Quote:Winning is always important, how can you measure improvement if the end result is always the same?

Winning is important, and on multiple levels.

 

1. in the same way that 'grades' are assigned to students in school as a means of quantifying their scholastic achievements, so wins are a tangible way of measuring progress. In sports, 'progress' is defined by winning. Lack of progress or regression is defined by losing...

 

2. Winning develops a 'self fulfilling' mentality. Winners become used to winning and continue to do the things which leads to further winning. Equally, losing develops a self fulfilling mentality also. Losers start getting used to losing and expect to continue to lose. Winning and losing are established not by 'effort' or 'not being discouraged'... but by the score at the end of the game. 'Winners' win even with rookies, injuries, off field distractions, occasional bad coaching calls, occasional bad referee calls, and more.  

 

One of the keys to gaining a winning self image is to remove the reminders of a losing heritage. We now have a new owner, new GM, new head coach, and a very promising new quarterback (who is unfortunately sitting on the bench). Henne is a game manager who does not have the talent to really inspire his team to win. He has an established history of losing. With Henne behind center, the odds lean more in favor of losing than winning, because that is what Henne has mostly done. Even in the pre-season, you could see a tangible difference in the effort of the team when Henne came out and Bortles came in. The team wants to win, they just want someone leading whom they have confidence in that will give them the inspiration to put out that extra 'umph' that seems to separate the winners from the losers. Henne isn't that guy; he's the guy you put in when the leader gets hurt. I don't mean this in a mean way toward Henne either. He is what he is; the problem is he's being asked to be something he's proven time and again he's not.... 

 

I understand the reluctance to play Bortles. Our offensive line isn't the best (and hasn't been for years...), our receivers are rookies or injured or ineligible. Still, I would play Bortles; so what if he throws ints? Henne has more of those than TD's on his record. So what if he gets sacked? He's not made of glass; he's a pretty big dude!

 

We have nothing to lose by playing Bortles and nothing to gain by playing Henne...

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