Wild American Gooner

When Sports Are More Than Just Sports


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Time for Accountability at Fenway

I’ve never understood the fascination of media guys needing to declare a season dead as early as they can. Are people really going to look back at the end of the year and be impressed with your ability to say correctly that a 27-38 team isn’t going to make the playoffs? For me at least, I’d be more impressed with somebody who didn’t give up on a team this bad. That being said, I’m just about at the point where I’m ready to give up on this Red Sox team.

The simple fact of the matter is that this is not a good baseball team. And no matter how many team meetings the team has, nothing’s going to change until the players start playing fundamental baseball. This isn’t about hitting home runs or making diving catches. It’s about knocking down grounders to keep runners from taking extra bases and moving runners over when they’re on base. Last night, Mookie Betts led off an inning with a single, then got picked off on the fourth pickoff attempt of the at-bat. That can’t happen. But it’s not just one play every game. It’s inning after inning that seasoned veterans fail to make the necessary plays.

But what makes me believe this team is so unlikely to turn things around is the lack of accountability on display every night. Players are required to make themselves available to the media after the games. But far too often, everybody has cleared out after a bad loss. David Ortiz and Hanley Ramirez have left without a whimper. They might be out of answers, but that doesn’t mean they don’t need to fulfill their contractual obligations and speak.

Before yesterday’s loss, Dustin Pedroia pulled the ‘blame the media’ card, saying the team is done listening to all the hate. But how can he blame the media for blasting the players when those players aren’t showing up and backing each other up off the field, let alone on it? I admire Pedroia for wanting everyone to ban together, but calling out the media is the wrong move. It is yet another failure to be accountable.

I’m not saying the team needs to apologize for playing poorly. Rather, they need to accept that the boos they are hearing at Fenway and the criticism they are receiving from the media are a very real reflection of the way they’ve been playing. When Pedroia got a mock cheer for catching a pop-up Sunday afternoon after losing two earlier, he was livid. He believes he deserves more respect from the fans. But what he and the rest of the team need to realize right now is that the fans are appropriately fed up. The post-World Series grace period was last year. We are tired of seeing last-place, underachieving teams full of players who appear to to be doing little more than just collecting paychecks. And by paying to see bad baseball, we have the right to boo.

I don’t want to rag on Pedroia too much, especially when he’s one of two or three players performing well this year. But his comments the last two days are worrying. With nothing else to go on because so many people are staying silent, we have to take his words as representative of the team. And to me, these words are a statement of complacency and a sign that they aren’t looking in the mirror.

I’m not set on getting rid of John Farrell or Ben Cherington at the moment, but I do think something needs to be done to shake up this roster. Bring up Jackie Bradley Jr. or Allen Craig and give them a real chance in the outfield. Take Mike Napoli out of the lineup for more than just a two-day mental break. Take Hanley Ramirez out of the game in the 6th inning for defensive reasons. Do something to make everybody less comfortable. Maybe then they’ll see themselves for what they really are right now.

But regardless, this is the team we’ve got this year. We’ve got to hope that they’re going to play better even if it’s hard to believe. But that doesn’t mean I’m opposed to booing Red Sox players simply because they are Red Sox. They aren’t entitled to my undying adulation even as Sweet Caroline plays in the background.


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The State of My Stateside Teams

I want to do today’s post a little differently. Instead of choosing one topic, I’m going to give each of my teams in the United States a paragraph. S0 here goes.

The Red Sox are a mess right now. It feels like I’m re-watching 2014, because like last year, every single time there’s the smallest bit of momentum, they drop the next two and three of the next four. I still think it’s worth holding course and seeing if David Ortiz and Pablo Sandoval can break their season-long slumps, but I’m getting less optimistic with every successive setback. However, it is encouraging to see a few of the players turn things around, notably Xander Bogaerts, Dustin Pedroia, Wade Miley and Joe Kelly. If a couple more players can figure it out, maybe there is a run in this team. But no matter how bad it gets, as long as we have Eduardo Rodriguez going every five days, there will be something to look forward to. He is the real deal.

The Celtics are about to enter a really interesting part of the offseason. With large amounts of cap space for the first time in years, this summer will be a test of whether big free agents will be attracted to playing for Brad Stevens. My gut tells me no, but wouldn’t it be nice if LaMarcus Aldridge came for a visit? Regardless, a priority has to be re-signing Jae Crowder. I also want Danny Ainge to work as hard as he can to move up a few spots in the draft to get Willie Cauley-Stein. He could make a serious impact on the team defense, and is miles better than somebody like Kevin Looney, who is being looked at for #16. I’m opposed to giving up the Nets picks, but I think Cauley-Stein’s value above who we’d draft at #16 is worth surrendering an extra first round pick.

The Patriots continue to make news in all the wrong ways. Whether it’s appeal talk, Brandon Spikes’s hit and run or Malcolm Butler getting benched, it’s so negative that following the team this offseason has become unappealing. I think this could be an ugly year on the field too. It can’t be overstated that where all three AFC East teams improved, the Pats lost almost everything at running back and in the secondary. I’m legitimately worried about making the playoffs. This could be an bad year. It’s a really good thing the pressure is relatively off for a year after the Super Bowl win.

Arkansas baseball has been an inspiration. Zach Jackson’s three and two thirds inning save to close out the Super Regional was one of the most gutsy performances I’ve seen on a baseball field. These guys fight and these guys win. Getting to Omaha is the highest achievement this team could have imagined. Any success in the College World Series will just be icing on the cake. With the dire lack of arms in the bullpen due to James Teague and Dominic Taccolini’s injuries, making a run there will be extraordinarily difficult. But this is a truly special group – I wouldn’t bet against them. Nothing made me happier than the Red Sox drafting Andrew Benintendi in the first round and then Tyler Spoon in the 30th. I can’t wait to see Benintendi roaming the Fenway grass. But in the meantime, it’s time for the #OmaHogs to beat Virginia. Woo Pig Sooie.

After a successful year on the hardcourt, Arkansas basketball is looking at a rebuilding year. When Anthlon Bell is the leading returning scorer, that’s not a good sign. But for the next month, the focus of Hog basketball is on watching Bobby Portis and Michael Qualls in the NBA Draft. Portis is getting rave reviews across the league as one of the most NBA-ready players. And Qualls has managed to disappear from draft boards despite posting the lowest body fat percentage of anyone. I really wish Qualls had come back for his senior year, but alas, he made the same mistake B.J. Young did and gambled despite not being assured of being drafted. However, I think Qualls could be a success in the NBA, even if he isn’t drafted. I certainly want the Celtics to take a flier on him in the second round. He’s such a talented athlete that I think he has serious potential defensively with a year of good coaching. I think Portis will be solid, and could have himself a nice career, but his ceiling is low. With so many power forwards on the Celtics, he’d have a hard time getting going in Boston, and thus hope he gets drafted somewhere else.

Arkansas football is riding a ridiculous high right now. Suddenly Arkansas is mentioned as a national title threat. And despite a murderous schedule once again, I don’t disagree. For the Arkansas offense has the potential to be incredible. Two 1,000 yard rushers are returning behind the best offensive line in the country, which in Denver Kirland, John Skipper and Sebastian Tretola boasts three potential all-americans. Sure there are questions at receiver, but I liked what I saw from Keon Hatcher last year and as much flak as I give Brandon Allen, he now has two full years of experience. Plus, the new offensive coordinator Dan Enos is a coach who has had success with QB’s. The defense took three big losses through the middle, but largely remains the same group that held LSU, Ole Miss and Texas to a combined seven points. I realize I need to temper my expectations before the season starts, but the excitement is too real. September 5th can’t come soon enough.

The Davidson basketball non-conference schedule is slowly coming out and I’m liking what I’m seeing. Games at UNC and at Madison Square Garden vs. Pitt give Davidson big-time exposure and a real chance to earn RPI-boosting wins. But more importantly, it seems like the schedule will be a little stronger on the back-end too, which was almost an issue last year. It’s good to pile up wins, but the strength of schedule numbers needed to be higher. I’ve seen early predictors say this team won’t be the same without Tyler Kalinoski, but he’s just one player, albeit a really good one. Between Jack Gibbs, Brian Sullivan and Jordan Barham, there are many hands capable of filling his production. And with Jake Belford returning from injury and some size coming in with the recruiting class, I’m not convinced there will be even the slightest bit of drop-off from last year.

The last team I want to mention is the U.S. Men’s National team in soccer, who beat both Netherlands and the world champion Germans this week on European soil. I’ve heard many people say the wins don’t matter because they are friendlies without many of the sides’ top players, but that should not take anything away from the achievement. Taking many players without experience, the U.S. topped two of the best teams in the world. That’s a fact. And it can be a springboard for Jürgen Klinsmann and the program. You can’t tell me players like Bobby Wood and Gyasi Zardes aren’t better off in the career having this burst of confidence. This was a week to treasure for U.S. soccer fans.

 

 


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Wild American Gooner’s 1st Birthday – Time For a Look Back

I wasn’t planning on writing anything today until I saw a notification from WordPress congratulating me on the blog’s anniversary. I had realized a few days ago the one year mark was approaching, but had completely forgotten. I certainly can’t let today go by without posting something.

I must say, when I started Wild American Gooner a year ago, I had no idea what it would become. I certainly didn’t think it would last a full year, or frankly even a month. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I could develop any sort of readership. This was purely for me – a vehicle to improve my writing skills and allow me to watch every single World Cup match without feeling too guilty.

A year later, more than 200,000 words have been written for the blog. And while there have been many ups and downs in the number of hits the site has gotten on a day to day basis, I’ve totaled more than 14,000 visitors this year. But most astoundingly, they have come from all across the globe in around 120 different countries. To me, that is the most humbling and inspiring thing of all. That in that many countries, even one person has spent time reading what I have written keeps me going.

I owe a great deal of debt to my readers, particularly my frequent likers and commenters from Ecuador, Colombia and Trindad & Tobago. The positive feedback in the beginning was invaluable towards my wanting to return to the keyboard. And that goes to everyone I know personally too, especially to my family members and friends around the country who continue to read. Thanks for reading, thanks for being supportive, and thanks for bearing with me through countless Arsenal articles I know you couldn’t be bothered to care about.

Recent changes to WordPress have made keeping track of site stats harder on a grander level – that’s why I no longer know exactly how many countries are represented in my readers among other things. But I always find it interesting to see which articles get the most hits. Davidson basketball articles are generally well read – six of my top ten are Davidson related, with my recap on the scene in Seattle of the NCAA Tournament game being the most viewed. But those stats are largely boosted from the articles being posted on the Facebook page of The Davidsonian.

Of non-Davidson posts, the most viewed by far is my piece on the How I Met Your Mother finale. I spent more time on that than any other post, but I wasn’t expecting my first and, with the exception of one other, only non sports post to be so popular – the other being my other Himym post on the alternate ending, which also was well read. I need to thank Himym Creator Craig Thomas and lead actor Josh Radnor once again for giving me positive feedback on that piece. Their words and actions on Twitter meant more than they could ever know.

Of the rest of them, some of the most popular pieces were my post immediately after the trading deadline when I said goodbye to Jon Lester and Jonny Gomes, my reaction to Arsenal’s new kits, and my Premier League predictions. And of course there was the day last June when I wrote four 1,000+ word posts. Thinking back to that day certainly helped me believe I could write a couple five-page papers right before exams last month.

If I could do it all over again, I might have chosen a different name for the site, but there isn’t a whole lot else I would have done differently. It was tricky figuring out how to find time to write at school, but I think I found a good balance. Somehow or other, this is post #173. So now, at the risk of boring you and driving you away, I’ll wrap this up.

Thanks to the athletes I’ve written about for giving me such great material. Thanks to my readers across every continent and at home for reading. And thanks to everyone for inspiring me to write. I’m excited for year two.

If you have any ideas for content or improvements that could be made to the site, please comment below or reach me on Twitter (@Klaus_Faust)


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Bellerin and Monreal Earn Top Marks – Grading the Arsenal Defense and Keepers

After looking at the forwards and midfielders last week, today I examine Arsenal’s defenders and goalkeepers. Once again, grades are based not only on quality of play but on expectations. My next Arsenal post will cover what I think must be done in the summer transfer window. But for one last time, I look back today.

Much of the year was season in what was repeatedly labelled a defensive crisis. Between injuries, poor form and a lack of options, the fall was particularly ugly defensively. But considering all that, Arsenal’s defense ended up being one of the most consistent in the league that latter half of the year. A number of players stepped up as Arsenal made its move up the table.

Defenders

Hector Bellerin – A+ – When considering he was the fourth-choice right back during preseason, Bellerin’s rise is nothing short of remarkable, especially when considering he only turned 20 in March. Thrown into the fire at Dortmund in September amid the injury crisis, Bellerin’s potential was obvious if he was a little raw and undersized. But it wasn’t until Debuchy’s second major injury in January that he got a true run-out. When given the opportunity, the Barcelona product blossomed. Blessed with tremendous skill going forward, he learned the intricacies of defending quite quickly, impressing even against bigger teams that tried to isolate him. Making 17 Premier League starts, Bellerin has staked a claim on the right back position going forward. Arsene Wenger will have a hard time taking it away from him, even for the experienced Debuchy. It won’t be soon that we forget his left-footed curler that opened the scoring against Liverpool.

Calum Chambers – B – Two months Bellerin’s senior, Chambers’s season was a mirror of the Spaniard’s. Where Bellerin made his mark in the spring, Chambers’s 17 Premier League starts came in the fall. After a brilliant start to his Arsenal career when he won the club’s Player of the Month award for August, Chambers was almost forgotten about entirely in the spring.  Either at center back or at right back, he was confident in his reading of the game, and his poise was well beyond his years. But the new signing from Southampton faded dramatically in the second half of the year, rarely seeing the field beyond a minute or two at the end of a match. In total he made 36 appearances, which is probably more than was expected. Chambers’s versatility is considered a strength, but I think it might be hurting him in a way, as he is not often considered a part of the long term plans at any position right now. Despite making the same amount of starts as Bellerin and having early success, it’s hard to think of Chambers as quite as exciting a prospect.

Mathieu Debuchy – C- – Were it not for the success of his replacements, Debuchy’s debut season would be considered a massive failure. Making a grand total of 15 appearances due to two long-term injuries, the Frenchman wasn’t able to leave his mark on the team. The injuries were unfortunate, but disappointing nonetheless. And he’ll have a hard time taking his position back next season. However, Debuchy did impress me twice. His goal against Liverpool in December was key, as a loss there could have been catastrophic for morale. But more impressive was his performance at center back against Newcastle, when Arsenal badly needed a body in the middle. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him get more minutes at center back next year. He’ll be eager to put this year behind him.

Gabriel – B- – I don’t have much to say about Gabriel. His signing in January was a necessity given Arsenal’s poor health and lack of depth at center back in the early parts of the season, but thankfully, Mertesacker and Koscielny stayed healthy, and Gabiel wasn’t needed for the most part, making only 8 appearances and 5 starts. He seems to have the attributes needed for an EPL center back, so at this point, I would say the signing was a mild success. But I haven’t seen him play enough minutes to get a true reading on him. However, while he might be eager for a run in the side, we’re better off when the third-choice center back starts the game on the bench, so I’m not too eager for that chance.

Kieran Gibbs – B- – After such a promising fall that helped him get his first call-up to the England side since 2010, he’ll be massively disappointed to have lost his starting spot at left back this spring. However, it must be said, that Gibbs didn’t lose his spot due to poor performances, rather Monreal seized his chance. Gibbs’s strengths clearly are going forward, where he does an excellent job of getting to the byline. But his crossing lost a little edge without consistent starts. At age 25, he still has time to improve, but getting his spot back is crucial. That will be the battle of the summer come preseason.

Laurent Koscielny – A- – Koscielny has established himself as one of the Premier League’s best and most consistent defenders. Despite struggling with Achilles issues for much of the year, Koscielny battled with many of the top strikers around all year, beating them with his pace and strength. Quick to intercept and equally adept at making vital last-ditch clearances, Koscielny keeps getting better, even as he’s nearing his 30th birthday in September. He made 38 starts in all competitions on the year, scoring three goals. He looks to be a fixture in the heart of Arsenal’s defense for years to come.

Per Mertesacker – B – Mertesacker admitted recently that he knew he was in for a slow start to his season after capturing the World Cup for Germany last summer. And at times, he was quite bad. Never one for pace, he even seemed to lose the command for the game in the back. But Mertesacker slowly recaptured his form and was ever-present as Arsenal made its climb up the table. By the end of the season, he was back at his best. I think his role as fill-in captain proved vital as well, for without Mikel Arteta and amid all the turmoil, Mertesacker kept an ever-changing squad under control. I don’t know how many more good years the big German has in him, but it was encouraging to see the way he bounced back from a series of poor performances.

Nacho Monreal – A – A lightning rod for criticism in the season’s opening weeks as he filled in as an emergency center back, Monreal ended up being perhaps the most important member of Arsenal’s defense. Starting 26 games in the Premier League, Monreal’s assured displays helped stabilize a defense in disarray. Seizing the left back job from Gibbs, the Spaniard was a perfect match for the high-powered midfield. A slightly more conservative defender, Monreal allowed the midfielders to take chances with their positioning, but when brought into the attack, he showed off his skill as he found spaces down the left. His goal against Manchester United in the FA Cup Quarterfinal was my favorite goal of the season, and the emotion on the ensuing celebration was beautiful. Not many 5′ 10″ left backs would have volunteered to fill in at center back, but Monreal’s selflessness helped keep this team afloat. And better, it gave Monreal the run in the side he needed to recapture the form he was known for at Malaga.

Goalkeepers

Emiliano Martinez – B+ – The man formally known as Damian did much better in goal than I would have expected after watching him in his horror show against Reading a couple years ago. As the third-choice keeper, it could have proved a catastrophe that he had to make two big Champions League starts and 3 more in the Premier League. But he was solid, if unspectacular. Keeping clean sheets against Dortmund, Southampton and West Brom, he did well considering the circumstances, but was never commanding. I was not disappointed when he was restored to the bench. Despite his surprising success, I don’t want to see Martinez in goal for another important game. Quite simply, I don’t think he’s good enough for this level.

David Ospina – B+ – Ospina ended up making 22 starts this year in his debut season, many more than just about everyone would have expected, especially after a fall when he couldn’t stay healthy. In place of the benched Szczesny, Ospina was pretty good. He kept quite a few clean sheets, but most were down to good defense. I can’t think of a game off the top of my head when I was wowed by Ospina. Generally, despite the positive scorelines, I was underwhelmed, and never learned to trust him. I just don’t think he has the physical attributes to succeed in the Premier League. So despite his numbers, I hope he’s not back in goal next year. But I can’t fault him for his record.

Wojciech Szczesny – D – After an up-and-down fall, Szczesny was benched for the remainder of the year after smoking in the locker room after defeat to Southampton. In his fifth year as the primary keeper at Arsenal, his failure to learn from his continued mistakes off the pitch is disappointing to say the least. He clearly has talent – even in his demise, he led the team to winning the FA Cup in goal – but he doesn’t have the mentality of a first-class keeper. And maybe it’s our fault for ever thinking he could learn. At this point, I don’t quite know what to do with him. I’ve always admired his confidence, but at this point, I think it’s time to cut our losses and ship him out. At some point, there must be consequences.

Disagree with any of my assessments? Please comment below.

 


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Why Davidson Should Reexamine Its Policy on Retiring Numbers

Stephen Curry and Davidson College are close to synonymous in the minds of millions of sports fans. The NBA MVP wore the Davidson name on his chest for three years, but has carried the school’s name with him wherever he’s gone since. Nobody can mention Davidson without Curry.

Davidson men’s basketball coach Bob McKillop, four wins shy of 500 for his career, has become an unofficial spokesman for Curry. Appearing on nearly every national sports platform there is, McKillop has spent countless mornings talking about his former star. Even six years past Curry’s departure for the NBA, McKillop is spending large portions of his time and energy talking up Curry, because frankly, Curry’s success and profile in the NBA can only help the Davidson basketball program.

The college too has realized just how important Curry is to the school’s image and brand. A disproportionate amount of posts on official college social media accounts are Curry related. And while some of them reference Curry’s time at Davidson and his magical run to the Elite 8 in 2008, most are simply another article about how great a player he is. During freshman orientation, Curry’s signature is shown on the big screen, not on a basketball but on the Honor Code pledge. In the minds of many, he is Davidson.

When the college was creating its new tv ad for the start of Atlantic 10 play this past year, the school narrowed their choices to three final scripts. One of which was 30 seconds of Curry and how Davidson allowed him to excel. To the relief of many, somebody realized the school shouldn’t go that far, and they eventually settled on the “We Make It Better” ad, which still communicates before saying anything else about the school that Curry was a Wildcat.

At the union late at night, the Warriors games will always be on, for nearly everybody on campus is in some small way a Warriors fan. Because we all love Steph, both who he is and all he did for the school. Our bookstore still sells number 30 Davidson jerseys, which the NCAA would assure you are in no way related to the current NBA superstar who wore that number at Davidson of course.

Yet walk into Belk Arena, home of the basketball team, and there is no mention of Curry in sight. Wander downstairs to the cafe and you might find a small framed picture on the wall along with many other athletics photos, but inside the arena, there is nothing. Look up to the rafters and number 30 is conspicuously not up there with the greats of Davidson basketball. Bob McKillop’s signature is now on the court named after the legendary coach, but signs of his famous player are nowhere to be found.

All of this can be explained. Davidson College has a policy that only players who have graduated can have their numbers retired. And Curry knew this when he declared for the NBA Draft after his junior year. Graduating from Davidson is tough, but even tougher for a professional athlete, because the school doesn’t offer summer courses, and has a policy that a student’s final eight credits must be taken at the college unless special permission is granted.

Towards the bottom of this Associated Press article about his declaring for the draft back in 2009, it says, “Curry met with the school’s president to see if other arrangements could be made to get his degree, but was told he’d have to take most of his senior-year courses on campus.” And I think that stance is fair. It’s understandable that the college wouldn’t want to just hand him a degree.

But despite this, Curry has maintained that he intends to finish his degree. During the NBA lockout in 2011, he returned to school and took three classes, finishing them up during training camp on the school’s allowance when the lockout ended in early December, shortly before exams would have been. However the end of the lockout meant he’s not quite done. Ahead of him lies one more semester, one that would include a thesis, likely on NBA and tattoos. But without another lockout, the next time Curry would be free for a full semester would be after retirement, which hopefully won’t be for another 12+ years.

When somebody hears about Davidson, the first two things that are normally associated with the school are Curry and free laundry. Well, Lula Bell laundry is now gone, so for many who aren’t familiar with the school, Curry is what is keeping Davidson on the national radar. And he carries that banner with aplomb, representing the school better than anyone else can.

At graduation this year, President Carol Quillen talked about how traditions shouldn’t just be upheld for tradition’s sake. She spoke about how wonderful the dialogue is about such issues at Davidson and cited the closing of Lula Bell as a way for the school to look forward rather than back. As one of the most vocal supporters of Curry as there is, you’d think she might see the changing tides at Davidson as a chance to tweak the rule that necessitates graduation for a number to be retired in the basketball program.

While I don’t necessarily agree with the need to relinquish tradition, I do think this is a time when Davidson can give back to the man that is giving Davidson such a terrific name right now. With the way the school is embracing his success and using that to fundraise and get the school’s brand out there, it is time the basketball program itself embraced Curry on a formal level too. If McKillop isn’t comfortable with retiring his number, a banner for his career point total or for his NBA MVP somewhere in Belk Arena would still be better than nothing.

Davidson could also use such an occasion to retire the late Mike Maloy’s number. Maloy was the first African-American basketball player at the school in 1967 and he, like Curry excelled on the court, taking the team to not one, but two Elite 8’s. He covered Sports Illustrated while at Davidson and was named an All-American three times. He, too, never graduated due to his basketball career, but was vital to the college for breaking the color barrier for the basketball program.

I’m aware that McKillop is hyper protective of Curry right now. Any and all requests to bring him to campus for one reason or another are almost guaranteed to be denied by our coach, who is justifiably looking out for his star. And perhaps he’d be worried that Curry wouldn’t have as much of an incentive to finish his classes if his number were retired. But I don’t think that is enough of a reason to justify not honoring him in some capacity.

As we all watch Curry excel in the NBA Finals, I believe it is time the college reexamines its policy on retiring numbers. For all that Curry is doing for the school’s name and the way the school is embracing that, he deserves formal acknowledgment of some kind in the basketball arena, the place where he made his mark, and a retired number could make the most sense. My hope is that by the time I graduate in two years, Curry’s 30 and Maloy’s 15 will be up in the rafters of Belk Arena along with Hobby Cobb’s 21, Fred Hetzel’s 44, Dick Snyder’s 10, John Gerdy’s 33 and Derek Rucker’s 11. It’s time we said thank you for what these players have done not just for the program, but for the school.

What do you think about this issue? Please comment below.