Article on UL on Memorial Boys

Interesting read (hey it happens) on Union Leader about the Crusader boys. Maybe written before their most recent game, as no mention of the loss of composure? Interested in people's thoughts on the article, including the discussion/introduction of race into the mix. No doubt this team faces some things there, that others don't.

Here's the link: http://www.unionleader.com/article/20130106/SPORTS21/130109522/1003/sports

What is this Glory Road in 2013?

I had to laugh at this statement:

"...AAU basketball in general. Kids play a lot of games in the spring and summer, sometimes two or three games in a day. Games are fast and rough and the style doesn't translate well to the high school game."

Really? What I thought didn't translate from AAU to HS ball was defense - as in it's not something AAU teams seem to focus on which of course Quirk realizes... Every kid wants to "get his" (or "get hers") points because that's what's important...

When the article turned away from basketball and into socio-race issues I have to wonder why it had to go there. I almost stopped reading because its a total turn off. Talk about basketball, talk about how well these student athletes are adjusting, but when you go there it just keeps that "issue" as the lasting impression I get from the article. How does that help these players?

For Quirk to point out that his team is getting an "athletic" label instead of "tough or smart" makes me wonder what point he's trying to prove. Central gets the "inner city tough kids" label... West gets the "trouble kids" label... Trinity gets the "rich/smart kids" label... Ignore the label and play the game. How can you tell your kids to ignore it and then turn around and say it bothers you. Very surprised he admitted to questioning bias of game officials - wow! How is that any different from the Winni football coach saying this fall that playing in Keene is hard because of the officials out there (ok, paraphrased, but we know what he meant)?

I have to admit...... There is probably about 3 big "PPfffffffttttttttt" sounds coming from this article, which I refer to as the "can of worms" being opened.

I do agree with Jaf on the point of AAU ball not translating well to HS basketball in that defense in AAU ball is usually a hyphen that happens as an inconvenient delay of time until a team gets offensive possession.

The following excerpt is from the article:

The coach heard the N word used by one person in the crowd during a scrimmage. He questioned game officials about their bias during at least one game. He reads into the words of others as code. Other teams - whiter teams - are described as "heady" and "gritty," his team is described as "athletic," and is not credited for being tough or smart.

"We're the bad guys," Quirk said.




I don't think it was prudent for this article to suggest a bias from officials as Coach Quirk sees it. I don't think it is prudent for this article to say that going into a game a coach has his team feel "we're the bad guys". I think it puts a pre-bias going into a game for his team to question a call by an official. It also puts a pre-chip on every member's shoulder, especially when they enter an opposing team's gym for the game.


There you go. PPPfffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt.

I'm speechless.

JAF and T@F you hit the nail on the head. It's 2013 for cryin out loud. I tyhought we were past this. Way past this.

Unfortunately the article went in too many directions and didn't spend enough time on any single one in detail. I personally would have appreciated reading more about the players' backgrounds, struggles, etc. From seeing their names (primarily in this forum), and not being from the Manchester area, I have always been curious about where they came from, and how they ended up at Memorial versus the other Manchester schools. It's the players' ethnicity and histories that makes the Memorial team different than any other in NH high school basketball.

The thing that i also wonder....does this article and the comments about race, bias, etc. help or hurt their team as the season progresses? It may be one thing to think it, but another to let everyone know your thinking it?

What I find troubling is the fact that their coach seems to be feeding off of the " we are the bad guys" because we are black as motivation for his team. This is what I would hope we are past at this point.

T&F - Not sure I understand your issue with the prudence of the article. It seems the reporter is reflecting the statement/opinions of the coach to me. Is it not his job to write about the facts?

I have described Memorial as being athletic in past posts but since when did that mean you were not smart or tough?

Lastly, my son played for Bishop Elite and I can guarentee you that if you did not play defense you would not be on the floor for long. Sudi Lett's style of defense is full court ball pressure with a man-to-man help side rotation when forced into half court sets.

Edge, I will clarify.

It was not prudent for Coach Quirk to relay some of his private mental thoughts into words that are now published in an article in a public forum.

Nothing against the reporter. He is just doing his job.

Yea agreed - if anything this is the type of article a reporter loves, one that stirs up controversy. The comments made by Quirk are what they are. I don't think he should have made them but certainly its the reporters right to put them in the article.

I have an enormous problem with the Coach and the reporter of this story. One, the Coach turned this article into a narcissistic rant about how HE/WE feel unfairly treated. Two, the reporter should have never published the comments because of my next point. Three, neither of these men thought before they spoke or wrote; they forgot about the kids, the ones actually playing the game. I think it is very selfish of these men to think of their own self-interest than the impact it would have on the kids.

I understand the reporter was doing his job, so more of the blame goes on the coach, but he should have used discretion.

Personally, I feel this Coach Quirk or whatever his name is needs to step down. It might be extreme but he did his team and the school no favors by calling NHIAA officials "racist", not really a great role model.

Observer,

I don't believe Coach Quirk called NHIAA officials racist in the article. He called them biased.

Either way it's an upsetting article..... Disturbing. This team will now be under an incredible microscope the rest of the season.

@T & F - I apologize for misquoting. I do not want to slander anyone. Thank you for the correction!

I just hope the officials do not take whatever animosity -- if any exists -- on the boys on the team. I am sure they won't allow that to happen but one never knows.

Observer - agree the reporter should use discretion. But also think its within his right to post quotes from direct sources on the article.

The entire article had a weird flow, like it was forced in that direction. I wonder what linke of questioning was used to obtain those quotes, or was Quirk free-wheeling getting his "point" out on his own. Either way T&F is right...its disturbing and not something I'd thought I'd have to read about in 2013.

I am pretty sure they go to Memorial because many of the Sudanese and Africa nation kids live in the projects at the South end of Elm which is Memorial district. I live close to the Bishop Oneil center and see many of the kids them in the neighborhood and and always walking around that area of town.