Lengthy [Redacted] Interview with Gold Rush

[OldGoldBeard]

So because Jeff [Redacted] actually disciplined people that are acting out/parting ways with them, we have not made great strides?

I think showing people that they cannot do whatever they want and get away with it is the best way to establish who is in charge.

Are you high? Not only have you failed to make a single coherent argument on this entire thread, but you've displayed an utter lack of comprehension of concepts that someone with even the most rudimentary intelligence should be able to grasp.

Mourn the SAT requirement, Wake alumni. To build on that possibly unfamiliar concept for you, Doofus, if I make an 1100 on the SAT, study my ass off and take it again and get a 1000, then I have not made "great strides." Progress begets results. From the outside looking in, disciplinary results appeared worse at the end of the year than at the beginning. I don't have a problem with him suspending players at the end of the year, I have a problem with the fact that this year-long cultural focus was so ineffective that at the end of the year, players were still acting poorly enough to be suspended.

Since this has been a recurring theme for you over the course of the thread, I'll try to spell it out.

RESULTS MATTER. Talking about what you did doesn't matter. Saying you made great strides doesn't matter. Taking ineffectual action doesn't matter. All that matters is the freaking results.

 

[Deacsfan27]

Keep talking down to me because that will clearly make me agree with you.

I am well aware that many people think the results are the only thing that matters. I think this is true to an extent, but the system and culture that Ron Wellman and Jeff [Redacted] are trying to establish will not be built over night. It takes time to do that.

 

[pourdeac]

but the system and culture that Ron Wellman and Jeff [Redacted] are trying to establish will not be built over night. It takes time to do that.

It does? Our system/culture was not a free for all and in disarray. If it was, then we would have heard about it. So it should not have taken long or much effort to tweak any issues. Moreover any changes should not have come at the expense of living through the worst season in ACC memory. So that sounds more like an excuse.

I can understand us getting hit with losing the 'big" class at the same time we lost 3 "2 and done" players and at the same time we lost our key big man leaving us with an extremely young team. That's understandable and you don't have to point fingers at anyone else in blame. But I wish this culture crap would just go away. It's pointless and demeans the previous coaches for no good reason.

 

[ogb&c]

He needs to man up, stop making excuses, and discuss the future without rehashing the past. Much like our fanbase.

 

[The Stig]

If the fanbase found out everything that goes on behind closed doors for every athletic team, they would be shocked out of their collective naivete that things under Skip and Dino were all roses. Having lived with and being fairly close with basketball players under Skip and having a fiancee who was an academic tutor for basketball players under Dino and briefly under Bz, I can personally attest to the difference. The players got away with a lot more when Skip/Dino were in charge. They actually feared getting in trouble with Bz.

 

[OldGoldBeard]

Keep talking down to me because that will clearly make me agree with you.

I am well aware that many people think the results are the only thing that matters. I think this is true to an extent, but the system and culture that Ron Wellman and Jeff [Redacted] are trying to establish will not be built over night. It takes time to do that.

If you were somebody like CalChin who's a grade-A moron, I wouldn't bother. You're smart enough to understand what I'm saying without misconstruing everything, Doofus.

 

[pourdeac]

If the fanbase found out everything that goes on behind closed doors for every athletic team, they would be shocked out of their collective naivete that things under Skip and Dino were all roses. Having lived with and being fairly close with basketball players under Skip and having a fiancee who was an academic tutor for basketball players under Dino and briefly under Bz, I can personally attest to the difference. The players got away with a lot more when Skip/Dino were in charge. They actually feared getting in trouble with Bz.

How's the air up there? A little thin?

No one is pretending we didn't have any issues, and using your logic, "new culture" isn't going to prevent us from having issues. You can't claim every team has them and then turn around and believe Bzz's won't.

 

[deacvision7]

I am well aware that many people think the results are the only thing that matters. I think this is true to an extent, but the system and culture that Ron Wellman and Jeff [Redacted] are trying to establish will not be built over night. It takes time to do that.

Jesus H Christ. Are you just pretending like you are in a Spin Room or something?

 

[ConnorEl]

If the fanbase found out everything that goes on behind closed doors for every athletic team, they would be shocked out of their collective naivete that things under Skip and Dino were all roses. Having lived with and being fairly close with basketball players under Skip and having a fiancee who was an academic tutor for basketball players under Dino and briefly under Bz, I can personally attest to the difference. The players got away with a lot more when Skip/Dino were in charge. They actually feared getting in trouble with Bz.

OK, so that's some inside-sounding stuff. Not sure we should pursue a conversation about whatever was the kind of stuff players were allegedly able to "get away" with under Skip/Dino. OTOH, just leaving that out there like that leaves room for uncomfortable speculation. I hope it was just less attention to "detail" or something and not really serious stuff.

 

[The Stig]

How's the air up there? A little thin?

No one is pretending we didn't have any issues, and using your logic, "new culture" isn't going to prevent us from having issues. You can't claim every team has them and then turn around and believe Bzz's won't.

Never claimed that Bz's won't. Just that the players actually cared if the HC found out. I know Skip had a better handle on them than Dino (some of that is that as the #2 guy, he was more of a buddy than a taskmaster and it's hard to change that perception).

I disagree with your pretending comment because of all the complaints about the current coach taking pot shots at Skip and Dino. Shit happens whether we hear about it or not. The difference is what we're doing about it

 

[The Stig]

OK, so that's some inside-sounding stuff. Not sure we should pursue a conversation about whatever was the kind of stuff players were allegedly able to "get away" with under Skip/Dino. OTOH, just leaving that out there like that leaves room for uncomfortable speculation. I hope it was just less attention to "detail" or something and not really serious stuff.

No serious crimes were committed (to my knowledge) if that's what you're not asking. Some of it is basic college age stuff and some of it is dumbass decisions.

 

[ManhassetDeac]

It does? Our system/culture was not a free for all and in disarray. If it was, then we would have heard about it. So it should not have taken long or much effort to tweak any issues. Moreover any changes should not have come at the expense of living through the worst season in ACC memory. So that sounds more like an excuse.

I can understand us getting hit with losing the 'big" class at the same time we lost 3 "2 and done" players and at the same time we lost our key big man leaving us with an extremely young team. That's understandable and you don't have to point fingers at anyone else in blame. But I wish this culture crap would just go away. It's pointless and demeans the previous coaches for no good reason.

Any meaningful change is going to be painful to go through. Otherwise, it would just be the way. I have no idea if this culture change is going to be successful. I have my doubts. But I would take one atrocious season if it ultimately led to a long history of successful ones.

 

[ConnorEl]

Any meaningful change is going to be painful to go through. Otherwise, it would just be the way. I have no idea if this culture change is going to be successful. I have my doubts. But I would take one atrocious season if it ultimately led to a long history of successful ones.

Would you take two?

 

[pinochadeac]

Not sure how anyone could give Buzz better than an F in media relations. He is the worst. Kudos to whoever pointed out that this ties directly to contributions to the Deacon Club. They have to be hurting at this point.

 

[ConnorEl]

No serious crimes were committed (to my knowledge) if that's what you're not asking. Some of it is basic college age stuff and some of it is dumbass decisions.

I'll just take your word that there's a real difference and so there's some substance to the idea of a change. And from what I can tell, the changes (off the court) sound positive. Now if we can see positive change on the court...

 

[ogb&c]

One takeaway from this article: he owns this team going forward. He can't complain that these aren't his players when his overriding focus seems to be molding these players into his kind of players rather than adapting his approach to the team we have.

 

[The Stig]

I'll just take your word that there's a real difference and so there's some substance to the idea of a change. And from what I can tell, the changes (off the court) sound positive. Now if we can see positive change on the court...

The idea is there as well as substance of change, but I agree that it needs to speed up on the court. I'm just hoping that this season put a huge chip on the teams collective shoulder and they come out firing on all cylinders next season

 

[pourdeac]

Never claimed that Bz's won't. Just that the players actually cared if the HC found out. I know Skip had a better handle on them than Dino (some of that is that as the #2 guy, he was more of a buddy than a taskmaster and it's hard to change that perception).

I disagree with your pretending comment because of all the complaints about the current coach taking pot shots at Skip and Dino. Shit happens whether we hear about it or not. The difference is what we're doing about it

I don't understand what you are saying. No one is pretending we didn't have problems, even if we didn't hear about them. We all know every program has issues and if reoccurring they need to be fixed. The problem I have is making it to be so bad that we needed a major coaching style upheaval and a 8-24 season of "growth" to get over them, and then rehashing it ad nauseum as an example of progress That's what is BS.

And you're saying the players did not fear their "buddy" Dino, who also had to be their friend to get over the trauma of what happened not just because he was #2. That would have evolved the further from Skip we got.

 

[deacvision7]

I would love to believe all this talk about the massive need for a "culture change" is why we struggled and went 8-24, and that now it's all better and things are all sunshine and rainbows from here on out.

Unfortunately, my brain works and doesn't allow me to believe such nonsense.

 

[scooter84]

Agree to disagree.

Winning only 25% of your games, no matter the circumstances, at Wake Forest is not "C" or average work. It just isn't.

This is where I have a problem with your logic. Taking on its face, this quote means that if every player had been hurt or otherwise out for the year and Buzz had to field a team of walk-ons culled from open tryouts on campus, winning 25% of his games with that roster still wouldn't have been average work. That is simply ridiculous.

Everyone knows the season was horrible. Everyone knows there were a lot of bad circumstances to deal with. The question is how much of the horror of the season to attribute to those circumstances and how much to attribute to the coach. Everyone has to answer that question for themselves and everyone has a different opinion.

For someone to give Buzz an average grade for the season, that could mean they think that if you gave every coach in the country last season's team and circumstances, 8-24 would be around the average resulting record. Is that a reasonable assumption? I am not sure, but I don't think it is totally unreasonable.