04/19/24
May 30, 2006
Lacrosse's positive side: Virginia caps undefeated campaign with NCAA lacrosse championship.
"I think you can hold this group up as a little bit of an ideal and say here's what the sport is capable of." That's a funny quote from the Virginia coach. I'm not sure what it means. Does it mean if your team doesn't get suspended because of rape allegations, you can go undefeated? I'm not trying to be snarky. I just don't see how going undefeated and winning a championship has got to do with Duke lacrosse. Is he suggesting that the country thought lacrosse players were thugs and drunks because of Duke?
posted by forrestv at 02:02 AM on May 30, 2006
I just don't see how going undefeated and winning a championship has got to do with Duke lacrosse. Agreed. I'm still hearing how the duke boys are upstanding citizens, for that matter. Words are cheap. The only way the championship helps is in taking the focus off of the duke case, which the coach then ruins by bringing up said case.
posted by justgary at 02:16 AM on May 30, 2006
Is he suggesting that the country thought lacrosse players were thugs and drunks because of Duke? I can believe that he believes this, and that he felt the need to say something, especially at the only point where the national press was actually paying attention to what he was saying.
posted by chicobangs at 03:00 AM on May 30, 2006
I've gone to two college sports camps in my life, Rick Pitino's at PC and Dom Starsia's at Brown. In each case the coach moved on that year (Pitino actually left for the Knicks during the camp weekend). In the few days I was there, Starsia seemed like a good guy who would create a program that was better than just good players. Both of the "coaches" he had at the camp from his team were genuinely nice kids. So I'm always happy to see Virginia do well.
posted by yerfatma at 06:28 AM on May 30, 2006
I think the fact that he concedes his players aren't perfect but believes they are genuinely good kids is an appropriate way to acknowledge the pink elephant without overstating the matter, all the while keeping the focus where it belongs: on his team and their accomplishments. And like Chico says, you don't get many opportunities to address the nation in college lacrosse.
posted by MW12 at 09:07 AM on May 30, 2006
Is he suggesting that the country thought lacrosse players were thugs and drunks because of Duke? Maybe he's just suggesting that they think that because of the media.
posted by Amateur at 10:02 AM on May 30, 2006
puerile meatheadedness That's tremendous! I've known a few Stiflers myself... Wish I could argue but this guy is spot on (at least in my limited experience).
posted by MW12 at 11:28 AM on May 30, 2006
OK. I took another look at his quote. What he's saying, paraphrased, of course, is he thinks we can hold his team up as a little bit of a model of perfection/excellence and say that's what the sport can do. Well, if that is what he is suggesting...it still doesn't make sense. Yeah, I know he was trying to say not every lacrosse team was as bad as Duke's. That's cool. But that's not what he said. And I could probably have cut him some slack if he had just come out and said what he felt instead of acting like Miss Twinkle Toes.
posted by forrestv at 11:52 AM on May 30, 2006
Here's a little more context of the quote: "This is a group of thoughtful, respectful, hard-working young men who I think accomplished something quite memorable," Starsia said. "And hopefully, [they] created the kind of impression here in the spring of 2006 that we all walk away from this lacrosse season with. That might be the greatest accomplishment of all. ... I think you can hold this group up as a little bit of an ideal and say 'this is what the sport is capable of' and feel pretty good about the end of the season."
posted by bperk at 12:58 PM on May 30, 2006
In the eyes of their bookish classmates, lax guys occupy the far end of the dirt spectrum, even beyond hockey players. That slate article is horrible. At least try to contain your hate or I'm not going to listen to you. I don't know any lacrosse players but I can't imagine there half as bad as this guy thinks. I can't wait for the, "Why I hate hockey jocks" article, or do some hockey players need to be accused of rape before it's acceptable to write someing like this?
posted by tron7 at 01:47 PM on May 30, 2006
In front of 50,000 people? Wow.