aggypryd
Golden Hoya (over 1000 posts)
Posts: 2,418
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Post by aggypryd on Apr 17, 2005 8:11:10 GMT -5
Very interesting topic, fellas... Great responses also... A lot of folks didn't like Big John because he was in a highly visible position and he said some things that weren't very popular, but were very true... Just like a lot of you have said, he surrounded himself with good people...and a lot of those people just so happened to be White... That's all I have to say...I just didn't want to be left off this one.
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SirSaxa
Silver Hoya (over 500 posts)
Posts: 747
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Post by SirSaxa on Apr 17, 2005 8:19:41 GMT -5
JTII was viewed by many as a racist, but the overwhelming majority of people who thought he was racist were white people who themselves were racist. Do you have anything, anything at all to back up that incredibly broad and definitive statement?
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Post by Frank Black on Apr 17, 2005 11:18:43 GMT -5
Heh, I was thinking the same thing. I would call people who accused JTII of racism ignorant, but its a leap to say that the vast majority of them are racist themselves.
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Post by jerseyhoya34 on Apr 17, 2005 12:06:49 GMT -5
The only thing that I can think of on this is that maybe some SU fans viewed JT2 as a racist, if only because he allegedly did not recruit/play white players. At the same time, some of these same folks were those who waved bananas and threw oranges at Pat. Nonetheless, this correlation may represent more anti-GU hatred than overt racism.
I am not sure that the original charge is as unfounded as it seems, but it is tough to give it some meat given how you have to prove a few things that are difficult to prove.
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the_way
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
The Illest
Posts: 5,420
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Post by the_way on Apr 17, 2005 12:15:16 GMT -5
Heh, I was thinking the same thing. I would call people who accused JTII of racism ignorant, but its a leap to say that the vast majority of them are racist themselves. It is not a leap at all. They were racist. How were they ignorant? What did they not know!? They didn't know a black man could speak articulately? They didn't know a black man could coach? They didn't know a black man could be a tactician? They didn't know a black man could be a great businessman? They didn't know a black man could graduate basketball players? They didn't know a black man could graduate black basketball players from the inner-city They didn't know a black man could be smart? The didn't know a black man could make decisions? I would like to know what they did not know?! JT2 did nothing to warrant being called a racist, the "Idi Amin" of college basketball, a leader of thugs, etc. He didn't deserve any of that. The only thing JT2 was guilty of was that he was an American who made the most out of his life and changed the lives of others. The was not the first time a black person did that. That has been going on for centuries. Lets call a spade a spade here. We are not talking ignorance here, we are talking insecurties and inferiority-complexes here. Like I said before, there was and STILL is a large segment of society that does not like seeing black people being successful in life. So I don't see why people who called him racist were not racist.
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EasyEd
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Posts: 7,272
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Post by EasyEd on Apr 17, 2005 13:56:58 GMT -5
I think it is a big mistake to categorize anyone who thinks another is a racist as a racist, themselves. With all the examples you gave, it's impossible to tie those particular things to anyone else. You don't know what's in people's minds.
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SirSaxa
Silver Hoya (over 500 posts)
Posts: 747
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Post by SirSaxa on Apr 17, 2005 15:19:13 GMT -5
Lets call a spade a spade here. Priceless!
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Post by FromTheBeginning on Apr 17, 2005 15:30:37 GMT -5
Did JT recruit white players? Yes he did. How do I know? Because on more than a few occasions, I drove JT, Mary, and many others to games, home visits, etc. during the early years. None of those kids decided to come to GU. But to say they weren't recruited and recruited hard, is just not true. Anyone who has had the pleasure of spending more than just a few minutes with JT and been with him in a private, relaxed setting, knows the type of person and man he is and knows he has no need to defend him to anyone. Oh - and not that it matters - I'm white.
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Post by jerseyhoya34 on Apr 17, 2005 15:41:32 GMT -5
Did JT recruit white players? Yes he did. How do I know? Because on more than a few occasions, I drove JT, Mary, and many others to games, home visits, etc. during the early years. None of those kids decided to come to GU. But to say they weren't recruited and recruited hard, is just not true. Anyone who has had the pleasure of spending more than just a few minutes with JT and been with him in a private, relaxed setting, knows the type of person and man he is and knows he has no need to defend him to anyone. Oh - and not that it matters - I'm white. Great stories/perspective, FTB. I came to GU during the Esh Years, so I never got a full sense of JT2 when he coached. However, I have appreciated what nuggets have come out in interviews this season and on the recent documentary. He comes across as genuine, honest, supportive, and highly intelligent. I have just appreciated this season how he has always been there for JT3 and the program at the games and behind the scenes. Obviously, he doesn't have to do any of it, but it says something about him that he does it nonetheless instead of doing other things that may serve him more directly.
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Post by Admin on Apr 17, 2005 21:46:11 GMT -5
Moved here to the 37th and O board--it's a topic that's grown beyond basketball.
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Post by ColumbiaHeightsHoya on Apr 18, 2005 14:57:28 GMT -5
B. Kelly is back in Cincy now. His younger brother walked on as well. I think Thompson definitely didn't aggressively recruit white players but so what. He didn't aggressively recruit many players and if a player didn't show interest, he didn't pursue them. I think in the changing landscape of college hoops, this might have helped lead to the end of his career. We definitely didn't get the recruits in the late 90's that we got in the 80's (Iverson & J. Williams were lucky pick ups while Jahidi & Othella were both following the big man legacy). Most people that talk about this kind of stuff are very ignorant when it comes to G'town & Thompson.
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