The Last Temptation of Izzo: Week 2, Favre-style

He's staying, he's going, he's staying, he's going.

LeBron likes him, LeBron will only play for a coach who played in the NBA, LeBron is 100% behind him, LeBron refuses to take his phone calls.

LeBron, of course, is not going anywhere -- back to Cleveland or anywhere else -- until after July 1.

People are getting huffy in both Michigan and Cleveland:

http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/2010/06/the_lebron-o-meter_well_whats.html

The formerly-fawning Michigan media is suddenly shouting, "shit or get off the pot."

http://www.freep.com/article/20100614/SPORTS07/100614013/1319/MSUs-Izzo-dodges-the-big-question-again-today

http://www.freep.com/article/20100613/SPORTS07/6130469/Mark-Snyder-as-Tom-Izzo-Too-many-pros-not-to-go

http://www.detnews.com/article/20100614/OPINION03/6140383/

Print is only the start of it. The sports-radio ranters are urging Michigan State "to make the decision for him."

Hoo boy.

 

If I'm Michigan State, I offer him a Calipari-sized contract to keep him and if I'm Izzo, I stay in East Lansing rather than risk what could happen in Cleveland. If LeBron stays, Izzo is good until he pissed him off. If LeBron leaves, Izzo could be gone in two years.

 

If I'm Michgan State, I don't offer him a nickel more. He's been treated like a freaking god and now he's shitting on everyone in Michigan.
Definitely time to shit or get off the pot. Time for Michigan State to say we need to know by Wednesday if you are going to honor your contract or not. If not, so long, we'll go get a new coach.

 

How is he shitting on everyone in Michigan? He's having difficulty making up his mind. He's been there forever and he's turns down the NBA almost every year.

 

Actually, the very strange and very curious press conference the Cavaliers called last week, at which Dan Gilbert went on at great lengths that LeBron James does not make coaching selections, LeBron James does not make roster moves, they have not consulted LeBron James in any way on the coaching search, makes it a little more complicated.

(Incidentally, if I were a Cavs fan and I heard Gilbert saying, "LeBron James does not have approval rights over a new coach," I would be storming the offices screaming, "why the fuck doesn't he??" There is nothing -- NOTHING -- more important to the future of the Cleveland Cavaliers than keeping LeBron James happy and giving him every reason to re-sign with the team. The actual survival of the franchise depends on it.)

So say you're LeBron James. Since the Cavaliers can offer you more total money than any other team, you re-sign with them.

You arrive back at Cleveland to find a coach, Izzo, with a well-known rep as a hardass, NO experience whatsoever in the NBA, and the owner of team has made a very public statement that he was NOT going to consult you on the coaching change.

What is your first order of business?

To bring Tom Izzo very publicly to heel, of course.

You have to establish who is the alpha dog. Nothing personal, just business. It's got nothing to do with being an "egotistical superstar athlete," it's simple organizational politics.

So Tom Izzo, be aware, if you take the job, your first assignment will be to Kneel Before Bron.

 

I've got to figure someone's used the hed: "Izzo In or Izzo Out"

 

Yeah, Mizzou, he's shitting all over the people and the players at Michigan State by draggung this out.
Time for people to quit kissing these fuckers' asses every time they try to play them for more money.

Time for Izzo to make a decision or have Michigan State admin make it for him.

 

Like BC did with Jeff Jagodzinski . How do you like coaching in the USFL coach?

 

By and large, I agree with what you're saying. LeBron is the meal ticket with this franchise, and I don't think you're going to get much argument on that.

On the other hand, there is a very tangible backlash starting to develop against LeBron in Cleveland. The franchise has bent over backwards to please him in every way imaginable, and yet, here he is jerking the team and the town around. If he was half as motivated in Game 5 vs. Boston as he has been about July 1, maybe his team wouldn't have been handed its earliest playoff exit in the past five years despite finishing with the best record in the league.

He's not sure he's happy with the Cavs' roster? Guess what, he had more of a hand in shaping it than any other player in the league has been given with theirs. Cleveland can't get free agents? Maybe if His Highness wasn't constantly playing with one foot out the door, that wouldn't be the case. Why should you expect other players to commit to your team when you won't?

 

I don't see the big deal. The season starts in the fall for both these guys. What's another couple of days before he chooses? Is Michigan State going to find a better coach if they start their search today? No. Unless Byron Scott takes the Clippers job, which seems like it would have been done by now if he was going to, I don't think the Cavs are missing out on anything if he waits another few days.

 

Izzo has been beloved in Michigan, but he needs to make up his mind. Stop screwing with the MSU fans. Stop screwing with the Cavs. Enough already.

He started his MSU camp today and wouldn't say whether he was staying or going.

I think he'd be an absolute fool to take the Cavs job. He's worked his butt off to build a national-caliber program at MSU, and the Sparty fans absolutely love him and his family. In the NBA, he's a disposable piece of meat. At MSU, he's the most popular coach/manager of any college or pro team in the state, and it isn't even close.

 

He's the only thing good about Michigan State athletics. Stop making him sound like he's Nick Saban or Lane Kiffin. If you're the AD all you can do is offer him a raise and pray he doesn't leave.

Hasn't State been to the Final Four six of the last 12 years? Probably not a guy I'd run off.