Re: the Coach

[mberry@journalink.com (Mark Berry)]

I think this is a great post. Pitino is the biggest reason I'm so confident 
things are going to turn around.

I do hope, however, that he adds some veterans to this mix for next year. An 
Oakley would be a perfect fit, as would a Horace Grant. I'd also like to see a 
veteran in the backcourt mix - a Terry Porter or Dan Majerle type. These kinds 
of guys are so much more valuable than their stats indicate.

Mark
By the way, I'll be 30 in two weeks, I'm married to a school teacher and we have 
two beautiful daughters, 2 years and 7 months. I'm the sports editor of the 
paper here in Middletown, Ohio. (www.middletownjournal.com) I started watching 
basketball in the early 1980s and the only teams you ever saw on broadcast 
television were the Celtics, Lakers and Sixers. You had to choose which team to 
root for, and I chose the Celts. My family bought a satellite dish shortly 
thereafter and I was able to see every game, home and away, and was thoroughly 
hooked. I took a spring break trip to Boston my junior year in college and sat 
in obstructed view seats to see the Celts beat the Nets. (I also paid $75 for a 
ticket to see Gretzky and the Kings play the Bruins, and I don't even like 
hockey) I didn't think any  of this would be of interest to anyone on the list 
until I started reading some of the other introductions and really enjoyed them. 
Hope everyone else does too.



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Subject: the Coach


From:    "Gene Kirkpatrick" <gkir@tjc.tyler.cc.tx.us> at Internet


Date:    3/20/99  11:11 AM





What a terrific list.  Thanks for the introductions.  I'm the old guy
from Texas.

I think this year has been hardest on Pitino.  He has been thrown off
his game:  no practice time, a talented but immature, inconsistent
(young) team, too many road games, injuries, etc.
I hope it leads to a reconsideration of how to succeed in the NBA. 
Those who question his success at this point should not misconstrue a
losing record and an inconsistent team for a lack of ability.  This is
still one of the half dozen best coaches in all basketball.  I am
confident he will learn from the present imbroglio and emerge a
champion once again.

It's Springtime in Texas

Gene   P.S.  Top six active coaches:  Riley, Pitino, Barmore, Daley,
Coach K, Tubby Smith