IU's Davis: I didn't quit - indystar.com
"It's hard for us players to see coach Davis go through all of the things he has to go through,'' Ratliff said. "We look to him as our leader and when everybody is criticizing him, it's kind of hard for us to come out and perform. We try to block it all out and some of us do that better than others.''I really feel sorry for the players. They are so loyal that they don't even see Davis throwing them under the bus. They only see "poor Mike." Like him or hate him, there is a reason Knight kept the pressure on him and away from the players. If Davis were a real coach, he would have realized that a long time ago. Instead he just keeps dumping the pressure on his players and deflecting it from himself.
Coach's absence turns into day of speculation - courier-journal
To cap this awkward and tense day, there was a media squabble. Bartel had pressed Marsh on Davis' illness — typical and appropriate hard questions — but a photographer on IU's staff took offense. After Marsh left, the two men argued.
You know it's getting crazy when media members, trained to be dispassionate, start fighting over a stomach virus.
Why is it that the IU administration has someone monitoring message boards and holding the owner's access to the program hostage unless he only posts IU propoganda? Why is it that a Staff photographer feels the need to intercede during a press conference? The spin machine at IU is disgusting.
My take... The Iowa game was going to be vital for Davis' future at IU. A big win at home followed up by 2 wins over PSU, another win at home over MSU and one win at either Purdue or Michigan and Davis has his team in the NCAA Tourney and no chance of being fired. Yet Davis doesn't show up. I'm sorry but I've puked my guts out at work because I had a big project/presentation. Davis could have had a puke bucket right in front of him on the bench. No way does a coach let down his team and fans in that situation. Yet Davis not only does that, but feels good enough to conduct media interviews with ESPN, the Indy Star where he blames this whole mess on the fans. That's so Friggin' bushleague it isn't even funny.
Since he claims he didn't resign... there is only one thing for Greenspan to do at this point. Fire him immediately for gross incompetence, failure to appear at work, and insubordination to the true owners of this program, the students and alumni. And they must do it now. Otherwise I can only imagine the Davis interviews between now and the end of the season. He will do all he can to destroy the program further... if it can be destroyed any further. I always saw Quinn Snyder and Mike Davis being the same type of coach. Boy was I wrong. Quinn was nothing but gracious upon leaving Missouri. He didn't blame the fans for his problems. Davis is now in a league of his own.
1 comment:
Seems Davis had a change of heart. Whether that was on his own, or assisted via Herbert/Greenspan we will never know.
Here is Peegs response this morning:
it comes down to what to go public with and what not to.
we heard directly from several within the program that there was talk of resignation after the Wiscy game. Even on Saturday at the game. But things do seem to have changed since Wednesday -- ie, a change of heart. I think passing along that there had been talk was accurate and confirmed in many ways confidentially. However what happens in the emotional aftermath of a loss can be stuff that you should not do a story on and maybe not something we should post about. Important to note that word had already broke through many other leaks and was already all over both forums. It can be hard to control this stuff when those in the program are talking about it.
And part of this whole confusion may be there is a big difference from talking about doing something and actually doing something.
Right now it appears the W's and L's are taking care of this coaching controversy on their own, so it would be nice to move on past arguing about he said, she said stuff.
Mike Pegram a/k/a Peegs
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