Bulliten Board Material: Please Tell Me You're Kidding

People, people, please.  You have got to stop all this talk of "bulletin board" material.  Please, are you out of your minds?  Just because somebody doubted you or because a person of significance spoke down upon you or your team, you are going to perform that much better to beat them?  HAHA.  Some people crack me up.

I use this example only because it hits close to home, to a team that I follow closely, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.  Last spring there was a big to-do being made about Charlie Weis saying that Michigan will come into South Bend with a bunch of excuses and eventually had a quote that read: "To Hell with Michigan!"

There was some fuss made about it shortly after it was spoken and this week all the major sports networks and national sports radio talk shows have made far too big of deal over this issue.  Lets get this straight, just because somebody says something negative about another team, it does not automatically mean that it will turn into this so-called "bulletin board material."

I don't care if a coach or a player says that they are going to whoop my team's butt in an upcoming game.  So what, the other player or coach in this case has more confidence in his team and has the guts to go out and say something, I would think that most players and coaches who make comments think the same exact thoughts, just do not say it in public. 

Just because somebody of significance says something in a negative manner towards an opposition, the opposition in turn does not automatically play better.  If anything it is used as a motivating factor for the very early moments of a game but trust me, there is no lasting effect during competition of being talked down upon.

Please do not tell me that since the experts are all saying that USC will easily defeat Ohio State this weekend that Jim Tressel suddenly rallies around telling his team that the media doesn't like their chances and that in turn will make them play better. 

If you beleive in "bulletin board material" then not only are you an idiot, but you don't understand how sports work.  Just because somebody makes a quote that makes an opponent upset, the opponent in turn does not become a better football player.

When it gets down to the game the bulletin board has nothing to do with the final outcome.  This Saturday if Michigan beats Notre Dame you will hear tons about how Charlie Weis gave Michigan all that "bulletin board material" to rally around. 

The bulletin board has nothing to do with the final result, if Michigan wins Saturday it will be because they outplayed the Irish and scored more points, not because of what Charlie Weis said, let's get that straight right now.

Any coach will tell you that if he is relying on a member of the opposition to inspire his team that whoever needs inspiring is in a world of hurt.  During the course of a game do you really think that players are consciously thinking about how they were called less-abled or inferior? No.  They are thinking about their responsibilities to their team and what they need to do in order to win the football game.

Players and coaches decide the outcome of any athletic event whether it be football, basketball, or a yahtzee tournament at the family reunion—bulletin boards do not.  You only hear about "bulletin board material" in events leading up to a game and sometimes during the broadcast of a game.  Why when the favorite to win holds up their end of the bargain do you not hear about the "bulletin board material"?

Simply put, it has no effect on the outcome.