By Trashtalk Superstar
Earlier in the week, Drive and Dish noted that Missouri coach Mike Anderson suspended five players for their involvement in a brawl outside of a Columbia, MO, nightclub.
On Friday, Columbia police arrested Missouri guard Jason Horton on an assault charge stemming from his involvement in the brawl.
An official for the Columbia police said that more arrests could be pending.
When Anderson suspended the five players, I commended him for taking a stand.
Now in his second year at Missouri, Mike Anderson inherited a basketball program that had been completely out of control prior to his arrival. Former coach Quin Snyder had run such a "loose ship" at Missouri that players, assistant coaches and even university administrators were skirting rules, breaking actual laws, violating NCAA guidelines, and generally doing as they pleased.
During the Quin Snyder years, Missouri was practically the poster child for what the NCAA's compliance office terms "lack of institutional control."
So one would expect that Mike Anderson would to try to clean the place up, so to speak. That's what I thought he was doing when he suspended the five players last week.
But upon closer inspection, I see that Missouri players have been involved in all kinds of lawbreaking and general mopery since Anderson's arrival.
With the exception of Kalen Grimes, whom Anderson dismissed after he hit a man in the face with the butt of a shotgun, Mike Anderson has consistently let offending players off the hook with little more than a slap on the wrist.
Anderson only suspended Darryl Butterfield for ONE exhibiton game after Butterfield plead guilty to hitting a former girlfriend.
DeMarre Carroll received no punishment after he was shot during a fight outside of a Columbia nightclub.
And Anderson's son, Mike Anderson Jr., was only suspended for ONE game after being arrested for DUI.
So I guess I spoke too soon when I suggested that coach Anderson is in the process of cleaning up the mess that Quin Snyder left behind. It doesn't appear that Mike Anderson has control of the Missouri basketball program at all.
In fact, just two years into Anderson's tenure, the Missouri basketball program looks to be every bit as out of control as it was under Quin Snyder.
Apparently, some things never change.
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8 comments:
As a loyal Missouri alumn and longtime color guy on Tiger Basketball Telecasts, I am dissapointed in Mike Anderson. He's been touted around the country as a guy who does it right. As Drive & Dish has found out, his persona is the polar opposite of that notion.
Quin Synder was no angel, but at least he had mild success. An Elite Eight appearance is almost like a National Title in Columbia. It doesn't happen often. Coach Stewart made two trips to the round of 8....in 32 years at the school.
When push comes to shove, we need a guy at Missouri who will combine Synder's success and Coach Stewart's class. Mike Anderson clearly will struggle in both of those areas.
And despite the rash of NCAA Violations and investigations, Synder upgraded the talent - especially since my days in Columbia - and, as I said, been to an Elite 8.
I know this site has an intense interest in Missouri athletics, and I would hope they shed light on the shortcomings of the current regime.
John,
You said that Mizzou needs a coach "who will combine (Quin) Snyder's success and Coach (Norm) Stewart's class.
I can't believe that you actually said that.
Norm Stewart had much more success over the course of his career at Missouri than Quin Snyder ever had.
It's not even close.
But I've never heard Norm Stewart referred to as having "class."
In fact, when Stewart beat cancer, the line that made its way around the sports writers was that Norm Stewart was such an unpleasant piece of %#$@ that the cancer grew weary of being trapped in his body, and it left ... just to get away from Norm Stewart.
Trashtalk,
I didn't mean tournament appearances or Big Eight conference championships.
When it came down to tournament time, Stewart didn't get it done. Synder, in his limited time on campus, was more successful in that respect.
Those comments by sportswriters? They were embittered that he was difficult with them. What a pathetic thing to say about another human being.
He started the Coaches vs Cancer Charity. The man might have made some mistakes, but don't we all?
All of those sneaker-wearing coaches Saturday were influenced by Coach Stewart and his mission to raise money for cancer research.
Well here I am writing in mid-Feb of 2009 and Coach Anderson has the Missouri program respectable again, filling Mizzou Arena and has the team ranked 10th/11th in the nation. Now what were you saying?
Ah, This is awesome! Clarifies
some contradictions I've read
Ah, This is spot on! Dispells
some misnomers I've heard
Ah, This is great! Clears up
several misnomers I've read
Ah, This is great! Puts to bed
many contradictions I've heard
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