[NU Sports] Kevin Coble: done

[Alan Abrahamson]

Reading the release, I have two thoughts:

One, Coble's announcement genuinely is health-related, and nothing more.
Don't forget that Coble in all likelihood does not have the same sense of
bulletproof-ness (to coin a word) that the typical undergrad carries. His
mom had a well-publicized bout with cancer; he took a year off school, if
memory serves, to help her through it; and so you'd think he would be way,
way, way more attuned to health-related issues than any of us were at that
age. Better to be able to walk with your grand-kids at 75 than dunk at 21,
right?

School two, and apologies for thinking like a skeptical, Medill-trained
journalist. Please parse the release super-closely: Carmody thanks Coble.
But Coble doesn't thank Carmody. Again: Coble does thank his teammates, the
school, fans. But not the coach.

I am about nauseous at this turn of events. Shurna is by all accounts having
a great summer with USA Basketball; Marcotullio averaged 13.9 per game on
the British under-20 team; Drew Crawford might well be expected to make the
same sort of jump that Shurna did between years one and two. With Coble, I
thought we were a lock for 20+ wins and, finally, an NCAA spot.

Now -- this.

It takes faith and great will to be a Northwestern basketball fan.

Alan