roosterbaan

March 11th, 2013 at 12:08 PM ^

beilein's comments make me so much happier that he is our coach!

 

 

"Jeff and I discussed it afterwards. I'm not going to comment on another coach or another university. I will say Michigan is always going to win with class and lose with class," he said. "I am really proud of the way Jeff showed great poise in the aftermath of that loss."

Beilein also credited Meyer, who has been with him at Michigan since 2008, for helping him to build the Michigan program "brick-by-brick."

 

 

AdamVN1

March 11th, 2013 at 12:22 PM ^

Beilein has never struck me as anything but a class act.  Obviously I'm seeing him through maize-colored glasses as "our coach," but I don't think I've ever seen him do anything that struck me as unsportsmanlike.  At most, I've see him get frustrated with his own players or maybe a call by the officials, but never jawing with other teams' players, pouting about a loss or rubbing a victory in an opposing coach's face.  Maybe I've missed something over the years, but I'm proud that Michigan has a coach who obviously cares about his team and the University but doesn't let emotions get the best of him.

As for Crean, I always thought he had done a great job at Indiana rebuilding their program without ever really doing anything which reflected negatively on him or Indiana.  After seeing what he did after yesterday's game, my opinion of him dropped through the floor, and it sounds like from what some of you guys are saying it isn't his first time acting like this.  Nothing wrong with celebrating a big victory or your team's success, but you don't need to act like a spoiled brat while doing it.  The players I can understand - they're college kids, and no one is expecting them to be above getting caught up in emotion, but as a coach I think you ought to hold yourself to a higher standard.  Crean obviously doesn't, which is too bad. 

mGrowOld

March 11th, 2013 at 12:14 PM ^

Is it wrong that I wish we had less practice at "losing with class"?   It sucks that we're getting to the point of knowing how to act directly after our balls are kicked in.

 

SysMark

March 11th, 2013 at 7:56 PM ^

Come on.  Look how far things have progressed.  the thing that's missed with that kind of attitude is that this is one of the prices of success - big losses.  When you're at the top, in big games, you're going to lose on average half the time against comparable opponents.  This one hurt a lot but it's going to happen.  The alternative is to not be in these huge games and you never have to suffer the pain.

If you get to the final four and lose a game like this it really, really sucks, but would you rather not be there?

Regardless I would still prefer to go down with class - it doesn't mean we put out less effort or wanted it less.  A guy like Crean is a total self-absorbed moron and I don't really want to go there - and this was after he won.

The season isn't over and we may see them again - I would prefer the last laugh.

roosterbaan

March 11th, 2013 at 12:42 PM ^

in a way i know what you mean, as i wanted us to win that game in the worst way possible. but there is a difference between intense and classsy and intense and jerk. i believe that bo was intense and classy. i believe woody, as much as he was bo's mentor, was intense and a jerk. same applies to belein (see wojo's excellent article on his intensity) and i think hoke as well. but i cannot say the same for dantonio or crean. 

so while it is great to get a win, i am certain that whether we get the win has nothing to do with end of the game antics. it just shows whether you have the brain of a grounded individual or that of a chimpanzee. i'd much rather have a coach that is classy in win and loss as i am cetain crean's classness is not what won IU the game--it was free throw shooting and rebounding!

mGrowOld

March 11th, 2013 at 1:07 PM ^

I know I'm older than al lthe people responding to my comment so yes, more than any of you, I know the highs and lows of Michigan basketball.  Starting with watching Henry Wilmore in 1970 and running up through last night.  And yes, I well aware of how far we fell and how far we've climbed in the past few years.

HOWEVEA......since the nut-crunching loss to Ohio in the first (second?) round of last year's NCAA we've lost a heartbreaker to OSU, to Wisconsin when a team of brick-layers had a last second prayer answered, fought back several times only to lose to Indiana, blew a 15 point lead and lost at then winless PSU and now yesterday.  Yes I know we beat MSU this year in a nail-biter and yes I know we beat OSU in OT.  Great games both but I'm only focusing on the close losses and since the end of last year we've had more than our fair share IMO.

Nobody gives a shit (for the most part unless you're Tom Creen) how you win or lose when you win or lose the expected games or when the outcome is never in doubt.  It's games like the ones listed above that spell out our class and dignity in defeat and I just wish he had less experience in dealing with it.  

Can any Michigan fan truly say they DON'T wish had won each of those games?

bacon1431

March 11th, 2013 at 5:28 PM ^

Every team in the history of NCAAB, with a few exceptions, is handed the experience of losing. Coaches should know how to lose and win with class after their first season as an assistant. I really don't understand your point. IU has lost one less game than us this year.

Nothing wrong with not wanting to lose, but you're acting like the people that are happy we lose with class are fine with losing. It's a faulty assumption.

And I was born in 89, so all the success I've known as a Michigan bball fan has been before I could really understand what was going on and under JB. I've seen more failure than success from UM since I've followed. I don't think that makes me any less qualified to have an opinion on the matter.

myblueheaven

March 11th, 2013 at 12:50 PM ^

@bluenyc..A simlpe case of Peer Effects my friend where "the tail wags the dog"! Crean has a lower threshold or standard of proper on court behavior, and is most influened by the extremist in his group whom he imitates, which in this case would be Jim Harbaugh who is known for this type of on feild etiquette.  

SF Wolverine

March 11th, 2013 at 12:25 PM ^

which is what good coaches teach kids starting at about fourth or fifth grade.  Good news is he's amped up the rivalry; nothing like being able to stoke the competiive fires with real, live douchnozzlery.

CooperLily21

March 11th, 2013 at 12:30 PM ^

No Free Press!

That said, I always wondered if these kinds of people should really be apologizing for actually being a douche, not just for acting like one.  As in, its clear Crean is inherently a douchebag and I expect an apology from him on that rather than on his antics as a douchebag.

jmdblue

March 11th, 2013 at 12:37 PM ^

whether Crean made the phone call or, if he did, what was said?  What is clear though, is Crean's statement to the media had everything to do with cutting off questions regarding his shitty public behavior and nothing to do with acutally feeling some remorse.  The guy is a jerk with a bad haircut.  Hope they lose in the first weekend of the dance.

SF Wolverine

March 11th, 2013 at 12:43 PM ^

And, he's not going to change.  Guy who reacts like this after a WIN, fergodsakes, is not likely to handle advertisty well.  Why, I'd bet he's not beneath having his kids flop at the end of a close ...

You get the point.

Plus, with the great audio on that clip, think of what the MGoGif community will be able to do over the years by pasting someone else in for Meyer.

Be great to watch this guy melt down next year as he tries to defend this title without two POY candidates and much of the rest of the supporting cast.

MaizeNBlueInDC

March 11th, 2013 at 12:42 PM ^

What the hell does that mean?  How is it a "professional misunderstanding" when he went up to Meyer, unprovoked, after winning a close game and accusing him of helping to ruin IU's program?  How much spinning/damage control brainstorming was involved in making up that BS phrase?  What a putz.

True Blue Grit

March 11th, 2013 at 12:44 PM ^

Like someone else said, it's big time damage control by the AD at IU.  Once a dick, always a dick.  Indiana better bring Crean under control or they'll have another Bobby Knight to deal with.  They went for years not doing anything about BK's tantrums and embarassing behavior and eventually had to fire him. 

Maizenblueball

March 11th, 2013 at 12:50 PM ^

I never realized Crean was THAT much of douche.  I knew he was a jerk, but that clip takes it to a whole new level...especially his smug little smile afterwards as he walks away. 

Stay classy, Tom Crean.

Away Goal

March 11th, 2013 at 2:00 PM ^

Yeah, the look on his face when finally walked away creeped me out big time.  Reminded me of some sort of 80's movie over the top bully type character.  Maybe Bill Paxton in Weird Science.

I say this knowing he will still get A+ recruits but, seeing that encounter, how could anyone ever want to play for that guy.  Also, why does he still let his mom cut his hair?

Perkis-Size Me

March 11th, 2013 at 12:54 PM ^

Oh please. He apologized because he had to. He did it for the media. Because he made an ass out of himself on television and looked like a whining 15 year old girl. If he had his way, he'd make sure the whole world knew what he said, and he'd be proud of it.



I get that he'd be upset towards Meyer, but that's the kind of crap you keep to yourself, especially in this day and age of social media where toying is private anymore. He's done nothing but demonstrate himself as an unprofessional, classless piece of shit. Clearly he's learning a lot from his brother-in-law Jim.



This is one of those situations, tough, where no one in Indiana will care. As long as he keeps winning, he can spew whatever he wants out of that big mouth of his, and it'll all just get brushed to the side.

readyourguard

March 11th, 2013 at 12:57 PM ^

A Sparty friend of mine wasn't aware of the incident after the game (which, like....rrrrrrrright).  Anyway, I texted him a link to the story and video.  His typical Sparty response was "how do you know Meyer didn't start this by saying something earlier in the game, during a time out, or at halftime?"

Ummmmm, because there's video evidence, and Crean has now issued a public apology?  Perhaps?  Maybe?  I don't know.

 

UMgradMSUdad

March 11th, 2013 at 11:35 PM ^

Quite a few Sparties actually do agree that Crean is a douche, and this is from people who are predisposed to give him every benefit of the doubt because of his Spartan ties.  If fact, it was a Spartan fan on one of the Sparty message boards that pointed out after Michigan's game at IU that Crean was standing on the sideline and screaming something each time Staukas was attempting a shot from near the sideline.  Technically, a coach can yell out instructions to his team, but this Spartan poster said the timing made it obvious Crean was trying to startle Staukus as he was releasing the ball.

GoWings2008

March 11th, 2013 at 12:58 PM ^

as others have, what would he have said if they'd lost the game?  Its obvious win or lose, this move was premeditated.  Why after a win would you say "you wrecked our program" to someone when you should be celebrating a conference championship? 

Okay, so meme's are my favorite thing, but maybe just one more wouldn't hurt...

ClearEyesFullHart

March 11th, 2013 at 1:01 PM ^

You guys are seriously surprised when an Izzo disciple acts like a little bitch? Status quo. Looking forward to the day Oladipo and Zeller go pro, and this guy goes back to making sweet love to Roseanne Barr.

MIMark

March 11th, 2013 at 1:07 PM ^

That's the first time I actually got a chance to see the altercation. Few quick thoughts ...

- Meyer was cleared by the NCAA
- Tom Crean is human. He took over a top notch program that was in the ditch. He blames everyone, even those cleared by the NCAA, for it being in the sewer. He let out some frustrations. That's human, especially in the kind of drama as we saw. He probably felt some serious relief afterwards.
- He's human but he's also a professional. For average Joe to step out of his way to berate another he blames for some problems is understandable; for a head coach of a top NCAA program to do the same is embarrassing. Embarrassing for IU and a bad example for his players.
- I hope the hatchet is buried between the two now.
- John Belein is a class act.
- Jeff Meyer will someday be a great head coach. We'll keep him as long as possible but I see it as inevitable that he's eventually going to be head coaching elsewhere. Best of luck when that day comes.
- IU's AD probably had a nasty talk with his head coach on a day that should have been celebratory.
- The IU crowd will quickly forget this.
- The Michigan players won't. Sucks to be Crean next time he plays against the Maize and Blue.

LSAClassOf2000

March 11th, 2013 at 1:09 PM ^

"I apologized to him for it. It was a professional misunderstanding, and it’s over and done with. ... I should have never brought it to the handshake line, should have been over.” - Crean, in the article

I often walk up to colleagues in my profession and accuse them quite loudly and aggressively of wrecking my program in meetings, and it is often simply seen as a "professional misunderstanding". No, Mr. Crean, it doesn't quite work like that. It was a very unprofessional, so much so that you had to be restrained, from the look of things. That's a wonderful example to set for the players in your program....not. 

Indiana Blue

March 11th, 2013 at 1:17 PM ^

Hope your brother-in-law, yeah the QB from Michigan sits you in the corner at Thanksgiving.   Classless ... like telling Zeller to FLOP & other players to FAKE getting elbowed.  Your time will come ... likely in the NCAA when Zeller is treated as a player and not a princess.

Go Blue!