Article on Cruze

[swamp]

Seems like the whole Basilio show is about this subject... AM850 if you're in Knoxville or east, AM1290 for Roane, Anderson, Loudon counties...

 

Posted by KevB1990:

Burgess did what a lot of sports writers wouldn't have done; criticize a high school athlete in his publication. I heard the tail-end of an interview he had with Basilio today and basically, Tony just sounded like he was really upset at Burgess' column on Cruze.

 

I've had my moments when I didn't like what I heard on Basilio's show in the past, but I do think he has a good pulse on many situations in town. But he's been known to be a maverick. He said he had a letter and a card talking about something that the Cruzes alleged or something. Maybe.

 

I think Tony was right to question Burgess for writing about a high school kid, but I also think that Burgess was right for writing the article.

 

Either way, I wouldn't have even acknowledged the fact he quit to give him more publicity. If he wanted publicity, he should have stayed on a led Bearden back to the 'Boro.

 

That would have been a statement.

[boomer]

Sportswriters have zero business criticizing a high school kid in print regardless of who is right or wrong in this situation. I do not know anyone involved in this situation nor even live in Knoxville so i am coming to the situation without bias.

[Gridiron32]

If the kid couldn't have stuck it out for another 2 or 3 weeks then that should tell you something about him. I hated some of the coaches that I played for in college, but to quit on the guys that depended on you, your teammates!!! That's crazy. I guarentee that he looks back on this in 10 years and will regret his decision and for his father to condone his action!! My father would have done everything in his power to make sure that I never quit on my team. What was so bad that he had to quit at this point in time. If it was that bad why not quit earlier of not even play this year of transfer. But to quit at the time he did was very selfish.

[lazarus]

"sportswriters should never say anything negative about a kid in the press."

 

that only applies until the kid takes his story to the press. even then, if it was just the kid, the story should not be touched. but when his father/agent (what was his name, juicy or something like that?) chose to put their personal business on public display, they became fair game. did they honestly expect anyone of consequence to side with them?

 

if they caint take the heat, they should have stayed out of the kitchen.

[Chrome]

When the family took it to the papers, then "all is fair."

You're exactly right about athletes getting out of hand. There seems to be little reward for hard work, discipline, and no one seems to care about integrity. I may not have when I was 18, but I rely on them now.

 

It is a shame this whole thing got into the media like it did, but I think this article was an appropriate excalmation point.

[Ballonu]

Terrible, terrible, terrible. That is exactly what this article is. You people on here act like you know something about kyle, you don't. And even he didn't have a legit reason for quiting (i don't know if he did or didn't)it should never be made public like that. He was insulted in the article and it was poorly written any way. Terrible comments and a terrible article.

[iamoz]

I think Mark's main point is found midway through the column: "One thing my father told me - and I've tried to stress to my 10-year-old son Brandon - is the importance of never quitting. Never give up - especially when things get difficult. In athletics, it's like a golden rule."

 

That seems like an important concept to him. Using the W-B game to give an example of what happens when you don't quit (beating all odds and actually having a chance to win), he put together a strong, newsworthy column.

 

So... a writer composes a piece on a player's departure from the team. Five days later, a follow up column is written discussing the impact of student's departure. Right or wrong? Or, more directly-- Is it important to understand the effects of giving up or is the result of a person's decision a non-issue?

[ohreally]

It is most unfortunate that a high school athlete has to endure all this tripe.

 

All decisions, whether they be right or wrong have consequences... as everyone involved in this sorry situation will discover.

 

It must have been a slow news day in Knoxville for the editor to decide that this article deserved to be in print. Furthermore, for this article to be printed on the front page is an indication that the importance of athletics in this part of the world is way out of bounds. Athletics are important, but not to the point of vulgarity.

[thewarlord]

quitter = quitter, period.

[splainshornet]

This is the reason the Newsless-Senseless is one of the worst papers in the South.

 

A kid quit a High School team, so what it happens all the time. This shouldn't be any different. Coach Blevins is hard to get along with he puts way too much pressure on his players, and then he like a couple of other coaches in the Knoxville Area, He is always downing them, never anything positive to say.

 

You can write this article about Pro Athletes or about College Athletes, but to write an article of this magnitude about a High School Athlete is assenine and WRONG.

[GovMan]

Word is, Basillio and Buddy Cruze are good buddies.

 

Burgess should have gone on Dewey Warren's show. Then Dewey could have take his standard "straddle the fence" you're both right, you're both wrong... you both make a good point position that he takes everyday on every issue.

 

I don't agree with Tony ... but he's entitled to his view and I admire him for being willing to speak out on it.

 

Mark Burgess is a great high school beat writer with a wealth of experience and he gave both views of this story equal press and he would not ... I repeat ... would not have written the second story if the Cruze's hadn't instigated the first story.

 

If you want to dance ... you've got to pay the piper.

 

GovMan

[KevB1990]

"sportswriters should never say anything negative about a kid in the press."

 

that only applies until the kid takes his story to the press. even then, if it was just the kid, the story should not be touched. but when his father/agent (what was his name, juicy or something like that?) chose to put their personal business on public display, they became fair game. did they honestly expect anyone of consequence to side with them?

 

if they can't take the heat, they should have stayed out of the kitchen.

 

Exactly lazarus.

 

All Kyle had to do was stick it out for a month at best and then he never would have had to deal with Blevins anymore.

 

I heard Tim Irwin on Sportstalk w/ John and Jimmy remembering back when he played against Buddy Cruze in high school. He said that he didn't know anything about the situation with Kyle or how Buddy told him to handle it, but Irwin said he's made it clear with his kids that they don't quit something once they've started i.e. quitting the team before the season is over.

 

Cruze may have a legitimate beef with Blevins. We may never know.

 

What we do know is that he quit and in the process let his teammates down.

 

Strange how we don't hear about a mass exodus from the Bearden basketball team in the wake of this...