Righting a wrong
posted by LW, Monday, March 29, 2010
Two quick anecdotes:
1) My friend Ken Burger, former sports columnist at The Post and Courier in Charleston, once wrote the following immortal words about women's basketball:
I love women.
I love basketball.
But I hate women's basketball.
2) A few weeks ago, upon hearing Cristy McKinney resigned (was forced out), I texted a friend who passionately follows Clemson sports to tell him the news.
His response:
"Who's that? Women's soccer coach?"
Women's basketball has never been all that popular in these parts. And even if Itoro Umoh Coleman leads her alma mater to 10 straight ACC titles, it'll still be not all that popular in these parts.
That's just sort of what the sport is up against not just here, but at a lot of places.
Yesterday morning, when we told you that Coleman would be announced as McKinney's replacement at an afternoon press conference, the news generated all of 10 replies on the WEZ board. If we posted news that Kyle Parker broke a toenail, it would probably spark more discussion.
All that said, getting rid of McKinney and hiring her replacement was a fairly big deal on the Clemson landscape because it represented Clemson righting a wrong that occurred when it botched the hiring of Jim Davis' replacement.
Maybe "botch" is too strong a word. And maybe this borders on piling on McKinney, a good woman who had done some good things as a coach before she arrived here.
But when you take the step of getting rid of Davis, a Clemson icon who is beloved by many and loves Clemson dearly, you darn well better make sure you get the right person to replace him.
(One could make a strong argument that they were too quick to get rid of Davis in the first place, but that's not the topic of today's blog.)
The record undoubtedly shows they didn't get the right person. And McKinney's personality -- guarded, aloof, uninspiring, unable to relate to her players -- underscores a flaw in the process that determined she was the right fit for the job.
She didn't believe in reaching out to the fans and marketing her program. Those are already important initiatives when you're leading a program that's already in a position of weakness. When you're replacing a man who succeeded in those areas, the absence becomes exponentially more glaring.
Go ask Oliver Purnell about the importance he places on marketing a moribund program as he builds it from the ashes, about being visible and a approachable and embraceable. Go ask Dabo Swinney about the importance of reaching out to fans. It might not win many games, but it gives you some benefit of the doubt when times are tough.
That stuff might not be all that important at some other places. But it's important at Clemson.
As far as I can tell, McKinney also didn't believe in motivating her players. She believed they should be responsible for motivating themselves. Say what?
I don't have any idea whether Coleman will guide the Tigers back to heights last enjoyed under Davis' watch. Given her lack of head coaching experience, it's hard to really know.
But there's little doubt she's an immediate upgrade over her predecessor in terms of energy, passion, and emotional investment in the program.
Those intangibles tend to matter. Give the powers-that-be some credit for comprehending that now, even if they somehow didn't five years ago.
Here's the story from the Independent-Mail.
And another from Pete Iacobelli of the AP.
More on that in the Post and Courier and Greenville News.
Bart Wright says the notion of parity in college basketball is a myth.
I guess everything tends to be overstated in today's hyperbolic media climate. But if Bart doesn't think a once-monstrous gap between the heavyweights and the lightweights has closed exponentially over the last 10 to 15 years, I'm not sure what he's watching.
The chessmaster, otherwise known as Al Groh, gets to work in his new digs in the ATL.
After his first practice as Georgia Tech defensive coordinator had ended, Al Groh was in no mood to tarry. He had practice video to break down.
"We've got 43 more practices in five months," he said. "So this is just the first step down that process."
Two things:
1) Tarry? Show of hands from folks who know the definition of that term, please?
2) Man, the guy is really thinking ahead if he knows how many practices will take place between now and the opener. Yup, sounds like a chessmaster.
Rumor has it a few of you aren't big fans of Jim Barker. Well here's some evidence that it could be worse: A scathing column by Bob Ryan that says Georgia president Michael Adams would be a horrific choice to run the NCAA.
I do wonder how and why a columnist from Boston takes such interest in a figure from down here in these parts, but Adams has never come across as a very good guy.
Julio Jones at ... safety?
Nick Saban is pretty set in his ways, but it's refreshing that he's willing to go unconventional.
Still waiting for more DMac at receiver, by the way...
Scott Keepfer of The Greenville News writes about Rennie Moore motoring into the DE picture.
Also a piece on Kourtnei Brown.
Greg Wallace of the Independent-Mail has a story on do-it-all Marcus Gilchrist.
And in the P&C, a look at Clemson's second-team OL.
"We have a lot of freshmen, a lot of young guys," said Wilson Norris of the second group. "They are young, they are raw. It takes a long time."
Don't know how I missed this, but Urban Meyer and the reporter he completely blasted last week kissed and made up.
And, of course, here comes Mike Bianchi with a sweet zinger:
Good for Urban Meyer for apologizing to Orlando Sentinel reporter Jeremy Fowler after practice Saturday.
But knowing Meyer, he will probably change his mind tonight and un-apologize tomorrow.
This guy says Meyer should apologize in public if he's going to make an arse of himself in public.
And in case you're experiencing Gus Johnson withdrawals, here's a soundtrack of his weekend ... arousals?
LW
Click here for the "Eye On The Tigers" blog archive.
Link to this entry - Discuss this entry - Return to Blog Home
Two quick anecdotes:
1) My friend Ken Burger, former sports columnist at The Post and Courier in Charleston, once wrote the following immortal words about women's basketball:
I love women.
I love basketball.
But I hate women's basketball.
2) A few weeks ago, upon hearing Cristy McKinney resigned (was forced out), I texted a friend who passionately follows Clemson sports to tell him the news.
His response:
"Who's that? Women's soccer coach?"
Women's basketball has never been all that popular in these parts. And even if Itoro Umoh Coleman leads her alma mater to 10 straight ACC titles, it'll still be not all that popular in these parts.
That's just sort of what the sport is up against not just here, but at a lot of places.
Yesterday morning, when we told you that Coleman would be announced as McKinney's replacement at an afternoon press conference, the news generated all of 10 replies on the WEZ board. If we posted news that Kyle Parker broke a toenail, it would probably spark more discussion.
All that said, getting rid of McKinney and hiring her replacement was a fairly big deal on the Clemson landscape because it represented Clemson righting a wrong that occurred when it botched the hiring of Jim Davis' replacement.
Maybe "botch" is too strong a word. And maybe this borders on piling on McKinney, a good woman who had done some good things as a coach before she arrived here.
But when you take the step of getting rid of Davis, a Clemson icon who is beloved by many and loves Clemson dearly, you darn well better make sure you get the right person to replace him.
(One could make a strong argument that they were too quick to get rid of Davis in the first place, but that's not the topic of today's blog.)
The record undoubtedly shows they didn't get the right person. And McKinney's personality -- guarded, aloof, uninspiring, unable to relate to her players -- underscores a flaw in the process that determined she was the right fit for the job.
She didn't believe in reaching out to the fans and marketing her program. Those are already important initiatives when you're leading a program that's already in a position of weakness. When you're replacing a man who succeeded in those areas, the absence becomes exponentially more glaring.
Go ask Oliver Purnell about the importance he places on marketing a moribund program as he builds it from the ashes, about being visible and a approachable and embraceable. Go ask Dabo Swinney about the importance of reaching out to fans. It might not win many games, but it gives you some benefit of the doubt when times are tough.
That stuff might not be all that important at some other places. But it's important at Clemson.
As far as I can tell, McKinney also didn't believe in motivating her players. She believed they should be responsible for motivating themselves. Say what?
I don't have any idea whether Coleman will guide the Tigers back to heights last enjoyed under Davis' watch. Given her lack of head coaching experience, it's hard to really know.
But there's little doubt she's an immediate upgrade over her predecessor in terms of energy, passion, and emotional investment in the program.
Those intangibles tend to matter. Give the powers-that-be some credit for comprehending that now, even if they somehow didn't five years ago.
Here's the story from the Independent-Mail.
And another from Pete Iacobelli of the AP.
More on that in the Post and Courier and Greenville News.
Bart Wright says the notion of parity in college basketball is a myth.
I guess everything tends to be overstated in today's hyperbolic media climate. But if Bart doesn't think a once-monstrous gap between the heavyweights and the lightweights has closed exponentially over the last 10 to 15 years, I'm not sure what he's watching.
The chessmaster, otherwise known as Al Groh, gets to work in his new digs in the ATL.
After his first practice as Georgia Tech defensive coordinator had ended, Al Groh was in no mood to tarry. He had practice video to break down.
"We've got 43 more practices in five months," he said. "So this is just the first step down that process."
Two things:
1) Tarry? Show of hands from folks who know the definition of that term, please?
2) Man, the guy is really thinking ahead if he knows how many practices will take place between now and the opener. Yup, sounds like a chessmaster.
Rumor has it a few of you aren't big fans of Jim Barker. Well here's some evidence that it could be worse: A scathing column by Bob Ryan that says Georgia president Michael Adams would be a horrific choice to run the NCAA.
I do wonder how and why a columnist from Boston takes such interest in a figure from down here in these parts, but Adams has never come across as a very good guy.
Julio Jones at ... safety?
Nick Saban is pretty set in his ways, but it's refreshing that he's willing to go unconventional.
Still waiting for more DMac at receiver, by the way...
Scott Keepfer of The Greenville News writes about Rennie Moore motoring into the DE picture.
Also a piece on Kourtnei Brown.
Greg Wallace of the Independent-Mail has a story on do-it-all Marcus Gilchrist.
And in the P&C, a look at Clemson's second-team OL.
"We have a lot of freshmen, a lot of young guys," said Wilson Norris of the second group. "They are young, they are raw. It takes a long time."
Don't know how I missed this, but Urban Meyer and the reporter he completely blasted last week kissed and made up.
And, of course, here comes Mike Bianchi with a sweet zinger:
Good for Urban Meyer for apologizing to Orlando Sentinel reporter Jeremy Fowler after practice Saturday.
But knowing Meyer, he will probably change his mind tonight and un-apologize tomorrow.
This guy says Meyer should apologize in public if he's going to make an arse of himself in public.
And in case you're experiencing Gus Johnson withdrawals, here's a soundtrack of his weekend ... arousals?
LW
Click here for the "Eye On The Tigers" blog archive.
Link to this entry - Discuss this entry - Return to Blog Home
Donnie Patterson. Donnie Patterson is the founder of Patterson Tax Service, located in Easley, S.C. He has been active in tax preparation since 1970, and offers a full range of tax and bookkeeping services.
Larry Williams. Larry has covered the daily beat at Clemson since 2004. Williams, who worked for the Charleston Post & Courier from 2004-08, joined Tigerillustrated.com in November of 2008. He may be reached by email at ldubya08(at)gmail.com. Replace (at) with @.