The Onuaku Effect
by Sean Keeley on Mar 26, 2010 1:08 PM EDT
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PrintAt some point over the next week, SU will announce Arinze Onuaku's actual condition and how long it will take him to recover from it. We'll all very quickly come to the conclusion that there was no way AO was going to play at all, let alone in the Elite 8, had Syracuse advanced there. We'll then finally realize that Syracuse most-likely, almost-certainly told a little fib when they announced that Arinze Onuaku would be fine just before the NCAA Tournament seedings were announced. And then we'll officially know that SU purposely gave out false information to ensure itself of a one-seed. (But for now, this continues to be conjecture...FYI)
NOW. If this is the case, it's not good business. Obviously, we can understand why they did it (anyone who remembers Kenyan Martin's injury and Cincy knows) but it still leaves a bad taste in a lot of people's mouths.
Especially Gregg Doyel. Hoooooly crap was Gregg Doyel pissed.
Shame on Syracuse for lying, but congratulations to Butler for eliminating the liar from this tournament. Until Orange coach Jim Boeheim's big lie, Syracuse was a team to root for -- a team of spare parts and castoffs and overlooked recruits, all of them congealing around the greatness of Iowa State transfer Wes Johnson into the most surprising team of the season. Onuaku had contributed modestly (10.5 points and 5.1 rebounds per game) but he shot 66.8 percent from the floor. He anchored the Orange's inside-out offense, and without him, the Orange were lost against Butler.
Syracuse had floated past two teams thanks to its talent level and thanks also, no question, to its advantageous seed. But Butler has a Final Four-like team, and the Bulldogs are now one game away from the Final Four -- in their hometown of Indianapolis.
First of all Gregg, stop masturbating for everyone to see. It's disgusting.
Second, let's all be honest here (for a change). If Syracuse announced beforehand that Onuaku would not be available, at least for the first round, the most realistic thing that would have changed would be...nothing. I think if we're all impartial here, the odds are still reasonable good that Syracuse gets a one-seed. And, at the very worst, they drop down to a two-seed.
Next, Gregg slams the Orange for their first-round game against Vermont, "instead of a potentially dangerous game against a No. 15 seed." What Gregg doesn't mention is that most folks believed Vermont was under-seeded and deserved to be a 15 or even a 14. And I love the way Gregg makes it sound ooooooooh so much different. As if 15-seeds are beating 2-seeds on a regular basis and Syracuse dodged a bullet by playing the pushover 16-seed. Jesus, man, do you take a step back after you write these diatribes?
He then goes on to say Syracuse got it easy by playing 8-seed Gonzaga instead of a 7-seed. Apparently Gregg is under the impression that being a 2-seed in the NCAA Tournament is the hardest job in America. Meanwhile, he regrets to mention that 7-seed BYU was almost as much of a pushover as the Zags. But otherwise, sound argument, Gregg.
Ultimately, Syracuse may have pissed off the karma Gods by lying. But that's about the only real thing that changed with the Arinze Onuaku decision. Was it the "right" things to do? Probably not. Was it the "smart" thing to do? Absolutely. Did it make a different in Syracuse's seedings? Probably not, possibly, but a minor difference if anything.
Come on down from your ivory tower, Gregg. This monolithic advantage that you think Syracuse gained? Completely in your head. You're right about one thing...the Orange needed Onuaku out there on the court Thursday night. Had he been there...completely different story. But guess what...even if they told they truth about his injury...they still would have been there. Same place, same time, same region, same seed.
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Honestly,
I think the committee took Onuaku into consideration, and that’s why Duke got the third 1 seed instead of Syracuse. The chair of the committee basically said that in between jibber-jabber about the “full body of work.” Maybe the committee would have given Cuse the first 2 seed had the team come out and said Onuaku wasn’t playing at all. But that isn’t a guaranteed fact like Doyel makes it seem.
This is something you see at every level of sports. Lies and fibs like this happy every fucking week in the NFL when the injury reports are released. Boeheim maybe does it once and suddenly this guy thinks Syracuse is public enemy #1, they could not have committed a worse sin, and thank goodness righteous Butler put us in our place.
If what Boeheim did this year is about the worst action Doyel can imagine coming from a college coach, I look forward to seeing what he’s got in store for Kentucky and Calipari when we all find out just how much John Wall is being paid. That, to me, is off the charts bad compared to fibbing a bit about a player’s injury.
by voteprime on Mar 26, 2010 1:22 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
And comparing this injury to Kenyon Martin is ridiculous.
Kenyon Martin was an All American and a potential Player of the Year. Onuaku was a solid center who helped define the Syracuse offense. But he is in no way near as important to Syracuse as Martin was to Cincinnati.
Took the words right out of my mouth (nh)
That’s why I rec’d this post. Well done.
"(BARF)" - Donovan McNabb, during his game winning drive against Virginia Tech in 1998
Just as important
Onuaku was just as important to our success this year as Martin was to Cincinnati. Last night proved it. This team was a TEAM all year, and missing one part in the cog proved disastrous.
by GrossSuperman on Mar 26, 2010 1:44 PM EDT up reply actions
This guy's first mistake,
being named Gregg and having anything to do with Syracuse University.
Second mistake, the only other d-bag I know of who spells it with two gs was Gregg Williams the failed former – Bills coach.
Besides that, did the university come out and say AO will play and he is okay? I remember the docs and medical staff being optimistic about his injury but never definitive. Maybe its the law school in me but, not volunteering information to correct a percieved misconception isn’t really lying. I wouldn’t call it graceful and upstanding conduct, but you couldn’t get nailed for perjury based on what the university did.
by Rocket Ship Science on Mar 26, 2010 1:23 PM EDT reply actions
ya we never heard for sure he'd be back
only real updates were when they said he was out. don’t know if this guy is aware, but medical records are PRIVATE. Syracuse can’t release that information willy nilly
The whole thing...
…to me, is completely ridiculous. Every team for every reason masks injuries, and who knows? Maybe they thought that he COULD play (although I doubt it). It’s gamesmanship, and everyone does it. The tone of this guy’s article makes it sound as if he definitely has an axe to grind against Syracuse. Aww, was Jimmy Boeheim once mean to you when you asked him a dumb question at a press conference, Gregg? Fuck him. The guy’s a jerkoff.
"(BARF)" - Donovan McNabb, during his game winning drive against Virginia Tech in 1998
by kotite4ever on Mar 26, 2010 1:23 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Indeed.
It really did read like he has an axe to grind with Syracuse or Jim Boeheim. In another thread I said it sounds like, by losing, Syracuse ruined his chances to win his March Madness pool.
Look at his photo:
He even looks pissy there. “You’ll never call my question ‘stupid’ again, Jim Boeheim! Never!!!”
Gregg Doyel is one of the reasons I stopped reading CBSsportsline.com articles a loooong time ago. He tries to stir up shit in an ironic “I’m better than all of you” manner, which really stops being funny after the first few times.
I call it... The Avaslug!
I am the 1st and probably only official member of the David "Dr." Jones fanclub. Until I get the newsletter out, anyway.
Still proud to wear Orange. Fantastic season, Syracuse!
Boeheim
A good practice coach, however, as a game coach?
Hmmmmm.
Congratulations Syracuse on a great season!
Maybe next year with Fabrice Melo as our center.
YOU GOT OT FEEL FOR RAUTENS & ONUAKU.
So Mr. W.Johnson if you come back next year we welcome you with open arms.
Wow! Next Year.
W.Johnson/SF R.Jackson/PF F.Melo/C
If not the then we slip in C.Joseph/SF
Both options are pretty good to me.
Boeheim, you should have called a time out when up by 11.
That was the time to get the team to go for the throat and blow it open.
But no you went soft and conservative.
Sometimes you have to know when to take them out.
If you don’t then defat comes like last night.
Ouch!
It does hurt.
Anyway good season again Syracuse.
W.Johnson if you come out I hope for selfish reasons you come to the Brooklyn Nets.
After the 2006 BE Tourney
Gerry couldnt even walk around the training room. His groin injury was the nastiest thing Ive ever seen (he was getting worked on the table next to me.) SU didnt make an announcement that year as to weather he was playing or not. He did play but was noticeably hurt and we lost. Other teams knew Gerry was hurt. They prepared as if he would be 100%. The only people who were cheated here were the sports gamblers who picked SU to win their brackets.
Its not the NFL, there is no weekly injury report or disabled list. The reason they do that is for gambling to get the lines right. Other teams know whos there, and whos dinged up. If the NCAA required injury reports, they would be encouraging sports betting which contradicts their mantra.
And another thing, if its not broken/torn, odds are you think you can come back. Different injuries heal differently. It could be totally better tomorrow or still be the same in 2 weeks. Of course AO is going to try and get back so he could play. Hes a 5th year senior with lots of experience playing hurt.
The first rule of Onuaku club is you do not talk about Onuaku what ifs.
Seriously; it’s not productive.
I thought the first rule was not to smile.
by Otis Hill on Mar 26, 2010 1:50 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Hopefully...
…Gregg Doyel won’t watch the NHL playoffs, in which teams make a habit of being ridiculously vague in their injury reports. His head may explode.
I also love that he says “Syracuse has lost to a 15 before, you know.” We sure did, Gregg…19 years ago! What, exactly, does that have to do with this year’s team? We also used to have Ernie Davis playing on our football team, but you’ll excuse me if I’m keeping my BCS Bowl dreams in check for the time being.
by OrangeNYC on Mar 26, 2010 2:36 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Shame on Gregg Doyel
for being a douche bag.
And also saying that a team full of kids that worked hard all year and played with great heart “deserved” to lose because the team witheld injury info.
by KaiserKyle on Mar 26, 2010 2:42 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Doug Gottlieb, congratulations...
…and step aside! There is a new “Syracuse Basketball: Public Enemy #1” – and the name of this yahoo is Gregg “Hard to see all of you down there from my high horse” Doyell.
"(BARF)" - Donovan McNabb, during his game winning drive against Virginia Tech in 1998
I don't think it was done to completely deceive
I still think there’s a good chance AO would have made an appearance in the Final Four or Nat’l Championship game if they had gone that far. He was getting treatment, doing exercise in the pool to rehab and keep his wind, and wasn’t on crutches or wearing any kind of brace. I don’t think it was a foregone conclusion that he was done for the year.
Apparently Gregg read it and said "Fair enough"
So at least there’s that.
Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician - The Syracuse blog that cares.
Yeah, see his "fair enough" Tweet here:
http://twitter.com/greggdoyelcbs/status/11100142356
Though I have to say, if you read his Tweets, he really just sounds like an ass hat that’s trying to get a reaction out of people.
Also, here’s his Twitter profile pic:
Combination mohawk-soul patch? I didn’t think that was possible.
More than Onuaku to overcome
While some may not see it productive to talk about the effect of Onuaku’s injury, to me there is another effect worth raising that does have some future relevance for a fairness in NCAA Tourney play. I haven’t seen this point discussed anywhere and wonder if it has been brought up? That may be a sign that others don’t think there’s much to this, but here goes anyway.
While I doubt that anyone was actually trying to make things difficult for Syracuse, given they were a deserving high seeded team with a real shot at going far, the schedule set out did work to their disadvantage. CBS has shuffled the schedule in the last couple of years to the point where teams playing each other no longer have the same rest and preparation time between games.
I did not think about it for a second during the game, and we can never know the impact of the short turn around time and travel for Syracuse, but did this team look like a sharp, rested, prepared version of itself? It will almost certainly get no mention, because in simplest terms it doesn’t look like anything, but I’d love to see the SU players’ itinerary. Needless to say I am convinced there’s a real good chance it did affect them.
The pattern of their play, turnovers sloppiness, lack of energy, body language, strongly supports that belief. And while it would still not be great, it would be fairer if both teams were subject to the same short turnaround. Butler, playing its second round game on Saturday, had maybe double the time for at home rest, practices and prep for Syracuse, as compared to the at home time Syracuse had for Butler, before the teams had to fly out to Utah. Onuaku’s injury and the short bench that resulted, exacerbated SU’s burden, but that was under no one’s control and we would have likely noticed that effect more in the second half than the first. In the end, Onuaku’s injury, the short turnaround, the opponent’s scheduling advantage, and a tough team in Butler proved too much to overcome, but they almost did.
It may have not made the difference, and of course no one will ever know the actual effect, but in tournament and championship setups the idea is to make opponent’s conditions as even as possible unless of course there was an earned advantage built into the process, and equal preparation and rest time would certainly be an important condition for perceived and real fairness.
by SteveZ from Edgemont on Mar 27, 2010 11:25 PM EDT reply actions
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