To Cuss or not to Cuss

Well now, isn't this the height of irony. Chan Gailey was on TV the other night in a story run somewhere in Tennessee about the benefits of running a sports program without the use of cursing. It was sort of a point / counterpoint piece. On one side there was a guy talking about how selective use of cursing is a motivational tool and a constructive way to get your point across. Arguing the counterpoint was none-other than Chan Gailey, saying that foul language had one purpose - to tear people down. It is not meant to build-up. They had a clip of a Tech game on the sidelines and another clip showing Coach Gailey addressing the team in a very positive and non-foul mouth way.


Evidently the piece really cast Georgia Tech in a good light, but here's the thing. Obviously the reporter never spent time with the defense. If he had, he would have seen that you can run a successful top 20 defense with LOADS of cursing and potty-mouth talk. See, our man Jon Tenuta isn't a choir boy when it comes to the words he choses to get his point across. And he really doesn't "save it" for the locker-room either. And interestingly enough, he seems to get his points across pretty well.


The irony is that the least "offensive" side of the ball is evidently the offense, where we also happen to have the least offense. So truthfully, we need to be more offensive, but Coach Gailey just choses not to get there by being more offensive. Are you confused? Well, you shouldn't be..............


Oh yeah, in case you were curious, Coach Hewitt does find value in a few choice words, but he is very careful about using them when outsiders are watching.


Personally, I don't think cursing is the answer. Teaching is the answer. Maybe some guys have to have things "beat" into their head or maybe there is some military type value in "breaking" these kids once they get to college - so they stop getting used to being "the man" and get used to being part of a team. However, I still think a coach can do it just as effectively without the off-colore language.