Brown Blames 9/11 And Injuries For Bronze in 2004

[gotham devil]

http://basketball.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/54146/20080825/brown_blames_9/11_and_injuries_for_bronze_in_2004/#

They had more losses, three, in that single year than the country's Olympic teams had suffered in all previous Olympiads combined.


"The thing is they got guys that are willing to make a three-year commitment, which I think is tremendous," Brown said of this current Team USA. "We had guys that committed (for 2004,) and then all of a sudden 9/11 happened, and then there were injuries."

A new low for the old Tar Heel

[CameronBornAndBred]

What a jackassssssss. 9/11 was one of those great events that inspired people to do anything they could for this country. Here is the original story (http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/2008olympics/2008/08/24/2008-08-24_its_commitment_that_takes_medal_for_us_b.html), and the comments have already begun calling him out.

[freedevil]

A fairly full proof method I use to evaluate whether I think what a Carolina coach has said is ridiculous or not is to imagine that Coach K said it and then picture how UNC fans would react. It's no question that if K said this, there would be 8 threads about it on IC, and hondoheel would come over to DBR and start a thread about it here as well.

[Wander]

I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

[godukecom]

garbadge

[Bluedevilsfanforever]

What a total dumbass.

[calltheobvious]

http://www.slate.com/id/87690/workarea/3/

Gladwell had Brown figured out quite a while back.

You know the gold medal is just tearing Larry's insides up.

[Devilsfan]

Of course he won't accept full blame, did you really expect anything less? And if the Hornets don't make it to the playoffs he'll probably just move on and find another gig.

[dukeENG2003]

To be fair, 9/11 DID have an effect on the games, its likely the reason that many of the team that was originally signed up bailed.

That said, he had enough talent to win, and didn't. He also chose to add Ben Wallace to the team, a truly foolish decision. The real problem I have with Larry Brown is that its never his fault though. Just because something has an inkling of truth doesn't mean you can't just suck it up and accept the blame for your team. K deflects blame from his players, Larry Brown deflects it TOWARDS his players.

[Highlander]

Of course he won't accept full blame, did you really expect anything less? And if the Hornets don't make it to the playoffs he'll probably just move on and find another gig.

I think you mean the Bobcats (http://www.nba.com/bobcats/release_brown_named_coach_080429.html).

[bigj4194]

wow...that is all i can say...i can't believe that he even said that

[weezie]

I'm sorry he's so classless, it's a shame.

[moonpie23]

and y'all are surprised at this?


pure UNC.......

[DukieInKansas]

http://basketball.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/54146/20080825/brown_blames_9/11_and_injuries_for_bronze_in_2004/#

They had more losses, three, in that single year than the country's Olympic teams had suffered in all previous Olympiads combined.


"The thing is they got guys that are willing to make a three-year commitment, which I think is tremendous," Brown said of this current Team USA. "We had guys that committed (for 2004,) and then all of a sudden 9/11 happened, and then there were injuries."

A new low for the old Tar Heel


Didn't 9/11 happen 3 years before the 2004 Olympics? I understand increased fears of terrorist activity closer to the Olympics caused some to drop out, but weren't the coaching staff and players discussing that all along? (If not, they should have been.) I would have thought Larry had time to work with the players he had to do better. It's not like he had a bunch of no-talent guys to work with. I haven't had much respect for Larry before this and this article didn't make me change my opinion.

[Devilsfan]

Thanks Highlander! That shows you how much I follow the UNC "semi-pro" team in Chalotte.

[hc5duke]

Thanks Highlander! That shows you how much I follow the UNC "semi-pro" team in Chalotte.

Attendance has been consistently going down each year, so I guess they're trying all kinds of gimmicks to lure the UNC fans (while alienating all other fans)

[EarlJam]

wow...that is all i can say...i can't believe that he even said that

Great. One MORE thing for Osama to brag about - bringing down the U.S. Olympic basketball team from a cave in Afghanistan.

Thanks LARRY, you bronze boob!

-EJ

[mgtr]

Back in the bad old days when I worked at a real job, I had to hire people (and, sadly, fire people). I learned (on the job) that a real negative giveaway was people who had been at A for 2-4 years, and then B for 2-4 years, and then C, etc, etc. Which means that I never would have hired Larry Brown -- props to me. On the other hand, props to Larry Brown -- he has succeeded in building a team and then moving on before the roof fell in. I am sure he thinks he has been great, while he has left a trail of ashes behind him. Sad.

[hc5duke]

Back in the bad old days when I worked at a real job, I had to hire people (and, sadly, fire people). I learned (on the job) that a real negative giveaway was people who had been at A for 2-4 years, and then B for 2-4 years, and then C, etc, etc. Which means that I never would have hired Larry Brown -- props to me.

I don't mean to criticize your approach to hiring, and I'm sure it is a good method in certain fields. And I certainly don't want to defend Larry Brown ;), but the rule of thumb in the tech field (read: lots of small startups) is, you don't want to stay at the same company for more than 3 years. At least that's what I've been told/learned. There are a lot of reasons for this, one being that you are not going to get the promotion/raise you deserve unless you lunge at the right opportunity - to use a cliched ladder analogy, you have to skip over to the next ladder to keep moving up.

Another reason of course is that these smaller companies sometimes just go belly-up (reason why I was at "company A" for only 5 months. I've been at "company B" for about 1.5 years, and my stay will probably be 2-3 years). I've known a few people, mostly at large companies like MS or Google, who stay for longer, but I think those are exceptions to the rule, not the norm.

[RelativeWays]

I wonder how many UNC fans realize that Larry Brown never coaching for Carolina is probably one of the best things to ever (or never) happen to them. NCAA sanctions up the wazoo, guaranteed.