Another Bob Huggins story
This shows how one-dimensional coaches can be, how totally absorbed they are in what they do. And no one was more absorbed than Bob Huggins, which is why he won so much.
Back in the early 90s, we were at O’Hare on a Sunday morning. I saw that Huggins had purchased a big, thick Chicago Tribune to read in the airport. He pulled out the sports section and started poring over the college basketball scores, setting the rest of the paper aside.
“Bob," I said, "aren’t you going to read the rest of that paper? There’s a great big, wide world out there, you know.”
“I’m sure there is,” he said.
Then he took the rest of the Tribune and dropped it into an empty metal wastebasket. I still remember the loud thud the paper made as it hit bottom.
21 Comments:
I like that story. All you need to remember is to read the sports section and when it comes time to vote go straight ticket republican.
reminds me of another extremely one dimensional person - Paul Brown.
It is their life - period.
Wish we had him at UC now.
knock huggs by why pick on Paul Brown? don't you remember his favorite line when he cut a player? Something like:
Son it's time to start the rest of your life.
PB understood the big picture.
"knock huggs by why pick on Paul Brown? don't you remember his favorite line when he cut a player? Something like:
Son it's time to start the rest of your life.
PB understood the big picture."
This is what Mike Brown does....
Son, we just cut you, time to start the rest of your life.
Andre Frazier, you mean Pittsburgh is going to sign me so I can can get a super bowl ring? OK thanks.
obviously you never met Paul Brown - he was all football all the time.
Anon 1:55
Now I understand how republicans get elected. They count on the uninformed and ignorant to vote for them.
If you met PB you would know he was a family man and his family cherishes him. But state your ignorance and lies if it makes you feel important.
"If you met PB you would know he was a family man and his family cherishes him. But state your ignorance and lies if it makes you feel important."
OK Mikey Boy.
Anon 1:55
Now I understand how republicans get elected. They count on the uninformed and ignorant to vote for them.
That is right. Why waste time reading the left wing ramblings of newspaper columnists when you can punch that ticket for the party that always wins the battle of history.
Personally, I love the Huggs stories. Even though I've heard each one about a thousand times in my life, I still die laughing every time I hear them. If only you could put audio on your blog, its even better with his whiny voice. Keep the Huggs stories comin!
Bill. Your comment re Huggs creating his own reality was salient and poignant at the same time.
When you think about it, one of the requirements to be successful as a player and/or coach in sports may just be an almost obsessive focus on whichever sport is your expertise. And that same obsessiveness can lead to a blindness to the rest of the world and very poor public behaviour and judgement.
I have often referred to this phenomenon as The Syndrome of the Legendary Midwestern Coach's Fall into Demagougery. As expert witnesses for my point, I call on no less of luminaries than Bobby Knight, Adolph Rupp, Woody Hayes, Bo Schembechler, and Bob Huggins. These gnetleman attained the highest level of success in their respective professions and are deserving of their status as genuine legends, yet all left the Home of thier greatness in a cloud of shame and embarassment. In many ways they suffered from the same plight, blinded by their own obsessive focus on success and the enabling of bad behaviour by their adoring public. Boorish tempermental outbursts that became more and more public and more and more power oriented.
We certainly do love our sports heroes here in the Midwest and love even more elevating them to god like status. Particulary those who demonstrate a narrowness of purpose that excludes all consideration of any other result besides victory. We could certainly throw Pete Rose into this category. It's a fascinating trait that seems to be particularly prevelant in this region.
That said, more Huggins stories, please. For all his boorish outbursts and assinine one liners with clipped words, I loved the guy for wearing his feelings on his sleeve. He always struck as the kinda guy it would be fun to be friends with....until he got pissed. Then Look Out.
I just lost all respect for you. If all you can do is write negative stuff about Huggs, then you rank at the bottom of the feeding chain with Tim Sullivan & his idiot brother Paul Daugherty!!
2 Things:
1)How did a Huggins thread lead to Paul Brown and Politics?
2)Anon 7:11, what the heck is your deal? Who was writing negative stuff about Huggins? He told a story that was supposed to be humorous. Someone is awful sensitive this morning. It just shows that the Huggins lovers will do anything they can to create a world where everyone is against Huggins. Enjoy rooting for WVU 7:11, we won't miss you in Clifton.
Anon 7:44
At least 7:11 will be rooting for the winning team. Enjoy your midget coach and your subpar team.
8:39 if you're not a fan of the "midget coach and subpar team" why are you on this blog? Enjoy it now, because in two years when the "midget coach" has a full compliment of players, we don't want you back on the bandwagon. Stay away.
9:14 Hold on to that dream and maybe in two years it will come true. Right now that the best you can hope for.
Gawd. all you huggins vs cronin guys....
are you all PMSing?
I know feelings run deep, but cmon they're actually respectful of each other away from the court, much more than you childish dolts arguing like kindergardeners. You guys sound like the WORST of the UC fans, not the best.
How bout staying on topic instead of turning this blog into your personal whining board? None of you little kids throwing insults around would last a day playing for either Huggins or Cronin, they throw you off the team for your childish behavior.
Any more Huggs stories would be greatly appreciated, Bill. The guy is a fascinating piece of work.
You posters who belittle Huggs for being focused on sports, and then say stuff like this,
"I have often referred to this phenomenon as The Syndrome of the Legendary Midwestern Coach's Fall into Demagougery. As expert witnesses for my point, I call on no less of luminaries than Bobby Knight, Adolph Rupp, Woody Hayes, Bo Schembechler, and Bob Huggins"
Now would rather those guys or a guy who goes mountain climbing like John L. Smith, and posts a 4-7
record at Michigan State.
Mick Cronin should change his name to Mick Yates. Let the 10 game losing streak begin!
Huggs will show Mick Yates how to coach and WVA beats UZ by 20 points or more.
11:04
I like Huggy Bear, always have. But it's indisputable that all the guys I mentioned, including him, left the university where they established their legacy in disgrace. Having said that, I think each one of them is a genius coach, including Huggins.
I simply wanted to pose the query that there is some dysfunctional subtext of enabling going on at these schools, where as these guys age they begin to get cranky and have out bursts, which are conveniently ignored until some ridiculous and embarassing event leads to their downfall. Yes, winning cures many ills, but it creates new one, too.
I was going to school at UK when Rupp retired, sadly he became known as the last coach to integrate in the SEC. An embarassing mark on a great career. The Baron was a marvelous teacher of basketball, but like the rest of these guys, he got stuck in stubborness borne of the arrogance of success too.
I hope Huggs wins it all at WVU. Maybe he;ll stay away from marginal sociopaths and recruit a cleaner less troubled kid. In the meantime, this week's game will be a chance to put things to rest. If you're truly a UC fan, then you'll have to accept Hugg's goal is to beat your team as badly as he can. He is no longer on your side. Let it go.
Hey 3:06. Mick should change his name to Mick Yates and then adopt rickNmd!
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