Everyone Loves a Winner

“UCLA players were so well taken care of – far beyond the ground rules of the NCAA – that even players from poor backgrounds never left UCLA prematurely (for pro basketball) during John Wooden’s championship years.

“If the UCLA teams of the late 1960s and early 1970s were subjected to the kind of scrutiny (other schools) have been, UCLA would probably have to forfeit about eight national championships and be on probation for the next 100 years.

“I hate to say anything that may hurt UCLA, but I can’t be quiet when I see what the NCAA is doing (to other coaches) only because (they have) a reputation for giving a second chance to many black athletes other coaches have branded as troublemakers. The NCAA is working night and day trying to get (them), but no one from the NCAA ever questioned me during my four years at UCLA.”

Bill Walton

“Everyone loves a winner” by Dan Wetzel, Yahoo! Sports

About VaWolf82

Engineer living in Central Va. and senior curmudgeon amongst SFN authors One wife, two kids, one dog, four vehicles on insurance, and four phones on cell plan...looking forward to empty nest status. Graduated 1982

General NCS Basketball

12 Responses to Everyone Loves a Winner

  1. Mr O 04/03/2006 at 6:56 PM #

    I read this earlier too. That is why I never understand all the praise for John Wooden.

  2. WhitCanCoach 04/03/2006 at 7:05 PM #

    I may have just provided the finishing touches of destroying what is left of the life of Bob Kennell.

  3. choppack 04/03/2006 at 7:32 PM #

    Of course, Walton – in typical Cali fashion – is wrongly blaming it on race. You don’t get large organizations much more liberal than the NCAA – they’re not out to get black coaches.

  4. El Scrotcho 04/03/2006 at 7:37 PM #

    Might want to read the article; he said that in 1978.

  5. lumberpack 04/03/2006 at 7:51 PM #

    Wooden always claimed he knew nothing about the payments.

  6. Kingfish 04/03/2006 at 8:33 PM #

    Sounds a lot like unc and duke today. It must be nice to always be above suspicion of the NCAA.

  7. CoachRexBravo 04/03/2006 at 9:02 PM #

    What can u say the best hide it well…and I am a Duke fan but I still believe that UNLV and Duke ’91 was rigged.

  8. smile 04/04/2006 at 7:37 AM #

    # Kingfish Says:
    April 3rd, 2006 at 8:33 pm
    Sounds a lot like unc and duke today. It must be nice to always be above suspicion of the NCAA.

    # CoachRexBravo Says:
    April 3rd, 2006 at 9:02 pm
    What can u say the best hide it well…and I am a Duke fan but I still believe that UNLV and Duke ‘91 was rigged.

    …. and you have evidence to substantiate this.

  9. Alpha Wolf 04/04/2006 at 10:23 AM #

    ^ To say “it sounds like” is all the evidence he needs. Because at times it does seem like UNC, Duke and handful of other program are so above and beyond reproach that it seems somewhat unlikely.

  10. Jeff D(BostonWolf) 04/04/2006 at 10:29 AM #

    choppack, read the article. Race was a huge factor why UCLA was not investigated and UTEP, Long Beach State, etc were. To paraphrase, the NCAA in the 60s and 70s was run by old white guys who were upset that some teams were playing more non-white players than white players.

    Was it Joe Forte’s mom who was given a job that she was completely unqualified for with the agency he eventually signed with? If that’s not evidence, what is?

  11. jaybird80 04/04/2006 at 10:48 AM #

    I think it was Jerry Tarkainian who said, in reference to some schools getting preferential treatment, “the NCAA is so mad at Kentucky for their violations, that they have decided to put Southwest Missouri State on two more years of probation.”

  12. TomA. 04/04/2006 at 4:46 PM #

    Don’t forget the national signing day when Rasheed Wallace declared his intention to go to UNC with John Thompson and Rollie Massamino sitting on either side of him. A week later his mother (who had been unemployed and on welfare) had a new house in North Carolina and a new jod here as well…but of course everyone knows that UNC never ever cheats…

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