Online Series: Last Chance U

[awfulwaffle]

Didn't see a thread about this. Documentary about emcc, a community college football powerhouse. Talks about how players want to go elsewhere, but have fallen on hard times, and is basically a last chance to advance elsewhere. I'm finishing it up, and it's a good watch. Couple of my takeaways:

The administrator can do as much as they can, but some of these guys are just there for football. I can get that mentality, but one exchange Wagner asked "what's plan b?".

I think coaches are at fault. I think we all know they really aren't students first. If they miss a certain amount of classes they are ineligible. Why don't coaches do more to punish them before they reach that mark instead of just waiting and seeing? I get that they are football coaches, but not everyone is going to play in the nfl.

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[anlongo13]

Didn't see a thread about this. Documentary about emcc, a community college football powerhouse. Talks about how players want to go elsewhere, but have fallen on hard times, and is basically a last chance to advance elsewhere. I'm finishing it up, and it's a good watch. Couple of my takeaways:

The administrator can do as much as they can, but some of these guys are just there for football. I can get that mentality, but one exchange Wagner asked "what's plan b?".

I think coaches are at fault. I think we all know they really aren't students first. If they miss a certain amount of classes they are ineligible. Why don't coaches do more to punish them before they reach that mark instead of just waiting and seeing? I get that they are football coaches, but not everyone is going to play in the nfl.

College kids are adults. It's their tuition money, it's their education, it's their future at stake. You can't hand-hold them forever. In the end, if they don't go to class, it's on them.

 

[Buck Aki Berg]

Speaking as a former 18-year-old, I think you're expecting a little much from 18-year-olds.

Being an adult is not synonymous with being autonomous, especially at that age.

 

[K Fleur]

The head coach on this show comes across as a total moron. Progressively more so in the last few episodes.

 

[The Assclown]

The head coach on this show comes across as a total moron. Progressively more so in the last few episodes.

I think he's a typical southern football coach with a fiery attitude that knows how to motivate, but he's also the epitome of uninformed when it comes to brain injuries.

 

[SpookyHockey]

Haven't seen it, but knew the school/story sounded familiar.

GQ did an article about the school a couple of years ago. Jim Kelly's nephew was on the team at the time: http://www.gq.com/story/last-chance-university

 

[WhatTheDuck]

Just finished watching through this, found it very interesting despite not being a big football guy.

Does anyone know if they're making another season?

 

[The Assclown]

Bump.

This is a great show but I really can't stand Buddy Stephens. He's a good coach and knows how to win, but as a person I really don't know how he can sleep at night.

He essentially bullied Isaiah Wright for not competing through injuries and ruined his opportunities for going to a Division I program.

 

[irunthepeg]

Randomly found season 1 maybe a couple months ago. Watched it all and then saw they were doing a season 2. Season 1 has a lot more "likeable" characters or guys you invest in. DJ Law, the QB that goes to Auburn, Ollie... season 2 has less guys you can kind of get invested in except DeAndre and Dakota... both made big mistakes but hey, everyone deserves a second chance.

I agree on Buddy being just a complete loose cannon, but that's what made for some good moments. I like Brittany Wagner too, although it was a little weird how open she was to the kids about looking for a different job.

Hope season 3 is great. Some people online have talked about wanting a "loser team" like the one they caught who finally got their first win, but IMO a losing season wouldn't be that fun.

Really fun show, especially if you like sports docs (30 for 30s)

 

[irunthepeg]

Wow almost 365 days later I should wait but whatever.

Just finished season 3. Great to get a new school in the mix but I don't know if I like JB as much as I enjoyed Buddy. Plus a player didn't grab me the same way the guys from the first season like Ollie or Dakota did in the newest one. There's an episode that catches up with the EMCC gang after it's really cool to see where people are. EMCC won another title.

Love this show.

 

[CaptainCrunch67]

Wow almost 365 days later I should wait but whatever.

Just finished season 3. Great to get a new school in the mix but I don't know if I like JB as much as I enjoyed Buddy. Plus a player didn't grab me the same way the guys from the first season like Ollie or Dakota did in the newest one. There's an episode that catches up with the EMCC gang after it's really cool to see where people are. EMCC won another title.

Love this show.

I just got through the episode with the Dodge City game

Some thoughts

Spoiler

Ok just to preface this, I've got about 15 years of coaching experience, I've coached high school, Woman's adult tackle and Boys Bantam football. I've been a defensive coordinator at all levels, and I'm now an offensive coordinator (Which is a hell of an adjustment)

Coach JB is a lousy coach, but a good recruiter. Its should be easy for his team to win with about 20 Div 1 rejects playing against teams that for the most part are still made up of local players.

He's a bad practice coach and a worse sideline coach, his treatment of his assistant coaches is disgraceful, and with this show airing he's going to have trouble recruiting coaches. Buddy may have been crazy, but there was method to it. There's no method to what JB is doing. The sidelines during the game are unorganized, he doesn't understand his players, and the fact that a coach tried to punch him out on the sidelines at the Dodge game says all you need to know.

During that episode you could see the camera catching Tammy the Athletic coordinator and the schools president and they both had a look of disgust on their faces, he actually embarrassed the school.

I do agree with him on the message that school is more important then football and I respect that, but he doesn't seem to be able to motivate the players to take their school seriously.

That kid that's the QB coach, I feel bad for him since he's doing it for free and wants to make a career out of coaching, but frankly he's not much of a coach

When I first started coaching at a coordinators level, my biggest struggle was leaving things to my position coaches, so in a sense I was coaching them out of a job, and it took a really good position coach to straighten me out. I also learned that in this day in age, the head coach can't be the super volatile guy, it doesn't work, the head coach actually has to be the calming influence. That's not to say that he can't lose it, but when a head coach loses it, it has to be meaningful.

The problem with drafting div 1 players and especially these Div 1 players, is that they have a bad attitude and they're entitled, they're not as JB says, broken, but JB can't figure out what makes them tick.

I understand the frustrations of Harris and the center and I give credit to the Wide Receiver who tried to buck up and tell his coach that his players weren't responding to what he was doing, but JB just lost his nut again.

There's no way that I would coach with him for more then a season, I don't see how he's making his coaches or his players better, and they can't execute the game plan consistantly because the practices and sidelines are a poopshow.

 

[Joufreau]

I enjoyed season 3. Coach JB is definitely rough around the edges but I like him.

As for the players, I was rooting for Malik in the beginning, so much talent. Buuuut he just turned into a little princess, coaches and even his own team mates seemed to get sick of his attitude.

Rakeem Boyd was probably my favorite player, kid can flat out fly. Those hurdles though!

I was rooting for Bobby Bruce too, disappointed with the end result for him

 

[robertmac43]

I was rooting for Bobby Bruce too, disappointed with the end result for him

Just got to the ending and it made me so sad. Out of all three seasons he was definitely my favourite. Seemed down to earth, sucks he couldn't have a better ending.

 

[robertmac43]

Looking forward to another season at Indy!

 

[irunthepeg]

Apparently Indy has been losing tons of games. Might not make for it to be very interesting, or maybe it'll get REAL interesting. Coach JB was kicked out of a game I think a few weeks ago.