Year of the Bull: Documentary about Miami Northwestern high school football

Wednesday, 23 December 2009 , by : Chris

Well worth watching . . .

Related Posts:

  • N/A
Posted in the Category: grab bag 42 comments
Bookmark and Share
  • http://www.shakinthesouthland.com DrB

    Wow. Those coaches….in college I see language, maybe not to that extent, but HS?

  • Jim

    Well worth watching? For what? You mean as an example of what not to do? All I saw was a coaching staff acting like they were in the ‘hood’ instead of coaching a football team. Was that supposed to be some kind of pep-talk those coaches were giving that guy after they thrashed him the way they did? This was nothing more than street gang mentality camaflouged as coaching. Coaches fighting players like that-unbelievable. There are some great examples of coaches who understand the fine line of coaching/motivating/getting on the guys to improve their performance. This is not one of them.

  • rkhufu7

    They beat Southlake Carroll!!!

  • jordan s

    i’m shocked that taurean charles ended up getting kicked out of florida for throwing a keg at someone’s face. who could’ve seen it coming?

  • Aarnout

    Wow, it’s scary those players play for their coaches. Even worse is that they were (are?) succesful, probably strengthens those guys’ believe that it’s ok to harass players.

  • Just Me

    No offense, but this came out in 2003. Is this really your first time watching it?

  • Coach W

    Terrible!! As a coach, I am offended. First by the language, and now they are fighting players!! That is a disgrace

  • Will

    That was awesome.

  • mike rau

    I’m shocked, shocked to find that this kind of behavior is going on in here!

  • Coach Q

    As an black coach I’m saddenen to see this type of behavior from a coaching staff. The language ,demoralizing kids, fighting…the entire program is out of control. So what if they were successful,what about the kids who aren’t recruited ? How do this caoching staff impact there
    lives? Football is a great game ,I had the opportunity to play
    high school and to go on and play D1,it’s also about developing young men and there character for life after football. I’m truly troubled
    about what i just saw.

  • James

    First of all, you probably should have posted some background information regarding this since people seem to believe that’s the current MNW staff.

    This video came out in 2003 and the entire staff was soon fired after a sex/grades/ etc. scandal hit.

    @Jim

    This is the ghetto. All these players live in the hood and all the coaches were graduates of the school. If you only know the ghetto then you think the ghetto is how everyone acts.

    The new coaching staff has cleaned up a lot of that stuff. But MNW has long been a University of Miami feeder school and you can see why the U has had trouble with bad behavior in the past. They take these kids an they have no clue how to act in college.

  • Matt

    IF anyone read the book “We own this game” about pop warner football in Miami this is the HS that was featured in the book as the program most of the pop warner teams feed to. The team was basically funded by drug dealers money, players were paid and had stuff bought for them by dealers in the community.

    Pretty harsh place, I guess this just shows that talent will win you a decent amount of games even in spite of poor coaching and poor ethics.

  • Homyrrh

    Definitely worth the two-week wait, Coach Brown. Especially entertaining in light of the greatly entertaining’The U’ that recently came out.

    And I, for one, could help but be amsued at the prospect of Jacory Harris coming up through that program. Puts Coach Carter in perspective.

  • Bill

    Needless to say these coaches and the school administration were all fired and I think possibly criminally prosecuted for covering up a rape by one of their star running backs.

  • County of Dade

    Its a great movie. Not a teaching tool but as a look into what goes on at one of the country’s great football high schools, a program much different from the rest of the powers in Florida and places like Texas and California.

    Also, I highly recommend “We Own This Game” by Robert Andrew Powell. It’s a fantastic book covering the inner city Miami football culture, with an emphasis on Optimist (Pop Warner). At one point in the book there is a big playoff game that gets stopped because someone in the crowd fired off a gun, ostensibly because they had placed a large bet on the game and were losing. The stories about the five digit wagers being placed on pop warner and high school games that come from the book and the movie are crazy and show the grip that football has on the community. Consider both a prequel for the ESPN Documentary about Miami Hurricane football, as it dissects the culture that produced such great players and such poor character.

  • PK

    Wow. I sometimes chastise myself for my language at practice. But this takes it to another level. Interesting post. Does anyone know where I can find the entire documentary?

  • Just Me

    PK, the DVD is available on Amazon.

  • OldSouth

    Good God. There are ways to motivate your players without sacrificing ethics and reinforcing these mentalities. No matter their SES.

  • Herb

    Extremely disappointed in the lack of explanation on this post.

    As James said above, “This video came out in 2003 and the entire staff was soon fired after a sex/grades/ etc. scandal hit.”

  • http://Justthinking.us Roanman

    Not worth watching.

    Stupid supposed men thinking they’re coaching up equaly stupid boys.

  • fcc74

    I did have to laugh at the part where the coach is going off about protecting your parents in the stand, and not letting the other team dis them…”It’s like someone coming into your house and taking the remote control!”…I’d have started laughing had I been there.

  • http://smartfootball og3636

    I understand now from reading the comments posted that this coaching staff was fired. I understand that this is hardcore inner city HS kids they are coaching….but these “COACHES” were way out of line and just as immature as their players.
    Their was no discipline shown or being taught by these “Coaches”. I had the opportunity to play college ball and I never saw a coach act remotely close to these coaches. Even in the 5 years I did in the US Army I did not hear someone being treated like this. Its one thing to use cuss words to motivate and emphasis a point, but as a leader you should set an example to your subordinates of the RIGHT WAY TO DO THINGS. And just because they might have won games does not mean this was the right way to do things. You never sacrifice Integrity, Honor, and Discipline for wins.Never.

  • donkeypunch22

    That was ridiculous. What a bunch of idiots pretending to be coaches. And I don’t care what the circumstances are, or where the school is, that type of behavior shouldn’t have lasted an afternoon.

    I did think it was funny that the coach who tackled the player gets sweeped and has to claim, “I have you in my gaurd!” Like he knows what to do with that position. He should have said, “Ok, I just got pwned, and now I’m on my back!”

    Please tell me those idiots are not coaching somewhere else.

  • Oskie

    Afer reading all of the comments I feel much better about our profession as high school coaches. Everyone was appalled at the behavior and almost all comments articulated the concerns about leadership, modeling, discipline, ethics, and the concern for the players. While some people were pissed about, “worth watching”, I did think it was worth watching, as it completely reinforeced my beliefs about what I am doing as a coach. We must all understand this was an abetration, not the norm.

  • Oskie

    Afer reading all of the comments I feel much better about our profession as high school coaches. Everyone was appalled at the behavior and almost all comments articulated the concerns about leadership, modeling, discipline, ethics, and the concern for the players. While some people were pissed about, “worth watching”, I did think it was worth watching, as it completely reinforeced my beliefs about what I am doing as a coach. We must all understand this was an aberration, not the norm.

  • Blondeviking64

    Im just glad that those coaches got fired. I can only hope that they dont work anywhere else. After the coach fought the player he told him that he loved him like a son. What he meant was, like a son that he beats rather than disciplines, yells at rather than teaches, and humiliates rather than venerates. Completely pathetic on all fronts. Those kind of things are the things I want to battle against as a coach. That was just plain wrong. Explaining it away as coming from a rough place or a ghetto sure doesnt make me feel any better about it. In my experience those kids need the positive role models more than anyone else since there may not be as many around them. But instead they were beaten. Im sorry to ramble but I have nothing but hatred for people that hit kids, even if they are 16-18 year olds with the body of men. Disgusting

  • matt

    anyone know what Taurean Charles is up to now… arena ball, cfl?…?

  • headsigh

    After being dismissed from Florida he went to Bethune-Cookman and went undrafted in 2007. He went to a Pro Day for the NFL in March. Second team All-MEAC, though

  • TAYLORMADE

    PEOPLE PEOPLE PEOPLE, THOSE COACHES THAT WERE TALKING LIKE THAT WAS FIRED THAT NEXT YEAR! MOST OF THOSE COACHES DIDN’T GO TO NORTHWESTERN, GET YOUR FACTS RIGHT! AGAIN THAT WAS IN 01 NOT 03 STOP GETTING MISLEAD ABOUT WHAT PEOPLE ARE WRITING WHO KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT NW! WE BEAT SLC WITH A DIFFERENT STAFF JUST DONT BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU READ

  • TAYLORMADE

    COUNTY OF DADE YOU ARE RIGHT. I SEE THOSE BETS ALL THE TIME. PEOPLE BET THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS ON YOUTH GAMES ALL THE TIME! THIS PAST YEAR WITH THE TEAMS THAT PLAYED IN THE POP WARNER SUPERBOWL IN ORLANDO I KNOW PEOPLE THAT PLACED BETS ON 2 OF THE TEAMS AND WON BIG TIME! ITS THE WAY OF LIFE DOWN HERE! KIDS/PLAYERS ARE VERY GOOD DOWN HERE SO PEOPLE TRY TO MAKE MONEY OFF OF THEM. ITS NO NO STATE HAVE BETTER PLAYERS THAN DADE COUNTY ITS JUST WE DONT HAVE ANYONE TO COACH THESE KIDS

  • 1-AAAAASouth Georgia

    I played high school 10 years ago for a coach out of the bear byant model….Our coaches talked like that…As far as fighting the players thats just crazy

  • michiganTide

    If you think that was the “The Bear Bryant” wow, i don’t know where to start to tell you how far off you are.

    As far as the video, Taylormade, I feel sorry for y’all but those coaches should not have lasted the rest of that day. I also feel bad that you can’t get kids to coach those kids. We have similar in the intercity up here, no good coaches last. We move to “easier” better paying jobs in places with less problems. I do miss the kids I had when I was in the city but the headaches are too much.

    I felt like I needed to send this to every coach I knew. I thought it was fake when it first started. I had a game last year and we could hear the coaches in the next lockerroom cussing up a storm about me and my kids. I did not say a word and we just listened. Went out and scored 37-0 in the first 7 minutes of the game.

  • http://www.walkinfeed.com india jobs

    solved properly asap.

  • Dicky Phalange

    Glad to see there were no negative black stereotypes in this documentary

  • mike swift

    and thats just why players out of miami florida reign supreme in the league now thats all we have down there is football either that or we sell drugs….the highschool is right across the street from a big project housing development soo 98 percent of the school lives in poverty only people who dont understand the lifes and struggles of growing up in miami will never understand the methods we have to make our kids better and thats why we dominate from youth to highschool to college and the pros.

  • Andrew

    I bet a coach of a different ethnic background would not have challenged him like that. Some of the profanity was or is a bit extreme.

  • GLOHOUND FROM THE 305

    I agree with Mike Swift if you did’nt grow up down here in Miami you may think you know but you have no idea. Football is a major thing down here and as a kid that is really the only sport you want to play. What everyone here don’t understand is that if you went to school at The West (Northwestern)you were apart of somthing special(history). When the west have a big game I don’t care what school you went to you were there(Broward county and all) because it was The West, that is just the school everybody wanted to be involved with.

  • GLOHOUND FROM THE 305

    I agree with Mike Swift if you did’nt grow up down here in Miami you may think you know but you have no idea. Football is a major thing down here and as a kid that is really the only sport you want to play. What everyone here don’t understand is that if you went to school at The West (Northwestern)you were apart of somthing special(history). When the west have a big game I don’t care what school you went to you were there(Broward county and all) because it was The West, that is just the school everybody wanted to be involved with.

  • All American

    No excuses!  I have seen this before, not to this extreme but never the less this was truly un-American!!!  Though this documentary was many years ago, I am sure this type of coaching style still exists.  Great example of what not to do in order to develop strong competent men for future leadership roles in there families, work, and future endeavors.  

  • Daloncoleman

    I dont care how big you think football is in Miami.  That is absolutely no justification for what went on that place.  I coach in Texas and I like to think we know just a little bit about big time HS football.  What those coaches did was a disgrace.  They committed dozens of acts that would have them fired in about two seconds here in these parts.

    Six players steal from Pizza Hut, no problem play on
    Coaches verbally and physically abuse players, no problem they love them like sons.   Lets all pray now.

    What a joke.

  • Anonymous

    I know I am joining this discussion super late but I feel it necessary to comment. The same tactics that work in many middle class, suburban areas do not work in inner city, poverty ridden schools. I actually attended Miami Northwestern (class of 2005) and I witnessed this type of treatment from all members of the staff, including school security, teachers, and even the principal (yelling on a bull horn, chasing kids into the neighboring housing projects in attempts to keep then from skipping class). Its the way of life there. And this documentary was filmed during a time people were beginning to think the school was finally getting better. You all are appauled at their behavior because you dont deal with what they have to deal with. Its difficult to gain the respect of these kids. They are so quick to curse you out or try to harm you physically that in order to get through to them, you must resort to using the methods they understand. ive been in a class where a large science text book was thrown at a small asian teachers face because many of the students were upset that she administered a difficult test. The methods of this coaching staff is nothing new to them. Their own parents treat them worse than this. Its the harsh reality of the situation. So instead passing judgement on the way the football program is ran, why dont you try to help solve the problem. Donate to the school systems so thI know at they may be able to afford teachers and staff who werent raised in those conditions themselves. Give to afterschool programs to create well rounded children who could possibly turn into adults who wont treat their own children this way. Support initiatives to help rebuild the communities schools like this are in. Dont just sit behind your computer and shake your head. It will not stop anything. And for the record, many of the players who graduated from this school turned out to be well adjusted members of the community and well behaved college and professional athletes. Please stop with the generalizations because you sound just as ignorant as these coaches.

  • Anonymous

    I know I am joining this discussion super late but I feel it necessary to comment. The same tactics that work in many middle class, suburban areas do not work in inner city, poverty ridden schools. I actually attended Miami Northwestern (class of 2005) and I witnessed this type of treatment from all members of the staff, including school security, teachers, and even the principal (yelling on a bull horn, chasing kids into the neighboring housing projects in attempts to keep then from skipping class). Its the way of life there. And this documentary was filmed during a time people were beginning to think the school was finally getting better. You all are appauled at their behavior because you dont deal with what they have to deal with. Its difficult to gain the respect of these kids. They are so quick to curse you out or try to harm you physically that in order to get through to them, you must resort to using the methods they understand. ive been in a class where a large science text book was thrown at a small asian teachers face because many of the students were upset that she administered a difficult test. The methods of this coaching staff is nothing new to them. Their own parents treat them worse than this. Its the harsh reality of the situation. So instead passing judgement on the way the football program is ran, why dont you try to help solve the problem. Donate to the school systems so thI know at they may be able to afford teachers and staff who werent raised in those conditions themselves. Give to afterschool programs to create well rounded children who could possibly turn into adults who wont treat their own children this way. Support initiatives to help rebuild the communities schools like this are in. Dont just sit behind your computer and shake your head. It will not stop anything. And for the record, many of the players who graduated from this school turned out to be well adjusted members of the community and well behaved college and professional athletes. Please stop with the generalizations because you sound just as ignorant as these coaches.