Cabrera meets Larranaga
- Thread starter Washingtonian
- Start date
I get trying to reconcile and build bridges with Larranaga because it's damn near impossible to have a worthwhile 10th anniversary FF celebration if your school is still on the outs with the coach of that team.
Bring back Larranaga, the assistants and staff, and of course all the players, and have a great party to honor their accomplishments. They all obviously deserve it.
But if I was in charge, neither TOC nor Merten would be allowed in the building. They can both go straight to hell.
Obviously, both men did things during their time at Mason that deserve respect. Merten especially played an enormous role in transforming Mason from a commuter-school joke into a legit national research university.
But as a fan of Mason basketball, the fact that they squandered the FF and then hired Hewitt overshadows every good thing either of them did in my eyes.
But as a fan of Mason basketball, the fact that they squandered the FF and then hired Hewitt overshadows every good thing either of them did in my eyes.
I kind of have reservations about celebrating our 10-year anniversary. I certainly understand the desire to recall what were some of the greatest memories of our collective lives, but it also serves as a reminder of everything we squandered from that great achievement.
We should be proud of making it to the Final 4. I get that. But I want our university to focus more on where our program is headed rather than dwelling on two weeks 10 years ago.
We should be proud of making it to the Final 4. I get that. But I want our university to focus more on where our program is headed rather than dwelling on two weeks 10 years ago.
I have no problem with a big ceremony for the 10th anniversary, I just want it limited to one game and not try to milk it over the whole season. Let's do it, celebrate, and move on.
I'm mostly just disturbed by the thought that we're coming up on the 10-year anniversary and time seems to have gone by in the blink of an eye.
I remember standing on the floor at Verizon after we beat UConn, staring at the scoreboard flashing "Final Four!!!" like it was yesterday.
Now I feel old. Sucks.
I remember standing on the floor at Verizon after we beat UConn, staring at the scoreboard flashing "Final Four!!!" like it was yesterday.
Now I feel old. Sucks.
Logistically, how would they get Coach L and the former assistants to a game day celebration mid-season?
My thoughts exactly. It might be tough logistically to get everybody there, but I'm sure they can find a way to honor the former coaches and players who can't make it.
Holograms
Quentin Daniels
Hall of Famer
I would assume on an airplane.
You could go the train or steamship route too, but that would take a lot longer.
How about we schedule High Point and Miami for back to back home games?
Haha. Just saying that they too, have games, and practices..just interested to see how/when they do it.
I know several people on these boards seem to think that the last 4 years somehow completely negates with the contributions of Merton and O'Connor. After all, they HIRED Larranaga and kept him happy enough for 5 years after the Final Four which is comparable to the length of time that vcu was able to hold on to Shaka. This is despite the fact that Larranaga's alma mater (Providence--a Big East school that had made off with Rick Barnes some years prior to Merton/O'Connor) had tried to recruit him away shortly after the Final Four. Larranaga turned Providence down despite admitting in a Feinstein column at the time that early in his career he thought that was his "dream job", enough so that he applied for it when he was at Bowling Green but Providence at the time hired Rick Pitino.
Personally, I think the Larranaga-coached Mason team in 2011 may have been better than the Final Four team but was unfortunate enough to draw a #1 seed in the second round. What's the likelihood that season happens if Larranaga leaves for the Providence job?
My point is that too many here are still so negative about the decision to hire Hewitt (clearly a bad decision) that they are overlooking genuine contributions made by the previous regime. Without their earlier decisions Mason's Final Four run may never had happened and our basketball history would be no better than most of our former CAA colleagues.
Cool Disco Dan
Sixth Man
What's with the pedo glasses?
Bricker
Starter
Also a point that many miss: The Mertons and Larranagas were friends. They socialized as couples outside of official business. Merton's impending retirement certainly was a factor in Coach L making the move when he did. While Merton was obviously not an "athletics first" prez, he was supportive of the program.
IMHO, Merton wanted his legacy to be the transformation of Mason from a commuter school to a vibrant, competitive university. Everything else was secondary.
Other than coming to MBB games and firing the T-shirt gun, Merten did zero to support athletics at Mason. In fact, I'd venture to suggest he actively worked to the detriment of our athletic department in order to make sure most fundraising was directed toward the university's academic ambitions.
I'm sure there are many -- especially on our clown car BOV -- who agreed with his old-school ivory tower academic approach.
But I'm a Mason basketball fan first. As such, I'm hopeful that we now have a president who understands that athletics is in no way a side door to our university -- it's the front porch where people can connect to Mason and get fired-up in ways they'll never get about Nobel Prize-winning professors or shiny new academic buildings.
P.S.: I know TOC was the one who made the "side door" comment. But I firmly believe Merten was acting as Gepetto, pulling the strings and moving his mouth the entire time.
I'm sure there are many -- especially on our clown car BOV -- who agreed with his old-school ivory tower academic approach.
But I'm a Mason basketball fan first. As such, I'm hopeful that we now have a president who understands that athletics is in no way a side door to our university -- it's the front porch where people can connect to Mason and get fired-up in ways they'll never get about Nobel Prize-winning professors or shiny new academic buildings.
P.S.: I know TOC was the one who made the "side door" comment. But I firmly believe Merten was acting as Gepetto, pulling the strings and moving his mouth the entire time.
Bricker
Starter
Not disagreeing with you. But simply suggesting that Merton had a legacy in mind and wasn't interested in athletics getting in the way of it all. I think he did a lot of good for the school. I don't agree with all of it. But I don't see him as a horrible villain.
One of the bigger faculty complaints about Merton is that he didn't raise enough money. Mason's endowment typically ranks substantially below peer institutions. So if he was re-directing financial gifts away from athletics, he didn't have much of an impact.
Jim, I'm a fan as well, but a university president's role has different and broader priorities than keeping the fans happy. And academics is the core mission of a university.
masonevolution
Recruit
Is there a reason you call him "Merton"?
It annoys so much I decided to log in and post for the first time since the CAAZone days.
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