Garrido a big loser after defeat
By RICHARD JUSTICE
Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle
THE morning after his team lost the national championship game in January, Oklahoma football coach Bob Stoops told a reporter: "You're never going to know how much this hurts."
To this day, we can only guess how much that defeat against LSU hurt Stoops and his players.
Like a lot of us, the Sooners revealed more of themselves in defeat than they ever could in victory.
They told us they were disappointed beyond words but that they also understood some things about sportsmanship and doing things the right way. They understood that they were representing Oklahoma and athletes everywhere in the way they behaved after the game.
They were physically exhausted and emotionally drained, but they also were gracious. They did dozens of interviews, they were complimentary of their opponent, and they did themselves proud.
Unexcused absence
Stoops came to mind Sunday in the wake of how the Texas Longhorns dealt with their loss to Cal State Fullerton in the College World Series.
They disgraced themselves.
They disgraced their school.
What a nice finishing touch to a splendid season.
Instead of winning their second national championship in three seasons, the Longhorns became the first team in at least 17 years to refuse to participate in the College World Series trophy presentation.
Aren't they splendid ambassadors for the University of Texas?
Let's be clear about who we're blaming here. The Texas players watched a bit of Fullerton's postgame celebration before retreating to their locker room to console one another.
They did not come back.
Leadership lacking
They also declined to open their locker room to reporters, as required by NCAA rules.
Don't blame the players.
They did what kids almost always do in such situations. They were disappointed, then they were angry, and then they were childish.
That's when an adult should have taken charge.
That's when Longhorns coach Augie Garrido failed to show even a minimal amount of leadership.
If I were UT president Larry Faulkner, I'd wonder if I wanted this kind of man holding a high-profile job at my school.
I wouldn't fire him, but I'd let him know how unhappy I was.
All that saves Garrido is the fact he has represented the university well and runs what appears to be a clean program. One moment of monumentally bad behavior should not erase all the good.
But I'd call him in for a chat and make sure he understood the severity of his actions.
Can you imagine football coach Mack Brown or basketball coach Rick Barnes reacting to a bitter Texas defeat with that kind of behavior? No, you can't.
If a coach is supposed to teach kids lessons about dealing with others, doing their best and then handling both wins and losses, Garrido should have one and only one second chance.
Garrido offered a half-baked explanation of sorts Monday by saying he didn't understand that the Longhorns were supposed to return to the field. However, an NCAA official said the Longhorns were asked twice to return.
"It was not about being a poor sport," Garrido said after returning to Austin from Omaha. "It was about confusion and misunderstanding."
With 24 hours to think of something, you'd think the guy would at least come up with something believable.
Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds also offered a poor explanation when he said: "I absolutely trust his judgment on baseball matters."
Memo to Dodds: It's not about baseball; it's about handling defeat with the same class you guys have shown in handling all those victories.
Far better and far more competitive men than Garrido have been at their best after gut-wrenching losses.
In doing so, they set the kind of example men like Garrido would never understand.
Rice baseball coach Wayne Graham says part of his job is overseeing the "human growth and development" of his players. No man in sports is more demanding or more competitive than Graham, but can you see him acting the way Garrido did? No, you can't.
The right way to act
How about Dennis Eckersley? Almost 16 years ago, he gave up one of the most famous home runs in World Series history.
Long after Kirk Gibson limped around the bases to give the Los Angeles Dodgers a stunning Game 1 victory over the Oakland A's, Eckersley stood in front of his locker and answered question after question.
He handled the situation so well that last fall when his name went on the Hall of Fame ballot, it was not the 390 career saves or the 197 career victories a lot of people remembered.
It was that excruciating night in Los Angeles.
Chris Webber cost Michigan a chance to win a national basketball title when he called a timeout the Wolverines didn't have during the final minute against North Carolina in 1993. But he showed up in the interview room and, while almost too despondent to talk, did his best.
Derek Jeter faced waves of reporters when his New York Yankees let a lead slip away in the final inning of the seventh game of the 2001 World Series. He was stunned and angry and disappointed, but he still saluted the Arizona Diamondbacks and did his best to be gracious.
Garrido could learn a lesson from him.
richard.justice@chron.com
By RICHARD JUSTICE
Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle
THE morning after his team lost the national championship game in January, Oklahoma football coach Bob Stoops told a reporter: "You're never going to know how much this hurts."
To this day, we can only guess how much that defeat against LSU hurt Stoops and his players.
Like a lot of us, the Sooners revealed more of themselves in defeat than they ever could in victory.
They told us they were disappointed beyond words but that they also understood some things about sportsmanship and doing things the right way. They understood that they were representing Oklahoma and athletes everywhere in the way they behaved after the game.
They were physically exhausted and emotionally drained, but they also were gracious. They did dozens of interviews, they were complimentary of their opponent, and they did themselves proud.
Unexcused absence
Stoops came to mind Sunday in the wake of how the Texas Longhorns dealt with their loss to Cal State Fullerton in the College World Series.
They disgraced themselves.
They disgraced their school.
What a nice finishing touch to a splendid season.
Instead of winning their second national championship in three seasons, the Longhorns became the first team in at least 17 years to refuse to participate in the College World Series trophy presentation.
Aren't they splendid ambassadors for the University of Texas?
Let's be clear about who we're blaming here. The Texas players watched a bit of Fullerton's postgame celebration before retreating to their locker room to console one another.
They did not come back.
Leadership lacking
They also declined to open their locker room to reporters, as required by NCAA rules.
Don't blame the players.
They did what kids almost always do in such situations. They were disappointed, then they were angry, and then they were childish.
That's when an adult should have taken charge.
That's when Longhorns coach Augie Garrido failed to show even a minimal amount of leadership.
If I were UT president Larry Faulkner, I'd wonder if I wanted this kind of man holding a high-profile job at my school.
I wouldn't fire him, but I'd let him know how unhappy I was.
All that saves Garrido is the fact he has represented the university well and runs what appears to be a clean program. One moment of monumentally bad behavior should not erase all the good.
But I'd call him in for a chat and make sure he understood the severity of his actions.
Can you imagine football coach Mack Brown or basketball coach Rick Barnes reacting to a bitter Texas defeat with that kind of behavior? No, you can't.
If a coach is supposed to teach kids lessons about dealing with others, doing their best and then handling both wins and losses, Garrido should have one and only one second chance.
Garrido offered a half-baked explanation of sorts Monday by saying he didn't understand that the Longhorns were supposed to return to the field. However, an NCAA official said the Longhorns were asked twice to return.
"It was not about being a poor sport," Garrido said after returning to Austin from Omaha. "It was about confusion and misunderstanding."
With 24 hours to think of something, you'd think the guy would at least come up with something believable.
Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds also offered a poor explanation when he said: "I absolutely trust his judgment on baseball matters."
Memo to Dodds: It's not about baseball; it's about handling defeat with the same class you guys have shown in handling all those victories.
Far better and far more competitive men than Garrido have been at their best after gut-wrenching losses.
In doing so, they set the kind of example men like Garrido would never understand.
Rice baseball coach Wayne Graham says part of his job is overseeing the "human growth and development" of his players. No man in sports is more demanding or more competitive than Graham, but can you see him acting the way Garrido did? No, you can't.
The right way to act
How about Dennis Eckersley? Almost 16 years ago, he gave up one of the most famous home runs in World Series history.
Long after Kirk Gibson limped around the bases to give the Los Angeles Dodgers a stunning Game 1 victory over the Oakland A's, Eckersley stood in front of his locker and answered question after question.
He handled the situation so well that last fall when his name went on the Hall of Fame ballot, it was not the 390 career saves or the 197 career victories a lot of people remembered.
It was that excruciating night in Los Angeles.
Chris Webber cost Michigan a chance to win a national basketball title when he called a timeout the Wolverines didn't have during the final minute against North Carolina in 1993. But he showed up in the interview room and, while almost too despondent to talk, did his best.
Derek Jeter faced waves of reporters when his New York Yankees let a lead slip away in the final inning of the seventh game of the 2001 World Series. He was stunned and angry and disappointed, but he still saluted the Arizona Diamondbacks and did his best to be gracious.
Garrido could learn a lesson from him.
richard.justice@chron.com
