Uh oh! Coach is in another newspaper story!!!

[bonwich]

At least he's consistent, and surely he's fanatical about basketball. But there's some stuff that might be better kept unaired.

Coach Rick in the Chicago Trib

[Chicago Billiken]

At least he's consistent, and surely he's fanatical about basketball. But there's some stuff that might be better kept unaired.

Coach Rick in the Chicago Trib

I was hoping that myself, Chicago Billiken, could relay that Majerus was in the trib today...just a few minutes too late. I think it is interesting that Liddell is called out again in the article for being late...I hope he gets his head on straight.

On another note, I went to high school, a Jesuit high school, with Neil Milbert's son. Neil is a great guy!

[slufanskip]

I was hoping that myself, Chicago Billiken, could relay that Majerus was in the trib today...just a few minutes too late. I think it is interesting that Liddell is called out again in the article for being late...I hope he gets his head on straight.

On another note, I went to high school, a Jesuit high school, with Neil Milbert's son. Neil is a great guy!

That's ridiculous on TL's part. Did he not get that RM was serious?

[SShoe]

He mentioned that he was on the cusp of getting two more really good players. Anybody have any clue who he's talking about? Nate or pdiddy?

[davidnark]

At least he's consistent, and surely he's fanatical about basketball. But there's some stuff that might be better kept unaired.

Coach Rick in the Chicago Trib

I thought that was an outstanding article. It was frank, honest, and both positive and negative. Coach also said he is implementing some defensive sets he wouldn't normally implement in order to help the team this year. Lisch, Liddell, and Meyer also had some nice things to say about coach.

Bonwich, what did he air that you would have preferred been left unaired?

[NashvilleBilliken]

Really good article, thanks for posting. It sounds like he really likes the guys and the guys seem to like him. IMO, he has changed his mindset about the season a little bit. If you asked RM if he would put in a zone before the season, I'd be big bucks he said no. I think he's realized that cramming a round peg into a square hole isn't fair to the players or the school. He's gonna change this year for the better. That's what makes a great coach.

As far as not saying certain things, I don't have much of a problem with this article. I'm not sure if it was necessary to throw TL's name out there again, but it seems that's how Coach rolls and we'll just have to deal with it. Don't screw up and you won't have to worry about it...

[Majerus Magic]

I thought that was an outstanding article. It was frank, honest, and both positive and negative. Coach also said he is implementing some defensive sets he wouldn't normally implement in order to help the team this year. Lisch, Liddell, and Meyer also had some nice things to say about coach.

Bonwich, what did he air that you would have preferred been left unaired?

I agree Nark, that was the best article that has been written about coach so far.

Ps- One of those players he is close on is a local Juco

[billiken_roy]

once again the naming of players in trouble for breaking team rules and the specifics around the incident(s) is something you rarely see aired by any other program. i would prefer he dealt with that in private.

[Slumn1]

Be careful when you only read printed words. Sometimes there is more between the lines then what is in them.

How would you like to be a player/players that will be booted? Do you think he/they want family and friends to continually read that they are going to be booted. Do you really think that morale won't be affected when players know there friends are going to be booted?

And yes, the players said nice things. Did you think they would say something negative and put RM down in the newspaper even if they weren't happy? Only if they don't want to play anymore. There is a lot more going on then meets the eye.

[bonwich]

I thought that was an outstanding article. It was frank, honest, and both positive and negative. Coach also said he is implementing some defensive sets he wouldn't normally implement in order to help the team this year. Lisch, Liddell, and Meyer also had some nice things to say about coach.

Bonwich, what did he air that you would have preferred been left unaired?

I think he's dogging Tommie. Perhaps Tommie deserves it, perhaps he doesn't. Maybe Tommie has, in fact, been given a bit of a free ride by previous coaches owing to the caliber of his talent.

But my PR-person persona says Coach (and the team) would have been better served by noting that Tommie had another "team rules violation" as opposed to saying specifically that Tommie was late because "he had his hair done."

(I'd also like to know how that article came about. It was reported from St. Louis, according to the byline -- I wonder if the guy came down to do the piece, or if he was down for the Loyola game and hung around to do a feature.)

[billiken_roy]

1. tommie doesnt play defense

2. tommie doesnt play hard

3. tommie is late for shootaround

4. tommie doesnt shoot enough

5. tommie shoots when he shouldnt

6. tommie needs to learn to recognize his shots

7. tommie cant wear his headband

8. tommie late because having his hair done

i probably missed one or two:

really i cant remember a player being in the negative news more in a career than tommie has via majerus in 2 months.

however to offset that we do have over 43 quotes about luke and paul to keep majerus in the positive column for the year. to help you find those in the paper they start out "i just love......."

[cheeseman]

1. tommie doesnt play defense

2. tommie doesnt play hard

3. tommie is late for shootaround

4. tommie doesnt shoot enough

5. tommie shoots when he shouldnt

6. tommie needs to learn to recognize his shots

7. tommie cant wear his headband

8. tommie late because having his hair done

i probably missed one or two:

really i cant remember a player being in the negative news more in a career than tommie has via majerus in 2 months.

however to offset that we do have over 43 quotes about luke and paul to keep majerus in the positive column for the year. to help you find those in the paper they start out "i just love......."

The problem here is that apparently this player - not naming names - seems to be a bit hard headed. If you continue to do the same thing you will get the same results. This player apparently has not learned that if you want to stay out of trouble then stop doing things that get you in trouble. I am sorry but if Brad was allowing that kind of behavior then he reaped what he sowed. Unless I missed it I never heard anything being said about a player not being able to wear a head band. As I said before, these kids play in a public arena and will be public figures because of it. At this point all I want to do is get through this year with growth taking place and focus on the future.

[billiken_roy]

The problem here is that apparently this player - not naming names - seems to be a bit hard headed. If you continue to do the same thing you will get the same results. This player apparently has not learned that if you want to stay out of trouble then stop doing things that get you in trouble. I am sorry but if Brad was allowing that kind of behavior then he reaped what he sowed. Unless I missed it I never heard anything being said about a player not being able to wear a head band. As I said before, these kids play in a public arena and will be public figures because of it. At this point all I want to do is get through this year with growth taking place and focus on the future.

so you think tommie liddell is the only basketball player in the country that has done this many things wrong off the court this year or any year for that matter?

i dont. i think that every coach deals with a player or player(s) of that nature however they keep it in house dont air it in public. this is especially upsetting because now he is telling it out of town as well.

and yes you did miss the majerus refuses to allow tommie to wear his headband thread apparently. we even had a poster that drew a head band on a picture of majerus to make fun of him for it.

last, again, why bring soderberg into it. what led you to believe that soderberg ever had any problems off the court with players? cheese you are way out of bounds on acting as though it this is soderberg's fault. deal with the here and now.

[DeSmetBilliken]

I just want to make one point on this subject, and that's the issue of Tommie being late for having his hair done. This isn't the first time Tommie has been late for things because he was having his hair done. If you people will remember, there was a game last season (LaSalle) that Tommie didn't start. I heard immediately following that game that the reason Tommie didn't start that night was because he had gone to get his hair braided and got slowed up in traffic coming back to the Missouri side of the river for the game, and as a result arrived to the arena late for the game. Throw in the Furman game this season where he didn't play the entire first half due to being late to a shoot around, and we have a bit of a pattern here. I think that Tommie is a special player, and by all accounts he seems to be a great kid, but he needs to start showing up to important things on time.

[slufanskip]

so you think tommie liddell is the only basketball player in the country that has done this many things wrong off the court this year or any year for that matter?

i dont. i think that every coach deals with a player or player(s) of that nature however they keep it in house dont air it in public. this is especially upsetting because now he is telling it out of town as well.

and yes you did miss the majerus refuses to allow tommie to wear his headband thread apparently. we even had a poster that drew a head band on a picture of majerus to make fun of him for it.

last, again, why bring soderberg into it. what led you to believe that soderberg ever had any problems off the court with players? cheese you are way out of bounds on acting as though it this is soderberg's fault. deal with the here and now.

I guarantee you if TL is having problems being on time now he had the same problems his first 2 years.

[billiken_roy]

I guarantee you if TL is having problems being on time now he had the same problems his first 2 years.

i agree but you didnt hear soderberg running to the press to tell all the details. as desmet said above he was made to sit the beginning of a game last year for supposedly the same thing.

i have no problems with majerus enforcing rules, just keep it in house.

and my point wasnt just about being late. he is on liddell about more than just that and somehow it all makes the papers and radio/tv.

[davidnark]

i agree but you didnt hear soderberg running to the press to tell all the details. as desmet said above he was made to sit the beginning of a game last year for supposedly the same thing.

i have no problems with majerus enforcing rules, just keep it in house.

and my point wasnt just about being late. he is on liddell about more than just that and somehow it all makes the papers and radio/tv.

Why the sensitivity? For better or worse, all of these kids are public figures, and Majerus treats them that way. Majerus has high expecations for Tommie both on and off the court. I guarantee Majerus isn't airing the large majority of the individual issues. These guys don't need to be coddled like grade schoolers.

[davidnark]

so you think tommie liddell is the only basketball player in the country that has done this many things wrong off the court this year or any year for that matter?

i dont. i think that every coach deals with a player or player(s) of that nature however they keep it in house dont air it in public. this is especially upsetting because now he is telling it out of town as well.

and yes you did miss the majerus refuses to allow tommie to wear his headband thread apparently. we even had a poster that drew a head band on a picture of majerus to make fun of him for it.

last, again, why bring soderberg into it. what led you to believe that soderberg ever had any problems off the court with players? cheese you are way out of bounds on acting as though it this is soderberg's fault. deal with the here and now.

Roy, take a deep breath and relax; your favorite son loves playing for Rick, specifically he said

"The man knows his basketball. I love playing under him."

[TheA_Bomb]

"With great power comes great responsibility"- Spider-Man's uncle

TLIII gets it the most because he is the best player on the team. That is RM's M.O. get a clue. He would have to be a complete angel not to get it from RM and he isn't so he get's it. See the Utah fan's previous comments about Keith VanHorn criticism by RM. The key is how he responds to it does he get worse or improve? That is why so many of these guys (high level athletes) coast for years and then hit the NBA (or any pro-level) and implode. Because no one ever calls them on it. I hope he responds well and gets it together. Being late isn't that bad in the scheme of things these days.

I don't think it is that bad as long as it is true. Reasonable people can disagree with this.

[Majerus Magic]

really i cant remember a player being in the negative news more in a career than tommie has via majerus in 2 months.

Ron Artest, Dennis Rodman, Rasheed Wallace, MICHAEL VICK.........

NO ONE IN THE HISTORY OF SPORTS HAS HAD MORE NEGATIVE NEWS? LOL! Get real Roy. Tommie is a big boy. Take the heat or get out of the kitchen.

[Majerus Magic]

i have no problems with majerus enforcing rules, just keep it in house.

and my point wasnt just about being late. he is on liddell about more than just that and somehow it all makes the papers and radio/tv.

Roy, you would rather not know why Tommie isn't starting? Why? You act like discipline is bad for their self esteem. I'm sorry but are we forgetting that these players are getting a free $31,000 education? Your damn right I'm expecting a lot from these kids and if they are not producing or not living up to my standards, tough s*** your butt is taking a hike. I don't care if TL is a descendant of the late grate JC he isn't getting a pass. If you continue to let people walk over you they will not respect you. It's clear that Tommie was in the position of power last year and he is having a hard time adjusting to his role as the follower not the leader. Tommie has no one to blame for actions but himself.

[Quality Is Job 1]

1. tommie doesnt play defense

2. tommie doesnt play hard

3. tommie is late for shootaround

4. tommie doesnt shoot enough

5. tommie shoots when he shouldnt

6. tommie needs to learn to recognize his shots

7. tommie cant wear his headband

8. tommie late because having his hair done

i probably missed one or two:

really i cant remember a player being in the negative news more in a career than tommie has via majerus in 2 months.

It's called tough love.

[Clock_Tower]

Be careful when you only read printed words. Sometimes there is more between the lines then what is in them.

How would you like to be a player/players that will be booted? Do you think he/they want family and friends to continually read that they are going to be booted. Do you really think that morale won't be affected when players know there friends are going to be booted?

And yes, the players said nice things. Did you think they would say something negative and put RM down in the newspaper even if they weren't happy? Only if they don't want to play anymore. There is a lot more going on then meets the eye.

Slumn1. Empty stocking again this year?? What else can explain your bitterness. Only positive posts from here on out because we don't want to offend someone?? Then, again, seems like only yesterday you were telling us that RM would never be our coach. Obviously you have accurate inside information. Please tell us how you conclude RM is going to "boot" some players. I just don't understand. Darren Clarke was not booted but instead left because Brad recruited over him with KL and TL but the players mentioned (I don't want to repeat their names as I might offend someone) are not recruited over by our incoming 5? Get real!!

By analogy. Yes, Bobby Flay can sure do wonders with a salisbury steak but why deny him a tenderloin? Why the need to see what RM can do to improve these guys? The intriguing question, for me at least, was how would a hall of fame coach like RM coach Brad's guys. We already have our answer: similar to Brad. This year we have a platoon at the 5 but the rest is similar. LM is still our 4... Like Brad, RM has shortened his bench early and is not playing AK and others. RM has made some great adjustments, both during the game and at half-time, but the product is similar. The difference, of course, is that under RM, we signed 5 fantastic recruits the first day possible v. signing, during the Fall signing period, only DM 2 years ago and no one at all last year - with a skip over Josh Harrelson.

Roy, what is your obsession with MR and AM? Yes, they each have some talent, MR has some height but cannot play the 4 (and seems slow at the 3), AM tries quite hard and appears to be a late bloomer but why must we see if RM can turn them into the next Van Horne, Doleac, etc. What future do these guys really have at SLU?? Does anyone think that RM will not land a really good class next year as well? If he does, then will their future get better or worse?? It's really quite simple. If anything, RM is being honest and helpful to these kids. Other than he is just plain terrible, why else is DM being redshirted this year? I have asked before and yet no one has given an answer. Remember, Brad barely used him last year as well. We, on this Board, couldn't understand how Brad played a walk-on over DM and how Brad could not give DM much playing time even with KL's fingers torn apart. If there is ever a year when we could use DM, it is this year - and yet RM suggested he redshirt. If RM was only interested in himself, he would have used DM as a bench filler this year and then run him off (or as Slumn1 likes to say "booted") him after this year. Instead, DM retained his eligibility and likely will find a new school where DM will be able to play. Same with anyone else. I am waiting for anyone proof RM is mistreating his players, being unethical, placing his own interests against the kids, etc.

Reminder. RM is not 40 years old and in perfect health. Also, he will not be our coach for the next 20 years. Wake up and stop complaining. The menu at the old Mom & Pop diner has changed. Prices and expectations have increased and the house specialty is now a filet. fIf you want to eat your grizzled salisbury steak, I hear tickets are available, at a reasonable price, at UMSL. To all the complainers: Get out of the kitchen, let the million dollar chef do his thing and sit back and enjoy the meal.

[slu72]

Reminder. RM is not 40 years old and in perfect health. Also, he will not be our coach for the next 20 years. Wake up and stop complaining. The menu at the old Mom & Pop diner has changed. Prices and expectations have increased and the house specialty is now a filet. fIf you want to eat your grizzled salisbury steak, I hear tickets are available, at a reasonable price, at UMSL. To all the complainers: Get out of the kitchen, let the million dollar chef do his thing and sit back and enjoy the meal.

We are very fortunate to have RM as our HC. The SLU arrow is finally pointing in the right direction, yet some still have the audacity to question a man who swears he is dedicated to taking us to the top of a very competitive tough business. Yesterday, there was an article about Tubby Smith at Minnesota. Gopher players, fans, etc have embraced the guy totally without question. The players say the practices are intense, hard, demanding. Yet, no one's complaining. As one player put it, "the guy's won a national championship, you'd be an idiot not to pay attention and do everything exactly what he says." I'm pretty sure TL, KL, LM, et al feel the same way. Now TL may be experiencing some growing pains under RM, but he's not the one complaining about RM. Fans are! Minnesota students wear "It's Tubby Time" t-shirts to their games, which by the way is played in an 80 year old facility which Tubby's griped about, but has accepted. It's time our fans got some kind of RM shirts made up, just like Spoon Ball, just to show him we're behind him 100%. Do we like the way he's handled everything so far? Maybe not. But who are we to judge? Which one of us has led a high mid major program to the national championship game and got a hug from Ashley Judd? It is truly amazing that after watching years of mediocre teams and praying for a messiah to show up and give us a really meaningful program, that when he finally arrives many are ready to turn their backs on him, question his style, doubt his ability. Get a grip, because the simple fact is if this guy can't do it, I don't know who can. Long live RM.

[ACE]

This is another outstanding article in a big city publication. We had the one earlier in the year in Boston and I'm sure we'll get one in the Philadelphia newspaper when we play those teams. Earlier some folks just couldn't figure out what we were getting for the investment in Majerus. Are you kidding me? We've already gotten a lot. We're getting publicity like this. Season tickets are up, donations for the arena saw a boost and we have outstanding recruits in the fold and the prospect of a couple more in the spring. I get the sense that some of our fans either don't know what it takes for us to be a big-time program and are confused by all this or in some odd way are afraid of potential success. The arrow is pointing up people. No need to be negative.

Here are the many positives I got out of this article.

- It appeared in one of the biggest publications in the Midwest in the heart of a fertile recruiting area.

- It even tied in our program's Chicago connections with Harrington and Thorpe.

- The new arena was mentioned, which conveys that this program is serious about being a player in addition to bringing in a decorated coach like Majerus

- It shows that Majerus is a good family man who cares deeply about his mom.

- They even mentioned that we just came off two wins against teams that happen to be from Illinois.

- It came through loud and clear that Majerus is committed to building something through hard work and a program for the long haul, not slopping together a quick fix approach.

- It mentioned his track record of putting players in the NBA, as well as his emphasis on academics.

- His work ethic was highlighted and he's committed to molding the kids off the court, too.

- The kids all had good quotes and seem to respect him, which is the most important thing IMO. I don't care if the kids like RM, just as long as they respect him.

- It shows that Majerus is strict, but also flexible enough to still try some new approaches with his defense.

- There was a lot of name-dropping with ESPN and all the other names in college basketball has come in contact with.

- The five new recruits are mentioned and that a couple more are interested. It demonstrates that there is a lot of interest among recruits!

Let's face it, the average college basketball fan at best knows that SLU has an unusual mascot, the had a few good years where they cracked the top 25 with Charlie Spoonhour and that Larry Hughes played here... and that's probably about it. Now, with Majerus, it immediately changes the perception of our program.

The portrait of Majerus seems to be a complex one. He is definitely not PC, but I haven't found the things he's said to be unfair. It's king of refreshing to hear a coach tell you exactly how he feels, without some of the coach-speak. But what comes through loud and clear is that nobody will outwork the guy. If you stick with what he is teaching, you will definitely be a better basketball player and perhaps a better person too. I'm glad he's on our side. The program was stuck in neutral before he got here. Now it is heading up. Enjoy the ride. Quit worrying. He knows what he's doing.