It seems like paul chokes alot he will make an amazing play then fumble the ball =( I think if If he pulled his head out of his you know what,that he could be one of the best Wr's in the country.
Actually I wondered about this. He already knows what he has in Lee. More than likely Bo really felt like the best player and future was Martinez and Green backing up so he wanted them to both get good experience to prepare for the road when he may need a guy to step up in a big game for a "spark"
Right on, wasn't really disagreeing with you, just pointing out that it's something that happens more often that we'd like to believe. As for who's starting/playing qb, whether it's Lee or Green or Martinez, I really don't care - I just want to see some consistency and stability at the position this season (big numbers don't hurt either). May the best man winI didn't mean to completely disregard that possibility but there is a coaching staff that, you'd think anyway, would question a bad decision. Also, unlike business, the coaches' performance is put on display and monitored every week (at least). This isn't like promoting one doofus to one of many management positions where that doofus's performance can be obfuscated in bureaucracy and layers of other employees (not intending to strawman what you said, I was just picking an example). This is something where we can see a supposed doofus's performance and ask, "What were they thinking?" But I didn't think that yesterday, Martinez performed well and just looked slightly crisper than the other two QBs. I don't think he's leagues ahead and might not be tops on every attribute of what makes a good QB, but he look a little better and might have more potential for growth. So I just find it unlikely that in this instance (I didn't mean every instance of promotion) that the decisions are more transparent to the people that the coaches have to answer to. Watson wouldn't want to look bad by promoting the not-best QB and Pelini wouldn't want to field a team that has a lower likelihood of winning. I'm sure they have favorites, everyone does, but you'd hope that someone else in the staff would call out a decision like that and ask for some good rationale for it.Actually, it's not all that far out of an idea to put forth (ie favoritism or the lack thereof)This discussion is really interesting and some veins in it are awfully strange. As someone else point out, if he "got screwed" that means that he was bumped back for reasons other than that he wasn't the best. That would mean that Bo Pelini and or Shawn Watson, adult men who get paid a lot to head a football team consisting of adolescents and young men, burdened with strong demands of success, would risk their season just to stick it to a college student for completely unclear reasons (e.g. Bo doesn't like him)? Does anyone else feel that that line of reasoning and set of assumptions are totally absurd and bordering on insane? The best explanation in here for how he may or may not have gotten screwed is that he didn't get snaps in his underclassman days and didn't get a chance to learn the complex system. But the idea that Bo would hate him and tell Watson to bump him to third string is just crazy when you consider how much of Pelini's and Watson's future ride on the success of the team.
The same thing goes for the other side of the same coin, though, that Lee is somehow owed something by the coaching staff and should get played regardless simply because of his seniority. I don't doubt that it would absolutely suck to be passed over by younger players, but just as I find it difficult to believe that the coaches would be petty and punish the team and themselves because a player is, what, arrogant? Unlikable? I don't know... just as I don't believe that, I also would be extremely disappointed if they played someone who was less qualified just because the staff like a guy. They get paid to be and act like professionals and not run some kind of Feelgoodery. They should work their butts off to refine every ounce of potential into practiced talent, and if they fail to do that, then, yes, they are "screwing" their players. But if they do their jobs, the players show up and do theirs, and some players, through a combination of practice, natural talent, and other characteristics are better, then it's up to them to fairly evaluate the players and put them where they belong.
This current staff hasn't given me much/any reason to believe that they would play a subjective game of favorites/least favorites just to fulfill some petty impulses. That being said, I don't think that they're robots and that they do have emotions that might lead to poor judgment from time to time, but bumping someone from first to (what appears to be) third string? That doesn't seem like a decision that would be made by a single person or made lightly.
So, in short (maybe I could put a *skip to summary* link at the top) at this point, I believe that they made their decision based on many observations, notes, videos, hours of practice, and long discussions among the staff and not the process of some kind of evil, mustache-twirling, cat-stroking, Champagne-drinking sports movie villain who just has it out for the good-hearted kid.
In many, if not most, areas of life and business it's not just likely but unfortunately very common that talent and hard work aren't what lead to promotion - it's where you stand politically (ie favored versus unfavored) in the eyes of those with the power to further (or be a detriment to) your career. Not saying that's the case here, but WHO you know usually gets you further than WHAT you know or how hard you work. I know plenty of people who work extremely hard and are extremely knowledgeable who have been passed over many a time for promotion by people less knowledgeable, less qualified and less able to do the job they're promoted to, but who have an "in with the boss."
It's my fondest hope that what you say above is true (and it's just as, if not more, likely than not that it is), but many a career has been made, extended or ended because of how someone "feels" about a person rather than the facts.
I think that we see more of what you're describing within coaching staffs (Cosgrove, anyone?
So I feel that what you say is possible in this instance, but seems unlikely. Above all, though, I hope that the coaches aren't too proud to reverse a decision if it doesn't work out after a few games!
Bingo. After his "i was always this good" answer, he paused and made a "oh crap" face. He has been shielded since he's been here, and it's his first time under the lights.
