MUScoop

MUScoop => Hangin' at the Al => Topic started by: BLWarrior91 on August 09, 2023, 01:35:00 PM

Title: Kevin O'Neill Letter 1989
Post by: BLWarrior91 on August 09, 2023, 01:35:00 PM
Came across this last night while looking through some MU stuff.  Thought the group would get a kick out of it.
Title: Re: Kevin O'Neill Letter 1989
Post by: DienerTime34 on August 09, 2023, 01:51:47 PM
Now post the Hauser letter
Title: Re: Kevin O'Neill Letter 1989
Post by: StillWarriors on August 09, 2023, 02:39:17 PM
Quote from: BLWarrior91 on August 09, 2023, 01:35:00 PM
Came across this last night while looking through some MU stuff.  Thought the group would get a kick out of it.

That logo on the letterhead is so good.
Title: Re: Kevin O'Neill Letter 1989
Post by: Mu8891 on August 09, 2023, 02:54:45 PM
Yep

Awesome logo !
Title: Re: Kevin O'Neill Letter 1989
Post by: lawdog77 on August 09, 2023, 03:15:16 PM
Quote from: DienerTime34 on August 09, 2023, 01:51:47 PM
Now post the Hauser letter
(https://www.shutterstock.com/shutterstock/photos/239311219/display_1500/stock-vector-crayon-style-resign-word-239311219.jpg)
Title: Re: Kevin O'Neill Letter 1989
Post by: MU82 on August 09, 2023, 05:28:36 PM
Quote from: BLWarrior91 on August 09, 2023, 01:35:00 PM
Came across this last night while looking through some MU stuff.  Thought the group would get a kick out of it.

Obviously a fake. No f-bombs.
Title: Re: Kevin O'Neill Letter 1989
Post by: Sir Lawrence on August 09, 2023, 06:22:19 PM
Quote from: StillWarriors on August 09, 2023, 02:39:17 PM
That logo on the letterhead is so good.

That's the official muscoop.com logo.  Might not display on mobile devices. 
Title: Re: Kevin O'Neill Letter 1989
Post by: rocky_warrior on August 11, 2023, 09:50:17 AM
Quote from: Sir Lawrence on August 09, 2023, 06:22:19 PM
That's the official muscoop.com logo.  Might not display on mobile devices.

What?  That old squiggle  ;D
Title: Re: Kevin O'Neill Letter 1989
Post by: The Lens on August 11, 2023, 10:03:42 AM
Quote from: MU82 on August 09, 2023, 05:28:36 PM
Obviously a fake. No f-bombs.

After reading that letter from KO, I immediately realized KO did not write that.

Title: Re: Kevin O'Neill Letter 1989
Post by: The Lens on August 11, 2023, 10:26:34 AM
I was a freshman at MUHS in December 1989.  Kevin came and spoke at the annual Father-Son Breakfast (probably bc Damon had just committed). It's a Sunday, a day after they just updset unranked Notre Dame at home (still qualified as an upset).  People are GUSHING abouty him.  Next up was #6 Michigan (defending champs) the following weekend. 

KO very plainly says: you all love me right now but next week Michigan is gonna come in here and kick our ass and you'll all go back to thinking I'm an idiot.   
Title: Re: Kevin O'Neill Letter 1989
Post by: StillAWarrior on August 11, 2023, 03:09:36 PM
Quote from: MU82 on August 09, 2023, 05:28:36 PM
Obviously a fake. No f-bombs.

I actually have a friend who worked in athletics at the time. Here's the text from O'Neill's first draft before they revised it:


Dear Students:

I'm so f**king glad that you and I are going to be getting together for some great f**king times at the Bradley Center. You and the rest of f**kers in the crowd don't realize how much f**king impact you can have on our games. You motherf**kers will be our sixth man!

We need you f**kers behind us if we are going to kick some ass during 1989-90. You can make a six-point lead into a total ass-whooping and cut an eight-point deficit to a f**king one-possession game in no time. Your enthusiasm will make all the f**king difference.

We are going to be a bunch of nasty ass kickers here at Marquette University. I want our crowd to be the loudest motherf**kers in the country – not like those whiny f**king hairy wet cats at Notre Dame. We're going to need you to show up at the games and support us and you better not f**king let us down.

Let's go kick some f**king ass!

Sincerely,

Kevin O'Neill
Title: Re: Kevin O'Neill Letter 1989
Post by: 4everwarriors on August 11, 2023, 05:58:37 PM
KO used to jog past my crib 2-3 times/wk., in da. Quon, while 4ever jr. and I were shooting hoops. He offered jr. a schollie, but never followed thru, hey?

#motherfooker
Title: Re: Kevin O'Neill Letter 1989
Post by: withoutbias on August 11, 2023, 06:18:18 PM
Quote from: 4everwarriors on August 11, 2023, 05:58:37 PM
KO used to jog past my crib 2-3 times/wk., in da. Quon, while 4ever jr. and I were shooting hoops. He offered jr. a schollie, but never followed thru, hey?

#motherfooker

Sick flex.

He knew Milwaukee was too scary for you all.
Title: Re: Kevin O'Neill Letter 1989
Post by: BLWarrior91 on August 11, 2023, 10:01:44 PM
What would've happened had KO stayed at Marquette?  He wound up being Larry Brown-esque in terms of the job hopping but without the same level of success.

He was the right guy at the time to get the program back to levels that were becoming a distant memory by the late 80s.
Title: Re: Kevin O'Neill Letter 1989
Post by: Mu8891 on August 12, 2023, 04:51:39 PM
IIRC ... MU came w / in a basket or two of beating MICH that next week?
Title: Re: Kevin O'Neill Letter 1989
Post by: HutchwasClutch on August 12, 2023, 04:54:21 PM
Quote from: Mu8891 on August 12, 2023, 04:51:39 PM
IIRC ... MU came w / in a basket or two of beating MICH that next week?

I looked it up and we lost by 11.  I was at the game and remember they were very competitive and I think Michigan didn't put it away until late.
Title: Re: Kevin O'Neill Letter 1989
Post by: HutchwasClutch on August 12, 2023, 04:56:20 PM
Quote from: HutchwasClutch on August 12, 2023, 04:54:21 PM
I looked it up and we lost by 11.  I was at the game and remember they were very competitive and I think Michigan didn't put it away until late.

Lost by 9 actually.
Title: Re: Kevin O'Neill Letter 1989
Post by: The Sultan on August 12, 2023, 05:01:10 PM
Quote from: BLWarrior91 on August 11, 2023, 10:01:44 PM
What would've happened had KO stayed at Marquette?  He wound up being Larry Brown-esque in terms of the job hopping but without the same level of success.

He was the right guy at the time to get the program back to levels that were becoming a distant memory by the late 80s.

I think he would have had success had he stayed, but it don't think his personality allows him to do that. He just wears on people.
Title: Re: Kevin O'Neill Letter 1989
Post by: The Sultan on August 12, 2023, 05:02:05 PM
Quote from: HutchwasClutch on August 12, 2023, 04:54:21 PM
I looked it up and we lost by 11.  I was at the game and remember they were very competitive and I think Michigan didn't put it away until late.

Was it the week before or after that they beat Notre Dame?
Title: Re: Kevin O'Neill Letter 1989
Post by: Lennys Tap on August 12, 2023, 05:05:15 PM
Quote from: The Sultan of Semantics on August 12, 2023, 05:01:10 PM
I think he would have had success had he stayed, but it don't think his personality allows him to do that. He just wears on people.

I think Marquette (our facilities, pay scale, etc.,) wore on him not the other way around.
Title: Re: Kevin O'Neill Letter 1989
Post by: The Sultan on August 12, 2023, 05:14:36 PM
Quote from: Lennys Tap on August 12, 2023, 05:05:15 PM
I think Marquette (our facilities, pay scale, etc.,) wore on him not the other way around.

His post Marquette tenure tells a different story.
Title: Re: Kevin O'Neill Letter 1989
Post by: Lennys Tap on August 12, 2023, 05:38:02 PM
Quote from: The Sultan of Semantics on August 12, 2023, 05:14:36 PM
His post Marquette tenure tells a different story.

True. Unfortunately Kevin didn't age all that well.
Title: Re: Kevin O'Neill Letter 1989
Post by: HutchwasClutch on August 12, 2023, 05:46:24 PM
Quote from: The Sultan of Semantics on August 12, 2023, 05:02:05 PM
Was it the week before or after that they beat Notre Dame?

Week after
Title: Re: Kevin O'Neill Letter 1989
Post by: HutchwasClutch on August 12, 2023, 05:49:03 PM
Quote from: Lennys Tap on August 12, 2023, 05:05:15 PM
I think Marquette (our facilities, pay scale, etc.,) wore on him not the other way around.

He was a jerk about it.  Remember his farewell presser "this is not Duke".  Cheap shot for the school that gave him his first shot. 
Title: Re: Kevin O'Neill Letter 1989
Post by: HutchwasClutch on August 12, 2023, 05:51:35 PM
Quote from: The Sultan of Semantics on August 12, 2023, 05:01:10 PM
I think he would have had success had he stayed, but it don't think his personality allows him to do that. He just wears on people.

Agree. Especially when he was younger. Hot headed to put it mildly.  And arrogant.
Title: Re: Kevin O'Neill Letter 1989
Post by: MU82 on August 12, 2023, 06:06:34 PM
Quote from: The Sultan of Semantics on August 12, 2023, 05:14:36 PM
His post Marquette tenure tells a different story.

Like Donna the Prima Donna, KO had a pair of roving eyes.

Title: Re: Kevin O'Neill Letter 1989
Post by: BLWarrior91 on August 12, 2023, 06:34:21 PM
Quote from: Lennys Tap on August 12, 2023, 05:05:15 PM
I think Marquette (our facilities, pay scale, etc.,) wore on him not the other way around.

Losing KO for these reasons combined with Mike Deane trying to claim that the NIT was something we should aspire to play in was the wake up call to Father Wild and Bill Cords to completely change their approach to financing the program.  Crean making the Final Four further cemented the importance of the basketball program to the powers that be.  The fact they fired Deane and Wojo shows how expectations had changed.  KO is part of that legacy.
Title: Re: Kevin O'Neill Letter 1989
Post by: Jay Bee on August 12, 2023, 06:38:55 PM
The NIT run was amazing. Held hands with a girl at the Annex during the VT game. Ace custis effd my game up
EhPortal 1.39.9 © 2025, WebDev