Letter to TU

[danefan]

How does this get published? I have never seen opinion letters in the sports section?

 

http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story...sdate=2/12/2006

[alum73]

That was pretty unbelievable. I can't imagine anyone saying this. I guess we need to inundate the TU with positive letter about Will. They do publish letters each week in the sports section. I think they are always in on Sunday, but I'm not sure about other days. Using his logic the tallest player is the best? I'm not sure this guy knows anything about sports at all.

[B9j2j6s]

Well there is an old saying, opinions are like ass holes, everyone has one and they all stink.

 

Just to address a few things, first of all I played basketball for a number of years, and it is not uncommon for a player if he makes a really bad play, or took a really bad foul to get a seat on the bench. As for the KZ comment, buddy are you blind? Did you not listen to the last few games, or even in the beginning of the season. They are using the big guy, last night he was as Jamar put it the X-Factor this whole season. Let me make this clear for you THEY ARE USING HIM TO THE BEST OF HIS ABILITY AND HE HAS BEEN GREAT!!!!!!

 

So again Mr. X I will not address you by your real name, thank you for your opinion, might I suggest you let the coaching of this team be left to Mr. Brown, and the rest of his staff. And just shut up and enjoy our best season so far in D-1

 

Contract for Brown by April 1st

[UAalum72]

Conspiracy theorists might think this letter was a plant from someone inside the athletic dept. who wants to get rid of Will.

 

Jamar looking over his shoulder? He seems to be averaging about 36 minutes per game lately.

 

Yes, I've heard some people complain about not using Zo enough, but he's been coming on the last couple of games.

 

The writer wants to credit the players instead of the coach, but who got those players to come to Albany in the first place?

[McFan]

And Duke wins in spite of Coach K.

 

I too have been critical of certain moves by Coach Brown. We all have our opinions. But to say this team is winning in spite of Coach Brown is a joke. 11-2 in conference.

 

He references Z's near 50% FG%. He doesn't check the TO's and missed FT's that make that 50% much less impressive. That's not meant to be a knock on Zoelner, he just isn't a great offensive player, or even very good. Is he effective, absolutely. Defense, rebounds, etc. Last year we tried too hard to get Zoellner the ball and hit killed the O at times. This is a great improvement over last year and now the team leads the conference in scoring and wins.

 

Taking a player out after a foul. He's probobly refering to the BU game. Brian had 3 fouls came in and committed his fourth. I'd take him out too.

 

I've seen coach Brown pull Jamar a ton, oh wait he plays nearly every minute of every game. I forget the game but early in the season he pulled the entire starting five (maybe 4) off the floor 2-minutes in (Utah Valley St?) after a bunch of TO's.

 

If Paul wanted to criticize he could have mentioned Jason Siggers on the bench for the first half of the season.

 

Again this letter is a joke.

[WH96]

I would also venture a guess that this was written by someone in the athletic dept. Not just someone either, I would venture to say this was probably written by a higher up. They at least had something to do with it. If this administration does not do that right thing in regards to Coach Brown, a lot of the support gained this year will be gone again. Alot of donations will dissappear as well; in regards to alumni. Look at the recruits CB has brought in, this is incredible especially compared to WBB recruits, but WBB coach gets an extension. This is just crazy in my eyes as I am sure it is crazy in everyones eyes.

[McFan]

I don't believe in the conspiracy theory.

 

Mr. Koehn appears to be a real local person.

 

Do your own homework but I Yahoo searched ("Paul Koehn" Albany) and he's there and doesn't appear directly affiliated with the U.

 

Someone should steal Coach's newspaper this morning. What 12 wins in the last 14 games, back to back road wins etc. etc., and this is what he has to read this morning. Unreal.

Edited February 12, 2006 by McFan

[steve_gersztoff]

Exactly, McFan. A lot of these criticisms don't help if we're not looking at the whole picture. We all do our own armchair quarterbacking, but this letter seems to be grasping for something that isn't there. Furthermore, PK's examples are all poor ones.

 

Zo not scoring in the second half? One of the reasons why Zo has been much more effective lately is largely in part to stay out of early foul trouble-- just to add to what McFan has already touched upon.

 

Brown benching Jamar? I don't think Jamar Wilson is worried about his playing time. If anything, credit Coach Brown for not treating Jamar the same way K treated Battier.

 

PK probably isn't affiliated with the University, although that same thought ran through my head for a second-- he's probably a Siena or Binghamton fan.

 

I just don't know how an Albany fan who has followed this team at all could have written this letter.

[Dane Pound]

I just don't know how an Albany fan who has followed this team at all could have written this letter.

11776[/snapback]

 

That same exact thought came into my head this morning when I read that this morning. Did the letter writer see the program Will Brown inherited and did he turn the page to see the story where Zoellner scored 17 and Jamar 30?

 

I always thought when you pulled a player out of game after a mistake and told him why he did something wrong that was coaching. Otherwise you might as well just roll the basketballs out during practice and let your players figure it out for themselves.

 

McFan hit on the head-Unreal. First winning season ever, currently in first place and that's when you write the letter. The postmark on that letter might have been Clifton Park but it was sent from the Twilight Zone.

Edited February 12, 2006 by Dane Pound

[danefan]

I just don't understand the TU's point of view on publishing such a letter, especially without an opposing opinion. It just seems irresponsible. Not to mention a half-ass attempt to create a controversy that shouldn't exist. They do the same thing every year Ford has a so-called "QB" controversy. Why can't they focus on the positive for once. We should flood Brian Etkin with emails and encourage him to do a column in response. He seems to be the only one at the TU that has been somewhat supportive of UA sports.

[alum73]

Again, I encourage all of you to write a letter of rebuttal, if ou feel it was incorrect. Posting them here is fine, but the TU subscribers should also receive them.

[B9j2j6s]

Great Danes Win because of Great Coaching and Great Players

 

(This is my letter to TU)

 

This is in response to the editorial Great Danes win in spite of coach. There is a good song called Love and Marriage, in the song there is a lyric that goes “you can’t have one without the other.” In all sports the reality is that you can’t have Great Players, without Great Coaching. I really feel that this is true when it comes to the turn around with the Men’s basketball team at UAlbany. Coach Brown has done a Great Dane job, and deserves a lot more credit then what he gets, because he turned a team that had only 5 wins little over 3 years ago, into a first place power house in the America East

 

I have several points I would like to address, and I would like to answer Mr. Koehn’s questions. First I would like to post a question of my own, who do you think brought in these Great Players? That’s right Coach Brown, so right here you can see that he is a good recruiter something every great coach should be. Further more, wouldn’t it make a lot of sense that because Coach Brown recruited them, that he has a good idea about there strengths and weaknesses, and based on that, he will make lineup and substitution changes based on each individuals characteristics?

My second point, to answer the question of Mr. Koehn, yes it is proper to remove a player for making a poor play, or getting fouled, this is something called coaching. Mr. Koehn, have you ever played basketball? I have for several years, and it wasn’t uncommon for substitutions to happen because of bad plays, this is again coaching, and it didn’t destroy my team’s moral. Often player knows why they were taken out, and this reinforces the idea that you shouldn’t make the same play again, and generally it doesn’t. happen again. Given UA’s record at this time being 16-8 with a possibility of winning the regular season title, I don’t think that Coach Brown’s moves have hurt the team. The team looks more together then it has ever been, and is using there offensive and defensive weapons to the best of there ability, they are after all winners of there last 14 of 16 games, with only two hard loses one to a UNH team that benefited from some questionable referring calls.

As for addressing Mr. Koehn’s question about Coach Brown utilizing the size of Mr. Zoellner, I’ll let some numbers do the talking. Here is a few examples in the last few games, 17 pts against Maine (2/11/06), 10 pts against Hartford (2/8/06) a game where Brent Wilson was out in the second half because of a concussion, this was also a game where Zoellner kept the Danes in the game with a clutch Free Throw with around 30 seconds to go. 12 pts against Stony Brook (2/1/06), I could go on, he is averaging 7 pts a game, and is such a presence in the paint on defense. So Mr. Koehn I hope that answered your question, as Jamar Wilson has said he is an X Factor for this team, and they are successful because of Mr. Zoellner, given that fact they have been successful it is hard to argue the point that Brown has not utilized Big K.

 

I hope Mr. Koehn I have answered all your questions, and I would like to leave this discussion on this note. Coach Brown has established this program as a power house in the American East. The numbers don’t lie, this year alone there has already been a 3 game improvement with another 4 games to go, including a game on ESPNU. We will lose four great players (Knotts, Jordan, Levine, and Zoellner), all four will be hard to replace. However, the incoming recruiting class with one scholarship remaining bolds well for the program. They include a 6’10 center Brett “the bear” Gifford, who has been compared to Jamar Wilson in his potential impact to the team. Brett is also the most highly rated recruit in the conference based on several recruiting websites. Michael Knight is another recruit a 6’3 shooting guard who played for UMBC, and seems to be having a solid season in JUCO. The other recruits 6’9 Mike Yocum who has been on ESPN several times already with his HS. He also plays with two players heading to Duke and UNC, and the last recruit 6’5 Ried Anderson is being labeled the Top sleeper recruit of Ohio. On top of the great recruiting class, the Danes will have Jamar and Jason for another year, the Iowa Connection (Brent Wilson and Brain Lillis) will be Juniors. We will still have Iati who is always dangerous from beyond the arc. Also Covington and Connelly will be able to add height, skill, and experience to the front court, remember the time when we has only one player above 6’8? We now have 5 including Covington 6’7 ½.. We will also have Bauman who has been improving over the past two years, and will make an impact as a Junior and Senior. So the future looks bright for this program thanks to Great Coaching and Great Players, my only hope is that Brown decides to stay, and that the Athletic Department gives him a contract he deserves.

[UAalum72]

The Times-Union (editorial page anyway) limits letters to 250 words. Guidelines

 

Although there's a school of thought that editors prefer articles which need their help, if you have to resubmit it run it through a spellcheck/grammar program. Looses/loses/losses, bolds for bodes, there for their - OK on a message forum but not if you want it published.

[GODANESGO]

Just to add onto the TU's growing UAlbany inneptness...the picture on the UAlbany section shows Jamar driving against a Maine player, saying it's from the game on Saturday. Except anyone who pays attention would realize that the game was away and therefore maine was in white with UAlbany in their black. Definitely NOT what the picture has. The paper must've just used a pic from when the Black Bears played at the RACC and sadly tried to pass it off as they actually were at the game in Orono...really sad.

[AlbanyObserver]

Putting that photo in there with that caption is poor journalism on the TU's part.