Monday, September 29, 2008

Questions Surrounding Memphis and Connecticut Players

There is no doubt that two of the hardest games on this years schedule for Gonzaga are Memphis and Connecticut. There is also no doubt that these two programs live on the edge as far as academics and player control are concerned. Every year it seems that a Memphis or UConn player is suspended, arrested or rumored to be in some sort of trouble. We have seen recruiting questions arise with Memphis in the most recent past with their pursuit of Abdul Gaddy who recently recommitted to Arizona. Robert Dozier has single-handily brought a black cloud over the entire program with his actions throughout his career as a Tiger.

Now, Memphis is holding their breath about the status of two prized incoming freshmen. Matt Simpkins and Angel Garcia, both in Rivals' top 100 in the 2008 recruiting class, have submitted their paperwork to the NCAA Clearinghouse in hopes to be admitted academically for this season. Coach John Calipari expects that these two will be cleared in the near future but this sort of publicity is not what Memphis needs right now. Memphis is a team with so many question marks. They recently signed a 22-year-old freshman, C.J. Henry, who has not played organized basketball in three years. Tyreke Evans is a player who many people think is the most talented player in the 2008 class but he has been described as extremely selfish and arrogant. Dozier, as I said before, is a walking question mark. When you play Memphis, you have that feeling that something is just not right. They don't have the same look as any other team in the NCAA. Calipari is an excellent coach and one of the most respected in the NCAA but his continued pursuit of talent with no character will certainly catch up with him.

Whereas Memphis is full of academic questions, Connecticut players seem to have an attraction to getting mugshots taken. That trend has continued into this season with incoming freshman Nate Miles. Miles (left), a 6'7'' shooting guard was arrested for his violation of a restraining order. The infraction occurred on September 22nd when Miles was found to be calling the harbored party. He posted a bail of $2,500 and will be appearing in court tomorrow. Their are plenty of character questions with Miles along with the arrest. Miles has attended five high schools in four years and seems to be kicking off his career with UConn in true "Husky fashion".

Connecticut has a long legacy of players being arrested in the Jim Calhoun era. UConn(vict) has been graced by players such as Marcus Williams, A.J. Price, and Thaddeus Ferguson, a friend of Marcus Williams (thanks for the comment), who were all involved with the infamous laptop stealing case in Storrs, Connecticut. Ferguson was charged with four counts of larceny for the events in June of 2005. A.J. Price, who will be concluding his career with UConn this year was granted accelerated rehabilitation for his involvement as was now New Jersey Net guard Marcus Williams. Williams also served 400 hours of community service.

This is merely the tip of the iceberg for these two squads. Just Google "Connecticut/Memphis basketball" with the words "academics, arrested, trouble, or ineligible" and there should be plenty of hits. It seems to be a ticking time bomb with these two programs and it is hard to believe that these two head coaches have not been severely disciplined. The NCAA needs some "Roger Goddell" leadership with these programs so that standards are not bent even more for these powerhouses.

It's all good news for Gonzaga though as both these teams should make more mistakes as the year goes on. These kind of stories always reiterate my love for this program. There is rarely any question about the quality of kids Mark Few brings in. Sure we've had our Josh Heytvelt and Theo Davis problems but that was an isolated incident and it was dealt with quickly and severely by the University. Now all we need to do is show it on the court that we are better than the programs in question. UConn will be solid; the loss of Miles should have little affect on the Huskies but Memphis should waver this year. There is a 50/50 chance that they self-destruct mid season but the other side of the coin is that they could make a deep run because their talent level is as high as ever.

45 comments:

Anonymous said...

Complete buffoonery.

Heytvelt=suspension and trouble. Moreso than anyone on the Tiger team.

What has Dozier ever done? He dated a woman who habitually applies for restraining orders, and has been restrained herself. Poor choice in dating, no facts support anything else.

What publicity about Simpkins and Garcia? Garcia is an ESL student, not a bad student. College students study abroad all the time. I think that a student studying abroad and trying to study in the local language should be encouraged, not put down. Simpkins may not have focused on his academics early on in HS and had to work harder later, like many kids. It happens all over the country, all the time. Again, should 14-15 year old mistakes brand a kid as bad or not worthy of getting further education? Either one of them may or may not meet NCAA standards, but I'm proud of them for trying hard to get there and improve their situations.

As for CJ Henry, what's not to like? He was recruited by major programs before he played pro baseball, has continued to work on his basketball skills, by all accounts he can play, and he's a walk on. Oh yeah, his brother is one of the best players in the country who really likes the Tigers. When CJ calls and asks if he can walk on, are you going to say no?

Who specifically described Tyreke as selfish or arrogant? What descriptions are given by those who have played with him?

Finally, your feelings of inadequacy mean that something is wrong with the Tigers? Way to be objective!

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

oh yeah, I forgot about Gaddy.

So a fan who happens to be the pres of a corp where a recruit's parent works gives in to temptation and contacts the parent.

The NCAA investigated and there will be no sanctions - it was found to be as I said.

Boosters contact recruits all the time. They contact on facebook/myspace, make phone calls, go to games and AAU tournaments where they talk to recruits and their families, and etc. I absolutely 100% guarantee that Gonzaga boosters have done this, because some people from any given school just can't help themselves - they want to be connected.

The reason this was national news is the fact that Jeff Goodman (Arizona grad with close ties to Lute Olson) was encouraged by someone to ask Mrs. Gaddy about this phone call, and he probed her for information before contacting the NCAA, then writing his story, then contacting Memphis.

This is the same Jeff Goodman who has a public dislike for Calipari and the Tigers, and who is rumored to have spoken to Negedu to discourage him from going to Memphis.

So we have an Arizona grad talking to Arizona decommits and using his position in the media to spread negative stories about the Tigers.

Compare the tone of his story about Lute's more serious and clear cut violation.

Yes, the Memphis booster committed a secondary violation. But don't think it's unique, or that it is part of the Tigers program. Both of those assumptions are demonstrably false.

Anonymous said...

OK, I'm an idiot because I state corrected facts that you can't refute.

I thought a Gonzaga education was worth more than that.

Anonymous said...

Memphis has absolutely nothing to apologize for.

It IS true that Memphis has had its share of "second chance" players over the years, i.e. guys who may have an issue or two that you take a chance on and give them a chance to turn it around.

So what? Memphis at one point was the perfect place for these kids. Their problems don't mean that they're not good kids or that they're not high-character kids, just that in some cases they may have some mistakes or youthful indiscretions in their background, or some academic challenges. Many of them come/came from places that are a lot less privileged than the places around the computers from which we are typing.

Memphis, being an urban, affordable, state institution, is/was the ideal place for such kids to come and turn it around. There are many success stories, like Joey Dorsey for one. Remember also that All-American Chris Douglas-Roberts was once thought of as having "attitude issues" as well coming out of HS, but turned out to be as high-character a kid anyone could ever want representing their program.

Rebuilding a small-conference program from lower-than-scratch, as was Calipari's task, forces you to take some gambles on some kids. 8 years ago or so when Cal took over, D.Rose like kids were NOT lining up to play at Memphis. Lately he has been able to be more selective about the players he takes, and has been, but that does not denigrate the players and people he's gotten in the past.

It's probably very easy to sit behind a computer somewhere in the gorgeous Pacific Northwest, or at a predominantly white private institution full of privileged kids, and cast aspersions on inner-city black guys, some of whom are the first in their family to attend college. But hey, whatever makes you feel better about yourself!

Go Tigers!!

maximum zag said...

This is for the Memphis fans who claim that Memphis has been the cleanest of programs

http://www.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/story/10623754

maximum zag said...

And here is the description of Tyreke Evans as selfish. This is from Doug Gottlieb of ESPN

"I am also very disappointed at the McDonald's folks for selecting Tyreke Evans as the MVP. Despite four assists, Evans was incredibly selfish. He dribbled the ball incessantly with his strong right hand and only passed when he was triple-teamed. He's one of two players who remain uncommitted for next year and is the poster child for what is wrong with the MVP balloting. Evans was rewarded for his selfishness, taking more shots than his teammates and therefore leading them in scoring with 21 points."

Anonymous said...

There is a reason why Thaddeus Ferguson is the least famous of the three. He wasn't a UConn basketball player. He wasn't even a UConn student. He was a friend of Marcus Williams from back home in Los Angeles, who was visiting. It was he who stole the laptops. The three of them and attempted to pawn them. That's why he was charged with more counts. But go ahead, hey, why let the facts get in the way of a good story.

maximum zag said...

For the Uconn poster. Are you saying Williams and Price had no involvement with the stealing of laptops? If this is the case, why were both suspended by Jim Calhoun?

This article seems to implicate Marcus just a little

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/10589616/

Anonymous said...

You really have a problem with Memphis don't you? You owe Robert Dozier an apology. I also noticed you mention nothing about Josh Heytvelts problems. This may be the dumbest blog I've ever read. Go back to posting on message boards. You blog is nothing more than a smear job on young men. Your should really be proud of yourself.

ZagBell said...

First let me address the Heytvelt situation. I did mention it and know that it was an extremely serious incident. What Josh did should not be tolerated and he barely made it back on the team. Coach Few sat him down and Josh had to do many things before he could get back on the team. But as I mentioned when I initially addressed this, it was an isolated incident.

The purpose of this post was to discuss some trends and distractions that some future Gonzaga opponents may be facing. I completely rest on what I said in my initial post. As far as Memphis goes, he is my thought about their freshman and recruiting class. Both the freshman that may or may not qualify will probably have an impact and their is a QUESTION whether or not they are going to qualify which could be bad news for Memphis. I'm sure C.J. Henry can play and I know about his brother but I guess the verdict is still out on how good he will be. Show me.

As far as the Memphis players and getting in trouble, just read maximumzag's link.

http://www.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/story/10623754

I don't think I should have to argue a thing here. Are you starting to see a trend forming? I'm not the first one to write about Memphis in this light but hopefully I'm the last because I really enjoy watching them play. As far as Gaddy, it's just another distraction in the court of public opinion.

In response to the Connecticut poster, let me apologize for lumping Thaddeus in with Price and Williams as players. I will be sure to fix that. Thanks.

It's not my attempt to smear these young players, especially the recruits. My goal in this post was to present some issues looming over the heads of these programs. It just so happens that it is not the first time these sort of things have happened. I had to cut many other arrests/altercations out.

I didn't think this post would incite such a lively discussion because it's not really groundbreaking news that these two programs have some recurring issues. Thanks for checking us out though...we love the reads.

Anonymous said...

I never said that the Tigers have never had any problems. I'm referring to those who have broken the law on the current rosters. I don't even have a problem with Heytvelt, just with hypocrisy.

Now, let's look at Parrish's story, in true chronology:

Hunt was very very wrong (5 yr old story though), was punished, thoroughly repented and turned his life around. Parrish is being smarmy by insinuating that he was reinstated because Shawne Williams and DWash left. Williams was always gone and it's not like Hunt played the same position as DWash. He begged to come back and showed that he had changed. Shame on Cal for giving him a chance for redemption.

Taggart and Robinson made a very bad choice in the way they responded to the police. They were being taken in for something they didn't do, and had to learn the hard way that you don't yell at or resist the officers, even if you are right.

Finally, Dozier was accused, and he was convicted in the court of public opinion, guilty until proven innocent. He was suspended by Cal for being out past curfew, and for the negative attention to the program. It was at least the third time the accuser has made such allegations against someone. That doesn't mean for sure that what she said didn't happen. But it sure doesn't mean it did happen. After his name was smeared, she did not pursue charges. Why not? None of us know, but if you were really and truly wronged wouldn't you press charges to seek justice?

I'm not an irrational fan - I'm just saying make judgements based on what is really known, not based on wanting to bash people. And don't be hypocritical.

Anonymous said...

lenetzach....to answer your question, no.

Most cases of domestic violence between husband/wife, girlfriend/boyfriend, or even siblings are not further seen through the judicial process by the person making the claim. These type of actions generally occur during heated moments, and after the calm of the storm, the girlfriend (as in the case with Dozier) like most others probably realized that it wasn't worth pursuing, most likely due to the feelings she still had for him. This is far more typical, especially if it is the first time it occurred.

While Dozier is surely innocent until proven guilty, reputable sources have reported that his girlfriend had minor lacerations on her face, so to say that the reporting on this blog or the sportsline article was unfair is quite the stretch you are trying to make with your argument.

ZagBell said...

lenetzach...

If Jeremy Hunt's incident would have been the only one and Taggart would have been with him while it was happening, then I would be a hypocrite. That would be an isolated incident.

I don't think your an irrational fan and I love the passion you have for your team. I am merely making observations about the trends that I (and many others) are noticing. Once again, this is not groundbreaking news.

I can't speak for the situations that many Memphis players were in because I wasn't there, nor do I know what the girl was thinking when he had marks on her face but didn't pursue further legal action.

As I have said numerous times, my post was about the DISTRACTION these incidents cause the team. If you argue that, then I believe you are an irrational fan.

I don't feel inadequate about Gonzaga, I'm not some idiot sitting here in the Pac Northwest and I don't believe I write for the dumbest blog ever. My comments have obviously stirred up some emotions with Memphis fans.

I'm not going to apologize because I know that I am not in the wrong. I know that all these incidents have distracted the player and their teammates. I know that recruits potentially not qualifying is a distraction. I know that when a number of your players have been arrested it is a distraction. It's the court of public opinion, yes it may suck but it is extremely powerful.

Anonymous said...

It is a good thing this is an UNOFFICIAL Gonzaga site, otherwise a few Memphis players could probably sue the university for libel.

The points have already been well refuted. All I can add is that this is sham journalism based on half-truths, negative innuendo, sloppy research and even sloppier reporting. If it hadn't been for that, it would simply have been one more erroneous piece of trash. Beyond ridiculous.

Anonymous said...

The blog is written in the form of an opinion, and opinions are not libel, sorry.

As for the facts of the charges. This blog is clearly not the first to report the instances mentioned, and one of the five burdens in a libel suit would be for the players to prove that the statements are false. But, since the reports of the alleged crimes are not false, there once again is no libel claim.

Anonymous said...

didn't Calipari put in some rule banning Memphis players from nightclubs because of the incidents?

Anonymous said...

This blog entry is pretty much name smearing trash! You can look at any program in the country and write the same article if you want... INCLUDING GONZAGA! How much have we heard about all the non-sense going on at Kansas in the last 6 months (Chalmers and Arthur in the NBA, the Morris Twins, Arthur and high school math) or how about Ty Lawson's DUI at UNC. Basically if you are successful the lights are brighter and the A-holes like this blogger are more vocal. Get a life dude, when illegal drug use dries up on Gonzaga campus then start posted bogus non-sense articles like this one... Sheesh!!!

Anonymous said...

i wish i could move to memphis where you can sue someone for opinions.

maximum zag said...

Im not sure what you find so smearing about this post that was written. All we have done is examined two of the opponents on GU's schedule, and commented on off the court issues that have occurred.

There is no way to compare the situations of GU and Memphis. GU has had one huge incident that resulted in suspensions of multiple games for Theo and Josh. As mentioned in the gary parrish article, there have been incidents with Taggart, Hunt, Dozier, and Dorsey over the past couple of years. In no way were we trying to smear Memphis, but just stating facts about recent incidents.

Anonymous said...

to those who are dissing memphis, or any other program for that matter: may he who has no sin, cast the first stone.

Anonymous said...

I am truly stunned and ashamed by Memphis and Connecticut fans alike here. Take responsibility. Yes, Heytfelt and Davis did get caught and should have. No doubt about it. They sat out the remainder of the season, and frankly, the most important part of the season, and by the saving grace of God were allowed to participate in the basketball program again.

Quit defending your players, they made a mistake and get over it. No apologizes are in order, these are the facts given to us. Get out of your fantasy world and understand that there is no ‘smearing’ going on. If you want ‘smearing’ go to the preschool down the street and enjoy some arts and crafts. Contact all the news media that reported these stories and sue them for libel.

The fact of the matter is, you play Division I basketball. It is a privilege. With that privilege comes responsibility; there is no special circumstance because you have a spotlight on you. A majority of college and professional athletes lead lives that are never interfered with negative publicity.

I do believe that everyone deserves a second chance, but when you abuse that policy it’s game over. Players need to understand that the character you hold will lead you in life.

Anonymous said...

@Anonymous:

This is not "sham journalism." because it's not journalism.

It's dangerous to blur the line between someone who is hired to write/report stories for a news publication or broadcast, and a blogger.

This is not an indictment of blogging in general, as it has merit, but it's not journalism. A journalist who is hired to report for a news organization must keep up at least the illusion of research and serious reporting-- a blogger, on the other hand, can write anything at all.

It's important to remember the difference and remind others, lest someone's opinions, rumors, third-hand info, or speculation be perceived as fact.

Anonymous said...

"live on the edge as far as academics"

I think 3 of Cal's seniors haven't graduated. How's Few's record with players and degrees?

"Robert Dozier has single-handily brought a black cloud over the entire program with his actions throughout his career as a Tiger."

If you know of more than the one incident where his psycho ex-girlfriend stopped him at an intersection when he was with his new girlfriend and went ballistic on both of them and then made similar claims to the ones she has a criminal history of making, only to drop the charges when she would have had to swear to her story in court, please inform Coach Cal and the rest of the Memphis public.

"Tyreke Evans is a player who many people think is the most talented player in the 2008 class but he has been described as extremely selfish and arrogant."

Wow, someone called a prolific scorer selfish and arrogant. AI, Kobe, Beasley, need I go on? Even if it were true, is that kind of thing news to you?

"Calipari is an excellent coach and one of the most respected in the NCAA but his continued pursuit of talent with no character will certainly catch up with him."

Derrick Rose, #1 draft pick by the Chicago Bulls. Guess they just want talent with no character, too, huh?

CDR, consensus 1st Team All-American, drafted by the New Jersey Nets. Yep, another team that cares nothing for character, obviously.

Zagbell, I've never heard of you, and you've never heard of me, but I've always had respect for Mark Few, Gonzaga and their fans. They've always been a class act, from my point of view, in the way they've treated us when we were there and the way they've carried themselves when they have visited us. You are the first I've run into who seems to be seriously lacking in that quality. Maybe you should hang around the others a little more often so some of that could rub off.

Anonymous said...

CDR and Derrick Rose have no negative incidents. Why do you bring them up? What about the players mentioned?

Anonymous said...

It's a stupid blog and the opinions are stupid. Your whole basis of the blog is how these programs have these distractions. Yet everything you named, with the exception of the acedemics, are in the past and are NOT a current distraction. I guess you guys will be distracted by child molesting Priests? Ridiculous.

You want to know how much of a distraction it HAS been?? Elite Eight, Elite Eight, National Champion runner up. Yeah, we have been really distracted. And we will be distracted when we come to Spokane and kick the bulldogs back into the Kennel.

Idiot

Anonymous said...

For the original poster and those who think the original post is not unfair, please defend this statement with specific examples: "Robert Dozier has single-handily brought a black cloud over the entire program with his actions throughout his career as a Tiger."

You can't. There is one alleged incident. He was accused of hitting his ex-girlfriend. She had minor cuts on her face. That is called circumstatial evidence. My daughter has small cuts on her face right now, but nobody hit her, she just wasn't looking where she was going. There are all kinds of possibilities for what could have happened. I feel sorry for anyone who would not pursue charges if they are assaulted. If it's worth taking to the media and getting a restraining order, it's worth filing charges, unless you have no case and risk prosecution for filing a false police report when the facts come out. If you wanted to smear your somewhat famous ex, on the other hand, trial by media would be exactly the way to go.

The known facts are that he was accused of one thing in his 3 years and no charges were filed. So I think several people have made unfair statements, and should think about how you would feel if you were falsely accused.

To be honest, if Dozier ever showed that much aggression on the court, we would be shocked. That's what doesn't jive - it's totally out of character.

Now, was that a distraction last year? Yes, for a while. Did the team lose any games due to it? No. Same with the Tag/Robinson thing - it was a distraction for a few weeks, but it was not a major incident, and was not criminal behavior, just stupid and immature reaction to a situation.

As for the other things, again, CJ Henry wasn't even recruited, so anything he provides is gravy. No distraction there. Weird that it is supposed to be an issue.

And, everyone has known for months that Simpkins and Garcia would be questionable to qualify - it's actually looking better right now than it has for a while, but I don't think anyone is losing sleep over it, except maybe those two. If we get them, great, if not, the team is still at least top 15 caliber.

Let me explain why - you know about Dozier and Taggart inside, but don't sleep on Pierre Niles - he has transformed his body and he always had skills. On the other end of the scale, Wesley Witherspoon is a lightweight but between his skills and 6'8" frame he can play anywhere from the 1-4 positions, no joke. If we need both athleticism and beef, Robinson can give some time at the 4, and given our offense, Antonio Anderson even plays there sometimes in a small lineup. We have plenty of options, so we're not sweating it. I seriously doubt that's a distraction. More like the sky is the limit if those two make it.

As for Tyreke, what some analysts call selfish about Tyreke is what the same people call selfish about the Tigers' offense - creating off the dribble. He will drive and score, kick out, or dump off, depending on what the defense gives, which is why he is a perfect match for our system (which by the way was used in part by the Celtics this year - Rivers regularly checks in with Cal about it, this is documented in articles).

So there's no distraction there either. In fact, I saw that game that Gottlieb refers to, and Tyreke did pass the ball after he penetrated the defense, but his teammates were out of position many times and missed a number of shots. No made shot means no assist. He still had 4 assists in that game, which is not bad for a SG in an all-star game. But that's what you get when Gottlieb is your authority on basketball analysis. If you want to get caught with stolen credit cards, he's your man...

You really think you can make this statement and say you're not trying to smear players, especially recruits? "continued pursuit of talent with no character will certainly catch up with him."

I am really offended by that. Who exactly has no character. Tell me specifically why, and how you know that? You see, this has nothing to do with distractions - this is about smearing. Ask the media who covered the Tigers in the tournament last year about their character, you will get a different picture, I guarantee.

You should look into the character of Willie Kemp who goes to visit an elementary school teacher of his, or Antonio Anderson, who is a rock of character and leadership. Pierre Niles loves his grandma and her cooking but had the discipline to shed 50 lbs this offseason - so far. Wesley Witherspoon is articulate and highly highly regarded with respect to character. Tyreke Evans testified against his own cousin when the code of the streets is to keep quiet. He risked not only family relationships but his own safety to do that. Doneal Mack listened to his father when he probably shouldn't have, and made a poor choice to try to transfer, but he also showed enough character to admit he was wrong and ask to come back. I've heard good things about CJ Henry's character, and his fellow walk-on, Chance McGrady, could go elsewhere and play more minutes, but loves being part of the Tigers. That shows character to me. I don't know much about Simpkins and Garcia other than the fact that they worked hard over the last year to qualify.

I think I've only left out Taggart and Robinson, who have had the one incident lacking maturity a year ago, and Dozier, who was the subject of a temporary restraining order, and not even formal charges. He has had no other issues, and there are reasons to question that "incident" as I have laid out. I'm not admitting these guys have no character - I'm saying they are the only ones that could possibly be questioned, and I don't think the evidence really supports that conclusion.

My point is that almost all of the asssumptions are false.

If you REALLY want to know what the Tigers' challenges are this year, they are as follows:

1. get total buy in and understanding on defense from everyone asap.

2. work new guys into the offense.

3. will we have a go-to scorer?

That is what you need to know. If you want to believe other things are true because it makes you feel better, and you want to engage in a smear campaign, go ahead, but everyone else can then see what you are doing.

Anonymous said...

One thing for sure the so called character issues did not derail Memphis record breaking season last year...Zagbell you should have expound more on the difficulty of winning against Memphis and why.... Losing 3 years in a row, now that a trend for you.

Anonymous said...

now that we are taking cheap shots, if you would have made your free throws in the final minutes of that championship game you could have put national champion instead of runner up.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

the fact of the matter is, those incidents happened. deal with it.

Anonymous said...

i once watched this movie called fight club and it said 'starring robert dozier.' any correlation to this topic?

ZagBell said...

Hmm...I'm starting to think we are going to see a big spike in our hit number from the Tennessee area.

Lenetzach, I have gained quite a bit of respect for you during this discussion (I'm sure no one has gained respect for me but shit happens). I appreciate you pointing out the fact that many Memphis basketball players have positive traits and now that I look back on what I have said I got caught up in the moment. Some phrases I used and the infamous "black cloud" comment may have been excessive but I still stand by my overall point in this piece.

Besides a few over the top phrases, I believe my post is factual and based on what many other "journalists" have claimed. I've seen Evans play and believe he is an EXTREMELY talented individual but yes I do question his ability to share the ball. Don't agree with me? That happens, it was a blog from my angle. My angle may suck to you but thats the way I see it.

I know the writers of this blog really do enjoy Memphis basketball. We were a couple of the biggest Joey Dorsey fans out there. Seeing him life was terrifying because he is the largest man I've seen. CDR and Derrick Rose are also players I have respect for.

To respond to some of the anonymous fellows:

1. As thelawyer pointed out, I'm not under any sort of umbrella to be charged with libel.

2. We don't play Kansas or Carolina this year, unless in the tourney, and Arthur and Chalmers were caught when they were in the NBA.

3. I'm glad you have respect for Gonzaga. It's a first rate institution. I'll try and hang out with Mark Few more in the near future.

4. As for the child molestation comment, it has nothing to do with the team because we have no priest playing nor am I aware of any Gonzaga player being assaulted by a priest during their youth.

5. You got me on the losing to Memphis thing. You've had our number the past three years, but this year is a whole new one.

That's all I got. I appreciate the comments by lenetzach. The black cloud comment was rather excessive.

Anonymous said...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12D-o6EZRh0

memphis fans are funny. heres something for you from lawrence.

Anonymous said...

black cloud sums it up.

Anonymous said...

buffoonery. good diction.

Anonymous said...

http://rangelife.typepad.com/rangelife/images/2008/02/20/uab2.jpg

Anonymous said...

just click my name

Anonymous said...

click this one too

Anonymous said...

thanks zagbell for manning up.

good form.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

"Besides a few over the top phrases, I believe my post is factual and based on what many other "journalists" have claimed."

You're the fattest pig I've ever seen, your mama dresses you funny, and your breath could stop a truck. Oh, and Gonzaga plays in a chump conference.

That's a few over-the-top phrases with an otherwise commonly-held viewpoint of many journalists. How'd you like it?

Look, I appreciate you coming back with a quasi-retraction. My only question is, why would you want to start something like this between two teams who have enjoyed a VERY good and enjoyable relationship in the past? Even the fans on the boards have been unusually respectful of each other, from what I'd seen prior to reading this blog.

Writing's a challenge, and sports writing in particular. You've probably learned a few things from this -- for one thing, that all you have to do to get hits is to embellish your piece with "a few over the top phrases" -- so, I have no doubt that your abilities will improve. Hang in there. If we didn't like to read basketball blogs, you'd never have heard from any of us.

Anonymous said...

If you like to read this blog, why did you just personally insult him? What makes con USA any less of a chump than the WCC?

Anonymous said...

Coach Calhoun trys to help get these kids discipline and get their lives on the right track. See: Caron Butler.

Anonymous said...

As a rabid Gonzaga fan, as well as a Memphis fan, the story above about Memphis disappoints me and is, in my opinion, the first poorly conceived story I've read on The Kennel Report, which may have gotten a lot of hits, but did Gonzaga no favors by attacking our friends from Memphis. I'll read your blog with a more jaundiced view in the future.

Apologies to Gonzaga's many friends in Memphis. Rest assured the views in the story do not reflect the views of most Gonzaga fans. Too bad ...