CBS: All signs point to OKC pursuing Billy Donovan

[FartMan69]

You don't think it's strange that the people hyping Ollie to OKC are the college guys like Wojnarowski and Goodman who clearly have had issues with our program in the past? The NBA guys are talking about Donovan to OKC and these college guys are silent about Donovan on Twitter. There is more smoke for Donovan to the Thunder and yet the Yahoo guys and Goodman have heard nothing. Ollie puts out a statement saying he has no plans of going anywhere and they say otherwise. Donovan puts out nothing and they have no sources about Donovan and OKC? These are the same guys who had sources saying Jim Calhoun was going to coach BC, when everyone else knew there was zero chance of that happening.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>If Donovan does leave for NBA, no easy replacement at Florida -- as was case for Jeremy Foley last time Donovan almost left -Anthony Grant.</p>&mdash; Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanESPN) <a href="">April 22, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[caw]

I think they're reporting what they've heard from their sources. I'm not saying their sources are right but to go as far as believing these guys have a personal mission to bring down our program and our program alone is over the top. We as fans take things too personal and especially after the whole CR debacle it seems that UConn fans think everyone is out to get us but they're not. Lets get over ourselves a bit.

I do agree. There is an over abundance of this here. I do question their sources on this and if they are wrong on this, maybe they should start to as well.

Woj I question less than Goodman bc I believe Goodman is just parroting and not reporting. Woj, I believe has someone feeding him (possibly) inaccurate information. Goodman is just sticking to his thing of antagonizing fanbases, it's what he does to every fanbase.

 

[FartMan69]

You don't think it's strange that the people hyping Ollie to OKC are the college guys like Wojnarowski and Goodman who clearly have had issues with our program in the past? The NBA guys are talking about Donovan to OKC and these college guys are silent about Donovan on Twitter. There is more smoke for Donovan to the Thunder and yet the Yahoo guys and Goodman have heard nothing. Ollie puts out a statement saying he has no plans of going anywhere and they say otherwise. Donovan puts out nothing and they have no sources about Donovan and OKC? These are the same guys who had sources saying Jim Calhoun was going to coach BC, when everyone else knew there was zero chance of that happening.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/source--thunder-fire-coach-scott-brooks-173528838.html Woj mentions Donovan before Ollie btw

 

[superjohn]

Woj is definitely an "NBA first" guy. He seldom wanders into college reporting relative to his NBA work. He is actually considered the de facto news "breaker" in the NBA scene and if he says something NBA related its usually true.

You're right about that but it's in more recent years, he used to cover UConn and has a hard-on for going after Calhoun and UConn, much the same way he does for Lebron.

 

[8893]

This isn't a conspiracy to bring our program down. Stop

I never said it was a conspiracy, but I realize that you have difficulty processing the facts I posted because they are inconsistent with your hero-worship of Woj and your belief that Kevin Ollie is an opportunistic liar.

Carry on though. It seems to be working for you.

 

[willie99]

I wonder if Florida fans are going to start blaming rival recruiters and grudge holding beat writers for this too.

they should if it's totally fabricated by the same sources that have have a history of fabricating stories that tend to work against their program time and time again

 

[Kembacity]

Dont say that--lets be humble and understanding. Would you want other team hawking our players if the opposite happens?

would we want it? NO
would it happen regardless? YUP

 

[caw]

would we want it? NO
would it happen regardless? YUP

I'm sure some fanbases (and probably coaches) are already planning to try and poach UConn/UF players if either coach leaves. It's the nature of the game. Fortunately, considering none of UConns recruits count, it doesn't much matter...:-p

 

[Huskyforlife]

I can't believe people here actually believe sports reporters and writers have something against us... The reality is ollie probably does have interest in okc, but that doesn't mean hes leaving. If anything you'd be really stupid not to listen to what they have to say... If someone was offering you 5 mil a year to coach kd and Westbrook, you'd be seriously interested as well. Just to make my point clear, there's a difference between "interest" and, "leaving"

 

[amory]

Durant has chronic foot problems and may never be the star he was. If I was OKC's GM, I wouldn't let Durant dictate who the coach should be.

Lol yeah because coaches are super important in a coach-driven league like the NBA right? Way more important than broken down old Kevin Durant

.

 

[ctchamps]

I can't believe people here actually believe sports reporters and writers have something against us... The reality is ollie probably does have interest in okc, but that doesn't mean hes leaving. If anything you'd be really stupid not to listen to what they have to say... If someone was offering you 5 mil a year to coach kd and Westbrook, you'd be seriously interested as well. Just to make my point clear, there's a difference between "interest" and, "leaving"

I'm not discounting your argument.
However I've experienced enough things to suspect something else could be going on.

1) Reporters can very well be on the payroll of various interests. No group is above reproach.
2) It appears UConn is gaining momentum in some aspects of recruiting
3) Biggest immediate recruitment piece is the potential recruitment of Sterling Gibbs and recently it was "rumored" that there was serious consideration for UConn. I would suspect that non UConn related people have heard these rumors.
4) Sterling Gibbs, if he leaves, would be leaving because Seton Hall is in turmoil
5) If anyone can create a sense of turmoil at UConn this easily could turn off the Gibbs family from considering UConn
6) Would this be logical for that family. Not really. All they have to do is let time pass and determine for themselves whether there is truth to the reporting of KO to OKC.
7) But if this forum demonstrates anything its that there is a lot of emotional reaction to events. It also has shown that once someone develops a distaste to something that often over rides logical thinking.
8) Putting this all together I most certainly think there is plausibility to an argument that the actions of the press have something more behind them than just trying to scoop something or gain clicks.

 

[caw]

So supposedly Chris Walker is transferring/leaving...not saying it means anything.

 

[upstater]

I can't believe people here actually believe sports reporters and writers have something against us... The reality is ollie probably does have interest in okc, but that doesn't mean hes leaving. If anything you'd be really stupid not to listen to what they have to say... If someone was offering you 5 mil a year to coach kd and Westbrook, you'd be seriously interested as well. Just to make my point clear, there's a difference between "interest" and, "leaving"

Certain reporters have even admitted publically to some underhanded BS.

Wetzel, for instance, is one of the chief guys for Calipari. He even admitted to smearing Pitino (before the spaghetti thing) at Calipari's behest.

Thamel when he was at the NYT was awfully biased against UConn, went out of his way with unsourced allegations that later proved untrue.

 

[Gurleyman]

I can't believe people here actually believe sports reporters and writers have something against us... The reality is ollie probably does have interest in okc, but that doesn't mean hes leaving. If anything you'd be really stupid not to listen to what they have to say... If someone was offering you 5 mil a year to coach kd and Westbrook, you'd be seriously interested as well. Just to make my point clear, there's a difference between "interest" and, "leaving"

Woj and Wetzel spent a full year investigating the Nate Miles saga to write a long hit piece attempting to tear the program down. I'm sure there were some less than civil conversations before and after which has led to hard feelings. I'm also sure that when you invest that much time and energy into a project, you'd like to see the fruits of it bear out - and the fruits have been on our end with two more banners. I'd bet dollars to doughnuts it sticks in their craw that they didn't become the Woodward and Bernstein of college sports after all that effort. It's also no secret that Wetzel is a Calipari lap dog from his days at UMass, when there was strong dislike across the border.

I actually can't believe people think those two wouldn't have something against us at this point. The alternative is that they are "just doing my job" robots with no personal feelings about their work at all.

Now in the case of other folks, I think we maybe go over the top in looking for slights. Goodman I think just likes to troll fan bases for hits, and has found trolling us to be a successful business model so he goes that route a lot. Or a guy like Doyel will be critical of lots of things because that's his style, so when he's critical of us it's just that we are his issue du jour. Gottlieb went over the top once and I'm still pissed about it, but I don't think he's necessarily got anything against UConn - picking against us in every round in 2011 isn't proof of that either.

 

[caw]

Woj and Wetzel spent a full year investigating the Nate Miles saga to write a long hit piece attempting to tear the program down. I'm sure there were some less than civil conversations before and after which has led to hard feelings. I'm also sure that when you invest that much time and energy into a project, you'd like to see the fruits of it bear out - and the fruits have been on our end with two more banners. I'd bet dollars to doughnuts it sticks in their craw that they didn't become the Woodward and Bernstein of college sports after all that effort. It's also no secret that Wetzel is a Calipari lap dog from his days at UMass, when there was strong dislike across the border.

I actually can't believe people think those two wouldn't have something against us at this point. The alternative is that they are "just doing my job" robots with no personal feelings about their work at all.

Now in the case of other folks, I think we maybe go over the top in looking for slights. Goodman I think just likes to troll fan bases for hits, and has found trolling us to be a successful business model so he goes that route a lot. Or a guy like Doyel will be critical of lots of things because that's his style, so when he's critical of us it's just that we are his issue du jour. Gottlieb went over the top once and I'm still pissed about it, but I don't think he's necessarily got anything against UConn - picking against us in every round in 2011 isn't proof of that either.

I personally feel Woj has moved on.

 

[8893]

Woj and Wetzel spent a full year investigating the Nate Miles saga to write a long hit piece attempting to tear the program down. I'm sure there were some less than civil conversations before and after which has led to hard feelings. I'm also sure that when you invest that much time and energy into a project, you'd like to see the fruits of it bear out - and the fruits have been on our end with two more banners. I'd bet dollars to doughnuts it sticks in their craw that they didn't become the Woodward and Bernstein of college sports after all that effort. It's also no secret that Wetzel is a Calipari lap dog from his days at UMass, when there was strong dislike across the border.

I actually can't believe people think those two wouldn't have something against us at this point. The alternative is that they are "just doing my job" robots with no personal feelings about their work at all.

Now in the case of other folks, I think we maybe go over the top in looking for slights. Goodman I think just likes to troll fan bases for hits, and has found trolling us to be a successful business model so he goes that route a lot. Or a guy like Doyel will be critical of lots of things because that's his style, so when he's critical of us it's just that we are his issue du jour. Gottlieb went over the top once and I'm still pissed about it, but I don't think he's necessarily got anything against UConn - picking against us in every round in 2011 isn't proof of that either.

This, x1000.

If the people who don't get this simply weren't around for the Yahoo hatchet job, I guess I understand their ignorance and their rote insistence on the "just doing his job" mantra. Although it does beg the question why the W&W exposés didn't extend beyond that very targeted (and ultimately off-target) hit to include other schools.

If people were around and have forgotten, good for them I guess. For better or worse, I remember the grudges every bit as well as I'm sure these hacks do.

 

[Matrim55]

So supposedly Chris Walker is transferring/leaving...not saying it means anything.

Between that and Paschall choosing Nova, I'm starting to read the tea leaves a bit here.

Wouldn't mind at all if Devin Robinson was next to jump ship.

 

[rip7774]

Between that and Paschall choosing Nova, I'm starting to read the tea leaves a bit here.

Wouldn't mind at all if Devin Robinson was next to jump ship.

Great point on paschall

 

[Huskyforlife]

I'm not discounting your argument.
However I've experienced enough things to suspect something else could be going on.

1) Reporters can very well be on the payroll of various interests. No group is above reproach.
2) It appears UConn is gaining momentum in some aspects of recruiting
3) Biggest immediate recruitment piece is the potential recruitment of Sterling Gibbs and recently it was "rumored" that there was serious consideration for UConn. I would suspect that non UConn related people have heard these rumors.
4) Sterling Gibbs, if he leaves, would be leaving because Seton Hall is in turmoil
5) If anyone can create a sense of turmoil at UConn this easily could turn off the Gibbs family from considering UConn
6) Would this be logical for that family. Not really. All they have to do is let time pass and determine for themselves whether there is truth to the reporting of KO to OKC.
7) But if this forum demonstrates anything its that there is a lot of emotional reaction to events. It also has shown that once someone develops a distaste to something that often over rides logical thinking.
8) Putting this all together I most certainly think there is plausibility to an argument that the actions of the press have something more behind them than just trying to scoop something or gain clicks.

He did not tweet that out to stop us from getting Gibbs. If ollie stays anyways, all he has to do is tell Gibbs he's not leaving, cause I'm sure gibbs trusts ollie more than woj. Also woj wasn't the first to tweet this out either, others were all over this before him, I don't believe he'd tweet that as a shot to us, cause if he did, it was a blank...

 

[FartMan69]

I never said it was a conspiracy, but I realize that you have difficulty processing the facts I posted because they are inconsistent with your hero-worship of Woj and your belief that Kevin Ollie is an opportunistic liar.

Carry on though. It seems to be working for you.

Please reference where i said I worshiped Woj and called Ollie a liar. I don't wear a tin foil hat like yourself so arguing with your paranoia is pointless.