Jack’s Blog

Heading into their match up with Michigan, Billy Donovan, a coach who’s noted for details or, as we’ve learned during the media time out, logistics, needed to come up with a game plan for his Florida team.  One strategy would be to pressure the Wolverines and try to force as many turnovers as they could so the Gators would have numerous opportunities to score in the open court.  That had been their usual plan throughout the season.  Another method would be to make it a half court game so that the Gators could take advantage of their superior size and pound it inside because UM usually played with four guards and only one big man.

Donovan chose the one that exploited the inside mismatch.  On paper it was an excellent philosophy - except for the fact that his inside guys weren’t as noted for their back-to-the-basket skills as much as they were for facing up and offensive rebounding.  I wonder how much time Billy himself worked with those inside guys, explaining how vital it was they scored (as much as I’d like to think players listen to an assistant - having been one for 30 years - I fully understand their antennae tune in more sharply when the head man speaks).  Not pressing the action defensively as much as they could have meant the greater majority of their point production had to come from the “bigs.”

It might have been a moot point because had his team extended its defense to attempt to create turnovers against Michigan, the Wolverines’ guards might have broken the pressure.  Then any of their three point shooters (of which they have four on the floor during most possessions) would have been knocking down shots - scoring in threes.

Basically, there are two philosophies in forming a game plan: 1) if we go to our strength(s), will that be good enough for us to win or 2) would it better to attack their weaknesses?  Naturally, there are others but for the most they’re derivatives of the two above.  Unfortunately, the Gators looked much more reactive on defense and, while they were getting the ball inside, their bigs weren’t scoring, mainly because they’re not true back-to-the-basket players.  Before you know it, they were down a couple.  Touchdowns.  It was 13-0 and it only got worse.  UF attempted to rally but every mistake was magnified, e.g. fouling a three point shooter at the end of the half which thwarted the minor momentum they’d built.

Billy Donovan has currently been to three consecutive Elite Eights.  Florida fans might be disappointed they haven’t gone farther.  Well, Gator Nation, Ben Howland is available.  Oh yeah, he committed the same crime at UCLA (although his were Final Four “failures.”  For now, the Florida faithful can take solace in the fact they seem to be stuck with Billy the Kid - the same guy they cheered when he changed his mind and reneged on the offer he’d accepted from the Orlando Magic.

When a game between relative equals starts out like the UF-UM game did yesterday, it tends to balance out after a while or, as George Raveling used to say:

“The game will return to reality.”

The ESPN guys each were to ask NCAA basketball committee head Mike Bobinski one question.  When they got around to Greg Anthony, he asked why #5 seed UNLV was playing #12 Cal 1) when the committee didn’t have teams play each other who’d played during the regular season and 2) why the game was being played in San Jose, a virtual home game for the Golden Bears.  Coincidence?  Anthony’s a proud graduate of UNLV and was simply looking out for his home boys.  Take a listen to every other TV commentator.

Seth Greenberg, not surprisingly, empathized with any bubble team that played in a “big” conference, had a huge win but bad losses and was left out of the Dance, himself having been shut out of an at-large bid for several years - including one year in which his Virginia Tech squad beat Duke, at the time the #1 team in the country.  In a TV interview after the game he was assured by none other than Dick Vitale that you won’t have to sweat a bid this year, baby, you’ll be dancing (or something like that).  The Hokies, however, followed up that monumental win by losing to Boston College at home by 15, then again at Clemson to finish the regular season.  That year, as there usually are, there were attractive “mid” major clubs and one (or more) of them was selected over the Hokies.  Can’t say as I blame him for being snubbed as going to the NIT gets old for your fans.

If you didn’t know Jay Bilas attended Duke, you’d probably be able to figure it out when you hear him explain which teams should be in and which should be out.  Maybe he could disguise Duke but not his affection for schools from “power” conferences.  This year his beef was “In order to get selected by the committee, it’s not about who you beat; it’s about who you lose to.”  This stems from the “little” guy not playing as difficult a schedule as the big boys do.  Not non-conference but conference!  It’s almost like it’s the little guy’s fault they’re in a conference that doesn’t give them chances game after game to get “quality” wins (from others in the league).  One of these was Middle Tennessee State who went 28-5, but lost to Florida International in the semi-finals of the Sun Belt Conference (annually a one bid league).

One thing that’s for sure regarding Middle Tennessee.  Any other team from any power conference, had it switched places in the Sun Belt this season with MTSU, would have faced a tall order to accomplish what the Blue Raiders did this season.  Beyond the glossy record, their non-conference losses were at Florida, at Akron (in OT) and at Belmont (all NCAA tournament teams).  They lost in their fourth conference game of the season, at Arkansas State in OT, before stringing 17 straight league victories.  Then, the fateful setback to FIU.  True, they didn’t have some of the big-name wins a team like Virginia had.  They didn’t have the opportunity!  They also didn’t have the opportunity to lose games to the schools, including the bad ones.

It’s the same slam Gonzaga sued to receive and first, Don Monson, then, Mark Few, went out and insanely scheduled the big boys, often with no return game.  Now, teams like Gonzaga, Middle, Davidson, Butler, VCU are just like Duke, UNC and Kentucky as they get every team’s best shot, in front of packed arenas - which for other games the attendance doesn’t approach capacity.  It’s as hard, or harder, to play in front of a jammed, raucous band box of a gym holding a few thousand, than it is a 15,000 sold out arena.

There’s no way of comparing mid-majors and “middling” majors as bracketologist Joe Lunardi refers to schools who aren’t particularly good but get to play in power conferences.  In one way this year’s ESPN production was quite a turnaround for Bilas, who in 2011 absolutely lambasted the committee for awarding one of the final bids to VCU, not only on Selection Sunday, but in every show he was part of - until the Rams were still alive in the Sweet Sixteen.  Of course, that year, the Rams made a Cinderella trip to the Final Four, justifying not only their selection but legitimizing them as a program not to ever again be taken lightly.

Wally Szcerbiak, who starred at Miami (OH), ending his career as Mid-American Conference Player-of-the-Year, picked Gonzaga to the Final Four and there was joy in his voice as he’d been on the Zags’ bandwagon before it was fashionable.

Mateen Cleaves went away from that line of thought when he picked Louisville over Michigan State, admitting he wasn’t going with his heart when he made the choice.  Almost like he was apologizing to Spartan Nation for doing his job as a paid prognosticator.

It’s interesting listening to each guy explain his “side.”  This most difficult part of Jay Bilas is that he’s a former (or, for all we know, a current) lawyer.  What that means is that it’s difficult for others to speak with him because as a very close friend of mine once said:

“When two people have a discussion, it should be an exchange of information, that is, each person should learn something from the other.  With a lawyer, there has to be a winner and a loser.  And the lawyer has to win.”

Tim Tebow was as successful as any college football player.  His team, the Florida Gators, were big winners - including the biggest one - and, individually, he garnered about every award he was eligible for - including the biggest one.  If he had a (non-football related) flaw - for those who consider what he did wrong - was that he wore his beliefs on his sleeve.  It was just that many people thought the sleeve was on a religious robe.

Tebow knelt after each touchdown, apparently saying a short prayer.  This was an offensive gesture to some, a chance to capitalize for financial gains for others and a simple show of faith, neither offensive nor money related, to the rest.  First, consider he was born to parents who were Baptist missionaries.  His mother home schooled him and instilled in him the family’s Christian beliefs.  To non-haters, his background might explain his (brief) gesture following touchdowns.  His mom’s parenting skills are far and away better than the overwhelming majority of professional athletes we read about on a daily basis.

Granted, they made a controversial commercial but in this country, we do have freedom of speech.  Isn’t it amazing how people can be offended by Tim Tebow yet not have their emotions stirred by nearly every of the new, popular sit-coms (especially some of the animated ones).  In addition, with some of the other personal traits many of our “stars” have displayed, is the Tebow story something we should worry that our children see?

Although he was listed as a quarterback at the U of F, coach Urban Meyer saw the unique skill Tebow had, i.e. a cross between a QB and a bruising running back.  Standing 6′3″, 240 that was difficult to refute.  He also was someone who could turn a busted play into a big gainer because of his physical size and skills.  It would have been coaching malpractice if Meyer hadn’t used him the way he did.  The football experts - there really are some, although not nearly as many as they’d like us to believe - claimed Tebow would have a difficult transition to the professional level because of his long wind up when throwing and the fact professional defensive players are 1) so big and 2) hit so hard.  The wear and tear on his body would certainly shorten his career.  (After a few games there was a growing group of fans who were hoping his career would be shortened.)

Jon Gruden (one of the true experts) broke down his release and explained how his passing motion would have to be renovated.  However, doing so would preclude him from becoming an immediate starter.  No doubt because of his notoriety the Denver Broncos drafted him in the first round.  It was the wrong move and it’s hard to believe that a team that employed John Elway as an executive didn’t know it.  By now, everybody knows the story - Tebow comes in as a back up, the team is losing, he gets a shot, the team wins a few (although more because of D than O), pulls off some late game heroics (after showing little early in the game) and he’s the savior.  Allegedly, John Elway (and probably others) saw it differently and traded him to the New York Jets.

That was a bad marriage from the get-go.  This one rivaled Humphries and Kardashian (or Borgnine and Merman for older readers).  Anyone who had seen ESPN’s Hard Knocks with the Jets could have figured that out.  After a couple minutes!  If only Mark Sanchez and the rest of the guys had played as well Rex Ryan had truly believed would have, there still would have been controversy (after all, it is New York) but not the side show it turned out to be.  At least it would have saved Tebow from being mocked and imitated.  And for what?  Not being as good as people had hoped he’d be?

He heads up the Tim Tebow Foundation which builds facilities for sick children, granting wishes for children with life-threatening illnesses for kids in the U.S. and the Philippines and builds playrooms in hospitals and orphanages.  Gimme a break.

As Danielle Dax said so appropriately:

“I find it strange the way human nature wants heroes and yet wants to destroy their heroes.  It’s a kind of mass insecurity people want something to look up to and get a buzz off but, at the same time, want to destroy it because it makes them feel insecure.”

The University of Texas got their own television network.  It wasn’t the first school to do so but it might have been the proverbial “straw” as it relates to conference realignment.  Texas A&M is a great institution with a proud tradition but they couldn’t handle being second enchilada in the state.  Many will question placing the Aggies #2 but that’s not the point to the people in College Station.  Number one is the only one that counts and a school with its own TV network is too much of an advantage (and a slap in the face).

The state university is simply more popular than any of its “subsidiaries.”  I’ve been on both sides of that argument.  When I was at Washington State, it was difficult admitting “UDub” was the choice of Washington residents.  I left Cougar Country for the University of Oregon and the tables were turned.  Our rivals, from “Corn Valley” were now the “Cow College.”

For most of the ’80s I was employed by the University of Tennessee.  There was no question who was The Boss.  I recall a conversation with the director of athletics from UT-Chattanooga who said he was a student at Chattanooga College in the ’50s.  They enjoyed their experience and felt the school offered them a solid education.  Much later, the powers-that-be at UT approached the smaller school’s administration and told them they wanted it to join the UT system.  The “old-timers” balked, saying they liked their independence and didn’t think becoming a sister school, with a hyphenated name was a good idea.  The Knoxville brass assured them that would not be the case.  The little guys accepted the offer and have been, as expected, UT-Chattanooga.  The old Chattanooga College people still resent the decision and refer to the University of Tennessee as UTK.

In every state, but one, “the University of . . .” is more prestigious than “. . . State U.”  Think about it: North Carolina, Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma, Florida, Colorado, etc.  The one exception wasn’t always that way - and Tom Izzo deserves most of the credit.

These other institutions need to heed Charles Schultz’s line:

“Be yourself.  Everyone else is already taken.”

I’ve never understood the true sports fanatic but that’s more my issue than the fans’ because there are so many of them.  

If ever there was a coach’s coach, that person was Jerry Tarkanian.  One night an audience member at his radio show asked Jerry why he became a coach.  He pondered his answer for a few moments and, while others in attendance thought he was trying to find the exact correct words, finally said, “It’s the only thing I could do.”  It’s also the only thing he ever wanted to do.

In all the years I’ve known him, I can honestly say I’ve never heard him criticize another coach.  Obviously, he thinks some coaches do a better job than others but he will applaud a coach he doesn’t know just as much as one of his cronies.  He truly appreciates what coaches have to do and the way they do it.  He has strong beliefs regarding certain areas of coaching but understands that other coaches can be successful employing different systems.  And, differences in philosophies and all, he admires them.

I was a little surprised when, on the final Jerry Tarkanian Show of this season, he assessed the play in this year’s March Madness as follows: “I don’t think the overall play has been very good this year.  The games have been close, and exciting, but they haven’t been well-played.”  Notice there was no criticizing the coaching, just the quality of play.

During Roy Williams’ emotional press conference following the Tarheels’ loss to Kentucky for a spot in the Final Four, he made the statement that if a person wasn’t involved with either team, then it was just a great college basketball game. I remember thinking how that wasn’t really the case.  There were more traveling violations, charges, unforced turnovers and bad shots in that game than in most any contest in which either UNC or UK was involved.

For my money (check my 3/20/11 blog), the best played game of the tournament (at least of those I watched) was the Florida-UCLA tilt.  The others, I agree with Tark, have been nail biters and fun to watch, but not especially works of art.  Unless the team you were rooting for won.  As Goethe said:

“We are never deceived; we deceive ourselves.”

Normally in the early rounds of the NCAA tournament, one team is, or at least plays, far superior to its opponent.  Of course, there still are close games.  None could have been too much closer than the double OT San Diego State-Temple contest or the down-to-the-wire Butler-Pitt “who was going to give the game to whom” thriller.  But for pure, well-played basketball - forgive me for the sensationalizing, but a game James Naismith would have used as a blueprint for the new sport he created - there hasn’t been one determined by sound, fundamental basketball as the competition staged yesterday between Florida and UCLA.

If every contest in every sport was executed in the manner that the Gators and Bruins did, watching sporting events would be the national past time.  That might be the case now, but if all games were composed of such talented players, performing their roles in as exciting and competent a manner as those two clubs did, every other means of entertainment would be no better than a very distant second.

Defensively, the teams switched ways to guard, seemingly because the individual and team play was so outstanding.  Miraculous blocked shots that thwarted near perfect offensive execution occurred more times than a spectator would hope to witness in a month of games - and when the defense couldn’t block a shot (or take a charge), the scoreboard changed due to efficiency of the offense.

As far as offense went, the use of pick & rolls (in Florida’s case, the double pick & roll, in which the dribbler uses a screen and then gets a second one), a maneuver that more and more coaches are using due to the difficulty teams have in guarding it, was extensive.  What made watching this set so different than in other games was the use of the other players, i.e. not only the ballhandler and the screener.  Also, and this could possibly be because I coached for 35 years, I appreciated the excellent technique used in feeding the post players.  Each team got a bundle of points inside the paint, something Gator coach Billy Donovan admitted at halftime his team needed to defend better due to the number of buckets the Bruins got in the first half.  It’s been said so many times that kids today don’t know how to move without the ball.  Yesterday, many points came via this route.

The game was well-coached (by two of the most successful in the business) and adjustments had to constantly be employed.  Players off the bench contributed better than they had all season.  The reason each coaching staff had to be at the top of their game was due, not only because of the skill level of the players, but because their shooting, moving, passing, rebounding and overall defense were exceptional.

Naturally, UCLA fans left disappointed but, looking back, they need to realize their guys played about as close to their potential as could have been expected, they just happened to run into a higher seed (probably meaning a team with more talent) on a day the level of intensity exhibited by their squad was matched by that of its opponent.

And, just so readers don’t think I noticed, Florida also had Erving Walker.

In a world of doubters and contraries, I’d expect many to disagree with my assessment of the game but as Confucius said:

“Everything has its beauty, but not everyone sees it.”

One of the least surprising stories hit the wires yesterday when Auburn QB Cam Newton declared for the NFL draft.  And why not?  He led his team to the National Championship (the Tigers aren’t exactly an annual contender) and won the Heisman Trophy (among other individual awards).  While some don’t consider him “ready” to be an NFL quarterback right now, would staying in college better help prepare him - or spending a year in the actual league where he intends on making a (very nice) living?  Besides, if history is any indicator, returning didn’t improve Tim Tebow’s NFL QB readiness.

Some may say that he now faces the cynics and their inevitable comments about whether his dad will be his agent, but he would have had to deal with similar contempt had he stayed in school - plus, with more time to devote to the case, probable additional scrutiny from the NCAA.

Unlike Stanford’s Andrew Luck, he never claimed his goal was to obtain a degree (no offense AU but a degree from Stanford carries quite a bit more cachet).  In addition, there were rumors of academic misconduct while an undergrad at Florida and while the allegation was denied, there was never any indignation regarding the charge, i.e. he was a serious student, only that he didn’t cheat.

As I blogged on 5/6/07 about the decision made by USC’s guard Harold Miner (I was an assistant on the Trojans’ staff at the time), kids don’t go to college to get an education.  Rather:

“Kids attend college to . . . improve their station in life.”

For Cam Newton, that means turning pro.  He should have everyone’s blessing.

Those closest to Urban Meyer, from his wife to his assistants to former players to administrators at Florida, repeat the same feeling:  He’s unbelievably competitive.  He’s incredibly driven.  He’s a workaholic.  He’s a control freak.

Last year he walked away from coaching after a mega-scare at home regarding his health.  It wasn’t too long before he said he was going back to work, slowing his pace.  He coached this year and either kept his word (and cut his hours) or kept his schedule.  Whichever was true, his football team ended the season with a 7-5 record, including a regular season ending loss (his first ever) to Florida State.  Cue retirement speech #2.

In his statement, Meyer claimed he wanted to spend more time with his family.  One item on his cleared schedule is watching his girls play volleyball.  While an admirable goal, it doesn’t satisfy the deep seated needs that someone born to coach has.  A true coach regrets the moment he or she gives up the profession and, in most cases, returns after a brief hiatus.  Witness Meyer last year.

There aren’t too many coaches who leave the game on their own terms.  Exhibit A might be Bobby Bowden, who “retired” shortly after his 80th birthday.  He admitted this year that he was forced out, that he wanted one more year.  I worked for Jerry Tarkanian at Fresno State each of the seven years he was head coach at his alma mater and, although that seventh year was to be his last, he was trying to get . . . one more year.  He knew his best years were behind him but the recruiting class he had lined up gave him a chance to go out the way he wanted - a big winner.  Never mind that his seven-year run with the Bulldogs saw each year end in post-season play (5 NIT’s and 2 NCAA’s).  And we all now of the decision of Joe Paterno who recently said matter-of-factly that he was coming back for another.   “Why not?” was the 83-year-old’s reply.

Could it be that these guys remember Bear Bryant who hung on until the bitter end at Alabama even though he was a shell of himself on the sidelines, only to finally retire - and pass away months later?  Jim Sweeney, another good friend, had trouble standing throughout a game in his final year at Fresno State, yet still didn’t want to surrender.

It’s the nature of the beast.  These guys are so engulfed in what has become for so many, a time-consuming job, that they can’t fulfill their competitive jones in any other meaningful way.  People can’t understand it - because those folks have never had a job they loved so much it wasn’t a job.  It was a passion - and passion just doesn’t melt away - regardless of health or family or anything else.

So look for Urban Meyer to do what every “retired” coach does - go into the broadcast booth, or become a studio regular, only to return to the sidelines a la . . . nearly every former coach (who was given the opportunity to coach again) - with the exception of Al McGuire who, in all honesty, was never consumed with coaching in the first place.

Watching your daughters’ volleyball games is thrilling, but it just doesn’t take the place of running through the tunnel on game day.

It’s been said many times:

“If you’re lucky enough to get paid to do something you LOVE to do, you’ll never work a day in your life.”

After last night’s disappointing (to the entire jilted city of Cleveland) blowout of the Cavs by the Miami Heat, the rumors of Pat Riley coming out of coaching retirement and replacing Eric Spoelstra will cease - until the next loss.  Even if it’s two weeks from now.

There’s always been heat, pun intended, on Coach Spo ever since that opening night loss to the Boston Celtics.  At first there were merely whispers, but then Laker coach Phil Jackson dropped the “Van Gundy thing” on the media and since then the pressure has intensified exponentially.  Personally, I always doubted Riley would replace Spoelstra, but last night confirmed my belief.

Sure, Riley won championships with two distinctly different styles - first, with the Showtime Lakers of Magic, Kareem and Co and then, with Shaq & D-Wade in South Beach.  In between, he came close with the grind-it-out, in-your face, physical defense of the Patrick Ewing Knicks.  In this case, it wouldn’t be a matter of coaching style he would have to adapt but personal philosophy.

In the early ’80s, a couple coaching friends and I would hold an annual self-improvement clinic in an effort to stay a step ahead of our colleagues.  After the clinic’s inaugural year, Larry Shyatt, currently associate head coach for the University of Florida Gators, but back then, an assistant at New Mexico, called me (I was an assistant at Tennessee at the time) and said he’d received a letter from the graduate assistant at Providence asking if he could be included in our group.  That’s how Jeff Van Gundy became an integral member of our clique and, to this day, he still attends.

One of the years he was Riley’s assistant with New York, Jeff gave us the inside scoop on Pat Riley and his philosophy of coaching.  Jeff praised Riles as the most organized coach he’d ever been around and also the most insistent in certain areas.  It was news then but has been reported many times throughout the years of how Knicks players would be fined if they helped up a fallen opponent after he fell - even if it was a New York player who knocked him down.  In addition, Jeff told us that no one, meaning players and coaches was allowed to even acknowledge the presence of an opponent on game night.  This included warm ups an hour before the game.

Therein lies the reason pat Riley would never consider coaching LeBron James.  As mature as James’ body and game is, his game day demeanor is equally immature.  Chatting it up during and even prior to games - case in point was last night during free throws when he and the Cavs’ bench were catching up on old times - is a major segment of the way LeBron plays.  It didn’t shock me that LeBron did his customary “powder cloud” before the game last night.  What shocks me is that Pat Riley allows him to ever do it.

At least Riley stopped the childish “picture-taking” prior to games or putting on the fake bowling routines that were part and parcel of his game day preparation in Cleveland.  No wonder the organization was upset he left them.  As long as he played like an MVP, the Cavs let him do whatever he wanted, independent of how unprofessional it was.  The mantra coaches use is “You need to play for the name on the front of the jersey, not the one on the back.”  During his years in Cleveland, LeBron’s name should have been on both sides. 

There’s no official word that Riley has put the hammer down on pregame antics.  Just the smoke and lights celebration the Big Three put on after their signing was out of character for a Pat Riley-run show.  What it would mean if Riley were to put on the sneakers and whistle again is that either he or LeBron would have to change.  If that time ever comes, my bet is that it would be James - until a couple of losses and then we’d be hearing - probably from the media’s favorite snitch, now referred to as “a highly placed source in the organization” that Riles was taking the fun out of the game.  Riley has always maintained that there really isn’t fun in basketball - only:

“Winning and misery.”

There was a time, as talented as he is, when nobody cared much about Cameron Newton.  Today, however, he’s the front-runner for the Heisman Trophy and the leader of an Auburn team that, should everything go as it has so far this season, will be playing for the national championship.

Digging up dirt on someone is nothing new.  In fact, it’s quickly gaining popularity in this country, as the past elections so boldly illustrate.  As far as Cam Newton, they’ve been backing up the trucks recently, all of them filled to overflowing with filthy allegations of wrongdoing.

First, it was someone who allegedly represented him in “recruiting negotiations” with Mississippi State, asking for a rather large chunk of money.  The story has grown to include several individuals, making the process of requesting (extorting) money for Newton’s services quite a complicated ordeal.  No one admits to, nor can prove anything, yet someone felt the need to go public.

Now, a story about Newton’s academic misconduct while at Florida has surfaced by a source - naturally, an anonymous one.  It seems this person has knowledge of Newton cheating.  If he wasn’t having the season he is, would this information be as forthcoming?  If someone else was having the season Newton and his team are, would similar stories surface about that individual?

Is all, or any, of this true?  I certainly don’t know but this latest smear campaign doesn’t quite pass the smell test - and here’s why.  He’s the leading candidate for a trophy that a previous winner had to return because he was said to have accepted illegal benefits while he was in college.  If ever voters, or the public, would be influenced by such transgressions, now’s the time.

Rather than stand before microphones and answering questions (or ducking them) about the Heisman Trophy or his team’s chances at a national championship, Cam and his coach and AU’s director of athletics have to respond to allegations.  Of all the top teams, Auburn has the most difficult schedule and any coach will tell you that the one thing that’s absolutely vital is to avoid, or at least limit, distractions.  The above fall under the category of major distractions and any one of them makes Auburn’s success more difficult.

Count me as skeptical as anyone but until someone, preferably with a name, comes forth with concrete evidence, this situation is one that, unfortunately, could be directed at any of a number of college players.  It’s a little too coincidental that Cam Newton is the one singled out at this particular time.  Could it simply be a case of:

“Strengthen the weak by weakening the strong?”