Wednesday, November 19, 2008

A contrast in chemistry

Had some posts here about chemistry in the past, but it's always interesting to see the impact "good chemistry" can have on a team's success, though I'm not sure if that chemistry comes out as a result of winning, or if winning is the result of great chemistry.

Maybe it's a little of both...

On one hand is the U of Florida, which is 9-1 and has a shot at a national title. According to UF coach Urban Meyer:

"I've been a coach for 25 years and I've seen about three or four teams with great chemistry," Meyer said. "It's uncommon to have a team with great chemistry - unselfish play, guys that care about each other, guys that work each other in practice, guys that hang out together off the field and guys that have a little relentless effort."

Compare that to what's happening at the U of Washington, a team that's still looking for its first win of the season. As one player said recently:

"I look at the guys on the team and we've got really talented, athletic guys. We just didn't have that chemistry. You just can't have a lot of athletes running around out there and have a team."