Morrison Quote....

[AlumniFan]

Those of you who know me, know that I am not a big sports fan other than Billiken basketball. I don't watch ESPN or go to their web site. Other than the Billikens, the last thing I check in the paper is the sports section. I just don't care. So, my comments about Morrison are not sour grapes or being resentful of pro athletes. I think of it this way: If one of my sons had said that, I would have totally blasted him because it is out of line and classless. Morrison could have said that after ANY game, against ANY team, in ANY sport, and hearing it, I would have had the exact same feelings. Even if it is true, that doesn't make it an appropriate thing to say. Following the logic that it is okay if it is true, that means it would be okay to walk up to a really fat person and say, "Wow, you're really fat!" It may be true, but no one in their right mind would say it is a classy, appropriate, and decent thing to say.

Is Morrison a fantastic basketball player? Absolutely, no doubt at all. Is his behavior appropriate? Not in my opinion.

[courtside]

There are players, college and pro that do things more disrespectful than that all the time. You just happened to hear this one. What about the ones you don't hear about? Unless you have personal experience with a player or coach etc...how can you judge them except for seeing if they have a criminal record or not. How exactly are you going to know a lot of times if someone is a jerk or not? Catching one quote from a player somehow forms opinions? It is no different than forming an opinion of a team or player on one game.

I would have to agree Schasz I do think it is sour grapes for many. We could always play count the "Refs suck" threads and make a game of it.

[billiken_nate]

Morrison may be a good player but that does not stop him from being a arrogant jerk. If hes so cocky you would think gonzaga would have an easier time defeating teams like Eastern Washington and Slu. Also, if hes the next larry bird how did a freshman not known for his defense hold him to 4 points in the first half. And if Slu was as good as Gonzaga then at least we would be doing it in the a10 against some competition, have fun in the WCC Morrison.

[slufanskip]

Nope ...

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[billiken_roy]

nate, tommie didnt "hold" morrison by himself. the billikens played a triangle and two defense and tommie was one of the "two" that had specific assignments, i.e. morrison.

it is my belief that had the billikens played their normal pack man to man defense and let tommie actually handle morrison himself, morrison would have had a far more successful night. but instead, because of what the triangle is designed to do, when morrison touched the ball, he had liddell and either lisch, drejaj or meyer also in his face. i.e. he never had the ball without being at least double teamed.

the billikens successfully determined that other than ravio, no one else would be successful making outside shots which is the glaring crack of a triangle and two.

[SShoe]

the guys a jackass

[bluecrewprez]

Did anyone hear his quote on channel 4 after the game? He said something like he just decided to win the game b/c he wanted "to get the hell out of here." That line was censored in the Post today. If one of our players had done something like that, I would think that Soderberg would have had a talk with him.

I said it in another post, but the NBA is all about hot-dogging, so he needs to hurry up and get there, b/c that type of attitude is not welcome or wanted in the NCAA.

[billiken_roy]

bluecrewprez said,

" said it in another post, but the NBA is all about hot-dogging, so he needs to hurry up and get there, b/c that type of attitude is not welcome or wanted in the NCAA."

hate to disagree lady di, but you cant be more wrong on that one. now if you are saying what you and i and likely the majority of college fans want, i would agree, but the ncaa has proven time and time again to protect the arrogant upper echelon's of division one schools. what is sad is that the likes of gonzaga has forgotten where they came from oh so recently.

[Cowboy]

broy said what is sad is that the likes of gonzaga has forgotten where they came from oh so recently.

for a deeper look at this point go read their board, there were many posters really down on their team and this season after this game, which they won, on the road

luckily when we hit the heights we won't get that way, will we???

[bluecrewprez]

Yeah I probably should have phrased that better...I meant that when fans like me go to college level basketball games, I want to see players with good attitudes and who play their hearts out for their team...not for themselves and not to smash it in the face of anyone. There's a big difference between a competitive cockiness (like Drejaj or sometimes JJ) and flat out arrogance. He could have easily had a game like he did without the attitude and I would have had a lot more respect for him. I think it is people like Morrison that ruin a good college basketball game for both players and fans.

[aj_arete]

and be a top lottery pick. Now will he be another Bird?? That's a large leap, but he's probably the best player in college basketball today. So, I don't think he's overrated.

He might be annoying and cocky, but then again so was Bird. Don't let that cloud your judgement.

[slu_tbone]

Prez,

I agree with you, one of the reasons I watch college sports is so that I don't have to watch the downfall of professional sports. I stopped watching the NFL because MOST players seem to do a song and dance number after the have made a play(act like you've made a tackle or touchdown before come on). Not to mention 1) year long NHL lockout 2)the Ron Artest Fiasco 3) MLB=Steroids(need I say more). College sports was the bastion of sportsmanship, and if things like that become commonplace, then it looks like I will have to watch teeball. Morrison's comment IMO was way out of line, and class maybe something he goes to, but it's sure something he doesn't have any of.

[AlumniFan]

No one is calling him an ax murderer. No one is calling for the death penalty. Several of us just didn't like what he said and think he is a jerk, ass, moron, idiot, etc. for saying it. Not really that big of a deal.

I am sure there are a lot of people who have done much worse (I seem to recall Gary Templeton flipping off the fans one time - now that was really idiotic!!!). Not sure how that relates to this situation if at all, but I am sure you are right that there are worse out there.

[bluecrewfinance]

What gets me more than the Morrison sound byte is his walking down the court with one finger in the air while the game was still undecided...and I do believe he missed both free throws immediately after that...Tha gets me more than anything, celebrating a "mediocre moment"

[kappy96]

There is only one way to prevent quotes like Morrison's, and that is to win the game.

[slufanskip]

Why must my judgement be clouded ... I'll take my view over just about anyone's on this board ... he's a good player ... but nowhere near the hype last night. He had a good game not a great one. He also gets the benefit of alot of nice calls.

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[Billiken Law]

Big name programs draw big crowds of curious on-lookers. Expect similar next year for UNC. I was surprised by the amount of Gonzaga gear I saw and in the concourses and cheers I heard in the crowd - the 3 people I brought only came because it was Gonzaga and the folks I sat next to: first game (former alums and season ticket holders who dumped them because of the move to the A10). What also surprised me was the amount of other college gear worn by "fans" - lots of mizzou, Illinois, SEMO, SMS, SIU, etc. Hopefully some of those fans will want to come back for more just to see the Bills.

[Taj79]

Count me in as agreeing also. St. Louis fans, short of the Cardinals and I left beore the Rams came to town so I can't draw the parallel there, are notorious front runners. Okay .. maybe front runenrs ain't the word but if its a name, then they'll come. Or if the winning is there.

Case in point, when Springsteen was on the huge upswing that culminated with the "Born in the USA" tour, I had ten tickets and two thousand "friends." When I finally sold the tix I didn't need, I sold them to the guy my wife worked for (at face value I might add). He was excited. I followed Bruce from his days in Jersey as I grew up nearby in Pennsylvania and spent summers at the Jersey shore so I was a long-time fan and only missed one E Street Band show my entire time in St. Louis. I asked how long this guy had been a fan and he said he didn't know his music ... but was only going because it was the "in" thing to do. An event to be seen and be seen at. This, to me, sums up the St. Louis crowd in a nutshell.

[slufanskip]

that sums up almost all crowds everywhere

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[volfan]

Because they are ranked #9 in the country and they have people that will donate money to the program to help build the arena unlike Kim Tucci who donates nothing and suggests that stupid brick program.

[bluecrewprez]

nm (I just used my first nm!)

[StlMel]

What we need to realize is that with one comment, Morrison made himself look arrogant. No one else has to deal with that but him. Let him look stupid. That's his problem. I don't care why the people showed up last night...all I know is that they were all cheering for the Bills.

[Major Majerus]

Did you attend the SLU game v IN State when Bird was a junior? There is no comparison between the 2 players. To watch Bird warm up was a joy - rainbows from everywhere. Rebounding? I never saw a player with a better nose for the ball in college. He was headed for the landing spot of the carom the nanosecond after it hit the rim. He was big news as a junior; the only question was could he continue at the higher level. The next year he took a mediocre team to the NCAA finals, and then became a Celtic. Morrison may have a resemblance to Bird's attributes, but he pales in comparison.

[huzzah]

I think the fans are drawn to a game by the level of expected competition the local team will face. If Morrison and team played Arkansas State in St. Louis my guess is 15,000 + do not attend. The fans wanted to see how the local team with some local players did against a ranked team. The opposing team can be Gonzaga, Iowa, North Carolina,etc., but the opposition has to be a team with a local following. Therefore, the statement that the fans came to see Gonzaga is false and Morrison's statement is more a self reflection of his personality than an insight into reality of the situation he was involved with. I admire the way the two stars took over, going toward the end of the game; Morrison and IV. This is what I came to see, not Gonzaga, but rather St. Louis U vs Gonzaga.

[AlumniFan]

That is the best explanation of the situation that I have heard. I wish I would have thought of that, but you are exactly right. People come to see the level of competition against the Bills. They are casual BILLIKEN FANS not casual Gonzaga fans.