A long fight ahead for one of the giants of the game

I’m a little bit late to the dance with this but basketball lost one of the all-time great coaches this week when Tennessee’s Pat Summitt had to retire this week because of early onset Alzheimer’s, as I’m sure you all know.

I met her once or twice, as I recall, at some USA Basketball thingy and she is one of those people with a “presence” about her that makes her stand out in any crowd.

Now, you know me and the NCAA and they tendency our friends to the south have to lionize coaches beyond all level of normalcy. They make them out to be giants all too often, to put them on pedestals for no real reason, to make them bigger and better and more important than they actually are.

But – and this may just be one of the exceptions that proves the rule – Summitt probably deserves all the accolades that have come her way this week. She ran a clean program by all accounts, the kids in her charge graduated and went on to successful careers away from the game and her program was as successful as any in NCAA history.

I was talking to Dwane about her the other night, he’s got some history and a unique perspective on what she accomplished given his connection to Tennessee through the SEC rivalry with his beloved Kentucky Wildcats and he made the point that she survived forever in a cutthroat business by genuinely caring about the kids she was in charge of, turning them into better women.

And this clip from Doc Rivers speaks volumes, I think.

I’ve had a very small bit of first-hand experience with Alzheimer’s, it is a terrible disease, one that tears at the fabric of families and the souls of people.

It is so, so, so difficult to deal with, it changes the very personality of men and women and is one of the most difficult illnesses related to age that anyone can deal with.

So it’s not so much that Summitt is leaving the coaching ranks that’s sad about this story, it’s why she’s being forced to step aside.

It will be a long and difficult fight, for her and her family as I’m sure many of you know. A sad story for someone who is one of the giants of the game.

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Well, this isn’t how the Dwight Howard saga was supposed to end, is it?

He’s going to have back surgery for a herniated disk – an operation that not only ends his NBA season but takes him out of the London Olympics as well – to bring to an end one of the most tumultuous individual seasons in the recent past.

But here’s one thing that probably should be pointed out to those who wonder if Howard had maybe taken it easy or, in the vernacular, “quit” on his team this season.

If he’s been battling back pain for as long as he says he has and it ends with having to have surgery, none of us – or any of the TV talking heads – can suggest he wasn’t giving all he had when he was trying to play through it.

Pain tolerance is such an individual thing that it’s totally unfair for anyone from the outside to suggest that someone is healthy enough to give more when they say they’re hurting.

We’re all guilty of it at some time, especially us who have the ability to sway public opinion (and I know I have been on the odd occasion) but it really is wrong.

Now, we can wish that some athletes had a higher pain threshold and could play through some bumps or bruises but if they say they can’t go, they can’t go.

The other angle to the Howard thing, of course, is if this means he’s played his last game for Stan Van Gundy and since I’ve thought that since the story first broke that Howard had told someone in Orlando management he wanted the coach fired, I have no doubt that is the case.

When we next see the big lug, we’re going to see him after coming off back surgery and playing for a new coach after he had a hand in his old one being fired and if that doesn’t put a lot of additional pressure on Howard to perform, I don’t know what does.

Good luck to him.

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Mail? Please. Big office day today with paperwork and some pre-Olympic plan adjustment but there’ll be time to knock some questions off.

Here. Please and thanks.

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Raptors?

Well, they’re on a rather extended road trip, talked briefly via text with some folks yesterday and nothing of significance went on.

Except maybe some grumbling.

You see, with the game in Miami on Wednesday and one in Detroit on Sunday, you can be sure more than a few of them had hoped for an extended stay in South Florida once they changed the original plan of coming home and working here in between.

Wrong, Camel-breath.

Sure, they stayed in Florida after the game on Wednesday, practiced there yesterday and stayed last night.

But Friday and Saturday?

They’re off to lovely Auburn Hills for a couple of days of work; instead of practicing in Florida today and tomorrow and then flying.

Guess it had as much to do with not wanting to “reward” them or something like that.

Yes, I am sure some of them were not impressed.

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I’m pretty certain that going 4-5 on an extended homestand and losing two of three series is not how the TOD envisioned itself coming out of the game. And our worst fears are being realized: The rotation is not going particularly well at this point and pitching is – and may always be – an issue.

It’s certainly not the stuff of contenders, is it?

Of course, it’s early and they may get on a roll but I have a feeling if the season unravels, it’s going to be because they don’t pitch the ball well enough.

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RIP, Levon.

 

 

Comments

[john]

For all those with time on their hands, here is the Granddaddy of all Mock Drafts...

http://espn.go.com/nba/lottery2012/mockdraft

Enjoy!

[doug]

I think the Jays pitching will come around, what worries me is the offense, and it's evident this "90 feet at a time" philosophy isn't working...this teams approach at the plate takes me back to the John Gibbons days, defensive swings and mindset at the plate...Cito came back, and bats came alive as he just said drive the ball....I was surprised they brought Murphy back this year as really what is his coaching philosophy?/...he was batting coach under Cito where the offense and bats excelled, but now he advocates going the other way, a punch and judy approach, working the count blah,blah,blah...so he to me is just a parrot of what AA and Farrell want...and it isn't working, it's not a coincidence that guys like Thames,Lawrie,Bautista,Lind are struggling, their hitters let them hit, far too many thoughts in there head at the plate, and a hitting philosophy that is fine if your team has no hitters, we do so let them hit...the pitching is the least of this teams problems going forward and I think I am one of the few that hasn't drank AA's kool-aid, this 24 hour talk of prospects,prospects,prospects masks this teams real shortcomings....ok cheers,,,

[sam]

A little tough love from Casey over the last week of the season. Good for him.
The whole Dwight Howard story is troubling to me. Because he's a star player on the Magic, doesn't give him the right to dictate who his coach is. Does Van Gundy merit losing hos job because of one player. Just look at the ego's a head coach has to juggle and it's no wonder a coaches shelf life is rather short.
Best case senario - the Magic go on a deep run into the playoff's, and in the off season trade Howard to a team not on his list of prefered destinations.

[john]

Hey Doug,
The whole Howard back problems lead me to believe that maybe he signed the extension with the Magic at the trade deadline cause he and they knew he couldn’t be traded and pass a physical with his back problems. Is it me or doesn’t this sort of explain he dramatic change of heart at the last minute? If he doesn't agree to an extension, he automatically opts out of next year’s contract and becomes a free agent with a surgically repaired back and a promise that he will be the same when he heals.

Is this too grassy knoll type conspiracy?

[Nick M]

'We’re all guilty of it at some time, especially us who have the ability to sway public opinion (and I know I have been on the odd occasion) but it really is wrong.'
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Influential??? Sounds like somebody thought they'd be on a certain Time Magazine list.
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Sorry Doug, I couldn't resist! :)

Blogger's note: As a great man once said, I don't want to belong to a club that would have me as a member. Or something like that

[Rob.V]

Good points Sam and John.
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I would never wish a back injury on anyone however Howard took the $19 million and ran (can't say I blame him). A nice little "loyalty" spin to appease the masses and all was suppose to have been well.
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In hindsight Otis should have traded him for Bynum (once the Orlando completed their All Star obligations).
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To your point Sam. If SVG goes, then in all likelyhood there are a few other coaches out of work as well which always seems to get overlooked.
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Having said this, Stan is probably tough to deal with at the best of times and in fairness to D12 apparently the Magic poohbas asked him if a coaching change would help the situation, he didn't go running to the team asking them to axe SVG.

[james]

My general distaste for most things Celtic does not extend to Doc Rivers.
It seems awfully early in the season for significant Jays angst.
Interviews with Colin Linden and Garth Hudson re Levon on CBC''s Q this morning are worth your time.

[Gord]

@ Gord... lol.. you think Kendall Marshall is going to be good.. yet you don't even know what team he played for... He played for UNC... not Kentucky
…firstly, I made a mistake and typed the wrong school…I was at work I have a 2 minute window to type, correct and get it out, and it was a long message…my bad. Secondly, regardless of the school he plays for, I’ve seen his game and understand the player.
@Gords I never said I expect the Raptors to keep Jose forever, simply that your blanket statement that the current team is better without him is complete rubbish.
....“rubbish” seriously, who says that! Lol All I stated was; by numbers the Raps don’t have a good record with Jose as the point guard. Argue all you want, but If Wayne Gretzky has the most points of any player ever because the numbers say so – then it is so…the facts are facts if he has the most points, he has the most points….if the Raps have never had a season over .500 with Jose as their starter, then they haven’t. It is not me making statement, just reverbing numbers – plus they have only made the play-offs once with him as a starter. In 2006-07, the Raps finished 1st in the Atlantic with TJ Ford running the show, 12 games over .500. The next season, pretty much same team, TJ goes down to injury for at least 7 games and came back, never played the same, Jose takes over for the most part as the starter. The team finish that year (same team that won the Atlantic the year before) .500 Jose’s best season as the starter. I will add also his best season was a split duty one at that, so he got help. The rest of his seasons as a starter, the team records are as follows - .402/.488/.268/349…That Steve is numbers and is fact – not a statement about if the team is better! “Are they better without him” is what you’re confusing in my message. I don’t know if they are! What are the circumstances! Did we get an All-star SF and some stronger bench players? If we lose Calderon is Bayless the guy he is replacing? Or do the Raps replace him Rondo? I stated FACTS…NUMBERS! It is in the history books as facts. He is our best PG this year, the Raps are just as bad with him as without him - how do I know because I counted the games, without Jose the team is 2 games under .500 (if I counted correctly)….once again just the numbers stating the facts.

@Doug Smith
Killer shout out to a legend with Levon Helms…well done!
BUT…Of course you wrote “look how everyone on the Raps team loves Jose – and us fans and other reporters who don’t, are wrong about him….just Casey!” article. Where is the Ed Davis piece? ….I was looking forward to that. Instead it takes a back seat to a typical Calderon article by you responding to the bloggers comments on Jose – well to the ones that don’t like Calderon as much as you…but I digress.
Question Doug – Did you ask Casey: if Calderon could be expendable? Did you ask Casey: that even though Calderon is all those things you say (this year), can you see him leading this team you and BC envision in the future? Say 2-3 years from now, like when you say the plan will unfold as you are aiming for a championship? Did you ask: You and BC have mentioned moving forward that Bargs and DD are your corner stones, where does Jose fit in the equation? Did you ask: If Calderon was an FA this year (after what you have seen) would he be your number 1 target for PG?
You asked questions to set up and support your feelings as a fan for Calderon – we get it, man, you like him. In your opinion, Jose is the best ever…in Casey’s opinion he was better then Casey had originally thought. I don’t get your point? Is the point…you think he is good and Casey is backing that? Your article spoke that Casey was impressed more then what he knew of him – which tells us he wasn’t impressed that much before he got here or just didn’t even really know of him a s player…which says a lot about Jose. Actually around the NBA (outside of T.O) Jose’s is known mostly as the guy Jordan rejected, but I digress once again. Don’t you think Doug, that if Calderon had: more turn overs plus lower assists numbers, shot 40% instead of 46% and won a couple of rounds of play-off games….took over the team when Bosh went down a few years ago and they were 7 games over.500 leading the team to the play-offs like Antonio Davis did way back when , when VC went down in the stretch (instead the Raps lead by Jose finished 1 game below and out of the play-offs)….plus lets say he has made a couple of All-star games, do you think Doug, that Casey would exactly know what he was getting then? Of course he would have, that is the type of starting point guard this team needs moving FORWARD – But Casey didn’t, so when the bar is low to begin with it is easy to rise above it. Calderon is a great team guy I admit, but as a back up role…not a 3rd stringer – a guy off the bench you can (hopefully) count on every night to keep you in games, plays safe, holds the fort…if this team wants to be a play-off contender, then a change must be made at PG moving forward…If just running a good game with personal player results but not winning is what you like – then JC is the guy, his numbers (personally and winning percentage with his team as the leader) suggest that. Calderon is the “Jose Molina” of basketball - his whole career and his image out side of a few Raps fans is – none! Hans up…who knew Jose Molina before he was a Blue Jay? Now that he spent a few seasons here, we know he is a leader, knows the game, plays the game soundly, teaches the young kids. But like JC, JM has never won at the major league level on any team he caught for, no play-off wins, no all-star games, nothing and that’s why no one ever heard of him. Same with JC in the NBA, no one has a much of an opinion about him (outside T.O) because he DOESN’T win – he can have the best assists numbers and t/o numbers, be a team leader all day – but what is a leader if the results are negative? If I lead a “team” of employees at my work but we fail to meet all expectations – what kind of leader am I. Casey never said he was a great leader, just a leader. Therefore nobody knows of him out side of T.O – not even Casey, till he got here.
Fun FYI: You put Jose in the same group (comparing him) too the likes of Rondo, Westbrook and Paul all who are in the play-offs and have a good chance at a championship….JC, not!!!!!!
When shall we expect that Davis piece?

[Mike kovacs]

@john - you beat me to it! This likely explains a large part of his motivation to sign an extension!

[Lorie]

On clubs and memberships, lots have repeated that line, but he who said it first said it best. And he said stuff like this too:
"One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got in my pajamas, I don't know. Then we tried to remove the tusks. The tusks. That's not so easy to say. Tusks. You try it sometime. As I say, we tried to remove the tusks. But they were embedded so firmly we couldn't budge them. Of course, in Alabama, the Tuscaloosa, but that is entirely ir-relephant to what I was talking about."
Apologies to animal lovers (but not Animal Crackers) everywhere. I'm blaming the rarefied 4/20 air circulating throughout the downtown of my town today.
Cheers! Now, off to satisfy that brownie craving.

[sam]

@Gord, you're argument is long winded and weak. There are so many variables in a team sport, with an ever changing roster that you fail to take into consideration. You don't like Jose as a starting point guard. There are those that do.
Enjoy your weekend.......

[D-Mac Ottawa]

@Gord, For a guy with a "two-minute window" on one hand but an obviously huge agenda on the other, you are clearly a bona fide candidate for your very own blog. Very exciting, and best of luck with that.
Cheers. Go Gord!