SI's takedown of UCLA

Bill Walton would be shocked to hear that today's players are smoking pot.

 

The players were puzzled by some of their coach's idiosyncrasies. Howland seemed obsessed with the temperature in the film room. If it was not exactly 76º a student manager was certain to feel Howland's wrath. The water bottles handed to him had to be just cold enough and not too large.

I just honestly don't know how I could work in that environment and not tell the coach to fuck off. I'd last less than a day.

Sounds like another molder of men is getting what he deserves. Agents sound better than coaches these days.

 

I know people like to emphasize that we need to pay attention to details, but berating a student manager over the temperature is ridiculous... Can't wait to read the article, even though I am definitely a UCLA fan.

 

76 is the last temperature I'd want it at. Numerals equal 13. What a weirdo.

 

How much time did he spend showing players how to put on their shoes and socks?

 

Is this a story if it isn't UCLA: The Home of John Wooden and the Pyramid of Success? There wasn't anything "shocking" about what I read - star players received special treatment from coaches? Head coaches can be jerks to assistants and support staff? College kids like to party? Reeves Nelson was a total jerk? Pretty much the types of stories you could find at almost any DI program.

As I USC fan, I'd like to point out that the coach across town/Figueroa got into a drunken hotel bar brawl during the conference tournament and has led his team to one PAC-12 win this season.

 

But it is at UCLA. Yes, that is the story. I would further add that if this were happening at Duke or Carolina, or at Indiana under Knight, it would be a big story then too.

 

It's a story because Howland went to three Final Fours in a row and now can't sniff the tournament two out of three seasons in a weak-as Pac-12. It's a story in the same way that Coach K.'s health problems were a story when Duke fell off the map for a time.

 

Has anyone every written a profile about what Coach K is like behind the scenes? I've heard enough stories from beat writers about how he yells at players and curses more than just about any coach in history, but I don't know that I've ever read that in a story.

 

My brother-in-law doesn't follow sports very closely, but he was at my place last year when Duke was playing in a tournament game. Afterward, when Coach K. was talking, he started gushing about how classy and down-to-earth and humble he was.

"You worked in that business - is that how he is?"

I just said yes.

"I thought so. You can just tell!"