As the story unfolds

[TulsaWarrior]

When I was doing sports reporting regularly intuition was an important tool. Many times it wasn't what someone said to me but how they said it or what they didn't say when I asked a question. Years ago covering the exit of Barry Switzer at Oklahoma the political currents behind the scene would have made a great movie. At Oklahoma State when billionaire grad Boone Pickens started throwing his weight around things got done his way.

This is a round about way for all of us to interpret what we hear from the media and to look back at clues that should have shouted at us that something was going on. We all have those duh moments. When the smoke clears I'd love to hear IWB and Mark Miller's take on the Buzz exit and the crosscurrents of the coaching search. Political they can't tell us all they know or feel about the situation. It's fair to say massive egos and control freaks on all side of the issue came into play.

IWB and Zach should have some interesting radio shows.

One other footnote: In the past I was critical of Michael Hunt's coverage of Marquette. I think it was deserved in terms of much of it -- but I think his intuition antenna and interpretation of the move called it correctly. No disrespect to Buzz. We all get to make our own life decisions.

[MayorBeluga]

Great point about what's not said. Without any sources or inside info, I'm starting to get the sense it was a mutual parting. It seems as if not only did MU kno w he would be leaving, but they encouraged or at least dud not try to prevent it. The question is why.

In another thread, Gato made a great point as well. To paraphrase, maybe the friction between Buzz and LW was more of a two way street than previously thought. Does Buzz deserve some of the blame for the friction? I've certainly gotten the impression from afar that others in the athletic department were not his biggest boosters.

[TulsaWarrior]

My wife is a database administrator. She lives in a binary, black and white world. As a reporter in most stories there always seemed to be shades of gray and there were always people who wanted you to side with them and spin a story. Human nature? I've said this before -- there's always a reason a source leaks information or gives you access others don't have.

[unclejohn]

Me too. The folks who post on Scoop are crazy, but just because your nuts doesn't mean that you're wrong. Of course, Chico's in typical fashion is dropping all sorts of hints about the secret stuff he knows but can't tell anybody, but there are several other people there that claim to know people on the inside, who suggest that there is more to the story. One of the things they taught me at Marquette Law School is that there are two sides to every story and that things are more complicated than they appear. So whether somebody says Buzz jumped/was pushed/fell/fell while looking for a place to jump, it seems this was not an entirely one-sided parting of the ways, and some people at Marquette knew it was coming.

I still like Buzz. I think he is a good man and a good coach. I think he meant it when he said he cared about his players as people more than as players. He did a lot of good things off the court, and I simply do not believe that he did them to boost his reputation. But things happen, people have faults. I think it was probably just time for a change.