Orange coach sees red after reporter’s jab
Syracuse Coach Jim Boeheim, 68, doesn’t generally brook a lot of nonsense.
And Saturday night, after the Orange’s 61-56 Final Four loss to Michigan, he was in no mood for it - or anything that sounded like it.
So when his portion of the post game news conference opened with a question about retirement from CBSSports.com’s Gregg Doyel, Boeheim let Doyel know exactly what he thought of the question:
Doyel: “When do you think you’ll decide, announce, whether or not you’re coming back next year?”
Boeheim: “Why would you ask that question? I expect it from you. I know you. Why ask that question? Are you going to ask John Beilein that question?”
Doyel: “We ask 19-year-olds questions and they handle it better than you are.”
Boeheim: “You ask a 19-year-old kid if he’s going to retire? Really?”
Doyel: “If they’re going to be back next year.”
Boeheim: “If you’re going to say something smart, at least be smart.”
Doyel: “I said be back next year, I didn’t say retire. If you’re going to be smart, at least get it right.”
Boeheim: “I am right.”
Doyel: “Are you going to be back next year or not?”
Boeheim: “I’m not going to answer that question unless you ask every coach that question. Are you going to ask John if he’s going to retire or not coming back next year? I’ve never indicated at any time that I’m not coming back next year - ever.”
In a column posted early Sunday morning, Doyel acknowledged the awkwardness of the exchange.
“Timing is everything, and my timing was bad,” Doyel wrote. “Not because I asked whether he was coming back next season; that question had to be asked, and most people know it. But did it have to be asked first? No, it did not.”
According to Doyel, Boeheim apologized a few minutes later - and even answered the question, after a fashion:
“Everything in me intends to be back coaching next year,” Boeheim said. “And I always say this at the end. That’s probably why people ask me the question: There’s always a chance that somebody might think, you know, you get back into coaching, you get in the thing, you just don’t feel it. If that happens, you know, I don’t want to ever let it be said that I misled anybody.
“As far as I know, I’m 100 percent coaching next year. You know, that’s really kind of where I’m at right now.”
Sounds like he means it … sort of. Maybe.
Movie madness
Baltimore Ravens quarterback and Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco will be attempting to fill some mighty big shoes this summer when he portrays former Baltimore Colts legend Johnny Unitas in movie about Unitas’ life.
Flacco wasn’t picked for his acting chops. He’ll only be wearing Unitas’ No. 19 during the final scenes of Unitas We Stand, showing the Colts’ 23-17 overtime victory over the New York Giants in the 1958 NFL Championship.
Johnny’s son, Joe Unitas, is extremely pleased with the choice, telling the Baltimore Sun, “A lot of the way Joe plays and his demeanor reminds me a lot of my dad.”
Not everyone is happy about it. Unitas’ grandson, J.C. Unitas, a former quarterback at Villanova, called it an “embarassing choice” on his Facebook page, adding, “If you want a real movie, hire a real actor.”
“My grandfather and his legacy deserves only the best, and this is not it.”
J.C.’s father, John Unitas Jr., took it a step farther, calling Flacco a “goofball.”
“If you want a quarterback, go with Peyton Manning,” John said. “My father was just like that. This is a joke.”
“This never would’ve happened if Kyle Boller were still the starter,” wrote CBSSports.com’s Ryan Wilson.
Quote of the day
“We still have a ways to go. Football has a lot more national championships than we do.” Michigan junior guard Tim Hardway
Sports, Pages 14 on 04/08/2013