Give ‘Coach’ Obama a chance to succeed

John Sloan, Las Vegas

Monday, April 13, 2009 | 2:04 a.m.

When President Barack Obama picked the North Carolina Tar Heels to win the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski, in a lighthearted response, said the president should tend to the business of fixing the economy. Coach K went on to say of the new president, “I love the guy, and I think he’s gonna be great.”

March Madness may be over, but the political madness rages on. Still, using basketball as a metaphor, the American owners (voters) hired a new coach and acquired a host of new players in the preseason.

But dissension has erupted in the locker room over who’s on the starting team and the strategy and game plan of the new coach. Unfortunately, some team members who no longer have starting roles, as well as some members of the former coaching staff, have now become openly critical of the new head coach’s strategy and his starting lineup.

I’d like to hear Coach K’s take on how he would handle this situation. America has a new head coach in his first season. He has the semblance of a solid starting team and a bold game plan. I think the prospects for a successful tournament run are good if he gets team support from his bench. There’s lots of talent there. But, with all the bickering and hurt feelings among the former starters, getting to the championship round is going to be a test.

Make no mistake. We are one team. As fans, we may grumble about who is starting or whether the coach should stress offense or defense. Regardless, we all want every team member to give 100 percent. Any player who doesn’t should be benched and eventually traded, and that goes for the Party of No. Good luck, Team America! I love our new coach!