Comments on: Mondo Bizarro World: Murphy Resigns

By: waltgreenberg

waltgreenberg — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 15:27:43 +0000

FDSLA, there is no question I am a proud and biased Rice alumn and supporter, but I am also a big fan of West Coast baseball, and always have been. While have never been a fan of Pat Murphy– largely due to his on-field antics (which I have witnessed first hand on several occassions), I have aboslutely nothing against ASU.

As for your comment about the Rice program, I know you can answer your question all by yourself. Wayne Graham arrived on campus in 1993, and the team has been in the post-season (and conference champions) from 1995 forward…and a perennial Top 25 team since 1997 (and a Top 10 – 15 team since 2000).

By: Mark Boone

Mark Boone — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 14:58:34 +0000

While I do not particularly like the guy, I was witness to the incident with the Baylor pitcher pictured above at Rice’s Reckling Park.
Mr. Murphey was on his way to debate a call at first base. As he passed by the pitcher’s mound, eyes locked on the first base umpire, the young man on the mound obviously made some remark that appeared to be inappropriate and un-Baptist.
Based on long observation of the Baylor fans’ (and team’s) lippy, snippy, unsportsman-like behavior (somehow exacerbated by their chronic under-achievement), I think it is fair to say that Mr. Murphey was merely offering some tips on respect of elders.
And Mr. Greenberg is correct. It would not be a good match at Rice.
And Mr. FDSLA should look at comparative stats among the leading baseball programs in the country in the last 10-12 years (as you have done), and he might find the answer to his question about when Rice’s program began to improve.

By: fdsla

fdsla — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 16:09:31 +0000

I think it may have more to do with Michael Crow than Lisa Love….

Walt, do you ever have anything good to say about ASU, West Coast Baseball, Pat Murphy? It always has a negative tone…Since when did Rice become the almighty? I remember playing you guys in the early 90’s when I was playing…It was always nice to pick up a couple of easy mid-week wins!

By: waltgreenberg

waltgreenberg — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 02:46:25 +0000

Until the facts behind Murphy’s “resignation” are made public, I can guarantee that no elite program is salivating at the prospects of Murph’s availability. And those who continue to believe this was simply the final straw in the extended personality clash between Ms. Love and Coach Murphy– and that when the smoke clears Murph is going to have his reputation in tact and in good standings– are living in fantasy land.

By: PhxTitan

PhxTitan — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:57:51 +0000

Lisa Love stated ASU’s need to take the program “in a different direction”. Three straight Pac-10 titles and Omaha bound always seemed like the best direction possible… But obviously Love meant something different. Sounds like code for ‘following’ NCAA regulations. What other “direction” would she possibly allude to? It’s either winning or code of conduct via my guess. I imagine she is now motivated to get this investigation wrapped up and revealed asap so they can turn the page, the sooner the better. Prospects have to wonder. Five days, no info, no leaks.

Lisa Love came from USC in ‘05. Would be ironic if she ended up “sending” Murphy to her fond roots. Since USC’s last reboot effort three plus yrs ago, the Trojans are 83-85. Gillespie’s “retirement” was amazingly short-lived! Patience for another roll of the dice by the 12 time NCs has to be running thin. Murphy would be no roll of the dice and a bona fide reboot effort. Any school that has high expectations for itself and feel Omaha should be their second hometown (as Murphy was certainly making it)… has got to be salivating at the thought of Murphy’s availability.

Texas didn’t mess around when they ’stole’ our Augie. USC has an unclaimed ‘gift’ awaiting them. Or roll the dice and experience yet another lost decade. I can imagine a forth season of patience, but not a fifth.

By: Stitch-head

Stitch-head — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:47:08 +0000

Hmmm, interesting viewpoint PHX. Not sure I’d ever expect a reconciliation in a situation like this. But from a distance it DID seem like a hastened decision in a delicate situation. Still, this isn’t like those coaches that announce they’re taking another job and then pull a 180 after thinking about it for 24 hours. This appears to have been an angry split. At least that’s my theory on things until we hear something definitive.

By: PhxTitan

PhxTitan — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:20:15 +0000

AD Lisa Love is quoted as saying Murphy “dictated” his own resignation. And it was not “directly” related to the 2 yr investigation. How one speculates it was ‘indirectly’ related is any one’s guess. My guess: Murphy backed Lisa Love into the corner over a “over my dead body” type stipulation to his AD and she didn’t blink. He therefor played the cards he dealt himself in that conversation… with a bit too much pride.

It would be nice to see cooler heads prevail and a Sundevil with some cachet mediate a reconciliation. Murphy is the biggest prospect in CB and for the Sundevils to not TRY to re-land Murphy back where he belongs could be a very BIG “pride before the fall” type moment for the Sundevil baseball program.

Sundevils: Hit the reboot button. Murphy’s temp got the best of him. Lisa Love says she didn’t dictate this. There’s GOT TO BE a way to get Murphy back in.

Or a pending A-bomb is destine to drop on the program via the investigation and Murphy abandoned ship. Who the heck knows at this point.

By: PhxTitan

PhxTitan — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:32:22 +0000

Walt got me thinking in his comment… I think USC blew it not making a play for George Horton, who left the Titans for Oregon a few yrs ago. It’s only a matter of time before Oregon is a consistent power. USC on the other hand, with the most storied program in all of CB with its 12 NC’s, desperately needs to right its ship. Murphy would be just the answer to USC’s woes, almost guaranteed.

ASU will be lucky to pull in the kids Murphy did. ASU, I think I read, had the #1 recruiting class this year. HUGE loss for ASU. I liked the guy for his spunk. But I don’t imagine I’ll like him as much at his next gig.

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/asu/articles/2009/11/20/20091120spt-asumurphyresigns.html

By: waltgreenberg

waltgreenberg — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 14:41:02 +0000

Eric, while I certainly respected Murph as a coach, given his obvious success, to even think that a school and program such as Rice would ever consider a guy with his overall reputation is ridiculous. University of Texas? Without a doubt…but not Rice. Not with his questionable academic and recruiting issues, and not with his “focus on him” personality. This is especially true after Rice football sufferred through the Todd Graham affair several years back. Private, academically-focused schools such as Rice, Baylor, USC, Tulane, et al. would never, ever consider a guy with Pat Murphy’s baggage; regardless to how good a baseball coach he may be.