Criticism or Player Accountability? That is the Question

With all due respect to Kyle Shanahan, and I mean that, I have to wonder: If Deebo Samuel had played for John Wooden, would he have treated Jake Moody differently?

I ask this question because the Hall of Fame UCLA men's basketball coach, John Wooden had but three rules for his team. 

1. Be on time: being punctual showed respect for his players' time.
2. No profanity: to use foul language was to relinquish control. He believed it allowed your opponent to know they had gotten inside your head.
3. Never criticize a teammate: to do so doesn't build up a team but puts on member against another. 

Wooden's intention was to create an environment where respect and loyalty were given and received. The poignancy and simplicity of his three rules provided a foundation—a place for players to stand. His players knew what was expected and what would not be tolerated. Any coach knows that rules can and will be broken. And, still the question crossed my mind: Would things be different? 

For context, As written on the Ninerswire:

Tempers flared on the San Francisco 49ers’ sideline during the team’s 23-20 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.

After kicker Jake Moody missed his third kick, wide receiver Deebo Samuel had some words for the 49ers’ second-year kicker. Long snapper Taybor Pepper wasn’t happy with whatever Samuel had to say, and got in the receiver’s face. Samuel responded by striking Pepper in the throat. 

There was more yelling between the two players, but no further physical escalation.

Though it's not clear precisely what Deebo said, one thing is: he criticized his teammate. Deebo let frustration get the best of him. Yes, football is an incredibly emotional game. No one will question Deebo's commitment to giving the very best and the most of himself to it. What he puts his body through week after week after week is tremendous. But, Deebo is just one a member of a 53-man roster. No single player can win the game alone. This same message is found in Scripture.

Saint Paul wasn't writing to a football team but in his letter to the people of Corinth speaks to One Body, Many Parts. He writes

As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ. 

Now the body is not a single part, but many. If a foot should say, “Because I am not a hand I do not belong to the body,” it does not for this reason belong any less to the body. Or if an ear should say, “Because I am not an eye I do not belong to the body,” it does not for this reason belong any less to the body.  If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But as it is, God placed the parts, each one of them, in the body as he intended. If they were all one part, where would the body be? But as it is, there are many parts, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I do not need you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I do not need you.”  Indeed, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are all the more necessary. May  there be no division in the body, but that the parts may have the same concern for one another.If [one] part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part is honored, all the parts share its joy.

To criticize a teammate to dishonor them. There is no way that a professional athlete wants to NOT make the catch, play or kick. Rather than tearing a teammate down, it is important to build a teammate up.  John Wooden was a devout Christian. I have to wonder if his rule was inspired by this passage.

Full disclosure: I love Deebo Samuel. I do not hold this instance against him—though I do think there is a lot to learn from it and for sports fans to discuss. For example, one argument made in Samuel's favorite is the notion of player accountability.

This principle suggests that there is value in teammates holding each other accountable. I don't disagree. The question is How? When? Where? And what is an effective way for a teammate to hold another accountable? I think these are questions for coaches and players to ask and to answer.

Player accountability Fortunately, Moody made the 44-yard game-winner as time expired and helped the 49ers get home with a win. When asked about the incident, Deebo said, “Just frustrated in the heat of battle. It was a close game and I kinda got out of character a little bit. But I’ll talk to Moody and we’ll get past it.”

Moody responded,  “Like I said, it’s in the heat of the moment – it happens. I do have to make those kicks at the end of the day, so that’s all I’m focused on. I’m not worried on anything like that.”

If Moody had missed that kick however, how might we perceive the notion of player accountability differently. Would we?

In the post-game press conference, Shanahan said, “I don’t have much of a take because I didn’t see any of it.  I just got told about it – but probably an obvious one, guys frustrated and something probably happened and you know brothers scuffle a little bit. I didn’t see any of it, so I don’t know how bad it was, but something I’m not too worried about, we’ll fix it. If it hasn’t been fixed already, we’ll fix it on the plane and go back to loving each other tomorrow.” 

I have to wonder what are Coach Shanahan's rules? What are his non-negotiables? Not a criticism, just a question. 

Photo Credits
Wooden
Coach and Deebo