gophers/ncaa

I'm generally not a fan of the Vince Lombardi school of football coaching, and actually quit AFTER my sophomore year of h.s. football because of a coach that made playing miserable---even though I was a starting QB. But my father would not let me quit during a season as we finish what we start and don't abandon teammates. So initially I sympathized with Barker. Then I read his 4,000 page diatribe and all I could think of was the few problem employees I've managed over the years (my managing style is laid back and very positive) who have sounded just like him if I had the audacity to ever question something they did. Think I'm leaning towards Kill on this one.

Coaches do not have to yell to be successful. It diminished both the coach and the players. Coach Kill should take a page out of the playbook for John Gagliardi, who did not permit yelling, had the respect of his players and less importantly retires as the coach with the most wins in the history of college football.

Yeah right,Kill showed the 'boys' how to be tough,he dropped Nortj Carolina State,so he could win his 4 non-conference games plus2 the problem with this Jerry,is we've been there many times before,I'm sure with Maryland and Rutgers coming aboard you'll soon be on your way out.

i WAS AT THE PURDUE GAME AND SAW WHAT A GOOD RECEIVER A. J. BARKER WAS. THE GOPHERS RECORD SINCE HE WAS OUT SPEAKS CLEARLY TO THE FACT THAT HE WAS BY FAR THEIR BEST RECEIVER. BECAUSE THE COACH TRIED TO CORRECT THE SITUATION IMMEDIATELY SHOULDN'T BARKER HAVE ALSO TRIED ONCE PRIVATELY? DID THE REPORTER TRY TO GET TEAMMATES TO COMMENT OFF THE RECORD? I AGREE EVERYONE LOST, INCLUDING THOSE OF US WHO ARE LOYAL FANS!

@Tom8395 The team was 1-3 in the Big Ten with him in the lineup and is 1-2 without him. Somehow I think we'll get by.

You can say what you want about the methods of intense coaches Nick Saban, Chip Kelly, Bo Pelini, etc, but you can not argue the results. Major conference football is not for the weak of mind, and that's why it didn't work out of AJ. He will surely find a coach willing to work delicately with him next season. Both the University and the player will be better off.

as they said on the radio, kirksey wants a job from kill, so he's not exactly unbiased. that being said, i think the kid will end up at iowa or wisconsin. he's only got one year left and i think he'll keep his mouth shut. however, i believe we have a future clubhouse lawyer in the making, should he ever make the nfl.

I think most people would agree that Barker's rambling diatribe did him more harm than good. I also think it's not unusual for players and coaches to have differences. But it would be interesting to see how many teammates side with Barker, or at least sympathize with his point of view. That's something we'll probably never know.

When a top player quits, there should be scrutiny. I support Kill but I believe Barker's version of events, including his description of Kill's tactics and the trainers' failings. Ultimately, it's a regrettable episode on all sides, yet Kill still has far more to prove.

atlmike, The NFL???? He had ONE catch his previous two years and above average stats this year. Eric Decker he is not. Yet in his rant, Barker talks about his Minnesota football "legacy" - or something like that. He is nowhere near NFL ready. And to his apologists, spare us the drivel about him being the team leader in catches. I am a Gopher fan through and through, but let's face it, being the team leader on the Gophers is NOT the same as being the team leader for OSU - especially when your catches are vs UNLV & New Hampshire.