Coack K on Obama from main page

[AIRFORCEDUKIE]

Saw the story on the DBR front page. Coach K says that President Obama should concentrate on the economy and not brackets. Thoughs?

-If I was loosing my home or getting screwed by some big shot on wall street I don't think seeing Oboma on ESPN would make me very happy. Plus he is doing a whole lot of recruiting for NC these days, going to play ball in the Dean Dome and now picking them to go to the title game. But maybe I'm thinking too much into it.

[minday]

I was searching for something on this:

"Somebody said that we're not in President Obama's Final Four, and as much as I respect what he's doing, really, the economy is something that he should focus on, probably more than the brackets," Krzyzewski told a reporter from the Associated Press on Wednesday.

Way to go, K. You would benefit from listening, Mr. Obama.

And yes, during his campaign tour last year Obama stopped and played a game with the guys from UNC...oh, and they gave him some lovely shoes or something ridiculous. I suppose he figured that UNC has the most "bandwagon" fans so he should associate with them, and he was/is probably right (I can't tell you how many times I have asked a UNC 'fan' to name their starting lineup and they just blankly stare off into the distance while telling me that floppy is the best player ever...so sad).

[brevity]

Sorry, Coach K, and at the risk of going Off Topic (or Public Policy), it's nice to have a President with some real priorities.*

I watched his "Barack-etology" segment with Andy Katz this morning, and the man cracked me up. Like making sure the public knows that picking Utah over Arizona was not a McCain issue. Also:

"I've gotta pick Duke."
"The whole way, or just right here?"
"No, no, not the whole way."

Sure, there's a good chance that Reggie Love or Craig Robinson fed him some talking points, but the concept of a President mentioning DeJuan Blair and Dominic James by name is very cool.

And while he picked UNC to win it all, it's a pick from the head rather than the heart. Should Illinois make the Sweet 16, he won't be rooting for a successful bracket.

* Prime example: on ESPN's Monday Night Football before the election, Chris Berman talked to both candidates, and asked them about the one sports issue they'd like to address. McCain discussed steroids; Obama talked college football playoff. McCain had the nicer-sounding political answer, but that issue is useless. Obama came across as the real fan.

[MonitorMom]

I value the fact that the President watches American Idol with his kids, has taken out college loans, uses a Blackberry, and fills out a bracket...however terribly misguided his picks are.

[Channing]

I value the fact that the President watches American Idol with his kids, has taken out college loans, uses a Blackberry, and fills out a bracket...however terribly misguided his picks are.

like I said on the PPB, I think it is good we have a president that is actively trying to relate to his constituents. We havent had that in a long time (whatever your political beliefs may be). To think he is ignoring our bigger problems because he took an hr to do a segment with ESPN is ludicrous.

[davekay1971]

Prime example: on ESPN's Monday Night Football before the election, Chris Berman talked to both candidates, and asked them about the one sports issue they'd like to address. McCain discussed steroids; Obama talked college football playoff. McCain had the nicer-sounding political answer, but that issue is useless. Obama came across as the real fan.

I think Obama came across as the one more attuned to which issue had easy popularity points. Every fan wants a college football playoff. It was an answer which would appeal to everyone - simple easy popularity points. I tend to agree also with the poster above - if you want to win North Carolina (which was a battleground state) you're a heck of a lot better off seen playing one on one with Hansbrough in the Dean Dome than with Kyle Singler in Cameron.

Mr. Obama is as savvy a politician as we've seen in a long, long time. I'm sure he's a real sports fan, but I'm pretty confident that what he publicly says about sports has been processed through the political engine of his mind before it comes out of his mouth.

At any rate, I'm with Coach K. With as many problems as this administration has already run into, and with as many problems as they have to deal with, spend a little less time pandering for popularity points and a little more time figuring out exactly where our hundreds of billions of tax dollars are going and whether they're being used as efficiently as possible to improve our economy today and in the future.

And next time, Mr. Obama, recognize the skills: pick Duke.

[TNDukeFan]

...I can't agree. First, our President is a symbolic leader as much an administrator or executive. Showing empathy, the common touch, or whatever your term for it is part of the job.

Second, he's a real hoops guy. The SI piece on him showed that.

Third, seriously, would we be having this conversation if he picked Duke?

[AIRFORCEDUKIE]

...I can't agree. First, our President is a symbolic leader as much an administrator or executive. Showing empathy, the common touch, or whatever your term for it is part of the job.

Second, he's a real hoops guy. The SI piece on him showed that.

Third, seriously, would we be having this conversation if he picked Duke?

I think we would, because I Coach K probably would have said the same thing, just a little different such as "I am glad he chose us but, he has bigger fish to fry" However I am sure us fans would view it different you're right about that.

[davekay1971]

It's up to the mods, but this is probably a great thread for the off topic page, since it's not really about hoops as much as our views on Coach K's remarks about the President taking the time to do a PR piece on his picks.

[Turtleboy]

Uh guys? Coach K was kidding. Did anyone see that press conference? He had a smile on his face the whole time. It was a joke.

Linking to a site that says he "disses" the president and "lashes out" is a bit weird.

[AIRFORCEDUKIE]

Uh guys? Coach K was kidding. Did anyone see that press conference? He had a smile on his face the whole time. It was a joke.

Linking to a site that says he "disses" the president and "lashes out" is a bit weird.

I thought that it might have been taken out of context or that there was more to it. But its even on FoxNews front page with the same exact quote but I wasn't sure if that was all he said or not

[Turtleboy]

I thought that it might have been taken out of context or that there was more to it. But its even on FoxNews front page with the same exact quote but I wasn't sure if that was all he said or not

The quote is right, but he wasn't serious. It was a throwaway remark. And he was by no means lashing out. Or "dissing" the president.

[slower]

I thought that it might have been taken out of context or that there was more to it. But its even on FoxNews front page with the same exact quote but I wasn't sure if that was all he said or not

It's on Fox News! My God, then it MUST be true!!

Sorry, "Fox" and "News" are mutually exclusive.

[davekay1971]

It's on Fox News! My God, then it MUST be true!!

Sorry, "Fox" and "News" are mutually exclusive.

Come on, now, Fox News is just as unbiased and impartial as CNN and MSNBC. That is to say, equally biased, just in the opposite direction

I heard the soundbyte on sports radio, and didn't pick up the humor in Coach's voice. Thanks for the post on the video.

[Rogue]

He needs better advisors for the East and South regions.. sheeesh



GOOOOOOOOOOOOO DUKE

[ForeverBlowingBubbles]

Come on, now, Fox News is just as unbiased and impartial as CNN and MSNBC. That is to say, equally biased, just in the opposite direction

I heard the soundbyte on sports radio, and didn't pick up the humor in Coach's voice. Thanks for the post on the video.

I don't think there is any doubt that Fox leans a lot farther to the right than CNN leans to the left. (and CNN leans pretty far to the left)

[quickgtp]

I don't think there is any doubt that Fox leans a lot farther to the right than CNN leans to the left. (and CNN leans pretty far to the left)

According to who? I think a majority of the media leans left just as much, if not more, than Fox news leans right. I can't stand Fox most of the time anyway, but at least they have the guts to come out with stories that "aren't supposed to come out."

I am Independent myself, but regardless I feel Barack should concentrate more on the economy than the brackets. 1 hour away from the economy is one too many IMO. Having a President that "gets it" and knows how to run a bracket is an insult to me when my taxes are going up and the government gets bigger and bigger.

On a positive note....there is a TON of bball on today!

[blueprofessor]

I don't think there is any doubt that Fox leans a lot farther to the right than CNN leans to the left. (and CNN leans pretty far to the left)

on CNN is 1 to 3.
On Fox, it is 1 to 1.
Overall about 95 % of big media reporters, editors, and anchors and producers vote Dem.

Best--Blue "What are these political remarks doing on the main page,anyhow?"Prof

[AIRFORCEDUKIE]

on CNN is 1 to 3.
On Fox, it is 1 to 1.
Overall about 95 % of big media reporters, editors, and anchors and producers vote Dem.

Best--Blue "What are these political remarks doing on the main page,anyhow?"Prof

Well I just wanted to hear what people thought, guess I should have put this in the Off Topic didn't think It would get this much into politics.

Sorry mods I'm newish

[brumby041]

Why can Obama not have any down time? I realize that there are serious issues facing the country, but is he supposed to work 24-7-365? No weekends? Holidays? TV Time with the kids?

Lots of folks jumped on BO for taking 20 minutes to do humorous piece about his bracket picks. How many folks around the country do you suppose have spent more than 20 minutes AT WORK picking brackets, watching streaming games, or, uh, reading this board?

Give the man a break. I want Duke to cut down the nets as much as the next Duke fan, but come on - I think the majority of the talking heads, Vegas, etc. all have UNC going farther than us. Plus, they've beaten us twice already. Can you imagine the outcry if he had copied Reggie's bracket (I assume) and put Duke in there?

9F