Doug Gottlieb Vs. Jim Boeheim: That's It?

If you're looking for a transcript of the Jim Boeheim vs. Doug Gottlieb interview from earlier today you will need to scroll down to the bottom because I wanted to go on a mini-rant of how disappointed I am in Gottlieb and Boeheim, but mainly Gottlieb.

Earlier this morning, the Syracuse University athletic department's official twitter account sent out this announcement:

"Coach Jim Boeheim will appear on the Doug Gottlieb radio show live today, January 16, at approximately 3:20 p.m."

When I read it I was immediately excited, as I am sure most Syracuse basketball fans were.

For the past month or so, the two parties had been going back and forth on various media outlets and now FINALLY, thanks to the Infiniti Coaches' Charity Challenge, we were going to get a showdown.

Old school vs. new school. Old opinionated curmudgeon vs. new opinionated curmudgeon. Lets do this.

I listened.

But by the time the interview was over I was disappointed in myself for hyping up the interview because I forgot one thing: Doug Gottlieb was doing the interview.

Now, this is not a slam on Gottlieb's ability to host a sports talk radio show. In the past I have defended Gottlieb because I know he knows his stuff a lot of the time. I also respect him because I know he's not afraid to take a stand - though, I am pretty sure his most controversial stands come just to kick-up a stir.

However, what Gottlieb can't do is conduct a good interview, especially when it is HANDED TO HIM ON A SILVER PLATTER!

See, I listen to an unhealthy amount of sports talk radio. My favorite for years have been Dan Patrick, who runs the most professional, yet, entertaining show in the business.

When Patrick is handed an interview like "Gottlieb vs. Boeheim," he takes advantage of it.

Patrick doesn't attack the guest, but he comes prepared to support his opinion and almost always gets the best out of the interview even when his listeners know it is going to be a bit awkward.

Wednesday's "showdown" between Gottlieb and Boeheim was 14 minutes of the CBS college basketball insider agreeing with the 68-year-old coach, who he sounded off on two weeks ago.

Now, I am in no way calling for Gottlieb to be disrespectful - he was very respectful to Boeheim.

However, when Boeheim says, I never thought you had an agenda against Syracuse, on Gottlieb's show - when nearly a month ago he said Gottlieb was anti-Syracuse - be respectful, but call him out on it.

When Boeheim defends his non-conference schedule by mentioning just one tough road game last season at N.C. State - when for years you've been the No. 1 critic of his non-conference schedule - be respectful, but call him out on it.

I am not talking about yelling and screaming, but this was an outstanding spot to have a great discussion between two guys that know their stuff.

Gottlieb could have made points of why he thinks Boeheim's non-conference schedule isn't good for basketball. While, Boeheim could have countered with his experience of how a tough non-conference schedule - in his opinion - doesn't help you in March.

Instead, the clock on the interview ran out. The sponsors needed plugging.

(Seriously, you couldn't have extended Boeheim's interview into another segment? This is the highest rating your show was getting in its 15 day existence! Boeheim loves to talk, especially about basketball and especially when people think he's wrong. Plus, you didn't even get the Infiniti Coaches' Charity Challenge plug in!)

To say I am disappointed would be an understatement. I thought Doug Gottlieb, the radio host, was better than that. Like my wife does frequently, I was proven wrong.

Below is the transcript of the final four-plus minutes of the interview - the only good parts.

Gottlieb: Are you mad at me?

Boeheim: Not at all. Unless you think there's 30 great coaches and I am not one of them then I would be made at you. If you think there's a small number and you don't think I am a great coach it is O.K. I don't like your criteria too much, but that is O.K.

What a player does in the NBA has nothing to do with his college coach at all - one way or the other. Sometimes coaches put guys in the NBA because they develop them that should have never gotten there. Now, that coach is a really great coach.

I think a coach or a good coach should be based on what he does with his team and how they progress; what their development is. Certainly, how they develop as players when they're in college.

From that criteria - actually I was thinking about this this morning - I think there are four or five great young coaches in the U.S.A. today. Brad Stevens and Shaka Smart, of course, we all know Mark Few - though I can't call Mark Few young anymore he's not young - but there are so many great coaches in college basketball. It is just my opinion.

Gottlieb: I guess it comes down to the Bill Clinton definition of "is" is. Let me ask you though, if - and you said - if you base a team on how they do at the end of the year, your teams have had some great success in the Big East, and yet there have been five Elite 8s and a Final Four...

Boeheim: Well, three Final Fours

Gottlieb: O.K. Three Final Fours and five Elite 8s. How come they haven't progressed in the NCAA Tournament?

Boeheim: Well, we have one of the best records in the NCAA Tournament. We've won 79-percent of our NCAA games in the last 20 years. We started out a little slower, but we have had great success.

You can always argue you could have done better or you could of done worse. We've been upset. A lot of people will say, well, you lost to Richmond.

But I think Bill Self is one of the best coaches in college and and he lost the NCAA Tournament to Northern Iowa and Bucknell.

Gottlieb: And Bradley

Boeheim: Yeah. Those things happen. I think we have had good success in the tournament if you compare to other programs and other coaches. Could we have been better? Yes. You can always say you could be better. We've upset a lot of people to get to the Final Four. We've never been favored to get to the Final Four, but we've gotten there. We've had to upset a No. 1 seed three times to get there. To win we had to upset a No. 1 seed, so I think we've had a good record in the NCAA.

I don't think its the only criteria, I think the coach that wins consistently. I think Mark Few hasn't been the Final Four and I think he's a great coach.

Gottlieb: He hasn't even been to an Elite 8. It is a good point that you make. Listen, I just want you to know that I don't have it in for Syracuse. I don't have it in for you.

Boeheim: I never thought you did. I think you're knowledgeable, I think you're right an awful lot of the time. But I think sometimes you can be wrong.

I remember last season, you said our regular season schedule wasn't that good and as it turned out at the end of the year we beat N.C. State on the road, we beat Louisville on the road. One went to the Elite 8, the other was a Final Four team. We beat a few other good teams.

Gottlieb: This has gone into podcast-length territory. I will only point out that when you beat N.C. State they were not N.C. State at the end of the year.

Boeheim: Ohh, they were pretty good. They were pretty good. Louisville was really good.

Gottlieb: Coach, best of luck against them, this weekend. I appreciate you coming on. Congratulations on victory 9-0-6, hopefully, you hit that 1,000 number sometime in the next could of years. Thanks for joining us. This is the Doug Gottlieb Show.