Rosiak chat with Crean

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

It's in his blog. Good stuff. I'd be interested to hear people's take on his evasive answers regarding McNeal.

http://www.jsonline.com/blog/?id=308

[mu_hilltopper]

They were VERY evasive.  Before, with seeding and gamesmenship on the line, it made sense to obfuscate.  Now?  I dunno.  He could have said "this is a privacy issue." and been done with it.

I'll bet his thumb was torn completely off, and they're re-growing one in the chemistry labs.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

I'll be he already had surgery, as somebody on this board suggested before the game.

Also interesting stuff on his staff.

[DAtruth]

dont want to read too much into these quotes because it is a privacy issue..but first thing i thought of was kurt werner qb..seemed like he just couldnt grip the ball anymore..have to admit it is a little scary

[Harrison]

Two things....First gripping a basketball and gripping a football are two very different things.  Secondly, one thing I noticed over the last two weeks, I am no doctor, was that Jerel went from wearing that very small brace (pre-NCAA selection show) to that big huge brace that covered his whole hand all the way to his elbow.  It seems to me they were attempting to show it as no big deal and then when in and seeded but the big brace on?  Who knows...I do recall though before the Providence game Crean/the JS reported Jerel was making the trip and would be a game time decision...then the next day after the game it was reported he never got on the plane.

[ToddPacker]

Some of you people are unbelievable.  There are major privacy issues to be dealt with here.  Crean must be very careful about what he says.  I am sure that he and the other coaches are fully aware of what they can and cannot say, and I am sure that is what is going on here.  This is not the NBA, folks. 

[mu_hilltopper]

Todd-  If that were so, Crean would simply say it's a privacy issue, and presto, no more questions.   In his years at MU, he's said that very thing before.   Being evasive is much tougher than dropping the "privacy" word.

[ChicosBailBonds]

It's in his blog. Good stuff. I'd be interested to hear people's take on his evasive answers regarding McNeal.

http://www.jsonline.com/blog/?id=308

Again, this isn't a pro athletes.  HIPPA...if McNeal doesn't want the information out there, then a representative of the university can't put it out there.

Why is this so hard for people to understand.   Maybe McNeal thinks it could hurt his future draft chances...who knows.  Point is, if they wanted the info out there, they would put it out there. 

[Henry Sugar]

I'll bet his thumb was torn completely off, and they're re-growing one in the chemistry labs.

I have to believe that this is the most logical scenario.  Either this, or the team is working with the biomechanical engineering program to create a bionic thumb.

Other interesting notes from the interview (to me)

**Crean expects further churn with the assistants.  Whoopee...
**He is assessing where we are with all of the guys that we've signed.  I know that there have been hints from people that one of the players make end up in prep school.
**Crean called the team very low-maintenance with a high energy level.  This does not seem like a team fraught with chemistry issues about their star player's desire to go to the NBA.

[ToddPacker]

Exactly, Chicos.  Crean is not an idiot despite what some of you seem to think.  I am sure there is good reason.  You people do not have an absolute right to know everything there is to know about some 19-20 year old college kid and his damn thumb.  Look, if this is still an issue come midnight madness 2007, then I will be worried, but for goodness sakes, let's let the kid heal up.  I have seldomly, if ever heard of a career ending thumb injury, so I am pretty certain that whatever the problem is, it will be worked out in time for tip off of next year.

[mu_hilltopper]

And where has anyone claimed he was an idiot "as some of you seem to think"?  And, where did anyone today ask for "an absolute right to know everything"?

The real story is about obfuscation and confusion.  It's been a bungle of stories from the minute it happened, as evidenced by Rosiak being told or misunderstanding "he's out for the year" then changing the actual story to wait, wait, "he's out for Thursday, maybe this whole weekend."  Now with further misdirection from straight forward questions today.  When, if they want privacy, all they have to do is say so?  That's interesting.

So .. I agree, Crean is no idiot.  I agree, we don't have a right to McNeal's health info.  And I agree, I don't have any worries as the next season is months off.

[ToddPacker]

C'mon hilltopper, of course no one said they had a right to the info nor did they come out and say Crean was an idiot, but using the powers of deduction and reasoning, one can glean those sentiments by much of what is said here by certain persons. 

As far as it being a bungle of a story, truth is, none of you have the first clue whether the story was bungled to begin with or whether something happened the required a retraction or an edit.  Maybe something was said off the record that was printed though it should not have been.  Could it also be possible that Jerel got a second or third opinion that may have required the staff to change its tune with respect to him?  There could be numerous reasons why Crean has taken the tact that he has, but of course, some here are assuming that he has some sinister motive because he won't give them exactly what they want.

[mu_hilltopper]

C'mon hilltopper, of course no one said they had a right to the info nor did they come out and say Crean was an idiot, but using the powers of deduction and reasoning, one can glean those sentiments by much of what is said here by certain persons. 

Ah, good old gleaning.   Truly, there's been an epidemic of that over the past 5 days. 

[ToddPacker]

Boy, I shudder to think what would happen if as people we were only allowed to go by the literal interpretation of one's words. The way something is said and one's history of saying things is often as important as what is being said.  Sorry if that ruffles your feathers.

[ChicosBailBonds]

I don't think it's even a Crean thing.  If I was Jerel McNeal, I would want to be careful of who knows what about his physical health. As an athlete of his ability, you are a commodity.  If people think you are damaged goods then that's a bad thing long term.  I would want no potential "employer" (i.e. NBA team, etc) to know more than they need to know.

Let the injury heal, play ball to the best of my ability and move on. 

Of course from Crean's standpoint, during the last two weeks I would also want to keep it hushed just to keep the other teams guessing more than anything else.

[mu_hilltopper]

Boy, I shudder to think what would happen if as people we were only allowed to go by the literal interpretation of one's words. The way something is said and one's history of saying things is often as important as what is being said.

And I shudder to think that we're at the point where we're allowed to put words in people's mouths, and misrepresent them when it suits us. 

[ToddPacker]

Tell me who I have misrepresented, oh wise one.  I am not even sure who you are talking about.  It certainly seems that you are being a tad touchy here - maybe I hit on a nerve,no?

[mu_hilltopper]

Tell me who I have misrepresented, oh wise one.  I am not even sure who you are talking about.  It certainly seems that you are being a tad touchy here - maybe I hit on a nerve,no?

So now you don't even know who you are talking about?

"Crean is not an idiot despite what some of you seem to think.  I am sure there is good reason.  You people do not have an absolute right to know everything there is to know.. thumb"

I assume "you people" is someone in this thread.  That would narrow it down to PRN, DAtruth, Harrison, and myself.   Probably not DAtruth, since his comment is benign.  You tell me.  Who have you "gleaned" thinks Crean is an idiot?  And they've posted such where, exactly? 

I won't speak for them, but I would guess that neither PRN nor Harrison believe Crean is an idiot, nor that they have a right to all health information, yet you purport they do.  I know I don't, so I'm eliminated.  Perhaps they'll post here as such and eliminate all doubt.

And yes, you have struck a nerve.  Over the past 5 days, I have become completely sick and tired of the misrepresentations that have been made and thrust upon so many.  It's rampant.  Not to pick on you, you're just the last one to do it.

[ToddPacker]

Lighten up, pal.  People who have defended Crean have had aspersions cast upon them all season by those whom you seem content to let run the discussion here into the ground.  I was not specifically talking about you or anyone in particular in this thread, I thought that I made the pretty clear.  Had I wanted to attribute it to you, I certainly would have done so directly.  Between PRN, 4ever, and others like them, I do not really see much point in coming here.  You do not seem to have a problem when people here take personal shots at people who defend Crean, Crean, the players, the mascot, the administration, or even those who happen to run a competing site. 

Now, to respond more directly to your comments.  I would think twice before asserting that PRN does not think Crean is an idiot.  Some of the things off of his keyboard can really only be coming from someone who thinks that Crean does not know anything about running a program. 

[rocky_warrior]

Between PRN, 4ever, and others like them, I do not really see much point in coming here.  You do not seem to have a problem when people here take personal shots at [...] those who happen to run a competing site. 

Oh the irony in those two sentences.  Pot, meet kettle. 

This is where I get irked.  I've banned people for taking shots at IWB, Dodds, and the Scout site in general.  I'll continue to ban people that do.  Here, look, I'll even give you a direct link to their message board.  We're as accommodating as can be:
http://forums.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=415#S=415&F=2850

However, I won't ban people that have opinions and are respectful when stating them.  PRN and 4ever happen to fall in that category. 

You on the other hand, seem to be coming here, and making broad generalizations cutting down as many people as possible in a single swoop.  Do you realize the level of hypocrisy you're displaying? Wow...

[MUDPT]

Technically it's a HIPPA violation for Crean to even mention that McNeal had an injury.  Implying that someone has an injury is a HIPPA violation.  Also Crean is not covered by HIPPA, in my opinion, because he is not a medical professional. 

As for his chat, did anybody else think it was strange that we need to work on being more physical?  That's the most important offseason thing to work on?

[ChicosBailBonds]

MUDPT

We were definitely soft this year, especially inside.  It's one of the major things we have to work on.  Giving up the body, taking the charge, not allowing people to waltz into the lane.  I may not put it number one, but to me he's really linking that to defense and our overall lack of toughness at some spots.  Some guys are really tough on this squad, and others don't like contact at all.

If we shore up that physical nature, it should make us a better rebounding team and a much better defensive team.

It would certainly be in my top 3, maybe not #1 but certainly top 3.