[NU Sports] Barnett

Jonathan Michael Hawkins spiritu at northwestern.edu
Mon Dec 5 23:51:35 CST 2005 

Huzzah!  I can finally agree with you on something about RW, John:

Walker, for some inexplicable reason, seems to be completely invisible to 
the media.  Coaches recognize his talents, but fans (even NU fans, 
apparently), just can't see it, and the Chicago media is clueless.

Maybe Alan or one of the other sports journalists can enlighten us as to 
why some coaches get press and others don't.

As for an NU Sports coaches' show, prepackaged and waiting for Comcast 
Sports Net Chicago, why can't NNN do this?  They do some pretty good stuff 
already on campus, and the new Medill facilities for such are incredible. 
I can't imagine CSN wouldn't run it at, say, 2am, if NU just gave it to 
them.  With luck (and Nielsen's new factoring of TiVo/DVR viewings into 
the ratings), it might get to a slot where more people would watch.

Then again, I have no idea how these decisions get made on either end - 
but I'm sure someone on this list does.  Anyone care to comment?

Go 'Cats, Broil the Bruins!

Jonathan

On Mon, 5 Dec 2005, John A. DeGroat wrote:

> Part of being a head coach in my opinion is being a marketeer too.  That 
> was/is something that Barnett is superb at being.  Had he gone into the 
> corporate world with his skills he would have been highly successful. 
> Unfortunately, Walker is totally invisible for whatever reason.  Rick Taylor, 
> a world class control freak, probably had a lot to to with that, but he's 
> been gone now for awhile.
>
> John DeGroat
>
> cherron604 at aol.com wrote:
>
>> Just a couple of points:
>> 
>> If, 20 years from now, Gary Barnett was coaching in Evanston (time frame 
>> suggested so as to indicate that he did not succeed anyone in any way other 
>> than a normal, peaceful succession), I would not be upset in any way.  As a 
>> Chicagoan, the time he was here was very fun (sans the wandering eye), both 
>> on the field and off.  There is something inherently fun about a coach who 
>> is the toast of the media, has his own namesake restaurant, a coaches show, 
>> is a fixture on the rubber-chicken and celebrity golf circuits, etc, etc. 
>> Somebody who analyzed such things could probably speak to a group's 
>> attachment to the classic 'lovable rogue' character, charismatic and 
>> intriguing if not a perfect choirboy, often at the expense of the 
>> harder-working, nose-to-the-grindstone, somewhat less-charismatic 
>> individual (haven't there been dozens of movies based on this premise ?).
>> 
>> Roy said:
>> 
>> "but you have to admit he gets as much out of his players as many of the 
>> other top coaches in the game today."
>> 
>> I am not entirely convinced of this just yet - as several have opined on 
>> here, that still needs to be proven, especially in some non-Basanez 
>> seasons.
>> 
>> Roy also added:
>> 
>> "and he's surrounded himself with good assistants, some of whom will move 
>> on to better jobs in the future."
>> 
>> Here also, there could be some discussion.  I think we all like Dunbar, 
>> Fitzgerald and Johns, but I think that quite a few of us have issues with 
>> Jerry Brown and Greg Colby, at least.
>> 
>> Do we have a pool yet on when Dunbar leaves for a better job ?
>> 
>> Chuck Herron   Tech '85
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Roy Lamberton <rstetson at capps-assoc.com>
>> To: 'SjT (Stephen J. Truog)' <sjtruog at yahoo.com>; 
>> nwu-sports at romaine.tssi.com
>> Sent: Mon, 5 Dec 2005 08:57:30 -0500
>> Subject: RE: [NU Sports] Barnett
>> 
>> 
>> And who probably would not be welcome by many NU sports fans.
>> 
>> I'm sure there are those at ND who wish for the return of Rockne, or 
>> Alabama
>> wishing for the Bear, but you can't go back, only forward.
>> 
>> In any case, we have a head coach who is not publicly looking for another 
>> job,
>> who just pulled a 7-4 season out of a team who was picked to be 4-7 at 
>> best, and
>> who got the team into a bowl.
>> 
>> You can dislike his "aw-shucks" attitude, some of his media comments after
>> games, or any other thing about him personally, but you have to admit he 
>> gets as
>> much out of his players as many of the other top coaches in the game today.
>> 
>> NU is a tough place to coach. There are students on your team with superior
>> intellects who are used to being both the star of their team, and the tops 
>> in
>> their class. You not only have to deal with kids who can internalize 
>> setbacks,
>> but get them all working together towards a common goal. Many of the NU 
>> players
>> are used to being "the man" who got it done by themselves.
>> 
>> I'm sure Gary Barnett was an outstanding recruiter and great with the 
>> parents.
>> Randy Walker also fits that requirement, and he's surrounded himself with 
>> good
>> assistants, some of whom will move on to better jobs in the future.
>> 
>> I don't know what RW did down in Texas when he first took over, but there 
>> seems
>> to be a small group that absolutely hates Randy Walker. I have my theories, 
>> but
>> they're not for this forum.
>> 
>> Anyway, enjoy the bowl...down there in Texas
>> 
>> Go Cats
>> 
>> rsl
>> 
>> ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>> Roy S. Lamberton - Senior Associate
>> Computer Applications & Support Associates
>> and Publisher of Purple Reign, The Scout.com Northwestern University Site
>> (http://www.purplewildcats.com)
>> AIM Handle: CoachRoy74
>> ======== Go Cats -  Beat 'em All ===========
>> Every time I think I've got this Computer Biz handled            -- There's 
>> another upgrade.
>> ============================================
>> 
>> It was just a bit of bewilderment
>> 
>>> that we've spent most of the bandwith the last 3-4
>>> weeks bemoaning Walker and talking wishfully about our
>>> old coach - who left us and will not be coming back.
>>> 
>>> GO CATS!!!
>>> -SjT
>>> 
>>>
>>> 
>> 
>> 
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-- 
Jonathan Michael Hawkins       "And, in the end, the love you take
<http://www.jomiha.com>         is equal to the love you make."

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