The University’s men’s basketball team is at a critical crossroads: we can either continue losing with Tony Bennett (15-16) as head coach, or agree to a multimillion-dollar buyout of the remaining four years of his $1.7 million/year contract. It might seem absurd to fire Bennett, but The University has a proud tradition of paying its coaches to quit. Just last year, The University paid head football coach Al Groh $4.3 million to not coach the next two years. Bennett’s predecessor, Dave Leitao (63-60, 15-15 his first year), was paid $2.1 million to leave four years early; Leitao’s predecessor, Pete Gillen (118-93, 14-15 his first year) was given $2 million to leave six years early. Let’s cut our losses and find someone who can deliver the winning record to which we’re entitled.
Arguably, those coaches were fired for less-esoteric reasons than an inability to win games. The mathematically inclined might point out that basketball is a zero-sum game that necessarily produces losers. The business-oriented might even argue that they were fired for not generating enough revenue. But ticket sales were down this year and prices were slashed to $10 for six home ACC games. Moreover, fewer seats were filled. Even during Leitao’s last and worst season (10-18), 1327 more JPJ tickets were sold than during Bennett’s first (both seasons had the same number of home games).
In a recent letter, Prof. Ann Hamric praised Bennett for having high academic expectations of his student athletes. Unfortunately, what she and Bennett fail to realize is that student is an adjective in “student athlete.” If academics were a priority, they’d be called athletic students or somesuch. It’s time for a paradigm shift away from losing and back towards the excellence that Thomas Jefferson originally envisioned for his “athletical” department.
Peter Dolph
GSAS VI
This can’t be serious, it just can’t.
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Mike, I don’t think it is. I think it is less a shot at Tony Bennett and more at some of the recent flaws in the athletics department. If the latter is the case, then Peter was waaayyyy too soft of the big time revenue sports (however, athletics in general at UVA might be the best in the nation.)
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If this is satire, it is very bad satire. Either be funny, or make a point. This letter does neither.
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This guy must be one dumb ‘hoo. Just look back at how Mike Krzyzewski struggled during his first three years. We’re pretty darned thankful that our administration didn’t listen to the likes of Dopey Dolph.
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What is that quote? It’s better for one to keep his mouth shut than to open it and everyone know him a fool?
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You guys need to lighten up! “It’s time for a paradigm shift away from losing and back towards the excellence that Thomas Jefferson originally envisioned for his ‘athletical’ department.” That’s pure, comic gold. It’s a shame that senses of humor aren’t required entry requirements at UVa
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How did this get published? Not humorous, if it was meant to be.
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Hilarious and pointed.
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Someone doesn’t understand sports, especially basketball. But since I’m a Duke fan maybe you should take this guy’s advice because I’m kind of scared of the coach that Bennett can become with his own recruits.
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I’m with Dopey Dolph, Lets make an School of Athleticism and Physical Policy, where the student athletes can major in a sport and get a GPA based on their stats. Craig Littlepage would be the dean and the Coaches the professors. Mr. Bennett would get tenure after a 5 years and a thorough review by faculty in the Department of Basketball and approval by the Dean of course. It’ll be great.
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Certainly the CD could have found a better letter to publish than this. Peter is either an idiot or simply not funny. The CD should be more selective when considering which letters to publish.
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Best quote, beside the athletical department bit: “winning record to which we are entitled.” Excellent. It’s amazing to see the comments of so many people who don’t get it, or get it but don’t want it to be funny because it’s true. Sports are a very expensive diversion.
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Having grown up in Richmond as a Duke fan I agree whole heartedly with this letter. I basically despise UVA and all of its jackass graduates; however as a pure basketball fan, Peter Dolph, is a complete jackass. Dude, seriously, the guy has been there for one year and almost had a winning record with basically one star player who he chose to sit out for the remainder of the season for skipping classes. Tony Bennett should have his own shrine built outside JPJ already….but then again I still strongly dislike all things UVA so keep on whining….
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I agree with most of the commentators that Mr. Dolph either cannot be serious or is a poor satirist; however, I am not trying to be funny in stating that Mr. Littlepage needs to take a good hard look at the WOMEN’S basketball coaching situation, just as difficult but necessary decisions were recently made for football and men’s basketball. Everyone respects coach Ryan as an individual and for her past accomplishments, but the program has stagnated or deteriorated to the point where Virginia was outprepared, outplayed, outsmarted, outhustled, outtoughed, and outcoached by an also-ran from the HORIZON LEAGUE. It was sad watching a legitimate All-American player and person like Monica Wright try (again) to win a game without significant help from teammates who are not high-level caliber athletes–the result of substandard recruiting. The team had no outside shooting capability and, other than Wright, no one scored in double figures for the game or averaged more than 8 points per game for the season. Starters Chelsea Shine and Lexie Gerson were absolutely horrible vs Green Bay and had to benched. Someone on the coaching staff needed to tell Arianna Moorer than her 30-percent shooting and career-long inability to finish a layup did not give her a pass to try to take over the game down the stretch and ignore getting the ball to Monica, a point made repeatedly by the game announcers. We’re now at 10 years without a Sweet Sixteen, 16 years without an ACC final, and 17 straight losses to one opponent (Duke), which has to be an all-time record for a Hall of Famer in any sport anywhere in the world. Looking at next year’s prospects without Ms. Wright in the lineup is hardly encouraging. Perhaps a fresh approach and different perspective would be useful at this point.
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Ah, dookies. If you hate UVa so much, why on Earth would you read the student newspaper online, then feel compelled to post? Sounds like someone is lonely and could use a cuddle
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Dopey Dolph clearly doesn’t understand the importance of having a winning basketball team. We’re not a party school and not a football school. That means we’re a basketball school, right? I mean, what other kind of school is there?
I also agree with that really angry guy from Richmond who hates the world.
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Ditto for me on the Glen Allen post. I love Debbie she has been the cornerstone of our basketball program like George Welsh was the cornerstone for the football program. George took the team as far as he could & then he passed the baton. Now it’s time for the good of the team Debbie needs to step aside & pass the baton, after all you got to “know when to hold them & you got to know when to fold them.”
The game seems to have passed her by, you never see her with a clip board drawing up a play or making adjustments to counter a run by the other team. This year we won with smoke, mirrors & Monica. What will happen next year when all we have is smoke, mirrors & Debbie?
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