PROTEST (2008 thread)

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

2002 alum---That is why MU cannot afford for men's bball to fail. It covers expenses of all the losing sports. A losing bball team hurts the school and that is why you should be pissed.

Agreed.

AND I hope that the powers that be at MU realize that (I'm guessing they do, they aren't dumb).

I don't know the first thing about Buzz Williams... so I'm going to withhold judgment until I see the product.

GYMBAR, I can't say I agree with your ranting (give the guy a chance), but I respect the fact that you are going to pull your tickets.

If you sincerely don't care for the product, don't pay for it. It's simple.

[claymate]

D-Ro-

Exactly....Crean is going to be deified in the next ten years, undeservedly.  Don't be surprised to see "TC" on the jerseys in 30 years, when we're playing UWM for the Horizon league's automatic bid in the NCAA tournament.

Also, those of you spelling "you're" as "your" are not really buffing up Marquette's image as a great institution.  Yowsa.

[CTWarrior]

This will even further inflate Crean's immortality status among half of MU fans. Sucks, because he really wasn't as great as people think he was. But I guess after years and years of just plain awful basketball, anything looks like the second coming.

What were these years and years of awful basketball?  O'Neill's the one who saved us from those.  In the seven years prior to Crean's arrival, we had 4 NCAA appearances with wins in two of them, including a sweet 16 run, six 20 win seasons, a conference regular season and a conference tournament championship and a trip to the NIT finals.  We were hardly a basketball wasteland.   

In Crean's nine years, we had five NCAA tournament births with wins in two of them, including a final four run.  We've won one conference regular season title and no tournaments.  Better, but really only slightly, and that was because of the tremendous 2003 season that we'll all remember forever.

Add in the advantages of facilities, budget, conference, etc., you can make a convincing argument that Crean merely kept the status quo in terms of the quality of the program.

What he definitely did do, however, was raise the PERCEPTION of the program, which is probably more important.  Unfortunately, we did not capitalize on that with this hire.

[MUWarrior06]

Also, those of you spelling "you're" as "your" are not really buffing up Marquette's image as a great institution.  Yowsa.

Been a long semester... 

[MUWarrior06]

This will even further inflate Crean's immortality status among half of MU fans. Sucks, because he really wasn't as great as people think he was. But I guess after years and years of just plain awful basketball, anything looks like the second coming.

What were these years and years of awful basketball?  O'Neill's the one who saved us from those.  In the seven years prior to Crean's arrival, we had 4 NCAA appearances with wins in two of them, including a sweet 16 run, six 20 win seasons, a conference regular season and a conference tournament championship and a trip to the NIT finals.  We were hardly a basketball wasteland.   

In Crean's nine years, we had five NCAA tournament births with wins in two of them, including a final four run.  We've won one conference regular season title and no tournaments.  Better, but really only slightly, and that was because of the tremendous 2003 season that we'll all remember forever.

Add in the advantages of facilities, budget, conference, etc., you can make a convincing argument that Crean merely kept the status quo in terms of the quality of the program.

What he definitely did do, however, was raise the PERCEPTION of the program, which is probably more important.  Unfortunately, we did not capitalize on that with this hire.

Good points. I guess I just remember back when I was real young going to games with my dad and seeing maybe 1/4 of the place filled... I think as long as we stayed in CUSA we weren't really going to be taken seriously in the NCAA. I mean look at Memphis. Every year they have 2-3 losses and only this year have they shown that they should be taken seriously. I think the move to the Big East increased the perception of the program as you put it. That was the best thing Crean did for this program.


I just think people give Crean too much credit. D. Wade made Crean, not the other way around. Crean's only claim to fame is Wade and that final 4 run. Before and after that... not too much. Yet people will continue to look at him as a god. I think Crean owes Wade a big thank you for the pay-day he got after Wade left...and continues to get

[ErickJD08]

I extremely hate the hire but I am willing to give the guy a shot.  From what I read, he is the one responsible for our incoming class and the four star coming in 2009.  I really believe that Crean COULD NOT recruit and it seems like our incoming class is the best since Wade's Final Four run.  Its probably no coincidence that our best class came in Williams first year.  We have a four star coming in 2009.  If he could recruit a couple more great players in 2009, lets hope he has the basketball knowledge to bring in wins.  In all honesty, Calapari's strongest point is his recruiting.  Maybe this guy can do the same.  I think I need to get my praying on.  
GO MU!

[MUWarrior06]

I extremely hate the hire but I am willing to give the guy a shot.  From what I read, he is the one responsible for our incoming class and the four star coming in 2009.  I really believe that Crean COULD NOT recruit and it seems like our incoming class is the best since Wade's Final Four run.  Its probably no coincidence that our best class came in Williams first year.  We have a four star coming in 2009.  If he could recruit a couple more great players in 2009, lets hope he has the basketball knowledge to bring in wins.  In all honesty, Calapari's strongest point is his recruiting.  Maybe this guy can do the same.  I think I need to get my praying on.  
GO MU!

Great post. I completely agree.

He is a great recruiter, which is kind of exciting, but he needs to be a good coach too. Hopefuly he is and he'll prove me wrong. I'd love to look back at this and realize how lucky we were to grab this guy.

[THEGYMBAR]

D-Ro---TC gets way too much credit, both here and nationally, for DWade. So what!!! We had a chance to build on the smoke the mirrors and better the program.

I have watched MU ball a long time and have never seen so much angst about a hiring. I believe the reason is simple. Fans, alumni and students assumed we wanted to build a modest amount of success created by TC.

There are 50 guys that would have created an intelligent debate if they had been hired. The only thing anyone can positive is "lets see what he can do". Shame on MU for putting themselves/us in this situation. Of the 50 guys I probably would have argued 40 of them. But, I would have accepted and understood those hirings.

Obviously MU admin thinks the program is bigger than we do. They must believe that anyone can take over the keys to the BC.

[THEGYMBAR]

Eric---The recruits want to be released. There are no recruits. They are gone.

[Boognish_MU]

they aren't all gone...

[mugoose]

We should prtoest the GYMBAR.

Good LORD, ewnough already. we get it, you don't lik ethe hire. BooHoo. It is a done deal.

[claymate]

Boognish_MU- great name.

[lab_warrior]

Yeah, we all need to be careful here or GymBar will stroke out.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

"I just think people give Crean too much credit. D. Wade made Crean, not the other way around. Crean's only claim to fame is Wade and that final 4 run. Before and after that... not too much. Yet people will continue to look at him as a god. I think Crean owes Wade a big thank you for the pay-day he got after Wade left...and continues to get"



Chicken or the egg argument.

Crean recruited him and signed him... so no Crean... probably = no Wade... but no Wade... probably = no 3 amigos.

Also, the nature of all coaches is to get too much credit when things go well, and too much blame when they go wrong.

It's just the position.

[MURFC]

"Marquette is a Jesuit school with strong Jesuit values. The program wants their coach to exemplify these values. We want a guy that would graduate his kids, keep the class in the program, turn his kids into men."

Actually, Marquette is a corporation that exists to make money - both academically and athletically.  Otherwise, the tickets would be free and they'd serve communion wine at the games instead of Miller Lite.

By that logic.....St. John's can serve all the beer they want because they are a Benedictine school.....those Belgian Benedictines have been brewing beer for centuries!!

[Chicos' Buzz Scandal Countdown]

Two ways you could be a Buzz supporter:

#1 You are TC croonie and you love being on the inside of program.
#2 You know NOTHING about college basketball.

I promise you no one is more surprised by this hiring more than Buz himself. Two weeks ago his name did not come up for ANY job.

Get a grip? I have spent a ton of money supporting following MU ball and now have a son attending there. Been a fan since Al and supported every lame decision. Not anymore.

Youll all have to suffer through this bump since I'm not able to sleep (Superbar maybe?) but holy crap this guy is hilarious... What a tool. I wasn't really sure on the Buzz hire but wow.

Love the conversation where he takes credit for the season tickets his family had while he was a kid.

[BlindboyPatSmith]

Youll all have to suffer through this bump since I'm not able to sleep (Superbar maybe?) but holy crap this guy is hilarious... What a tool. I wasn't really sure on the Buzz hire but wow.

Love the conversation where he takes credit for the season tickets his family had while he was a kid.

GREAT FIND !!!!!

[jesmu84]

Youll all have to suffer through this bump since I'm not able to sleep (Superbar maybe?) but holy crap this guy is hilarious... What a tool. I wasn't really sure on the Buzz hire but wow.

Love the conversation where he takes credit for the season tickets his family had while he was a kid.

a 5 year Hoop? Impressive. Why you hoopin'?

[TomW1365]

Call me a hoopin fan!  I love when old threads are dusted off and varnished clean!  This one is truly a gem!  The original poster was a little off his rocker. 

[Chicos' Buzz Scandal Countdown]

a 5 year Hoop? Impressive. Why you hoopin'?

Sweet Sixteen induced insomnia. And procrastinating getting actual work done.

[Chicos' Buzz Scandal Countdown]

Call me a hoopin fan!  I love when old threads are dusted off and varnished clean!  This one is truly a gem!  The original poster was a little off his rocker.  

maybe we can add a space on the site for just hoopin? I know this bums out a few posters.

I am a fan of hoopin mainly because it should over time keep the discussion here a bit less crazy. Calling out the people who say in one post they don't care if TC leaves then crapping themselves when he does.... Predicting the end of MU bball when Buzz was hired....

The April 2008 threads are fun to peruse - make me feel especially grateful for our coach and program given how unnatural carnal knowledgeed I assumed the situation was when TC left.

[mileskishnish72]

Fun read this morning. Nothing from GYMBAR since '09 - I guess he really did hit the road.

[tower912]

1. Easier to slink away in shame and never return instead of owning a mistake.
2.  Actually a troll?
3.   Best hoopin yet. 

[Oldgym]

I am a fan of hoopin mainly because it should over time keep the discussion here a bit less crazy.

Reasonable.

[martyconlonontherun]

When was Buzz hired? It says on wiki he joined the team as an assistant in 2008 and hired as head coach in April 2008. Did TC or the university hire him? Any chance they saw the writing on the wall and knew Buzz was the eventual replacement? I was younger and don't remember the details besides it seemed like a quick hire.