Is Temple waiting for the other shoe to drop? Is there more to this story? Is it not enough that John Chaney enlisted one of his players in an enforcer type role that ended John Bryant's career prematurely? Does he have to do something else to get fired?
John Chaney is currently sitting out the remainder of the season as the school ponders his eventual fate. Chaney's latest escapade into the unexplainable involved sending Nehemiah Ingram late into vs. St. Joseph's to "send a message."
Ingram did his best to appease his coach. Ingram matched his season average of four minutes a game, but well surpassed his fouls per game average by reaching the maximum allotment in the 240 seconds he graced the court. And one of Ingram's fouls sent Bryant to the deck so hard that he separated his shoulder, giving the St. Joe's senior a lasting memory of his final game. Message received.
Chaney's would later say he felt St. Joe's was setting too many illegal screens, and that is what led to his ultimatum for Ingram. Chaney sent in his self-described "goon" to let St. Joe's know that his days of over-the-top antics, harking back to his memorable tirade of threatening John Calipari's life, are not that far behind him.
I'm not real sure what the difference is between Chaney and Bob Knight, other than Knight chokes his own players while Chaney outsources. That and Knight attempts to be funny at press conferences, while Chaney provides more of the unintended hilarious moments.
Mitch Albom recently attacked Chaney not just for his recent actions, but also his offensive language. On a related note, Representative Joe Barton from Texas wishes to see broadcast decency rules apply to cable television as well as satellite radio, ensuring offensive language can't simply escape the FCC's domain by moving to a pay environment.
Have I been living in a cave, or is there some plague in our society that has to do with foul language? Should everyone curse all the time? Probably not, but I can't believe that it leads to irreparable harm. What I do know is that Chaney's potty mouth has as little to do with coaching as the government should have to do with legislating what people pay to watch and listen to.
Chaney got angry, but instead of using the available forum to protest, he decided to take actions into his own hands, sort of. Instead of using his own hands, he did the next best thing, and used one of his players.
Many columns have come out in defense of Chaney, asking us to evaluate his whole career and not this one uncharacteristic act. Unfortunately, his lifetime of good work cannot make up for his unbelievably poor decision-making. Unlike the Senate, as Ted Kennedy, AKA the original Mayor Quimby has proved (thank you Jon Stewart), there are some crimes in college basketball so reprehensible that keeping your job is not an option.
The idea of a coach, a leader, is to remain calm in tense moments, not act like a petulant child who will take his ball home with him if he doesn't get to play. Sending a kid out with the secondary intent to play basketball, ranking behind the express intent of "sending a message," is exactly the opposite.
The coach has to be the facilitator, not the instigator. Temple needs to let everyone know that this type of thug behavior, instilled from the coach, is not acceptable and will not be tolerated. And if John Chaney were the man his supporters claim him to be, he wouldn't put his university in this position. He would have already tendered his resignation.
March 18, 2005
Joe Cabrey:
I agree. Then John Chaney attacked not only the Saint Joseph’s players but also the game itslef with a series of vicious and premeditated hits. He had threatened the day before to “have one of my guys chop him in the neck or something” Hits he bragged about both after the game and again the next day on the radio
But now, he says he is sorry. And we should ignore what he said.
You know, in some of those comments made before, during, and even the day after the game that we are not supposed to pay any attention too.
During this latest self imposed pseudo suspension he continues his coaching duties with the exception of being on the bench during games. Could anything be more absurd?
Yes, it could. He might actually coach a game again this year.
It must be obvious that the public outrage is bigger because of how badly all of this has been handled by Temple University, and not handled at all by the Atlantic 10.
Chaney played judge, jury, and executioner in his ordered assaults against the Saint Joseph’s players. To be his own judge and jury for these non-suspensions is to continue the train of thought that he is bigger than the game. President Adamany finally came forward and said that a decision would be make by Temple. Speaking about Chaney returning to the bench this post season
We’ll get to those decisions when we’re faced with them,” Adamany said. “There isn’t a need to make a decision about what may or may not happen.”
With all due respect President Adamany, you could not be more mistaken. You have all the information you need right now to decide about any return to the bench this season.
We’re all waiting.
Does it depend on Temple’s post season opportunities? Do we go with our Hall of Fame Coach if we make the NCAA’s, but not the NIT?
Or should it actually be decided based on what Chaney did?
Remove all the ambiguity from this embarrassing situation now
You are the President of a major university. An educator, for God’s sake.
As John Bryant was writhing on the court in pain, the Temple student section was spitting on him. The Temple students booed Bryant when he was finally helped to his feet. If not for the remarkable restraint of the Saint Joseph’s players during the 4 minutes of chaos Ingram delivered and while Bryant was on the floor, their could have been an Auburn Hills NBA type riot.
Nobody got spit on there. All that took was a cup of ice.
And Ron Artest, who responded with violence.
Just like John Chaney.
The Game deserves better than that.