Quote Originally Posted by RapmasterAC View Post
They're not synonymous...at all.

"Playing the victim" is defeatism and involves blaming others for your misfortune.

Playing with a "chip on your shoulder" is about rejecting that path by aggressively channeling your energy towards your opponent or obstacle. Every single athlete and coach who ever lived has used this mentality to motivate themselves and others. It doesn't matter if you're winless or undefeated. Playing with a "chip on your shoulder" every time you go out there is what coaches and players aspire to do...it's the perfect competitive mentality..

WADR, I must disagree.

When one feels like a victim they want to "get even" and "show the world". Hence, they play with a "chip on their shoulder".

And it may work for a short time, but at a huge emotional cost, which results in a team with huge highs and huge lows.

e.g., Duke then BC last year. A winners mindset does need this emotional ploy, because they are going to lay in on the line every game.

It is the job of the coach not to get too excited or too down and that will keep the team focused on the task at hand.

As an aside, read some of Coach Wooden's philosophy, if you have time. CFB says it a little differently, "Things are never as good as they seem nor as bad as they seem".

Every coach leads by example whether that is their intention or not. CSG seems not to understand this simple fact, or he may feel like what he doing on the sidelines is somehow helping the team. Some on here even believe that he is a breath of fresh air compared to CFB.

You might want to ask yourself why we have had this repeating pattern over the last 8+ years of winning a huge game and then turn around and get burned by an inferior team.

In any case, I suggest that we agree to disagree on this issue as I am guessing that you are as hard over on you view as I am in mine.