zls44
Your #icebus Tour Director
- Joined
- Aug 24, 2011
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Jim Calhoun said turning UConn into a national power was doable.
He truly did the damn thing.
Nobody builds anything anymore. Jim Calhoun built something. The man did unbelievable, unthinkable things. Things that you would never see today. Other than the South Carolina flirtation late in the 90s (?), never a serious hint that he'd leave.
As much of an dick as he could be, and at sometimes was, the simplest retort was the people who knew him best...his players and his coaches. The unending love they showed for the man, a guy who spent the better part of years cursing endlessly in their general direction, was the only vindication he'd ever need. They came streaming back endlessly, summer after summer, year after year, because they loved the man so much. The same man who was the big bad cursing Bostonian was the man they cared about more than most anyone else.
The charity work. For the university. Fighting cancer. Fighting hunger. Fighting heart disease. Millions of dollars raised, and never on the sidelines of anything. On the sidelines might have been a better idea for the cancer bike rides. But that wasn't his style.
This day was going to come eventually. I've come around a bit on the Ollie thing- it's an obvious power play by Jim, but there's not THAT much pressure on KO either, in terms of specific accomplishments, and he has a very experienced staff working with him that will all be fighting for their jobs. We find out he's either clearly the guy, or they get to be the belle of the ball when it comes to the coaching carousel in March. Not a bad place to be, all things considered. It will be fascinating to watch.
And watching it along with everyone else will be Jim Calhoun. Which will be strange. But it will be a respite well-earned, and well deserved.
Godspeed, Jim. May the wind be forever at your back and your bicycle helmet firmly fastened. Especially the second part.
He truly did the damn thing.
Nobody builds anything anymore. Jim Calhoun built something. The man did unbelievable, unthinkable things. Things that you would never see today. Other than the South Carolina flirtation late in the 90s (?), never a serious hint that he'd leave.
As much of an dick as he could be, and at sometimes was, the simplest retort was the people who knew him best...his players and his coaches. The unending love they showed for the man, a guy who spent the better part of years cursing endlessly in their general direction, was the only vindication he'd ever need. They came streaming back endlessly, summer after summer, year after year, because they loved the man so much. The same man who was the big bad cursing Bostonian was the man they cared about more than most anyone else.
The charity work. For the university. Fighting cancer. Fighting hunger. Fighting heart disease. Millions of dollars raised, and never on the sidelines of anything. On the sidelines might have been a better idea for the cancer bike rides. But that wasn't his style.
This day was going to come eventually. I've come around a bit on the Ollie thing- it's an obvious power play by Jim, but there's not THAT much pressure on KO either, in terms of specific accomplishments, and he has a very experienced staff working with him that will all be fighting for their jobs. We find out he's either clearly the guy, or they get to be the belle of the ball when it comes to the coaching carousel in March. Not a bad place to be, all things considered. It will be fascinating to watch.
And watching it along with everyone else will be Jim Calhoun. Which will be strange. But it will be a respite well-earned, and well deserved.
Godspeed, Jim. May the wind be forever at your back and your bicycle helmet firmly fastened. Especially the second part.
