Return of Buzz

[tower912]

Some interviews out there.  One with Fanta.  Buzz's version of trying to make peace.

[Mr. Nielsen]

https://x.com/John_Fanta/status/1989071860513010066?s=20

[zcg2013]

My undergrad Buzz was the coach the whole time. The basketball side of things he was great (until his departure where he just ripped the Big East) but it was extremely awkward knowing that there would be multiple assault allegations dropping the day after the season ended (as well as why Reggie Smith left the team).

Will be booing him often Saturday.

[Mutaman]

All I know is Buzz put a lot of well coached, hard working teams on the court and won a lot. Never met him in a drugstore and I have no idea who Scott Monarch is, so there's that.

[lostpassword]

...and we were always going to get some crazy postgame gobbledygook from Buzz

My favorite Buzz moment was his magnum opus

https://youtu.be/OzCQpUlS8wE?si=5-s_7k00eZq-7eAt

I think Brew mentioned this already but probably my second favorite:

https://youtu.be/6HVd493yAhM?si=8QTsoeG9Xl_SqiX5

I loved the roller coaster but have soured considerably since and and will be booing.

[The_Blaze]

Buzz 6 years at MU:  averaged 23 wins a season in the Big East, made the tourney five times, advanced to the round of 32 four times, three sweet sixteens, one elite eight.

Buzz's performance at VTech and A&M were very good as well turning both those programs around and he was at both for 5-6 years like MU so the job hopping criticism is not warranted given the pressure on high level D1 coaches to perform and that Maryland is a very good historical program.

It needs to be noted that Crean took us from obscurity to the final 4 & BigEast Conference deserving of MU Hall of Fame status. It is much more difficult to be a trailblazer but the wrong hire after Crean may have put us in a 3-5 year hole yet Buzz kept the train rolling uphill. 

We can all criticize on an anonymous forum and the way Buzz's tenure ended at MU was not good - some of it should be cast on him as the head of the program but not all.

Bottom line: the Marquette basketball program benefited from Buzz's hard work.

Buzz should get a pre-game applaud on Saturday and then Marquette better win.     

[The Sultan]

Buzz 6 years at MU:  averaged 23 wins a season in the Big East, made the tourney five times, advanced to the round of 32 four times, three sweet sixteens, one elite eight.

Buzz's performance at VTech and A&M were very good as well turning both those programs around and he was at both for 5-6 years like MU so the job hopping criticism is not warranted given the pressure on high level D1 coaches to perform and that Maryland is a very good historical program.

It needs to be noted that Crean took us from obscurity to the final 4 & BigEast Conference deserving of MU Hall of Fame status. It is much more difficult to be a trailblazer but the wrong hire after Crean may have put us in a 3-5 year hole yet Buzz kept the train rolling uphill. 

We can all criticize on an anonymous forum and the way Buzz's tenure ended at MU was not good - some of it should be cast on him as the head of the program but not all.

Bottom line: the Marquette basketball program benefited from Buzz's hard work.

Buzz should get a pre-game applaud on Saturday and then Marquette better win.     

What is being criticized is off the court stuff that was well documented and part of a headline story that caused embarrassment to the university and harm to its students.

It has nothing to do with an anonymous message board. Jeez.

[Eye]

I'll be booing tomorrow. Way too much bad stuff at the end to overcome a pretty good amount of good stuff before that.

[Juan Anderson's Mixtape]

If there are fans that prefer to celebrate Buzz Williams rather than acknowledge the character he revealed, when he's announced, remember the best way is to shout his name very, very loudly. It should sound like this:

BUUUUUUUUUUUUUzz

They were saying BOOOO-uzz.  BOOOO-uzz.

[MUDPT]

Went to the Chicago fundraiser in October 2008, was kind of standoffish. But I will remember the crux of his speech was how he had to talk to NCAA compliance because there were rumors that MU was going to practice at Whitney Young that weekend. Weird guy.

[Billy Hoyle]

My undergrad Buzz was the coach the whole time. The basketball side of things he was great (until his departure where he just ripped the Big East) but it was extremely awkward knowing that there would be multiple assault allegations dropping the day after the season ended (as well as why Reggie Smith left the team).

Will be booing him often Saturday.

I don't remember Reggie Smith or anything about what he did or didn't do, but I know in the sexual assault case a the walk on transfer kid, Singleton, was forced to take the fall for a starter.

Others here have mentioned the disgraceful way he handled Newbill, but he also screwed over Brett Roseboro. Perhaps Buzz made a mistake recruiting him (taking a limo to the kid's house and pressuring him to commit on the spot) but to bring him in during the summer then run him off telling him to redshirt or go at the end of the summer then having to get a waiver to play as a freshman was a dick move.

[cheebs09]

https://x.com/John_Fanta/status/1989071860513010066?s=20

That seems like the perfect answer to encapsulate Buzz. Long and rambling, with the very humble pieces. At face value, it's a nice sentiment. Knowing what we know, it's probably well coached PR.

[mu_hilltopper]

Most people don't really know why Buzz 'left' Marquette, so I imagine that since the fans have forgiven Crean, they will have a similar approach for Buzz.

He won't be booed. Hopefully, they give his goofy ass the mic and let him talk about his former player.

As other posters have said, time heals all wounds.  Scars remain as a reminder of those wounds though.

This is the right answer.  For about 95% of fans, the only bad memory about Buzz was that he left Marquette.

All the other stuff is inside baseball.

[The Sultan]

This is the right answer.  For about 95% of fans, the only bad memory about Buzz was that he left Marquette.

All the other stuff is inside baseball.

There were articles about this stuff in the Chicago Tribune and New York Times.

[Galway Eagle]

This is the right answer.  For about 95% of fans, the only bad memory about Buzz was that he left Marquette.

All the other stuff is inside baseball.

look I can get that view for the weird recruits, the running off players/revoking scholarships, the weird folksy anecdotes, the suspensions, Scott monarch violations, fights, underage drinking. But come on you can't honestly be lumping the sexual assaults under the banner of "all the other stuff is inside basketball" (unless you actually meant baseball in which case I'm genuinely confused)

I was wearing a Marquette hat at a work happy hour this past summer and someone brought up the assault allegations and it's been over a decade

[Hards Alumni]

There were articles about this stuff in the Chicago Tribune and New York Times.

Yep, and that was a decade ago, and most people have forgotten or never read the articles.

We've been a TV society for decades. 

[Galway Eagle]

Yep, and that was a decade ago, and most people have forgotten or never read the articles.

We've been a TV society for decades. 

Should the Epstein stuff be washed as "inside politics"? Should Weinstein have been "inside Hollywood"? Your average Joe had no idea it was going on, happened ages ago, and it wasn't well reported at the time. People keep bringing up crimes of this nature to be the voice for those that don't, because for two girls starting their early days of college do you think it being over a decade ago matters anymore? 

[Uncle Rico]

Should the Epstein stuff be washed as "inside politics"? Should Weinstein have been "inside Hollywood"? Your average Joe had no idea it was going on, happened ages ago, and it wasn't well reported at the time. People keep bringing up crimes of this nature to be the voice for those that don't, because for two girls starting their early days of college do you think it being over a decade ago matters anymore? 

Correct.  But I'll argue people are way more mad about him leaving than the sexual assaults.  And that's the problem.  And I'm guilty of giving him a pass when he was here.

[Scoop Snoop]

Correct.  But I'll argue people are way more mad about him leaving than the sexual assaults.  And that's the problem.  And I'm guilty of giving him a pass when he was here.

Spot on. And saying that is the usual reaction of all schools' fans-e.g., Penn State fans are still pissed that Paterno was fired-isn't a good enough answer.

[mu_hilltopper]

There were articles about this stuff in the Chicago Tribune and New York Times.

Lol. Heavens to betsy, dozens of people will surely remember that.

Yep, and that was a decade ago, and most people have forgotten or never read the articles.

This is correct.  Not to mention, our country has a dozen GALACTICALLY WORSE scandals each month. 

[Hards Alumni]

Should the Epstein stuff be washed as "inside politics"? Should Weinstein have been "inside Hollywood"? Your average Joe had no idea it was going on, happened ages ago, and it wasn't well reported at the time. People keep bringing up crimes of this nature to be the voice for those that don't, because for two girls starting their early days of college do you think it being over a decade ago matters anymore? 

I am not excusing the behavior.  I am saying the average fan doesn't know why Buzz left and as a result will not boo him.  Nothing more, nothing less.  The average fan wasn't a student at the time and doesn't know any of the victims, nor are they crazy enough to be on this board.  Might some remember the story from 2014 if they read the Trib?  Sure, but that number isn't enough to outweigh the people who have forgotten.  This is why time heals all wounds is an accurate statement for the average person.

If you're ever unsure if a story is too 'inside baseball' walk to the nearest bus stop and ask the bus driver what he thinks.  Give him no background.  If he doesn't know what you're talking about then it's too 'inside baseball'.  This is the bus driver test.

[Uncle Rico]

Lol. Heavens to betsy, dozens of people will surely remember that.

This is correct.  Not to mention, our country has a dozen GALACTICALLY WORSE scandals each month. 

Well, rape is legal now, I think

[The Sultan]

Lol. Heavens to betsy, dozens of people will surely remember that.

But that's way different than "inside baseball," which implies that only insiders knew what was actually going on. Sure people forget and move on, but it was far from "inside baseball." It was well known and had implications for how the institution was lead and governed.

[Hards Alumni]

But that's way different than "inside baseball," which implies that only insiders knew what was actually going on. Sure people forget and move on, but it was far from "inside baseball." It was well known and had implications for how the institution was lead and governed.

Sure, but the people who remember won't be booing loud enough to be heard over the majority.

[The Sultan]

Sure, but the people who remember won't be booing loud enough to be heard over the majority.

I don't disagree with that.