, and lack of joy and love for the game as our bigs got outmuscled and were never there when another guard blew by our perimeter defense. I said all this out loud, and then realized, "Wait, we do have that person - his name is Anthony Stover...and he's NOT playing!" I got angrier and angrier, even shouting out his name to Coach a few times as my seats are right behind his seat. It wasn't until I got home and read some posts that I realized he was injured and was never going to play.

But here's the point that I'm trying to make - if we had any other coach, I would have immediately assumed that Stover was injured or being disciplined. But not with our coach. Because he has done so many things to confound us, because he's so stubborn about who he will play and what schemes he will run, because he'll mutter a few words after the game about something he should have done (which everyone in the arena is noting as the game is taking place) only to not do it in the next game...because of all these reasons, I just assumed it was Ben being Ben, and he was going to ride the Wears and Smith all game. I never gave our coach the benefit of the doubt because he has lost our trust.

I've had the opportunity to talk him, and he's a good man, a decent man. He knows basketball, and has had success that no other coaches will ever come close to. But he's also not connecting with the fan base and not giving us any clue into what he's trying to achieve or making us a part of it. Instead, he's circling the wagons and keeping us all out.

If he does get another year (which I've written during another post that I think it's a lock), I hope that he can figure this all out, and make the necessary changes. But as I've said...I've lost all my trust that he is capable of doing that.