OT: John Wooden passes at 99

[GroganCountry]

I think when BB passes on that you won't read 2 paragraphs without reading about spygate. When John Calipari passes you'll read in every single article about his 2 vacated Final 4s. Eddie Sutton and cash in overnight envelopes, Bob Knight and his off the court stuff that cost him his job at Indiana, etc.

Wooden was a great coach and by all accounts a pretty good guy who was nice to people and whose players loved him. He also cheated to achieve what he did. He ran a dirty program in what everyone knows is a dirty business. I don't think that this is necessarily the time for the media to bring it up but they wouldn't give most others the same courtesy and the over the top sainthood stuff is just a bit much for my taste.

Great point. In all the coverage I've seen, Sam Gilbert has not come up once because Wooden was such a beloved guy by the press and many others (and deservedly so in most cases). Compare that to someone like Belichick, who when he passes, will be eulogized deferentially...but make no mistake, Spygate will be brought up constantly, rightly or wrongly. It is incredibly hypocritical is all I'm saying.

I don't think the posters who have challenged you, based on their records here, are the kind of people who would purge the truth from an evaluation of anyone's life. I just think they're suggesting that the days immediately after someone's death might not be the time to focus on the negatives.

I wasn't trying to desecrate Wooden's legacy or offend anybody - it was just an honest post on a Patriot messageboard after all. And I understand your point about timing but I respectfully disagree - if anyone takes offense to a negative fact about the man's tenure at UCLA because it's so quick after his death, that's silly. I simply interjected a little honesty in the thread. Regardless, he was a great coach and a great teacher whose records stand alone.

 

[TennesseePatriot]

Nobody ever talks about it, but he ran a very DIRTY program. Kids went to Westwood because of Sam Gilbert just as much as they went there for Wooden. His "holier than thou" act came off a little flimsy to many. Just because he didn't pay the players directly, he was well aware of what was going on.

Every major program was fraught with corruption prior to the advent of thorough NCAA investigations. Really all the way until SMU was blasted with the death penalty. Wooden did the same thing everyone else was doing.

Wooden was an incredible motivator, and unlike most coaches, tried to ensure that his players had skills for life, not just on the court.

Great man, worthy of respect.

 

[TennesseePatriot]

Why, do you think he's gonna read this and be offended? If you don't like that I pointed out something about his legacy - then sorry - I was simply stating a fact about the man. I never broke any rules and I never posted anything personally offensive that hasn't been written countless times. I'm sure he was a nice man and I respect people's opinions of the guy, but why is it so wrong for me to post something "knowledgable" about his program? Relax, it's just the internet.

And fwiw, I actually met Wooden (along with Chick Hearn) years ago here in L.A. (that's where I live now). He was very nice to me in the two or three minutes I spoke with him. But that doesn't take away the whole Sam Gilbert issue.

As for writing "something nice about the guy", why? Nobody did that here when Hank Iba died...or Pete Newell...or many other basketball coaching legends. And I'm sure 99% of what will be written will be complimentary - and deservedly so. But again, it's a Patriot messageboard that I'm sure won't be read by him or anyone else in his family. God forbid I post a fact about his program that won't be shown on SportsCenter.

I respect your opinion and that's okay if you don't like mine. But I still have a right to type it here.

I get the feeling you may be a USC fan? But surely not considering how they've been purchasing players in both football and basketball like livestock at an auction...

 

[PatsFanSince74]

I wasn't trying to desecrate Wooden's legacy or offend anybody - it was just an honest post on a Patriot messageboard after all. And I understand your point about timing but I respectfully disagree - if anyone takes offense to a negative fact about the man's tenure at UCLA because it's so quick after his death, that's silly. I simply interjected a little honesty in the thread. Regardless, he was a great coach and a great teacher whose records stand alone.

I'm not at all emotional over Wooden's death (I grew up in College-Hoops-Crazy-Philadelphia, where we weren't too happy with the Bruins' domination), I just think there's a time and a place for paying respects and a time and a place for assessing weaknesses and disagree that the distinction is "silly." We'll just have to agree to disagree.

 

[GroganCountry]

I'm not at all emotional over Wooden's death (I grew up in College-Hoops-Crazy-Philadelphia, where we weren't too happy with the Bruins' domination), I just think there's a time and a place for paying respects and a time and a place for assessing weaknesses and disagree that the distinction is "silly." We'll just have to agree to disagree.

Personally, I find it odd to "pay respects" on a messageboard. But I respect your opinion and agree on the "agree to disagree" remark.

I get the feeling you may be a USC fan? But surely not considering how they've been purchasing players in both football and basketball like livestock at an auction...

No, I can't stand SC (but I have some friends who are involved in the football program out here) and I don't care about UCLA either way. I worked for CBS Sports for a couple of years and primarily covered NCAA basketball. The only schools I really root for are ones who employ coaches or SIDs who I had a decent/cordial relationship with.

 

[captain stone]

Just curious, but what were the scholarship restrictions, if any, during the years that Wooden & Gilbert were hoarding/buying all that talent?

 

[dhamz]

Every major program was fraught with corruption prior to the advent of thorough NCAA investigations. Really all the way until SMU was blasted with the death penalty. Wooden did the same thing everyone else was doing.

NCAA investigations were around during Wooden's day. A lot of people around the game at that time will tell you the quickest way to have the NCAA show up on your door was to get on the bad side of the folks at UCLA.