Davis good for players, fans

If I were an employer looking to hire you at McDonald's, what would I want to know about you, besides whether you had a pulse? I would want to have some idea of how you would perform on the job, right? Or make sure you wouldn't take half an hour to assemble a Happy Meal. Or spike the shake machine with a laxative. Or urinate wildly all over the bathroom walls when you were supposed to be mopping the floor. You get the idea -- employers want positive results from their employees.\nNow imagine you're an employer who's considering hiring a worker who had already proven his worth -- an experienced member of the staff shown to be competent. \nNo thang but a chicken wang, right? \nWell, ladies and gentlemen, interim head coach Mike Davis is that tried and true employee, and we should promote him to permanent head coach immediately! \nAnd he's never messed with the shake machine.\nThere are many reasons why we should keep Davis as our head coach. Oh, you were waiting for me to list a few? You should've said something. \nImprovement\nOur team has won seven of its last nine ball games. We didn't win seven of our first nine. This means we're improving by leaps and (re)bounds. Get that? \nNot to make excuses for the man, but I think we can pardon the team's inconsistency at the beginning of the season. After all, he did have some big waders to fill. \nPsychologically non-damaging\nAnother great reason to keep Davis right where he is: his players want to play for him. They aren't scared of being hit with chairs or flying debris. And no one is waving poop in their faces. I'd assert that players perform best when they are driven by a will to succeed, rather than by a fear of failure. \nCall me crazy, but I don't see any more great player migrations taking place under his reign. The Jason Colliers and Luke Reckers of the world might take off their warm-ups and stay a while. They may have been whiners, but who knows how they would've acted under a coach who gently nudged them in the right direction. It's all about getting the most from your players. \nOh sure, a few more might consider heading to the NBA early, which, if you think about it, is a no-brainer if you plan on playing basketball as a career. You can always go back and get a degree; it's called the off-season.\nThe Court of Public Opinion\nAs several of my colleagues at the IDS pointed out, the fans want Davis. It is sad that fan appreciation generally goes hand-in-hand with winning. Let's face it, sports fans are fickle, but the good news is that we are winning! Regardless of how the team performs in the future, we know Davis is capable. And isn't capability what we're after in a head coach? Yes sireee! \nSome people are quick to point out that Davis is not a dynamic speaker. Well, odds are, neither are you. Is he being paid to speak or is he being paid to coach basketball? That's what I thought. And it's kind of refreshing to see a head coach on our sideline remain calm while chaos rules around him. He spends less time yelling and more time coaching.\nSo let's do what's right and bombard our new athletics director, Michael McNeely, with friendly e-mails showing our warm regard for Davis. Besides, we probably know more about the situation than he does. He's been here for five days; I've been here for five years. \nGo to the games and support the team. Show both coach and team that we appreciate them. If they lose, be patient. This is only the beginning for Coach D.