Brooks questioned McClanahan's manhood and insulted him by calling him a 'cake-eater'. McClanahan, a left-winger, was severely injured during the game against Sweden which ended in a 2-2 draw. The reason that Coach Brooks attacked McClanahan was probably because the Americans had not played well in their first Olympic test. The disagreement between Coach Brooks and Rob McClanahan illustrates Brooks' philosophy. One of them was: 'This team isn't talented enough to win on talent alone.' The players had a notebook called 'Brookisms' which was filled with Coach Brooks' notes of advice. The message he wanted to send to the players using this technique was to teach them that they were going to overcome all obstacles as a team.
Coach Brooks berated the team as a motivational method to get them to work hard and be successful. An effective technique Brooks used was to try to unify his team against him. He used this technique on many occasions. And when they had done all they could, he demanded them to do more. By the time of the 1980s Olympics, the players were ready to do their best. He demanded that the players work their hardest and do their best. Coach Brooks did not make the players believe they could win gold.
Herb Brooks was a coach who made his players think and act.
