Frustrated fans a plenty...time to go back to class
Less than 24 hours later, fans displeasure has not abated much. Some folks have come back off the ledge, others have jumped....both decisions grounded in some truth.
The schism that exists between the pro-Crean vs anti-Crean remains alive and well. Again, both with nuggets of truth in their quiver to make their case.
As someone that has always been more optimistic then pessimistic when it comes to the coaching side of the house, I confess wholeheartedly that last night dulled the shine for me to an alarming degree.
It was an issue of class, or better stated a lack there of. Tom Crean has seemingly exercised good judgment in this department for most of his years at Marquette. Whether it was taking on the Al McGuire Children's Run leadership, assisting in the molding many of his players into fine citizens (who are polite, confident, community oriented), stressing the importance of school and the importance of the university. I have met many of these young men and they are outstanding people and have been guided well by Crean and his staff (and of course mostly by their parents/guardians). Good stuff, not all required but expected of someone in his position.
What is not expected is what happened at the end of last night's game. After his team got smoked on the court from the opening whistle, the conclusion of the game was known for a long time. Man up, shake hands and move on. This is not what happened. Crean shook Rick Pitino's hand, clearly an action that has it's own underlying issues (for another day), but then took a hard left turn immediately across the court and to the locker room. No shaking of the other coaches hands or players.
I thought I was watching a UWM vs Illinois-Chicago game with Bruce Pearl and Jimmy Collins again. It was classless when those two did it, but at least then everyone knew way in advance that both weren't going to palm up. This was different. This was straight out of poor loser/poor sportsmanship 101 text book. When Crean's clubs have beaten Louisville, which has happened many times, Crean has had no problem shaking the hands of everyone on that staff. Now when he's blown out, he doesn't?
That's just plain wrong. I'm sure in the heat of the moment he was pissed off and wanted to get out of there. Doesn't excuse it. 24 hours earlier in front of 95 million people, Bill Bellichek bolted off the field with 1 second left. Is there an epidemic underway?
Coach Crean would be smart to demand of himself what he demands of his players. Time to go back to class, Coach. It is actions like last night where fractures start in fan bases and support erodes for teams and coaches. This club is an incredible 26-16 in the Big East the last 2+ years, one of the best in the conference. Fans expect a lot, fans sometimes expect too much as a result of previous successes. Frustrations build up, especially with games last night. When you pile on and mix in an action of not shaking hands, those frustrations do not go away, but rather they are exacerbated.
Plenty of opportunities ahead to show both the team and coach have learned from the recent setbacks. Let's hope a little class was the first lesson learned. Stay Classy Milwaukee!
And hire an Athletic Director..... they are there for a reason, to help guide coaches and steer them back on course.
http://www.crackedsidewalks.com/2008/02/frustrated-fans-plentytime-to-go-back.html