Virginia preps regarding Phil Robbins

**pvfan** · November 29th, 2005, 12:50 PM

Haha, the old winning percentage link. How people argue against the fact that PV has the best Football Program in the area I'll never know.

**imported_biggamesjames** · November 29th, 2005, 12:55 PM

What he said was far from being classy but was it the first time? I don't know why anyone would be shocked at Robbins showing a lack of class or poor sportsmanship...heck he was mad at Haysi before the game because they wouldn't give him his way and give up their home field advantage which they earned and play the game where HE wanted it to be played...its amazing that a guy who has won 7 state championships is as well known(if not more) for those reasons around the state as he is for his winning program...just amazing and embarrassing but probably not to him.

**imported_Dunduin** · November 29th, 2005, 12:56 PM

Of course they're the best football program. But Robbins isn't the best coach.

**pvfan** · November 29th, 2005, 01:02 PM

Guys, Coach Robbins isn't a saint. None of us are, but I really dont see how you can sit and judge the man without knowing him. I actually give Robbins credit for saying what he thought, I think he, I, you, and everybody else knew going into the year that the Region and LPD especially was down this season. This is not to say that Haysi cant win or isn't going to win, it's just not likley. Some people need to open up their eyes and stop seeing things they way they choose to. Does Robbins get a lot of talent? Yes. Does he know how to coach? Yes, you put those two things together and you are going to win. I'll give him credit for putting the spread offense in, it was a smart move our toughest competition is GC and they are big, strong, and slow. Granted running the spread kills us when we play Norton if the teams are evenly matched or if Norton is better. I guess all I'm saying is I'm not going to knock on a guy for saying what he thought, thats whats wrong with our country now is people not giving their opinions. Those of you know me know that you can ask me anything and I'll tell you what I think about it. I personally think it's a good thing, and when Coach Robbins comes out in the paper next year and says we should have the best team in the district I'll back him up again.

**R0cketer** · November 29th, 2005, 01:58 PM

I'll say this, Phil is able to win most of the time as a coach. That being said, PV with the talent/numbers there would win with most of us coaching as much or nearly as much, as long as we had good assistant staff.

Phil is arrogant, we've all watched or most all of us have watched Varsity Blues, Phil is Kilmer. He wins. He gets titles, but the problem is he loses touch and is more worried about him than he is the players, what people actually think of him or anything 'life related'.

I mean sure ok, if he thinks that Haysi will lose to Giles by 14, hey more power to him, but if you want your players to be anything near classy, as a coach, you have to be something near classy. I have no problem with him saying that, as I've heard other coaches say 'off the record etc etc", but to just blurt it out, shows that he doesn't respect anybody. It would be different if this was the first time he had done that, I mean you're right, nobody is perfect, sometimes heat of the moment, anybody can slip but with Phil its a reoccuring theme. Anytime that things don't go his way, Phil whines. It's the field, it's the travel, its any number of excuses. The rumor that I heard was this, that before the year or maybe even in the past couple years, it was talked about scheduling the playoff games at UVA-Wise. The 2 biggest opponents to this, PV and GC. Now why would that be the case? Because most of the time, they're the ones who get the home field advantage, so they're the ones losing that home field advantage (more often than not), so what happenes, one of them, this time PV doesn't get it, and the first thing they want is another team to give up their home field advantage. I don't know if thats true, but it really makes sense and I could set it being valid discussion.

I know a lot of people from PV area like Phil, I know a lot don't. Heck I respect what the PV program can do and has done, but I don't have a lot of respect for Phil. Phil is the type who would be your best friend when he needs your assistance on something and would sell you out 10 minutes later if it benefited him, not PV, but him or his legend. If Phil made the comments he makes and PV didn't win, he would be ran out of town on a rail, the only reason he isn't is because they win more often than not.

It always has disappointed me that Phil and Mack Shupe didn't get to square off in sports more. They both are very similar. They both are smart, they both are good coaches who had very good pools of talent, and who was able to win but forgot that a coach is only as good as the talent on the field. We all know that, we've seen incredible coaches unable to win at one place, another place they turn into world beaters. Bill Belichick, choked in big games in Cleveland, in New England, he's a genius. Mike Holmgren (sp) was great in Green Bay with Favre but in Seattle, has yet to win (Might win some more this year, but they took alot of his power away in the off-season as well).

The talent/players make the coach, the coach makes decent talent/good talent into winners. No talent, your best coach can make them look fair at best. That's something I think Phil forgets. Hey if Giles can beat Haysi by 14, they can beat them by 14, and that will be bad for Haysi, but obviously Haysi was better than PV. I'd love for someone to say well coach does that mean they would beat you by 17 since Haysi beat you. When he makes his smart comment, fire one back, but the problem is the media has the class to not ask that question to Phil.

**imported_OleTob** · November 29th, 2005, 02:01 PM

Heck I could have won State with the Jones guys...So what does that say?

**imported_biggamesjames** · November 29th, 2005, 02:08 PM

I don't have a problem with saying what you think but that was not the appropriate arena for such a comment. Shouldn't Rush Limbaugh or Jimmy the Greek have been allowed to say what they thought as well? Whatever happened to if you don't have anything good to say then don't say it at all? I think what is wrong with our country is people not having any respect for their fellow man. What if every coach starts saying what they think at the moment without thinking it through? What if Spurrier got on TV after beating Tennessee and said what he really thought...something like: "well we're not that good but they're just pitiful"? Or what if Colobro after beating PV so bad in the playoffs a few years back would have said "hey those guys just suck"?

Point being I don't really care what Robbins says and I'm sure not too many people do but it just shows a blatant disrespect for his opponents and fellow coaches and the best thing to do would be to accept that for what it is and not sugarcoat it by trying to make it ok...its not ok and its sad but it is the way he is and thats fine we can all live with that. Its kinda nice to have someone like that around if you think about it...gives you more motivation when you play them, or at least it should.

**imported_ut1** · November 29th, 2005, 02:57 PM

I agree with most of what you said. Does winning ball games make a coach "good"?? I don't think so. There is such a thing as "tact", you know, and Phil don't have it. [img]/LDPforum/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

**imported_juggernaut28** · November 29th, 2005, 03:05 PM

I don't know Phil Robbins personally so I really can't judge him. I've read his comments and to say the least you can tell he is all about coaching and teaching his players to strive to win. I for one like his aggressive approach in coaching. Phil obviously just speaks his mind regardless of who hears it. We all are guilty of that. I do agree he should watch how he speaks his feelings toward his players. There should be some kind of line drawn between coaching and just insulting your players. Phil IMO is a great coach and he is not out to be on everyone's #1 list. I would have no problem sending my son to play for him. I believe everyone puts too much into this sometimes, he is a man who doesn't like defeat and speaks before he thinks. I am sure he loves this sport as much as any of us do and he loves the kids he coaches. He is good at his job and unless there is some kind of abuse coming from him I wouldn't pay too much attention to him. Phil has made some statements that he probably shouldn't but that don't change the fact of all the success that PV has had with him either. I give the players just as much credit if not more cause they are the ones that have worked hard and also made Phil look good too. No need in downing his players. Phil is a man who expects hard work, dedication and alot out of his players. I see nothing wrong in that. Let him coach and unless something terrible wrong is going on between him and his players then I think everyone else should leave him alone and let him continue to coach. I have been to other schools and let me tell you, those coaches say worse than what I have ever heard Phil say. Let him be stern, let him expect his players to give it their all, let him push his boys to the limit. Let him show us all that he can do his job and keep doing what he does best and that is to win. I wish more coaches had his attributes as far as coaching goes. The best thing Phil should do is just learn how to control his emotions when he is upset. But like it or not he will never like defeat.

**somersetvol** · November 29th, 2005, 03:13 PM

Most on this board have obviously not been around or heard Phil speak much. Phil has always made shrude and cocky remarks, and he always will. That is just the way he is. When he commented about Haysi losing next week, he meant every word of it and won't lose any sleep over it. Phil is and always has been controversial, and there isn't a coach, fan, friend or anyone for that matter that will tell you much different. A lot of people don't like the man, but they respect what he has accomplished.