[Rosiak's Blog] Buzz talks basketball and life

[ToddRosiakSays]

Buzz talks basketball and life


Feb. 23, 2009 




Among the topics touched upon by MU coach Buzz Williams at his media availability session prior to practice on Monday was the heated exchange Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun had with a 'journalist' following his team's game Sunday when he was asked about his $1.6 million salary.

Williams was asked what he'd do if somebody said he was overpaid.

"This probably won't get aired, but I'll say it to you guys as men. I don't know if I'm overpaid or underpaid, but I'm very humbled and honored to be the coach at Marquette," he said. "I think sometimes we get carried away and we forget that this is college athletics, and it's about those guys out there. And it's not even really about how many games they win or how many points they score; it's about how we add value to their lives.

"I think if you really want to talk about pressure, you ought to talk about the neurosurgeons out at Children's Hospital that right now are probably trying to save somebody's life. And if you really want to talk about pressure, you really ought to talk about the family that eats cereal for breakfast, has the same thing for dinner, and they're just trying to make sure they're paying their light bill.

"We're talking about having 19,000 in here and it's on TV and Dick Vitale's coming and UConn's No. 1 or 2 or whatever they are. Man, that's an unbelievable blessing. But that's not real life. Real life is what these guys are when they're 36, when they're 46. How much money do I make? I make a lot of money. More money than I've ever made, and I'm incredibly happy.

"But not because it's for me, but my wife and my three children – about to be four children – they can call this place home. And that's priceless to me. So they could probably pay me a lot less and I'd still be the head coach here. I don't have an agent, I didn't negotiate my contract. They said, 'This is what the deal is,' and I said, 'Where do you want me to sign?'

"And that's the way I've always been. I've never asked for a dollar on any job, and probably been overpaid at every job because I'm not smart enough to be in any other profession. But when you talk about pressure, it's the guys at the Milwaukee Fire Department, when they're trying to save a kid's life when a building's burning up. This stuff right here? We're all overpaid, if you really want to break it down. We're all overpaid.

"You guys show up, I'm six minutes late because I'm worried about a color copy out of the office, and you guys probably have to go back to work and we have to go to work. But when you really boil it down, life's got a lot more redeeming value than how many points we'll score on Wednesday night and how tall Hasheem Thabeet is."

Refreshingly candid as always, Williams added his wife, Corey, is expecting the couple's fourth child on May 15. Williams already has a daughter, Zera, and two younger sons, Calvin and Mason.

"I don't think she'll make it there, though," he said. "She's been pregnant seven times. She lost two babies last year. I don't think she'll go 40 weeks. I think it'll be 38 1/2 . She's really big to be 29 weeks right now."

Williams was then asked about the timing of this latest pregnancy, with regard to the upcoming post-season.

"I've had three children, and May is the only month since I've been a college coach that you can't leave campus to go recruiting," he said. "So every pregnancy, other than the two from last year, she conceived in May. This is the only pregnancy that we're actually going to have the baby in May, which is probably the smart thing to do."

Eighth-ranked MU (23-4, 12-2 Big East), of course, plays host to No. 2 UConn (25-2, 13-2) at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Bradley Center.

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http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/40133722.html

[CrazyEcho]

Awww yeah . . . Buzz doing work in May. 

[MarquetteVol]

Buzz is either a more savvy PR man than Crean, or one of the most genuine and humble coaches in high major basketball. I believe it's the latter, and as the season goes on, it's easy to see what the administration saw in him during the hiring process. I'm proud to have a man with humility and character leading our program.

[wheresthecake?]

Makes me proud to be a member of Marquette Nation with a true gentleman like Buzz as head coach.  Couldn't be happier to have him.

[77ncaachamps]

Sometimes, before I read an article with Buzz in it, I'm afraid to read a quotation where he puts his foot in his mouth.

But clearly, he comes off as a straight shooter.

And that's a bit refreshing...

[spiral97]

wow.. just about the perfect answer to a nearly no-right-answer question.  you go coach!

[wildbill sb]

Buzz talks basketball and life


Feb. 23, 2009 

Not sure (or even care)  whether Buzz is a master at PR or not, but in this interview he sounds a little like Al McGuire with a Texas drawl, doesn't he?




Among the topics touched upon by MU coach Buzz Williams at his media availability session prior to practice on Monday was the heated exchange Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun had with a 'journalist' following his team's game Sunday when he was asked about his $1.6 million salary.

Williams was asked what he'd do if somebody said he was overpaid.

"This probably won't get aired, but I'll say it to you guys as men. I don't know if I'm overpaid or underpaid, but I'm very humbled and honored to be the coach at Marquette," he said. "I think sometimes we get carried away and we forget that this is college athletics, and it's about those guys out there. And it's not even really about how many games they win or how many points they score; it's about how we add value to their lives.

"I think if you really want to talk about pressure, you ought to talk about the neurosurgeons out at Children's Hospital that right now are probably trying to save somebody's life. And if you really want to talk about pressure, you really ought to talk about the family that eats cereal for breakfast, has the same thing for dinner, and they're just trying to make sure they're paying their light bill.

"We're talking about having 19,000 in here and it's on TV and Dick Vitale's coming and UConn's No. 1 or 2 or whatever they are. Man, that's an unbelievable blessing. But that's not real life. Real life is what these guys are when they're 36, when they're 46. How much money do I make? I make a lot of money. More money than I've ever made, and I'm incredibly happy.

"But not because it's for me, but my wife and my three children – about to be four children – they can call this place home. And that's priceless to me. So they could probably pay me a lot less and I'd still be the head coach here. I don't have an agent, I didn't negotiate my contract. They said, 'This is what the deal is,' and I said, 'Where do you want me to sign?'

"And that's the way I've always been. I've never asked for a dollar on any job, and probably been overpaid at every job because I'm not smart enough to be in any other profession. But when you talk about pressure, it's the guys at the Milwaukee Fire Department, when they're trying to save a kid's life when a building's burning up. This stuff right here? We're all overpaid, if you really want to break it down. We're all overpaid.

"You guys show up, I'm six minutes late because I'm worried about a color copy out of the office, and you guys probably have to go back to work and we have to go to work. But when you really boil it down, life's got a lot more redeeming value than how many points we'll score on Wednesday night and how tall Hasheem Thabeet is."

Refreshingly candid as always, Williams added his wife, Corey, is expecting the couple's fourth child on May 15. Williams already has a daughter, Zera, and two younger sons, Calvin and Mason.

"I don't think she'll make it there, though," he said. "She's been pregnant seven times. She lost two babies last year. I don't think she'll go 40 weeks. I think it'll be 38 1/2 . She's really big to be 29 weeks right now."

Williams was then asked about the timing of this latest pregnancy, with regard to the upcoming post-season.

"I've had three children, and May is the only month since I've been a college coach that you can't leave campus to go recruiting," he said. "So every pregnancy, other than the two from last year, she conceived in May. This is the only pregnancy that we're actually going to have the baby in May, which is probably the smart thing to do."

Eighth-ranked MU (23-4, 12-2 Big East), of course, plays host to No. 2 UConn (25-2, 13-2) at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Bradley Center.

-- Delivered by Feed43 service



http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/40133722.html

[lurch91]

"I don't think she'll make it there, though," he said. "She's been pregnant seven times. She lost two babies last year. I don't think she'll go 40 weeks. I think it'll be 38 1/2 . She's really big to be 29 weeks right now."

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/40133722.html

Nto sure what his wife is like, but I can speak from experience.  If I had ever said anything like that when my wife was pregnant - boy would I have caught hell when I got home.

Buzz truely sounds like a great guy.

[MUfan12]

wow.. just about the perfect answer to a nearly no-right-answer question.  you go coach!

My thoughts exactly. He rambles but he has some savvy.

[Henry Sugar]

wow.. just about the perfect answer to a nearly no-right-answer question.  you go coach!

I think it's weird, and frankly a little unsettling, that he made three miscarriages a matter of public record.

Other than that... good answer.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Sounds like Buzz is a Ferrari in the month of May.....certainly not an Impala.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

I think it's weird, and frankly a little unsettling, that he made three miscarriages a matter of public record.

Other than that... good answer.

Yea, I thought that too.

I was like... WOW.

However, on the plus side, the dude is showing he's very honest. It might get him in trouble sometimes, but he's honest.

[mu_hilltopper]

I was surprised Rosiak saw fit to write that.   Buzz is pretty loose with his tongue .. Rosiak should have taken a pass on the super personal stuff.