Let’s hold off on that parade honoring the Saint Louis University Billikens being “big time.”
Also, the team photo with the mayor and the national championship trophy is something you will not see for awhile.
Instead, get used to the caustic, arrogant and aloof style of their coach. All he has shown so far is the ability to throw someone under the bus when needed.
Say hello to “Mr. Warmth” Rick Majerus.
In his short tour of duty in St. Louis, the Billiken coach has succeeded in alienating virtually every member of the media, earned internal disdain by various university employees of the university and lambasting his team by saying it lacks size, skill, desire and intelligence.
Nice going coach, you are doing just fine. By the way, the mini bar should not be an expense to the university.
The most recent gaffe by the “coach” took place on a local radio show where he compared one of his players’ inability to change a certain element of his game to alcoholism. Now, there is a great recruiting tool.
But then again, why would he want any player from St. Louis? Look what he has done to the kids that are already on the team. Tommie Liddell and Kevin Lisch are the faces of the team.
They have been recognized by their conference for past accomplishments. All of a sudden they are no good in the eyes of this coach.
“I didn’t ask for them and they didn’t ask for me,” was another classic from the coach.
At last check, you did ask for them, coach. You signed a contract to coach them, not run them off.
To say that Rick Majerus has not been a darling is an understatement. His coaching record should be respected. His current coaching method should not be. He has yet to prove that he can get the job done. Granted he is shorthanded from a skill level. He has not been able to recruit and get his players in the system.
Once he gets them, it will take time.
The aspect of the program getting better down the road is no excuse for going out of your way to embarrass your players and the people around you. The standard reply of “That’s just coach” is unacceptable.
I am not pleading to be friends with a person I have had a hard time trying to respect.
There are a lot of coaches who have their ways, yet they do not go out of their way to insult the people around them. Instead of trying to reach out and be a friend, I will just keep the ones I have. One of which is my dog Buddy. He has a legitimate bark and bite.
Farewell, Marty Hendin
St. Louis lost a major player this week. He did not own a team, trade a player or play one game.
Instead Marty Hendin was the most loyal, hard working ambassador the St. Louis Cardinals will ever have. I use those words with great confidence because there will never be another Marty Hendin.
As vice president of community relations, Marty related unlike anyone I ever met.
He figured a way to get it done. He knew who the players were in every situation and, if you were a fan of the Cardinals, you might as well have been a relative of his.
With a position like Marty’s, you were bound to ruffle feathers as long as they were not Cardinal feathers.
He took the good with the bad including some spirited sparring sessions from this sports journalist.
At the end of the day, we would turn the page. But not after my respect and admiration for him had increased. Let it be said that no one was a better team player than Marty Hendin when it came to making sure the Cardinals were in good shape.
I will miss Marty but I will never forget what he has done for St. Louis
