- My Forums
- Tiger Rant
- LSU Recruiting
- SEC Rant
- Saints Talk
- Pelicans Talk
- More Sports Board
- Fantasy Sports
- Golf Board
- Soccer Board
- O-T Lounge
- Tech Board
- Home/Garden Board
- Outdoor Board
- Health/Fitness Board
- Movie/TV Board
- Book Board
- Music Board
- Political Talk
- Money Talk
- Fark Board
- Gaming Board
- Travel Board
- Food/Drink Board
- Ticket Exchange
- TD Help Board
Customize My Forums- View All Forums
- Show Left Links
- Topic Sort Options
- Trending Topics
- Recent Topics
- Active Topics
Started By
Message
why i hate cal and memphis is better off
Posted on 4/9/09 at 3:06 pm
Posted on 4/9/09 at 3:06 pm
i could not have explained it any better. this article clearly explains the years of memphis basketball under cal and what the future holds for kentucky. i hope kige prepares ncaa basetball violations.
LINK
Delivered from Calipari
Memphis' loss is, in fact, Memphis' gain, as an era comes to an end.
BY CHRIS HERRINGTON | APRIL 9, 2009
I got a few odd looks around the office last Tuesday. Co-workers asked what I thought about the prospect of John Calipari leaving his coaching post at the University of Memphis, and I replied with some variation on "good riddance." It was not, at the time, a common response.
To most, the Calipari era will be remembered for a 252-69 win-loss record and six NCAA tournament appearances, including two Elite Eights and one run to the national title game. Maybe it'll be remembered for an NIT championship and — yes, this happened — an NIT championship parade.
But there's another story about the Calipari era, one that most Tiger fans have tried to ignore. This story is about the presence of William Wesley, aka "Worldwide Wes," the notorious operator who played a murky role in the procurement of Tiger stars Dajuan Wagner, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Derrick Rose, and Tyreke Evans. This story is about diploma factories, such as Laurinberg Prep, which provided the foundation for the team's recent string of deep tournament runs. It's about package deals, the most recent of which had Calipari hiring freshman Evans' personal trainer as an "administrative assistant" for $4,500 a month, according to ESPN's Outside the Lines.
It's a story of "student-athletes" who were more often treated like the temporary contract workers a broken system has turned too many of them into: Jeremy Hunt welcomed back from a "permanent" suspension; recruit Keena Young dismissed because his high school teammate (Kendrick Perkins) had the temerity to back out of a scholarship commitment and turn pro. It's the story of a string of behavioral and legal problems so lengthy it would be folly to try to list them here. And it's the story of a torrent of B.S. and outright lies from the mouth of "Coach Cal" himself — a logorrheic maelstrom that was insulting when it wasn't hysterical.
Calipari revealed himself with his messy, but inevitable, departure, potentially napalming the program he'd built up and, by most reliable accounts, lying about it. Calipari claimed he was encouraging Memphis recruits to stay put, but reporters more trustworthy than Calipari have suggested that he in fact delayed his signing with Kentucky for the purpose of legally persuading those recruits to follow him north. The University of Memphis student newspaper, The Daily Helmsman, proclaimed Calipari "dead to Memphis," capturing the tone of once worshipful fans whose current sense of betrayal is not entirely justified.
Why rehash the Calipari era now? Because the future of University of Memphis basketball will be driven, in part, by how Memphians perceive the recent past.
To most fans, the success of the Calipari era was worth the baggage. People don't like to remember that the University of Massachusetts' one Final Four run under Calipari was later stricken from the books because of NCAA violations. I hope the same thing doesn't happen to the University of Memphis. But if it doesn't, I suspect it will only be because Calipari became more sophisticated about gaming the system.
Chasing Calipari-style success in the hiring of his successor will likely result in a program that duplicates Calipari's shadiness more than his skill — and suffers more than losing games in the process. The program may have dodged this bullet by failing to hire Baylor coach Scott Drew, who profiles as a Calipari mini-me. It remains to be seen which direction newly hired recruiting specialist Josh Pastner will take the program.
Instead, Calipari's departure should be seen as an opportunity to reshape Tiger basketball. With such a fertile recruiting base, excellent facilities, strong community and college support, and, frankly, such a weak conference, Tiger basketball can function at a high level even without living as fully in the gray area as it did under Calipari's rule.
A post-Calipari era might look like this: a more likable coach running a somewhat cleaner program in a business that's now almost universally sketchy; a stronger contingent of the homegrown and area recruits for whom Memphians love to root; a return to the regional rivalry games that fans enjoy but that Calipari had brainwashed the Tiger faithful into thinking the university shouldn't schedule; fewer one-and-done rent-a-stars.
A program like this — one reminiscent of Tiger basketball in the Larry Finch years — would probably mean having a Top 25 team that makes an occasional tournament run rather than a Top 5 team that makes an annual tournament run. But fans wouldn't have to play the see-no-evil/hear-no-evil game quite as much. I think that trade-off would be well worth it. Sadly, I suspect most Tiger fans — now accustomed to the propped-up heights of the Calipari years — would disagree.
LINK
Delivered from Calipari
Memphis' loss is, in fact, Memphis' gain, as an era comes to an end.
BY CHRIS HERRINGTON | APRIL 9, 2009
I got a few odd looks around the office last Tuesday. Co-workers asked what I thought about the prospect of John Calipari leaving his coaching post at the University of Memphis, and I replied with some variation on "good riddance." It was not, at the time, a common response.
To most, the Calipari era will be remembered for a 252-69 win-loss record and six NCAA tournament appearances, including two Elite Eights and one run to the national title game. Maybe it'll be remembered for an NIT championship and — yes, this happened — an NIT championship parade.
But there's another story about the Calipari era, one that most Tiger fans have tried to ignore. This story is about the presence of William Wesley, aka "Worldwide Wes," the notorious operator who played a murky role in the procurement of Tiger stars Dajuan Wagner, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Derrick Rose, and Tyreke Evans. This story is about diploma factories, such as Laurinberg Prep, which provided the foundation for the team's recent string of deep tournament runs. It's about package deals, the most recent of which had Calipari hiring freshman Evans' personal trainer as an "administrative assistant" for $4,500 a month, according to ESPN's Outside the Lines.
It's a story of "student-athletes" who were more often treated like the temporary contract workers a broken system has turned too many of them into: Jeremy Hunt welcomed back from a "permanent" suspension; recruit Keena Young dismissed because his high school teammate (Kendrick Perkins) had the temerity to back out of a scholarship commitment and turn pro. It's the story of a string of behavioral and legal problems so lengthy it would be folly to try to list them here. And it's the story of a torrent of B.S. and outright lies from the mouth of "Coach Cal" himself — a logorrheic maelstrom that was insulting when it wasn't hysterical.
Calipari revealed himself with his messy, but inevitable, departure, potentially napalming the program he'd built up and, by most reliable accounts, lying about it. Calipari claimed he was encouraging Memphis recruits to stay put, but reporters more trustworthy than Calipari have suggested that he in fact delayed his signing with Kentucky for the purpose of legally persuading those recruits to follow him north. The University of Memphis student newspaper, The Daily Helmsman, proclaimed Calipari "dead to Memphis," capturing the tone of once worshipful fans whose current sense of betrayal is not entirely justified.
Why rehash the Calipari era now? Because the future of University of Memphis basketball will be driven, in part, by how Memphians perceive the recent past.
To most fans, the success of the Calipari era was worth the baggage. People don't like to remember that the University of Massachusetts' one Final Four run under Calipari was later stricken from the books because of NCAA violations. I hope the same thing doesn't happen to the University of Memphis. But if it doesn't, I suspect it will only be because Calipari became more sophisticated about gaming the system.
Chasing Calipari-style success in the hiring of his successor will likely result in a program that duplicates Calipari's shadiness more than his skill — and suffers more than losing games in the process. The program may have dodged this bullet by failing to hire Baylor coach Scott Drew, who profiles as a Calipari mini-me. It remains to be seen which direction newly hired recruiting specialist Josh Pastner will take the program.
Instead, Calipari's departure should be seen as an opportunity to reshape Tiger basketball. With such a fertile recruiting base, excellent facilities, strong community and college support, and, frankly, such a weak conference, Tiger basketball can function at a high level even without living as fully in the gray area as it did under Calipari's rule.
A post-Calipari era might look like this: a more likable coach running a somewhat cleaner program in a business that's now almost universally sketchy; a stronger contingent of the homegrown and area recruits for whom Memphians love to root; a return to the regional rivalry games that fans enjoy but that Calipari had brainwashed the Tiger faithful into thinking the university shouldn't schedule; fewer one-and-done rent-a-stars.
A program like this — one reminiscent of Tiger basketball in the Larry Finch years — would probably mean having a Top 25 team that makes an occasional tournament run rather than a Top 5 team that makes an annual tournament run. But fans wouldn't have to play the see-no-evil/hear-no-evil game quite as much. I think that trade-off would be well worth it. Sadly, I suspect most Tiger fans — now accustomed to the propped-up heights of the Calipari years — would disagree.
Posted on 4/9/09 at 3:13 pm to sol graves
Pat Forde basically wrote this same article the day he was hired at UK. This guy pretty much ripped of his whole article.
Posted on 4/9/09 at 3:16 pm to sol graves
Yep Kentucky can prepare to go to final fours and final games and Memphis can slip back into #7 to 10 seeds and first weekend eliminations from the NCAA tournament. We all know it is about players and Calipari already has a great one in Cousins coming to join Patterson down low. If Meeks does not hire an agent and comes back I hate to see what Kentucky will be like next year. The personal trainer bit is nothing different than all the teams are doing in hiring start players basketball coaches for a couple of seasons or brining in relatives to the school.
Unfortunantly the problem isn't the coaches like Calipari it is the NCAA and the fact they can make hundreds of millions off of "student athletes" while the players get little in return for the risk they put forth especially in football and basketball where they are forced to wait after their senior year of high scholl before going into the professional sport they choose.
Unfortunantly the problem isn't the coaches like Calipari it is the NCAA and the fact they can make hundreds of millions off of "student athletes" while the players get little in return for the risk they put forth especially in football and basketball where they are forced to wait after their senior year of high scholl before going into the professional sport they choose.
Posted on 4/9/09 at 3:20 pm to VA LSU fan
quote:
Yep Kentucky can prepare to go to final fours and final games and Memphis can slip back into #7 to 10 seeds and first weekend eliminations from the NCAA tournament.
this
winning>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>everything else
Posted on 4/10/09 at 3:40 am to sol graves
quote:
. This story is about the presence of William Wesley, aka "Worldwide Wes,"
Quite possibly the most powerful man in all of sports. Definitely one of, at the least.
This whole article is dumb and he has NOTHING to base any of his assertions off of.
Posted on 4/10/09 at 8:34 am to sol graves
I didn't get the part about Scott Drew. I was under the impression he was squeaky-clean. What am I missing ?
Posted on 4/10/09 at 8:41 am to VA LSU fan
quote:
why i hate cal and memphis is better off
I had to stop reading there.
So they lose their coach, lose top recruits and committed kids are asking for their release from the school. Oh and instead of doing a coaching search you get lazy and just hire the assitant to be your next coach. Only a few days later to have 3 other members of the staff go to UK as well. This does not make them better off by any means. They have a long road ahead of them now.
Posted on 4/10/09 at 9:10 am to SeattleTiger19
quote:
I didn't get the part about Scott Drew. I was under the impression he was squeaky-clean. What am I missing ?
the word around the big 12 is that he is an a$$
quote:
I had to stop reading there.
trust me i am not bitter for cal leaving. in fact i am thrilled. i have hated this guy for 9 years. the city of memphis was "sold" on all of his bs, and when i would say something about it people in the city would criticize me.
Posted on 4/10/09 at 9:17 am to sol graves
quote:
trust me i am not bitter for cal leaving. in fact i am thrilled. i have hated this guy for 9 years. the city of memphis was "sold" on all of his bs, and when i would say something about it people in the city would criticize me.
Posted on 4/10/09 at 9:21 am to Kige Ramsey
kige you didnt want cal in the first place so dont jump on the bandwagon because the rest of your brothers, sisters/lovers, cousins, and uncles are on board.
just wait till when he wins the nit tourney and then asks the commonwealth for a parade. not going to fly.
just wait till when he wins the nit tourney and then asks the commonwealth for a parade. not going to fly.
Posted on 4/10/09 at 9:22 am to Kige Ramsey
Thinking that Memphis is better off without having Coach Cal is ridiculous. Coach Cal brought in the top recruits. So how exactly is Memphis going to be better off?
Posted on 4/10/09 at 9:28 am to BCrew
quote:
Thinking that Memphis is better off without having Coach Cal is ridiculous. Coach Cal brought in the top recruits. So how exactly is Memphis going to be better off?
would you rather have a team on the court with cal's success and reading about the players and their arrests off the court or another team with little lor low off court problems? memphis is a talent rich area for basketball so recruiting is not out of the question.
we dont need to recruit gang members from new jersey who fight with fans and players and we have to dismiss halfway through the year. we also dont need to do exactly what worldwide wes wants us to do because our coach is friends with him. wes is one of, if the most shady people in ncaa sports.
Posted on 4/10/09 at 9:38 am to sol graves
Sean Banks was no doubt an embarrasment, but for every banks there was a Barclay that went through the program as well.
i honestly don't know the answer to this, but has Memphis ever came under NCAA scrutiny during Cal's tenure.
I have to believe Cal was certainly a better choice than Tic Price and a departure from the local/yokel approach set up by Dana Kirk and Larry Finch.
Pastner is going to be more of the same. I am not saying he is a Cal clone, but in todays age of runners, you have to play the game.
i honestly don't know the answer to this, but has Memphis ever came under NCAA scrutiny during Cal's tenure.
I have to believe Cal was certainly a better choice than Tic Price and a departure from the local/yokel approach set up by Dana Kirk and Larry Finch.
Pastner is going to be more of the same. I am not saying he is a Cal clone, but in todays age of runners, you have to play the game.
This post was edited on 4/10/09 at 9:47 am
Posted on 4/10/09 at 9:44 am to sol graves
quote:
just wait till when he wins the nit tourney and then asks the commonwealth for a parade. not going to fly.
You hate Kentucky don't you
Posted on 4/10/09 at 10:15 am to Kige Ramsey
quote:
but for every banks there was a Barclay that went through the program as well.
but barclay was part of the wagner package deal. another words cal had no interes in the kid, but it came with milt and juan. who happen to be worldwide wes' best friend.
after my alma mater played memphis last year and you and i were in the suite, you dropped me off in the westin and i look over and see wes wit derrick rose. this was after the 1st game and it was exhibition no less. not having cal means not having wes which means the odds of memphis in ncaa trouble are cut in half.
Posted on 4/10/09 at 10:16 am to sol graves
Cal=Saban IMO, he's a scumbag in a lot of ways but you don't care when he's coaching your team and winning.
Posted on 4/10/09 at 10:18 am to I-59 Tiger
drew is one of the dirtiest recruiters in the country
Posted on 4/10/09 at 11:15 am to sol graves
quote:
would you rather have a team on the court with cal's success and reading about the players and their arrests off the court or another team with little lor low off court problems? memphis is a talent rich area for basketball so recruiting is not out of the question.
we dont need to recruit gang members from new jersey who fight with fans and players and we have to dismiss halfway through the year. we also dont need to do exactly what worldwide wes wants us to do because our coach is friends with him. wes is one of, if the most shady people in ncaa sports.
OK youre right, Memphis will be better off in that sense. But when that translates into losses well see what happens to the fanbase. I dont have a horse in this race but I live 5 minutes outside of Memphis. I just think its funny to see how many Memphis ''fans'' all of a sudden say that they hated Cal all along..the week after he leaves.
Posted on 4/10/09 at 12:47 pm to sol graves
This is my problem with Calipari:
He takes the job at UK, which already has center Daniel Orton signed. Orton is a Top 20 player, academically qualified and a likely 2-3 year player. Cal's dribble drive offense really only plays one true big man. So Cal gets Demarcus Cousins to switch from Memphis to UK, knowing that Orton and Cousins will not be able to co-exist. So now it looks like Orton will be leaving for OU, Okie State or maybe Kansas.
Cal has essentially traded a qualified, multi-year top 20 big man for an unqualified, guaranteed one-and-done top 20 big man. Makes sense to me.
Popular
Back to top
Follow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News