Jack’s Blog

Because I retired in June (I still can’t believe it) and my wife will be retiring at the end of the year, we were discussing retirement plans when the topic of speaking to experts in different fields came up.  I mentioned we need to be careful because many of these people charge (a lot) by the hour, so we’d better watch the length of the conversations we have.  In case you don’t know me, that advice should have been directed at me by me since I tend to be on the chatty side.

That reminded me of a story (that seems to happen quite often) from 1981.  I was an assistant basketball coach at Tennessee.  We had just lost a close game in the Sweet Sixteen to a Virginia team led by the national player-of-the-year 7′4″ Ralph Sampson.  Our game plan worked as we’d hoped on Sampson.  He had only six points but they had another guy come through with a career night and they beat us.  Making it all the more painful, the game following ours was the one in which Danny Ainge went coast-to-coast against Notre Dame and beat them by one on a layup at the buzzer, meaning that, had we won, we would have played BYU, the winner to go to the Final Four (every coach’s and player’s dream).  Earlier in the season, we had beaten BYU by 18 in the finals of our Christmas tournament.

About three weeks later we were hosting one of the best players in the country on a recruiting trip.  A couple days earlier, I had some kind of medical problem.  I can’t remember the details but after explaining (complaining) my problem to a friend about this incessant itching, he suggested I go to a doctor he’d seen.  I made a call Friday morning to see if I could get in to see the doctor - that day.  Friday was also the first day of the prospect’s 48 hour official NCAA campus visit.

When they show Tennessee football games on TV and you see all that orange and those 108,000 people (even if the team’s losing), that’s not just a Saturday attitude.  Those people love their Big Orange, so understand that in Knoxville, if you’re a coach (especially of a high-profile sport), and you call a doctor’s office and give your name, you get in.  That day.  At whatever time’s convenient for you.

I thought about it and knew the recruit would be with the players at lunch so I asked for a 1:00 appointment (lunch was 12:30-2:00).  After spending a few minutes in a (packed) waiting room, I was called in.  The doctor entered, we shook hands and he asked about the problem.  He looked at my scalp and immediately diagnosed the problem as psoriasis.  He said he’d write a prescription.  It was maybe a two-minute conversation.

Then he said how tough a loss that Virginia game was (as if I’d forgotten).  He couldn’t believe that we could hold Sampson to only six and asked me about it.  I explained that, although he was tall, Sampson didn’t like contact so our 6′7″ center, a burly chested guy named Howard Wood beat him to the block, then bang him off of it by holding his arms up (so as not to get called for a foul) and “chesting” him to about 12′ away from the basket.  I even illustrated for him, me being Howard and the doc (who happened to be about six inches taller than I was) acting as big Ralph.  He marveled at the strategy and said if only fans knew all that went into preparing for a game.  After a couple more hoops queries, he left.  I walked out, got my Rx and met back up with our players and the recruit.

About a week later, I received a bill for about $90.  At the time, I was single, as in marital status and minded (only basketball knowledge up there).  I had no idea how insurance worked - which company I was with, whether the doctor I saw was in or out of network, etc.  I tell my wife now that if it wasn’t for her knowledge of “insurance stuff”, I’d have gone broke paying every bill I’d get.  She worked for Blue Cross long ago and thoroughly understands everything about EOBs and all that “insurance stuff.”  In 1981, I was making, believe it or not, $22,000 (the coaches there now are in a higher bracket and not doing nearly as well).  I called the doctor’s office to inquire about the rather high cost when I was only there for about 15 minutes.  The receptionist told me to put my complaint in writing which I did.

Shortly thereafter, I received a letter from the doctor, explaining it wasn’t simply about the length of the visit but that I was also paying for his expertise, including all the years he spent in medical school.  I shot off a reply, saying that, of the 15 minutes I was in his office, between 12-13 of them were spent talking about the UVA Sweet Sixteen game - and my expertise.  I’d spent 11 years in the field of coaching.  That response was followed by a brief note which said I needed to better understand how the medical field worked but for this visit, we’d consider it even.  A P.S. was added, saying I should never visit his office again.

There are two quotes that apply here:

“Stand by your principles” is one.  “Once you enter the working world, take the time to learn how it works” is the other.

In Thursday’s sports section there was a brief story about two programs with great football tradition.  Boise State and BYU signed an agreement to play each other for 12 consecutive years, starting last night.  For the better part of my 30 years in the collegiate game I was in the business of scheduling, my area being basketball.  Obviously, there are major differences between the two sports.  However, since they are, more or less, the only two revenue producers, there are quite a few similarities.

The best deal in the scheduling of games, as in any other business transaction, is a win-win.  This set up seems to be much more advantageous to the Cougars who have decided, due to their personal television deal, to make a go of it as an independent.  First of all, there are only a handful of independent institutions, most of them waiting for an invitation to join a conference.  BYU just left a conference.  To my knowledge, there is only one independent that is both happy and successful in its one-team league: Notre Dame.  The Fighting Irish also have their own TV deal, as do the Cougars.  Notre Dame currently receives $15 million from NBC.  I’m not privy to the BYU numbers but suffice to say, it’s considerably less than ND’s.

So why would Boise State, who, by virtue of their invitation to join the Big East (finally ensuring it a legit chance at the mega money TV and the BCS have been enjoying), enter into a 12-year deal with a non-BCS member?  Are the remaining Big East teams so bad the Broncos need to get a power non-conference game on their schedule?  And does BYU qualify?  Chris Petersen, Boise’s brilliant head man, doesn’t think so.  Make no mistake about it, brilliant describes his football knowledge and his scheduling acumen.

This deal had to be a power play by upper administration.  BYU wins the “why?” in nearly every category.  Being an independent, they have to schedule every game, every year.  Boise State has most of its schedule mandated by the conference.  Unless more than six of the games are to be played at Boise - or unless fewer than six are to be held in Provo, e.g. neutral site games like Denver, the home-and-home financial deals will be a wash.  “You give us (a lot of) money when we visit your place; we return it when you come here.”

Sure, the Big East could lose its BCS status.  Regarding that idea - don’t ever bet against the good ol’ boy network.  Plus, if the Big East ever did dissolve, having BYU on the schedule isn’t that soothing a thought for BSU.  Possibly BYU will be a bigger draw than some other university, but if Boise is having one of its typical years - except, now, a national championship is a real possibilty - the Idaho School of Art & Dance would fill the joint.  And if they’re not in the hunt, I’m not sure Boise-ans will show up in droves for the Cougars any more than they would for anybody else.

Maybe the powers-that-be were trying to hook up two high-octane schools for a dozen years, each of whom have been known to absolutely light up the scoreboard.  Well, how did Year One turn out?  Boise won without scoring an offensive touchdown.  Even though one offensive possession would have needed only a one-yard drive!  Shortly after the Broncos only score, a 36-yard pick-6 by nose tackle Mike Atkinson - yeah, nose tackle - Boise State downed a punt on the BYU one yard line.  At home, leading 7-0, the Broncs needed ONE STINKIN’ YARD to ice the game (BYU’s offense was nothing if not philanthropic with five turnovers).  In four tries the ball remained stuck one the one.  Why no field goal attempt - which also would have iced it - after three non-scoring plays?  Don’t ask the opposing staff who eschewed place kickers all night - including after the Cougs’ lone score with 3:37 to go to tie the fray.  Coaches know their personnel better than anyone, so on that count, give these guys a pass.  Petersen has earned the respect and how can you not love a guy named Bronco?  A guy’s gotta have some large stones to walk into a powerhouse and have the other team’s mascot for his name.

After watching this 7-6 yawner (if football was going to be the evening’s entertainment, the choices were a local high school game, a NY Giants blowout over Carolina and this epic), the fans could have adopted the chant from political conventions:

“Eleven more years, . . . “

Tonight UConn tries to capture the Big East Tournament Championship.  If they accomplish this feat, they will have won five games in five days.  And not just five normal games, but five intense contests that would make normal people, pick the word - ill, crumble, gasp, cry, surrender.  After relatively easy victories in the first two rounds, the Huskies needed a buzzer-beating jumper from their main man, Kemba Walker, to knock off #1 seed Pitt.  Anyone who knows anything about college hoops will tell you how physical any battle against the Panthers is and how the effects of the game are not really felt until the next day.

Of course, for UConn, the next day was last night’s game against rival Syracuse.  As if competing four times in four days wasn’t enough, the Huskies and the ‘Cuse went overtime!  Their opponent tonight, Louisville, will have had to play three games in three days but so as not to take too much of an advantage over its fellow Big East counterpart, they also went OT against Notre Dame last night before pulling the game out.

For Kemba Walker, whom Huskies’ coach Jim Calhoun calls the most important player on any team in the country (either he is really biased - understandable - or he has yet to see BYU’s Jimmer Fredette), that would mean he’d be back on the MSG floor one day after never leaving it.  Maybe to prove his MIP point, or maybe because he simply wanted to win, Calhoun kept his star in the game for every second of the 45-minute tilt.  This could be why Calhoun’s a Hall-of-Fame coach because had he subbed - even once - for Walker, the Huskies might not have won.  So, it would seem Walker actually is that important.

Mentally, experiencing all Walker and his teammates did during the past four days has to be exhausting, but how about physically?  The condition Walker must be in has to push the limits of the human body.  When you think about how it’s possible, the quote by the Muhammad Ali comes to mind.

The G.O.A.T. said:

“I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit.  Suffer now and live the rest of your life as champion.’ “

As if it isn’t hard enough to recruit at BYU, their suspension of power forward Brandon Davies for (at least) the remainder of the season (including the NCAA tournament) made that job particularly difficult - for athletes.  As far as recruiting the type of student they desire on the Provo campus, however, this move ought to reinforce parents of potential BYU students.

From an athletic standpoint, disallowing players to have sex prior to marriage greatly shrinks their recruiting pool.  Considering the seedy practice of “friendly hostesses” on recruiting trips that some (several?) big-time schools are known to promote, Cougar coaches have another recruiting question to answer.

BYU’s mission (no pun intended) is to recruit the type of athletes - and students - who pledge to follow the honor code of the university.  Unlike the academies’ Honor Code, i.e. no cheating (which shouldn’t be debatable) and turn in someone you know who’s cheated (more difficult), the “no sex unless you’re married rule” is one young men and women may feel they can abide by - when they’re deciding on which school to attend - but once they enroll (and age), the promise becomes tougher to keep.  Their parents, unless they possess really short memories, might intervene when decision time occurs.

For many, it is more of a challenge that the military commitment following graduation at one of the academies.  While it’s an admirable stance BYU takes, people ought to be in awe of how well their athletic teams perform.  It’s not that American (or foreign) youth are sex-crazed, but, to my knowledge, the rule is zero tolerance, unlike failing a drug test, which, depending on the campus, might not be punishable (in terms of actual suspension) until the third (or more) offense.

For the readers who think this blog lacks understanding of BYU’s integrity, my questions to you are:

1) “Would YOU have been eligible during your college career?” - and 2) “If every university subscribed to BYU’s philosophy, do you think the NCAA would have had to expand the field to 68 teams - or would they have had to scramble to find 68?”