Bando Calrissian

October 24th, 2016 at 4:22 PM ^

I do know, however, what it's like to eat as the athletes do, at least at a basal level without all the other perks they get beyond the normal student body. I was in the dorm caf line plenty of times behind basketball players, football players, and other athletes. They certainly were not complaining whilst piling up their trays with food.

So, when he bitches about "jail food," it shows a certain lack of tact, if not a complete lack of awareness.

softshoes

October 24th, 2016 at 5:01 PM ^

I was in jail for one night and much of the next day. Don't mess with me I'm hardened.  Cereal for breakfast and boloney for lunch. Standard fare I expect. One tip, do not toss condiment packages you don't use. Those are jailhouse currency.

As fior Burke is seems like it took him long enough to start bitching. What was his holdup?

Blue Know It

October 24th, 2016 at 4:45 PM ^

You think the current atheles feel the same about the food? I highly doubt that. I've seen the Umich Football and Umich athletics snapchat channel. The kids are showing off the food quarters.

xtramelanin

October 24th, 2016 at 6:19 PM ^

an unheard of thing for which the upper classmen gave me a ton of crud.  in 1980 nobody trained much in the off-season and guys came to camp to get in shape (i.,., to loose weight).  to put a  point on mabel's apt comment, i didn't have a mother since she passed when we were kids.  somebody cooking for me, anybody, was a great thing! 

HipsterCat

October 24th, 2016 at 4:19 PM ^

I was in East Quad in 2008 and West Quad in 2009 and ate a lot of dinners in South Quad after band practices. Its was super up and down depending on what they were serving and what times you went (food out too long, not having much stuff towards closing time, etc). Some of it definetely sucked for sure, but you learned what was good and what wasnt. Would kill for an unlimited cafateria now cause im a terrible cook lol.

Mr. Yost

October 24th, 2016 at 6:54 PM ^

See. Told you. It has nothing to do with being a student-athlete.

Has everything to do with you perspective and experience as a student.

I can't imagine food at the University of Michigan sucked in comparison to what I ate in college. 

I also can't imagine the food at the University of Michigan could compare to "jail food" for anyone who's actually tried both.

...so it's a gross overreaction. But for folks to be surprised and act like this is on Trey or student-athletes, that's silly.

Plenty of former students feel the EXACT same way he does. Plenty of former students felt like college didn't prepare them for life. Plenty of former students will tell you they "didn't learn anything" in college.

It's just the opinion of some.

I personally don't agree with a lot of it, but I'm not surprised by any of it. Personally, I didn't learn anything in college from class. No teacher or class prepared me for life after college. Everything I learned was from interaction and experience, not something from a test. (A big reason for that is because my major was tailored for the football team and well, I was one of a few who actually tried and applied themselves). 

So the value I took from college was putting my in real life situations without necessarily the real life consequences, and that has helped me in life. Or at least thats what I tell myself every time Sallie Mae comes calling.

Blue_In_Texas

October 24th, 2016 at 3:56 PM ^

This is strange. There's legitimate debate to be had about scholarship plans and players not having money etc but the quality of the food in the dorms was pretty much on point or better than that of other universities. Especially the broccoli chicken bake thing that was fireeee

2427_Couzens

October 24th, 2016 at 3:57 PM ^

I don't want to throw stones back in a knee jerk manner, but...

Seems disingenuous to say Michigan didn't prepare him for life when he only gave it 2 years. It's not a stretch to think that a kid leaving after two years of college may not have put in the time to obtain the skills necessary to navigate life as a professional.

 

And claiming it's a coach's job to handle a personal issue?  I'm sure any coach would do their best to help one of their players, but you can't expect to be spoon fed.  I find it difficult to believe John Beilein would not help a player having problems.

Stashamo

October 24th, 2016 at 11:09 PM ^

for the love of God and all that is holy. "claimed it is the coach's job to handle a personal issue for a player." 

I didn't know he was that type of guy, but he's out in my books.  Want to get out into the world and act like a man? Get ready for it. Put your big boy shoes on and get to work. No one is going to hold your hand your whole life.  Making millions in the NBA? Congrats. There will be a time when you are used up, on your own and need to figure out the basics, for the very first time.

In reply to by ijohnb

Bando Calrissian

October 24th, 2016 at 4:17 PM ^

Wasn't even the end of the school year--it was right after the season ended, IIRC. The rumor was he was ready to walk out the door. Then he came back.

Also remember this was a kid ready to go play at Penn State. You think he'd be in this position if he'd ended up at PSU, playing in a bottomfeeder program as a middling recruit? 

Mr. Yost

October 24th, 2016 at 6:59 PM ^

Trey basically made us a non-bottom feeder.

I understand you're upset because it's your alma mater. And I agree with 90% of the stuff you've said in this thread - especially in regards to the food comments.

But I feel like you just wanted to call him an ungrateful bastard and tell him to go to another country.

I'm joking about the last part, just a similar tone to those folks who had that response to all of the Anthem protests.

Imagine if Trey doesn't come to Michigan. We'd just lost the star PG to the NBA, we'd have someone else...but the National Player of The Year? 

We weren't PSU, but we were a lot closer to PSU than we were to what Burke turned Michigan into.

BlueMk1690

October 24th, 2016 at 3:59 PM ^

for adult life because an adult wouldn't have made such comments. Seriously of all the things to complain about with regard to college hoops, he talks about Michigan not giving him NBA lifestyle prep and the food not being top notch. Those comments mostly reflect poorly on him.

 

Sopwith

October 24th, 2016 at 3:59 PM ^

There isn't much context, we don't know what positive things he said, and for someone who was "checked out," winning National Player of the Year and leading the team to the final ain't bad.

He's not the first collegian, athlete or otherwise, to complain about cafeteria food.

Billy Ray Valentine

October 24th, 2016 at 4:16 PM ^

Had this article appeared in the Players Tribune, or some other similar media outlet in which the interviewee maintains a high degree of control over the content, I would have less caution.

 

My kneejerk reaction is one of both mild sadness and ambivalence.  It requires little effort to conjure up thoughts of my contemporaries (Class of '98) complaining about cafeteria food.  It also requires little effort to remember those who thought the food was great.

 

The "jail food" comment strikes me as hyperbole.  I equate this to post-game interviews where football players draw paralells between playing a game and actual, real life warfare.  Do these players actually know what warfare is like ... almost never.  Does Trey know what "jail food" tastes like ... probably not.

 

One final note ... I ate many meals as part of a varsity team's South Quad training table during my time at Michigan.  I also ate many cafeteria meals at Markely.  There was a HUGE difference between training table and Markley.  Training table was usually great food, plenty of choices, and unlimited.  

 

Oh well.  I remain eternally grateful for Trey's two years.  He left as a NPOTY, an NCAA Tournament Finalist, and a lottery pick, so I have no nits to pick with his departure.  IMHO, he should never have to buy another drink or meal in A2 for the rest of his life.  He was/is a warrior.

ijohnb

October 24th, 2016 at 4:00 PM ^

call the Wambulance, quick.  In other words, he has gotten smoked in the NBA by pretty much everybody so he needs somebody to blame it on.  He should step up his game or go to Europe and ride pine over there, but don't throw your college program under the bus because he can't hack it.