My Take on Wake - An Exception to the Rule

An Exception to the Rule

Gregg Popovich mocked the media the other night after the Spurs lost to Phoenix to fall behind 0-2 in the series. You may have seen the video Popovich Press Conference now making its rounds in cyberspace. I’m not here to rip Popovich, because I don’t know him. I also don’t know the reporters asking the questions, and what their past history with Popovich might be. And maybe Pop had just been told his dog died. Again I don’t know. I do know Pop’s most caustic response, ``Gee guys, ask me some questions,’’ came after a long, excruciating pause, which, from my experience, can elicit a stumbling question by someone just anxious to keep the press conference going. But I wasn’t there, so I’m in no position to judge what went down.

Having sat through countless press conferences, I know the awkwardness that can pervade a room when a coach tosses a question back at the person that asked it. I’ve had my share thrown back at me. It bothers me when the coach attempts to embarrass a cub reporter, or maybe one from the school paper, because it smacks of bullying. When Mike Krzyzewski of Duke does it, as he has been wont to do, I can’t help but think it’s beneath a man of his accomplishments and brilliance. But I’m a big boy, in more ways than one, and when a coach rears up when I ask him about his triangle-and-two defense (as Indiana’s Tom Crean did after getting waxed by the Deacons 83-68 in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge of 2008) then I just recognize that it makes him look a lot worse than me.

Pretty much all coaches spar with the media at one time or another. A guy like Chuck Amato could never hide his disdain for the members of the Fourth Estate—whom he routinely referred to as ``You people,’’—and I can’t help but think that it cost him a year or two as head coach at N.C. State. Even a media darling like Skip Prosser could be antagonistic with his responses. Skip’s problem was his mind worked so quick and he was so naturally cynical that he just couldn’t help himself. But with Skip, he’d invariably seek you out afterward and smooth any ruffled feathers.

All of this is a long-winded explanation of why Jim Grobe is so special. Grobe has coached 98 games at Wake Forest, and I’ve seen all but a couple. I’ve also attended at least that many press conferences, and have been in media gaggles with him dozens of other times. And never in easily more than 200 occasions have I seen him show anyone up. Not once. There have been times when it looked like he was ready to. I remember once when a writer asked him about his decision to run out the clock in the first half of a loss at Clemson instead of attempting to score. He answered by saying he felt it was best to get back in the locker room without further damage and regroup. When the writer asked the question again, Jim paused, stiffened a bit, and then calmly repeated what he had said earlier. But there was no rancor or antagonism in his tone.

Coaching is stressful work. Reporters can, and do, ask stupid questions. It takes a man of uncommon self-assurance and grace to always keep his emotions under control.

Jim Grobe is such a man.

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By Dan Collins on 05/07/2010 (1:24 pm)

Comments

Dan,
In your hiatus or whatever you call it, I have been forced to other Deacon blogs for a fix. As in all blog sites regarding any subject, there are positive and negative attitudes and comments.
A positive in basketball recruiting is that Wake appears to be in the running for some big timers in the 2011 class but that Battle and Rusty have a job to do to maintain that as they hit the road for the AAU circus/circuit( or meatmarket)of tournaments.
A negative is that the hope Bzdelik would make a big splash with his first 2011 recruit didn’t happen;instead he got a commit from a high scoring two-star guard. I know stars often mean nothing—-CJ Harris being a great example, but with the recruiting being done by most teams in the league, Bzdelik is going to be tested as never before. We’ll see.

Jerry on 05/21/2010 (12:32 pm)

Dan,
need a little discussion here, am I off in thinking Wake is the logical addition to the Big 10. after all we have the Wrigley Field of football, and you have to think they would be eying the Winston-Salem, Piedmont Triad teevee market as just what they need for the Big Ten network. Now would WF match up? - you betcha - especially since I am thinking the SEC is probably ducking WF since WF owns SEC teams in recent past in football - just ask Alfanso —- for basketball I am of course not considering the NBA entry from the SEC—your thoughts on expansion and if you think the Deacs are a fit with the Big 10 and if this rumor has legs.

we might just need some clarity in this jungle of realignment

paul on 05/20/2010 (9:38 pm)

jcg,
I don’t know, there for a while I thought it was something I said/did/didn’t/should have done. But you too? Has anyone seen Dan?

EJ on 05/19/2010 (8:56 pm)

Dan,
We hope all is well with you and your family.
We are getting withdrawal symptoms and don’t have anything to Take for relief.

Jerry on 05/19/2010 (9:29 am)

Where’s Dan????

jcg on 05/18/2010 (8:10 pm)

Dear Dan,
You don’t write, you haven’t called, you just left us alone. Without our “My Take” fix. Was it something we said, something we did? Whatever it was, we miss you.

EJ on 05/16/2010 (5:42 pm)

Amen, Country. Amen.

Big Red on 05/08/2010 (1:59 pm)

Chris,

I completely agree with you about how Jim Grobe refused to call out players and assistant coaches. Even when he does call out the “knot-heads”, he simply mentions that there is an issue while keeping the details in-house. That type of loyalty is very admirable.

I think that his particular style is perfectly suited to a place like Wake Forest too. Purely speculation on my part here, but I think that a big reason why he turned down the Arkansas job was because he saw what the media/boosters did to Houston Nutt and realized that it wasn’t worth the trouble of stepping in front of that type of firestorm on behalf of his players and staff.

DC on 05/07/2010 (2:32 pm)

Good post, Dan. Grobe is excellent at walking the fine line there, I think. You can be too calm and collected as a coach too—sometimes, after a tough loss for example, fans want to see a little bit of anger and frustration, which I think Grobe has showed on occassion. But he never calls out players (unless they’re being “knot-heads”), and I admire for that, as well.

Chris on 05/07/2010 (2:05 pm)