Please allow me to lament for a moment...
I just spent a ton of money over the weekend driving up to Baltimore to attend some baseball games at Camden Yards. However, the results were not appealing. Why is it my teams always lose? Sure they like to tease me every now and again, like the Sonics with Karl, Payton, Kemp, et. al., the Seahawks making it to the Super Bowl, the Mariners winning 116 games, the Huskies getting a #1 seed...all for naught.
The good news, the baseball season is still young and the closest the Ms come to me is New York; too far so I won't be tempted to spend any more money padding the pay roll of opposing teams. The Seahawk, minus losing Brown, made some good moves this off-season with the draft still to come (which they usually do pretty well in). So, there is hope for the fall. Speaking of hope, Jake Locker. Of course, the Hawks running game consists of Alexander (so far), Morris, Duckett, and Jones. Nothing to write home about. The Huskies are still the Huskies. And the Sonics...well the NBA will be dead to me. Maybe Husky Basketball. Lots of guys in the Pac-10 going pro early. An easier conference schedule perhaps?
But then, we are back to the Mariners, with McLaren and Bavasi still running the show. I don't know how much longer I can take it.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Friday, April 4, 2008
Oregon State Needs Help
What to say about Oregon State? They should have fired John two years ago, definitely after the 2006-2007 season, a move that not only ruined John and the OSU basketball program, but very likely some of their players. One question I have to ask is where would Giles be if the "savior" tag wasn't slapped on him? Maybe the same place, never reaching his potential and still a screw up. But had John been canned and there was no pressure or expectation to win...
Now the perception is that OSU can't find a coach. Who knows what's going on behind the scenes but it appears Grier was their first choice. He turning them down isn't necessarily a bad thing. Isn't this just his first year as a head coach? Has he really proven that he can handle the rebuilding job at OSU? Based on the talent at Gonzaga, I'll assume he's a good recruiter. Based on Gonzaga's success and the great season USD just finished, I'll assume he's a good coach. Therefore, he's a good candidate, but, the differences between the jobs are immense.
First, Grier has only spent time at small religious schools in a small conference (or as the media likes to say "Mid-Majors") and, as noted, only one season as a head coach. He has not coached at a large state institution in a large conference. Second, OSU is in shambles. GU has been a really good basketball team for quite some time (where I believe he coached for 16 seasons). USD was also no slouch. I believe they won 18 games in the 2006-2007 season, the year before Grier arrived. Thus, Grier has not had to deal with rebuilding or any of the issues that comes with it. I'm not saying he would fail, I'm just saying OSU is a huge challenge in many respects and it doesn't appear Grier has had to deal/coach/recruit/etc. under these conditions.
I think he made the right choice not to leave USD. I also think OSU made the wrong choice in offering him a job.
OSU should offer the job to Ken Bone. I believe Bone has indicated he would be interested. This is big as a big name coach or a coach in a good situation (i.e., Grier) will not want deal with 0-19. Bone spent 12 years as a head coach at Seattle Pacific where he was highly successful. He then spent three years at UW, another big state institution in a big conference. And now, three years at Portland State. Like Grier, Bone came to a good situation at PSU. But, when he came to UW, the Huskies were...not so good. His first season as an assistant at UW they went 10-17. He knows what it takes to rebuild in the Pac-10. He's familiar with the Northwest and, specifically, has been in Oregon for the past three years. And has been highly successful as a head coach.
To Oregon State University: HIRE KEN BONE.
Now the perception is that OSU can't find a coach. Who knows what's going on behind the scenes but it appears Grier was their first choice. He turning them down isn't necessarily a bad thing. Isn't this just his first year as a head coach? Has he really proven that he can handle the rebuilding job at OSU? Based on the talent at Gonzaga, I'll assume he's a good recruiter. Based on Gonzaga's success and the great season USD just finished, I'll assume he's a good coach. Therefore, he's a good candidate, but, the differences between the jobs are immense.
First, Grier has only spent time at small religious schools in a small conference (or as the media likes to say "Mid-Majors") and, as noted, only one season as a head coach. He has not coached at a large state institution in a large conference. Second, OSU is in shambles. GU has been a really good basketball team for quite some time (where I believe he coached for 16 seasons). USD was also no slouch. I believe they won 18 games in the 2006-2007 season, the year before Grier arrived. Thus, Grier has not had to deal with rebuilding or any of the issues that comes with it. I'm not saying he would fail, I'm just saying OSU is a huge challenge in many respects and it doesn't appear Grier has had to deal/coach/recruit/etc. under these conditions.
I think he made the right choice not to leave USD. I also think OSU made the wrong choice in offering him a job.
OSU should offer the job to Ken Bone. I believe Bone has indicated he would be interested. This is big as a big name coach or a coach in a good situation (i.e., Grier) will not want deal with 0-19. Bone spent 12 years as a head coach at Seattle Pacific where he was highly successful. He then spent three years at UW, another big state institution in a big conference. And now, three years at Portland State. Like Grier, Bone came to a good situation at PSU. But, when he came to UW, the Huskies were...not so good. His first season as an assistant at UW they went 10-17. He knows what it takes to rebuild in the Pac-10. He's familiar with the Northwest and, specifically, has been in Oregon for the past three years. And has been highly successful as a head coach.
To Oregon State University: HIRE KEN BONE.
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