2012.02.10
Friday: From Galax to South Beach
The Big 3 for Friday:
(1) REALLY ENJOYED MY TRIP TO GALAX LAST NIGHT to see top-ranked Oak Hill square off with the Group A Division I defending champs. The Warriors (as expected) won the game easily, 112-54, but as I wrote for today’s paper, it was an experience the Maroon Tide players will never forget — and that’s a good thing.
(2) OBVIOUSLY DIDN’T GET A CHANCE TO SEE THE VIRGINIA TECH GAME LAST NIGHT, but it sounds like I didn’t miss much. Miami leads from the opening tip and beats the Hokies 65-49. “We practiced so well today,” coach Seth Greenberg says. “The things we wanted to do in our shoot-around were crisp. We had good energy, we had good focus. We screened and we cut hard. Then to come out and play like this is absolutely … I can’t even describe it. We had no sense of purpose out there.” If you saw the game (or even if you didn’t), I welcome your thoughts.
(3) THE LAST OF THE UNBEATENS IN DIVISION I BASKETBALL FALLS, as Tennessee State defeats Murray State 72-68. How much does this change thing for the Racers? Well, after pegging them as a possible No. 4 seed in the NCAA tournament had they gon
e undefeated, some analysts say they could be on the bubble if they don’t win their conference tourney. Crazy game, this college hoops.
AROUND THE HORN
-Former Virginia Tech quarterback Maurice DeShazo is arrested in a prostitution sting.
-Now they’re saying Peyton Manning can’t throw to his left.
-The Rangers sign slugger Nelson Cruz to a two-year contract.
-The Lakers edge the Celtics in overtime.
-Tiger’s five strokes back after the first round at Pebble Beach.
-Reminder that UVa plays at North Carolina tomorrow. I’ll be there with Doug and will have a column in Sunday’s paper.
READER COMMENTS O’ THE DAY
From Rick H: If Peyton’s arm is a noodle, Danny Boy will certainly have the meaty spaghetti sauce to slather all over it.
From Huntersdad: Can’t help but wonder how the refs missed Curry’s four step three pointer…looked like he was dancing the watoosie or something. Guess Coach K’s magic spell he has on the ACC refs must have cloaked that one from them. And my hate for them continues….I may have issues there…anyone know a good counselor?
From Trevor: “Hello, my name is Oil Can Boyd.”
“Can I have some of your oil for the Prius?”
From Other John: I don’t have a good feeling about tonight’s VT-Miami game.
From NewUVAFan: Bonus Trivia Question: What did the five fingers say to the face? A-Mac will appreciate that one.
-Oh, I do. I believe the answer is…”SMACK!”
NAME THAT TUNE
-Chad asked for it. Here’s a hard one:
Can’t stand, can’t stand, can’t stand the pop music
Brother, brother, brothers pop a lot of pow
Don’t watch, don’t watch, don’t watch a lot of basketball
Don’t und, don’t understand the act of being fouled…
AM I had to look the song up today. I know the artist well but I don’t think I’ve heard that one. I’ll be shocked if anyone gets this one. I’ll be at the game tomorrow with my Son. We’re heading down tonight just in case the weather is bad in the morning.
As for the VT game last night. Miami tried to let them back in but Tech couldn’t get it done. At one point in the first half Miami was up by 12 and they couldn’t buy a bucket but Tech kept turning it over without even getting a shot off. I’m not an expert but I’m pretty sure you can’t win a basketball game if you don’t shoot the ball.
On a side note I didn’t realize Miami’s Larkin is Barry’s son. He’s a pretty good athlete. Wonder if he could have been as good a baseball player as his dad?
Comment by Original Greg — February 10, 2012 @ 7:35 am
I think VT needs to look at Murray State as a possibility for another coaching opportunity.
Greenberg appears clueless. Is there anybody out there who feels he is worth $1.2M a year?
Comment by Bob H — February 10, 2012 @ 7:51 am
No clue on the song…must be a really hard one.
My feelings on last night’s game were correct, unfortunately. I wasn’t watching though, I was out with my wife having a great time on the town.
So Peyton can’t throw left? Well, that shouldn’t be a problem for him if he gets signed by the ‘Skins…he just needs to face the sideline if he wants to throw to the left side of the field…kind of the way a bad golfer aims about 45 degrees left to compensate for a bad slice. Besides, DC is a political town…can’t expect a big-name power player inside the Beltway to play to the left and the right, now can we??
Comment by Other John — February 10, 2012 @ 8:22 am
Hate to tell you this Coach Greenberg but Ace Custis isn’t walking through those doors. Maybe you should take your Prius around the block to help clear your mind!
Comment by NewUVAFan — February 10, 2012 @ 8:26 am
OJ, Grossman can’t throw to the left, right, forward, or backwards. He can throw it to the other team very accurately though.
Comment by NewUVAFan — February 10, 2012 @ 8:28 am
Bob H, nope. Will there be a change at any time before SG’s contract is up? Probably not, unless he takes a ‘better’ job…which given how his teams have played, ain’t bloody likely.
NUF…yeah, I’m thinking SG needs to get in his Prius…on his way out of the ‘Burg. The experiment has run its course, I’m not impressed.
Comment by Other John — February 10, 2012 @ 8:37 am
Apparently Payton, like Seinfeld, can’t go left.
Last night’s Tech game was sad and unremarkable. The most memorable thing was Mike Patrick’s repeateed confussion of Davial (#14) and Raines (#4). Apparently, he’s see a 4 and just guess which poor shooting, turnover committing, foul machine Tech had in the game.
With just over 6:00 left Tech was only down 5. They proceeded to score 7 more points for the rest of the game. For all the defensive intensity I saw at times, the offense was just out to lunch. Some of the guys just didn’t show up last night. It wasn’t until he got called for a foul in the second half that I even noticed the Jerrel Eddie was even in the game. They played like a team for about 7 minutes of a 40 minute game. One play is typical of the me first, team second approach: Tech has numbers on fast break and rather than pass to a wide open Hudson, Brown goes right into the chest of the defender who clearly had position. Charge-no basket. Brown may prove to be a good player, but he’s got to learn to be a team player.
Comment by HokieAl — February 10, 2012 @ 8:47 am
Really hope that`s not a picture of Maurice up there. Could be playing the part, I guess. Best part of watching that game was the Vermont Teddy Bear commercials. Would like to come back as one of them in my next life. Last night our offense consisted of throwing ball around until somebody could jack up a 3 and 17 turnovers. Also, add in Davila and Ced getting their shots blocked. Against my better judgement, I turned on the after game radio show. Long distance shot of the day was a 325 pounder hitting a 3. Last thing I heard was The Voice saying we`ll be right back with report of the
Liberty Charleston Southern game. Click. If we lose to to BC, forget a player the guest should be a chaplain.
Comment by Ralph — February 10, 2012 @ 8:49 am
Virginia Tech sports starts and ends with the football team.
The basketball teams are a JOKE,and a really bad JOKE. The programs are not in the same universe as the good programs in college basketball.
Jim Weaver is to blame for most of the problems with Virginia Tech basketball. His choices of coaches for the teams has been terrible, and the selections required little or no effort on his part.
Basketball is not followed by me except to notice the scores of the games, but the scores say it all with the teams. It is a sad situation with basketball at Virginia Tech, and there is no indication that it will get better.
It is a good thing that the ACC can not kick out a school that is not competitive in all sports in the conference. The ACC can not do that, can it? Tech fans sure nope not.
Maybe things will improve, but until then the football team will remain the only real program of any significance at Virginia Tech.
Let’s go Hokies !!!
Comment by Frank — February 10, 2012 @ 8:55 am
Last nights game with Miami ended as was expected. Green is and will be the only player VT has this year. The rest of the players seem to have no intrest in playing an entire game. Greenberg needs to take a good look in the mirror. His ability to coach these kids has failed. It’s time for Greenberg to see what other profession’s out there he can do.
Comment by proof reader — February 10, 2012 @ 9:04 am
Crappola!
Comment by Mike — February 10, 2012 @ 9:07 am
Aaron, how did Oak Hill come about the technical? Dunking in pregame warmups? Otherwise, it’d be pretty cheesy of Smith to get one in a game like that.
Nope, you didn’t miss anything in missing the Tech game. They took their usual siesta during the first half, fell behind, and had to play catch up (or perhaps ketchup) the rest of the way.
I was shocked last night with Andy Katz talking about Murray State not making the tournament, unless they now win their tournament. That’s absurd. I can see if they lose another game, or two, but geez, the system is broken if they lose just one more, in their tournament and do not make the field.
Comment by Rick H. — February 10, 2012 @ 9:23 am
Rick — Smith got one late arguing a goaltending call that went against one of his post guys. Yeah, I didn’t really get the outrage either in a game like that.
Comment by Aaron McFarling — February 10, 2012 @ 9:32 am
One more thing about last night`s game. Miami had won four straight and was coming off the biggest win in school history and the stands looked to be more then half empty. Almost like a Justin Beiber concert in Nashvlle.
Comment by Ralph — February 10, 2012 @ 9:44 am
Is tech’s BB team’s problem the coach or a lack of talent when you compare them to the ACC’s elite? When both of your supposedly best shooters (Green, Hudson) are throwing up air balls from behind the arc in any given game it sure makes me wonder. In the Duke game the other night, I found myself holding my breath when Duke took a three pointer knowing it was probably going in. And on the other side, found myself praying Tech wouldn’t throw up another brick or air ball from 3, and these were open shots too. The gap between the talent level for Tech and other ACC schools is pretty wide in my view. Seen a couple of those air balls last night and some bricks too, meanwhile if you left the Larkin kid open for three it was going in, same for his fellow guards.I just think the program could use some REAL blue chip talent, and I don’t know if Seth can get that done.
Comment by Huntersdad — February 10, 2012 @ 10:08 am
I hate the way that names of folks who commit crimes are attached to anything that will help draw attention to the story.
Why attach Virginia Tech or Bassett High School to the story about Maurice DeShazo? VT didn’t cause DeShazo to be involved with a prostitute. Bassett High School didn’t cause DeShazo to be involved with a prostitute.
Why not say “Former Car Salesman Maurice DeShazo was accused of…” At least that’s more current than attaching him to VT or Bassett.
If a person who gets him/herself in trouble is currently at a school (or a business, or on a team, etc) then sure, those details are relevant to the story. But to attach schools that were part of DeShazo’s past 15 or 20 years ago? That’s just reaching to attract readers and give negative publicity to schools that don’t deserve that.
Comment by hokie24 — February 10, 2012 @ 10:16 am
The simple answer is that he’s relevant to people who saw him play football at Virginia Tech. It’s not just arrests, of course; it’s obituaries, achievements in life, etc., i.e. “Former Virginia Tech kicker Shayne Graham was signed by…” Graham hasn’t played at Tech for more than a decade, but it’s relevant. Nobody around here cares if a kicker from Missouri inks with an NFL team, just like nobody cares if a former car salesman gets caught up in a sting.
Well, I shouldn’t say nobody, but you get the idea.
Comment by Aaron McFarling — February 10, 2012 @ 10:23 am
Ralph, look at that “more than half empty” from this perspective – the place only holds 8,000, so it really was a small crowd. That isn’t a half empty Dean Dome.
Huntersdad, the talent level at Tech is at all-time highs. Tech has rarely recruited . . . well, they’ve recruited, just not landed, top 100-125 players. If you put any stock in those things, this is the most talented team Tech has probably ever had. You add in JT Thompson and Chaney, if they could play, and it’d be off the charts compared to any other team.
Greenberg has recruited better than anybody at Tech since an assistant Charlie Moir had named Tom Abatamarco (I think that’s how you spell it), he’s the guy that got Dell Curry and nearly pulled in Chris Washburn (well, he did, but he’d left Tech for NCSU and pulled him in there – thank God).
That said, I don’t think it is a talent gap. I think this team is frustrated and young, trying to hard at times to make something out of nothing, and I also think Hudson has mailed it in, so there isn’t the mature team leadership that it needs to have. Personally, I think he needs to start playing next year’s team and sit Hudson, and sadly, Davila, despite how well he has played this year.
If anything, Seth’s just unlucky. He lost Hudson for a year, JT for two, Chaney for forever, who knows what having Gene Swindle available for his size could have brought to the mix, after all, you can’t coach them to be 7 feet tall, even if just a 8 minute/game role player.
The guy can coach. He can certainly win big games. If people say he can’t coach, given the wins he has against top ranked, and highly ranked teams, what does that say about Frank Beamer?
Just my two cents on it.
Comment by Rick H. — February 10, 2012 @ 10:26 am
When one has to compete against Duke and UNC for recruits, it’s hard to get blue chip talent. It’s been discussed before. Tech gets guys that become good players but they need a year or two to get there. Rat Face and Roy get high school all-Americans in every recruiting class. This year’s Tech team is struggling mainly due to a lack of experience. This time last year, Green and Davila were the only guys playing college ball. This year reminds of a few years ago when Tech seemed to lose a bunch of games by 3-4 points. It was agonizing to watch. Don’t forget, Deron Washington, for all he did as an upperclassman, looked like a total spazz his freshamn year. Next year should be much better. If it’s not then Seth’s done.
Here’s another thought from last night. Tech B’ball hasn’t been the same since Ryan Odom left as an assistant. I’m just sayin’.
Comment by HokieAl — February 10, 2012 @ 10:28 am
hokie24, I tend to agree with you. I don’t like seeing the association with the past, like Maurice’s issue, or other things. I cringe every day I pull up ANY internet news site right now for our UVA friends, and how this Huguely murder trial is handled.
Here is a great example of the media overstepping the bounds. Right here on the RT home page, it is referred to as (in the link) “Romantic rival testifies in UVA murder trial.” UVA didn’t murder anybody, UVA is not on trial, George Huguely V is on trial.
It shouldn’t be a reflection of the fine university it is (geez, I can’t believe I just typed that!), what this moron allegedly did, but every time this story is mentioned, UVA probably gets mentioned more than the perpetrator’s name does.
Comment by Rick H. — February 10, 2012 @ 10:37 am
Yeah, I know what you’re saying Aaron, I just don’t like it. I don’t like the negative attachment to the schools that had nothing to do with the crime that was committed or accused. I’m all for exposing criminals, I’m not looking to protect or hide any individuals who get themselves in trouble. I just don’t like the attachment to places that didn’t participate in the criminal activity that a person gets accused of.
Comment by hokie24 — February 10, 2012 @ 10:38 am
I have a hard time simply excusing all of VT’s basketball woes away with the comment “Seth’s unlucky” like someone did above. His grating personality and coaching style has driven several young players to transfer away from VT over the past few years. Those players would have been the junior/senior contributors on this year’s team if they had stayed in Blacksburg.
Comment by RP — February 10, 2012 @ 10:48 am
100% agree Rick. That whole murder case has a blue and orange tint over it, and that shouldn’t be the case.
For example, if you walked up to the next person that you saw and said, “That’s a shame what George Hugeley did to his girlfriend, isn’t it?”… you’d probably just get an empty stare. But if you said, “That’s a shame what that UVA lacrosse player did to his girlfriend, isn’t it?”… the person would probably know exactly what you’re talking about. To me, this is awful. UVA gets their name dragged through the mud, while the name George Hugeley won’t receive nearly the negative attachment in casual conversation.
Comment by hokie24 — February 10, 2012 @ 10:49 am
Speaking of the Huguely/Love murder case, the defense attorneys should be ashamed of themselves! Just blindly saying that Love didn’t really die from being beaten to death, but instead she died from heart problems caused by drinking and taking adderall. And on top of that, to say that the blood on her brainstem was caused from aggressive attempts to save this girl? Come on now… do they have anything to support this ridiculousness? It sounds to me like someone who’s just used to throwing some money and a lame excuse at their problems and making them go away.
Comment by hokie24 — February 10, 2012 @ 10:54 am
Hmm…Rick, I guess what I’m saying is that the media are equal-opportunity attachers, for good and bad. Say Marty Smith wins some big broadcasting award. You think the story in our paper would say “ESPN’s Marty Smith won a big award”? No, it would say: “Giles County native and ESPN NASCAR analyst Marty Smith…” I always mention Virginia Tech and Floyd County when I write about Darian Grubb. Jeff King is never just an NFL tight end. He’s ex-Cougar, ex-Hokie, etc.
Whether it’s happy news or disturbing news, the more local attachments you can make, you make. I really think DeShazo’s a no-brainer. I mean, he was a prominent Tech player staffing a prominent position, not just some third-stringer nobody knew played there. Are you suggesting we don’t mention his Virginia Tech attachment at all, or just keep it out of the headline? And should we have omitted the VT connection if the story had been, say, DeShazo rescuing six orphans from a burning building instead of an arrest?
Comment by Aaron McFarling — February 10, 2012 @ 10:57 am
For me Aaron, Rick’s example was a great example of why it bothers me to see the extra attachments. The Huguely/Love murder case has quickly become known as the UVA murder case. It shouldn’t be that way. UVA didn’t get murdered. UVA didn’t commit any murders.
Leaving things like that out of a headline would be a good thing, in my opinion.
Comment by hokie24 — February 10, 2012 @ 11:08 am
Isn’t it part of coaching to land recruits?
Does anybody realize that Frank Beamer won the ONLY Sugar Bowl in VT history mostly with players nobody else even wanted? How heavily was Jim Druckenmiller recruited and how great a player was he in the pros? Whatever happened to coaching the players you HAVE?
The problem with Seth Greenberg is simple. And Bobby Knight pointed it out. Bobby Knight wanted his players to play SMART. Greenberg wants his players to play TOUGH. Listen to him interview after a game. To him it is all about TOUGHNESS.
Maybe he recruited his “tough” players but forgot something important-TOUGH don’t put the ball in the hole.
BTW, he landed Marquis Cooke who was POY in Virginia and did NOTHING with him. I guess that was more “bad luck”?
Comment by Bob H — February 10, 2012 @ 11:17 am
Concerning the VT basketball game, it was another embarrassment for the program and VT. After nine years, I cannot believe we pay SG over a million dollars to coach our team. Maybe we cannot get a better coach, but at least we should pay him what he is worth and that would be less than half of what he makes now. Plus, we need to recruit basketball players, not athletes that can jump over the backboard but cannot shoot and hit the broad side of a barn with a basketball.
Comment by other Tony — February 10, 2012 @ 11:18 am
Then don’t attach anything at all to any individual…for example AMc and the RT is quick to add “former Hokie Johnson Wagner is in 38th place after the 1st round of the Cherrios Invitational”, or “former Hokie Queen Harrison finishes 8th in the 110m hurdles in Istanbul relays” or “former hokie John Smith ate a whopper at Burger King today”. So why shouldn’t they mention at Maurice DeShazo was a former hokie when he was caught running ho’s on the coast…I’m actually surprised that they had the story…however, you can’t have it both ways, you have to take the good with the bad…just like when “former hokie Michael Vick convicted of torchering and killing dogs and running a dog fighting ring”…you just can’t have it both ways…
Comment by Stack Maroon — February 10, 2012 @ 11:18 am
I know it’s a double standard, but slather on the attachments when it’s related to good news for any school. That doesn’t create a negative for anyone or any school that may not have been directly involved in the good news.
Comment by hokie24 — February 10, 2012 @ 11:20 am
Aaron, 3rd stringers are people too, just because they may not get the limelight or the playing time as other, they have worked just as hard and sometimes harder. So for good or bad, if they were a hokie or a cavalier or a Tarheel or part of the National Champions Crimson Tide, they too deserve that recognition…if anyone should realize that, it should be you…
Comment by Stack Maroon — February 10, 2012 @ 11:34 am
Aaron, you make some valid points, I see your position.
There is a need to inject the local flavor when it serves to say why the story is being run. But a lot of times, something meaningless gets covered because of some local association.
One thing that I totally disagree with – the DeShazo situation – that simply isn’t newsworthy. How many guys have been busted trying to hook up with a hooker or have some weed and they DIDN’T get their name in the paper? The number is enormous! It’s HUUUUUGE.
I know we cover some odd ball stuff on here, because we are . . . . well, all odd balls ourselves, but the only reason that story hit the papers at all (where it happened, and became a wire report) – was BECAUSE he played Tech football, but that was 20 years ago. (I really feel old right now) Does whatever paper that originated that story run an article on every similar bust? No. Were the other 14 John’s listed? No. That’s my point. (Oh, geez, I hope our Other John wasn’t one of them!?)
But, I really feel strongly about the whole UVA thing, though. The school is getting attached to that situation in a way it shouldn’t. Why not drag the name of whatever country club the Huguely’s belong to (because you know they do) into with UVA? Same difference.
Comment by Rick H. — February 10, 2012 @ 11:46 am
Stack: The five factors of newsworthiness all us journalism geeks are taught in school are: timing, significance, proximity, prominence and human interest. I’m not saying you don’t mention the third-stringer’s attachment; I’m just saying the prominence factor makes it essential that you do in DeShazo’s case.
Comment by Aaron McFarling — February 10, 2012 @ 11:48 am
Rick — Your third paragraph is your best argument, IMO. Here, you’re arguing that it isn’t news at all. That’s a debate that goes on in every newsroom in the country every day, and rarely does everyone agree. Heck, I make that judgment every morning when I put this thing together (although everybody here knows we include plenty of stuff that doesn’t meet any of the news criteria.)
That argument — “This DeShazo thing isn’t news, Aaron” — makes more sense to me than, “OK, tell us what happened, but keep the Hokies out of this.” We’d still disagree, but it makes more sense.
Comment by Aaron McFarling — February 10, 2012 @ 11:59 am
Bob H, the Marquis Cooke situation is a very different one.
Yes, he was perceived to be a marquee player, an important recruit, but it was WELL KNOWN (among college coaches) he was an attitude problem and a head case.
The ONLY reason Tech got him was because nobody else wanted him. Greenberg simply took a gamble on him because he was willing to do so. So what? It didn’t pan out. He really didn’t have much choice. He had to take some early risks. As bad as you think Tech basketball is now – you obviously weren’t around for those days, or paying any attention to them – were you?
Comment by Rick H. — February 10, 2012 @ 12:06 pm
Rick H., agree with your point that a half empty Dean Dome probably holds more people then a sold out Shapiro Center or whatever Miami calls that place. Under the circumstances, just surprised there weren`t more people there. Is Huguley`s defense team trying to say that Love would have died of a heart attack that night regardless of what Huguley did. Are they also defending Sandusky and arguing that all old John was doing was trying to show those boys how to apply soap. Hello. Those O.J. moments only come around as often as Halley`s Comet, thank goodness.
Comment by Ralph — February 10, 2012 @ 12:09 pm
Geez, Aaron, we can’t even agree on which point is my best point.
I thought my Huguely country club comment was off the hook!
Comment by Rick H. — February 10, 2012 @ 12:11 pm
I’ve known Maurice for years, worked with him, and love him to death but this is one of those moments I just want to walk up behind him and lightly smack him across the back of his head for being dumb. I can’t imagine the earful he’s getting from his wife right about now.
Oh, and he’s not a former car salesman. Last I knew he worked at an independent dealership in the Tidewater area.
Comment by Donald — February 10, 2012 @ 12:14 pm
Donald — Come on, man, I’m expecting you to produce the phone records that show he’s still a car salesman. You’ve set a high research standard that none of us can match (although Andy’s sure trying over there on that Tech blog. Holy smokes that man’s cranking.)
Comment by Aaron McFarling — February 10, 2012 @ 12:20 pm
Eh. It’s not really news, Aaron. The arrest happened on February 3rd and is a misdemeanor offense. This without even getting into the debate over whether prostitution should be a crime.
Comment by Donald — February 10, 2012 @ 12:21 pm
Nah Rick, I’m free of that entanglement. Now if someone wanted to arrest me for crappy bowling, then I’d have to plead guilty to that charge…thank goodness for handicaps!
I’d have to say the only modest issue I have with reporting on people who get arrested or charged with a crime is that in many instances, the charges are later dropped because either they couldn’t put together a case, or there was no reason for them in the first place. When that happens, it’s impossible to undo the media articles, and often the person finds their life wrecked. I remember a very well-piblicized sting operation in Johnson City a few years back. Some unsuspecting business guy got snagged in it, and his mugshot slapped on the front page of the news. His life fell apart, and he killed himself as a result…and he had nothing to do with the reason why there was the sting at all. I’d rather prefer the reporting to wait until after a conviction or settlement…but there’s not likely a chance of that changing.
Comment by Other John — February 10, 2012 @ 12:34 pm
Hehehe. I won’t do that to “Jesse”, Aaron. I will tell you his birthday, though. February 29.
Comment by Donald — February 10, 2012 @ 12:39 pm
Just saw that NC State has 3 incoming recruits on the McDonalds All-American list. Go Pack! And look out ACC…
Comment by Other John — February 10, 2012 @ 1:14 pm
Another great thing about that Galax vs Oak Hill game. All the extra money that the GHS athletic department was able to bring in by playing that game. Anybody who thinks that doesn’t matter is crazy. Every little bit helps, especially at small schools.
Comment by Joe — February 10, 2012 @ 1:23 pm
Rick H, I thought your country club comment was the best point you made too! That’s my thoughts exactly!
Other John makes a great observation too about the undoable damage that media can cause by reporting something before it’s certain, or making attachments that shouldn’t be related.
Comment by hokie24 — February 10, 2012 @ 1:30 pm
Another example… look at the Breaking News headline at the top of the page.
“Jurors in UVa lacrosse trial watch police interview with Huguely”
I didn’t realize that the UVA lacrosse program was on trial. These are the types of headlines that irk me.
Aaron, you’re absolutely right that local connections help to choose what’s news worthy in your area… but headlines like this are not serving that purpose any longer of adding a local connection, especially when the opening line of the article already covers the local association with, “A former University of Virginia lacrosse player…”
Again, mostly for Stack, it’s not that the crimes that folks commit shouldn’t be reported. I just don’t see any reason to drag every possible connection to a criminal through the mud when those connections are 100% unrelated to the crime.
And Stack, why can’t we “have it both ways?” Who said? Who made that a rule? Who ever complained about having a connection to a feel-good story attached to them? It just feels sometimes that media will make every attempt possible to attach negative news to as many connections as possible, but it doesn’t appear to me that the same effort to find connections is made on good-news stories. That’s just my observation, I could be wrong.
Comment by hokie24 — February 10, 2012 @ 1:42 pm
De La Soul – an excellent selection, Mr. Mcfarling.
Comment by Brush Mountain — February 10, 2012 @ 2:06 pm
Rick H,
It is ok to be bad when you are paying the coach $150K a ywear (as we were in Stokes case). It is another thing to be bad at $1.2M a year.
We are not competitive in an ACC that is not competitive.
Joining the ACC should have opened the doors for better recruits making Greenberg’s job easier. The SG supporters point out that he has finished in the upper % of the ACC some without mentioning how the quality of ball being played in the ACC has dropped over that same span.
There are numerous circumstances where the right coach has turned a troubled kid with talent into productive player. Ever heard of John Thompson and Iverson? You can create talent that isn’t there but you sure as heck can coach it, can’t you?
Does anyone here think that after 4 years under Greenberg, Jeff Allen became a better, more disciplined player?
There is a reason SG doesn’t get the players, it is called not winning enough. And not going to the dance. And not even making it to the semifinals of the NIT despite having home court advantage to do so.
The ceiling has been hit with Greenberg, and well before he was given big $ extensions for producing little on the floor.
Comment by Bob H — February 10, 2012 @ 2:09 pm
Brush Mountain to the rescue! Got the title for me?
Comment by Aaron McFarling — February 10, 2012 @ 2:18 pm
Bob H, you said, “There is a reason SG doesn’t get the players, it is called not winning enough. And not going to the dance. And not even making it to the semifinals of the NIT despite having home court advantage to do so.”
I’m torn on this statement, I agree and I disagree, and here’s why. I agree with the first part, in my opinion, SG does not get the correct type of players to play the type of basketball that he says he wants to coach. I don’t know why, but I would classify it as a shortcoming that’s his own fault for recruiting the wrong “type” of player. I think that SG gets plenty of great individual players. I’m not sure how many great team players, or great organized players that he gets. To play the type of ball that he appears to want to coach, he is recruiting the wrong types of players. That’s his own fault.
I do not agree that the reason that SG doesn’t get the players is because of a lack of winning, or lack of making the dance. The 20+ win seasons have been there. The finishes of 3rd or 4th in the ACC have been there. The plain truth is that for whatever reason, SG has been screwed out of making the dance on more than one occasion in recent seasons. Especially the year that the Hokies finished 3rd (I think that’s right, it was either 3rd or 4th) in the ACC, and the NCAA selection committee took the ACC’s #1,2,4,5,6,and 7 teams into the tournament, and skipped VT. There’s no real explanation for that. The wins were there, the upper finish in the ACC was there. I don’t know who he rubbed the wrong way, but the truth is that something outside of his wins and losses are keeping him out of the dance. That’s plain to see.
So I agree that the blame is on SG for the lack of recruiting success… but not because of a lack of wins and losses.
Comment by hokie24 — February 10, 2012 @ 2:32 pm
Time for Tech to wrap it up, put a bow on it and mail it in. I could go to any playground and see a similar game. The only whinning Seth can do this year is to try to justify being included in the ACC tournament. Looking for a new coach, try Shaka Smart at VCU. Larranga seems to be doing well at Miami. CAA has several good coaches.
As for Deshazo, he happened to be dumb (or desperate) enough to get caught in a high profile sting targeting internet prostitution. It was designed to be press worthy and caught besides DeShazo, a doctor, 3 soldiers and other citizens.
Comment by Tom L — February 10, 2012 @ 2:32 pm
@ Aaron – Pease Porridge FTW
Comment by Brush Mountain — February 10, 2012 @ 2:39 pm
Nice, Brush! Almost went with “Millie Pulled a Pistol on Santa” but changed my mind at the last second. Pease Porridge it is.
Comment by Aaron McFarling — February 10, 2012 @ 2:59 pm
Hokie 24,
Do you realize what you said: “So I agree that the blame is on SG for the lack of recruiting success… but not because of a lack of wins and losses.”
The coach is not responsible for the W’s and L’s?
For Frank Beamer, for the most part, the better players cam AFTER the success of the program. Has the VT football team feated on the ACC because the team is so great? NO! It has feasted on the ACC because the rest of the ACC is so poor.
And ACC basketball is watered down from the version we all grew up with. Google ACC/B10 challenge. Look at UVA this year. It isn’t hard to make a splash in this conference with the present talent level.
There is no way SG gets VT to the next level in MBB. He is not the man for that task.
Comment by Bob H — February 10, 2012 @ 3:35 pm
I realize exactly what I said. I also realize that you missed my point entirely.
You said that the reason that SG has not gotten the good recruits has been because of a lack of wins and losses.
I said that the reason that SG has not gotten the good recruits is because he’s making the choice to recruit the wrong types of players for the way that he wants to coach.
To summarize, we both said that SG hasn’t had success recruiting, we just had different reasons why.
I never said anything about a coach isn’t responsible for wins and losses. What I said is that a lack of wins can’t be the problem, because SG has had 20+ win seasons, and has had top-4 finishes in the ACC, which is more than anyone ever honestly expected when he was hired.
Comment by hokie24 — February 10, 2012 @ 4:29 pm
I can see where you may be confused with what I’m saying BobH. I can see how it could be read wrong. Let me rephrase it.
A lack of wins or NCAA appearances is not why SG does not recruit well. If SG went 35-0, I don’t think that he would recruit any differently than he does now. I think he consciously makes the choice to recruit the wrong types of players for his own system, which is entirely his own fault.
Comment by hokie24 — February 10, 2012 @ 4:35 pm
For those desiring a replacement for Greenberg and his $1.2 mil salary (not certain that’s accurate), be aware that many ‘mid major’ schools pay equal salaries to that. If I’m not mistaken, Greenberg is somewhere around 8th or lower in salaries of ACC coaches. Lots of non-BCS football schools pay that much. Didn’t Shaka Smart get a contract for at least $1 mil annually last spring?
The argument about Greenberg’s performance is a long one, and the argument about finding a capable replacement is an even longer one. It’s not the slam dunk that some folks think.
Comment by crooked road — February 10, 2012 @ 5:21 pm
Hi guys. Remember me?
I have been having trouble trying to get on the blog through the Blackberry and the stupid “time out error” I constantly get.
I thought I would add my 2-cents about the debate of newsworthy articles.
I see valid points made by H24, Aaron, and Rick H. I think, in a perfect world, the news would wait until it had all the facts in, waited until the trial had proceeded and made the news. Unfortunately, the 24/7/365 instant news being made courtesy of the Internet has forced how the newspaper does business. Today’s news is old news by the moment the ink dries on the paper. Twitter, IMO, has basically destroyed the integrity of journalism. Exhibit A – the premature announcement by a student newspaper at Penn State announced the passing of JoePa hours before he actually passed away. Some journalists ripped into the student newspaper for failing to do a follow up and making absolutely certain the information was factually correct.
Unfortunately, I have to agree with Aaron, I would have never known who DeShazo (sp?) was if they didn’t say he was a former Hokies’ quarterback, by the way I have never heard of him either. The moment I heard the news, I cringed because I knew it would be fodder for certain rabid UVA fans. Likewise the lacrosse’s player murder trial for the rabid Hokies’ fans.
I see what Rick H and H24 are saying about how it negativity cast both fine institutions. However, I would argue to say it happens to every universities and colleges.
Comment by Trevor — February 10, 2012 @ 6:40 pm
Why is everyone hating on Coach Greenberg? The Hokies are not going to get 5 star recruits to Blacksburg. The Hokies do a good job with what they have, its hard to play against the UNC’s and Duke’s of the world that get 5 star players every year. People got to realize that Tech is playing with alot of youth this year. Give it time and let stability stay with the Basketball team, Keep Greenberg!
Comment by TJ Johnson — February 11, 2012 @ 10:26 am