Subject: Another who will be missed- Coach Al McGuire (1928-2001)
Date: Sat, 27 Jan 2001 10:23:23 -0600
From: "Sobo" 

McGuire was a man who seemed to love controversy.  He always had an opinion,
and you were going to hear it.  One thing was certain: you might like him,
or despise him, but you couldn't overlook him.

Growing up, I hated him.  Probably because his Warriors were normally
pounding my favorite teams of ND, Loyola, and DePaul.  Plus, with his
ability to recruit kids from the inner city, his teams always had the 'hood
attitude.' But they could play, and they did it their way on their terms.
Back when the NCAAs were only 16 teams with few at large spots, McGuire
thought the committee was dissing his Top Ten team by sending them out of
Region in favor of an inferior team, he just picked up his basketball and
went home.  Told the NCAA to shove it, and won the NIT instead.  I bet it
wasn't even a "white knuckler."

Didn't like him when we were in South Bend, either. Hans- remember when we
went up to Milwaukee to See ND play Marquette?  I think it was our Freshman
year, but not sure.  The one thing I remember is how, during pre-game
intros, our team would run by McGuire and hand him a little pack of mustard.
Something about him  being a hot dog....

Felt good to beat him our senior year, and again a few years later when we
broke their 2 year home unbeaten streak.  By then though, I was beginning to
appreciate Al, and was glad when he finally won the NCAAs.  He did it again,
in style.  He'd announced his retirement, and told his team they'd have to
go all the way to send him out a winner.  And he did it by turning the
tables on another great one, Dean Smith; the Warriors used the Four Corners
to beat UNC, with McGuire crying at the end.

Got a chance to meet him years later when he spoke at a dinner, and by then
I was a McGuire fan.  He made a basketball game more enjoyable to hear than
to watch, and was right more than wrong.  I also got to know a friend who
had been recruited to Marquette and played for McGuire in the late 60's,
despite being a 6-2 white forward with bad knees.  He didn't play much, but
McGuire made sure he got an education, because he told him if he was
counting on hoops as a career he would starve.  He's got some great stories.

In McGuire-ese, it's Tap City.  Curtains.  The Carnival gates are closed.
And I'll bet if you could ask him, he has no regrets.

Seashells and balloons to you, Coach. Rest in peace.

******************************************************

Gar--

Let me add my congrats to Andy's for your thoughtful obit to Coach
McGuire.  I hated his guts every bit as much as you did while at ND, and
enjoyed the win our Senior year immensely.  I think he had his customary
technical called on him, and should have had another.  The home crowd was
all over him, but he wasn't even fazed.

After ND won, I stopped by the liquor store just around the corner from
The Library to buy a celebratory quart of beer on my way home to 922
Allen.  The Marquette team bus was outside, and McGuire was at the
checkout with 3-4 cases of beverage for the team's ride home.  He looked
and acted like a totally different man--sweaty and tired, just like a
player who'd played an entire game and given his all.  He couldn't have
been more polite or gracious to the store clerk, who had the post-game on
the radio, and was obviously pleased that ND had won.

That changed my opinion of McGuire forever.  He was a cool dude.   I wish
the world had more like him.  OTOH, the Jimmy Johnsons out there can eat
my shorts.

--T

*****************************************************************

Sobo,

BRAVO!  BRAVO!  Put it on the board, Foxer!  I started to write a few
words after reading this and decided it wasn't necessary.  Sobo summed
up the man and his life beautifully.  The funny thing is that Al was
just as beautiful when we were at ND but we couldn't see it. We grew
wiser and saw just how smart and entertaining he really was. Thinking
back on it today, Digger was the dog who needed the mustard.  Al was all
natural with big time flavor.

Gabes