[ThePassionOfTheChryst]

When I played high school ball (not even a decade ago) it wasn't uncommon for coaches to hit you on the helmet, scream profanities through your facemask, yank you into the correct position by the horse collar, or otherwise emasculate you for making mistakes or excuses.  The scene in Remember the Titans where Boone has them doing up-downs "until Blue is no longer tired and thirsty" is true to life.  Are you injured?  You'd better figure out how to play through it.  When I was about 15 I sat at a desk across from the head varsity coach, discussing my slipping grades, when he said to me "You're just a stupid motherf----- aren't you?"

I've always credited a lot of that stuff for toughening me up.  But in retrospect, I think the nature of football on its own will toughen you up without the verbal (and sometimes physical) abuse that goes along with it.  On the other end of the spectrum, everyone's definition of abuse is different.  Is it abuse to make a player run laps for being late to practice without an excuse?  Is it abuse to make the team do extra conditioning for committing turnovers and stupid penalties?  I'm sure someone thinks so.

I agree the old-school nature of football coaches -- the hard-ass authoritarian -- needs to change.  However, in a sport like football coaches need to have more leeway to be a bit tougher.  You make a mistake on a basketball court, your team doesn't score.  You make a mistake on a football field, someone could get hospitalized.  For that reason it's more crucial that football coaches instill accountability in their players.

[ThePassionOfTheChryst]

When I played high school ball (not even a decade ago) it wasn't uncommon for coaches to hit you on the helmet, scream profanities through your facemask, yank you into the correct position by the horse collar, or otherwise emasculate you for making mistakes or excuses.  The scene in Remember the Titans where Boone has them doing up-downs "until Blue is no longer tired and thirsty" is true to life.  Are you injured?  You'd better figure out how to play through it.  When I was about 15 I sat at a desk across from the head varsity coach, discussing my slipping grades, when he said to me "You're just a stupid motherf----- aren't you?"

I've always credited a lot of that stuff for toughening me up.  But in retrospect, I think the nature of football on its own will toughen you up without the verbal (and sometimes physical) abuse that goes along with it.  On the other end of the spectrum, everyone's definition of abuse is different.  Is it abuse to make a player run laps for being late to practice without an excuse?  Is it abuse to make the team do extra conditioning for committing turnovers and stupid penalties?  I'm sure someone thinks so.

I agree the old-school nature of football coaches -- the hard-ass authoritarian -- needs to change.  However, in a sport like football coaches need to have more leeway to be a bit tougher.  You make a mistake on a basketball court, your team doesn't score.  You make a mistake on a football field, someone could get hospitalized.  For that reason it's more crucial that football coaches instill accountability in their players.