I'd like to hear
FootyLovin psychoanalyze this situation. The question being, is everyone rehabilitatable?
No. People have to want to change. The best coach (therapist, parent, etc) can't change someone who is locked into their desired path with no interest in alternatives.
Was giving up on reforming Mix for his mystery offense - because that is what a season long benching is, giving up - worth the damage it caused to the team?
Maybe. Your comments tend to sound like you evaluate this as a scenario in which benching Mix loses all Mix value with no upside and playing him adds all Mix value with no downside. In this case, benching him is certainly not worth the damage.
But this could certainly be a more complex transaction - that benching Mix created value in unity, demonstration, etc for the rest of the team and playing him might have created discord and lack of commitment to one another on the field. In that case, benching him might be well worth the damage.
I think managing a team is like dealing with kids. Some might act out in different ways in response to stressful situations, etc, but they are all teaching moments and every personality can be managed by the right manager.
I just disagree. I've worked with talented people who are uncoachable. As a manager your most valuable use of time is with players who are both talented and eager to learn. Trying to coach a talented player who doesn't respect you or want to learn is a waste.
Ultimately, I think it is way too simplistic to believe that PV got his feathers ruffled and benched Mix for the season. PV is a young coach, but he has tremendous success in this sport and his interviews consistently suggest a thoughtful, considered and positive approach to analysis and decisions. He might not always make the right decision. But he doesn't seem like the kind of hothead to get pissed off in June and say, "That's it! You'll never see the field again for us."
Had he done this, I suspect assistant coaches, DPs, CFG and maybe others too would have pushed back on that decision and helped him walk it back. Maybe it really was all PV. But I find that a hard pill to swallow.
