The difficulty in having an old-school approach is gaining respect from modern-day players.
From new uniforms without the players’ names to banning hats in buildings, Maryland coach Randy Edsall is remindful of clean-cut coach Gil Thorp from the comics. He is seeking a Utopian program in College Park when practice begins Tuesday. Unfortunately, that approach is not that different from forcing players to swap big screen TVs for small black-and-white sets.
Edsall inherited a roster that grew a little loose last season during 10-year coach Ralph Friedgen’s waning days. Maryland sources said discipline and academics needed upgrading, which Edsall confirmed during spring ball when several players were withheld from practice or left the program.
Edsall sounds much like Friedgen during the former coach’s early years, talking about readying players for the global workforce rather than the NFL. He’s turning boys into men, which is the greatest asset of sports. But Edsall’s also trading individualism in the age of Twitter for old-fashioned teamwork.
“If it’s wrong to tell somebody to make sure they don’t have their hat on in the building, I guess I was raised the wrong way,” Edsall said Thursday. “Try to be polite to people. Treat people the way you want to be treated. If that’s a big issue in 2011, then I’m glad I grew up when I did.
“To me, it’s about putting [a program] in place and understand you have to have some patience. If you’re going to do something the right way, you have to make sure it’s done right from the very beginning. It’s hard to go back and correct the flaws.”
The problem is loyalty comes not from leadership but winning. Edsall needs a fast start to counter curious moves such as having no player names on the new Under Armour jerseys that will be unveiled Aug. 22.
“It’s all about team,” Edsall said of the uniforms. “It’s all about Maryland.”
Tell that to high school seniors. Opposing recruiters will say, “We’ll have your name on our uniform so everyone can see it on TV. If you go to Maryland, no one will know who you are.”
This nonsensical move will cost Maryland some recruits. Teens don’t judge a school on academics or a program on its wins but on how it can help them reach the NFL. These jerseys don’t do that.
The “695” ball is also a misstep. Maryland will use Under Armour’s new ball, something that excited Edsall because of the 695 correlation to Baltimore’s beltway number. Uh, that’s a slap at the Terps’ Washington fans who drive I-495.
The Terps were 9-4 last season, including a Military Bowl blowout. Yet attendance was way down, and that meant Maryland played at RFK Stadium instead of a more prestigious bowl.
Now Edsall comes with lots of new ideas while saying, “We’re not anywhere near where I want to be yet.”
After all, Utopia isn’t easily reached.
Examiner columnist Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more on Twitter @Snide_Remarks or email [email protected].
