By AARON BRACY
Philahoops Editor
Twitter: @Aaron_Bracy
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It’s easy to criticize when you don’t have to put your name behind it.
Fire the coach, bury the player, call out opposing fans. It happens every day on message boards, chat rooms and various forms of social media.
Believe me, I have no problem with criticism – dishing it or taking it. I’ve been on both sides in more than 15 years writing professionally about sports.
Criticism is part of the deal with sports and life.
“If you are not being criticized, you may not be doing much,” former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld once said.
Saint Joseph’s coach Phil Martelli exits the court at halftime of Saturday’s game against GW. The Hawks coach has been the target of criticism this season. (Aaron Bracy/Philahoops)
You have to have thick skin to survive in this tough world – and really thick skin if you’re in the public eye as Division I athletes and coaches are.
No, I don’t have any problem with criticism, particularly well-supported opinions that are come to with study, observation and statistics.
What always has bugged me, though, is people who throw darts hiding behind the cloak of anonymity that the Internet provides.
Phil Martelli has taken a beating this season on the St. Joe’s message board. The Hawks coach definitely deserves criticism for failing to get his team performing at its highest level game in and game out this season. Saturday’s 71-59 win over George Washington pulled the Hawks, who were favored to win the Atlantic 10, to an even .500 record in the league. That’s not good enough.
But calling for his firing game after game, as has been the case on the Hawks’ message board this season, is premature and unfair. At least let the season play out before making a full evaluation.
And, if you are calling for his firing, have the guts to put your name behind your statement. That’s the least you can do if you are telling someone they should be unemployed.
Martelli’s players also have been undressed for their struggles. Again, some of the criticism is warranted. Heck, Martelli, himself, has been vocal during many postgame press conferences about his players’ shortcomings and areas that need to be improved.
But the constant bashing of Hawks players by some of their fans – again without name attribution – does little other than sapping confidence from them. Again, I have no problem with criticizing players, though I generally try to keep in mind that these are not professionals when I’m writing for Philahoops. But if you’re going to rip apart someone’s game, put your name behind it.
I know what is said. I read the St. Joe’s message board every day and frequent all of the message boards of the city teams often. There often is important information put forth on the boards and it helps me keep on top of news and notes about the various teams. There also is some mean-spirited, uninformed drivel that sometimes is taken personally by the intended targets.
Martelli acknowledged on Saturday that the Hawks have paid too much attention to the criticism this season.
Saint Joseph’s Carl ‘Tay’ Jones said fans’ criticism can be frustrating. (Aaron Bracy/Philahoops)
I asked Martelli if his players were refreshed from a six-day layoff, allowing them to get away from the daily grind. But the coach said the daily grind never goes away, speaking specifically about criticism faced by him and his players on the Internet.
“The grind is still there,” he said. “The grind, and I mean this respectfully, has to do with (the media) and the social media world they live in. I have two guys in there that read every word that’s written about them, about us, about me, and it wears on them.”
As tough as it is, the coach told his players to ignore the criticism and focus on each other. That can be easier said than done.
“I finally told them, ‘This can only be here,’” he said. “And why not try to be different? Why not try to be positive? Why not try to think like, ‘You know what, today I’m going to have my game.’ That’s been the grind. It’s not time to do a season retrospect. We have a lot to accomplish with this group. But when you go back and do the retrospect, it’s all this.”
It is not a fan’s job to be positive. Fans have the right to cheer and boo. It’s not my job to be positive. My job is to report.
But if I’m going to criticize, my name will be at the top of what I write. I am accountable for what I write. Why should a fan, writing on a message board or anywhere else, be any different?
“They’ve had to deal with a lot away from the court and they haven’t dealt with it on the positive,” Martelli continued. “It’s like they’re always trying to, ‘Well, excuse us.’ There’s never a day off for these guys. I wish they’d choose not to be involved in that but they do because they’re kids.”
After Saturday’s win, Hawks guard Carl “Tay” Jones admitted that the fans’ reaction can be frustrating.
“When you ain’t winning, the fans aren’t there on your side,” he said. “It’s just us. Everybody in this locker room and the coaches, we just have to come together as a team and face the next task.”
The criticism hasn’t been limited to the St. Joe’s board. Every coach in the city has been fired many times over by their teams’ fans in the last few seasons. Worse, Villanova coach Jay Wright was accused – anonymously – of an extramarital affair. Imagine how Wright’s three children must have felt.
Criticism? Yeah, it comes with the territory of living.
But, believe me, it’s hard to ignore things said about you that just aren’t true – especially when you can’t face your accuser.
So, go ahead, fire the coach, bury the player, call out the opposing fans.
Just put your name on it.
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-Aaron Bracy is the editor of Philahoops. Reach him at aaron@philahoops.com, follow on Twiter (@Aaron_Bracy) and like on Facebook: facebook.com/philahoops.
Aaron Bracy
As you well know, Aaron, I have no problem criticizing Martelli openly; I’ve been doing it for over a month on this site. I have stated on numerous occasions that his team is slow, soft and stupid. I have cited the obvious examples; the porous defense.especially against 3′s, what they laughingly call an offense(run the shot clock down then chuck and duck). Show your general smarts by flipping the bird to an entire arena, thereby costing yourself not only that game but the next one. It is inconceivable that this disaster will be ignored and dismissed; we will watch this crew sleepwalk through next year. After that, the recruiting cupboard will be bare yet again, so we can anticipate more twenty-loss seasons. This is almost bad enough to make me yearn for Harry Booth.
Yes, Larry, you have been critical of Martelli here. And, yes, you have used your name. For whatever it’s worth, I respect you for that.
My criticism is of the players and the coaches. It’s not because of their performance or poor execution that I feel they deserve to be criticized. Jack Ramsey & Coach Martelli are the greatest coaches in SJU history. I’d be happy to argue anyone on the merits of Phil’s success. Phil is a great Hawk legend and that a straight fact. I just don’t have time or patience for any player or coach who signs up to be in the public eye and play D-1 ball on a complete free ride and then bite the hands that feed them. Critics can be brutal, rude, ignorant, and complete idiots. Ignore them. Coaches get paid millions. Let me say that again -- the players are given room, board, tuition, and apparel worth over a couple hundred thousand dollars. The coaches like Phil make millions in a career. Take the criticism and ignore it, or just move on, or get better.
I love the Hawks! I completely support SJU and the team and the coaching staff. You can’t be a coach & player and then let all the outsider noise matter to you. Be strong and focus on the unity of “team”. The reality is “The Hawk Will Never Die” and neither will the mean-spirited, mindless drivel from some idiot fans.
Go Hawks! Next year win the A-10 and get into the NCAA tourney to silence the criticism. THWND!!!
My criticism is of the players and the coaches. It’s not because of their performance or poor execution that I feel they deserve to be criticized. Jack Ramsey & Coach Martelli are the greatest coaches in SJU history. I’d be happy to argue anyone on the merits of Phil’s success. Phil is a great Hawk legend and that a straight fact. I just don’t have time or patience for any player or coach who signs up to be in the public eye and play D-1 ball on a complete free ride and then bite the hands that feed them. Critics can be brutal, rude, ignorant, and complete idiots. Ignore them. Coaches get paid millions. Let me say that again -- the players are given room, board, tuition, and apparel worth over a couple hundred thousand dollars. The coaches like Phil make millions in a career. Take the criticism and ignore it, or just move on, or get better. I love the Hawks! I completely support SJU and the team and the coaching staff. You can’t be a coach & player and then let all the outsider noise matter to you. Be strong and focus on the unity of “team”. The reality is “The Hawk Will Never Die” and neither will the mean-spirited, mindless drivel from some idiot fans. Go Hawks! Next year win the A-10 and get into the NCAA tourney to silence the criticism. THWND!!!
Actually most of the posters on the bard know who everyone is.
Board…sorry
A guy that writes a blog complaining about people who comment o
n a blog—Aaron grow the f up
Kevin your comment is a joke. Who really needs to grow up here!??
the people complaining on the message board are mostly season tickets holders and they sign their name on the check they give to sju every season and they have the right to criticize phil as much as they want even if they aren’t leaving their name on the message board.There practically funding phils pay check every year and so if they feel he’s not meeting expectations than they should be able to say that even without signing their name. #thwnd
Here is the problem with the internet you can put a name to your comment and it might not be your name at all. If the people on these boards have the right to criticize and they are so self righteous then why have sign on names. The criticism from these so called fans is personal, look at Larry’s comments and tell me he is not bring personal. Read the comments and tell me if that were your brother you would not take it personal, every word he says is criticized by this small group of so called fans. The humerous part about it and this has always been the case is there is no credit when the team wins. College players make mistakes but they do not deserve to be booed off the court. You believe because they get a scholarship you have the right to do that to a kid, I call that a warped sense of values regardless if you put your name on it or not. Would you do it to a student who failed an exam who may receive scholarship money. One more thing and this is to Larry, these actions by the fans are just as important to recruits as everything else so the next time this team “your team” is booed off the the court remember when it is on TV or not, every recruit considering that school is aware and they read the boards and see what “fans” are saying about the players because you see it is personal to them.
Outstanding article.FANS need to focus on game decisions,not a coaches personal life w/ or w/out foundation.IF YOU are not willing to put “Your Name On It”,YOU have nothing of value to SHARE………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
I really enjoy your constant thrashing out at the SJU fan base. Were you at the GW game? Please, tell me a college fan base that would produce that kind of crowd after nine seasons with only one tournament appearance, back to back 20 loss seasons, a season where the team has overwhelmingly underachieved, lost at home to Fairfield, got absolutely punk’d by their rival who has historically been an inferior opponent, lost to SBU at home and yet they still filled up the Hagan? These are the same fans who have been forced to purchase a Seat License. The same fans who pay for way over-priced tickets. I believe they deserve the right to criticize the performance of the coach or anyone who’s salary is being funded by the contributions that are being made from the alumni. But don’t you worry Aaron, these fans are starting to go away. Year after year, as we continue to see these “outcomes”, apathy will continue to consume this fan base and the fans will continue to start giving up donations to the university, they will give up their personal seat license and their overpriced season tickets. Please, stop this garbage of trying to blame the fan base and trying to make them out to be the villian, because they are also the same people who read your brown nosing,subjective,blog and pay for the coach’s salary.
Not sure what year you graduated or why you are such a hater. My friends from the late 90′s classes are loyal to the team and support the Hawks. You can root for another school. Go front run elsewhere.
I know Steve he is an SJU grad. He cares about the school and program and is worried about the direction it is heading.
If Phil had capitalized on the elite 8 run their is a much stronger likelihood SJU is invited to C7. As a program SJU has been passed by LA Salle.
Aaron — great column. And you’re so right. Message boards are dangerous because there’s no accountability. People can be vicious and, of course, anonymous. I never, ever read comments below stories. It’s not worth it.
Thanks all for reading. The point of the column isn’t that fans shouldn’t criticize:
Quoting:
“It is not a fan’s job to be positive. Fans have the right to cheer and boo.”
The point is that if you are going to criticize in a public forum like this one or a message board, particularly if you are calling for someone to lose their job, be accountable for your words and put your name on it.
Quoting:
“So, go ahead, fire the coach, bury the player, call out the opposing fans.
Just put your name on it.”
Since I published this, several people have done just that. As I told them, for whatever it’s worth, they have my respect.
The great thing about college athletics is that fans can control coaches hiring (and firing) a lot more than they think (read: boosters). If you become a major booster of a program, your say goes a long way. So if you really want a coach out, open up your checkbook and ask the AD when you should stop adding zeros. Simple. Trolling the internet will never ever get the job done.
College Athletic Boosters only matter if your check has at least 6 zeros on the end of it.
How is that simple? The vast majority of fans don’t have that type of money.
AB, why not come on to the sju board, and state your case. You can allow people to rebut you opinion. Tell them Al McGuire sent you. They will listen.
Great article Aaron
Aaron, please tell me what difference it makes if the posts on the SJU board are signed Joe Smith or Hawkfan? Either way, you get a good feel for how the passionate fans are feeling these days. I don’t read the comments any differently. I don’t care if I know real names or not. The fans are unhappy with the team’s and, in particular, Phil’s performance. It’s very obvious. Posting names, nicknames, fake names, twitter handles, etc does not matter.
Look, I have never posted on this site…I have however posted on hawkhoops. I’m not afraid to give my name. I use the handle “firephil” because thats how I feel. I’ve even gone as far as to e-mail Don Dijulia…giveing him my name & class asking him why i should buy tickets next year to this team. This article is pointless. There are many hawk fans out there that call for his head, It doesnt matter if they give there name or not. Most have paid 200 thousand for a degree…I think they can do whatever the hell they want. Just my two cents.
One more thing…if you want to pay me $800.000.00 a year….I’ll take all the criticism you can dole out digital or verbal.
Aaron I’ve been waiting for a column to address this issue. I’ve withheld posting a comment all season about SJU’s play because my goal has been to “put my name on it” and not just jump on a train of comments after one of the games bashing Phil and the team. This program had the chance this year to gain ground not only on the team’s in the city who have elevated their profile nationally (Villanova & Temple), but in my eyes it was also an audition for the “Catholic 7″ (delaware hawk pointed this out as well). My second point there is debatable, but my first point is not. When I speak of an elevated profile I’m not simply speaking to athletic recruiting in the future. When a program is playing well and receiving national recognition it’s a huge boost to not only current students looking for jobs, but also for alumni trying to navigate today’s tough marketplace. When a school’s athletic program is thriving, the name of the university on an individual’s resume is more likely to stand out. Am I saying someone is going to get hired or even receive an interview because their college basketball team is playing well? No. What I am saying is that it helps when a hiring manager outside of the city of Philadelphia recognizes your school’s name because they saw them on sportscenter the night before. With no football team, basketball is the center piece of SJU athletics. They need to do everything within their power to boost the program’s profile. Phil has been unable to take this group’s talent and have it mesh on the court into a special season. Instead they’ve floundered and left SJU further behind our “rivals” than we were when the season started. The situation with Phil mirrors the one the Eagles just went through with Andy Reid. Sometimes it’s just time to make a change. Bring a new voice to the program. I believe the time is now to make that change before SJU falls any further behind in this ever changing environment that is college athletics.
I never understood the “Put Your Name On It” argument. What happens after everyone puts their name on their comments? Is the next step to get everyone who is angry in a room and have an intervention next? There’s no end to that game.
Fact is its just real tough to be an SJU fan, student, player and coach this year. Hope is always the thing in sports that keeps everyone interested. The losing seasons were bad but people still had hope of a turnaround. This season hurts so much because many fans thought Hawks the turnaround was here and so far its not the case. Not just that but many games have been terribly frustrating to watch. It’s such a compounded situation of many things on and off the court that fans are just exhausted at this point and need to vent.
Winning heals though…..and if the hawks are fortunate enough to make a run in Brooklyn or all of the sudden are a top team next year than fans will start feeling good again.
After reading these posts, I am somewhat confused. Why would Rosemary(or anyone else) label my remarks as “personal”? I speak only what should be painfully obvious to the most casual observer. Full disclosure- I am SJU ’69; I have watched Hawk basketball since ’55. This was once a program respected nationally for its grit and tenacity. It never had super talent; that was part of the charm. I was a member of the Booster Club when it was (in)famous. Now the program is a parody of itself; forget about joining the C-7; we will be lucky to get into the Colonial league. LaSalle is in the same boat, by the way; one rose does not a summer make. And as for the person who lumped Ramsay and Martelli in the same sentence: Really? May God forgive you that mortal sin.
Mortal sin?! That was hilarious. Ramsay is a legend in all of basketball and a member of the Naismith Hall of Fame. Dr. Jack is the greatest Hawk coach of all-time. He built the foundation in the 1950′s and until 1966, upon which the university would build a nationally recognized, winning basketball program. Larry, you could see my name in my post, so I’m not sure why you said “the person who posted”, when you could see my real name. In any event I gave my opinion, that Phil is the 2nd greatest coach in the history of Saint Joe’s University. Most of the posts on this thread are negative, angry, annoying, and mindless. I think I know why I spend time working and enjoying my family and my kids rather than reading all these ridiculous responses. The Hawks couldn’t just fire Phil and then have their pick of any coach in the country to take over the next season and get into the Sweet Sixteen after winning the A-10 with no problem. It takes a lot more than an impatient, brazen sports fan, a laptop, and the ability to play AD from your computer desk at home to build a champion. Brad Stevens isn’t the Hawks coach. Butler is very lucky he didn’t bolt for more money, since Stevens is almost unreal. If anyone thinks that SJU could just hire a guy like Brad Stevens and then go to back to back NCAA Finals, then you are completely crazy. I just gave my opinion.
Larry, just so you know these are some facts that ARE NOT MY OPINION. Larry, the fact is that Phil was the “AP NATIONAL Coach of the Year” and the Naismith Coach of the Year. How many SJU coaches can say that?
*Martelli has 320 wins.
*He has guided the Hawks to 4 A-10 regular season championships and
*Phil was awarded the A-10 Coach of the Year 4 times in all of those regular season championship years.
*Martelli is the only coach in SJU Hawks history to have 7 seasons with 20 wins or more.
A big question I have is: Why is nobody giving Phil credit for signing DeAndre Bembry? The kid is a potential star with huge game from St. Pat’s in Elizabeth, NJ. He was recruited by Miami, USC, Providence, Rutgers, BC, and Temple…….but he loved his visit to Hawk Hill and chose to play for Phil and Saint Joe’s. Why is nobody giving the staff credit for such a nice recruit?
http://espn.go.com/college-sports/basketball/recruiting/player/_/id/132885/deandre-bembry
Thanks to everyone for reading and commenting. Appreciate your readership. Respect your opinions, even if we don’t agree on everything.