The eruption of Mount McCaffery: a deserved suspension and lesson learned
Though it is old news now, I wanted to throw in my two cents regarding the one-game suspension of Iowa men’s basketball head coach Fran McCaffery. I have been meaning to write about it all week but have not gotten to it until now.
On Monday, the Big Ten suspended McCaffery for his two-technical outburst in Madison. McCaffery served that suspension last night when the Hawks played at home against Northwestern. It was, I suppose, an opportune time to serve a suspension, but I think it was foolish for McCaffery put himself in that position in the first place.
Did the Hawks get a bad break on the two offending second half possessions at Wisconsin? Sure. But that is college basketball. The referees try to call the game evenly and will, at times, swallow their whistles on one end to maintain a balance and redeem themselves for bad/missed calls on the other end. Make-up calls are an engrained and often exasperating part of college basketball. (I am unsure what the situation is in the NBA because I probably have not watched an entire NBA game since I was twelve.) Each team will get its share of breaks and ticky-tacky calls. Sure, it is aggravating at times, but I have learned to accept and roll with it. It is all part of the “fun.” That is why I could not understand why McCaffery blew his top, especially since the Badgers had cut Iowa’s lead to two and were gaining momentum. When the commercial break ended and the commentators said McCaffery had been ejected, I could not believe it. Ejected? Over that?
I have not seen the replays since Sunday, but I was not overly upset with the way those two possessions were officiated. A no-call seemed warranted on Iowa’s end. The Hawkeyes do have a tendency of playing soft inside; nobody goes hard in the paint and none of Iowa’s post players attack the rim with authority. Not only do the Hawks miss a lot of bunnies inside, but opponents are able to exploit Iowa’s meekness with the illusion of good defense. Contact is minimized, not exaggerated. That is why Iowa does not get many of the calls it wants inside. The opposite is mostly true at the other end of the court. Plus, let’s admit it: Gabe Olaseni is becoming a much better player, but he is not the best defender in the Big Ten. Shit happens. Deal with it. Move on.
McCaffery, though, saw it as an opportunity to motive his team. He admitted that he wanted the first technical, and he got it. However, I cannot remember if he was aware of that or not. That could have been a factor in his elevated aggression. Regardless, he erupted and pursued the officials. In my opinion, he deserved a suspension.
A handful of letter writers and armchair commenters have called for McCaffery to take anger management courses and said his actions have embarrassed the basketball program and university. While the lasting effects of his eruption remain to be seen (if there are any), I think and hope the situation has resolved itself. McCaffery served his deserved suspension and I am sure he has learned his lesson. McCaffery is not Bobby Knight. Sure, he has had notable eruptions in the past and the Carver-Hawkeye scorer’s table has received a couple kicks, but McCaffery is not out of control. He is not, as one P-C letter writer said, the Bo Pelini of Iowa men’s basketball. McCaffery is a passionate basketball coach who gets frustrated. He seems to be intelligent and mindful and I think he will move forward as a better man.
On Monday, the Big Ten suspended McCaffery for his two-technical outburst in Madison. McCaffery served that suspension last night when the Hawks played at home against Northwestern. It was, I suppose, an opportune time to serve a suspension, but I think it was foolish for McCaffery put himself in that position in the first place.
Did the Hawks get a bad break on the two offending second half possessions at Wisconsin? Sure. But that is college basketball. The referees try to call the game evenly and will, at times, swallow their whistles on one end to maintain a balance and redeem themselves for bad/missed calls on the other end. Make-up calls are an engrained and often exasperating part of college basketball. (I am unsure what the situation is in the NBA because I probably have not watched an entire NBA game since I was twelve.) Each team will get its share of breaks and ticky-tacky calls. Sure, it is aggravating at times, but I have learned to accept and roll with it. It is all part of the “fun.” That is why I could not understand why McCaffery blew his top, especially since the Badgers had cut Iowa’s lead to two and were gaining momentum. When the commercial break ended and the commentators said McCaffery had been ejected, I could not believe it. Ejected? Over that?
I have not seen the replays since Sunday, but I was not overly upset with the way those two possessions were officiated. A no-call seemed warranted on Iowa’s end. The Hawkeyes do have a tendency of playing soft inside; nobody goes hard in the paint and none of Iowa’s post players attack the rim with authority. Not only do the Hawks miss a lot of bunnies inside, but opponents are able to exploit Iowa’s meekness with the illusion of good defense. Contact is minimized, not exaggerated. That is why Iowa does not get many of the calls it wants inside. The opposite is mostly true at the other end of the court. Plus, let’s admit it: Gabe Olaseni is becoming a much better player, but he is not the best defender in the Big Ten. Shit happens. Deal with it. Move on.
McCaffery, though, saw it as an opportunity to motive his team. He admitted that he wanted the first technical, and he got it. However, I cannot remember if he was aware of that or not. That could have been a factor in his elevated aggression. Regardless, he erupted and pursued the officials. In my opinion, he deserved a suspension.
A handful of letter writers and armchair commenters have called for McCaffery to take anger management courses and said his actions have embarrassed the basketball program and university. While the lasting effects of his eruption remain to be seen (if there are any), I think and hope the situation has resolved itself. McCaffery served his deserved suspension and I am sure he has learned his lesson. McCaffery is not Bobby Knight. Sure, he has had notable eruptions in the past and the Carver-Hawkeye scorer’s table has received a couple kicks, but McCaffery is not out of control. He is not, as one P-C letter writer said, the Bo Pelini of Iowa men’s basketball. McCaffery is a passionate basketball coach who gets frustrated. He seems to be intelligent and mindful and I think he will move forward as a better man.
