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How to delicately tell a teammate that they kinda suck

C

CarlKillerMiller

Diamond Member
I'm the captain of our High school's trivia bowl team, and one of the five starters really isn't making the cut. he's good in practice (earning him the starter spot) but really, really fails in matches. We lost a key tourney today because of this.

We have another player, not a starter, who does the same kind of subject as this guy, and I want to find a way to kindly tell him that the non-starter (who somehow finds time to independently study, but is a bit slower on the buzzer) is better than he is. We take this pretty damn seriously, as we're one of the top teams in the state.

The kicker: I've been friends with the sucky guy since grade school.


P.S. I know that this is AT< but no suggestions for murder, or "rainman-ing" him.
 
Why don't you just open your mind and shut your mouth, both are empty anyway.
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Errors have been made. Others will be blamed. Get TF out of our club
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Do you want me to accept you as you are or do you want me to like you? If you want me to like you, Get TF out of our club
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I'm not as dumb as you look.
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Judging by the old saying, "What you don't know can't hurt you," you're practically invulnerable. Since your feeling are invulnerable, Get TF out of our club. Never enter a battle of wits unarmed dumbass
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Originally posted by: shinerburke
Trivia Bowl Team? Oh come on now....I bet you guys even get your asses kicked by the Debate Club
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Yeah. I bet it gets pretty ugly too since they are rearing to get revenge on anyone after teh football team manhandled them.
 
and one of the five starters really isn't making the cut. he's good in practice (earning him the starter spot) but really, really fails in matches.
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Maybe, he just gets a little nervous during the actual matches. Have you considered offering him some Valium to see if this improves things?

 
get the whole team together, and say: "everyone who is going to compete today take one step forward". when he lunges forward, hold him back and say: "not so fast".
 
Okay, okay. Here's the corporate way.

Go to all the other teammates. Tell each how wonderful they are. Have a serious talk with them about who they think is the strongest one on the team (second to them, of course). Nod, agree, be really nice, get them into a really good mood, make them think you are their best friend in the world.

Then ask them if they know what the problem is with the dude you want to get rid of. They'll be sucked into some complaint or other. Look stern &amp; serious, but don't agree or disagree - make them think it's all their opinion.

Then, after you've talked to everybody, start over again and say "so-and-so said blahblah about person X - you're a great judge of character, do you think they might have a point?" Listen, become best friends, etc. Repeat with every other teammate.

Talk to everybody else involved (adult advisors, anybody possible). Say that X is wonderful but you've been hearing complaints, how do they feel? Really get the buzz going, and pretend that you are defending X.

By now X will probably notice that you've talked to everyone but him. If he asks you what's up, you can truthfully &amp; cheerfully say "oh, things are fine - I hope!"

Finally, get together with the "other" teammates and the "new" one and have a strategy session, how are we going to deal with the match coming up, etc.

When X hears about this, with luck he will get mad. Then you merely use his anger as an excuse, you're trying out someone else because X is a little too hotheaded for a cool match.

If he isn't mad, thank him for being such a valuable member of the back-up team and tell him how glad you are to be able to rely on his team spirit. Suck up to him. Listen, become good friends.

At any rate, unless he is a genius at politics, he will have some sort of reaction that you can use against him. Good luck.

Etc. Get the idea?
 
Say "we're gonna try starting B this time and see if that works better, I think we should have won that last tournament so we have to change something."

oh, trivia bowl sucks.
 
isn't there any kind of adult supervision of the team? if there's a coach or anything i'd really try to dump it on them.

or help the better alternate get good enough to beat the guy in practice.
 
pft. if he is NOT makeing doing the job when it needs to be done then get someone else who can. Be nice but honest and firm. Just tell him he is hurting the team with how he performs and you have given him chance after chance. Tell him you want to give so and so a shot.

 
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