[Paint Touches] Four dusty corners: Where it all began

[strotty]

Presenting part one of our four-part series on Buzz Williams:

http://painttouches.com/2013/09/09/four-dusty-corners-where-it-all-began/

[Nukem2]

Very nice strotty, looking forward to the remaining installments.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Nicely done Strotty

[Galway Eagle]

Didn't know what to expect with the earlier articles when I saw the preview and I'm very happy with it.  Keep up the great work! Is it coming out daily, weekly or what?  

[Wally Schroeder]

Great read, fills some details that weren't shared after the win against Cuse in the 2011 tournament.

Is anybody else having trouble accessing the link to Buzz's 2011 postgame narrative? I've tried finding that unsuccessfully on a few occassions.

[CAGASS24]

Nice article!  No mention of his folks, but that's buzzs business!

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

Great article and very well written!!

I love Buzz, but does it seem to anybody else that he's becoming a little bit full of his "story?" It's 5 years in...why are we still hearing this stuff?

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

Great article and very well written!!

I love Buzz, but does it seem to anybody else that he's becoming a little bit full of his "story?" It's 5 years in...why are we still hearing this stuff?

I think it's just his schtick. I don't mean that in a bad way... but Buzz is always going to refer to himself as an underdog, or not that smart, came from nothing, etc. etc.

It's how he maintains his edge.

As long as MU wins, we will all eat it with a spoon.

When MU struggles, we'll grow tired of it.

[NersEllenson]

Great article and very well written!!

I love Buzz, but does it seem to anybody else that he's becoming a little bit full of his "story?" It's 5 years in...why are we still hearing this stuff?

I'm sure Buzz is proud of his story - as he should be - yet why are we still hearing this stuff?  I'd suspect because Paint Touches came up with the story idea, and wanted to give more background information on Buzz, and Buzz obliged, to help the young aspiring journalists out.  I enjoyed the additional background and article a lot - think it is a little ridiculous to think Buzz solicits these journalists to tell his story over and over again...

[JakeBarnes]

Great article and very well written!!

I love Buzz, but does it seem to anybody else that he's becoming a little bit full of his "story?" It's 5 years in...why are we still hearing this stuff?

Welp, looks like we already hit the point of being negative on this one at the early stages.  I imagine I'll throw in my two cents now about where the next articles should go:

1. The day Orr told Buzz that no one should practice free throws
2. How Buzz plans to recruit bigs now that they know he used to live in a cabin in the woods.
3. Why Tom Crean would have written his own story while sitting in a tanning bed and then held a press conference and hung a banner with the story on it on the way to selling the script to Hollywood.
4. The story about how Buzz makes players wear walking boots in order for them to understand what it is to be humbled.
5. A prospective story about how we will all turn on him if he ever leaves for Texas.
6. The origin of the Mickey Mouse tattoo


But honestly, I really enjoyed this article.  It is a slow time of the season but it sure is nice to hear a good story like Buzz's.  Without being too open on the internet, it's been a really tough job market for me lately and a story like this restores my faith a little bit that hard work is still something that not only matters but can get you somewhere.

[moomoo]

Presenting part one of our four-part series on Buzz Williams:

http://painttouches.com/2013/09/09/four-dusty-corners-where-it-all-began/

Tremendous job.

[BCHoopster]

I wonder what Buzz thinks now when he clears $120K a month, no wonder he took care of Lewis Orr, shows that the underdog can get ahead if he wants.  That is why he will always
kill it trying to recruit.  Recruiting is like sweeping the floors everyday, and that is what he does everyday now, a little bit easier on the back.

[77ncaachamps]

I read the article and wondered, "What program is going to make the next big push to make him their coach?"

We are BLESSED to have him here.

Let's continue to give him what he needs to succeed.
Make Marquette a home for him and his family to feel loved and secure.

[GGGG]

I'm sure Buzz is proud of his story - as he should be - yet why are we still hearing this stuff?  I'd suspect because Paint Touches came up with the story idea, and wanted to give more background information on Buzz, and Buzz obliged, to help the young aspiring journalists out.  I enjoyed the additional background and article a lot - think it is a little ridiculous to think Buzz solicits these journalists to tell his story over and over again...

Yeah, this is kind of how I read it.

But I would argue that strotty and the PT crew aren't "aspiring" journalists.  They're already there.

[WarriorFan]

Great article.  Well done.  Hope it goes national.

[mileskishnish72]

Buzz is clearly one of a kind - can't begrudge him a single buck. Here's hoping his work ethic is part of the MU scene for a long time. The Lewis Orr story makes me think that Buzz has a pretty pronounced loyalty streak.

[Benny B]

Great article and very well written!!

I love Buzz, but does it seem to anybody else that he's becoming a little bit full of his "story?" It's 5 years in...why are we still hearing this stuff?

I must have missed something... where was the link to this story five years ago?

[Lennys Tap]

I think it's just his schtick. I don't mean that in a bad way... but Buzz is always going to refer to himself as an underdog, or not that smart, came from nothing, etc. etc.

It's how he maintains his edge.

As long as MU wins, we will all eat it with a spoon.

When MU struggles, we'll grow tired of it.

I think this is utter nonsense. True Horatio Alger stories - Buzz, JFB, Michael Oher, etc.- are inspirational regardless of Elite 8s, NBA or NFL careers. They are not "schtick".

Buzz has some "schtick", no doubt. He's self deprecating and knows he's way smarter that he gives himself credit for - but his story? It's real and it's special. Win or lose.

[MU82]

When I bitched to a former editor about writing the Michael-Jordan-as-savior story for about the gazillionth time, his response was: "Readers don't keep clip files."

I shut up and wrote the story. Again. Got lots of positive emails about it from readers, too.

Nice job, strotty.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

I think this is utter nonsense. True Horatio Alger stories - Buzz, JFB, Michael Oher, etc.- are inspirational regardless of Elite 8s, NBA or NFL careers. They are not "schtick".

Buzz has some "schtick", no doubt. He's self deprecating and knows he's way smarter that he gives himself credit for - but his story? It's real and it's special. Win or lose.

I don't blame Buzz (because presumably the PT guys asked him), but Buzz likes the story (and uses it regularly) because it's part of his underdog persona.

When he wins multiple final 4s, will he still be talking about his JUCO days? Yes.

It's part of Buzz's schtick. It's how Buzz sells Buzz. It's how he maintains his edge.

I'm not using "schtick" in a negative sense... just saying it's always going to be apart of how Buzz presents himself.  

Buzz could win 10 final 4's in a row, and he'd still present himself as the underdog and talk about sweeping floors. That's how he operates.

[Lennys Tap]

I don't blame Buzz (because presumably the PT guys asked him), but Buzz likes the story (and uses it regularly) because it's part of his underdog persona.

When he wins multiple final 4s, will he still be talking about his JUCO days? Yes.

It's part of Buzz's schtick. It's how Buzz sells Buzz. It's how he maintains his edge.

I'm not using "schtick" in a negative sense... just saying it's always going to be apart of how Buzz presents himself.  

Buzz could win 10 final 4's in a row, and he'd still present himself as the underdog and talk about sweeping floors. That's how he operates.

Buzz has a philosophy of life - work hard daily, pay attention to detail, be loyal and reward loyalty in others. His success (and the success of his players who buy in) is testimony that it works. Buzz (like Al before him) has a very entertaining and refreshing way of imparting his message. That's the "schtick" part.

[BubbaWilliams]

I wonder what Buzz thinks now when he clears $120K a month

$108 K a month. Bubba gets 10%

[Spotcheck Billy]

even Roy Williams cops to a country bumpkin type personna

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

Buzz has a philosophy of life - work hard daily, pay attention to detail, be loyal and reward loyalty in others. His success (and the success of his players who buy in) is testimony that it works. Buzz (like Al before him) has a very entertaining and refreshing way of imparting his message. That's the "schtick" part.

Buzz could talk about his philosophy of hard work and detail as it relates to MU, or TAMU or any of the other high level coaching positions he has had.

But, his default position is to talk about his JUCO days, and undersell himself as the underdog. That's how Buzz likes to present himself. That's not an accident.

To reiterate, this isn't a critique of the guy... just something I have noticed in how he presents himself. It's how Buzz operates.

[Lennys Tap]

Buzz could talk about his philosophy of hard work and detail as it relates to MU, or TAMU or any of the other high level coaching positions he has had.

But, his default position is to talk about his JUCO days, and undersell himself as the underdog. That's how Buzz likes to present himself. That's not an accident.

To reiterate, this isn't a critique of the guy... just something I have noticed in how he presents himself. It's how Buzz operates.

The lessons learned mowing grass, sweeping floors and taking notes at juco practices are his foundation, the basis for his success. He didn't start "throwin' a good pitch" or working like "the butcher, the baker or the candlestick maker" every day at A+M or Marquette. A+M and Marquette are the opportunities that practicing his principles earned for him. When you're teaching values, the story of how and where you learned those values is important.