Germans?

[Godfather]

Derek Dooley compares struggles
Associated Press

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee coach Derek Dooley on Monday compared his young, inexperienced team's struggles to that of the German forces during the Allies' invasion of Normandy during World War II.

Dooley spent two minutes during his weekly media appearance describing the confusion caused by the surprise landing of the Americans at Omaha Beach on D-Day and the Germans' slow reaction in the absence of their leader, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel.

"Right now we're like the Germans in World War II," Dooley said. "Here comes the boats, they're coming. You have the binoculars, and it's like, 'Oh, my God, the invasion is coming.' "

Tennessee (2-5, 0-4 Southeastern Conference) is playing with a depleted lineup because of injuries and attrition from back-to-back coaching turnovers. The Vols have lost three straight games.

Dooley compared Tennessee's inability to handle difficult game situations to how the Germans handled the D-Day invasion.

"I don't want the German people to get upset at me," he said. "I'm not attacking them, but that's what happened. You had one group, they weren't worried about what the plan was and orders and all that. When the war hits, things change. You've got to go.

"You had the other group, and they go, 'Wait a minute, they told us the invasion was way further north,' where we had the empty tanks and we were hiding Patton out. 'We weren't ready for this, now what do we do?' 'We better wait until Rommel tells us what to do.' "

Dooley may not have intended to anger anyone, but comparisons drawn between sports and military battles or disasters usually offends someone.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Kellen Winslow was criticized in 2003 as a college player at Miami when he compared football to war and himself to a soldier trying to kill his opponent. North Carolina basketball coach Roy Williams was also criticized in February for telling a clumsy anecdote that was interpreted as comparing the Tar Heels' struggles to the Haiti earthquake disaster.

A Tennessee spokesman did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment.


Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

[Snaggletiger]

I heard the interview replayed on Finedome yesterday.  This guy sounds two forks short of a place setting.  As for the war and Germans analogy, fuck the political correct police.  I had no problem when Winslow did it or when Lord Saybinz said it or anyone else.  You gotta' stretch pretty far to make those comments insensitive.

 

[War Eagle!!!]

I heard the interview replayed on Finedome yesterday.  This guy sounds two forks short of a place setting.  As for the war and Germans analogy, fuck the political correct police.  I had no problem when Winslow did it or when Lord Saybinz said it or anyone else.  You gotta' stretch pretty far to make those comments insensitive.

 

I heard it to and not sure why it is a big deal. I didn't even think the dude sounded stupid and I could see the analogy that he was trying to make. Finebaum is trying to make a bigger deal out of this than it was.

[Saniflush]

I heard it to and not sure why it is a big deal. I didn't even think the dude sounded stupid and I could see the analogy that he was trying to make. Finebaum is trying to make a bigger deal out of this than it was.

There's a fuckin' shocker.

[AUChizad]

I heard it to and not sure why it is a big deal. I didn't even think the dude sounded stupid and I could see the analogy that he was trying to make. Finebaum is trying to make a bigger deal out of this than it was.

Exactly. He's trying to make Saban's comments two years ago not so bad. It's the "Everyone else is doing it" defense that message board bammers use so often.

[Godfather]

Finebaum is trying to make a bigger deal out of this than it was.

You mean like the fact that they bring Cam and the laptop thing up daily.


BTW the only reason I posted the story was so I could make the fark.

[Snaggletiger]

It was funny at the end when he referred to Rommel again and then said, "I hope I have my people right".  A reporter chimed in that he didn't and Dooley asked something to the effect of "What, are you the chief historian here?" 

[JR4AU]

I heard it to and not sure why it is a big deal. I didn't even think the dude sounded stupid and I could see the analogy that he was trying to make. Finebaum is trying to make a bigger deal out of this than it was.

Yep.  The PC police try to make a big deal out of anything like this...reference "the Germans" and they'll claim you're siding with Hitler's politics.  In reality he was making a military reference to how outmanned he is in the league.  That's it, nothing more.  Football and military operations have lots in common. 

[Saniflush]

Forget it.  He's on a roll.

[Tiger Six]

I heard the interview replayed on Finedome yesterday.  This guy sounds two forks short of a place setting.  As for the war and Germans analogy, phuk the political correct police.  I had no problem when Winslow did it or when Lord Saybinz said it or anyone else.  You gotta' stretch pretty far to make those comments insensitive.

 

I don't care what you think is insensitive.  I eat breakfast across the wire from 100,000 Alabama fans that want to kill me. 

Until you pick up a weapon and stand a post, I suggest you keep what is sensitive and insensitive to your self.

Unless you don't...

Because, we all know, YOU care...