A new low: UC edits all Huggins references out of AP story posted on it's site

[max venable]

From cbssportsline.com:

This was not Huggins' moment. This is not Huggins' team. Not any more. He lost his ownership papers when he lost his power struggle with UC president Nancy Zimpher in August. Zimpher pushed Huggins out the door. And out the door he has mostly stayed.

Saturday he kicked the door down. It was the Bearcats' regular-season finale, their senior day, and Eric Hicks and Armein Kirkland wanted to honor Huggins. And so Huggins did what he does: He did what he wanted.

He walked into the arena 15 minutes before tip-off to a standing ovation, he took his courtside seat, he did his interviews to chants of "Hugg-ins, Huggins," and he accepted hugs from the crying Hicks and every other UC senior during a pregame ceremony. And then he watched the most important game of Cincinnati's season from one of the most visible seats in the building.

It was the wrong thing to. I'm not just telling you. I told Huggins during the first half.

"But they asked me," he said. "I spoke to Andy. Andy wanted me to come."

http://www.cbs.sportsline.com/colleg.../story/9283621
I've still go no problem with UC editing the story and going the game-summary route with it. And for the record...editing does not equal censorship.

[Chip R]

editing does not equal censorship

Except in this case.

[Matt700wlw]

I recognized that he was invited in my post. He didn't have to accept and could have explained why to the players.

All things considered, it was a way for Huggins to thumb his nose at the UC Admin and remind everyone who the people want. And an appreciation day for a fired coach who went out on bad terms? That is just really not a realistic expectation.

Huggins needs to let the program move on. Yes, we all know that he built winning basketball teams, but the cost was pretty high in doing so, both to the University, the city, UC supporters and himself. Time to move on Bob.

This wasn't about Huggins....this was about the kids whos lives he made a difference in (Hicks in particular).

Hicks wouldn't be the man he is today without Bob Huggins.

If they wanted him there, then he should have been there.

[Caveat Emperor]

This wasn't about Huggins....this was about the kids whos lives he made a difference in (Hicks in particular).

Hicks wouldn't be the man he is today without Bob Huggins.

If they wanted him there, then he should have been there.

This is the point, right here, that a lot of people are missing.

Huggins brought a lot of these seniors into UC as 17 and 18 year old kids. As part of the basketball program, they answered to him 7 days a week every week they were in Clifton (often even more than that). He was, by all accounts, a mentor, a teacher, a discplinarian, a confidant, a psychologist, and in some cases, a father figure to all of the men he recruited. All of those hours in the gym, conversations about basketball and about life, etc...none of that goes away just because some out-of-touch academic got it into her head that she needed to remake the athletic department in her own image. Nancy Zimpher can fire Bob Huggins, but she can't undo the impact he made on the University and, especially, the seniors on the program.

They, the seniors, wanted him to be there, because he's an important part of their lives that helped them fulfill their potential as players. It's a proud moment for all of them, and they (especially Hicks) wanted to share it with one of the most important people in their lives these past few years.

I see absolutely nothing wrong with that. If the media spins it one way, that's the media trying to sell papers.

[max venable]

The whole AP edit thing turned out to be a non-story didn't it. Can't find a mention of it anywhere.

[TeamBoone]

The whole AP edit thing turned out to be a non-story didn't it. Can't find a mention of it anywhere.

It was probably edited out. :

[Roy Tucker]

I'm a big fan of Huggins, liked him a lot as UC coach, and I think his dismissal from UC was a farce.

But I also think he shouldn't have been at the Shoe on Saturday.

If he was truly comfortable with himself, with his place in UC history, and in particular with the graduating seniors, he should have stayed away. It's not his team any more. Kennedy took the guys that decided to stay and made a silk purse out of a sow's ear. Sure, Huggins recruited the guys and played a huge role in shaping their characters and playing abilities, but he is a season removed from the team. What they accomplished this year was on their own.

If he wanted a special moment with the seniors, he should have invited them all over to his house for steaks and root beers and had a *private* moment with the players. He knew that once he took one step into the Shoe, it was going to be a *huge* deal.

A man comfortable with himself and abilities wouldn't have to had to do that and would have been satisfied with the fact that he installed great character and abilities into his seniors and been happy with the fact that they used that as a base for this season. And then sat back and watched and been proud of where they went after he left. Instead, he created a big Huggs fest. I admire Huggins for a lot of things, but this time I think he played small ball.

[flyer85]

That hug better be worth it Kennedy, it cost you the UC job.

... if that turns out to be true it will be the best thing for Kennedy. UC is a job only a lunatic would want with the current situation(almost zero talent in the toughest conference) then add the fact that Huggins is one of the great coaches of last 30 years and that he can't be replaced. Think of UNLV after Tark left, only much worse because UC has no talent left outside of Downey and I would expect him to transfer. WHo wants to go through all the losing that is going to happen for the next 3-4 years(at a minimum).

[Cedric]

Nice red herring. He didn't just attend the game, he was the center of attention. If I fired a high level, high profile employee for cause, the last thing I'd be doing is throwing an appreciation party for them a few months later.

Are you being incredibly judgemental or does it just seem like it? How can you judge Huggins intent? I guess he was crying as a fake also? Come on man, don't always have to be so damn cynical.

[Cedric]

I'm a big fan of Huggins, liked him a lot as UC coach, and I think his dismissal from UC was a farce.

But I also think he shouldn't have been at the Shoe on Saturday.

If he was truly comfortable with himself, with his place in UC history, and in particular with the graduating seniors, he should have stayed away. It's not his team any more. Kennedy took the guys that decided to stay and made a silk purse out of a sow's ear. Sure, Huggins recruited the guys and played a huge role in shaping their characters and playing abilities, but he is a season removed from the team. What they accomplished this year was on their own.

If he wanted a special moment with the seniors, he should have invited them all over to his house for steaks and root beers and had a *private* moment with the players. He knew that once he took one step into the Shoe, it was going to be a *huge* deal.

A man comfortable with himself and abilities wouldn't have to had to do that and would have been satisfied with the fact that he installed great character and abilities into his seniors and been happy with the fact that they used that as a base for this season. And then sat back and watched and been proud of where they went after he left. Instead, he created a big Huggs fest. I admire Huggins for a lot of things, but this time I think he played small ball.

He didn't "create" anything. He was asked to attend and maybe unlike everyone else he has moved on. It's absurd but some people think the guy should have left the damn state just so UC can move on. Where does Bob Huggins and his wants come into play? It's always been about appeasing everyone else and not him.

In my opinion the only thing that matters is that the seniors got what everyone else recruited by Bob got. A sendoff to their future. I could give a damn about what anyone else thinks. And I bet Kennedy, the players, and Hugs think the same way.

[KittyDuran]

As someone who is neutral - I'm not a big college basketball fan, nor a fan of UC or Huggins... Is this really Huggins' good-bye? Or do the players ask Huggins back again when they go to the March Madness and do better than "one and done" and help them celebrate?

Ya know this seems like the same discussion that the board had when Larkin was visiting the Reds clubhouse while he was employed by the Nationals and how the Reds FO handled it...

[Reds4Life]

As someone who is neutral - I'm not a big college basketball fan, nor a fan of UC or Huggins... Is this really Huggins' good-bye? Or do the players ask Huggins back again when they go to the March Madness and do better than "one and done" and help them celebrate?

Ya know this seems like the same discussion that the board had when Larkin was visiting the Reds clubhouse while he was employed by the Nationals and how the Reds FO handled it...

It was UC's last game at The Shoe this season. I'm sure Huggs will probably go to the Big East tourney games in NYC and to the NCAA games, but this was probably his last chance to say goodbye at home to the players and to the fans. He'll probably be getting a job in the next month or two, so this was really it for him.

I was at the game and those who are claiming the entire thing was about Huggs are 100% wrong, it was about the seniors and the fans. I think his appearance gave the players and fans closure, they just wanted a chance to say goodbye and they got that on Saturday.

[Roy Tucker]

I was at the game and those who are claiming the entire thing was about Huggs are 100% wrong, it was about the seniors and the fans. I think his appearance gave the players and fans closure, they just wanted a chance to say goodbye and they got that on Saturday.

Yeah, all of my comments are based on just what I've read in the paper and web sites. I wasn't there, didn't see any video, etc etc.

So my comments are all half-baked idle musings of the ill-informed, i.e. what else is new?

If the procedings didn't come across as I envisioned, then that's good and I'll shut up now.