Monday, June 29, 2009

Pittsburgh Passion Playoffs


Our season ended Saturday night with a gut wrenching loss to the far superior DC Divas, 27-17. And I do mean far superior. The Divas dominated the Passion this year in our two losses to them, no question about it. Best of luck to the Divas as they advance in the playoffs and take on the Boston Militia next.
I do have a few random thoughts about what the Passion needs to do to take their game to the next level against the Tier I teams in their league: Have a single head coach. I think that it's a mistake that owner/player/co-coach Teresa Conn wears three hats for the team. Owner/player is feasible, but the co-coach? I have never, ever, seen a team succeed where there was someone who second guessed the head coach. As co-coach, and owner, Conn undermines the authority and decisions of the coach. Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones at his worst and on crack, down on the field, deciding plays, you get the idea. I just think that it's a mistake to have two head coaches. She either takes over the coaching duties and suffers the good and bad of that, or she lets someone else take the reins and backs off.
I've been thinking about this issue a lot because of some research I've done into the other Pittsburgh pro women's football team, the WFA league Force. Given the middling success of the Force (2009 record, 2 and 6), and the force that is the Passion (2009 record 7 and 1), why would someone join the Force over the Passion? Or defect from the Passion to the Force, as star running back Torina Henley did? To quote someone other than me; Something is rotten in Denmark, if not Pittsburgh.
It'll be interesting to see exactly what happens next season with both the Passion and the Force, but with the Passion, I hope that they decide to go with a single head coach and concentrate on plugging the sieve that is the defense when anyone runs against us.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

The team plays hard no matter what. A loss is always hard and the end of the season is awful.

jennifer from pittsburgh said...

I just wonder if Teresa Conn is some sort of control freak unable to delegate roles.

Anonymous said...

That was well put about the owner/player/headcoach I wondered why Torina Henley walked away. I am a fan of hers. I loved going to the Passion games and how she runs. Last year they beat DC with the running game which makes you wonder why would their star running back walked. The games are not the same without Henley now we know they wont admit it to anyone that they did need her and watching the DC game clearly they did....she is a mean running back the best female back that I have seen. I follow the Force and once they get some players they will be a Force be the talk of the town. My opinion is of the Passion is they need a differnt owner!

jennifer from pittsburgh said...

Anonymous- Right you are, Henley is missed. Her explosive speed at the line after a hand-off often caught the defense on their heels and completely unable to contain or catch her. The one-two punch of a running back like Henley and a QB with a cannon for an arm like Horton often overwhelmed opponents.
I think that Conn has done a great job as owner. It's the co-coach thing that doesn't sit well with me and makes me question the direction the team has taken. I just don't see how this situation is a positive for a team. There has to be one head coach, period. One general running the action on the field.
MK and I will be following the Force come next season. We'll still attend the Passion games as well, but we'll make room for both in the future.

Anonymous said...

Jennifer my name is Mark can you get in toch with Torina Henley? I would like to ask her what happen? It just blew me away and yes I was caught off guard and I will not be attending anymore of the Passion games. I enjoy watching her play and how she carries herself. The owner just dont know what she did to that team. The old Passion team was different in a good way....now?I am a loyal fan and I am loyal to Ms.Henley....Go Henley!

Anonymous said...

Jennifer my name is Mark can you get in toch with Torina Henley? I would like to ask her what happen? It just blew me away and yes I was caught off guard and I will not be attending anymore of the Passion games. I enjoy watching her play and how she carries herself. The owner just dont know what she did to that team. The old Passion team was different in a good way....now?I am a loyal fan and I am loyal to Ms.Henley....Go Henley!

jennifer from pittsburgh said...

Sorry Mark, I don't know any of the Force or Passion players personally.