Never Waste A Failing

Submitted by BroadneckBlue21 on
Saban said in a recorded interview on ESPN yesterday that he has learned and teaches his players, “Never waste a failing.” We see the immediate emotional aftermath, but this team—and you in your life—will be defined by how you respond to a failure. Failure is inevitable for even the best. Talent loses. I believe Harbaugh will learn from his own failings, and he will teach these players how to not waste their failings. Maybe it is because I grew up dirt poor but always knew I’d make it to middle class with talent and effort, but I get so cranky at people who define themselves by defeats. How does anyone really predict the future based off of one performance? Off one season? Peters has one bad game and he is suddenly dead meat. I am glad that Harbaugh is not going to give up on Peters so quickly. Have a short term emotional memory for your mistakes—and think about how to fix the mistake so it doesn’t happen again. As a New Year’s Resolution, how about we not give up on the team by the end of the first week of the year? How about we try not to define ourselves in our failings—and try not to define a bunch of college kids by theirs? Or Harbaugh by his? We can still aim for greatness, but realize that it takes a daily, sometimes yearly grind. It took me years of failing as a writer and teacher before my first book published and my first full-time professorship. I deal with college kids every day. Give them a break. Realize they want to be the best—whether at UM or elsewhere.
MGoBoard
Football

BlueChip27

January 2nd, 2018 at 3:00 PM ^

Not giving up on the kid but there were some bad signs that he was exhibiting old behaviors and I for sure didnt like his body language......let face it - bad shit is going to happen. The good or even great QB's play over it...he didn't. 

HE blew a great chance to take that job over......just not sure he can/will recover.

Joined: 10/09/2017

MGoPoints: 305

Yabadabablue

January 2nd, 2018 at 3:05 PM ^

I have a long term emotional memory. I have been staying up late wondering if I hadn't switched couches during the 3rd quarter or had i worn a different michigan shirt we would have won. 

Joined: 11/16/2016

MGoPoints: 11263

HailObeans

January 2nd, 2018 at 3:08 PM ^

OP. All is not lost. It was just a crummy ending to a crummy season. I think most are excited about the possibilities next year with greater maturity and some new QB options. Even Peters might have learned from his failed audition yesterday that he’s going to have to step it up quite a few notches if we’re going to compete for anything.

Joined: 12/14/2017

MGoPoints: 1001

jackw8542

January 2nd, 2018 at 3:41 PM ^

A lot of the fan base, certainly me included, were hoping that Peters would really show progress in yesterday's game, as we all know that is where we need a lot of progress for the team to really excel next year.  Instead, after a month of extra practices, Peters looked worse than he had in any other game, a fact repeatedly pointed out by the announcers. 

Most of Peters' passes were off the mark, and that was true when he had time, when he was rushed and when he threw on the run.  He stared down his receivers, waited far too long to throw, was extremely hesitant and frequently scrambled right into trouble instead of away from it.  Finally, on that last chance drive, when he needed 2 yards for a first down he took a slide instead of diving for the sticks. 

That last incident really worried me.  It was hard to tell whether his slide was caused by a total lack of situational awareness or a reluctance to take another shot.  That, in turn, made me wonder if he would suffer the same fate from his concussion as Wilton Speight seemed to suffer from getting injured last year.  If he cannot overcome that concussion, then he will not be an effective QB, and we will have to be looking elsewhere.

To me, that was a big part of what was so troubling about yesterday's game, the sheer disappointment at the poor play from Peters.  Of course, there were a lot of other reasons for alarm, like the handoff to McKeon, the frequency with which our D did not really get set before a quick snap and totally boneheaded plays like the Metellus PF.

Joined: 10/30/2010

MGoPoints: 4265

Arb lover

January 2nd, 2018 at 3:13 PM ^

While I don't disagree that we can learn greatly from our failures, and use them as motivation to succeed, aside from the title the original post speaks mainly to the work hard mentality, which is good, albeit a different concept. 

Regarding learning from failure, failure has the tendency to make us more honest and less lazy if we are competitive, so it is always possible that the leadership takes an opportunity to step back and honestly reevaluate where the team is at and going, and make changes for potential issues they otherwise would have ignored. For example they may make changes to the offensive coaching that may turn what is likely an otherwise average offensive group for 2018 into a good offensive group, improving the 2018 team's potential. It's also possible that the team as a whole uses this as motivation to really step it up during the offseason, eliminate distractions, learn positions, and develop physically. None of that is guaranteed. It's simply an opportunity.

 

Joined: 11/26/2017

MGoPoints: 6915

JWG Wolverine

January 2nd, 2018 at 3:19 PM ^

This is the best thing that has been posted on this site since the game. Totally agree. Harbaugh is way too competitive to not learn and gain a ton of lessons from what has been an incredibly painful season.

Joined: 01/07/2017

MGoPoints: 28434

Bluetotheday

January 2nd, 2018 at 3:19 PM ^

this man will not look at this opportunity as a failure, but rather a great learning lesson. being able to learn, will allow JH to understand his assets/laibilities and how to plan accordingly. JH is not an ideal dude, and has the courage to do what it takes! 

Joined: 02/27/2013

MGoPoints: 9805

Lawyer12

January 2nd, 2018 at 3:22 PM ^

The point is not that Peters should give up, he obviously should not. “Never waste a failing” applies to the individual having failed at something. In this case, the fans, myself included, are simply observing the the empire or evidence we have been presented with thus far. That evidence indicates Peters is far less than likely to be a high caliber Big 10 QB.

So he should work hard and rise like the Phoenix, but that doesn’t mean I need to believe in myths.

Joined: 12/17/2012

MGoPoints: 3066

Perkis-Size Me

January 2nd, 2018 at 3:27 PM ^

I recall in Jerry Kill’s first season with Minnesota, after they got trounced by Michigan 59-0, he said something at his postgame press conference akin to “if losing is a teacher, then we just got a great education.”

I feel somehow that Coach Kill’s words apply here. The only question now is how well this team will apply it.

Joined: 11/30/2011

MGoPoints: 105774

allintime23

January 2nd, 2018 at 4:56 PM ^

They have a coach that has them full of hate and rage and we play right into it. At least they don’t bully us like they did in the end of Hokes time but it could spiral back to that if it’s not stopped. Don’t talk about them until we play them and play them like it’s life or death because it will be if you don’t win.

Joined: 09/21/2009

MGoPoints: 15225

MGlobules

January 2nd, 2018 at 4:56 PM ^

that I have come to accept: 

the spread is a great equalizer (what RR intended it to be as he was coming up with and or honing many of the central concepts). When he came to Michigan many of the more knowledgeable folk here said, "We are not under-resourced. We can win with pro-style play because we are Michigan." 

So here we are. But what we see is that Saban is two great players deep at every position, as is Urban. They have a lot going for them that we don't --they can take guys who aren't really students, they can bend rules more readily, they may offer certain. . . emoluments. 

So moral lessons/homilies from the Devil? Forgive me if I am not all that impressed. Because this is not just about overcoming and being upright or virtuous. It's about institutional advantages, many of which just aren't fair. Hell, Michigan has its own, and of course they place the school at an advantage; that's one reason MSU fans so delight in whipping us. 

The moral of the story, for me? Dial back expectations. Harbaugh is going to win, but the big two and little eight is over. The B1G East is a beast. We are not going to have that second great player to draw on, often, and are going to struggle with the attritive nature of college teams like most other schools, often making a huge difference--as for WSU against MSU--from one game to the next. Harbaugh will win, but dominating, consistently? Likely no longer in the cards. There's a real chance that a certain kind of success is moving out of reach; he came along just as the task became much, much tougher. 

There is also the interesting question of what his mellowing means. The guy is happier. He is becoming a manager. Does Michigan suffer from the fact that he may really be loyal to a fault? We have to wait and see. 

Joined: 11/17/2008

MGoPoints: 47703

tybert

January 2nd, 2018 at 5:10 PM ^

Tense atmosphere, physical teams, any big play could be the ONE play to decide the game. Finally, Speight dropped the long pass into Darboh's arms for the winning TD.

Probably our best overall performance under JH (minus the 3 missed FGs) - WHEN the expectations for a close and hard fought game were present on game day.

Yes, the 49-10 PSU win was probably the best overall game - but PSU was down some key D players and the game wasn't expected to be close.

The Wisconsin game, though, was when I left the stadium thinking we were on the way to Big 10 title in season 2. 

Hard to believe that was Game 5 of last year - it seems like a century ago given the struggles since Iowa last year.

 

Joined: 11/17/2008

MGoPoints: 8467

UMFanstuckinOhio

January 2nd, 2018 at 5:52 PM ^

Land. This post is exactly what has seperated the programs since Cooper was fired. OSU the program and the fans will not allow their program to be happy with being average. Your post sums up the problem with the UM program in its current state. I am happy people are angry and upset, and they should be. 1997 was a long time ago in the current state of college football. It simply is not good enough.

Joined: 10/15/2011

MGoPoints: 533

tybert

January 2nd, 2018 at 4:59 PM ^

One of my favorite stories is how, after the 6-6 1984 season, he has a staff meeting with his entire staff. Bo enters the room and tells the staff "you are all fired," he lets it sink in, then says "and I'm fired too" - reminding everyone that another season like that and the people won't have to worry about coaching Michigan football again.

The bounce back season was worth lasting memories as 1985 was my senior year at UM.

THAT team shocked a lot of people and finished #2.

One has to wonder if Harbaugh is thinking back to that 1984-85 off-season again and what it took to develop the focus and toughness. 

 

Joined: 11/17/2008

MGoPoints: 8467

Clancy's Hands

January 2nd, 2018 at 6:00 PM ^

Thank you BroadneckBlue 21 for your reasoned comments and rational response to our disappointing season. Before this last season began, virtually every Michigan fan and every so-called expert on the planet said that this team, with the fewest returning starters in the FBS, had a ceiling of 8 or 9 wins tops. So we win 8 games (and only had one game in which we were convincingly dominated) and all of a sudden the sky is falling, and, topping the list of the most absurd responses to the season, certain so-called Michigan fans are calling for Harbaugh's head. A quick refresher: James Joseph Harbaugh is the best thing to happen to Michigan football since Bo. For those among the fan base who insist that Harbaugh is the problem with Michigan football, may I respectfully suggest that you (1) review the state of Michigan football in the decade preceding Harbaugh's return to Ann Arbor, and (2) review the coaching resume of one James Joseph Harbaugh. As the subject line says, Amani Toomer is dead to me - and frankly so is any so-called Michigan fan who agrees with the spirit of Toomer's comments. Trust in Harbaugh and Go Blue!

Joined: 11/21/2017

MGoPoints: 115

B1G Winning

January 2nd, 2018 at 6:27 PM ^

I'm tired of all of the disrespect towards Carr. He's the only coach to bring Michigan a National Championship in how long exactly? Not to mention the conference championships. Harbaugh's a fun coach and the right one for Michigan, but he hasn't come close to touching Lloyd's status yet.

Joined: 11/08/2013

MGoPoints: 4583