Buzz and the Illini

[Blackhat]

I don't even know what this thread is really about anymore but I'm against banning people/threads cause they aren't talking in a unified happy voice/don't rock the boat.

[nyg]

Rick is awesome coach and is at great spot. My fear is MU creating a great spot here. A less important role on basketball, lesser conference is perfect storm to make us look like SLU. Call me crazy but I think it is part of the master plan. Truthfully only an idiot would know Buzz could not be replaced at this point without a big letdown. If Buzz leaves it is because the school is trying to limit the role team has in the overall picture of the school.

Yes, Majerus is in a good spot.  St. Louis, not MU.  Will never happen.  Never.  

Less importance on basketball?  The role the team plays?  What, are they going to put more into the new lacrosse program.

Master plan?, This is now sounding like a conspiracy, X-Files matter and I am waiting for Chris Hanson from Dateline to walk in the door.  Insane......

[MerrittsMustache]

Unless Buzz is black and no one knows it, he isn't going to Illinois.

They want a black head coach.

This thread should have ended way back at this post.

[GGGG]

Let's say there are verifiable issues with Buzz and admin, is this really the right time (there's this Sweet 16 thing going on) to have the conversation, especially since we now KNOW Buzz READS the boards?  If this is so, then players, recruits, etc. read this.  There may be veracity to it all, but the timing is crap.  Did you not learn anything from Buzz's comments at the presser??? 

It is a discussion board about Marquette basketball.  No one has said anything inappropriate.  These are all comments on something that was stated in an article.

[ATWizJr]

You are assuming that the basketball program falls apart if he leaves.  If they hire someone else who carries on what Buzz is doing, no ones heads will roll.

Huh?  Why take this chance?  We've got the guy we need. Let's not eff this up for chrissakes!!

[GGGG]

Huh?  Why take this chance?  We've got the guy we need. Let's not eff this up for chrissakes!!

Read my follow up please....

[Daniel]

We will know nothing until the season is over and the coaching carousel is fired up and is turning.  Anything in this coaching world is possible.  

[ATWizJr]

Wasn't there.  Meaning?

4 ever, can you amplify for the rest of us?  Thanks.

[MUEng92]

Seriously, where's Alan Funt?

[4everwarriors]

The Bar-B-Q coincided with Cottingham falling on his sword. During the Q and A, Buzz really couldn't say anything and appeared uncomfortable with the entire situation. Some have surmised he was disappointed that a job was lost over the alleged incident.
You don't want to mess with happy.

[Dr. Blackheart]

The speculation should have ended with the $100k buyout talk.  What is the point of even having one for those pennies?  And if anyone on the BOT thinks a proabortion near retirement coach is the answer for the program then they are insane.  As many people hate Rick as like him.  That said, the new regime hasn't been making a lot of warm friends.

[MU82]

I started this post with just the facts, ma'am. I figured there would be some response, but wow!

My 5 cents:

1. Hard to believe Buzz would leave for Illinois. One could argue objectively that it's not a better job. They almost certainly wouldn't pay more, and their facilities blow. Their fan base is far whinier than ours -- and we can be pretty whiny. Many wanted Weber fired 6 games into his first season there; I am not making that up. Izzo ripped Illinois for having a toxic atmosphere for its head basketball coach. This is better than Marquette how?

2. Hard to believe Illinois higher-ups have locked themselves into "We have to hire a black coach." You just don't do that. There's no plus in limiting yourself this way.

3. With very few exceptions, coaches leave programs -- even "destination" programs. Roy Williams left Kansas, Coach K and Izzo seriously considered leaving for the pros, Pitino left Kentucky, Kruger and Self both left Illinois, and so on. It's human nature to wonder if the grass is greener elsewhere. It would suck if Buzz leaves, for whatever the reason, but life will go on. Hopefully, we'll hire the next Buzz -- or at least the next Crean. If you think any decent candidate would be turned off by Buzz leaving, you don't understand human nature. There couldn't have been a worse situation to go to than Indiana, yet Crean jumped. Why? Because he thought he could fix it. Why do guys salivate for the chance to manage the Cubs? Because each guy thinks he and he alone will be the one guy to fix a franchise that has been broken for 100-plus years. Again, I very much hope Buzz stays for years and years, but I will be neither shocked nor devastated if he goes because that's what coaches do. Buzz also is smart enough to know that if he ever has two or three down years, fans will forget what the word "loyalty" means and scream that he should go. Loyalty is never a two-way street, and smart coaches know it.

4. The folks calling for this thread to be shut down ... please. It's a fan-chat site. Its entire purpose is to encourage fans to chat about subjects that interest them. So we should shut down talk about interesting subjects if some don't like the subjects? What is this, China? If you don't like a thread, you are free to move along to one more to your liking. Maybe Vander isn't slapping five with teammates again or it's time to get a new point guard or our crowds aren't good enough.

5. I am able to enjoy this season immensely and dream about a run for the title even as I contemplate other subjects. I trust most others also can walk and chew gum at the same time, too. Fans on a chat site do not have the power to force a team to lose focus on the task at hand.

[Canadian Dimes]

This thread is really stupid.... Spoke to both Pilarz and L. Williams this weekend and people in advancement.  They all seem to understand what we all know, that is how important to MU Buzz is

[madtownwarrior]

But Goose and 4neveridiot know more....

Thanks canadian dimes!

This thread is really stupid.... Spoke to both Pilarz and L. Williams this weekend and people in advancement.  They all seem to understand what we all know, that is how important to MU Buzz is

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

We have a game this week and an outside chance to win the national championship. Let's all keep our eyes on the ball.

My team is on the floor!

[cheebs09]

The Bar-B-Q coincided with Cottingham falling on his sword. During the Q and A, Buzz really couldn't say anything and appeared uncomfortable with the entire situation. Some have surmised he was disappointed that a job was lost over the alleged incident.
You don't want to mess with happy.

With all do respect, that's a little vague. There's a lot of reasons he would be uncomfortable answering questions about it. Just the situation of having people asking questions without legally being able to go into stuff makes it an uncomfortable feeling. Look at any press conference when a coach can't go into details or Braun as a recent example. Also, it was a very sensitive situation and he should probably feel uncomfortable with what happened (I don't know what happened, but if I were accused of anything, I'd feel a little uncomfortable talking about it regardless if I did anything wrong or not). I don't think that means that there is some divide in the athletic department.

Now there may be other reasons and you may have sources, just my thoughts on this BBQ topic.  

[JTBMU7]

This thread is really stupid.... Spoke to both Pilarz and L. Williams this weekend and people in advancement.  They all seem to understand what we all know, that is how important to MU Buzz is

this. enough with the sewing circle gossip...

sweet 16 game on thurs against a tough team btw, let's enjoy it! we can speculate on rumors AFTER the season is over (on april 3rd..)

[lab_warrior]

is everyone on this board categorically incapable of being happy? we're in the sweet 16 and now everyone's jumping at shadows to say our coach is leaving/being driven out/whatever else nonsense you're coming up with now. come on guys, the sky is not freaking falling.

+10000000000000000000

Holy f***ing Christ.  Apparently an article that was F***ING MADE UP by some low-life hack for the Sun Times, combined with the feverish, foil-hat wearing conjecture of a few posters has resulted in this board completely losing its collective f***ing mind--6 PAGES ALREADY on this pigs***?! 

Buzz is going nowhere.  And if he did, based on the reasons speculated here, then he is the thinnest-skinned, egomaniacal person alive--that's pretty much why I'm 1000% sure he isn't going anywhere.  Also, hiring Majerus is so laugh-out-loud absurd, it shouldn't have even warranted a response. 

I'm DONE with this STUPID, UNPRODUCTIVE HORSES***.  There's a game Thursday, and Marquette has a chance to get to the Elite 8 and Final Four.  That is awesome.  THIS THREAD IS NOT.   

[MerrittsMustache]

2. Hard to believe Illinois higher-ups have locked themselves into "We have to hire a black coach." You just don't do that. There's no plus in limiting yourself this way.

It's the boosters who feel this way and, for better or worse, their opinion counts for a lot.

[JTBMU7]

+10000000000000000000

Holy f***ing Christ.  Apparently an article that was F***ING MADE UP by some low-life hack for the Sun Times, combined with the feverish, foil-hat wearing conjecture of a few posters has resulted in this board completely losing its collective f***ing mind--6 PAGES ALREADY on this pigs***?! 

Buzz is going nowhere.  And if he did, based on the reasons speculated here, then he is the thinnest-skinned, egomaniacal person alive--that's pretty much why I'm 1000% sure he isn't going anywhere.  Also, hiring Majerus is so laugh-out-loud absurd, it shouldn't have even warranted a response. 

I'm DONE with this STUPID, UNPRODUCTIVE HORSES***.  There's a game Thursday, and Marquette has a chance to get to the Elite 8 and Final Four.  That is awesome.  THIS THREAD IS NOT.   

amen. STFU on this garbage and move on to talking about a REAL GAME!

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

Don't you guys realize the kind of people who float this poisonous stuff to bloggers are Internet posters? It's not Buzz Williams people.

Who would contact a Chicago Sun Times blogger with this crap? This is a a non story.

[mr.MUskie]

Was there previous discrimination at Illinois that is in need of correction?

A couple black trustees were upset that a black coach was not hired to replace ron zook, the football coach who was fired after this past season.  If they don't hire a black basketball coach it could get ugly.

When Zook was fired, university trustee James Montgomery said Friday that he'd hoped the school would hire its first black head football coach.

"I'd hoped we would make a little history," said Montgomery, who is black.

The field of reported candidates included at least one black coach, highly sought-after Houston coach Kevin Sumlin.

[brewcity77]

Obviously it's not a done deal yet, but Steve Lavin did say that Shaka Smart was headed to Illinois yesterday. Are his sources accurate? Who knows, but it's got Illini nation giddy.

http://www.illinoisloyalty.com/Forums/showthread.php?p=542430

[Goose]

I have little concern about Buzz going to Illinois. I have concern about Buzz being happy here and hope he is for long time.

[Canadian Dimes]

Obviously it's not a done deal yet, but Steve Lavin did say that Shaka Smart was headed to Illinois yesterday. Are his sources accurate? Who knows, but it's got Illini nation giddy.

http://www.illinoisloyalty.com/Forums/showthread.php?p=542430

I really like Shaka, last year figured maybe a new coach got lucky with players recruited by another coach...ala what people could have said about Buzz in 2009. 
But with what VCU did this year ...I think Shaka is bona fide.  He like Buzz seems like simply a genuine guy , great for a program , doing things the right way for the right reasons.  Easy to root for guys like shaka.  Still think MU has the best in the country tho...