Ease up there, Shaka

[mauconnfan]

You guys clearly know what's better for the VCU team than the coach does. He didn't think slowing the game to a crawl and working on half court sets was the best thing for his team, NCAA should probably institute the CIAC Jack Cochran football rule, we wouldn't want to hurt another team's feelings.

Fair enough sj those are your thoughts.......just guessing there's a few coaches of much larger stature that you and I who would take huge exception to it.......but again Shaka and that pedestal for some as of now is tough to beat!

 

[Dogdeacon]

i

Fair enough sj those are your thoughts.......just guessing there's a few coaches of much larger stature that you and I who would take huge exception to it.......but again Shaka and that pedestal for some as of now is tough to beat!

Its a debate that's been had before and will be had a thousand times more. Should you call of the dogs, ease up, take your best players out. Classic case is if/when someone gets hurt. There are two sides to the argument and we can argue the other side without claiming to be the coach of VCU. End of day he's the coach regardless, but that doesn't make him Bill Belichick, errr I mean infallible. Go Michigan (even though I think they'll lose !

 

[superjohn]

I just don't have a problem of always having your starters in and playing hard the whole game. I can't stand the Patriots but I always thought it was so silly when people would get on Belichick for running up the score. When you are playing big time sports you should run your team however you see fit. VCU plays like the old Razorbacks teams, they simply aren't going to take their foot off the gas pedal. They play one way and they do it well, they aren't going to be running half court sets the whole second half, it's not in their DNA.

 

[mauconnfan]

i

Its a debate that's been had before and will be had a thousand times more. Should you call of the dogs, ease up, take your best players out. Classic case is if/when someone gets hurt. There are two sides to the argument and we can argue the other side without claiming to be the coach of VCU. End of day he's the coach regardless, but that doesn't make him Bill Belichick, errr I mean infallible. Go Michigan (even though I think they'll lose !

Again no one asked to take his best players out did they? Just not for 90 feet...........you can still play and attack! Sorry but Jack Cochran or whatever, coaches have some respect for those who get it!

 

[traitor71]

People have long memories; the shoe may be in the other foot someday.

And I am sure he will deal with it. Let the other team play better and not get smashed.

 

[sammydabiz]

You're playing a team that has four players either out or on life support. You're up 44 points and there's seven minutes left....

You can stop pressing them now.

You play to Win The Game!......... Hello?!?

Don't have a problem with it, you play your absolute best, or get off the damn court. There's no room for mercy in competition.

 

[Fishy]

You play to Win The Game!......... Hello?!?

Don't have a problem with it, you play your absolute best, or get off the damn court. There's no room for mercy in competition.

There is and always has been room for sportsmanship.

Case closed.

 

[sammydabiz]

There is and always has been room for sportsmanship.

Case closed.

Sportsmanship is for T-ball and 12 year olds.

You respect the game and your opponent by giving it your absolute best every single play. For me, there's no point being out on the court/field if you are purposely are not giving the other team your best shot.

Case reopened.......and Now Closed

 

[SeattleHoop]

He's an awesome coach and his teams play their balls off for him, I have them winning it all.

I have them winning it all too. And on the easing up bit Fishy mentioned. The guy does not allow his players to quit! Not even for 5 seconds if they are up 50! I absolutely love it! He isn't doing it to be a jerk. He is doing it teach his players the game of life!

 

[SeattleHoop]

Sportsmanship is for T-ball and 12 year olds.

You respect the game and your opponent by giving it your absolute best every single play. For me, there's no point being out on the court/field if you are purposely are not giving the other team your best shot.

Case reopened.......and Now Closed

My thoughts exactly. I think it's beautiful to see so much devotion they have to the game. I don't think it's bad sportsmanship but the best sportsmanship you can have. It is how the game works, and how life works. You don't quit, not for one second! It shows a great love for the game.

 

[SeattleHoop]

Haha nobody here thinks Shaka is god. But I can clearly see, through observing the way his team plays, that they have more of a love for God and the game of basketball, than most other teams in the tournament have. Which is why I picked them to win it all. I think they have a solid chance, despite having only mid major talent.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

I have them winning it all too. And on the easing up bit Fishy mentioned. The guy does not allow his players to quit! Not even for 5 seconds if they are up 50! I absolutely love it! He isn't doing it to be a jerk. He is doing it teach his players the game of life!

Oh stop. No one's saying quit or stop playing hard, but you can't tell me that the brilliant and incomparable Shaka Smart doesn't have a half court defense somewhere in that playbook. Mix it in for a few when you're up 45 on a team playing at about 50% strength. You don't "respect the game and your opponent" by pressing 94 feet up 6 touchdowns. Play hard in the half court. Teach long-lasting life lessons in the half court. Mostly, don't be a dick.

 

[SeattleHoop]

Oh stop. No one's saying quit or stop playing hard, but you can't tell me that the brilliant and incomparable Shaka Smart doesn't have a half court defense somewhere in that playbook. Mix it in for a few when you're up 45 on a team playing at about 50% strength. You don't "respect the game and your opponent" by pressing 94 feet up 6 touchdowns. Play hard in the half court. Teach long-lasting life lessons in the half court. Mostly, don't be a .

Stop what? Believing in my perspective. Sorry I don't have the same view of the game as you do. I have played a lot of ball. I'm sure u have too. I never once cried when I got relentlessly pummeled. In fact it made me love the game so much more. I got my ass handed too by inner city kids on a weekly basis and NO they didn't let up. It was a way IMO for them to show me (a white kid from the suburbs) that life isn't all peaches and cream. And after the game I always had the utmost respect for them. That is where I get my perspective from. Sorry you don't share it, your missing out. Don't ever tell me how to view the game I love to play. You can have your view, let me have mine. To me he is showing the entire tournament more respect than any other team in it right now. That is how I see it. He is looking beyond the one team he is playing and looking at the picture as a whole. That is how I see it.

 

[ctchamps]

Stop what? Believing in my perspective. Sorry I don't have the same view of the game as you do. I have played a lot of ball. I'm sure u have too. I never once cried when I got relentlessly pummeled. In fact it made me love the game so much more. I got my ass handed too by inner city kids on a weekly basis and NO they didn't let up. It was a way IMO for them to show me (a white kid from the suburbs) that life isn't all peaches and cream. And after the game I always had the utmost respect for them. That is where I get my perspective from. Sorry you don't share it, your missing out. Don't ever tell me how to view the game I love to play. You can have your view, let me have mine. To me he is showing the entire tournament more respect than any other team in it right now. That is how I see it. He is looking beyond the one team he is playing and looking at the picture as a whole. That is how I see it.

Personally I love caressing my women and having them caress me. But if chains and whips are your thing go for it AS LONG AS YOUR PARTNER ENJOYS THE SAME THING!!!!

And that is the issue with this game! We have no idea how the Akron players, coaches and fans were reacting to the beat down. Perhaps they see it as you do and want no mercy. Perhaps they were embarrassed and disgusted that a coach chose to humiliate them on a national forum. We don't know!

I'm guessing it's the latter just based on the relative numbers of people who prefer not to be assaulted in any fashion (physically, sexually, intellectually, or emotionally). If it came down to it I would defend your rights to perceive the game in the fashion you have stated and I would defend Shaka's choice to play the way he did.

But the majority of people in this world not personally rooting for VCU will be offended by his actions. And I believe the majority of people would restrain themselves in this situation if they were coaching unless they have some personal animosity towards the opposing team!

There is no right or wrong about all the opinions in this thread. Just different perspectives on our approach to life. BTW I recognize you are not arguing against other perspectives. You were just supporting your own perspective. I hope I'm not offending you by giving my 2 cents.

 

[tzznandrew]

It won't imbed, but the following video is how I felt about doing that to an Akron team missing many of its key players. To me--it's not beating them like that. If Akron was healthy, I don't care. But when half their players are nearly sick?

http://www.comedycentral.com/video-clips/b9vgt4/chappelle-s-show-make-a-wish

 

[SeattleHoop]

"BTW I recognize you are not arguing against other perspectives. You were just supporting your own perspective".
@ Fleudslipcon that was a very intelligent and mature response. One of the more intelligent posts I have seen here on the Boneyard. I appreciate that. The only part I would nitpick is the chains and whips exaggeration was a little extreme, but I absolutely see what you are saying, haha

 

[ctchamps]

"BTW I recognize you are not arguing against other perspectives. You were just supporting your own perspective".
@ Fleudslipcon that was a very intelligent and mature response. One of the more intelligent posts I have seen here on the Boneyard. I appreciate that. The only part I would nitpick is the chains and whips exaggeration was a little extreme, but I absolutely see what you are saying, haha

It was meant to be an exaggeration. Glad you realized it.

 

[gtcam]

Keith Dambrot is supposedly his best friend too.

Now its Spike Lee

 

[gtcam]

Have to totally disagree....you mean they can't run back to half court and play man to man or fall in to a zone....? Please, you're ripping up a team down with the flu and injuries and you need to press them relentlessly up 35-40 points?? It will come back and it can't be soon enough.............

TOTALLY AGREE

 

[gtcam]

Look at what happened when they didn't do that...they got "slaughtered" by Saint Louis--and that happened to be their most recent game. I'm not a fan of running up scores, but there is some truth to what Palatine said (shocking, I know!)

VCU first has to beat Michigan, who when hot can score a ton of points. Then they have to play Kansas, whom I believe is the most vulnerable 1 seed, especially against pressure. Who knows what kind of bad habits you can get into if you begin to slouch.

Also, this is the NCAA tournament. Honestly, there shouldn't be a stigma for running up games here. This is the place to show your skills against all competition. I mean, think back to 2009 when UConn had the third largest margin of victory in an NCAA game, 56 points. I honestly don't remember any bitching about that win. (I should point out that JC was suspended that game too.)

Thats not what happened vs St Louis St Louis is a team who wasnt hassled by the relentless defense and when you break that down VCU is an ordinary team-very ordinary.

 

[whaler11]

Honestly this is a game forgotten 15 minutes after it ended. If Akron was offended it gives them a reason to push themselves during the offseason.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

It was classless. There is no defense for what VCU did.

 

[GlastonTim]

Classless is the perfect description.

 

[housekeys]

Not sold on VCU or Shaka. Their style of play, on defense, borders on clutch and grab and its effectiveness is predicated on how the officials call it. As I said on another thread, you live by the refs, you die by the refs. They do bring a lot of energy, however, and have some talent. We shall see.

And yes, it was classless, IMO. There are a lot of lessons he could try to teach up big; kicking a dead horse when it's down is not one of them.

 

[Scot-e]

"BTW I recognize you are not arguing against other perspectives. You were just supporting your own perspective".
@ Fleudslipcon that was a very intelligent and mature response. One of the more intelligent posts I have seen here on the Boneyard. I appreciate that. The only part I would nitpick is the chains and whips exaggeration was a little extreme, but I absolutely see what you are saying, haha

The Boneyard is a deep pool of intellect and basketball knowledge. We use lots of big words here.