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View Full Version : Harvard leading Michigan, Go Tommy!



ikiru36
12-01-2007, 06:54 PM
Harvard still leading Michigan by a small margin with 12 minutes remaining. Hard to imagine they'll hold on but likely still gratifying for Tommy.

(seemed bizarre that they'd be scheduled to play each other this year, but glad that Harvard's hanging with 'em anyways.)

Go Duke!!!!!!!!!!!! Go Devils!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GTHCGTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

dukie8
12-01-2007, 07:02 PM
Harvard still leading Michigan by a small margin with 12 minutes remaining. Hard to imagine they'll hold on but likely still gratifying for Tommy.

(seemed bizarre that they'd be scheduled to play each other this year, but glad that Harvard's hanging with 'em anyways.)

Go Duke!!!!!!!!!!!! Go Devils!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GTHCGTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

yes and no. part of the reason that he is beating michigan is because of the deplorable state he left michigan in.

ikiru36
12-01-2007, 07:13 PM
yes and no. part of the reason that he is beating michigan is because of the deplorable state he left michigan in.
I went to a number of Michigan games the past few seasons while living in Ann Arbor. I would easily admit that they disappointed on a number of occasions when they had a chance at a signature win.

But Tommy acquitted himself well in the community, worked hard, recruited well-at least rankings wise (they lost out on some more potential top recruits this year by firing him when they did), and he did face a difficult situation with the long probation he was saddled with early on. Could he have done better, probably. Should he have been fired? Given the athletic expectations in Ann Arbor, possibly yes as he had been given a decent amount of time. But you're making a pretty strong statement that I hope you can personally back up. In either case, I wouldn't care to be unnecessarily badmouthing a former Blue Devil of, as far as everything I've heard or seen, excellent character.

Go Tommy!!!!!! Go Duke!!!!!!!!!!! Go Devils!!!!!!!!! GTHCGTH!!!!!!!!!!!

wisteria
12-01-2007, 07:18 PM
Harvard won.

ikiru36
12-01-2007, 07:21 PM
Be a Tommy hater if you want, but it's still a pretty sweet victory!!! He is coaching Harvard, for crying out loud. I don't remember Michigan losing to them while Tommy was coaching.

And if he left the program in such a mess (not that it's lovely but it's also not all his fault, either), you'd think the players would be out to show him up. Instead they lost by 11!!!!!!!

WTG Tommy!!!!!!!! Go Duke!!!!!!!!! Go Devils!!!!!!!!!!!! GTHCGTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

dukie8
12-01-2007, 07:21 PM
I went to a number of Michigan games the past few seasons while living in Ann Arbor. I would easily admit that they disappointed on a number of occasions when they had a chance at a signature win.

But Tommy acquitted himself well in the community, worked hard, recruited well-at least rankings wise (they lost out on some more potential top recruits this year by firing him when they did), and he did face a difficult situation with the long probation he was saddled with early on. Could he have done better, probably. Should he have been fired? Given the athletic expectations in Ann Arbor, possibly yes as he had been given a decent amount of time. But you're making a pretty strong statement that I hope you can personally back up. In either case, I wouldn't care to be unnecessarily badmouthing a former Blue Devil of, as far as everything I've heard or seen, excellent character.

Go Tommy!!!!!! Go Duke!!!!!!!!!!! Go Devils!!!!!!!!! GTHCGTH!!!!!!!!!!!

are you talking about roof or amaker? are you really looking for someone to point out to you that he was at michigan for six years and made the ncaat a grand total of zero times? it's not "unnecessarily" badmouthing him when the context is the harvard team he currently is coaching potentially is going to beat the michigan team that he just left (and left it not in the greatest shape).

Karl Beem
12-01-2007, 07:22 PM
Harvard wins by 11.

dukie8
12-01-2007, 07:26 PM
Be a Tommy hater if you want, but it's still a pretty sweet victory!!! He is coaching Harvard, for crying out loud. I don't remember Michigan losing to them while Tommy was coaching.

And if he left the program in such a mess (not that it's lovely but it's also not all his fault, either), you'd think the players would be out to show him up. Instead they lost by 11!!!!!!!

WTG Tommy!!!!!!!! Go Duke!!!!!!!!! Go Devils!!!!!!!!!!!! GTHCGTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

did michigan play harvard when he was there? i'm sure that the players at michigan wanted to beat harvard but the players he left behind just are not very good. this is the same team that was down to gtown 43-19 at the half.

jgehtland
12-01-2007, 07:43 PM
are you talking about roof or amaker? are you really looking for someone to point out to you that he was at michigan for six years and made the ncaat a grand total of zero times? it's not "unnecessarily" badmouthing him when the context is the harvard team he currently is coaching potentially is going to beat the michigan team that he just left (and left it not in the greatest shape).

You do realize that he had landed some major recruits for next year who backed out of their commitments to UofM when he was fired? And that they would likely be a lot better off with those recruits? And that two of those six years UofM was either the last or next-to-last team left out of the tournament? And that either one or two of those years, UofM was barred from the tournament anyway?

I'll be the first to say that I wish Tommy could have done more for the program, but he left behind a team of dedicated student-athletes and NO dirty booster tricks. So I'd say go a little easier on the man, but that's just my opinion.

ikiru36
12-01-2007, 07:44 PM
If you know some serious inside, negative stuff about Tommy, feel free to private message me and I'll be sad but willing to read it. Otherwise, I already granted that Michigan frequently disappointed after strong starts under him and that I'm not inclined to argue that Michigan didn't have cause to let him go. To me, that's different than claiming that he (Tommy Amaker, specifically) left Michigan in a "deplorable state."

He faced sanctions not of his making, recruited reasonably well (again, at least rankings wise), was never suspected of any wrongdoing(as far as I know), and even managed to win an N.I.T. championship. Not good enough for UMich, perhaps, but at least decent by most standards.

Anyways, I wish Michigan no particular ill will. As I said, I went as a fan to many of their games and even played with some of their players between 2002 and 2005.

Nevertheless, I'm happy for Tommy (whom, I will grant, was one of my favorite Duke players).

Go Duke!!!!!!!!!!!!! Go Devils!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GTHCGTH!!!!!!!!!!!

FireOgilvie
12-01-2007, 08:17 PM
Harvard doesn't have athletic scholarships. It doesn't matter what kind of condition Amaker left the Michigan program in, this is a huge win. Good for Harvard.

Ultrarunner
12-01-2007, 08:25 PM
did michigan play harvard when he was there? i'm sure that the players at michigan wanted to beat harvard but the players he left behind just are not very good. this is the same team that was down to gtown 43-19 at the half.

Michigan beat Harvard 82-50 last year. A great win for Tommy.

wisteria
12-01-2007, 08:29 PM
App state/ Harvard... Michigan sure isn't having a great year.
Amaker out, Carr out. Let's see where UM is heading to in the next few years.

Wander
12-01-2007, 08:35 PM
But you're making a pretty strong statement that I hope you can personally back up. In either case, I wouldn't care to be unnecessarily badmouthing a former Blue Devil of, as far as everything I've heard or seen, excellent character.

Nobody has to personally back anything up except for you - Amaker's record at Michigan speaks for itself. Nobody's attacking his character, and nobody's saying he can't do a good job at Harvard. I think we all hope he does. But he didn't do a good job at Michigan and he didn't leave them in a good state of affairs.

dukie8
12-01-2007, 08:44 PM
Nobody has to personally back anything up except for you - Amaker's record at Michigan speaks for itself. Nobody's attacking his character, and nobody's saying he can't do a good job at Harvard. I think we all hope he does. But he didn't do a good job at Michigan and he didn't leave them in a good state of affairs.

i agree. amaker appears to be a class act but 6 years at michigan and ZERO ncaat appearances is nothing short of a disaster. perhaps harvard will be a perfect fit for him where going to class gets more than lips service and there isn't the pressure to win ncaa championships. i certainly would like to see him succeed there. lighten up francis.

gvtucker
12-01-2007, 09:14 PM
i agree. amaker appears to be a class act but 6 years at michigan and ZERO ncaat appearances is nothing short of a disaster. perhaps harvard will be a perfect fit for him where going to class gets more than lips service and there isn't the pressure to win ncaa championships. i certainly would like to see him succeed there. lighten up francis.

"Nothing short of a disaster"? I think you might need a bit of lightening up, too.

For four of those six years, Michigan's basketball program was on probation for very serious violations that had nothing to do with Amaker. Included in that probation was a prohibition from playing in the postseason in 2003, something that had to hurt recruiting for players that would have played in 2003.

I'm not saying that Tommy was picture perfect over that period, but he was put in a very difficult situation, something through which I'm not sure any coach could have excelled.