Transfers and the team poster

[striker219]

Well, that answers that. Ouch, sorry Olek.

http://sports.chronicleblogs.com/2010/05/03/olek-czyz-cut-out-of-team-poster/

[wolfpackdevil]

I think the cut out in the team poster was a little disrespectful.

[Welcome2DaSlopes]

I thought they put Todd's head in there. Guess not.

[Newton_14]

Well, that answers that. Ouch, sorry Olek.

http://sports.chronicleblogs.com/2010/05/03/olek-czyz-cut-out-of-team-poster/

Patience is a virtue.... that I wish more kids these days. I miss guys like Marty Clark. After seeing Olek a few times, my take was that he would see a lot of bench time in his first 2 years, start seeing the court a little bit in his Jr year and then likely make very solid contributions late in his Jr year and all of his Sr year. I saw him on a path similar to Marty's.

And had he stuck it out, he very likely would have followed that path. Unfortunately after a grand total of 1.5 years he somehow concludes that he should be playing a lot right then.

I wish him well at Nevada and will be a fan. Just wish he would have stuck it out. He would have gotten a ring and a chance to be taught by the best for 4 years.

Not sure what to make of the poster deal, at first glance it seems a bit inappropriate, but he did bail in the middle of a season, so does that make it fair game?

[amat1129]

i think it's fair game, he wasn't on the team for even half of the season, i thought the poster idea was pretty funny

[Philsfan]

Funny thing, I was there for most of the event and not many folks were doing that (Believe it cost $5 for the picture). The hole wasn't there for most of the event, but cut out later on. Wojo and his family came in near the end and that's his child in the photo, being propped up by the man himself.

[Big Pappa]

I think the cut out in the team poster was a little disrespectful.

He bailed on us. It's not disrespectful at all.

[jdj4duke]

I think the cut out in the team poster was a little disrespectful.

He left the team. No hard feelings toward the guy, but it was his decision. It's hard to conjure up some solid contributions that he made to the total season run, especially since the team continued to improve after his departure. So, to me, even his contributions through participation in practice would be pretty limited.

Heck, no horns or mustaches were drawn on his picture; removing his head for a charitable cause seems appropriate. I don't get the disrespect angle at all. Maybe they should photoshop the original picture and put the NCAA trophy where Olek's picture is.

[Olympic Fan]

Should be no hard feelings either way ... Olek made the best choice for him and Duke moved on without him.

I'm sure Olek wishes he could have earned a ring, which he would have done by staying, but I'm also sure he's happy that his one-year transfer wait will end in late December and not last all season (which would be the case if he'd waited until after the season to transfer.

Good luck to him.

It's fun to play the what if game ... from Olek's point of view, if he stayed --

(1) he would have been part of a championship team

(2) he'd still be looking a very little playing time as a junior. I'm not sure Coach K would have recruited Carrick Felix if Olek stayed, but Kyle's decision to return for his senior year would have presented him with little potential playing time. His one chance to be a big factor in 2010-11 was for Kyle to go pro.

So he probably made the right choice for him. And we have Felix for three years. Personally, I expect him to play a minor role next season, but to be a big factor in 2012 and 2013. That's at least one year more than we would have gotten with Olek.

So both sides in this one came out ahead.

[Mike Corey]

Are you not entertained?

[Huh?]

When Olek was being recruited he mentioned choosing Duke because he felt Duke would increase his chances of improving and preparing for the NBA. Now he will be stuck in the WAC playing on TV at 12:00am EST....twice a year. Exposure can really help fringe NBA players get a stronger look. He also would have been playing against way better competition...IN PRACTICE.
I hope it was the right move for him.

[YourLandlord]

He also would have been playing against way better competition...IN PRACTICE.


http://blog.pennlive.com/lvsports/2007/08/iverson.jpg

http://www.bostonherald.com/blogs/sports/rap_sheet/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/iverson-practice.jpg

http://www.bothteamsplayedhard.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/iverson-practice1.jpg

[David]

Are you not entertained?

Agreed. In the immortal words of the great Sargeant Hulka, "Lighten up Francis."

[ndkjr70]

I still fail to see the issue here. He wasn't a part of the team. He left, he's gone, and he ain't coming back. Making it look like you were in a poster was a nice addition, and removing the face of a player who had literally 0% impact on Duke this season shouldn't be considered blasphemy.

If he was "hurt" by this, he should either grow a set or finish what he started.

[cspan37421]

In the past I think we've gone out of our way not to badmouth transfers or otherwise denigrate them, though often noting that on the whole, if not also in the vast majority of situations, they haven't really thrived upon leaving (e.g., the grass is not greener). Even Zoubs has admitted that through his injuries and lack of PT he questioned whether he should stick it out - and said that looking back (this was even before the Butler game), leaving would have been the biggest mistake of his life.

So all things being equal, I'm not really keen on this as something to be proud of. But I'll concede this - the reports of amicable split could be cast into a different light depending on whose idea it was to cut his face out of the poster.

[Big Pappa]

In the past I think we've gone out of our way not to badmouth transfers or otherwise denigrate them, though often noting that on the whole, if not also in the vast majority of situations, they haven't really thrived upon leaving (e.g., the grass is not greener). Even Zoubs has admitted that through his injuries and lack of PT he questioned whether he should stick it out - and said that looking back (this was even before the Butler game), leaving would have been the biggest mistake of his life.

So all things being equal, I'm not really keen on this as something to be proud of. But I'll concede this - the reports of amicable split could be cast into a different light depending on whose idea it was to cut his face out of the poster.

I played college football and we had a sign in our locker room on the door that led out to the practice field that said, "Those Who Stay Will Be Champions". We were (and are) a power house in DIII in Texas, winning our conference more often than not.

This same thing applies to Duke. It may be tough and you may go through tough seasons like Zoubs did his first three years, but the guys who stick it out "Will Be Champions".

[SupaDave]

...well they did leave his body. :)

[Jderf]

Are you not entertained?

Haha awesome... I still say this randomly from time to time and nobody knows what I'm talking about (neither the Gladiator scene nor Countdown to Craziness). That doesn't stop me though...

[DevilHorns]

People are making it seemed like Olek ditched us.

I think he made the right decision for himself. I honestly don't see him playing a significant role (or as significant as he would hope for) as a junior or even a senior given the talent we are accumulating. Sure he could have stuck around, sure he could have fought for minor minutes, but I don't think thats what he wanted to do. There is nothing wrong with that. Good luck to Olek at Nevada. I hope he has no hard feelings about this.

[Mike Corey]

Haha awesome... I still say this randomly from time to time and nobody knows what I'm talking about (neither the Gladiator scene nor Countdown to Craziness). That doesn't stop me though...

After delivering a particularly horrid response to a question in property the other week--prompting chuckles from my professor and my classmates--I leaned over and whispered to my classmate and fellow Duke fan. It was the smartest thing I said all day.

Either way, JDerf, I encourage you to continue using the phrase whenever appropriate or inappropriate.