John Feinstein Gives Coach K Major Props on Morning Joe

[77devil]

John was promoting his new book this morning in which he recently interviewed many of the central characters of his books over the last 25 years starting with Bob Knight. John was asked who was the smartest athlete he had met and responded Tiger Woods, and after a brief explanation, went on to talk about Coach K's intelligence in a very flattering way.

John described how Coach K is the best he's ever known in sports at learning from mistakes, suggesting his training at USMC was instrumental, because if you don't learn it at the academy people die on the battlefield. Feinstein used the now familiar quote about never forgetting after the humiliating loss to UVA in the ACC tournament in the early years to illustrate. What I hadn't heard before was of Coach K remarking to John during the celebration following the first NC that it was a long way from Denney's 8 years before. He didn't forget. Good stuff.

Here's a link to the Morning Joe website video clips. The interview isn't posted yet, but maybe it will be later.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036789/#45749725

[diesel]

I'll never read anything of Feinstein's again after his performance on the lacrosse case. And when I asked him at an alumni meeting after the case imploded if he felt like apologizing, he demurred.

[Edouble]

I'll never read anything by Feinstein again b/c his books are so dull. I kept falling asleep during The Last Amateurs, or whatever it was called.

[hurleyfor3]

John described how Coach K is the best he's ever known in sports at learning from mistakes, suggesting his training at USMC was instrumental, because if you don't learn it at the academy people die on the battlefield.


I'll never read anything of Feinstein's again after his performance on the lacrosse case.

How ironic that some of us don't give Feinstein himself the opportunity to learn from his mistakes. And you don't need to publicly apologize for a mistake to learn from it. I mean, columnists spout off about stuff all the time, that's pretty much their job, but I guess we single Feinstein out because he went to Duke.

BTW, I think you mean the US Military Academy, not the US Marine Corps.

[-bdbd]

How ironic that some of us don't give Feinstein himself the opportunity to learn from his mistakes. And you don't need to publicly apologize for a mistake to learn from it. I mean, columnists spout off about stuff all the time, that's pretty much their job, but I guess we single Feinstein out because he went to Duke.

BTW, I think you mean the US Military Academy, not the US Marine Corps.


For most of us, learning from our mistakes usually entails acknowledging, in some way, that we actually made one. John doesn't seem like the kind of guy who's willing to do very much of that...

:rolleyes:

[hurleyfor3]

For most of us, learning from our mistakes usually entails acknowledging, in some way, that we actually made one. John doesn't seem like the kind of guy who's willing to do very much of that...

Publicly acknowledging your mistakes generally isn't a virtue (or a good career move) in journalism or punditry. You don't see a whole lot of political columnists or economic forecasters saying they were wrong.

I'm not standing up for Feinstein's original opinion at all (and note, rehashing LAX is taboo), but I don't think it's necessary for him to apologize for it. He has been critical of the university in other matters, and I consider that a strength.

[sagegrouse]

I'll never read anything of Feinstein's again after his performance on the lacrosse case. And when I asked him at an alumni meeting after the case imploded if he felt like apologizing, he demurred.


For most of us, learning from our mistakes usually entails acknowledging, in some way, that we actually made one. John doesn't seem like the kind of guy who's willing to do very much of that...

:rolleyes:


How ironic that some of us don't give Feinstein himself the opportunity to learn from his mistakes. And you don't need to publicly apologize for a mistake to learn from it. I mean, columnists spout off about stuff all the time, that's pretty much their job, but I guess we single Feinstein out because he went to Duke.

BTW, I think you mean the US Military Academy, not the US Marine Corps.

I didn't start this thread because I knew it would draw flack. Get a life, guys! Feinstein can be provocative and controversial -- not exactly a Newt Gingrich on press row, but you get my drift -- and his on-air demeanor is the opposite of warm and cuddly. But he also makes a lot of sense on a lot of topics. Recently he was the first DC-area sports writer to pounce on the Terp football coach, Randy Edsall, calling for his immediate dismissal as the best way to help Maryland football. Others followed suit, but only after John pounced. FWIW it was the press-room back-and-forth at the Washington Post among Feinstein, Kornheiser and Wilbon that was the idea behind PTI

And he has had more success than almost anyone writing on sports, even though his "books are so dull:"


[from Wikipedia] Feinstein's works include the two top best-selling non-fiction sports books in history. In 1995, he published the all-time best seller, A Good Walk Spoiled, about a year inside life on the PGA Tour as told through the stories of seventeen players. Just behind that in sales is his book A Season on the Brink, which chronicles a year in the life of the Indiana University basketball team and its enigmatic coach, Bob Knight.

WRT Duke there are positives and negatives. He loves Coach K (and Gary Williams). He was terrific in organizing a panel for the 100th anniversary of the Chronicle I attended a few years ago. (Seth Davis BTW was a no-show.) But I don't buy his argument that Duke should drop out of the ACC in football and form a conference of other peer schools or that Duke should have hired the superannuated Bobby Ross as football coach instead of Ted Roof, although most of us are pretty frustrated with Duke football. And he thought Joe Alleva was a terrible hire and counter to the advice an advisory committee he served on gave the University. Anyone here want to disagree with that position?

WRT the Duke lacrosse hoax -- I understand the negative feelings here about those who were vocal early in the incident, but life goes on.

sagegrouse

[diesel]

How ironic that some of us don't give Feinstein himself the opportunity to learn from his mistakes.

It is therefore ironic that, in discussing lessons from the lacrosse case, Feinstein himself told Washington Post readers that "Smart people make mistakes too. Mistakes are forgivable—but only after you admit them.”

It is too bad Feinstein didn't follow his own advice in the lacrosse case!

[Edouble]

His books still suck. He hasn't written anything good since that book about the ACC season in '97.

[77devil]

It wasn't my intent to start a JF debate, but instead to highlight the complementary things said about Coach K on a national broadcast. I should have known the focus on JF was inevitable given the history on the board. Nevertheless, the clip is now up per the link. Go to the 5 minute mark if you want to skip the rest of the interview.

Scroll down on the left to the small picture of Tiger.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036789/#45749725

[Duke71]

It wasn't my intent to start a JF debate, but instead to highlight the complementary things said about Coach K on a national broadcast. I should have known the focus on JF was inevitable given the history on the board. Nevertheless, the clip is now up per the link. Go to the 5 minute mark if you want to skip the rest of the interview.

Scroll down on the left to the small picture of Tiger.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036789/#45749725

Yo 77devil:

You need to revisit this link you provided. Nothing but politics throughout, even at the 5 minute mark. At the very end of the 9+ minute videoclip they make mention of the "upcoming" sports topic you were probably trying to share with us, but the videoclip ends at that point.:(

[77devil]

Yo 77devil:

You need to revisit this link you provided. Nothing but politics throughout, even at the 5 minute mark. At the very end of the 9+ minute videoclip they make mention of the "upcoming" sports topic you were probably trying to share with us, but the videoclip ends at that point.:(

As I wrote above, scroll down on the left and find the thumbnail picture of Tiger in Stanford red kneeling over a put and click on the picture. I found no way to link the specific clip. The URL always went to the main video clip page.

[Devilsfan]

He legacy will be developing a cure for insomnia through boring books.

[Duke71]

As I wrote above, scroll down on the left and find the thumbnail picture of Tiger in Stanford red kneeling over a put and click on the picture. I found no way to link the specific clip. The URL always went to the main video clip page.

Hi 77devil:

Thanks for the clarification. You're right, the clip was worth watching. The Coach K segment was very respect worthy of our BBall Battle Commander. Taken on its own merits, JF's positive video commentary about Coach K was a good thing to see in a major media market and a market where many of our past recruits have come from. I'd personally would like to see it be accepted as such without the complications of lightning rod "past baggage" by long-time DBR posters.;)

[OldPhiKap]

I don't have a problem with John, and like the (admittedly few) books of his I have read. A Good Walk Spoiled is a different look at what a year on the PGA tour is like, for example.

I realize that he has been critical of Duke and K at various times in the past. He is entitled to his opinion, and sometimes criticism of even the best institutions is warranted. So more power to him, AFAIAC.