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BAILEY'S TAKE
ON PIRATE SPORTS
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From the Anchor Desk
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
By Brian Bailey |
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Listing Pirate ship
undergoing fixes
By
Brian Bailey
©2008 Bonesville.net
All rights reserved.
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ON SALE NOW |
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I don’t get a chance to
go to many in-season
practices at East
Carolina, because most
of those workouts end
just about the time I go
on the air with my six
o’clock sportscast.
I did get to attend the
last part of Monday’s
practice. Monday is
usually a day off. Fall
break ends Wednesday,
and Wednesday is
considered a Monday
academic day on campus.
Thus, the Pirates will
take today off because
of class schedules.
This Pirate team didn’t
practice like a squad
lacking in confidence,
desperate to snap a
three game losing
streak. I saw a
confident team. I saw a
hard working squad. I
think I might have even
seen that chip on the
Pirates' shoulder.
Coach Skip Holtz has had
to dig deep into his bag
of motivational themes
this week. Holtz
realizes that the road
to a Conference USA
title starts with a win
over Memphis on
Saturday.
The Tigers, though, will
certainly come to town
with championship
thoughts of their own.
Why not? The entire
Conference USA East is
anyone’s to win.
Memphis outplayed
Louisville last week,
but fell to the
Cardinals 35-28.
Holtz has seen his team
rise to the top of the
mountain with a 3-0
start. He’s since
watched his Pirates free
fall with three
consecutive losses.
Still, Holtz is the guy
who has to keep
everything in
perspective.
“I said it when we were
3-0,” said Holtz. “I
told the team that
nothing is ever as good
as it seems, and nothing
is ever as bad.
Somewhere in the middle
is where reality falls.”
Holtz does a good job of
hiding his innermost
feelings for the most
part. Still, you can see
that this season has
provided a different
sort of frustration
level for the coach.
“It is frustrating in
the standpoint of
disappointment,” said
Holtz. “At the same
time, I feel I have an
obligation to these
players, to the Zack
Slates, to the Jay
Rosses, to the Pierre
Bells, to all of the
upperclassmen on this
team that are playing at
an unbelievably
productive level.
"I need to make sure I
can fix what is broken
right now and put some
pieces in place to give
them a chance to succeed
and go win.”
One of the positions
Holtz plans to fix is at
the quarterback
position. Patrick
Pinkney has struggled of
late, and now Rob Kass
will get a shot against
Memphis.
Kass took just about all
of the snaps in Monday’s
practice. Pinkney is
nursing a bum ankle.
Both are expected to
play on Saturday, but
this may be Kass’ first
real shot this year to
guide this football
team.
“Being a competitive
person, I want to be the
guy,” said Kass. “I want
to be that guy out there
when it comes down to it
and I want the ball in
my hands. I know Patrick
is a very good player
and he brings a
different aspect to the
game. I know we can both
help this team to win.”
Pinkney has seen the
highest of highs and the
lowest of lows through
six games this season.
Give the senior credit.
He’s ready to step back
if it’s for the good of
the football team.
“Whatever it takes to
win games,” said Pinkney.
“It’s a team game. You
have to be ready when
your number is called.
We both practice like
starters and we both
work hard.”
Holtz continues in
search of the senior
leadership that is part
of the recipe for a
winning season. Brandon
Simmons reportedly gave
Jonathan Williams a
fairly physical attitude
adjustment recently. I’d
say that worked.
Williams ran as hard as
we’ve seen him run in
the loss to Virginia.
He’ll be the feature
back again this week,
though Norman Whitley
should get some touches
as well.
Three wins… then three
losses… Maybe the
Pirates will start
another winning streak
this week by beating
Memphis.
BB
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10/15/2008 12:41:43 AM |
Replay
Monday night's
Brian Bailey Show with guests Lee
Workman, Reggie Pinkney, Butch Davis and
Rob Donnenwirth. The show,
Eastern North Carolina's longest running sports
radio call-in show, airs every Monday night at 7
p.m. on Pirate Radio 1250-AM and 930-AM.