Thamel times article

[Jarhead_1775]

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/09/s...head-for-uconn.html?smid=tw-nytimes&seid=auto

guy.

 

[WestCoastHusky]

He is a Syracuse bag who should be worrying about his own alma mater. They should be worrying about how to protect ball boys and how to prevent drug dealers hanging out with their basketball team.

It wasn't long ago Fruits got their own APR problem. NCAA hammer will drop on that school soon enough and I hope this Thammel scumbag will be brave enough to write an article about his own school.

 

[Rumrunner]

Ahhh. To be a sports reporter at the NY Times. Hello, tallest midget. How'd the Nate Miles interview go?

Sucks to be an alum of Syracuse, the most dirty program in the land. Molesters, drug users, drug user abettors....hey, all good. Nothing like seeing UConn crushing SU in student selectivity, admissions and academic rankings. Must be so hard, so hard, to watch.

Oriakhi could transfer although he said he wouldn't. Thamel could duckk Bernie Fine's wife up her a** while snorting coke off of Boeheim's flaccid penis. Who really knows if that will happen.

Thank god we have no bias in sport's reporting.
Especially from the creaking gray lady.

 

[djct1999]

Get used to this. Articles with this theme will be written everywhere until the NCAA comes down with a final ruling. That being said, and as much as I hate reading it, there is a simple truth that Doris Burke and Pete Thamel seem so happy to remind us about......to not think that UConn is on somewhat fragile ground is simply turning a blind eye. A postseason ban can put a program back atleast 3 years.......lets just assume we are banned: its most likely that ad and jl go to the nba, ao transfers, omar calhoun asks for his release, and then you really have to wonder about the remaining roster. i think you would see atleast 2 more guys leave. so that would leave us with an empty roster probably filling it with marginal high d1 talent, and an aging coach. i understand fully that this is absolute worst case scenario, but it isnt extremely unrealistic. as much as i pray this scenario doesnt play out, just the the thought that it can makes the state of the program somewhat fragile!

 

[benjordan]

Why would anyone transfer? The one year ban would coincide with anytime they'd have to sit out no?

 

[CTGoonie]

Why would anyone transfer? The one year ban would coincide with anytime they'd have to sit out no?

I'm pretty sure Oriakhi could transfer and play somewhere else in the Fall because he will be a senior. I could also see the NCAA letting that happen for the Soph's and Junior's just to screw with JC some more...

 

[Nostical]

Actually, the most innacurate statement implied Herbst fired Hathaway to appease Calhoun. He was let go for several reasons, but chief among them was his ineptness at the many facets of fundraising. Herbst is very capable of making hard, dispassionate decisions. She's most assuredly the one in charge.

 

[djct1999]

by sitting out they still maintain elligibility. for example, if dd decides to stay, he would essentially wait to his junior year to play in the ncaa, assuming they make it. if he transfered to a school like creighton(just throwing it out there), he would sit a year, but still have 3 years to play. secondly, why would any of these guys want to be the scapegoat. essentially, they are being penalized for something they had nothing to do with at best an uncertain future. do they really want to stick around to 2014? who knows what that will bring.

 

[Jarhead_1775]

I think it's like the USC deal. No sit out year because of the teams post season ban. A la DJ Shoemate.

 

[HuskyBballFan]

Gotta love articles like this.

1) What exactly is the point of speculating that Calhoun may be "moved aside by university administrators" with 2 years left on his contract? Thamel even acknowledges that Herbst loves Calhoun, that Hathaway is gone, that Calhoun has no intentions of retiring, and that Manuel has no intention of nudging him out the door. So what you're saying, Mr. Thamel, is that the chances of JC being "moved aside" are exactly 0.0%.

2) "UConn then mocked the N.C.A.A. by recruiting Drummond late in the summer despite having no scholarships left." Yeah Pete, that's exactly what happened. Uconn didn't even want this Drummond character until they ran out of scholarships, at which point they decided to show the NCAA who's boss by giving him a call and seeing if he was interested in Uconn. And thanks for pointing out, as a paranthetical afterthought, that Drummond is "reportedly" paying his own way this year. I assume by "reportedly" he means "confirmed by Calhoun, the University, and the player himself," right?

3) "There is a chance that the junior big man Alex Oriakhi, who was UConn’s best player in the national title game win over Butler last season, could transfer for his final year. Oriakhi could transfer without penalty because of the postseason ban, although he said he was not planning on it.

So essentially the premise of the article is that Calhoun may be forced out, although all parties involved have no interest in doing so. Oriakhi has the option to transfer, although he hasn't indicated that he has any interest in doing so. Drummond may go pro, although he hasn't made his mind up yet.

Let's just throw a bunch of stuff against the wall and see what sticks.

 

[djct1999]

obviously, the media will take every chance they have to attack a guy like Calhoun. like i said earlier, get used to this because as far as uconn advances the more noise we will most likely hear. until there is resolution, i think its arrogant to deny that uconn isnt on fragile ground.......and this is coming from a guy who still believes that somehow uconn WILL be allowed to play in next years dance!

 

[Drumguy]

Actually, the most innacurate statement implied Herbst fired Hathaway to appease Calhoun. He was let go for several reasons, but chief among them was his ineptness at the many facets of fundraising. Herbst is very capable of making hard, dispassionate decisions. She's most assuredly the one in charge.

Absolutely. This was an awful article full of innuendo and misinformation. If I was Herbst I would call the editors at the Times and ask for a retraction.

 

[jrazz12]

There may be a more pathetic piece of sports "journalism" out there, but I doubt it

 

[geordi]

And you guys wonder why I think we should repeal the constitutional guarantee of a free press. If the SOBs can't do it right, they shouldn't be allowed to do it at all.

 

[uconnric]

Writers need things to write articles about. So yes, we'll see more of this crap because other writers will pick up on it and voila, you have a story. I'm sure Jeff Jacobs will weigh in with his own piece at some point. I just hope he'll be more accurate.

 

[Ed-D]

Yes there were many inaccuracies in that article. But the basic premise, that UConn is at a crossroads, is hard to dispute. If there were no sanctions and UConn could play in the NCAAs next year, Lamb and Napier and Oriakhi (but not Drummond. He's projected as a top 5 pick) might stick around, making the Huskies one of the preseason favorites. Instead, these players will in all likelihood try their luck as professionals--if not in the NBA then in Europe or elsewhere. None of these guys are going to pass up millions of dollars and sit out a year just to have a shot in 2014. And with two years left on his contract (and no obvious successor) Calhoun is kind of a lame duck, which will make recruiting difficult.

 

[upstater]

Yes there were many inaccuracies in that article. But the basic premise, that UConn is at a crossroads, is hard to dispute. If there were no sanctions and UConn could play in the NCAAs next year, Lamb and Napier and Oriakhi (but not Drummond. He's projected as a top 5 pick) might stick around, making the Huskies one of the preseason favorites. Instead, these players will in all likelihood try their luck as professionals--if not in the NBA then in Europe or elsewhere. None of these guys are going to pass up millions of dollars and sit out a year just to have a shot in 2014. And with two years left on his contract (and no obvious successor) Calhoun is kind of a lame duck, which will make recruiting difficult.

1. The other coaches continue to pull recruits to UConn, and if you listen to those recruits, they are not at all concerned that Calhoun is reaching the end of his career.

2. Given the NCAA's approval of the waiver for Louisian-M., UConn can expect that it will be eligible for the postseason next year, since there was nothing dissimilar in UConn's request.

3. Years left on his contract?? Lame duck?? ROFFFFFLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!

 

[Walker11]

Guys write articles like this to get page views. Don't click, nothing new here.

 

[Inyatkin]

The problem isn't just that he gets stuff wrong, even though he does, or that he makes a bunch of assumptions with nothing to back it up, which he does. It's not even that he implies the worst about every possible action.
The worst part is this exact piece, give or take a few details, has been written every year for the past five years. Enough already. Find something new to say.

 

[patrick]

What a f#cking joke!

 

[Ed-D]

1. The other coaches continue to pull recruits to UConn, and if you listen to those recruits, they are not at all concerned that Calhoun is reaching the end of his career.

If it's true that the other coaches are playing a major role in recruiting, and if UConn is signing quality guys, that will be a very good sign. But right now we only have Omar Calhoun signed, and he's been in the fold for awhile. Also I wouldn't hold up anything the recruits themselves are saying because of course they aren't going to tell reporters "I'm really concerned what's going to happen to this program after Calhoun retires."

2. Given the NCAA's approval of the waiver for Louisian-M., UConn can expect that it will be eligible for the postseason next year, since there was nothing dissimilar in UConn's request.

another good sign. Let's hope...

3. Years left on his contract?? Lame duck?? ROFFFFFLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!

Dude will be 70 this year. Are they really going to offer him a longterm contract at this stage?

 

[upstater]

Dude will be 70 this year. Are they really going to offer him a longterm contract at this stage?

The point is, Lame Duck only applies to coaches who are not being renewed. Calhoun is at UConn for as long as he wants or until he's senile. Everyone knows that Calhoun will retire prior to his expiration date, so talk of contracts is irrelevant. He could have 3 months to go or 30 years, it's irrelevant. Calhoun will retire long before his contract (or lack thereof) is even a consideration.

 

[Ed-D]

The point is, Lame Duck only applies to coaches who are not being renewed. Calhoun is at UConn for as long as he wants or until he's senile. Everyone knows that Calhoun will retire prior to his expiration date, so talk of contracts is irrelevant. He could have 3 months to go or 30 years, it's irrelevant. Calhoun will retire long before his contract (or lack thereof) is even a consideration.

Yeah but you still have to look at the reality on the ground, as it were. His current contract expires in 2014. He may not have much (or any) support from the AD's office. For him to get to a point where he can stay "for as long as he wants or until he's senile" he will need to sign an extension. And who knows if one will be offered?

 

[EROCK CONN]

Articles like these make me realize just how far we've come as a program as 25 years ago the New York Times would not have written about UConn basketball and the amount of 'haters' for UConn basketball seems to be growing. All of this makes me smile.

How anyone with a sane head can believe that we are on shaky grounds is completely rediculous.

We are the defending national champs, we are the most successful D-1 program during the last 15 years, and have a roster filled with young talent. We have one issue regarding a possible post season ban and we are on 'shaky ground?'

PS can anyone describe for me, in this context, what 'shaky ground' actually means? Is a whole going to open and up and swallow this program up if Jim Calhoun retires or if by the slim chance we are banned from the NCAA tournament next year?

Is Syracuse on skay ground with their issues and aging coach?

Is Duke on shaky ground with their aging coach?

The logical argument is, yes it will be very difficult to replace Jim Calhoun as it was hard for UK to replace Rupp, Indiana to replace Bob Knight and as it will be for Cuse to replace Jim Boeheim, and Duke to replace Coach K?

These Coaches is and are irreplaceable.

However, we have built a championship caliber program and brand that will continue to exist. Further, our two biggest recruiting rivals just made moves that will ultimately hurt them in their ability to draw talent from the most fertile basketball recruiting area in the country. An area that we literally sit right on top of.

 

[Jarhead_1775]

Friggin wooden could've still coached until his death at 99! You guys do realize that they don't have to actually play when they coach, right? He is the current defending national champion. If you think that doesn't buy you an extension any damn time you want one, you're delusional. Some of you guys seem to be on the verge of calling for his head!