Sometimes, things happen in life that you later realize have changed your course forever. In the case of UCONN, that moment occurred when Shabazz Napier, who won a National Title with the Huskies his freshman year under Jim Calhoun, stuck to his word when he committed and stayed with the Huskies despite the unjustified, double punishment, postseason ban.
Storrs and the rest of the state of Connecticut will honor the rest of his teammates and coaches, especially fellow loyalists Niels Giffey and Tyler Olander, over the coming days and into the weekend.
I wrote back on December 2nd, after the emotional and electrifying buzzer beater to beat the Floida Gators at Gampel, the following:
"Shabazz's decision to stay in Storrs, especially after his mentor Jim Calhoun swiftly retired amid the NCAA sanctions, was the turning point to keeping this program afloat. The Kevin Ollie appointment no doubt will solidify things long after Shabazz leaves Storrs, but minus the Roxbury, MA native, Ollie may not have survived his seven month trial run given to him by athletic director Warde Manuel.
That is what makes Monday nights' event that much more spectacular. Shabazz, Niels Giffey and Tyler Olander could have easily turned their backs on the program following the NCAA's hammer given to the men's basketball program.
When all is said and done come year's end, UCONN can thank these seniors for sticking it out and honoring the commitment they made to state U. Senior day at Gampel is going to be special. UCONN fans should enjoy every moment from here on out, because during this Thanksgiving season, they have a lot to be thankful for."
The school rewarded Shabazz Tuesday by adding him to the 'Huskies of Honor,' a special group of UCONN players that made an impact not only on their respective teams, but the program and school as a whole. It marked only the second time since its' inception that a player was added immediately after his final game; Kemba Walker being the other in 2011.
It should come as no surprise that the school would give him this prestigious honor. After everything that transpired; the buzzer beaters, oh were there buzzer beaters, the pep talks, the Larry Bird esque calling out teammates in the media and quiet confidence that this team would get the job done.
What more important a time for this University than what we've witnessed the past few weeks. A school, who is underservedly on the outside looking in, in conference realignment, with the future of UCONN at stake, not only did UCONN fans come through in filling up Madison Square Garden, yet again, but the players put it all on the line and came through victorious time and time again.
UCONN fans, this school and this state will forever be indebted to Shabazz and all his teammates, for what they did during this championship run. Remember this well because we may never see the likes of it again. Thank you Huskies, thank you KO and a simple message to the NCAA, "THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU BAN US!"
Thursday, April 10, 2014
Monday, April 7, 2014
The False Portrayal of UCONN Athletics Continues
We've heard the nauseating diatribe over and over again, football drives the bus in conference realignment and will continue to do so moving forward and thus resides the downfall of UCONN athletics.
Texas A&M women's head basketball coach Gary Blair piled on recently when he told the Hartford Courant, "I think what is likely holding UConn back is the football program. Unfortunately, it doesn't matter how good their basketball teams or other teams are; football pays the bills and until they improve their football, they probably won't be invited to play in the right conference."
With all due respect to the Hall of Fame coach and every supposed sports expert in the media, UCONN football is not holding anyone back. Let's take a look at this on a factual basis and not as a false pretense that creates a perception that is completely off base.
Have on-field results lacked over the past couple of seasons for the UCONN football program? Yes. Look, any time a school loses nine consecutive games, the season is deemed an utter failure, the team is reported on like the little sisters of the poor and the players and coaches are ridiculed by not only columnists, but by their own fans and fellow classmates.
However, if we want to have an honest dialogue and a true assessment of the UCONN football program as a whole, which has not occurred by anyone, including the school itself, the following surely needs to be talked about.
First up is talent:
UCONN currently has 19 former players on NFL rosters, good for 33rd among all schools nationwide. This puts the Huskies ahead of programs that include the likes of Auburn, Baylor, Kansas State, Louisville, Michigan State, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss and Washington.
The school also had five players selected in the 2013 NFL draft, good for 10th among all schools, tied with offensive powerhouse Oregon and Texas A&M. Only Florida State (11), Alabama (9), LSU (9), Florida (8), Georgia (8), Rutgers (7), South Carolina (7), Notre Dame (6) and Oklahoma (6), had more.
Not bad for a basketball school, egh?
Next is fan support:
Flash back to November 21st, 2009. The scene is Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, IN. UCONN running back Andre Dixon just scampered off left tackle and walked into the end zone to defeat the Fighting Irish 33-30 in double OT. The post-game interview with head coach Randy Edsall is broadcast nationwide on NBC. UCONN fans are heard boisterously over the comments coming from an emotional head coach who had just lost not only a player, but a son in Jasper Howard just a few weeks before.
Then, there is this take on that historic day for the young Huskies program, from the South Bend Tribune.
"They woke up the echoes after the game last Saturday. Or at least I think the ghosts of Rockne, Leahy, the Gipper and the Four Horsemen would have found it kind of hard to rest with the sound of “We are U-Conn” resounding through the bowels of Notre Dame Stadium after the Irish lost, 33-30, in two overtimes. Maybe the ghosts of Notre Dame legends past thought they were at a basketball game because it certainly sounded like January in Storrs."
UCONN doesn't travel for football? Puh-lease.
Want a take on Rentschler Field, the football home of the Huskies? How about one from former Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III.
"When you were at Baylor, what was the toughest place for you to play in terms of crowd noise?" His answer was somewhat surprising. "The thing that people think is when you go to these big stadiums and they have 80,000 people or 100,000 people, that these are the toughest stadiums to play at, but really, those aren't," Griffin said. "When you have that many people, most of the time, the fans are pretty far away from the field. The toughest places to play are the ones that are jam-packed, are really tight to the field and sit about 45,000 people." Here comes the best part. "When we played at UConn my freshman year, that was the loudest place I've ever been as a football player," Griffin continued. "The stands are right next to the field, it was packed, and everyone was yelling. That was probably the coolest place for me to play..."
Not bad for a school that only plays basketball, huh?
You want facilities? UCONN has facilities. There's this from new UCONN recruiting coordinator Kevin Wolfhausen.
“Gosh I had no idea,” Wolfhausen said. “I mean I knew they had a nice facility but I had no idea it was this nice. Whether it does or doesn’t time will tell and be the true indicator, but it’s a show-me world. Don’t tell me how good you are. Show me. Now, you could say the same thing to me but the thing is we have every opportunity to put this place in front of a lot of people because any time you’re new you’ve got a chance. I mean just look around at this place. You have something to sell."
Finally, let's talk about on-field results, the one thing that matters above all else. While the Huskies did lose nine games a year ago, they also finished the season on a high note, winning their final three, including a 45-10 thrashing of Memphis to close out the year. It needs to be said that terrible teams don't make conference mates look foolish like the Huskies did that day.
You want to talk about conference titles? UCONN has two on their resume since 2007. A Fiesta Bowl appearance? You bet. A dominant win over an SEC powerhouse in a bowl game? Yep. Let's not forget that trip to South Bend mentioned above. How about the team the SEC's Florida Gators lost to in the 2013 Sugar Bowl? You guessed it, UCONN outlasted Louisville on the road that year in overtime.
Since 2007, UCONN has posted a 44-40 regular season record, won two conference championships, appeared in four consecutive bowl games (winning two) and made a BCS bowl appearance.
The 44 wins by a 'fledgling' program are more than or equal to the following P5 conference schools over the same time period:
ACC
Duke (32)
Maryland (36)
NC State (41)
Syracuse (34)
Virginia (35)
Wake Forest (38)
Big Ten
Illinois (37)
Indiana (29)
Minnesota (34)
Purdue (33)
Big XII
Iowa State (31)
Kansas (25)
Pac-12
Cal (38)
Colorado (27)
UCLA (44)
Washington (37)
Washington State (23)
SEC
Arkansas (42)
Kentucky (35)
Mississippi State (44)
Ole Miss (39)
Tennessee (42)
Vanderbilt (37)
Long story short, UCONN football has been much more closer to respectable than awful as many would have you believe. Twenty-three P5 conference programs have had equal or vastly worse records since 2007.
The worst that can possibly be said about the program is they are an average, middle of the pack program, nothing more, nothing less.
As the sports world turns it's attention to Dallas and Nashville over the next two nights as champions are crowned, what many could see is the continuation of an unbelievable run by the most dominating school in the sport. Wins by both the men and women would give UCONN 13 National Championships on the hardwood since 1999; four by the men and nine by the women. The men would have two more than any other program over that same time period. Yes Duke, Kentucky and North Carolina, like it or not, UCONN has been the preeminent men's college basketball school over the past 15 years.
The women can break the tie with Tennessee for the most titles all-time with a win over fellow unbeaten Notre Dame on Tuesday.
Whether or not Storrs will once again be home to two champions in March just as they were ten seasons ago, one thing is for certain. Actions always speak louder than words, wins count far more than anything else in sport. Football may drive the bus come Fall, but during the Madness of March, basketball is always front and center.
UCONN has received all the positive publicity it could ask for over the past three weeks, from overtaking Madison Square Garden in the all important market of New York City, to 40 minutes away from completing another improbable run. Come the end of these forty minutes, don't be surprised to see old state U exploring their conference options. It would be stupid for any of the ACC, Big Ten, Big XII and SEC to take a pass.
Texas A&M women's head basketball coach Gary Blair piled on recently when he told the Hartford Courant, "I think what is likely holding UConn back is the football program. Unfortunately, it doesn't matter how good their basketball teams or other teams are; football pays the bills and until they improve their football, they probably won't be invited to play in the right conference."
With all due respect to the Hall of Fame coach and every supposed sports expert in the media, UCONN football is not holding anyone back. Let's take a look at this on a factual basis and not as a false pretense that creates a perception that is completely off base.
Have on-field results lacked over the past couple of seasons for the UCONN football program? Yes. Look, any time a school loses nine consecutive games, the season is deemed an utter failure, the team is reported on like the little sisters of the poor and the players and coaches are ridiculed by not only columnists, but by their own fans and fellow classmates.
However, if we want to have an honest dialogue and a true assessment of the UCONN football program as a whole, which has not occurred by anyone, including the school itself, the following surely needs to be talked about.
First up is talent:
UCONN currently has 19 former players on NFL rosters, good for 33rd among all schools nationwide. This puts the Huskies ahead of programs that include the likes of Auburn, Baylor, Kansas State, Louisville, Michigan State, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss and Washington.
The school also had five players selected in the 2013 NFL draft, good for 10th among all schools, tied with offensive powerhouse Oregon and Texas A&M. Only Florida State (11), Alabama (9), LSU (9), Florida (8), Georgia (8), Rutgers (7), South Carolina (7), Notre Dame (6) and Oklahoma (6), had more.
Not bad for a basketball school, egh?
Next is fan support:
Flash back to November 21st, 2009. The scene is Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, IN. UCONN running back Andre Dixon just scampered off left tackle and walked into the end zone to defeat the Fighting Irish 33-30 in double OT. The post-game interview with head coach Randy Edsall is broadcast nationwide on NBC. UCONN fans are heard boisterously over the comments coming from an emotional head coach who had just lost not only a player, but a son in Jasper Howard just a few weeks before.
Then, there is this take on that historic day for the young Huskies program, from the South Bend Tribune.
"They woke up the echoes after the game last Saturday. Or at least I think the ghosts of Rockne, Leahy, the Gipper and the Four Horsemen would have found it kind of hard to rest with the sound of “We are U-Conn” resounding through the bowels of Notre Dame Stadium after the Irish lost, 33-30, in two overtimes. Maybe the ghosts of Notre Dame legends past thought they were at a basketball game because it certainly sounded like January in Storrs."
UCONN doesn't travel for football? Puh-lease.
Want a take on Rentschler Field, the football home of the Huskies? How about one from former Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III.
"When you were at Baylor, what was the toughest place for you to play in terms of crowd noise?" His answer was somewhat surprising. "The thing that people think is when you go to these big stadiums and they have 80,000 people or 100,000 people, that these are the toughest stadiums to play at, but really, those aren't," Griffin said. "When you have that many people, most of the time, the fans are pretty far away from the field. The toughest places to play are the ones that are jam-packed, are really tight to the field and sit about 45,000 people." Here comes the best part. "When we played at UConn my freshman year, that was the loudest place I've ever been as a football player," Griffin continued. "The stands are right next to the field, it was packed, and everyone was yelling. That was probably the coolest place for me to play..."
Not bad for a school that only plays basketball, huh?
You want facilities? UCONN has facilities. There's this from new UCONN recruiting coordinator Kevin Wolfhausen.
“Gosh I had no idea,” Wolfhausen said. “I mean I knew they had a nice facility but I had no idea it was this nice. Whether it does or doesn’t time will tell and be the true indicator, but it’s a show-me world. Don’t tell me how good you are. Show me. Now, you could say the same thing to me but the thing is we have every opportunity to put this place in front of a lot of people because any time you’re new you’ve got a chance. I mean just look around at this place. You have something to sell."
Finally, let's talk about on-field results, the one thing that matters above all else. While the Huskies did lose nine games a year ago, they also finished the season on a high note, winning their final three, including a 45-10 thrashing of Memphis to close out the year. It needs to be said that terrible teams don't make conference mates look foolish like the Huskies did that day.
You want to talk about conference titles? UCONN has two on their resume since 2007. A Fiesta Bowl appearance? You bet. A dominant win over an SEC powerhouse in a bowl game? Yep. Let's not forget that trip to South Bend mentioned above. How about the team the SEC's Florida Gators lost to in the 2013 Sugar Bowl? You guessed it, UCONN outlasted Louisville on the road that year in overtime.
Since 2007, UCONN has posted a 44-40 regular season record, won two conference championships, appeared in four consecutive bowl games (winning two) and made a BCS bowl appearance.
The 44 wins by a 'fledgling' program are more than or equal to the following P5 conference schools over the same time period:
ACC
Duke (32)
Maryland (36)
NC State (41)
Syracuse (34)
Virginia (35)
Wake Forest (38)
Big Ten
Illinois (37)
Indiana (29)
Minnesota (34)
Purdue (33)
Big XII
Iowa State (31)
Kansas (25)
Pac-12
Cal (38)
Colorado (27)
UCLA (44)
Washington (37)
Washington State (23)
SEC
Arkansas (42)
Kentucky (35)
Mississippi State (44)
Ole Miss (39)
Tennessee (42)
Vanderbilt (37)
Long story short, UCONN football has been much more closer to respectable than awful as many would have you believe. Twenty-three P5 conference programs have had equal or vastly worse records since 2007.
The worst that can possibly be said about the program is they are an average, middle of the pack program, nothing more, nothing less.
As the sports world turns it's attention to Dallas and Nashville over the next two nights as champions are crowned, what many could see is the continuation of an unbelievable run by the most dominating school in the sport. Wins by both the men and women would give UCONN 13 National Championships on the hardwood since 1999; four by the men and nine by the women. The men would have two more than any other program over that same time period. Yes Duke, Kentucky and North Carolina, like it or not, UCONN has been the preeminent men's college basketball school over the past 15 years.
The women can break the tie with Tennessee for the most titles all-time with a win over fellow unbeaten Notre Dame on Tuesday.
Whether or not Storrs will once again be home to two champions in March just as they were ten seasons ago, one thing is for certain. Actions always speak louder than words, wins count far more than anything else in sport. Football may drive the bus come Fall, but during the Madness of March, basketball is always front and center.
UCONN has received all the positive publicity it could ask for over the past three weeks, from overtaking Madison Square Garden in the all important market of New York City, to 40 minutes away from completing another improbable run. Come the end of these forty minutes, don't be surprised to see old state U exploring their conference options. It would be stupid for any of the ACC, Big Ten, Big XII and SEC to take a pass.
Sunday, April 6, 2014
Phil Mushnick on Kevin Ollie: Lies, Ignorance and Incompetent Journalism
Saturday night saw Kevin Ollie's coaching brilliance in full display as UCONN overcame an early 16-4 deficit to roll past the Florida Gators 63-53 in the first national semifinal in North Texas. The insertion of Terrence Samuel, a freshman from Brooklyn, into UCONN's lineup, consisting of 3 ball-handling guards, along with Ryan Boatright and Shabazz Napier, caught the Gators off guard and single-handedly turned the tide in last night's widely perceived upset.
The only ones believing in UCONN prior to tip was UCONN themselves. Confidence has seeped into each and every one of the Huskies beings by the second year head coach. Ollie is one win away from a National Championship in just his second season as head man in Storrs. Hand picked by Jim Calhoun, by now everyone knows the story; eleven NBA teams throughout his 13 year career, mentoring LeBron James and Kevin Durant and returning to UCONN, taking his players under his wings and leading them to live life the right way; not only on the basketball court, but in every aspect of their lives.
So when Phil Mushnick of the New York Post makes a comment so disturbing as the one he made in last night's 'column' about Ollie's so-called 'grammar,' it calls into question his motives, his character and whether the man should still be writing for a newspaper that reaches so many.
"To that endless end, it seems to bother a lot of emailing folks — especially Connecticut taxpayers — that UConn’s second-season, UConn-educated and graduated basketball coach, Kevin Ollie, as a representative of the State’s namesake university and a school that in 2012 was sanctioned for gross academic negligence, is so painfully deficient in fundamental, spoken grammar. They wonder if Ollie, who played for UConn, and, with a new deal that will pay him roughly $1.3 million per plus perks, is the third-highest paid state employee (behind UConn women’s coach Geno Auriemma and UConn football coach Bob Diaco), he might consider, if only for the future sake of his recruits, to work on that."
Let's dissect and thoroughly rip apart this statement line by line, shall we?
Mr. Mushnick states 'a lot of emailing folks, especially CT taxpayers' are upset about the way Ollie pronounces words and handles himself during interviews and press conferences. To anyone with a pulse, the only thing Ollie exhibits during these moments is everything you want in a person, a leader and a coach. Supports his players? Check. Treats each one with the utmost respect? Check. Acts like each of them are his own sons and pushes them to succeed in the classroom, just as much as on the court? Check. So Phil, how many emails have you received from Connecticut residents complaining about how KO communicates? One, maybe two? An actual number would go a long way in supporting what you say.
Next up, Phil takes a shot at UCONN as a whole when he mentions that Ollie is a 'UConn-educated and graduated basketball coach.' After a quick look-up to see just how valuable a UCONN education is, according to the latest 2014 rankings put together by US News and World Report, the University of Connecticut is rated the 19th best public school in the nation, ahead of the reputable University of Maryland and Purdue University, just to name two.
Not surprisingly, Mushnick hops on board the 'academic sanctions' bandwagon when he states 'a school that in 2012 was sanctioned for gross academic negligence.' Just because a class of basketball players did not graduate and received poor grades, does not mean the entire school committed gross academic negligence. If this is the case, the University of North Carolina should all but disband after admitting to creating fake classes.
Finally, Mushnik calls Ollie 'painfully deficient in fundamental, spoken grammar' and 'he might consider working on that for the future sake of his recruits.' First off, Kevin Ollie's post-game, on-court interview contains absolutely no egregious grammatical errors. Secondly, Coach Ollie is everything a prospective student athletes' parents would want in a man that will oversee the growth of their child over the next four or so years of their lives. A coach needs to be trustworthy, someone that will do what is in the best interest of his players, will always lead the right way no matter the circumstances and be a great human being.
Following this week in Dallas at the Final Four, Kevin Ollie has been described as the following by some of Mushnik's fellow reporters.
From last week's Wall Street Journal:
Reggie Miller of Turner Sports: "There's a reason every GM brought him in. I don't think anyone would have a bad word about him. If you find that one person, I guarantee he got paid off."
Oklahoma City Thunder general manager Sam Presti on why he brought in Kevin Ollie: "We wanted to continue to surround our younger players with examples of professionalism, work ethic and humility."
This is not the first time that the New York Post columnist has attacked African Americans in his articles, Steven A. Smith and Jay-Z are just two of many examples. You can call it freedom of speech, voicing your opinion or doing his job, but in reality what this article and this 'man' who hides behind a keyboard is made up of is flat out rude, arrogant, ignorant and for lack of a better word, incompetent.
For those that agree with what Mushnick says, that is your personal right, but I'm sure the columnist would have a different opinion of KO had he ever met the man that he is trying to destroy. So here's some advice from a former journalist to a current one, if you lack integrity and common sense on a topic, it would be best to just keep your mouth shut.
The only ones believing in UCONN prior to tip was UCONN themselves. Confidence has seeped into each and every one of the Huskies beings by the second year head coach. Ollie is one win away from a National Championship in just his second season as head man in Storrs. Hand picked by Jim Calhoun, by now everyone knows the story; eleven NBA teams throughout his 13 year career, mentoring LeBron James and Kevin Durant and returning to UCONN, taking his players under his wings and leading them to live life the right way; not only on the basketball court, but in every aspect of their lives.
So when Phil Mushnick of the New York Post makes a comment so disturbing as the one he made in last night's 'column' about Ollie's so-called 'grammar,' it calls into question his motives, his character and whether the man should still be writing for a newspaper that reaches so many.
"To that endless end, it seems to bother a lot of emailing folks — especially Connecticut taxpayers — that UConn’s second-season, UConn-educated and graduated basketball coach, Kevin Ollie, as a representative of the State’s namesake university and a school that in 2012 was sanctioned for gross academic negligence, is so painfully deficient in fundamental, spoken grammar. They wonder if Ollie, who played for UConn, and, with a new deal that will pay him roughly $1.3 million per plus perks, is the third-highest paid state employee (behind UConn women’s coach Geno Auriemma and UConn football coach Bob Diaco), he might consider, if only for the future sake of his recruits, to work on that."
Let's dissect and thoroughly rip apart this statement line by line, shall we?
Mr. Mushnick states 'a lot of emailing folks, especially CT taxpayers' are upset about the way Ollie pronounces words and handles himself during interviews and press conferences. To anyone with a pulse, the only thing Ollie exhibits during these moments is everything you want in a person, a leader and a coach. Supports his players? Check. Treats each one with the utmost respect? Check. Acts like each of them are his own sons and pushes them to succeed in the classroom, just as much as on the court? Check. So Phil, how many emails have you received from Connecticut residents complaining about how KO communicates? One, maybe two? An actual number would go a long way in supporting what you say.
Next up, Phil takes a shot at UCONN as a whole when he mentions that Ollie is a 'UConn-educated and graduated basketball coach.' After a quick look-up to see just how valuable a UCONN education is, according to the latest 2014 rankings put together by US News and World Report, the University of Connecticut is rated the 19th best public school in the nation, ahead of the reputable University of Maryland and Purdue University, just to name two.
Not surprisingly, Mushnick hops on board the 'academic sanctions' bandwagon when he states 'a school that in 2012 was sanctioned for gross academic negligence.' Just because a class of basketball players did not graduate and received poor grades, does not mean the entire school committed gross academic negligence. If this is the case, the University of North Carolina should all but disband after admitting to creating fake classes.
Finally, Mushnik calls Ollie 'painfully deficient in fundamental, spoken grammar' and 'he might consider working on that for the future sake of his recruits.' First off, Kevin Ollie's post-game, on-court interview contains absolutely no egregious grammatical errors. Secondly, Coach Ollie is everything a prospective student athletes' parents would want in a man that will oversee the growth of their child over the next four or so years of their lives. A coach needs to be trustworthy, someone that will do what is in the best interest of his players, will always lead the right way no matter the circumstances and be a great human being.
Following this week in Dallas at the Final Four, Kevin Ollie has been described as the following by some of Mushnik's fellow reporters.
From last week's Wall Street Journal:
Reggie Miller of Turner Sports: "There's a reason every GM brought him in. I don't think anyone would have a bad word about him. If you find that one person, I guarantee he got paid off."
Oklahoma City Thunder general manager Sam Presti on why he brought in Kevin Ollie: "We wanted to continue to surround our younger players with examples of professionalism, work ethic and humility."
This is not the first time that the New York Post columnist has attacked African Americans in his articles, Steven A. Smith and Jay-Z are just two of many examples. You can call it freedom of speech, voicing your opinion or doing his job, but in reality what this article and this 'man' who hides behind a keyboard is made up of is flat out rude, arrogant, ignorant and for lack of a better word, incompetent.
For those that agree with what Mushnick says, that is your personal right, but I'm sure the columnist would have a different opinion of KO had he ever met the man that he is trying to destroy. So here's some advice from a former journalist to a current one, if you lack integrity and common sense on a topic, it would be best to just keep your mouth shut.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)