GovMan Posted March 1, 2003 Report Share Posted March 1, 2003 I'm sorry Primo .. I didn't mean to ###### you off. Can someone translate "C"llate las bocas" for me? Am I being cussed in Spanish or something? I'll stand by my earlier statement about Mark Burgess. He speaks truth. GovMan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamal25 Posted March 1, 2003 Report Share Posted March 1, 2003 i agree with primo. high school basketball should not feel like a job, and according to many people, that's what it felt like to Cruze and many other Bearden players under the tutelage of Blevins. i know high school sports are like life to some of you guys (after reading some of his previous posts, GovMan is a prime example), but you have to remember, IT IS JUST A GAME. it is also a game that is meant to be fun, and when you take the fun out of it, there is no reason to play it. [Edited by jamal25 on 3-1-03 11:00A] [Edited by jamal25 on 3-1-03 11:01A] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ohreally Posted March 1, 2003 Report Share Posted March 1, 2003 If only sports were played for the simple love of competition. Too many individuals place too much importance on sports and athletes. Money has ruined sport. I am afraid "it is just a game" is no longer a valid statement. However, I do agree that it is just a game. Some high school athlete's only chance to move to the next level is to have stand out high school careers. When coaches, fans, parents, and the media take the fun out of the game, the athletes are the ones who suffer. I would hate to be a high school athlete these days with all the undo pressure placed on winning. Winning is always better than losing. However, winning and not having fun while winning seems so empty and senseless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mocs30 Posted March 1, 2003 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2003 Cruze can cry me a river. Life is so hard for poor Kyle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GovMan Posted March 1, 2003 Report Share Posted March 1, 2003 jamal25, Friend you need to find someone else to use as your whipping boy. "High school sports are like life to me???" That's a good one. I've got three children (1 in middle school, 2 in elementary). I've got a job that you can't even quantitate the hours I put in. I deal with folks everyday who are facing "real issues." Divorce, death, drugs, alcohol, abuse ... etc. Sports, in general, are just a "sweet diversion" for me to get my mind off of other stuff. I do not know enough details to make a call on whether or not what Cruze did was the right thing. But I DO have enough to details on Mark Burgess to defend him and his character when somebody on here attacks him or when somebody just trying to sell radio time attacks him. I guarantee you bud, I know the difference between life and high school athletics. If you want to take a potshot at someone, get your facts straight. GovMan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primo521 Posted March 1, 2003 Report Share Posted March 1, 2003 GovMan -- Dude, you've got 3 kids who are at the age where they need a lot of attention from their father, you apparently have a job that requires a lot of time and effort, and yet you still find the time to come onto a high school message board and post numerous messages on who knows what. Maybe I'm way off here and it only takes you 5-10 minutes a day that you manage to fit into your busy schedule, but shouldn't you get your priorities straight? I mean I have barely found the time to write these two posts on here, and I'm a freshman runner in college, who is very intrigued and disturbed by this article Burgess has written because I have witnessed what Blevins did to his athletes for the four years I was at Bearden and for 5-6 more years on top of that dating back to when my brother and his friends joined to program only to quit at some point. I myself played basketball my whole life, going through the young rec leagues, middle school ball, AAU, etc and quit the sport altogether after attending Blevin's b-ball camp the summer before my freshman year because I could tell right away that the guy was not the kind of coach I needed at that age. I'm actually fortunate that this happened because I've gone on to earn a D1 scholarship for XC/Track and that might not have happened if I tried to focus on basketball. Burgess's article lists all the athletes Blevins has coached that have gone on to play in college; where's the much larger list that shows how many athletes having potential to play in college have quit Blevins' program because they couldn't take the way he worked any longer? And there may be some people that say "well these kids just aren't coachable, there's no way they would have been able to play in college anyways." I know what it's like to be pushed to the limits physically in a high school sport, as I ran cross country for four years, played soccer for three, and track my senior year. Every day because of these sports I would be pushed to my limits by my coach, come home and fall asleep after dinner, and love every minute of it because although the coaches were working my ###### off they were always positive about it, rewarding us for our hard work and letting us know he appreciated our effort. That's the way high school sports should be, and even up into the next level, college. It is most high school athletes' dream to earn a D1 college scholarship, I know it was mine, and when your coach tells you it's not possible and doesn't even make an effort to make your dream come true, what do you think that does to a teenager? Bottom line, what Kyle had to go through is horrible, and everyone who knows the Cruzes definitely feels their pain. And everyone who doesn't know them or what they've had to go through -- what right do you have to say that this article was justified? Somebody said it perfectly in a poll that goes along with the article on the KnoxNews website: "Those of us at BHS who know? We know that Kyle Cruze has more character and integrity than Mark Blevins and Mark Burgess put together. Their combined ages are four times his." -- When you add GovMan in the picture too, this just gets more and more ridiculous. There should be a third article on this topic written by Burgess, and it should be a well written apology to the Cruzes and all of those who support them in what they have done. Peace... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ultimatefan Posted March 2, 2003 Report Share Posted March 2, 2003 WHEW!!! Primo is this your senior theisis? Look coacht is about high school sports and the opinions that a lot of different people have on the subject, the good & the bad. I'm not sure still how i feel about the artical, but i still think cruze handled it wrong. If it was so bad why did he wait till his last reg. season of his senior yr to quit? That's all i'm saying. It appears to have been a premeditated move, to hurt the coach. What ended up is he hurt his friends and the school and can only hurt any chance he has at college ball. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mocs30 Posted March 2, 2003 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2003 I talked to Burgess today, and he told me that he contacted the Cruzes about the first story, so I apoligize for saying that Cruze ran to the paper. That was not the case. However, he was more than willing to talk to Burgess about the situation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoops4ever Posted March 2, 2003 Report Share Posted March 2, 2003 This is really sad, First, as much as i dislike Bearden, i'll be the first to admit that kyle is a very good player. but of those who have posted messages about him, how many has even seen him play? because, unfortunately, if u had then u would know that he is not a Division I player (There arent too many 6'1 shooting guards and only humphrey is the exception). if kyle thinks he deserved to be named captain, well he just showed why he wasn't. Next, i dont know who told who about the news of him quitting, but it never should have reached the newspapers. really i dont like both articles because they made both cruze and blevins the antagonists in both. the quitting of a high school athlete should never have to be on the radio or newspapers because this happens all the time. i'll say one thing though, if kyle meant to make a statement by telling the "world", then burgess' article was justified. Last, the most important thing now are his teammates. if they know how kyle feels and agrees with his decision and still supports him, then it is okay. because from what i see, bearden is still bearden. unlike most teams, they play together and will find a way to win. they might even go farther w/o him. now, if they believe cruze cost them their season, then yeah, i wouldnt agree with his decision because there is no I in TEAM. Either way this is kyle's life and decision and i cant criticize when i dont know all the facts. i know one thing ,though, and that is many of the players really dislike playing for blevins. but what has been said about blevins has also been said bout coaches like bobby knight, and they both do one thing; win. And if u dont agree with what someone writes, that is fine, u are entitled to ur opinion. but that doesnt mean to start name calling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GovMan Posted March 2, 2003 Report Share Posted March 2, 2003 Primo, Most likely the reason you find so little time to post is probably because you're writing books on here. Next time why don't you send in in .zip format and we can all download it to our hard drive. GovMan Getting off to spend more time with my deprived kids. [Edited by GovMan on 3-1-03 9:43P] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mocs30 Posted March 2, 2003 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2003 Hoops forever, I asked Burgess about why he even wanted to do the story in the first place, because I had the same concerns that you have. He said that normally he wouldn't touch a story like that but because Cruze was such a well-known player, had played in the state, and also the timing of his quitting made Burgess think that the story was newsworthy and on reflection, I think I agree with him. It was a big deal because of the team and who Cruze is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primo521 Posted March 2, 2003 Report Share Posted March 2, 2003 Just posting my opinion, as long as it may be. If you can't read that much at one time, I might suggest starting with those illustrative classics, they only have words on every other page, makes it easier. I did those as a child and look at me now! And about Cruze being more than willing to talk... what high school kid do you know that would not be willing to talk to the press, be it for something good or bad? Come on old folks, remember back when you were a kid, every time you saw that camera you were jumping to get on it, am I right? Last thing, I promise, don't get impatient -- Burgess said he approached Blevins at a funeral; now that's professional. That should be the first sign of his character. Peace... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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