I think the Huskies fans’ perspective of CRN is vastly different than what Bruins fans is of KD & Lavin. They are both generally negative, to be certain, but I think we Bruins felt “cheated” by these two coaches because they weren’t inspired leaders, weren’t skilled teachers, weren’t great recruiters, and they didn’t know how to produce a winning team. They failed us, and worse, they failed our Bruins. They embarrassed us with their ineptness. Lavin, in particular, was also exceedingly undignified and foolish in public.

On the other hand, the Huskies feel cheated in another, profound and perhaps more intrinsic way: CRN left Colorado with a wake of NCAA violations, but almost immediately produced a nice Rose Bowl win for the Huskies. He gave them what they really wanted--what hometown boy Jim Lambright could not. Then, the Huskies later had to suffer the utterly demoralizing, gut-churning process of having their big initial win whittled and burned away by successively worse teams and seasons, plus the acidic singe of scandal and ignominy. Something glorious and proud was slowly and methodically wrenched away from the Huskies fans--very different than not having it in the first place. That kind of embarrassment, well, it’s just a different level of pain than mere inadequacy. A deeper, more insidious and destructive flavor of failure, if you will. The kind that fosters vengence. They can’t seem to get away from it either—-it went on past CRN’s firing through his lawsuit, and now, well you don’t even have to be a Seattle Times-P.I. reader to be aware of the continuation of their torture. (Please be aware that I do not condemn the free press in this, and based upon my own personal experience, I am thrilled that some of the corruption within the local criminal justice system has finally been called out. I am just trying to look at this from a Husky fan’s perspective.)

KD & Lavin--for all their sins—did not do this to us. KD, I believe, was most integrous, and indeed, probably steered our program away from Toledo’s road that may or may not have led to some of the same places that the Huskies have been. KD and Lavin justifiably call for eye-rolling and heavy, frustrated sighs and sobs. For the true Husky fan, IMHO, they are entitled to seethe and burn.

I supose you can tell that I feel pretty stongly about this. I am a Washington native, and the Huskies and Cougars are, simply put, part of my personal history. I have written before here that I am a “cautious supporter” of CRN’s, and that I believe and respect that he has represented us with dignity and candor thus far. I have immense faith in DG, and I trust his judgment. I prefer to believe that CRN has learned from his past mistakes, as most of us have during our lives, and that he understands and appreciates the tremdendous value of that with which he has been entrusted.

It just points up how classy both Jason and John are that they followed up the way they did.

Glad to hear your internship is getting you great opportunities like that and it’s always great to hear again how RW (and all of our Ben Ball Warriors) are great people off the court.