It would be an understatement of the day to say I was excited to see Derrick Williams and Arizona upset #1 seeded Duke last night. I’m glad I got to see Derrick in person before this tourney started, so I could jump on his bandwagon a little earlier than others. Anyways, after the game Coach K, the guy that’s almost as untouchable in our media as Tom Brady took offense to some questions being asked after the game. First, he wouldn’t admit that Duke melted down, and said they lost, but it wasn’t a meltdown. I guess he’s never heard of the term “meltdown” either from the transcripts. The second and more emotionally charged reactions he gave reporters was when he got mad that a reporter asked about Kyrie Irving’s future with Duke or if he was heading to the NBA. Very fair question in my opinion. His response upset me enough to write a little slander about Duke’s un-slander-able coach.
First off, he answered the question with the ol this is not the time for that. Very good response to start, I understand totally that he wanted to talk about the game more than Kyrie’s jump to the NBA. The thing I didn’t like about his response was that he made the question sound dumb. Seriously Coach K? ?You’ve been coaching for longer than I’ve been alive and groomed numerous pros, and you didn’t expect this question?!? Couldn’t you just say something like I don’t know what his plans are! Even then I wouldn’t take your answer serious, because we all know that when you went to his house to recruit him, you laid out a plan for him to be in the NBA. There’s no way this didn’t happen in my mind. Either way you didn’t need to make the reporter feel retarded for asking the question since someone would ask it eventually.
The second part of Coach K’s response ended with saying that he was hugging Kyrie after the game because he was crying, and he was not asking him about his plans on going pro or not. Let me see if I got this straight, Coach K pulled a Spolstra, and told the world one of his players is crying and the national media doesn’t care? I’ll call this hypocracy at it’s peak, because what’s the difference between what Coach K and Eric Spolstra did? I guess nobody likes the Heat, so it’s a pussy move when they cry. When a Duke player crys, we consider it natural, and caring about the game. I’ve never been against crying in sports. It’s emotional, and when you come up short, you play the “what” if game until you go mad. I guess that’s the main reason why I never really cared about the Heat’s crygate. It never really resonated with me, because if anything it just shows the player cares. Yes, there are other ways to show you care. Some people cry to get it all out and other like Dwight Howard and Rasheed Wallace get it out through technicals. Point is why don’t we make a big deal out of Coach K calling his crying player out? At least Spolstra didn’t name names…
By
cali4dre
chappy81
dyslecix
mceezy
Doin Work 
March 25th, 2011 at 2:18 pm
chappy
Being a rabid Duke fan </i I’m annoyed ! It’s now grating on me even more because the girlfriend who’s a grad of UCLA grad and Pac-10 supporter said that Duke were about to get their a_s kicked last night by the Arizona Wildcats in the game . Here’s me thinking what the hell does she know ’cause her athletic prowess beyond playing volleyball and running track was negligible ! Well boy did I end up eatin’ crow after last night’s a_s kickin ‘ . The game was never in doubt nor was it ever even close !
I hear that Obama wants Coach K to meet with him in person alongside Jalen Rose so that they can iron out their differences ? Somewhat along the lines of Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates after cops in Massachusetts racially profiled him ? Rose will bring the corn bread and ribs and Coach K will bring along a traditional Polish dish . Obama will simply provide the entertainment by way of Hilary adorning a stripper pole while Clinton watches off stage .
You Can Teach An Old Dog New Tricks But Can Someone Teach The Knicks How To Win ?
Pick Your Poison …… The Officials ……… Or How To Interpret The Rules ?
tophatal ……………….
March 28th, 2011 at 3:54 pm
I actually didn’t know you were a big Duke fan. AZ couldn’t quite get it done at the buzzer against Kemba, but they made it further than most people thought they would, so they are probably happy with their season…
March 29th, 2011 at 9:08 am
chappy
When I first came here on holiday way back when after I’d got out of the military I befriended some US military guys . One of ’em particular had just finished his stint with the Marine Corps and had enrolled into Duke to study medicine. We’re still friends to this day even after his graduation he’s now back in the military serving as a surgeon in Landstuhl , Germany at the US base hospital there .
Duke simply didn’t have their game face on in the game against Arizona !
http://abritishman.wordpress.com/2011/03/28/aint-no-turning-back-not-now/
http://abritishman.wordpress.com/2011/03/28/chances-are-it-wont-work-out-but-then-again-who-knows/
http://abritishman.wordpress.com/2011/03/27/mack-the-knife/
tophatal ……………..
March 29th, 2011 at 10:54 am
Nice, that makes sense that you like them because you studied there. It’s pretty much the only way you root for them, because they have a vs. the world kind of deal going. You either love them or hate them! I’ll check out your pieces…
March 25th, 2011 at 2:34 pm
Great post Chaps, I didn’t get to see his press conference, but you’re right on both points. When did it become a “stupid” question to ask whether or not your top pro prospect is going to make the jump or not? Their season was officially over, and it was going to get asked sooner than later. And by sooner, I mean the next reporter.
And if I’m Kyrie Irving, and I wasn’t crying, I’m leaving for sure. I wouldn’t want to play for a coach who throws you under the bus. Let’s not get it twisted, Coack K is one of the best, and what he’s done w/ Team USA solidifies his coaching talent, and how it translates to pro players, but you don’t tell the media your players were “crying”. If this was BYU, he would have been accused of breaking the second honor code.
March 28th, 2011 at 3:55 pm
LOL, I hope Kyrie wasn’t crying and heard the comments! F-you coach K for throwing me under the bus, I’m heading to the draft!
March 25th, 2011 at 3:28 pm
Those questions are not only fair, but are TO BE EXPECTED in a situation like that, and if anybdy knows it, it’s Coach K.
The reason that the crying was such a big deal in the NBA is because they’re pros, but there is still a sense of hypocrisy there. If it was someone other than Duke it would have ben different I’m sure.
Excellent Post
Meehan
March 25th, 2011 at 4:42 pm
I had Duke winning it all so my basketball watching is over for the year.
Actually, that’s not true, when someone texts me that kansas is choking it away again, I’ll probably turn the channel and laugh.
March 27th, 2011 at 2:37 pm
Yep, that’s exactly what I did. Hilarious. I hope their plane gets delayed on the way home. Yeahhhhh.
March 28th, 2011 at 3:57 pm
I had UNC beating Kansas in my bracket, and until yesterday I thought it was going to happen. Classic choke job by Bill Self’s Kansas team. He seems to have a nice little knack for getting his guys to tighten up!
March 25th, 2011 at 4:59 pm
Good point about the Heat. It always just depends who the subject is. Adam Morrison got a lot of heat for his infamous sobbing after the UCLA game, but mostly because people rooted against him. Same goes for The Situation’s performance on the Roast of Donald Trump….
March 26th, 2011 at 11:07 am
Well, you’d figure if you wanted to get comedians to roast a performer you’d get actually want to hire…I don’t know…COMEDIANS?
I hope The Situation dies in a plane crash and everybody else that was on the plane lives.
Meehan
March 26th, 2011 at 9:00 am
That’s a great idea for a post, by the way.
Most untouchable, uncriticizable figures in sports.
I agree with you. Coach K and Brady are probably atop that list.
I’d probably throw Jeter up there as well.
Any other suggestions?
March 26th, 2011 at 11:05 am
Hmmmm…Well, not Bruce Pearl anymore!!!
Maybe Pat Summit and/or Roger Federer?
Meehan
March 28th, 2011 at 4:00 pm
Summit and Fed are great picks. I’d add Albert Pujols, Peyton Manning, and Phil Mickelson to that list.
March 27th, 2011 at 9:58 am
chappy
Chris
In terms of guys who are deemed off limits and untouchable in terms of criticism from the press within the four major sports …………… here’d be my list ………. Brady and Manning in the NFL ………… Pujols and Jeter within baseball …….. Duncan and at present perhaps Blake Griffin within the NBA …………….. and pardon me for saying that it’d be Crosby and Ovechkin within the NHL.
At the collegiate level I think it’s all to do with more about the perception of the institution and the candor of the coaches there. Coach K isn’t without criticism but when compared to his peers within the game of in basketball and football where’d you say he needs to chewed out and why ?
tophatal ……………
March 28th, 2011 at 4:05 pm
I think when Coach K took on the challenge of coaching Team USA he set himself apart from the collegiate level. Not that he’s not recognized by us as a college coach, he was immediately more popular than many successful coaches, because he was getting worldwide recognition. He’s seen it all, and I thought this press conference was atrocious from a guy I thought was the complete professional on and off the court. Who knows, maybe he was just being emotional, and really didn’t want to talk…
March 29th, 2011 at 8:56 am
chappy
I think he has the same PR rep as Charlie Sheen ! There’s no other way to explain it all ! And to think at one time Kobe , Kupchak and Jerry Buss were trying to tempt him to leave ___ Duke when Phil stepped down in his first retirement from the Lakers .
What Coach K and Jerry Colangelo did in conjunction with USA Basketball is to be commended no matter which way you look at !
Emotional or not I think he may well have had a Bobby Knight —- flashback but in his case he was mild ! Can you imagine if that’d been Knight on that podium what would’ve gone down ? Hell you’d have had the press running for friggin’ cover !
tophatal …………
tophatal …………….
March 29th, 2011 at 2:02 pm
chappy
I couldn’t afford the fees at Duke ! Nah I got my education bought and paid for courtesy of the of my employer at the time after I’d left the military . Because when I went to work for this financial concern they saw that I had an interest in high finance and economics . I enrolled at UCL in London and then went on to LSE to finish off getting my education.
My affinity with Duke rests solely on the camaraderie built up with this friend at the time as we’re both military . The great thing about that sort of camaraderie is that even when you go to any part of the world and you create that sort of friendship and still remains after over a decade it means something . When I came here originally in ’88 it was on a 3 1/2 week tour of the Eastern and Western part of the US . Stayed in Durham and actually went to a couple of their games at Cameron Indoor Arena which has changed somewhat from then to now .
tophatal …………..
March 29th, 2011 at 3:33 pm
I see. I wouldn’t go to Duke if I had some education paid for by my employer. Solid move!
March 30th, 2011 at 8:19 am
chappy
Expensive education at Duke . Once I got out I was really unsure what I wanted to do and the fact that the bank concerned was hiring was something of a Godsend ! Eight and a half years of which four were spent on active service serving in Ireland (early to mid eighties ) and places such as Eritrea and Ethiopia gives you a new perception on life and your own mortality . Nothing brings it home more than you see an innocent civilian lying dead from a bomb blast or indiscriminate gun fire from a terrorist .
Lost several army buddies in Ireland that way so I am glad I came out of it in one piece . Psyche wise it didn’t bother me a great deal !
UCL and London Schl of Economics as places of education was fascinating from start to finish .
I see the NFL and union are now bickering as to whether or not the league is within its rights to actually test for HGH as part of what they wants as a more comprehensive drug testing policy within the CBA ? I was under the impression that they’d already been testing for that but apparently not in terms of it being used illegally ?
The union’s executive committee are a bunch of idiots in thinking that they can hide behind the idiotic stance ’bout invasion of privacy as one of their original mandate ! They’ve never cared about the health of their members be it current or veterans and they simply pay it lip service to seek the fans and public’s sympathy .
That being said the league ( NFL) itself isn’t without fault in all of this either as they should’ve learned enough given the stupidity of baseball and the union there as well !
tophatal …………….