Depends on what you call a handful, doesn't it?
Winston-Salem? Pretty important event, eh? Not there.
New Orleans? Pretty important event, eh? Not there.
First day of Tuscaloosa? I'd call that important. Not there.
My thought here is simple. The Coach sets the standard for attendance and, therefore, commitment. Ask yourself about the attendance at Sunday training sessions. 6? 8? Just how effective were THOSE sessions. Ask yourself about the message of inviting a kid to Tuscaloosa who NEVER trained?
Hey, everyone LOVES Sam. He's a good guy. And when fully engaged, he's a solid trainer/coach. But please, please, let's not confuse personality with performance. When the SC team occasionally under-performed, I heard players' commitment and effort questioned. I heard modern parenting questioned. I never once heard EITHER coach question HIMSELF.
