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Message: [QUOTE="PWS, post: 2758802, member: 1307"] "Benedict and Herbst fubared Ollies extension" First, it was negotiated by Manual. But, you seem to have a very short memory as to what was going on at the time. Ollie just came off a NC, and more than one NBA team (Lakers, OKC) was sniffing around with rumors of $5M-$6M offers. Ollie and his agent struck when the iron was hot. Good for them. You and the rest of this Board would have gone absolutely crazy if we didn't re-sign Ollie bc we were too cheap. This Board would have indicted the whole state & maybe all of New England. It may have been the biggest meltdown of all time. Ollie had options. If you are negotiating a $21M deal, both sides will have good counsel & if we were going to agree to Ollie's demands, then you hat to get what you can & tighten the screws on how he should run his program. He did not live up to those contract terms. He signed it and then jerked around. That is big boy money. That's how it works. I don't think it was a mistake to guarantee Ollie's contract. It was what he demanded & it seemed to be what the top coaches were and still are getting. They could have rolled the dice and said no, & Ollie could have walked. Who knows? and in hindsight, we would have been better off, but if that happened it would have been a catastrophe. It is really easy to have all the answers 5 years later. [/QUOTE]