What effect will negative press from WT have on psyche...

[novascotiadiesel]

of the team? Any thoughts along this line? I think it could potentially have a negative effect. Spin is often more powerful than we give it credit for.

[lukhig]

I think playing with a chip on there shoulder could be good for these guys. I think all these guys are sick of getting sh*$ on and hopefully it has a positive effect.:cheers:

[ntotoro]

I think they don't read the stuff.

Nick

[Califan007]

If it effects them at all, it will simply be one more thing to bond them as a team...

[China]

By the time the season starts, this recent bad press will be 6 months old and long forgotten by the players, if they ever payed any attention to it in the first place.

[thinker]

Gibbs has said it again and again "We'll be criticized until we win." By the same token, winning cures all. If we start to win, and I don't think we were too far off last year (we just weren't good enough to make those two or three extra plays per game), it will start to snowball - it a good way.

[novascotiadiesel]

i hope so, but i really am bothered by the noticable change in tone from the WT, we don't need anything that makes building a winner any harder than it already is, but you may be right about the media swinging quickly to more positive if we start winning, they would have little option i just would like if it all the players were on the same page and dedicated to building something special. any "flies in the ear" that might compromise that in any way are totally uncalled for

the way the media is writing negatively is not really in a style that you can use as a rallying point, they are making it sound "uncool" to stay here, and trying to undermine the core philosophies that JG is trying to instill, and trying to erode the players confidence in JG.

it will be interesting to monitor the WT for the next few months to see if my pet theroy about an orchestrated skins bashing/undermining by the WT is supported by more posts along the lines of the ones we have been reading

[Ghost of Nibbs McPimpin]

I thought it was the Post that was getting evil.

[SkinsHokieFan]

It can be used for motivation big time if the players want to.

Virginia Tech this year was picked anywhere from 3rd to the 8th in the ACC and ripped throughout last offseason.

The coaches put up a huge poster in the lockeroom showing where VT was predicted to finish. The boys used the whole "we got no respect" thing and it carried throughout the year.

I don't know how well that works for pros. But I think if the players go out and try and "earn" respect based on this bad press, it can have a positive impact on performance

[flyingtiger1013]

I stand by my team. I don't care what the "writers" think. They are paid to spew forth their opinions. I have every right to ignore them and exercise that right freely!

[Warhead36]

I doubt they care what some bums from the local newspaper think.