I surmise that one that expresses that another’s actions or speak is intolerant is showing intolerance.
“When I look in the mirror and see perfection, then I will expect it everywhere.”
Every person needs forgiveness. Also, as Dr. MLK tried to teach us, hate cannot be driven out by hate. The Lord’s commandment is to love one another. Let’s give it a try.
Doc- I knocked you off my reading list, a few articles ago because you kept drifting into politics. But, you nailed this one on Bob Huggins and his locker room banter on the Stooge report with Bill Cunningham. I’m thinking less of Cunningham after listening to the recording. He could have diffused the situation right in the moment and choose to simply gaggle through…
A leader of men who is immersed in a diverse college environment in 2023 does not get a pass on making these types of disparaging remarks. Bob Huggins canceled himself by not being "present". This is not about stifling public discourse. Please tell me where the public discourse was in this situation. Woody Hayes, Bob Knight and now Bob Huggins revealed. The Good does not cancel the Bad.
Haters gonna hate. Huggins is a good man, with a very small propensity to care what people think about him. He & Billy were whipping each other up, from what I hear. (did not hear the clip) Whatever, my kids are much more sensitive to these sort of comments than my entire generation, just like my generation is much more sensitive than my parents' generation. It will get better (or worse) over time, and the only control lies in our culture. Not the comment of one 69 year old basketball coach.
Doc, first things first. You are way too glowing in your summary of his character heretofore. You make no mention of, for example -
* his drunk driving history (don’t forget that the arresting officers mentioned in the body cam footage that they’d pulled him over for DD previously);
* his almost unmatched lack of sportsmanship among the coaching ranks (e.g., the non-handshake, the continued disparaging of Xavier despite leaving UC *18 years ago*, his being ejected from games countless times for saying vile things to officials, etc.);
* unceremoniously booting existing scholarship players so he could sign more coveted recruits (e.g., Aaron McGee for DerMarr Johnson);
* recruiting violations (e.g., Charles Williams); and
* his keeping some players on his rosters who absolutely should have been kicked off the team, if not expelled and banned from campus (ahem, Donald Little).
And these are just the examples I can think of off the top of my head. Simply put, while he surely has some degree of virtue, he is anything but a role model.
True story. I was a diehard Bearcats fan throughout my childhood until the Charles Williams fiasco. After myriad prior examples of Huggins’ shameful behavior, it was too much. I was so aghast at the sordid affair that I drew a line in the sand and said “no more”. Even though I was only 15 years old, I was so disgusted that I deliberately switched allegiances and have been an avid Xavier fan ever since. And in the interim, Huggins has only doubled down and convinced me even more completely that I made the right choice.
That said, even as a Xavier fan, I can’t endorse canceling Bob Huggins, much as I dislike the man. Cancel culture is a scourge that stands in fundamental opposition to the core values of western civilization. It seeks to stifle legitimate public discourse and render anyone a permanent pariah if he utters anything out of lockstep with the canceler’s political narrative. Do I think Huggins should be punished? Absolutely, full stop. Does he deserve to be permanently ostracized or to suffer lifelong punishment? No. It’s not like he murdered someone. If the man wants to make amends, we should let him. People can change, even a morbidly obese senior citizen with a serpent’s tongue and a drinking problem.
This is a crazy last thought but I’m gonna throw it out there. Huggins has been dealing with the media for 30 to 40 years. Huggy is really smart. He knows when you utter those words together they can be a firing offense. Why in the world would you do this? Is it possible that deep down he’s OK getting fired now. Maybe it is easier than him voluntarily walking away because how he is built he just cannot do that.
Doc, You are so right. Mrs. Thinwallet and I used similar slams against a certain group of people and cost us two very good friends. Fortunately they reached out to us and we had a long talk where they explained how hurt they were. God bless them, they forgave us and said they knew that was not how we really were. You can't throw the baby out with the poop (stupid comments) in the diaper. Life is shades of gray.
I don't hate him for that, but for having multiple drunk driving accidents sanitized by UC alum Joe Deters and kept under wraps by Columbia Olds by offering the families new Cadillacs. I hate how he was a philanderer, cheating endlessly on his wife riddled with cancer, and how he also cheated with booster's wives. I also hated how he turned UC into a laughingstock, with a zero-grad rate over a decade, having multiple felons on the team with impunity, cheating endlessly, resulting in multiple infractions, forever stamping the indelible mark on UC who will forever be known as UNLV East.
Ya know, I made a light hearted comment a little while ago about the dildo thing, trying to add a little humor. But it got me to clarifying a thought that's been stewing in the back of my head all day.
If I'm a player on the opposing team and fans of the other team stand up and fire rubber dildos, or anything, at me, , I'm gonna be pretty mighty pissed, so pissed I might pick the damn things up and fire 'em back at the neanderthal, especially if one hit me. I'm hoping to hit the fools right between the eyes. I'm dead serious. I'm gonna be burning hot. Throwing stuff on the court is no joke. It should be punished with a 4 shot technical on the fans, the ball out to the opposing team 3 straight times, and those fans ejected for the season. That would stop it. If it did happen at a UC-X game, I can see why Huggins was still burned up. Frankly I would much rather be called f----- or another ugly thing all day long than have stuff thrown at me. Me and teammates got called a lot of ugly words back in my playing days by rivals. I internally would laugh, cuz I knew we were getting under their skin. You gotta let it roll off your back. Getting hit or almost hit with big rubber projectiles is different; it's no laughing matter. It's criminal intent to harm.
If Hugg's version is accurate, he deserves some lessening of the depth of negative scrutiny he's getting, at least until X gets the same. I'm tired of living in a nonsensical world where "certain words make you automatically evil for life". Throwing any objects at players is far more dangerous than a couple ugly words, even slurs, in my book. I can empathize a little more with Huggs' anger. It was a completely classless act by X fans. It deserves equal scrutiny and condemnation.
I still would like to know if they were latex or rubber penises. Huggs said rubber. New research today has shown me that rubber penises are 2-3x more expensive than standard latex penises. Who in their right mind throws a $20-25 anything on the floor at a basketball game, in particular something with other practical uses, no less? Are X fans really that wealthy? Or did they go the budget, more practical route, and Huggs just misspoke? I will be watching MSNBC, Entertainment Tonight, and maybe ESPN tonight to see if anyone has an answer on this typically straight-forward subject matter.
I’m a Bob Huggins fan, warts and all. I admit it. He brought my alma mater, UC, back to prominence and I an never repay him enough for that. BUT…I can not and will not support his comments. I truly believe he will have to pay some kind of consequence at WVU. I don’t know if he will lose his job but there must be an appropriate consequence. In addition, I truly believe WLW should part ways with. Bill Cunningham. He is simply a vile human being, if he even can be defined as that.
In this world, there simply can be no place for name calling. Be it the “n” word, “f—“, or “grab ‘em by the p—-.” There’s just no place for that kind of behavior…at all! So, to Bob, I say, I love ya Huggs but…COME ON!
We can all be critical of what Coach Huggins said. No excuse - period/exclamation point! He regrets having said it. We all regret him uttering such a slur. Then again, if I, or any of us, uttered such a slur publicly, we too would be subject to the "knee-jerk" response of far too many people who, for the moment simply forget their own flaws. For now, I remember my many flaws and give thanks the whole world has not been subjected to seeing or hearing them. Yikes! I truly appreciate the take Doc has given us here: remeber to look at the bigger picture and not condemn the man for any one misstep compared against honoring that same man for ALL THE GOOD HE HAS DONE. He apologized. We need to forgive. End story.
I find myself thinking about two things here. I don’t cast judgement because I too have said things I wished I could take back. I’m a teacher and have to always mind what I say and understand it is my job to be professional at all times, even outside of school. Like most people my age, I said evil and hateful things when I was younger. The thing that is most disappointing to me is how an individual of almost 70 years hasn’t learned to change his language. It’s a sign of immaturity and weakness. And Huggins is hardly the only person doing this of course. Adults all over the world still use slurs that demean race, sex, and ability. I sincerely hope he learns from this and changes how he speaks even when the microphone isn’t on. Words do matter and how we use them reflect our priorities and character. I deeply regret anytime I have said something that has hurt someone and try my damndest to be thoughtful about the words I choose. Huggins isn’t a bad person, he’s just human and I think if he still makes a positive impact for his kids, he should continue to coach.
Doc,
I surmise that one that expresses that another’s actions or speak is intolerant is showing intolerance.
“When I look in the mirror and see perfection, then I will expect it everywhere.”
Every person needs forgiveness. Also, as Dr. MLK tried to teach us, hate cannot be driven out by hate. The Lord’s commandment is to love one another. Let’s give it a try.
Jimmy Hull
Doc- I knocked you off my reading list, a few articles ago because you kept drifting into politics. But, you nailed this one on Bob Huggins and his locker room banter on the Stooge report with Bill Cunningham. I’m thinking less of Cunningham after listening to the recording. He could have diffused the situation right in the moment and choose to simply gaggle through…
A leader of men who is immersed in a diverse college environment in 2023 does not get a pass on making these types of disparaging remarks. Bob Huggins canceled himself by not being "present". This is not about stifling public discourse. Please tell me where the public discourse was in this situation. Woody Hayes, Bob Knight and now Bob Huggins revealed. The Good does not cancel the Bad.
Haters gonna hate. Huggins is a good man, with a very small propensity to care what people think about him. He & Billy were whipping each other up, from what I hear. (did not hear the clip) Whatever, my kids are much more sensitive to these sort of comments than my entire generation, just like my generation is much more sensitive than my parents' generation. It will get better (or worse) over time, and the only control lies in our culture. Not the comment of one 69 year old basketball coach.
Many of today’s responding mobsters would cancel Martin Luther King Jr. for his transgressions. What a shame.
Doc, first things first. You are way too glowing in your summary of his character heretofore. You make no mention of, for example -
* his drunk driving history (don’t forget that the arresting officers mentioned in the body cam footage that they’d pulled him over for DD previously);
* his almost unmatched lack of sportsmanship among the coaching ranks (e.g., the non-handshake, the continued disparaging of Xavier despite leaving UC *18 years ago*, his being ejected from games countless times for saying vile things to officials, etc.);
* unceremoniously booting existing scholarship players so he could sign more coveted recruits (e.g., Aaron McGee for DerMarr Johnson);
* recruiting violations (e.g., Charles Williams); and
* his keeping some players on his rosters who absolutely should have been kicked off the team, if not expelled and banned from campus (ahem, Donald Little).
And these are just the examples I can think of off the top of my head. Simply put, while he surely has some degree of virtue, he is anything but a role model.
True story. I was a diehard Bearcats fan throughout my childhood until the Charles Williams fiasco. After myriad prior examples of Huggins’ shameful behavior, it was too much. I was so aghast at the sordid affair that I drew a line in the sand and said “no more”. Even though I was only 15 years old, I was so disgusted that I deliberately switched allegiances and have been an avid Xavier fan ever since. And in the interim, Huggins has only doubled down and convinced me even more completely that I made the right choice.
That said, even as a Xavier fan, I can’t endorse canceling Bob Huggins, much as I dislike the man. Cancel culture is a scourge that stands in fundamental opposition to the core values of western civilization. It seeks to stifle legitimate public discourse and render anyone a permanent pariah if he utters anything out of lockstep with the canceler’s political narrative. Do I think Huggins should be punished? Absolutely, full stop. Does he deserve to be permanently ostracized or to suffer lifelong punishment? No. It’s not like he murdered someone. If the man wants to make amends, we should let him. People can change, even a morbidly obese senior citizen with a serpent’s tongue and a drinking problem.
This is a crazy last thought but I’m gonna throw it out there. Huggins has been dealing with the media for 30 to 40 years. Huggy is really smart. He knows when you utter those words together they can be a firing offense. Why in the world would you do this? Is it possible that deep down he’s OK getting fired now. Maybe it is easier than him voluntarily walking away because how he is built he just cannot do that.
Doc, You are so right. Mrs. Thinwallet and I used similar slams against a certain group of people and cost us two very good friends. Fortunately they reached out to us and we had a long talk where they explained how hurt they were. God bless them, they forgave us and said they knew that was not how we really were. You can't throw the baby out with the poop (stupid comments) in the diaper. Life is shades of gray.
I don't hate him for that, but for having multiple drunk driving accidents sanitized by UC alum Joe Deters and kept under wraps by Columbia Olds by offering the families new Cadillacs. I hate how he was a philanderer, cheating endlessly on his wife riddled with cancer, and how he also cheated with booster's wives. I also hated how he turned UC into a laughingstock, with a zero-grad rate over a decade, having multiple felons on the team with impunity, cheating endlessly, resulting in multiple infractions, forever stamping the indelible mark on UC who will forever be known as UNLV East.
Ya know, I made a light hearted comment a little while ago about the dildo thing, trying to add a little humor. But it got me to clarifying a thought that's been stewing in the back of my head all day.
If I'm a player on the opposing team and fans of the other team stand up and fire rubber dildos, or anything, at me, , I'm gonna be pretty mighty pissed, so pissed I might pick the damn things up and fire 'em back at the neanderthal, especially if one hit me. I'm hoping to hit the fools right between the eyes. I'm dead serious. I'm gonna be burning hot. Throwing stuff on the court is no joke. It should be punished with a 4 shot technical on the fans, the ball out to the opposing team 3 straight times, and those fans ejected for the season. That would stop it. If it did happen at a UC-X game, I can see why Huggins was still burned up. Frankly I would much rather be called f----- or another ugly thing all day long than have stuff thrown at me. Me and teammates got called a lot of ugly words back in my playing days by rivals. I internally would laugh, cuz I knew we were getting under their skin. You gotta let it roll off your back. Getting hit or almost hit with big rubber projectiles is different; it's no laughing matter. It's criminal intent to harm.
If Hugg's version is accurate, he deserves some lessening of the depth of negative scrutiny he's getting, at least until X gets the same. I'm tired of living in a nonsensical world where "certain words make you automatically evil for life". Throwing any objects at players is far more dangerous than a couple ugly words, even slurs, in my book. I can empathize a little more with Huggs' anger. It was a completely classless act by X fans. It deserves equal scrutiny and condemnation.
I still would like to know if they were latex or rubber penises. Huggs said rubber. New research today has shown me that rubber penises are 2-3x more expensive than standard latex penises. Who in their right mind throws a $20-25 anything on the floor at a basketball game, in particular something with other practical uses, no less? Are X fans really that wealthy? Or did they go the budget, more practical route, and Huggs just misspoke? I will be watching MSNBC, Entertainment Tonight, and maybe ESPN tonight to see if anyone has an answer on this typically straight-forward subject matter.
I’m a Bob Huggins fan, warts and all. I admit it. He brought my alma mater, UC, back to prominence and I an never repay him enough for that. BUT…I can not and will not support his comments. I truly believe he will have to pay some kind of consequence at WVU. I don’t know if he will lose his job but there must be an appropriate consequence. In addition, I truly believe WLW should part ways with. Bill Cunningham. He is simply a vile human being, if he even can be defined as that.
In this world, there simply can be no place for name calling. Be it the “n” word, “f—“, or “grab ‘em by the p—-.” There’s just no place for that kind of behavior…at all! So, to Bob, I say, I love ya Huggs but…COME ON!
We can all be critical of what Coach Huggins said. No excuse - period/exclamation point! He regrets having said it. We all regret him uttering such a slur. Then again, if I, or any of us, uttered such a slur publicly, we too would be subject to the "knee-jerk" response of far too many people who, for the moment simply forget their own flaws. For now, I remember my many flaws and give thanks the whole world has not been subjected to seeing or hearing them. Yikes! I truly appreciate the take Doc has given us here: remeber to look at the bigger picture and not condemn the man for any one misstep compared against honoring that same man for ALL THE GOOD HE HAS DONE. He apologized. We need to forgive. End story.
Who on this earth isn’t flawed…? Bob apologized.
When a person feels the need to tell you how great of an American they are, walk the other way.
I find myself thinking about two things here. I don’t cast judgement because I too have said things I wished I could take back. I’m a teacher and have to always mind what I say and understand it is my job to be professional at all times, even outside of school. Like most people my age, I said evil and hateful things when I was younger. The thing that is most disappointing to me is how an individual of almost 70 years hasn’t learned to change his language. It’s a sign of immaturity and weakness. And Huggins is hardly the only person doing this of course. Adults all over the world still use slurs that demean race, sex, and ability. I sincerely hope he learns from this and changes how he speaks even when the microphone isn’t on. Words do matter and how we use them reflect our priorities and character. I deeply regret anytime I have said something that has hurt someone and try my damndest to be thoughtful about the words I choose. Huggins isn’t a bad person, he’s just human and I think if he still makes a positive impact for his kids, he should continue to coach.