For those of you who don't know, the NCAA has accused the University of Memphis of playing an ineligible player a couple years ago. That player was one Derrick Rose. Yadda yadda yadda. They may vacate the Tiger's Final Four appearance and the records for that year. Who cares?
I sure don't, but here's the other angle. The University of Memphis got this letter from the NCAA in January. In April, John Calipari left Memphis for Kentucky. How the hell does the athletic director at Memphis not leak this story in April when Cal is thinking about leaving for a school that has had troubles with the NCAA in the past and had several influential donors that were scared to hire Cal for that very reason? How does that happen? How do you not take advantage of that? I have no idea and I am pretty sure there is no excuse.
Maybe that is why the Tigers can't get in a better conference. Maybe that's why they had to settle on Pastner as coach. RC can't play hardball. You gotta use every arrow you got to get Memphis to where you want to be. Where Louisville and Cincinnati are. You don't get there by holding back. Apparently, R.C. Johnson doesn't want to win. As Athletic Director, that's his job. I, for one, thinks the University of Memphis deserves better.
9 comments:
Well KY boosters would have figured it out pretty quickly that Cal would have been in the
clear. They would have called RC's bluff and they would have been right (at least up to now). RC would have looked like a fool and would have had a hard time trying to find a new coach who would be interested in working for an athletic director who uses alleged NCAA violations to try to keep his head basketball coach and scare other schools from "talking" to him.
Win at all costs? Really? Evil is starting to sound like Cheney!
Where was Evil's post on not allowing Cal to "talk" to KY in April? That's winning at all costs. Was Evil not upset enough at RC then to post? Or was he too blinded by his flattering retrospect
piece on Cal? (I'm really trying hard for jerkass this week).
RC might not be the best atheltic director in the nation, but he's got class. Maybe Evil should listen to Ron Burgundy more.
You stay classy, RC.
First, Kentucky would not have hired him if it had gotten out that the Tigers were under investigation. Was he cleared? Sure. He was also cleared at UMass. Kentucky doesn't need the NCAA looking at their program. Ask Indiana how that works out.
As far as RC giving permission... You can't be that dumb. They didn't need his permission. It is a courtesy. I guess he could have pulled a BC, but that wouldn't have stopped anything.
Oh, and to be clear, I mean if it was in the media. Go read what the papers in Lexington are saying. Accrding to sources, Kentucky knew. The boosters and reporters did not.
First, I know giving permission is just a formality but it still shows class, which RC still has. But Evil is missing another point. If RC decided to help leak the NCAA investigation story, then it would have sent a signal to Cal that RC was not just trying to keep him, but rather he was also trying to restrict Cal. How could one not see that Cal would have found a way to leave if he thought RC was going behind his back to try something that classless just to keep him here? RC never had any power to restrict Cal. Evil's crazy if he thinks RC should or could lock the Tiger High doors (by leaking the story) so Cal couldn't get out.
Where would he have gone? There are ways to get things out. Who leaked it now? Why not leak it when you get some benefit?
Cal could have, can and would go just about wherever is available at the time. He's Cal.
I'm sorry, I just don't see pissing Cal off (by leaking the story while KY was interested) as a benefit. RC holding Cal captive? Really? What next? Give him the ole Cheney torture so he'll stay? Craziness, I say. Craziness.
Your right. He played it perfect... For Cal and Kentucky. They've got the best recruiting class in the nation and a favorite to win the national title. Well played, I say. Well played. Wouldn't want to piss off Cal. If you did he might leave and take all his recruits... Wait...
"Wouldn't want to piss off Cal. If you did he might leave and take all his recruits... Wait..."
Cal being a good coach is the one and only reason why he gets recruits, period.
And Evil acts as if RC was invited to the table to play in the first place. He never was a player. It's irrelevant what RC did or should have done. It didn't/doesn't matter. Evil's way would have screwed Cal and KY and left RC with even smaller cred than he had to begin with. RC chose the high ground. I'm not defending RC's performance as an AD...how do you let your women's golf coach pay players? I am defending his character and willingness to see the situation for what it truly was...out of his control to get what Memphis really wanted and that is for Cal to, and here is the key word, "WANT" to stay. Anybody is crazy to think otherwise.
Evil implies RC should have gone down swinging. I say RC never even made the roster to have the chance to swing.
I'm leaving it at that.
Drogba thinks that R.C. is a "yes" man and a mediocre A.D. and as long as Memphis has a mediocre A.D., they will be a mediocre program.
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