Come hang Brent Axe / Live Q & A with Wildhack

[Scooch]

What does that mean? The tournament went to 64 in 1985 for the love of god. It's now at 68. Barely any change. You still get in with a win in your conference tourney. Seeds are still based on your body of work through regular season and conf tourney.

How has the focus changed?

It has always mattered if you flamed out in the tourney getting upset every year. It has always mattered if you were a consistent scary underdog. It has always mattered how your regular season went and your subsequent seeding.

Remember when JB hadn't won a chip and people were like "oh, it's ok, he's a great regular season coach"? Of course not. That March focus was always there.

Of course with either bowl games only or then the BCS or now a 4 team playoff, regular season games will have more sway in football.

It's all BS that means nothing. Regular season, conference tournaments and the NCAAT are purposely combined and all have meaning.

When you are a blue blood program or close to blue blood, what matters is Final Fours and titles. You can probably throw S16s in there as well. It's why it's important to count JB's total FFs and the chip when we talk ab out him. It's *ALSO* important that he has 1100+ wins.

I would love to hear JW's take on re-structuring college basketball.

The key word that JW used was "avidity". I don't know that he was talking strictly about the on-court dynamic, but more about the overall health of the game.

It's pretty indisputable that in a world of infinite entertainment choice the college basketball regular season has been tremendously degraded. So while JB uses the word "matters" I think a more precise word that JW might use is "relevance". At least it seemed to me that was what he was speaking about.

 

[MikeSU02]

The key word that JW used was "avidity". I don't know that he was talking strictly about the on-court dynamic, but more about the overall health of the game.

It's pretty indisputable that in a world of infinite entertainment choice the college basketball regular season has been tremendously degraded. So while JB uses the word "matters" I think a more precise word that JW might use is "relevance". At least it seemed to me that was what he was speaking about.

Fine, fair. I just think it's equivocating BS.

That's an issue endemic to basically everything with the proliferation of media and tech.

 

[LaggyJon]

As others have noted, I didn't really expect anything different from JW here. The kind of message that would placate fans isn't one that the AD would (or should) drop in an intereview like this.

That said, if all he has to offer is a tepid defense of the status quo, I'm not sure what the point of this interview was.

 

[ForCuseSake]

Has gone after Dino pretty good.

JB gets treated with kid gloves by all the .com people. Chris Carlson used to be somewhat critical, but he’s moved on to covering local news and politics.

The issue is JB is more than a basketball coach locally. He’s an institution involved in business, charity, and intertwined within the fabric of the community. If your association with Syracuse was just being on the hill for a few years it’s difficult to understand.

I was born and raised in Syracuse and I'm quite familiar with JB's well-earned legacy in the community.

My post was purely critical of Axe because he's a wuss. He was a colossal p---k to Coach P largely due to P's lack of media savvy.

He hasn't gone 1/10th as hard at Dino because Dino knows how to handle the media exponentially better than P did. If your association with local sports media started in 2003 then it might be difficult to understand how jarring Axe's behavior toward P was.

And if he won't bring similar heat to JB as he would Dino (or God forbid, Coach P) then he's a fraud.

(Which many of us already knew)

 

[Cusefan0307]

I was born and raised in Syracuse and I'm quite familiar with JB's well-earned legacy in the community.

My post was purely critical of Axe because he's a wuss. He was a colossal to Coach P largely due to P's lack of media savvy.

He hasn't gone 1/10th as hard at Dino because Dino knows how to handle the media exponentially better than P did. If your association with local sports media started in 2003 then it might be difficult to understand how jarring Axe's behavior toward P was.

And if he won't bring similar heat to JB as he would Dino (or God forbid, Coach P) then he's a fraud.

(Which many of us already knew)

Axe doesn’t deny being one of Coach P’s biggest detractors.

I just don’t know what people want out of Wildhack before the end of the season.

 

[Grbac]

Sounds to me like the “iron clad plan” was just a bunch of bologna JB made up on the spot. JW obviously has nobody lined up to take over. Him saying JB has all this “equity” just rubs me the wrong way. To me it says because Jim Boeheim has done so good in the past he basically has autonomy now and can go out whenever he gets good and ready.
What a shame.

 

[ForCuseSake]

Axe doesn’t deny being one of Coach P’s biggest detractors.

I just don’t know what people want out of Wildhack before the end of the season.

I don't want anything from Wildhack.

I feel obligated to throw shade at Brent Axe because he's a schmuck.

 

[rrlbees]

That's not really what he said - people can listen but he said the sport as it's structured now is focused on March - and didn't really agree that the current structure is good for the sport overall. Said college football is much better.

Yep, that’s not what he said. And the headline doesn’t match the interview. And Axe lied when he quoted JB about an ironclad succession plan. I thought across the board John gave an excellent interview. There’s things he’s not going to discuss publicly that Axe kept pushing for.

 

[Jake]

I also noted that JW is NOT committed to internal continuation hire only but pulling from outside the program as well. People wanted to hear JB was on borrowed time but as an AD you need to be a bit diplomatic especially when there are Board members who perhaps feel a certain way on things. I would not judge JW to much on what he said about JB today and would wait to see what happens in March.

This. Let’s see what he does, not what he says.

 

[Cusefan69]

So out of curiosity what did the angry hordes want JW to say today about JB? Please note I am ready and have been ready for JB to retire for 2 years now and I want to hire outside the program. That said what did you want to realistically hear him say? He can't go scorched earth on the guy. The BoT is apparently divided so he needs to respectfully walk a line. With a divided BoT he is not working on one plan but likely 3 or 4 with different permutations depending on certain factors and decisions. It's not like he can explain every plan. So I get some of the frustration but being practical what were people expecting he could say today about JB?

 

[djcon57]

So out of curiosity what did the angry hordes want JW to say today about JB? Please note I am ready and have been ready for JB to retire for 2 years now and I want to hire outside the program. That said what did you want to realistically hear him say? He can't go scorched earth on the guy. The BoT is apparently divided so he needs to respectfully walk a line. With a divided BoT he is not working on one plan but likely 3 or 4 with different permutations depending on certain factors and decisions. It's not like he can explain every plan. So I get some of the frustration but being practical what were people expecting he could say today about JB?

Nothing he said about JB specifically bothered me personally

 

[kuethstheman]

If he can't say regular seasons matter because it's proven that higher seeding equals better performance in the tourney than what is he doing?

Semantics.

 

[phil77]

Like if this is his last year as it should be, it does no harm in announcing it now. We have no recruits to lose in 2023 so it will not harm the incoming recruiting class.

 

[djcon57]

Like if this is his last year as it should be, it does no harm in announcing it now. We have no recruits to lose in 2023 so it will not harm the incoming recruiting class.

If you read between the lines...and one COULD read it as he won't make the changes but if he does...JW doesn't want to disrespect Jim. That's more the point he was making IMO.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

So out of curiosity what did the angry hordes want JW to say today about JB? Please note I am ready and have been ready for JB to retire for 2 years now and I want to hire outside the program. That said what did you want to realistically hear him say? He can't go scorched earth on the guy. The BoT is apparently divided so he needs to respectfully walk a line. With a divided BoT he is not working on one plan but likely 3 or 4 with different permutations depending on certain factors and decisions. It's not like he can explain every plan. So I get some of the frustration but being practical what were people expecting he could say today about JB?

Beat Georgetown, or your head's on a pike outside of Wegmans?

 

[gmoney44]

This. Let’s see what he does, not what he says.

This. I don’t give a shyte what he or anyone else says, I care what they do.

 

[djcon57]

Yep, that’s not what he said. And the headline doesn’t match the interview. And Axe lied when he quoted JB about an ironclad succession plan. I thought across the board John gave an excellent interview. There’s things he’s not going to discuss publicly that Axe kept pushing for.

"We have a plan in place, a good plan, an ironclad plan."


How do you feel Axe lied here?

 

[rrlbees]

"We have a plan in place, a good plan, an ironclad plan."


How do you feel Axe lied here?

He said an ironclad succession plan today like my post said. And it’s at least the second time he’s done that. JB saying plan was about his retirement.

 

[djcon57]

He said an ironclad succession plan today like my post said. And it’s at least the second time he’s done that. JB saying plan was about his retirement.

"An ironclad plan. It's not my decision".

Just to confirm, you believe when Jim said "its not my decision" he's referring to his retirement?

 

[tipphill]

As others have noted, I didn't really expect anything different from JW here. The kind of message that would placate fans isn't one that the AD would (or should) drop in an intereview like this.

That said, if all he has to offer is a tepid defense of the status quo, I'm not sure what the pointsyracuse and upstate ny)) of this interview was.

up to two years ago i agreed that jb deserved to leave on his own terms. yes i do know what jb has meant (and still means) to syracuse and upstate ny.
i do not need to be lectured by wildhack re this. i resent the fact that he feels most fans are that shallow. HOWEVER, do not condemn fans for the visceral reaction of wanting him to leave. i thought he would and did not. i do feel that he has begun to hurt the program at this point, and hopefully this was part of the discussion.
jb should be given a position with in the hierarchy of the university . whether that be advisor to the chancellor or some other position of his choosing . he remains responsible for having syracuse on the map in good times and bad. he is intelligent, philanthropic, and insightful, and yes somewhat arrogant at times. he is probably sick and tired of the same ol same ol pressers.
its up to jb to make the choice
i love the fact that jb does not have a filter. you do not get a whole lot coach speak from him. i do respect the man and what he done for infusing self respect in the community. deep down he is one of us from lyons ny.

 

[oldpinepoint]

Maybe the ironclad plan is that there is no plan.

 

[CuseCPT]

Has gone after Dino pretty good.

JB gets treated with kid gloves by all the .com people. Chris Carlson used to be somewhat critical, but he’s moved on to covering local news and politics.

The issue is JB is more than a basketball coach locally. He’s an institution involved in business, charity, and intertwined within the fabric of the community. If your association with Syracuse was just being on the hill for a few years it’s difficult to understand.

Very true. A good way to think of JB is like Brad Wesley in Road House and the Melo Center is like JC Penney's.

 

[rrlbees]

"An ironclad plan. It's not my decision".

Just to confirm, you believe when Jim said "its not my decision" he's referring to his retirement?

The plan part is when he’s gonna retire. The rest is who’s replacing him. In a follow up interview he made that clear. He was responding to two different things.

 

[MikeSU02]

Maybe the ironclad plan is that there is no plan.

Maybe the ironclad plan is just the friends we made along the way.

 

[MikeSU02]

Very true. A good way to think of JB is like Brad Wesley in Road House and the Melo Center is like JC Penney's.

You win the thread.