As you may know, Billy Gillispie now coaches at Kentucky instead of Texas A&M. I have yet to choose a definite feeling about this. There are several possibilities:
1. Anger: So he just shows up at Kentucky, with his blue windbreaker, when he couldn't even be bothered to wear a maroon tie when he coached for us, and then he talks about how the Kentucky fans are so great and it was so hard to play in front of only 8,000 Aggies and how the Kentucky players are the most important people to him in the whole world and how he's a "country boy" and a "handshake man" (HANDSHAKE MAN?!?) and I just wish somebody would wipe that smirk off his face . . . well, you get the idea.
2. Betrayal: he didn't tell any of his players in person. Not a one. He left a message for Joe Jones and text-messaged the rest, apparently. Josh Carter found out from SportsCenter. Nice. And, if we're looking for personal betrayal, there's always this:
“I am thankful for the commitment Texas A&M continues to make to allow us to do the things we need to do, to achieve our ultimate goal—winning a national championship,” Gillispie said. “The commitment has been there since day one and continues to grow stronger still. While it’s embarrassing to me to be compensated so well to perform my passion for a school I love, I am sincerely appreciative of the efforts of Bill Byrne, our university administration, the board of regents and everyone associated with Texas A&M for their personal support they continue to show. We will continue to do our best to try and make the Texas A&M family proud.”
March 30, 2007. I guess he meant he'd continue to do his best to make the A&M family proud . . . for about a week.
3. Resignation: Of course, coaches lie all the time. Breathe, break down game tape, eat, lie. And Kentucky . . . well they care about basketball there. A lot. And even though I still think Billy would eventually have made more than the football coach if he'd stayed at A&M, basketball would never be THE THING for Aggies. And for a really ambitious guy . . . yeah, I can see why he'd choose them over us.
4. Sadness: A&M was really, really horrible at basketball before Billy Gillispie showed up. Some sports columnist put it a way I'd never heard it before: Billy won three NCAA tournament games in three years, the same amount A&M had won in the previous ninety-two (92) years. I think I can leave it at that.
5. Utter Bereft Depression: If you'd asked me a month ago what my reaction would be in this situation, I think this would be my answer. I really love Aggie basketball, but that never would have happened if not for Billy. And I love Bobble Billy, and now he has to live in the back of my closet. And what about my cool hologram poster that switches from (women's coach) Gary Blair to Billy? What am I going to do with that? And the matching magnet? And what about my BG-GB basketball shirt? I mean, it doesn't even make sense to say that it stands for "Bob Gates Gets Booty" anymore, because he's gone, too! And what about the recruits Billy had signed? Will they still come? What will happen to Aggie basketball? What will happen?
6. Magnanimy: On the other hand, Billy left us in a much better situation than he found us. He's a great coach, and I'm sure he'll go on to do great things. I've said it before--that man is going to win a national championship someday, it's only a question of what team he'll do it with.
7. Pettiness: But wouldn't it be great if he FAILED? And, like, didn't even GET to the tournament? And then the Kentucky fans RODE HIM OUT ON A RAIL? (Answer: yes it would.)
Also, I'm pretty sure I'm going to start referring to him as "The Handshake Man." And make sure it, you know, drips with sarcasm.
8. Hope: Maybe we'll get a new coach that's just as good (I know I should say even better, but face it--I can't get that hopeful). What if . . . what if we get . . . BRUISER FLINT, possessor of the greatest name in basketball? (Do click on that link. Totally worth it.)
That would be awesome.
Also awesome? This picture from Texags:
Metapost: Pre-prandial comments of the week
14 hours ago
6 comments:
I lean towards #3. Coaches do this all the time. Say they love the school, have no plans to leave, and then ditch the first chance they get. The aggravating part is that coaches can leave their contracts with no repercussions. If a coach gets fired, they still have to pay him, but if a coach ditches a contract, nothing, or else a small fee that the new school pays. But I suppose no coach would agree to a contract with a strict escape clause. I am interested to see who we get now. And I bet we do lose a recruit or three.
P.S. I must admit that I eagerly awaited your comment on this matter.
I'm hoping for something along the lines of #7. I think it's most frustrating for me since I'm in Kentucky right now and have to listen to all the happy fans go on about how they didn't know who he was this morning but since they have had a chance to Google him they think he will be a good thing for the school. In the end I think they will just chew him up and spit him out like they do to everyone else here.
PS - The blue and white outfit is getting on my nerves.
The first time I saw him in that blue windbreaker I was physically ill. I want to vomit on him.
Shelby Metcalf's death was mourned by Aggies. He was fondly remembered. When Billy Clyde passes, people will will say, "Didn't he coach here once?" as they toss his cold Gypsy body into a drainage ditch.
I, too, was waiting with bated breath for your take on the Billy's defection. Your post exceeded my expectations.
By the way, Craig called us both out on my old post about Rush. Feel free to stop back by and defend yourself.
Post a Comment