Is there a worse way to waste a show than rumor mongering? Some dolt who writes on a website (ESPN.com) says Bruce Weber might be a candidate for the Marquette job. Why do writers speculate in print like this and create these rumors about every freaking job that comes open? And then why do radio hosts take this idle speculation and build a show around it? Now they are trying to hunt down Bruce Weber so he can respond to this stupid invention of some stupid writer. This is what sports radio is all about now? Invent a rumor and demand a response to it?

I know that being a public figure like a coach exposes you to this kind of nonsense speculation. And some of us on this website engage in idle speculation too. But we aren't hosting a morning show either. If this is the best they can do for a topic of the day, it doesn't say much for them or for sports in Chicago. Some of us tune in for topics more interesting than the media-invented rumor of the day. The sound you just heard were radios being clicked off ESPN. Maybe they'll bring their A game tomorrow and prepare a little better with real topics.

Coast, I don't think he's starting a rumor. He's just saying that Marquette should consider it. S & W taking it to the next step, however, is stupid.

I missed the show. Are they trying to get Weber to respond to this??


(Here's a potential conference switcheroo to consider: Crean leaves the Big East for the Big Ten, freeing a space for Milwaukee native and Wisconsin-Milwaukee grad Bruce Weber -- perhaps feeling unappreciated at Illinois -- to return home. Marquette would be wise to at least inquire with Weber.)

Idle speculation like that is how rumors get started because, as we know from the telephone game, by the time the story is falsely retold and embellished the fourth time by various sports media types, the rumor takes on a life of their own.

Yes. Silvy said they were trying to track down Weber to respond.

If the speculator can explain why it makes sense, I have no problem with it. If it's just idle specuation, then it's a waste.

The guy covers college hoops for ESPN.com.

Are you saying that someone in that posistion should not be able to write an article about replacements he thinks would be a good fit for a job opening? I don't get it, Coast.

No, NSJ, not at all. Writers can speculate all they want about who would be good fits for a job. That's not all Forde did here. He also speculated that Weber was feeling unappreciated. I'm not sure too many people (public figures or not) appreciate having someone idly speculating that X is unhappy in his job because he is feeling unappreciated. That's just the kind of stuff that doesn't serve much of a useful purpose and may in fact harm Bruce W. in some way by creating doubt in some fans' minds about their coach's loyalty. I have a minor problem with that. Had Forde said Weber might be a good fit because he's from Milwaukee, I wouldn't have had any problem with it. Reporters have a higher obligation than to publicly write every stupid speculation that comes into their head, particularly when they're inferring things about how someone views their own job.

I have a larger problem with Silvy considering this to be so important that he led off his show with it and spent much of the first segment of the show talking about it. And I have a problem with Silvy considering this idle speculation and Bruce's supposed unhappiness with his job to be so important that they have to chase Weber down for a response. Now Bruce Weber has to answer a question about his supposed unhappiness with his job. It's a "when was the last time you beat your wife" kind of question. It's ridiculous.

True.



Agreed.

I don't know about you, Andy, but dammit, I'm STILL in my prime. Get yourself some blue pills and maybe you can be too.