A lot has been said about Temple coach John Chaney and what took place with his team recently.
I know John, and I know he did not intend for an opposing player to be injured. Look, there's no professional coach who wants an opponent to be hurt.
Even for those of us who are fortunate enough to make our living from coaching sports, we all realize, at the end of the day, it's still just a game. Sure, we welcome the support and adulation you give us, and we'll take the jeers and the boos, too.
But it's an athletic contest. That's it, and when you leave the area, it's over and done with.
But, what did happen?
When you're playing a physical team, you need to match that team's physical play. That's just a fact. And, there's not a coach alive who hasn't strenuously challenged his team. Sometimes, and maybe this isn't to our credit, we do so in pretty rough, even crass terms.
When you're playing a physical team, you need to match that team's physical play. That's just a fact.
Chaney didn't want his players to step over the line. He wanted them to step up to it.
Unfortunately, what I think happened is that Chaney was misunderstood, his words taken literally when they were meant metaphorically.
Of course, he does have to take responsibility for that, and the penalty he is now paying is probably appropriate.
In the future, college coaches will be more careful with their words, in order that they won't be misunderstood.
But should Chaney be fired or forced to resign? I don't think so. He has acknowledged his error, and lived up to it.
Meanwhile, there were a couple of notable milestones this past week: UConn coach Jim Calhoun and Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim earned their 700th career wins.
Both have done masterful jobs and I have tremendous respect for that kind of longevity in this business.
They've gotten there by doing things the right way, they're credits to the game of basketball, and in the small space that I have, I would like to salute them.
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Jim Cleamons, an assistant coach for the New Orleans Hornets who has won eight NBA championships as a player and coach, writes a weekly column for The Tribune.
