Jim Boeheim took recent criticisms personally, and then made it personal. There’s no outlet in the Syracuse media that applauds Boeheim’s service to the university more than The Fizz. Our nickname for him, “The Per’fesser,” is a tip of the cap to his legendary tenure as Dean of the Big East coaching fraternity and methodical, studious approach to 850 wins. But last night after his team’s victory over West Virginia, The Per’fesser stood at the front of the class and made it personal with his students. That’s hard to defend.
Boeheim repeatedly went after the Post-Standard’s Mike Waters and Donna Ditota, apparently for their game note that after Louisville’s win this weekend, Rick Pitino had beaten Boeheim seven straight.
“People thought we would win 22-23 games. I think that’s what the fearless forecasters predicted. Is that where you were Donna? Someplace in that neighborhood. Oh, really more? Mike, is that what it was? Oh, you don’t remember? How convenient. Never ceases to amaze me.”
It didn’t stop there. When asked whether Cardinals media would discuss such a streak if Boeheim had knocked off Pitino seven straight, The Per’fesser went back after the P-S.
“Is John Beilein a pretty good coach? What’s his record against me Donna?”
“No idea.”
“Then you don’t know you’re business.”
“Why would I know that? When was the last time you played a John Beilein team?”
“This year.¬†Mike, do you know?”
“I don’t think it’s ever happened.”
“You don’t think. You’re right. You’re right. You’re right. That’s the way they work here. They think that’s cute.”
In defense of Jim, Ditota needs to know former Big East foe John Beilein coaches Michigan, which Syracuse obviously beat earlier this season. That’s a pretty large oversight by a beat writer for the team. If Boeheim can point to any moment in defense of his actions last night, that would be a good place to start.
Boeheim’s overall point is also a salient one. Because Syracuse basketball is King of CNY and every game in the nation’s most grueling conference feels like a death match, we assign an inordinate importance to one loss or a bad stretch. Seven-game losing streak to Louisville? Fold the tents, Boeheim can no longer coach. The heat lamp on Orange hoops runs so hot, we often lose sight of the bigger picture.
But by going on the offensive and specifically putting Ditota and Waters in the crosshairs, he engaged in what he was supposedly criticizing: making it personal. Does Jim have the right to be upset that Louisville vs. Syracuse becomes Pitino vs. Boeheim? That every loss in this series is interpreted as Pitino is better at his job than Boeheim is his? Absolutely.
But Boeheim can get the point across without belittling and attacking the writers in a public setting. Had Syracuse lost to West Virginia would Boeheim have still used the postgame forum to highlight how “unfair” the criticism was? Isn’t this a moment where a Hall of Fame coach with 35 years under his belt addresses it in private with long-time writers of the team? And undoubtedly, Louisville dominance over the Orange is an overwhelming and legitimate storyline to this season and Boeheim’s recent tenure.
Boeheim criticizing the media for overreacting is as old as the Carrier Dome’s urinals. That happens all the time. But singling out someone like Waters, who is as respected as anyone in the profession and rarely even wades too deeply into the critical side of the pool, seems petty. Is this the time, place or fashion to go after him like a doberman?
Maybe Pitino’s success against him eats Boeheim alive, and this is just the pot boiling over. Maybe Boeheim is kicking the hornet’s nest to make himself the story and deflect criticism from his underachieving team. But maybe he just wants to play the bully because he can. In which case, even The Fizz would have a hard time giving The Per’fesser a pass.
Posted: D.A.
178 responses to “Jim Boeheim Attacks Local Media, Calls Out Mike Waters & Donna Ditota”
This is a bit off topic but any news on this “Recruit X”?
From the very first time that I watched a Syracuse game at Manley Field House in 1975, I’ve become a supporter of both the team and Coach Boehiem since then. Let’s face it, ESPN and the local media just don’t like the Orange. The people at the Post Standard wouldn’t know anything about writing something positive about the team, if their lives depended on it.
For anyone who thought that this team was going to walk through the BIG EAST without a loss really doesn’t know anything about the game.
I watched the Louisville game and the comment in the paper was,they have figured out how to bust the zone defense of Syracuse. Louisville was shooting 3’s from half court, and Syracuse lost by 5/6 points. Rick Pitino has his players shoot the 3 during the game, if they miss then Syracuse would have won the game.
If any of you thought that you could play better than the starting 5, then I guess you should have tried out for one of the walk on positions.
Lets all get off criticising Coach Boehiem and the team. I think all will work out fine by the end of the year.
There obviously isn’t (and never was) a “recruit x”. The only place that even mentioned it is this website, which had over-hyped every recruiting story this off-season.
GREAT stuff, D.A. Really well written, and dead-on. Jimmy’s our guy, but I do think he was a little over-the-top on this one…
The first place I heard mention of “recruit X” was HCDM’s press conference on signing day. He started the hype.
Yeah, Maronne did say it.
There is no news on “Recruit X.” We are still on this. DM said it would be 2 weeks from the 2nd and obv. we have at and around that date. The Fizz is the only place labeling him as “Recruit X” but we are obviously tracking the unnamed recruit DM spoke of on Signing Day. This is not a fabricated story 0range – although, thanks for the conspiracy theory. That would be creative even for us. We’re still working on it. -DA
First off, great pic of JB on this story. Classic.
Secondly, if games become personal to JB then do something about it. The point i try to make on these blogs is JB’s stubborness to changes personnel and/or defenses when teams are shooting like Hazell and the rest of Seton Hall did a few weeks back (Thank god Hazell wore a headband). It’s like JB can’t change because he is a HOF coach known for his dominant zone defense. Sometimes it isn’t the ‘Cuses night, it’s inevitable that we will lose at some point or another. But to lose to teams like PITT and L’ville on a yearly basis, CHANGE IS NEEDED. Dixon and Pitino consistantly carve that zone up.
JB is going to target anyone he wants in the media because he can. Writers write stories and know that there could be backlash.
I didn’t say this website was the first to mention recruit x. I said this website is the only place that talked about the “mysterious recruit”, thus creating the “mysterious hype”. None of the local talk shows spent a second on it and syr.com wrote one sentence about it when recapping DM’s press conference. It simply said, “another player could commit in the next 10-12 days.” Maybe DM was just testing the media to find out who’s paying attention or who cares more. In that case, kudos to you.
Not surprising that you are defending the PS (Sub Standard) writers. You seem to forget that the NCAA did not have anything on SU, until the PS unveilved the heinous act of athletes getting free meals from Grimaldis. So Coach is still a little peeve that they attack the team. Without SU, the PS would be a weekly.
If they worked that hard to find out what Alexander was doing, he would of been caught in 1980.
JM- thanks for the compliments and for reading. Mike -you’re right that the PS has made LOTS of money off SU athletics, but as a media outlet, how can you not appreciate (or expect) proper journalism? It’s not the PS’s fault they investigated and ran a story that was correct. SU broke NCAA bylaws (as silly as those laws were) – PS reported it. Never understood the idea that a media outlet had to protect the people it was covering.
-DA
Good for Jimmy, I too am sick of these hack writers in Syracuse media. Have been for years. Let em have it Coach!
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