A Bills Football Parable from Women's Volleyball

[Hapless Bills Fan]

Wait wait. Hear Me Out

 

Congrats to the USA Women's Volleyball Team for winning Gold at the 2020 Olympics.

Three Silver, two Bronze, but never a Gold, until Now.

 

So where's the football relevance you ask?

 

In 2012, Team and Beach volleyball great Karch Kiraly took over as coach.  The US Ladies had just won a Silver medal in London, powered in large part by Destinee Hooker, considered by many the best opposite hitter in the world at the time.  "Best Spiker" at the London Olympics, multiple MVP awards. 43 inch vertical jump.  She was deadly.

 

That was the last time Hooker played for Team USA.  Within a year, she was off the team.  Kiraly is tight lipped about it.  Hooker made it clear she would come back if asked, but Team USA doesn't want her.  Kiraly will just say "she wasn't a fit".  There were a lot of stories making the rounds, that Hooker broke a team rule.  What was clear was she was sometimes not the best teammate in the ultimate team sport.  Example: there's a video of her stepping on her setter's hand then turning her back and walking away (the Setter is like the QB, the engine that chooses the play and distributes the ball.  Minimal volleyball team etiquette is help her up and ask "are you OK?")

 

The US Women won Bronze in Rio and probably a coach of lesser VB pedigree would have faced harsh criticism for his decision to omit Hooker.

 

So here's what I see as the football relevance. 

 

What Kiraly has said is "I'm not trying to just put the best players on the team - I'm trying to build the best team". 

 

What happened in Tokyo?  The US looked fatally flawed to me in their first matches.  They were missing that essential Setter- Middle connection.  They were vulnerable to the Change of Pace.  They just didn't look "best in the world" to me.  And over the tournament, they adjusted and improved and pulled it together.  Growth Mindset to the max.

 

Then they lost their Opposite, Jordan Thompson, during their loss to ROC.  Bad.   They lost their starting Setter, Jordyn Poulter, while playing Italy.  Worse.  The Setter in volleyball is a bit like the QB in football.  You lose your setter, you're in trouble.

 

But Kiraly's mantra "I'm not trying to just put the best players on the team.  I'm trying to build the best team" shone through.  The rest of the players stepped up.  Hancock took over as setter without a glitch, and Larson and Bartch-Hackley picked up the scoring pace.

 

There's a lot of love and trust on that team.  They didn't win because they had the biggest stars on the team.  They won because they had the best team.  Don't get me wrong - the team still has some of the best players in the world! but they don't have anyone who thinks they're above the team as a star, or more important than their teammates, or beyond coaching.  And they seem set up for long term success now - Poulter is 23, Thompson is 24.

 

I think that's a lot like what McDermott and Beane are trying to build with the Bills.

 

Here's hoping it leads to the same success.

 

 

[Kwai San]

Interesting take Hap.....I think the Process is evident as are the results.....

 

Go Bills!!

[jkeerie]

I don't know if anyone watches the Apple + original, Ted Lasso, but the premise of the show is an American college football coach (played wonderfully by Jason Sudekis) is hired to coach a mens soccer team in Great Britain.  He doesn't know beans about soccer, but he does know how to build a team and that is making a huge difference.  BTW in the first season Ted tells his players that he wants them to become the best versions of themselves.   Hmmmmm.....

 

[BarleyNY]

1 hour ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

Congrats to the USA Women's Volleyball Team for winning Gold at the 2020 Olympics.

Three Silver, two Bronze, but never a Gold, until Now.

Not sure what medals/competitions you’re referencing here.  The US Women's Beach Volleyball teams have won several gold medals at the Olympics.  Klineman in particular and Ross also have a bunch of gold medals from other competitions. 

[fasteddie]

1 hour ago, BarleyNY said:

Not sure what medals/competitions you’re referencing here.  The US Women's Beach Volleyball teams have won several gold medals at the Olympics.  Klineman in particular and Ross also have a bunch of gold medals from other competitions. 

Volleyball that is played indoors. Six players on the court at a time. It has been an Olympic sport long before beach volleyball. 

[The Dean]

4 hours ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

Wait wait. Hear Me Out

 

The kiss of death for a thread.

 

Honestly Hap, if this thread was from most posters, I'd have stopped reading there. But you deserve some leeway, IMO

 

And I agree, TEAMS, successful teams, are far more than a sum of their parts. Like a cake is far more than the sum of its ingredients. I only wish people would take this into account when they propose some trades/FA signings.

 

And I think everyone thinks Beach Volleyball becuse it is the best one to watch

Edited August 8, 2021 by The Dean

[Hapless Bills Fan]

2 hours ago, BarleyNY said:

Not sure what medals/competitions you’re referencing here.  The US Women's Beach Volleyball teams have won several gold medals at the Olympics.  Klineman in particular and Ross also have a bunch of gold medals from other competitions. 

 

If you google "USA Women's Volleyball Team" it'll come up.  Add "Coach Kiraly" even faster. 

 

6 minutes ago, The Dean said:

And I think everyone thinks Beach Volleyball because it is the best one to watch

 

I dunno what "everyone thinks". 

 

Nothing against beach volleyball, I enjoy watching it, but other than the ball and the net, it's an entirely different game.  There's way more strategy and teamwork in the original 6 person game, so I don't agree with you.

[Freddie's Dead]

There's a reason Karch Kiraly is the undisputed GOAT.  Dude is a witch.  Maybe he gets the men's team in shape now.

[The Dean]

1 hour ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

If you google "USA Women's Volleyball Team" it'll come up.  Add "Coach Kiraly" even faster. 

 

 

I dunno what "everyone thinks". 

 

Nothing against beach volleyball, I enjoy watching it, but other than the ball and the net, it's an entirely different game.  There's way more strategy and teamwork in the original 6 person game, so I don't agree with you.

 

 

I agree, for MENS volleyball. 

 

Obviously I'm talking bikinis here, Hap. Thought that was obvioius

[BarleyNY]

3 hours ago, fasteddie said:

Volleyball that is played indoors. Six players on the court at a time. It has been an Olympic sport long before beach volleyball. 

Thanks. Had beach volleyball on the brain because I watched the gold medal match last night