Old Tommy Crean Getting His Ass Handed To Him

[avid1010]

I don't think rebuilding a once proud program is so easy anymore; however, the alum. will eventually come to expect much more than NCAA appearances.  I think when people speculate what "bringing back IU" means, they need to specify what that will look like.

[ChicosBailBonds]

I don't think rebuilding a once proud program is so easy anymore; however, the alum. will eventually come to expect much more than NCAA appearances.  I think when people speculate what "bringing back IU" means, they need to specify what that will look like.

It's easier to rebuild IU then it is MU.  He rebuilt MU, he'll rebuild IU.

[Nukem2]

It's easier to rebuild IU then it is MU.  He rebuilt MU, he'll rebuild IU.

Some may not like it, but thats the reality.  What remains to be seen is how successful he ends up at IU.

[BuzzSucksSucks]

He'll succeed.  He's made a name for himself as a tireless coach and promoter, and we know that he networks like nobody's business.  He's put himself in the realm of top tier coaches, based, in my opinion, on his ability to communicate an energy and a vision that is consistent with a top business leader or motivation guru.  In the coaching biz, that's a plus.  He's no John Wooden.  But the salesmanship gift will take him a long way, and he's got media savvy in spades.  Don't know the guy.  At this level, it's less about character than about the perception of character.  He'll be able to recruit blue chippers like never before, and that's where it's at.  He's ambitious.  And I think he's lucky.  He's sort of "got it," and everyone kind of knows it.   

[4everwarriors]

He'll succeed.  He's made a name for himself as a tireless coach and promoter, and we know that he networks like nobody's business.  He's put himself in the realm of top tier coaches, based, in my opinion, on his ability to communicate an energy and a vision that is consistent with a top business leader or motivation guru.  In the coaching biz, that's a plus.  He's no John Wooden.  But the salesmanship gift will take him a long way, and he's got media savvy in spades.  Don't know the guy.  At this level, it's less about character than about the perception of character.  He'll be able to recruit blue chippers like never before, and that's where it's at.  He's ambitious.  And I think he's lucky.  He's sort of "got it," and everyone kind of knows it.   

I think you've nailed it. However, he's still a phony and a prick. He uses people and overstayed his MU welcome by 5 years. His act got real old especially for those of us who had his number.

[OneMadWarrior]

I still don't get the need for some on this board to constantly trash Tom Crean. Let it go folks.

+1

[nola03]

I think you've nailed it. However, he's still a phony and a prick. He uses people and overstayed his MU welcome by 5 years. His act got real old especially for those of us who had his number.

So, if you had his number, say, five years ago then why are you so agitated with him even though he left MU seven months ago?   

Seems childish, with perhaps a dash of bitterness, to start a thread slamming a guy that you've been "over" for half a decade. Especially for a +45. jmo.

[4everwarriors]

Haven't been agitated with him at all since, thankfully, he left. Just happy to see him get his.

[avid1010]

It's easier to rebuild IU then it is MU.  He rebuilt MU, he'll rebuild IU.

You didn't specify what "rebuild" means for MU or IU.  Is it easier to rebuild MU to the standard of which he did, or rebuild IU to the standard of what they expect?

Is it easier for Billy Gillespie to rebuild UK then Texas A&M.  History has shown plenty of coaches that "rebuild" programs the size/type of MU and then fail at a bigger school, and plenty have succeeded.  In my opinion, only time will tell, but I think he's going to have a heck of a time trying to live up to IU's expectations in the long-run, and he'll never have a Dwayne Wade for two years again.

[Marquette84]

I think you've nailed it. However, he's still a phony and a prick. He uses people and overstayed his MU welcome by 5 years. His act got real old especially for those of us who had his number.

I don't recall that you've ever offered up exactly what Crean did to you that has you on a five+ year tirade.  Can you share what you mean by "phony" or "prick".   

Which people did he "use".  What "act"?  What is his "number."

I know guys who aren't as upset with their ex-wives after they got taken to the cleaners in a divorce as you are with Crean. 

Since you're going to continue with these type of statements, could you share the details? 

[4everwarriors]

Here you go:

    "Phony," "act," and "number" are pretty much all the same thing. Think of con man, disingenuous, self-serving and not to be trusted. You know, your basic snake in the grass.

    "Use" refers to the manipulation of people to promote one's own self-interest irrespective of the consequences to said people.

    "Prick" is a passive term, as opposed to more descriptive, offensive words, to describe a person who acts in the above like manner.

[RedWebster]

Marquette84 -
If the Packers throw another 6-10 record out there next year and Mike McCarthy finds himself as the QB coach in Jacksonville, will Crean still offer him courtside seats? How about Ben Sheets? When his arm falls off a year from now (or his finger nail acts up) when he's playing for the Nationals...do those guys keep in touch? When you answer that honestly, you have your answer as to what a phony is.

Many, many people who recognized this guy's disengenious personality felt that having Crean represent Marquette for 9 years was like having a root canal every single day. It's not a joke...the guy seriously had fake tan! Come on!

Anybody defending this guy either overdosed on the anesthesia from New Orleans or are still floating on air because Joanie Crean said hello to your wife in the mall in Anaheim.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

Seriously guys... why the hatred? I can understand not liking parts of his personality, but it seriously seems like you guys hate him.

He wasn't perfect, but he left the program is WAY better shape than he found it.

He won a lot of games and graduated kids. MU's national rep is better now than in 1998.

He doesn't deserve all of the credit, but certainly a fair share of it.

Why do you hate him so much?

Can't you look past the "fake tan" or who he chose to hang out with? If I'm grading a coach, those 2 things don't even make the top 100.

[ChicosBailBonds]

I think you've nailed it. However, he's still a phony and a prick. He uses people and overstayed his MU welcome by 5 years. His act got real old especially for those of us who had his number.

Do you know how many phony pricks there are in the coaching industry that are successful as hell?  Many!  I'll take phony and a prick if it means we're winning, going to the NCAAs and not cheating while doing it.

I'll take nice guy who is winning, going to the NCAAs and not cheating over the phony prick but that's rarer to find.  Maybe we got one in Buzz.  That would be terrific.

[Blackhat]

I don't think Tom Crean is the devil just like I don't think Buzz Williams is a saint.   I've heard second hand that Crean can be a prick but what's the point of bringing it up? it's all second hand crap so I just ignore it.   We didn't hire a priest we hired a basketball coach in 1999 and he turned out to be pretty good at what he did.     

[New Era Warriors]

Tom Crean is evil and must be destroyed!!!!

how about that? 

come on guys, let's move on...we got the Buzz now!

[Aughnanure]

Oh my God!!! you all need to shut up about Tommy and get over it! Can't anybody look at the positive that we have Buzz now, and he is a much better recruiter than Crean ever was. For all you MU fans to sit on your laptops and rip on 'phony' crean is absolutely ridiculous, say what you want but he did resurrect MU Basketball more than any other coach since AL. So stop crying that he left, you all are too upset and obsessed about it. 

And by the way, to call him phony is hypocritical; how many of you loved him while he was winning here, and then suddenly acted like your opinion about him has never changed and you have always 'seen through his phoniness (sp)'-you're phonies for acting like you never liked crean and don't appreciate what he did here- do you really think I believe you?

I'm glad he is gone because I believe in Buzz. I was more pissed that right when we thought we had a coach that would stay at MU and not leave for a bigger-name program (i.e. Mark Few) we got shocked. But guess what- it might be better for both of us. Hate Indiana, but shut your jealous resentful traps about Crean, you all loved him while he was here (Ill give you that 'love' is probably too strong a term), and anyone who says they never liked crean, or saw through him, or whatever else BS flies out of this board is flat-out lying.

[mviale]

Yes, Tom Crean kicked butt and resurrected the program from Mike Deane and his 20 game win seasons. You cant look at just the Wade years, we had some exceptional seasons beyond wade!

[Marquette84]

Here you go:

    "Phony," "act," and "number" are pretty much all the same thing. Think of con man, disingenuous, self-serving and not to be trusted. You know, your basic snake in the grass.

    "Use" refers to the manipulation of people to promote one's own self-interest irrespective of the consequences to said people.

    "Prick" is a passive term, as opposed to more descriptive, offensive words, to describe a person who acts in the above like manner.

All you've done is repeat the same things!  I asked for examples.

Provide the specific cons that Crean ran.  Who was conned out of what.  What did Crean get from the deal.

If Crean maniuplated people, name some specific people Crean manipulated to promote his own self interest irrespective of the consequences.   Tell me what the negative consequences were.  Who was manipulated?

[ChicosBailBonds]

Marquette84 -
If the Packers throw another 6-10 record out there next year and Mike McCarthy finds himself as the QB coach in Jacksonville, will Crean still offer him courtside seats? How about Ben Sheets? When his arm falls off a year from now (or his finger nail acts up) when he's playing for the Nationals...do those guys keep in touch? When you answer that honestly, you have your answer as to what a phony is.

Many, many people who recognized this guy's disengenious personality felt that having Crean represent Marquette for 9 years was like having a root canal every single day. It's not a joke...the guy seriously had fake tan! Come on!

Anybody defending this guy either overdosed on the anesthesia from New Orleans or are still floating on air because Joanie Crean said hello to your wife in the mall in Anaheim.

Amazing how many bitter people there are in the world.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Yes, Tom Crean kicked butt and resurrected the program from Mike Deane and his 20 game win seasons. You cant look at just the Wade years, we had some exceptional seasons beyond wade!

He took a program that was not even an NIT program, that couldn't even sniff a CUSA title and it became a program of 5 NCAAs in 7 years.  Yes, I'd say that's rebuilding a program....mostly doing it in the Big East.  This program is LIGHT YEARS ahead of where it was in the mid to late 1990's, not even on the same planet.

[ChicosBailBonds]

All you've done is repeat the same things!  I asked for examples.

Provide the specific cons that Crean ran.  Who was conned out of what.  What did Crean get from the deal.

If Crean maniuplated people, name some specific people Crean manipulated to promote his own self interest irrespective of the consequences.   Tell me what the negative consequences were.  Who was manipulated?

What's interesting to me is that 4ever had his number and lived not far from him.  Obviously Crean trusted him but 4ever has come on here for years now talking crap about him behind his back incessantly.  Now that's support.     We need a lot more boosters and alums like that.  The more the merrier. 

[Marquette84]

Marquette84 -
If the Packers throw another 6-10 record out there next year and Mike McCarthy finds himself as the QB coach in Jacksonville, will Crean still offer him courtside seats? How about Ben Sheets? When his arm falls off a year from now (or his finger nail acts up) when he's playing for the Nationals...do those guys keep in touch? When you answer that honestly, you have your answer as to what a phony is.

Honestly, if McCarthy found himself in Jacksonville, or Sheets plays for the Nationals, I doubt Crean would have offered them court-side seats again.  I also doubt that McCarthy and Sheets would want the courtside seats, nor would they be in a position to speak to the team at a pre-game meeting. I have a hard time understanding why asking a successful local sports figure to come in as a motivational speaker (and even giving them court-side seats) makes someone a phony.  I think the idea of bringing in local motivational speakers is a good idea.  

If the Dean of Engineering brought in the CEO of Johnson Controls to give a motivational talk to students, would that make the Dean a phony?  If your CEO brought in Tom Peters to speak with your company (and entertained him afterwards in a suite at the Bradley Center), does that make your CEO a phony?  I'm sorry--this seem extremely petty on your part.

As for Crean's tan, I thought we were beyond judging people based on skin color.  I guess only some of us have reached that goal--you still have a ways to go.  Meanwhile, so what if Crean gets a tan.  Why on earth does that bother you?  Seriously--if your wife came home from a tanning parlor, would you divorce her for it?  Decide you couldn't trust her anymore?

I've asked for specifics, and so far you've provided some pretty inane reasons to hate someone:

1.  He gets fake tans.
2.  He invites motivational speakers and gives them courtside tickets, without promising lifetime loyaty.

Sorry, but I really don't understand how you can have this level of vitriol based on these examples.  Frankly, I can't understand how these examples could even CONTRIBUTE to a dislike of Crean.  

If you're making a decision about Crean  on the basis that he uses a tanning parlor, I have to think it says more about your character than Crean's.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

Yes, Tom Crean kicked butt and resurrected the program from Mike Deane and his 20 game win seasons. You cant look at just the Wade years, we had some exceptional seasons beyond wade!

Sarcasm or not, he's still probably the 2nd best coach in history.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Sarcasm or not, he's still probably the 2nd best coach in history.

BLASPHEMY!