Edsall talks discipline and changes in College Park

It was amusing to see this item on Deadspin get some attention this afternoon for the simple reason it dealt with Maryland football coach Randy Edsall and his myriad rules and regulations.

Just a couple hours before it was posted, Edsall launched an extended monologue on how such things as not wearing hats in a building and taking names off Maryland's jerseys are being received and how he views such changes.

Rather than chime in with extended thoughts of minimal consequence (beyond pointing out there are far greater issues of substance that actually change the outcome of games than a name on a uniform, which isn't an endorsement either for or against that practice but rather an observation), here's Edsall's unvarnished take from his session with reporters Thursday afternoon.

Q: I'm just curious about anytime you come into a new situation, you're trying to change the culture a little bit, not that there's anything wrong before, but do it the Randy Edsall way or the way you want things done, like no hats in the building, for example, no names on the back of the uniforms. I'm just wondering how the sort --- I guess there's a little sort of tugging and pulling to bring people along and maybe some pushing back on the part of the players. I'm wondering how all that has gone from your perspective.

Edsall: I think it's gone great. I think a lot of people have made a mountain out of a molehill, to tell you the truth. Some people come to me and say I don't allow chewing gum in here. That's the first I ever heard of that, you know? I think there's a lot of misinformation out there in terms of people wanting to write stuff and fabricate things about what's going on.

To me, if it's wrong to tell someone to make sure they don't have their hat on in the building, I guess I was raised the wrong way. I guess if trying to be polite to people and treat people the way you want to be treated, if that's a big issue now in 2012, 2011, I'm glad I grew up when I did, because it got me to a point where I think it's allowed me to be pretty successful.

I think what people miss the boat on, I think people can have their space and be able to do certain things, but it's just like when you're involved with anything, there's certain rules and regulations that every company, every organization has.

But I think what happens is, when you're talking about young people, one of the jobs I have --- some people don't think this --- but it's to develop these young men so they can be successful because most of them aren't going to be playing in the NFL. They're going to have to go out and get a job. They're going to have to learn how to interview. They're going have to learn how to conduct themselves in a manner that's going to allow them to get that job and be successful the rest of their life and then continue to --- because the world is getting very competitive. It's getting very competitive.

Funny Soccer Team Names | Soccer Geek

Arsenal

Young Boys

Brest

Naughty Boys

Deportivo Wanka

Joe Public

SC Feucht

Hamburger

Botswana Meat Commission FC

Avispa Fukuoka

Hallelujah FC (no longer operative)

King Faisal Babes

Playtime Tigers

Semen Padang

Wankie FC

KFC Winterslag

Deportivo Moron

Just a few of these – feel free to add your own in the comments section at the end…