Blog fighting (nothing to see here)

(Eds note: this is all self-serving blogger stuff that I try to avoid. If you don't care, feel free to skip this post.)

Blauds wrote this Sunday. He's written about me before, but I've just ignored it. I don't think two writers going back and forth is all that entertaining or informative. However, in this case it starts to creep into the personal and the logic is so flawed, I thought I should responded. His post is sort of all over the place, so let me take on his main points one by one.

1. "Get a credential"

I've been getting credentialed for BC events for nearly 18 years. The reason I am not a regular in the BC press box is more about geography rather than willingness to face the subjects I write about. I covered all the teams for WZBC in the 1990s and have been blogging about BC since 2005. I've been credentialed for away games and bowl games throughout the southeast. I've covered some of the same events Blauds has as a member of the media. I took this picture. Notice the guy to Purvis' right?

I will be credentialed this Saturday. But not so I can "introduce myself to Spaz and tell him what I think." I've met Spaz twice. Once when I was a student and once after the Champs Bowl. Could he put my face to this blog? Doubtful. He didn't seem to care at the time. But why would I go up to him after the game and say: "You are failing. You need to be fired!" Does any member of the media do that? Does any member of the BC community do that? I do not take calling for anyone's job lightly. Despite my extreme doubts about Spaz's capabilities as a Head Coach, I didn't call for him to be fired until last season. But Spaz is a public figure with a public job that is covered by media and debated by fans. People writing, talking and speculating about his job comes with the territory. He knows this and is paid handsomely for it. And if Blauds or he ever feel sorry for him, they only need to look at the scrutiny other Boston sports figures face (Bobby V anyone?) and other college coaches face in other parts of the country. Gene Chizik won a National Championship two years ago and now fans are attacking his wife on Facebook. In the whole scheme of things Spaz gets off easy.

But regardless of the fairness or appropriateness of me calling for a change, Blauds implies that I don't back up my words or statements. One of the reasons I have been open about my identity from the very beginning was the personal belief that having my name attached to everything I post would be the best filter for what I write and how I approach my subjects. Even with that I have made hundreds of mistakes and have dozens of posts that I wish I had never written. But I haven't deleted them. I have apologized. But this is my blog and these are my words.

Even when I was a student and going to Dan Henning's press conferences and flying on the team charter as part of the WZBC crew, I said Henning should be fired. We all did. But not to his face. That's not cowardly. It is just how things are done and Blauds knows this. We had a forum (radio) and we covered and discussed BC. But during our broadcasts we also offered our opinion. And at the time we said Henning should be fired. Now I have a different forum (this blog). I provide news and opinion and it is my opinion that Spaz should be fired. And if I happen to meet Brad Bates this weekend and he asks my opinion, I will share with him what I have already written.

2. "A HEALTHY roster of players that Spaziani recruited is not that a bad a team."

I agree with Blauds on this point. He sees it as a defense. I see it as an indictment of Spaz's tenure and record. This BC team is not as talented as some of our best but it is not as bad as some say. I believe a different coach and different staff could be getting more out of them. Regardless of health, Florida State WRs were running free through zones on Saturday. Yet players were missing assignments or getting caught out of position. Are guys trying to do too much? Are they not paying attention? Did they stop caring? No one knows, but you cannot get rid of 85 players at once. You can change the head coach. This team is underachieving by every measure. If Blauds thinks this is a six or seven win roster, then how can he come to the conclusion that Spaz is getting the most out of what he has? Every team has injuries and it costs them a game or two. Not five.

3. Firing Spaz now accomplishes nothing.

I paraphased that point, because I need this blockquote to capture all of the logic misteps Blauds made here:

"Give BC a head start on finding a new coach? Are you kidding me.

Do you actually believe that Bates is not looking and checking names and availability right now?

Do you not think that when the regular season ends a decision will be made and made quickly.

Fire Spaz now will give a boost to the players on the team? Really. I talk to players on that team. I see them on the practice field. I see them walking around campus. They are mad as hell. But changing coaches, put in someone like Doug Martin in on an interim level. Again that will accomplish? Maybe that is done at places where football is more important than going to school or playing by the rules. But at BC?"

I do believe that Bates is already considering names and I do believe he will have a quick process once he moves forward. But Blauds is either forgetting or ignoring recent college football history if he thinks firing a coach early and moving on in the process early doesn't have its advantages. The last two schools to hire Urban Meyer did so in season and after they got a head start on the process. Now I don't think BC is going to bring in the next Urban Meyer, but for the sake of a simple and credible strawman to help Blauds see the light, let's say Bates has an eye for BC grad and Saints Offensive Coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr. If Spaz is no longer BC's head coach and if Carmichael wants the job, hiring him early allows Carmichael to build his staff, contact recruits and get planning on rebuilding BC. I know something that aggressive and progressive won't happen, but firing Spaz does declare to the football world: "this job is open and available." Bates will hear from dozens of potential candidates. Starting to sort through the process now is not a bad thing.

As for the players at this point they deserve better. They deserve someone who believes in them and will do everything he can to win these games. I don't go to practice (once again, geography) but you don't need to live in Cleveland Circle to judge the mood of the players and the team. Just look at social media or what player parents are writing on the blogs and message boards. Putting Martin or McGovern in charge for the rest of the season changes the mood. It won't change the team dramatically or wipe away their flaws overnight, but it is one of the only options BC has. It has nothing to do with going to class or playing by the rules.

Because this has already gone on long enough...

I don't know why Blauds decided to call me out now. Maybe because among the hundreds of anonymous BC fans on message boards and blogs, I am one of the few with a clear name to attach to my argument. It doesn't matter. I stand by what I say. I've been wrong before and will be wrong again. But this time I am confident in my opinion. BC football and its players would be better off if Bates fired Spaz midseason. Their careers on finite. Most of them only have a few games left and want to win. As I've said, they deserve better. They always have.