Question About Boeheim's Presser

[Brad Palmer]

At last night's post-game press conference, Jim Boeheim did seem sincere in many of his thoughts on the Fine situation.

He gave his apology a few days ago, almost 10 days after his initial comments. His apology was released after the audio tape came out...but in the press conference last night he said he has yet to listen to the tape. That seems odd.

FWIW--While I don't think he should be fired, a short suspension would have been in line for his outburst/insensitive comments 10 days ago.

 

[Husky68]

These coaches are paid to perform, part of that is projecting the image you think is necessary. Think he has ever pretended to like a recruit's hanger on to close the deal on a good player? After throwing that kid under the bus and getting his handed to him by the University, bet he practiced looking sincere in the mirror.

 

[ctchamps]

At last night's post-game press conference, Jim Boeheim did seem sincere in many of his thoughts on the Fine situation.

He gave his apology a few days ago, almost 10 days after his initial comments. His apology was released after the audio tape came out...but in the press conference last night he said he has yet to listen to the tape. That seems odd.

FWIW--While I don't think he should be fired, a short suspension would have been in line for his outburst/insensitive comments 10 days ago.

Good catch. Most likely the statement that was released after the tape news broke was written by a legal team and released in his name.

 

[freescooter]

I don't know who wrote the article, but someone said he sounded like he "didn't get it." That was my impression too. On the one hand he answered every question, but he keeps sticking to his verison of Sgt Schlutz...I'm just the basketball coach...He either really doesn't have a clue about what has been going on in his program for 36 years or he is totally clueless about what the effects of all this are. In either case, I don't see any real way to defend him.

 

[upstater]

Good catch. Most likely the statement that was released after the tape news broke was written by a legal team and released in his name.

What does it say that he talked of his loyalty to Fine and never listened to the tape? Then he said the victim's allegations haven't been verified. And finally he made the point that ballboys don't travel with the team. Why say that?

 

[freescooter]

What gets me, too, is that he doesn't seem to understand that as long as he stays, certainly this season, no matter how far his team goes, it will never be about them. And the longer this whole situation drags on, Syracuse will be dragged through the mud. His best hope of preserving his reputation is to walk away, I think.

 

[uc1974]

I made it a point when I worked never to listen to rumor or to pay any attention to "office vibe" as to who was sleeping with whom or who was cheating on his/her taxes. I was paid for legal work, not trying to form partial information opinions about the personal lives of the staff. If I had seen an illegal act committed in my presence or had credible evidence of a felony, of course I would have reported it. I do not subscribe to the collective opinion of the past 40 years or so that some ONE necessarily has to bear responsibility for some untoward act of someone else. Ancient Jews would drive a goat off a cliff and solve the problem that way, probably more logical solution than today's analysis. Boeheim is a delegator and made it a point to not get involved in much of anything not strictly basketball. He has no inherent duty to know anything about outside hanky-panky, legal or not. The problem is that a certain (small) percentage of the population are pedophiles. When someone finds a way to detect them by their ear lobes, let us know. Just because JB earns a high salary does not make him a pedophile or hanky-panky detector. If you want that, hire a child psychologist as coach. Boeheim gets it all but it understandably makes him uncomfortable so lets now assume he doesn't get it because he doesn't react the way some think he should. Huh?

 

[ctchamps]

I listened to the interview again. He points to a person in the press (I'm assuming it was Schwartz) and said he listened to the report, reluctantly. Which would mean he listened to the tape. So he wasn't inconsistent regarding the tape.

He was coached on what to write and what to say. I see nothing wrong with that because most of us are not experienced in how to handle the press or legal minds on these type of issues.

Explaining the ball boy thing is clarification about ball boys and separates the issue of Fine bringing Davis under his own capacity vs. the official capacity of being with Syracuse. This will be raised by in a legal capacity if it is determined Davis has a case. And then the judicial system will determine if JB's statement is accurate. If they determine otherwise, JB will be forced to resign.

Outside of this matter, which I felt he should have not brought up, I thought he handled the press well. I can see how some people would consider him to be defensive. Furthermore he is taking the position of limiting his responsibilities regarding his involvement in his capacity as head coach. That certainly will cause many of us to question his accuracy.

But over all it was as good a way he could have handled it other than not speaking at all. I'm just glad JC wasn't up in front of those wolves answering the same questions. That would have been a nightmare.

 

[Husky Dynasty]

I don't know who wrote the article, but someone said he sounded like he "didn't get it." That was my impression too. On the one hand he answered every question, but he keeps sticking to his verison of Sgt Schlutz...I'm just the basketball coach...He either really doesn't have a clue about what has been going on in his program for 36 years or he is totally clueless about what the effects of all this are. In either case, I don't see any real way to defend him.

Here's a link to the article by Pat Forde, who I don't particularly care for, but who did a decent job this time around:

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/news?slug= pf-forde_syracuse_boeheim_scandal_missteps_112911

 

[freescooter]

Here's a link to the article by Pat Forde, who I don't particularly care for, but who did a decent job this time around:

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/news?slug= pf-forde_syracuse_boeheim_scandal_missteps_112911

That's the one. I think it pretty accurately reflects my view of his presser.

 

[Vuce]

Two morning radio shows I heard today were killing JB for sort of yucking it up at times during the presser. Even his attempt at lightening the mood at the beginning of the press conference fell flat and seems like he doesn't get the gravity of the situation. If more accusers come out - let's say there are some that come out as a result of Fine running the summer basketball camp or something - then JB is done. He can't just bury his head in the sand and say he didn't know. Heck, JC is missing 3 or 4 Big East games because of some extra texts his assistants sent. Fine was bringing little boys on the road with him and Boeheim claims he had no idea or that they weren't ball boys? That won't fly.

 

[HuskyBballFan]

I'm of the belief that Boeheim would have been criticized today no matter what he said last night. When you're in a situation where you have to defend yourself and your program, and most of the country has already made up their mind on what your ultimate fate should be, you're never going to please everyone.

I would have preferred that he would have at least admitted that his original comments (based on what we all know now) are no longer appropriate. I also didn't think the jokes he kept trying to make came off all that well given the situation. But other than that, I thought he handled it as well as he could have. There are a whole bunch of coaches who would have read their prepared statement and plead the fifth the rest of the press conference. You can tell that Boeheim can't help himself - he kept saying that he didn't want to say anymore but ultimately he ended up answered virtually every question asked of him.

 

[upstater]

My view is that Boeheim has already done enough to show he is not sufficiently aware of the gravity of the situation. He is dismissive about the things on the tape, and I'm not sure I buy that he is aware of everything on the tape. In fact, I often hear people only talk about the ESPN played part of the tape, and not the more salacious parts. He's claimed that he never brought up the allegations with Fine. That he never listened to the tape. That it's not his job. But these are similar to Paterno's claims. Now, I don't think Paterno would have been fired had it not been for the fundamental difference between Cuse and PSU, and that is the eyewitness reports. But I would go beyond that if one equates McQueary with Laurie Fine as eyewitnesses, and that is this: what is missing from the Cuse case is rhythmic slaps, anal rape and perhaps what Dana O'Neil said this morning: Bobby Davis is 39 year old.

So, Boeheim survives, even though I think his behavior and emphasis on plausible deniability is a problem. But, if some rhythmic slaps are revealed in the coming weeks, then he's gone whether or not he knew. Why? Because burying his head in the sand allowed a serial predator to do his thing. This isn't PSU yet, but it may come to that.

 

[upstater]

I'm of the belief that Boeheim would have been criticized today no matter what he said last night. When you're in a situation where you have to defend yourself and your program, and most of the country has already made up their mind on what your ultimate fate should be, you're never going to please everyone.

I would have preferred that he would have at least admitted that his original comments (based on what we all know now) are no longer appropriate. I also didn't think the jokes he kept trying to make came off all that well given the situation. But other than that, I thought he handled it as well as he could have. There are a whole bunch of coaches who would have read their prepared statement and plead the fifth the rest of the press conference. You can tell that Boeheim can't help himself - he kept saying that he didn't want to say anymore but ultimately he ended up answered virtually every question asked of him.

I agree that he would have been criticized for shutting up. All I'm questioning is his claim about the tape, about Davis's credibility and the ballboy comment, which even though it may be factual does not seem entirely relevant, that is if a ballboy traveled with the team on the road not as a ballboy but in some other capacity.

 

[Prezidint]

Seems more like legal positioning than anything else.

I liked him.

 

[upstater]

Seems more like legal positioning than anything else.

I liked him.

You might be right. He's just a basketball coach, and a lawyer.

 

[SubbaBub]

What did he know and when? That is all that should matter. I hate when people look for collateral damage in an effort to appease their own outrage.

If he knew, then he should be fired. If he was fooled or led to believe it was an unsubstantiated accusation in 2002, then he is no more responsible than anyone else except the accused.

BTW, I haven't heard where ESPN got the tape, but if it didn't come from law enforcement then they should be held to the same moral standard to which they held Paterno. If it was leaked by the cops, then the police were part of a huge cover up.

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk

 

[ctchamps]

I'm of the belief that Boeheim would have been criticized today no matter what he said last night. When you're in a situation where you have to defend yourself and your program, and most of the country has already made up their mind on what your ultimate fate should be, you're never going to please everyone.

I would have preferred that he would have at least admitted that his original comments (based on what we all know now) are no longer appropriate. I also didn't think the jokes he kept trying to make came off all that well given the situation. But other than that, I thought he handled it as well as he could have. There are a whole bunch of coaches who would have read their prepared statement and plead the fifth the rest of the press conference. You can tell that Boeheim can't help himself - he kept saying that he didn't want to say anymore but ultimately he ended up answered virtually every question asked of him.

I agree with you on every point.

I believe JB is toast if those kids were at the tournaments in the official capacity as ball boys given his statements to the press. Otherwise he has clarified the position of responsibility of overseeing who is traveling with whom. And rightfully so. There is no way a coach can be responsible for who other people bring with them. The arrangements Fine made with Davis's mother are a private matter than became a public matter with his criminal acts.

 

[ctchamps]

What did he know and when? That is all that should matter. I hate when people look for collateral damage in an effort to appease their own outrage.

If he knew, then he should be fired. If he was fooled or led to believe it was an unsubstantiated accusation in 2002, then he is no more responsible than anyone else except the accused.

BTW, I haven't heard where ESPN got the tape, but if it didn't come from law enforcement then they should be held to the same moral standard to which they held Paterno. If it was leaked by the cops, then the police were part of a huge cover up.

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk

I agree.

 

[TopDog18]

Jimbo Gotta Go. What he did was inexcusable. As I've been told, most child abuse victims are afraid to come forward because they fear people will not believe their accusations. Which is exactly what JB did. But he took it even further, publicly calling him a liar and out for the money. As Pat Forde mentions JB kept saying “we have to wait” until the investigation plays out. Well, JB did not wait when he made his statement about the accusers. And how can people think his apology to the victims is sincere? He released that statement that the school or his attorney probably wrote for him. Did you hear him express and sympathy for the victims during the press conference? Or remorse for what he said last week? NO. Instead JB went out and said how he was proud he supported his friend. JB was wrong and clearly does not understand how serious this situation is.

 

[ctchamps]

I think he understands how serious the situation is. JB had just witnessed the fall of Paterno to recognize the similarities that exists in his position to Paterno, even with the differences. What JB does not know is how to react to the situation. No one does because in a population of 300 million people, there is a wide range of what is appropriate and inappropriate behavior. So if he said the things you would like, he would have offended others of us who thought he said the right things. Just hope in your life you are never in a situation where you are collateral damage from a situation created by one of your colleagues.

 

[TopDog18]

So if he said the things you would like, he would have offended others of us who thought he said the right things. Just hope in your life you are never in a situation where you are collateral damage from a situation created by one of your colleagues.

The only reason he may become "collateral damage from a situation created by one of his colleagues" Is for what HE said. As for now, it seems as if JB had no knowledge of the abuse. However, it was the way he handled it and what he said about the abuse and the victims, not for what his colleagues did. If he kept his mouth shut until all the facts were presented, JB would not be taking all this criticism right now. And your going to tell me if he acted more sincere towards the victims (which he has not done at all, besides releasing a BS statment) during the presser it would offend some people who thought he "said the right thing." Give me a break!

As for him being fired, I may be taking it too far as I am a little biased due to my strong dislike of Syracuse.

 

[Scalito]

And your going to tell me if he acted more sincere towards the victims (which he has not done at all, besides releasing a BS statment) during the presser it would offend some people who thought he "said the right thing."

I suspect there is a good chance that if you gave Boeheim truth serum, and asked him whether he thinks Fine is guilty, he would say no. That's likely why he repeatedly and emphatically stated during his press conference that we will find out what happened on his watch after the investigation is completed.

 

[UCHuskies08]

Anybody have a link to the video of the presser?

 

[upstater]

I suspect there is a good chance that if you gave Boeheim truth serum, and asked him whether he thinks Fine is guilty, he would say no. That's likely why he repeatedly and emphatically stated during his press conference that we will find out what happened on his watch after the investigation is completed.

And he said he didn't listen to the tape.
I want him to listen to the part about Fine's nightly routine.