RIP Dean Smith

All that stuff is boring and uninteresting when you're talking about how many message board posts it'll generate, though.

 

Right. There's just not much to debate, which fuels these discussions/time-wasters. Plus, I think it was pretty well-known for a while now that Smith was in bad shape.

 

I dunno. I've read a great deal of the coverage of Smith's death and there have been some fantastic anecdotes coming out - like the one mentioned in this thread about Mitch Kupchak and Sharon Stone. Heck the little local paper that covers the community I work in had a great letter this morning from a guy who said he wrote Dean in 1997 to ask if he'd send his mother a birthday card on her 100th birthday. Dean sent back a personalized note and a team photo with all the players having signed and wishing her a happy 100th. I eat stories like that up and don't care to argue over Tark, who I appreciated. But that's me. I get that it doesn't fit what this place has become.

 

Yeah, Tark was just entertaining. Everybody's got a story.

 

I hear what everyone's saying, but I guess I would just expect a bigger response to someone who is 4th all time in wins in his profession. Just the nature of being on that short of a list would generate reaction. And I also think the lack of commentary here is pretty reflective of the general public reaction to Smith's death as well.

Here's a few of his coaching counterparts in other sports at the no. 4 all time wins position: Pat Riley, Bobby Bowden, Bobby Cox. Any of those when they pass fail to generate a larger response than here?

 

Here in North Carolina there has been significant public interest/reaction to Smith's death.

I think some of the muted response is because he had been out of the limelight for a long time now. Other than a few brief studio appearances for CBS in the '98 tournament, he never did the studio analyst routine that so many ex-coaches do. Before his illness got the better of him, he would give the occasional interview but he was never seeking attention.

 

Smith also died over the weekend, when this place is pretty damn quiet these days.

 

It certainly sucks that we lost one of the greatest coaches ever, but my guess would be that none of those names would generate much discussion, with the exception of Riley, whose death would come as a shock. Just not much to talk about. Love reading the anecdotes and thoughts from those who knew/played for them, but what are we supposed to offer?

 

Private funeral was held today. Only close friends, family, letter winners and Coach K were invited:

Local & North Carolina state news from Raleigh, NC | NewsObserver.com

 

I saw Dean Smith smoking once.

Does that count as a pithy anecdote?

 

This is pretty cool:

 

Cheater.