I Am Sorry Mr. Self

[KCChiefsMan]

Dear Mr. Bill Self,

I did not like you very much. I said some things about you that I wish I would not have said. I mentioned that you couldn't coach in game and that you were only a great recruiter. After Bucknell and Bradley in consecutive years, I wanted you gone. I even made a white T-Shirt saying "I Hate My Self" after the Bradley game and wore it around town a couple of times. Frankly, I wanted you out of here.

I have just finished my dinner of burnt crow (shown below):


Mr. Self, I hope you can accept my most sincere apology. If I could erase all the bad things I've said about you, I would. I know hindsight is always 20/20, but you deserved a full chance and I was impatient and didn't want to give you that chance. Once you got your team that you recruited 100%, you showed me what you are capable of.

The script for this could not have been written any better. We got to the Sweet 16, facing this year's cinderella with the hottest player out there at that time and it was a nail biter, but we came out on top. Then we face our old coach, who most Jayhawk fans hate with a passion. You beat him against all odds (well, at least that's what sportscenter would have you believe.) Then to keep this team together while all seems lost with only a minute or so to go, being down by 7. It could have been easy for our players to give up at that point, but they were composed and Mario Chalmers, the son of your assistant, hit's that clutch 3 pointer to send us into overtime with momentum on our side.

So Mr. Bill Self, I am extremely sorry for doubting you and I feel stupid for doing so. I hope you stay in Lawrence, KS until your career is finished.

Thank You Bill Self,



Paul
University of Kansas
Class of 2005

[Skyy God]

Originally Posted by BigChiefFan

I'm a Sooner, who has many friends who attended Okie State.

As a fellow Sooner grad, I'd rather they not play a Self-coached OSU 2x/yr.

[Mr. Kotter]

Originally Posted by BigChiefFan

I'm a Sooner, who has many friends who attended Okie State.

He may have been an Okie, but I think Self will pull a Dean Smith....and stay at the school who gave him his "big" chance at leaving his mark on the history of the game--not the one he happened to "play" at.

In the position Self is in, as the coach of one of the top five programs in the country....it's gonna take more than money to lure him from Lawrence, IMO.

I could be wrong....but there will have to be other, significant, reasons for him to leave (falling out with AD, KU lowballing him on his new contract, family/friends that he would be closer to in Stillwater, a deep love of something in Stillwater that he doesn't have in Lawrence....etc.---in other words, the sort of intangible things that lured Roy back to NC. I don't see them....at least at the moment.)

[QUOTE=kepp;4673414]What great publicity for Werner ladders.[/QUOTE

I'm totally taking my Louisville ladder back now.

[Brock]

Originally Posted by BigChiefFan

But Kansas will never be home to him. Oklahoma is and will always be. His best friends in the world live there. His wife is an OSU graduate. I think his ties to the program, plus the money will be too much too pass up on.

He just reached the summit of his career. I think he'll want to stay at KU. However, I doubt KU is even going to try to match whatever ridiculous numbers the old thief throws at him.

[Mr. Kotter]

Originally Posted by Brock

He just reached the summit of his career. I think he'll want to stay at KU. However, I doubt KU is even going to try to match whatever ridiculous numbers the old thief throws at him.

I'm guessing they will double his salary to about $2.5 million....which compared to market, wouldn't be outrageous.

OSU would need to go to $4 million or more, for him to seriously consider it, I'd think. How much money do you really need, though? Seriously. If the differential less than 20-30%....I see him staying as well.

[BigChiefFan]

Originally Posted by Mr. Kotter

He may have been an Okie, but I think Self will pull a Dean Smith....and stay at the school who gave him his "big" chance at leaving his mark on the history of the game--not the one he happened to "play" at.

In the position Self is in, as the coach of one of the top five programs in the country....it's gonna take more than money to lure him from Lawrence, IMO.

I could be wrong....but there will have to be other, significant, reasons for him to leave (falling out with AD, KU lowballing him on his new contract, family/friends that he would be closer to in Stillwater, a deep love of something in Stillwater that he doesn't have in Lawrence....etc.---in other words, the sort of intangible things that lured Roy back to NC. I don't see them....at least at the moment.)

The team that gave him his big chance is Oral Roberts, not Kansas. He then coached at the University of Tulsa, then Illinois. Believe it or not , there was life before KU and there will be after it, as well.

[BigChiefFan]

Originally Posted by Mr. Kotter

He may have been an Okie, but I think Self will pull a Dean Smith....and stay at the school who gave him his "big" chance at leaving his mark on the history of the game--not the one he happened to "play" at.

In the position Self is in, as the coach of one of the top five programs in the country....it's gonna take more than money to lure him from Lawrence, IMO.

I could be wrong....but there will have to be other, significant, reasons for him to leave (falling out with AD, KU lowballing him on his new contract, family/friends that he would be closer to in Stillwater, a deep love of something in Stillwater that he doesn't have in Lawrence....etc.---in other words, the sort of intangible things that lured Roy back to NC. I don't see them....at least at the moment.)

More like he'll pull a Roy Williams and go HOME.

[Brock]

Originally Posted by BigChiefFan

The team that gave him his big chance is Oral Roberts, not Kansas. He then coached at the University of Tulsa, then Illinois. Believe it or not , there was life before KU and there will be after it, as well.

Oral Roberts "his big chance"? That's stupid.

The only reason he leaves is money, period.

[Mr. Kotter]

Originally Posted by BigChiefFan

The team that gave him his big chance is Oral Roberts, not Kansas. He then coached at the University of Tulsa, then Illinois. Believe it or not , there was life before KU and there will be after it, as well.

By "big" chance....I mean, at a school that is one of the the top 5 or 6 programs in the country. Kansas is one of those programs.....alongside Duke, UNC, UCLA, and maybe one or two others.

OSU was such a school 50 years ago. It ain't at the moment. Maybe the challenge of ressurrecting the program will entice Self. I hope not. Guess we will see.

[BigChiefFan]

Originally Posted by Brock

Oral Roberts "his big chance"? That's stupid.

The only reason he leaves is money, period.

I'm saying ORU gave him his SHOT, not Kansas. I'm not saying the two programs are even in the same league, but seeing others act as if KU is the only program in the nation is what's stupid. Some act as if living in Lawrence is the Mecca of coaching-it isn't. KU is a top program, but let's not act as if it's the ONLY program with something to offer. Some Kansans are very jaded.

[Brock]

Originally Posted by BigChiefFan

I'm saying ORU gave him his SHOT, not Kansas. I'm not saying the two programs are even in the same league, but seeing others act as if KU is the only program in the nation is what's stupid. Some act as if living in Lawrence is the Mecca of coaching-it isn't. KU is a top program, but let's not act as if it's the ONLY program with something to offer. Some Kansans are very jaded.

KU has a hell of a lot more to offer than OSU. That's why their only option is to hope Self is influenced by huge money.

[Mr. Kotter]

Originally Posted by BigChiefFan

I'm saying ORU gave him his SHOT, not Kansas. I'm not saying the two programs are even in the same league, but seeing others act as if KU is the only program in the nation is what's stupid. Some act as if living in Lawrence is the Mecca of coaching-it isn't. KU is a top program, but let's not act as if it's the ONLY program with something to offer. Some Kansans are very jaded.

No one is saying Kansas is "Mecca."

However, Kansas IS in the top tier of elite schools. That was his first "big" break. FWIW, Illinois is a great school too; Tulsa is good. But they are NOT in the same league.

OTOH, if we wanna talk Football now, well....Kansas would be third or fourth "tier" there. It'll take 10 or 2 major bowl appearances, and 5 or 6 wins for us to rise to the same level in football, that we are in basketball.

It is what it is; that's all I'm saying.

[boogblaster]

Self is quality for sure .. that said the little 4-box zone just about beat him ... turning Rose loose was very dumb .....

[Braincase]

The newspaper story I saw said Lew wouldn't call wealthy alumni to beg for money, he was going to take care of salaries through the Athletic Department budget. I do believe that if certain people made the initiative to call Lew, they probably know the number to the red phone to bypass reception, and they wouldn't have to wait to get through.

[BigChiefFan]

Originally Posted by Brock

KU has a hell of a lot more to offer than OSU. That's why their only option is to hope Self is influenced by huge money.

Oklahoma State has some tradition as well. I just find it disturbing that some think that KU is light year's ahead of OSU-they aren't. OSU would be considered a top 50 program and they will be offering ALOT more than Kansas-this isn't as cut and dry are some are making it out to be-that's why I'm railing against them. Some are just so jaded, that they think just because we are KU, he'll stay. BFD, KU has been a successful program, but FAR fram elite. In fact, until this year, it could be argued that OSU had MORE RECENT success than KU in recent years. How exactly does that make KU elite? It doesn't.