Coaches luncheon - Chicago

[MUFC9295]

Absolutely great turnout for the luncheon today.  And we heard from Wojo himself that it's important to have great student athletes.  I don't mean to be disparaging, but there was nothing but the expected, standard lines.   

[Dr. Blackheart]

Jen Lada was great. Carolyn is intense...was hoping she'd slip in some swear words.  Wojo was standard fare...sounded sick.  Did not like the Pollyanna Q&A format.  Cords should have been given a special recognition award and a standing O. Beers expensive. Full house+. Lots of hoops alums, but no JFB.  Fr. Kelly the best speaker.  Most assistants on the road recruiting.  Jen Lada remarked Travis is putting on some pounds.

[warriorchick]

Jen Lada was great.

Seriously?  She kept referring to Carolyn Krieger as "Coach Peters".  I thought I wasn't hearing correctly (I was in the cheap seats), but other people at the table confirmed it.

Also, given that attendees had the opportunity to submit questions ahead of time, she asked the blandest, least insightful questions ever.  I didn't hear any answers from Wojo that I hadn't already seen a dozen times in other interviews.

Stupidest question of all asked to both Krieger and Wojo: "What does having so many fans in Chicago mean to you?" 

[Dr. Blackheart]

Seriously?  She kept referring to Carolyn Krieger as "Coach Peters".  I thought I wasn't hearing correctly (I was in the cheap seats), but other people at the table confirmed it.

Also, given that attendees had the opportunity to submit questions ahead of time, she asked the blandest, least insightful questions ever.  I didn't hear any answers from Wojo that I hadn't already seen a dozen times in other interviews.

Stupidest question of all asked to both Krieger and Wojo: "What does having so many fans in Chicago mean to you?" 

She was talking?  Agree on all counts.

[warriorchick]

Also, the food was mediocre, I couldn't drink because I had to return to work, and I didn't win any of the door prizes.

[Avenue Commons]

Wow. Tough crowd. Who cares about the rubber chicken. Always great to hear about the energy and excitement at the MU Coaches Luncheon. I always resented our last coach for stopping what was (and hopefully will continue to be) a great tradition. I heard it was literally sold out!

[LloydMooresLegs]

I guess based on this I'm not disappointed that work was too busy and I was a no-show.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

For all the great feedback on Wojo (and I agree) I think we may have something in Krieger. She could be a GREAT hire for the women's team.

[4everwarriors]

Also, the food was mediocre, I couldn't drink because I had to return to work, and I didn't win any of the door prizes.

Grain free?

[warriorchick]

Wow. Tough crowd. Who cares about the rubber chicken. Always great to hear about the energy and excitement at the MU Coaches Luncheon. I always resented our last coach for stopping what was (and hopefully will continue to be) a great tradition. I heard it was literally sold out!

My point is that if you follow Marquette basketball at all, there was nothing to be gained by going to this event.

[GGGG]

They don't put these events together for the Scoop crowd.  They are for a more general audience than that.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

They don't put these events together for the Scoop crowd.  They are for a more general audience than that.

That's bullsh*t. They put them together for people who consider themselves Marquette fans. Marquette's fanbase is not seasonal. They follow the team year round. Not everybody is on Scoop and up on the recruiting scene, but Marquette's fanbase is well informed. If you've been to these lunches, you know pretty much everybody there knows exactly what is going on with the team, the roster and the staff.

By the way, I don't think the disappearance of this luncheon is all on Buzz. I went to them with O'Neill and Deane and they were great. I went to exactly one with Crean, who showed up in a warm up jacket. This was at the Union League Club (not sure where this one was). It was clear he had disdain for the event and I think it disappeared on his watch. In many ways, I think Crean is a bigger hillbilly than Buzz pretended to be.

Great that Wojo has brought it back.

[GGGG]

That's bullsh*t. They put them together for people who consider themselves Marquette fans. Marquette's fanbase is not seasonal. They follow the team year round. Not everybody is on Scoop and up on the recruiting scene, but Marquette's fanbase is well informed. If you've been to these lunches, you know pretty much everybody there knows exactly what is going on with the team, the roster and the staff.

Not my experience in the least.  But it has been awhile (over ten years) since I have been to one.

[JenLada]

Seriously?  She kept referring to Carolyn Krieger as "Coach Peters".  I thought I wasn't hearing correctly (I was in the cheap seats), but other people at the table confirmed it.

Also, given that attendees had the opportunity to submit questions ahead of time, she asked the blandest, least insightful questions ever.  I didn't hear any answers from Wojo that I hadn't already seen a dozen times in other interviews.

Stupidest question of all asked to both Krieger and Wojo: "What does having so many fans in Chicago mean to you?" 

What a horribly inaccurate and ignorant depiction of my role at the event. Never once did I call Carolyn (who I actually know from Marquette) by the wrong name. Perhaps it was an acoustics issue that ALL of you (in the "cheap seats") were experiencing. But thank you for the benefit of the doubt. Feel free to ask Carolyn for further confirmation. My goodness.

In addition, the questions were submitted by those in attendance and alumni, selected and approved by the university's group overseeing the function and previewed by the coaches themselves. I can't imagine that such control would be a foreign concept to anyone in a professional environment. It was not the goal to ambush these coaches or make them feel uncomfortable with a pressing line of questioning. It was to introduce them to the Chicago fan base. As for those selected vs asked, I asked almost every question I was given. Including  their inquiries about Chicago.

If you didn't enjoy the event, fine. On behalf of the athletics department and those who put it together, I apologize. But  spreading lies & information without context isn't something I'd expect from a member of the Marquette community.


Jen Lada

[LastWarrior]

What a horribly inaccurate and ignorant depiction of my role at the event. Never once did I call Carolyn (who I actually know from Marquette) by the wrong name. Perhaps it was an acoustics issue that ALL of you (in the "cheap seats") were experiencing. But thank you for the benefit of the doubt. Feel free to ask Carolyn for further confirmation. My goodness.

In addition, the questions were submitted by those in attendance and alumni, selected and approved by the university's group overseeing the function and previewed by the coaches themselves. I can't imagine that such control would be a foreign concept to anyone in a professional environment. It was not the goal to ambush these coaches or make them feel uncomfortable with a pressing line of questioning. It was to introduce them to the Chicago fan base. As for those selected vs asked, I asked almost every question I was given. Including  their inquiries about Chicago.

If you didn't enjoy the event, fine. On behalf of the athletics department and those who put it together, I apologize. But  spreading lies & information without context isn't something I'd expect from a member of the Marquette community.


Jen Lada

Jen - I wasn't at the event so can't comment but you do great work on Comcast Chicago and deserve the benefit of the doubt.  Keep up the great work and repping MU in Chitown!  You make us local alums proud!

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

What a horribly inaccurate and ignorant depiction of my role at the event. Never once did I call Carolyn (who I actually know from Marquette) by the wrong name. Perhaps it was an acoustics issue that ALL of you (in the "cheap seats") were experiencing. But thank you for the benefit of the doubt. Feel free to ask Carolyn for further confirmation. My goodness.

In addition, the questions were submitted by those in attendance and alumni, selected and approved by the university's group overseeing the function and previewed by the coaches themselves. I can't imagine that such control would be a foreign concept to anyone in a professional environment. It was not the goal to ambush these coaches or make them feel uncomfortable with a pressing line of questioning. It was to introduce them to the Chicago fan base. As for those selected vs asked, I asked almost every question I was given. Including  their inquiries about Chicago.

If you didn't enjoy the event, fine. On behalf of the athletics department and those who put it together, I apologize. But  spreading lies & information without context isn't something I'd expect from a member of the Marquette community.


Jen Lada

Oh snap!

[Slim]

Two of my favorite Marquette women goin' at it! This could be a great day!

[Lennys Tap]

Jen Lada 1 - Chick 0

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

What a horribly inaccurate and ignorant depiction of my role at the event. Never once did I call Carolyn (who I actually know from Marquette) by the wrong name. Perhaps it was an acoustics issue that ALL of you (in the "cheap seats") were experiencing. But thank you for the benefit of the doubt. Feel free to ask Carolyn for further confirmation. My goodness.

In addition, the questions were submitted by those in attendance and alumni, selected and approved by the university's group overseeing the function and previewed by the coaches themselves. I can't imagine that such control would be a foreign concept to anyone in a professional environment. It was not the goal to ambush these coaches or make them feel uncomfortable with a pressing line of questioning. It was to introduce them to the Chicago fan base. As for those selected vs asked, I asked almost every question I was given. Including  their inquiries about Chicago.

If you didn't enjoy the event, fine. On behalf of the athletics department and those who put it together, I apologize. But  spreading lies & information without context isn't something I'd expect from a member of the Marquette community.


Jen Lada

Good for you, Jen Lada!!

MEOW to WarriorChick! Is this the first girlie fight in this board's history?

[Groin_pull]

What a horribly inaccurate and ignorant depiction of my role at the event. Never once did I call Carolyn (who I actually know from Marquette) by the wrong name. Perhaps it was an acoustics issue that ALL of you (in the "cheap seats") were experiencing. But thank you for the benefit of the doubt. Feel free to ask Carolyn for further confirmation. My goodness.

In addition, the questions were submitted by those in attendance and alumni, selected and approved by the university's group overseeing the function and previewed by the coaches themselves. I can't imagine that such control would be a foreign concept to anyone in a professional environment. It was not the goal to ambush these coaches or make them feel uncomfortable with a pressing line of questioning. It was to introduce them to the Chicago fan base. As for those selected vs asked, I asked almost every question I was given. Including  their inquiries about Chicago.

If you didn't enjoy the event, fine. On behalf of the athletics department and those who put it together, I apologize. But  spreading lies & information without context isn't something I'd expect from a member of the Marquette community.


Jen Lada

Some people just love to sit back and take cheap shots. Welcome to the internet age. Anyway, I'm sure MU put on a fine event...and it's nice to hear it was SRO.

[Skatastrophy]

But  spreading lies & information without context isn't something I'd expect from a member of the Marquette community.

Multiple people had the same perception. That's not really lying, or ignorant. It just is what it is.

[MayaSmart]

What a horribly inaccurate and ignorant depiction of my role at the event. Never once did I call Carolyn (who I actually know from Marquette) by the wrong name. Perhaps it was an acoustics issue that ALL of you (in the "cheap seats") were experiencing. But thank you for the benefit of the doubt. Feel free to ask Carolyn for further confirmation. My goodness.

In addition, the questions were submitted by those in attendance and alumni, selected and approved by the university's group overseeing the function and previewed by the coaches themselves. I can't imagine that such control would be a foreign concept to anyone in a professional environment. It was not the goal to ambush these coaches or make them feel uncomfortable with a pressing line of questioning. It was to introduce them to the Chicago fan base. As for those selected vs asked, I asked almost every question I was given. Including  their inquiries about Chicago.

If you didn't enjoy the event, fine. On behalf of the athletics department and those who put it together, I apologize. But  spreading lies & information without context isn't something I'd expect from a member of the Marquette community.


Jen Lada

[warriorchick]

What a horribly inaccurate and ignorant depiction of my role at the event. Never once did I call Carolyn (who I actually know from Marquette) by the wrong name. Perhaps it was an acoustics issue that ALL of you (in the "cheap seats") were experiencing. But thank you for the benefit of the doubt. Feel free to ask Carolyn for further confirmation. My goodness.

In addition, the questions were submitted by those in attendance and alumni, selected and approved by the university's group overseeing the function and previewed by the coaches themselves. I can't imagine that such control would be a foreign concept to anyone in a professional environment. It was not the goal to ambush these coaches or make them feel uncomfortable with a pressing line of questioning. It was to introduce them to the Chicago fan base. As for those selected vs asked, I asked almost every question I was given. Including  their inquiries about Chicago.

If you didn't enjoy the event, fine. On behalf of the athletics department and those who put it together, I apologize. But  spreading lies & information without context isn't something I'd expect from a member of the Marquette community.


Jen Lada

Jen,

I sincerely apologize for offending you.  If you did pronounce Coach Krieger's name correctly, then I propose that in the future they hold this event in a place with better acoustics.  As I said, I wasn't the only person who thought you were calling her "Coach Peters".  As a journalist, I would hope you would give a person the benefit of the doubt before you call her a liar.

And I wasn't asking for questions that would "ambush" the coaches or make them feel "uncomfortable".  I was simply hoping for some questions that haven't already been asked a dozen times by other reporters.  I don't think that's too much to ask. I didn't submit any questions myself, so perhaps it's my own fault for not coming up with an insightful question myself.

[ASMU]

Opinions of an attendee:

It is great to have this event back.  I went many times in the Deane era when it was at the Como Inn.  Union League has some nice prestige and the crowd was huge - a very good representation by Chicago MU alumni.

Wojo stuck to his usual MU talking points (Al McGuire mentioned in the first sentence, how MU is special & right fit for him, how excited he is to teach the players, etc.)  These are all fantastic points, but for this board I would assume the majority of you have heard them before. Coach comes across as an impressive guy who is up for the task of running our program, and that will always come across as reassuring to me.

Coach Kieger was also very good.  Not knowing much about her as a coach, I thought her responses were genuine and on point.  I wish her every success and am anxious to watch how her teams play (she favors an up-tempo offense, btw.)

Personally, I'd go with a slightly different format than the "interview" style for next year's luncheon. I would have liked to hear more about the actual teams/players, but I understand that this year's theme was more of an "introduction" of the coaches than anything else. I suspect next year will be different. I'd also go with a new emcee.

Overall, a good event that I hope continues to evolve.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

Jen,

I sincerely apologize for offending you.  If you did pronounce Coach Krieger's name correctly, then I propose that in the future they hold this event in a place with better acoustics.  As I said, I wasn't the only person who thought you were calling her "Coach Peters".  As a journalist, I would hope you would give a person the benefit of the doubt before you call her a liar.

And I wasn't asking for questions that would "ambush" the coaches or make them feel "uncomfortable".  I was simply hoping for some questions that haven't already been asked a dozen times by other reporters.  I don't think that's too much to ask. I didn't submit any questions myself, so perhaps it's my own fault for not coming up with an insightful question myself.

Warriorchick...when you asked the people at your table about the alleged mispronunciation, were you at all aware that them nodding their heads while continuing to stare at Jen was indicative that you were being ignored?

PS: Change the venue because Warriorchick can't hear! Good grief!