Talk about throwing your own players under the bus

[CanadaHawk]

Yes, I'm talking about John Calipari.
John Calipari revisits Final Four loss, says loyalty to Harrison twins costly
"John Calipari says his Kentucky Wildcats' loss to the Wisconsin Badgers in this year's national semifinals -- or at least part of it -- was due to his decision to leave slumping guards Andrew Harrison and Aaron Harrison on the floor."
http://espn.go.com/mens-college-bas...s-says-loyalty-harrison-twins-was-costly-loss

 

[SDHawkDoc]

Stay classy, cal.

 

[HoustonREDHawk]

Stay classy, cal.

Just as "you can put lipstick on a pig, but it is still a pig", you can put a POS in a $5,000 suit and splash on some expensive cologne, but it doesn't really change who they are, a smelly turd.

Cue the "Coach Cal is a great coach who really cares about his players" defenders...

 

[DodgerHawki]

Just as "you can put lipstick on a pig, but it is still a pig", you can put a POS in a $5,000 suit and splash on some expensive cologne, but it doesn't really change who they are, a smelly turd.

Cue the "Coach Cal is a great coach who really cares about his players" defenders...

Yeah I get quick sick of hearing about what a great guy he is. He has one thing in mind, looking out for No. 1.

 

[FranklinHawk]

I'm certainly no Cal fan, but I guess I didn't read that as really throwing anyone under the bus. He said they were clearly struggling but he made the decision to leave them out there based on prior history and experience.

 

[clickhere 01]

Just as "you can put lipstick on a pig, but it is still a pig", you can put a POS in a $5,000 suit and splash on some expensive cologne, but it doesn't really change who they are, a smelly turd.

Cue the "Coach Cal is a great coach who really cares about his players" defenders...

Did you bother reading the article?

 

[StormHawk42]

I'm certainly no Cal fan, but I guess I didn't read that as really throwing anyone under the bus. He said they were clearly struggling but he made the decision to leave them out there based on prior history and experience.

+1; lots of coaches have made the same mistake, whether they owned it or not. Cal is a DB, but I think this is more headline-grabbing by ESPN than anything.

 

[jerbob36]

While it may be true, you NEVER air that out in public. And I am one to sometimes defend Cal a bit for taking advantage of the 1-and-done rule and preparing kids for their dream, but that is craptastic.

 

[SSG T]

It doesn't sound like he's throwing the Harrisons under the bus, it sounds like he was throwing himself under it for not making a decision he should have made.

 

[CanadaHawk]

While it may be true, you NEVER air that out in public. And I am one to sometimes defend Cal a bit for taking advantage of the 1-and-done rule and preparing kids for their dream, but that is craptastic.

It is the choice he made to talk about team laundry publicly I find questionable. He could have just said he made decisions he regretted. That would have given him alone culpability. Instead, he named names. It makes me wonder if he's trying to inspire this year's sophs, particularly Ulis, by saying in effect, 'we'll be better off at guard with you.' Not a particularly family atmosphere there.

 

[jerbob36]

It is the choice he made to talk about team laundry publicly I find questionable. He could have just said he made decisions he regretted. That would have given him alone culpability. Instead, he named names. It makes me wonder if he's trying to inspire this year's sophs, particularly Ulis, by saying in effect, 'we'll be better off at guard with you.' Not a particularly family atmosphere there.

Interesting perspective Canada. Hey Tyler, we'll take ya.

 

[Titanhawk2]

Did you bother reading the article?

Yes, he said he owed it to the twins to keep them in. His decision, no bus to be thrown under. Not sure you understand the meaning of the phrase

 

[CanadaHawk]

Yes, he said he owed it to the twins to keep them in. His decision, no bus to be thrown under. Not sure you understand the meaning of the phrase

But the win/loss bottom line of his statement is 'they' did not succeed. If he really was interested in protecting them, why mention names? Just say he made coaching errors. Then it's all on him.

 

[DanL53]

It's similar to me to when Alford said after a New Mexico loss, "I can't shoot the ball for them".

I'd be inclined in either case, as a player, to feel like, "Ok, so we're a group of guys working together until we're not?"

It's similar to me to when Barta (sorry, I meant Bowlsby) referred to fans as, "Rank Amateurs". And I felt like, "Oh, so you want us around and cheering like robots. But if we're dissatisfied with what is going on in the program we're a bunch of dummies?"

Dumb, stupid, arrogance is dumb, stupid, arrogance. What bothers me more with Calipari's remark is we're supposed to believe that he could see the future and knew the Harrison's weren't going to get the job done. That somehow, "loyalty" meant he kept them in over other guys even when he knew there was a better option? Oh, bulls..t! Calipari kept them in because it had worked in the past and it gave him the best chance to beat Wisconsin.

Cripes, Cal, give Wisconsin some credit and accept that sometimes you and you alone aren't some great basketball coach that should never get beat. Quit looking for excuses.

 

[hawkeyedude#1]

Yes, I'm talking about John Calipari.
John Calipari revisits Final Four loss, says loyalty to Harrison twins costly
"John Calipari says his Kentucky Wildcats' loss to the Wisconsin Badgers in this year's national semifinals -- or at least part of it -- was due to his decision to leave slumping guards Andrew Harrison and Aaron Harrison on the floor."
http://espn.go.com/mens-college-bas...s-says-loyalty-harrison-twins-was-costly-loss

Throwing under the bus? Or holding his players accountable? Sorry. He didn't come close to throwing anybody under the bus.

 

[hawk-i bob]

actually I think it was Bowlsby who referred to Iowa fans as rank amateurs....cant see Fran saying he should have played player A over player B in any game...that's something that needs to stay within the confines of coaches' office not in the media....but Calipari seems to think differently.

 

[David1979]

Calipari always throws his players under the buss but says it in a way that makes it seem like 'poor me I am such a player first coach that it hurt our team'. I can't stand him and honestly don't know how the players do either. maybe they are too young to be able to detect his bullshit.

 

[DanL53]

actually I think it was Bowlsby who referred to Iowa fans as rank amateurs....cant see Fran saying he should have played player A over player B in any game...that's something that needs to stay within the confines of coaches' office not in the media....but Calipari seems to think differently.

Thanks, names are becoming my enemy the older I get. I edited the post as it was Bowlsby.

 

[hawk-i bob]

Thanks, names are becoming my enemy the older I get. I edited the post as it was Bowlsby.

here is story on Bowlsby...back in my baseball days...city had just built us a new concession & equipment building (really nice ..even had an umpire room)...anyway me & another guy were wanting to move this table from the old building into the new...it was really long ...heavy as hell...

we needed help ..so we went and asked some of the Dads watching their kids play if they would help us carry it...Bob was there watching his kid...he heard us & said I'll help...so he and 3-4 other guys walked over to the old building..

now the ground between the 2 buildings was nothing but dirt (well because of recent heavy rain)...it was mud...and I mean thick mud crap..

Bowlsby was dressed in AD mode...shinny shoes/nice pants...by the time we got the table moved...those shoes & the bottom of his pants were caked...it was bad. I did feel a little bad ...didn't know what to say to him...other than "thanks for helping"...

I'm thinking that might be where the rank amateur thing came from

 

[DanL53]

LOL. Bob, how dare you get the AD of the University of Iowa dirty!!!! But, it's fun stories like that, that make Iowa athletics so much fun. I'll never forget running into Gable at a HyVee early one Sunday morning. Here was this little guy looking at fresh produce. I just stared at him wondering why, how in the heck, could that guy certainly kick the crud out of me if we got in a tussle? It just didn't seem to make sense. Such a tiny fellow looking at vegetables? But reason prevailed and I didn't go and challenge him to a match.

 

[Hawk and Awe]

It's similar to me to when Alford said after a New Mexico loss, "I can't shoot the ball for them".

I'd be inclined in either case, as a player, to feel like, "Ok, so we're a group of guys working together until we're not?"

It's similar to me to when Barta (sorry, I meant Bowlsby) referred to fans as, "Rank Amateurs". And I felt like, "Oh, so you want us around and cheering like robots. But if we're dissatisfied with what is going on in the program we're a bunch of dummies?"

Dumb, stupid, arrogance is dumb, stupid, arrogance. What bothers me more with Calipari's remark is we're supposed to believe that he could see the future and knew the Harrison's weren't going to get the job done. That somehow, "loyalty" meant he kept them in over other guys even when he knew there was a better option? Oh, bulls..t! Calipari kept them in because it had worked in the past and it gave him the best chance to beat Wisconsin.

Cripes, Cal, give Wisconsin some credit and accept that sometimes you and you alone aren't some great basketball coach that should never get beat. Quit looking for excuses.

Absolutely nailed it. Really well said.

 

[HoustonREDHawk]

Absolutely nailed it. Really well said.

And I thought I had nailed Coach Cal with fewer words. When you start linking the names of players to team failures, IMO you are indirectly blaming them. I wonder what caring Coach Cal's total annual salary is for having the compassion to run his NBA prep school.

 

[Myvue]

And I thought I had nailed Coach Cal with fewer words. When you start linking the names of players to team failures, IMO you are indirectly blaming them. I wonder what caring Coach Cal's total annual salary is for having the compassion to run his NBA prep school.

According to this link JC signed a 7 year 52.5 million dollar contract last year. At the link someone states the yearly amount starting with 6.5 mil the first year up to 8 mil for the last three years. It doesn't say anything about incentives for wins etc. but from what I have read it seems the highest of paid coaches don't usually have that in their contracts as winning is expected or else.

http://www.sportsworldnews.com/arti...akers-officially-out-of-the-picture-video.htm

 

[sloehawk]

Yes, he said he owed it to the twins to keep them in. His decision, no bus to be thrown under. Not sure you understand the meaning of the phrase

Well they did manage to get Cal's team to 39-0 or whatever it was, with their "shoddy play", so it kind of makes sense to keep them in and see if they play better, which I presume happened quite a bit. This is all about hindsight, and something to fill up a reporters column before the season starts.

 

[Myvue]

I believe Cal did throw his players under the bus. Not by leaving them in and allowing them to play but by the same as calling them out as the players who cost them the game. I'm sure they felt bad enough about losing the game without him pouring it on.

 

[yerpHAWK]

But then we wouldn't have gotten this beaut of a presser.