Dick Butkus chided Montour football players for poor attitudes, right on national television. He questioned their heart on ESPN's weekly reality show "Bound For Glory."

 

Then Montour's pseudo head coach bailed on the team with two games left in the season.

 

Butkus left Saturday, one day after Montour's record dropped to 1-6 with a 34-3 loss at New Castle. Butkus, an Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker, told the team Thursday he was leaving. He told Montour's "real" head coach he was leaving because he had fulfilled his contract for the show.

 

Lou Cerro was hired as Montour's head coach this past winter. But Butkus was installed as head coach when ESPN picked Montour to be the subject of a weekly reality show at 10 p.m. Tuesdays. The show has aired three times and has five more episodes.

 

"He basically told me two weeks ago that he was going to be out of here," Cerro said. "He said he was contracted to work only eight weeks."

 

Also gone is Montour assistant coach Ray Crockett, a former Denver Broncos defensive back who was brought in by the show's producers to help Butkus coach. But through it all, Cerro remained the coach in charge.

 

Montour has two regular-season games remaining and is out of WPIAL playoff contention. Cerro said only one camera will be at practices and games the final two weeks. Until now, there were six or seven cameras around.

 

"They're telling us that to do the final two weeks of the season would cost them between $1.5 million and $2 million," Cerro said.

 

Montour senior quarterback Nick DiIanni didn't mind having Butkus as "coach."

 

"I thought he was very motivating with the speeches he gave," DiIanni said.

 

But DiIanni also said the show is misleading.

 

"Some of the stuff isn't too real, but I guess that's how shows are," DiIanni said.

 

The show portrayed Butkus as the "real" coach and rarely showed Cerro. Butkus also was highly critical of players on the show.

 

Montour senior linebacker Morgan Singletary was a little miffed by Butkus at times.

 

"I understood most of the stuff he was saying," Singletary said. "But at times, it was awkward the way he would yell at us. He wouldn't really talk to us at all during practice, then he'd come out and start yelling at us at the end. That was awkward.

 

"If I had my choice, I probably would not want to do this again. I met a lot of cool people, but I would've just rather had coach Cerro. I think it would've been a lot of fun, with or without cameras. Without cameras, there would've been a lot less problems."

 

Cerro said Butkus told him he would be back next Friday for Montour's final regular-season game at West Allegheny. While in town since August, Butkus lived in a trailer park in Harmony and a smaller trailer at the school.

 

"He said he hasn't seen his wife since April," Cerro said.

 

"Maybe this will bring some sanity back to the whole program. The kids know no one is here now but me and the rest of the coaches. They're not going to have to worry about television interview times or things like that."

 

Cerro is not bitter about the whole experience.

 

"At times it was a distraction, but I went with the flow and just tried to make it work for the school and the kids," he said.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05284/586291.stm

Ah "reality" television.

 

Gotta love it.

While in town since August, Butkus lived in a trailer park in Harmony and a smaller trailer at the school.

 

Movin' on up......

I don't know why they picked Montour. They have one of the worst programs in the area.

What a Dick.

"I can't couch losers"

 

Butkus was an amazing player but just a major league a hole since his last playing days. Wasn't he supposed to coach The Chicago Enforcers of the xfl but backed out right before the league started and took a corporate job?

What a Dick.

 

 

 

I thought he was a but personally

I don't know why they picked Montour. They have one of the worst programs in the area.

 

I think that is exactly why they picked them.

They should have put "Bound for Glory" in quotations like me.

 

Besides, it's just high school football. It's not like college or the pros. There's no reason for these kids to not be enjoying and having fun with the game, as opposed to treating like a job.

I met Butkus personally before and he was very nice. Maybe I caught him on a good day... nonetheless, best middle linebacker of all time.

Besides, it's just high school football. It's not like college or the pros. There's no reason for these kids to not be enjoying and having fun with the game, as opposed to treating like a job.

 

 

That all depends on the coaching staff. Some certainly make you feel like it's a job, mine sure did.

I live about 10 miles from Berwick and George Curry kills those kids by how hard he pushes them. Although the program isn't the same as it was before the recruiting scandal, Curry would kill those kids and it payed off as they were always ranked the best in the country, but he was never able to produce a great pro because each and everyone burnt out right around college.

Besides, it's just high school football. It's not like college or the pros. There's no reason for these kids to not be enjoying and having fun with the game, as opposed to treating like a job.

 

 

That all depends on the coaching staff. Some certainly make you feel like it's a job, mine sure did.

 

And yet the team still sucked every year. Go figure.

 

I'm not saying if they'd have treated it like a game you wouldn't have lost, I was just making the statement that ya'll sucked.