Jerold is the reason for the season
posted by Pete @ LetsGoNova.com12/24/2008 02:49:00 AM
It's that time of year again.
People walk with a bit more pep in their step. Children lay awake at night dreaming of what surprises tomorrow might bring. Pete at Let's Go Nova makes the exact same joke he made two years ago this day.
That's right. December 24 marks the 47th anniversary of Villanova head coach Jerold Wright's birth. Let me speak for the rest of Nova Nation in wishing Jay a happy birthday.
Many readers here think I am too hard on Coach Wright, or have some sort of anti-Wright agenda. They only have to read the gushing post linked above to see that's not true.
Let me state for the record, I am happy Jay Wright is coaching at Villanova.
Since this site is about basketball -- not exactly a matter of life and death -- I am honest with my opinions. After all, it's only a game, and we get just as much (if not more) entertainment from dissecting the game's finer points as we do watching it.
It's true, I am often vocal in disagreement with Wright's gameplans, substitution patterns, and play-calling. Lots of 'Nova fans bemoan the Wildcats' "take-em" offense and utter lack of inbounds plays. I definitely think Wright is often slow to adjust tactics or change strategic course during the game. And concerns have bubbled over lately -- not just from me -- about the growing frequency of transfers off the Main Line. With that said, though, I believe Wright is a net positive on the program, and is taking Villanova basketball in the right direction. The Wildcats have enjoyed recent tournament success, and have a monster recruiting class on the way. Say what you will about Wright, but the man can recruit. He is also an excellent face for the program, bringing the kind of positivity and genuine enthusiasm only possible from a coach who loves his sport, his team, and his university.
For all that, I am thankful to have Jay Wright at the reins. While I admit I'd like to see some improvements in the areas mentioned above, you won't hear me saying "Fire Jay Wright" anytime soon.
Unless the 'Cats don't come up with an new inbounds play for the conference season. Just kidding.
Happy birthday, Jay, from all of us at Let's Go Nova.
Labels: birthdays, editorial, festivus miracles, flamebait, Jay Wright, meta, opinion, war on christmas
9 Comments:
Festivus yes!
Bagels no!
Merry Christmas Pete!
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Wow Pete, I am impressed with this posting...I always thought you were anti-Jay haha
He is a great coach, and having met with him a few times, he is an even better man.
I encourage everyone to read this great article on Jay to celebrate his birthday:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/the_bonus/12/01/jay.wright/
Malik Cheekness to Yarou! And may Armwood be King in Villanova's New Year!
Talk about damning with faint praise.
But in fairness, the comments about Wright's in game tactics, while in my opinion a little unfair, are certainly in the bounds of legitimate criticism. But this:
"And concerns have bubbled over lately -- not just from me -- about the growing frequency of transfers off the Main Line."
First of all, "not just from [Pete]"? Really? Maybe I don't get around much, but I haven't seen anyone else share Pete's bizzare, irrational and borderline insane fixation on this complete non-issue. His fumbling posts when he actually tries to explain why he thinks there is a transfer problem and why he thinks that Wright is responsible are ... embarrassing.
Here's the thing. With one exception, the people who have left weren't getting playing time because they didn't deserve PT (there are only so many minutes to go around, a basic fact that Pete can't seem to wrap his head around), and who went to second tier (at best) programs (justifying Wright's PT decisions - if these guys really deserved more PT, they would have been able to transfer to better programs). I include Drummond in this, though there is a little qualifier there, as Drummond in theory probably could have contributed. But it's pretty clear he had ... issues. Issues which rightfully kept him from getting PT, and kept him from belong able to transfer to a first tier program.
The exception, of course, is Grant. I am certainly not going to re-open THAT can of worms; suffice it to say that, even if Pete is right on that issue, one instance does not a trend make.
Heck, they STILL haven't lost anyone who was getting significant PT. (The argument regarding Grant was that he should have been getting more PT.) As other's have tried to explain to Pete, given Wright's excellent recruiting, some very good players are going to sit. It's tough for ANY coach to keep those kind of players happy. Programs which recruit at the level that Wright has been recruiting lose people to transfers. It's just part of the game at this level. If they start losing players who are getting significant PT, then maybe there will be some reason for concern.
Seriously, who has the time to write that long of a post ON CHRISTMAS?
My bet is that it's either Pete's girlfriend or Malcolm Grant
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