McGraw on Loyd | Page 3 | The Boneyard

McGraw on Loyd

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Jeff H said:
It's easy to understand how Muffet feels, but as a high school coach who has good players either transfer to another school or just decide not to play, I just think ther's nothing to do, but wish them well and move on. I have never tried to talk them into changing their mind or made them feel bad about leaving. That being said the stakes are different and I don't have reporters chasing me around for comments.
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And the situation is different as well - most coaches treat transfers as a necessary evil - a few get nasty about the process, though those nasty situations tend to be generated by ADs and not coaches, and often include a suspicion of tampering. I am sure if one of your players decided to drop out of school and go to work, you would spend some time trying to convince them to stay in school and get their high school diploma.
 
Folks here pretty much know I do not like Muffet, to put it mildly. However, I do not see a "bitter" Muffet in that interview as so many here and on McGraw's Bench do . I think it fair to say she's still processing what happened; still coming to grips with it. I saw honesty and disappointment. What was she suppose to say: "No comment?" She had already released her formal wish her well comments days before.
 
huskeynut said:
I'm not upset with Muffet's responses in the pieced together video. Her best player blind sided her. Muffet's reaction/ words are normal and to be expected.

As to Loyd, I wish her well and hope she returns to ND to finish her degree.
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Her reaction wasn't too bitter IMO. Just honest in that she thought she should finish her ND degree and that she didn't have a chance to discuss it with her.
 
I think that Muffet gave honest answers to the difficult questions that she was asked and is to be commended for being so forthright. Now. let's see the kind of answers that Jewell Loyd gives to (hopefully) equally direct questions, perhaps at tonight's draft. It will be interesting to learn the factors that went into her decision to leave ND for the WNBA.
 
UcMiami said:
And the situation is different as well - most coaches treat transfers as a necessary evil - a few get nasty about the process, though those nasty situations tend to be generated by ADs and not coaches, and often include a suspicion of tampering. I am sure if one of your players decided to drop out of school and go to work, you would spend some time trying to convince them to stay in school and get their high school diploma.
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I might depending on the situation. I certainly would if they asked me for my advice. But I guess what I'm trying to say is just because I coach a player it doesn't necessarily mean I know what's best for them in all their life choices. So, I would have to be pretty careful that my advice wasn't colored by what is best for me and my team. In the cases I've dealt with the past 12 years, I've asked them if they were sure about their decision and told them to let me know if they changed their mind, but otherwise I've repected their decision to leave the team. As you say leaving the school is not the same as leaving the team, but Jewel is 22 years old. I think Muffet knows that Jewel has already thought through what leaving means. Once she's already decided to go, stating publicly that she made the wrong decision doesn't seem to me to serve any useful purpose.
 
ucbart said:
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I don't think Muffett comes off as bitter at all, I think she comes off as surprised, upset, betrayed and somewhat maternal and protective.
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Agreed. This is a young woman with whom she has had a relationship. Leaving may or may not be a bad decision; being up front about the thought process seems to me to be something to strive for in that relationship.

Who knows if it's a "good" or a "bad" decision? There are really no mistakes when kids make decisions. There are only learning experiences. Well, that's what I always tell my high school seniors.
 
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The entitlement that some of these coaches have regarding these kids is pretty bizarre to me. Loyd is going to get paid, and she can finish her degree later; how is this not the right move for her?
 
CallMeBruce said:
The entitlement that some of these coaches have regarding these kids is pretty bizarre to me. Loyd is going to get paid, and she can finish her degree later; how is this not the right move for her?
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Money is not the only factor in all people's decisions.
 
Sargassoc said:
Money is not the only factor in all people's decisions.
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Sure, but it's obviously a factor in Loyd's decision, so why is she wrong for leaving early? She's old enough, and there's only so much time you can earn money as an athlete. Why spend that time working for free for Muffet McGraw, of all people?
 
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Jeff H said:
I might depending on the situation. I certainly would if they asked me for my advice. But I guess what I'm trying to say is just because I coach a player it doesn't necessarily mean I know what's best for them in all their life choices. So, I would have to be pretty careful that my advice wasn't colored by what is best for me and my team. In the cases I've dealt with the past 12 years, I've asked them if they were sure about their decision and told them to let me know if they changed their mind, but otherwise I've repected their decision to leave the team. As you say leaving the school is not the same as leaving the team, but Jewel is 22 years old. I think Muffet knows that Jewel has already thought through what leaving means. Once she's already decided to go, stating publicly that she made the wrong decision doesn't seem to me to serve any useful purpose.
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I think add into the equation that the choice based on the reported change from three weeks earlier was a major life choice made in a quite busy three week period. One hopes those sorts of decisions are well thought out over time - this one seems pretty quick.
 
Sargassoc said:
Not in the WNBA, it isn't.
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Anything she makes in the WNBA is more than what she's getting to play for free in college, and that's not even counting the substantial outlay she could probably get from a European team.
 
One factor that hasn't been mentioned here, but that is probably important to Muffet, is being able to boast to recruits and their parents about a 100% graduation rate for scholarship players. I would guess that Notre Dame could make that boast, as could Geno. Now Jewell's decision will cause that rate to be slightly less than 100% for Notre Dame.

That was part of the reason why Geno was so insistent about Diana finishing her degree. He said she wouldn't be welcome back on campus for reunions or other events unless she finished her degree. He knew the value of the 100% graduation rate boast. I'm sure Muffett does also.
 
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A couple of things are in order here. First, it adds very little to the situation by saying 'we/Uconn would have uttered the same had Stewart, Morgan, Jeffereson done the same. Should she stay or should she go? For whose benefit? If a lesser status player done the same woulæd Muffet have expressed herself in the same way? She put out the Notre Dame diploma out there as if it was the only reason for Lloyd coming back, but you can read in her discourse that- it's the Program stupid. She could have served herself and Lloyd better imp by saying that while she has some issues with the decision, she respects it and the Program will do all to assure that Llyod complete the remaining classes during the off-seasons (and by Netclasses). Instead, she comes across as dissing on the young woman at a time when she may need the support of the staff. As others have said here, wait until the woman is through the draft to comment on students leaving early. Even if it screws up your perfect graduation stats.
 
CallMeBruce said:
Sure, but it's obviously a factor in Loyd's decision, so why is she wrong for leaving early? She's old enough, and there's only so much time you can earn money as an athlete. Why spend that time working for free for Muffet McGraw, of all people?
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Well she was not working for free. She was being compensated.
 
Muffet didn't sound bitter to me at all. As has already been pointed out, we have no idea how the interviewers' questions were phrased and what of the questioner's words might have been picked up by McGraw in her responses.

Loyd absolutely has the right to her own decisions. But I can also see how McGraw would think her decision was a bad one, particularly since the coach says she doesn't know Loyd's reason(s) for leaving.

My youngest is two months younger than Loyd. She's about to graduate college and is in the midst of a job search - big decision time, very much like Loyd. She's made it clear to me what her goals are and what her values are. If she suddenly did a 180 and did something the total opposite of what she'd previously told me, I promise you that I'd want the opportunity to speak with her at length to try and make sure her switch was sound. Even if just for my own comfort.

Edited addition - If I wasn't able to speak with her at length, I'd be very likely to think her change of heart/switch in goals was a bad decision, whether it was or not.
 
Have to agree with Muffet. There is no upside to women leaving early. And yes, Notre Dame is an elite institution academically. Best to her, but she'll never get her senior year back. Hope Morgan stays for her fifth year. I believe she will.
 
jsloanjr said:
Wow!!!.Sounds like sour grapes o me......But its OK for coaches to walk away and not look back...She can always come back and finish her degree..Muffett...Please move on
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The decision for Loyd to go pro is debatable but I completely agree that coaches are biased in that it NEVER benefits them to lose their star player.
 
After I signed off around 2am I started thinking, (I know, me and thinking in the same sentence, unbelievable!) Where were Jewell Loyd's parents through all of this? This hasn't been mentioned once in the feedback above! This decision was not reached by Jewell alone, you don't make this important a decision without discussion from your parents! I can imagine that the idea that ND wasn't going to beat UCONN to win the NCAA Championship in her senior year, nor was she going to beat Breanna Stewart for the Player of the Year awards, so why NOT leave early and get the jump on the really good players coming out after next season! Since this is supposed to be a light draft she knows she'll either be 1 or 2 in the WNBA Draft and get a better offer from a foreign team!
 
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The announcers at the game felt McGraw gave up too soon toward the end;not fouling, maybe she felt the same, and said seeya...
 
Those of you who just see the $ to be made overseas should read the following article about a pair of former WBB players, one a Husky and one a Domer:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/11/s...le-the-blues-in-first-season-abroad.html?_r=0

Not exactly a glamorous life. And they at least can keep each other company.

Hopefully Loyd consulted with Diggins, McBride, whoever to get as much info as possible before making her decision.
 
TDiNozzo said:
The announcers at the game felt McGraw gave up too soon toward the end;not fouling, maybe she felt the same, and said seeya...
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The decision was made well before the championship game; neither the outcome nor the way it was played had anything to do with it.
 
To be the devil's advocate here: Looking at it from Muffet's POV- she's lost the only chance she had to be competitive with UCONN and probably all other FF teams next season. If I were in her shoes I'd be pretty P'ed off about it. I would personally be very bitter especially when Jewell had assured me otherwise before the fact.

But life goes on...
 
Bingo about Muffet's appearance or lack thereof at the draft.

It occurs to me that so often what we see on the surface is far from the reality below. I am reminded of how surprised I was when I read that most of the actors on the MASH television show despised Gary Burghoff (Radar).

Maybe there are/were more tensions at ND then we could have imagined.
 
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