Bob Gibbons is out with a little story saying that Eddie
Griffin has narrowed his choices to five: UNC, Seton Hall, Uconn, UMass, and
Temple. We're pulling for Seton Hall of course, but it would be sweet if John
Chaney got a great one to wind his career down. He's been not just a good coach
but a very very good man, and he has been too often denied, both by the
prejudices of the day and his own principles, which require him to put education and discipline ahead of hustling talent. It must be tantalizing for him to be so close. Odds are his hopes will be dashed again, but when he passes
from this earth, there will be hundreds of people at his funeral, many dozens of
players and others who he helped who have risen from the anguish of poverty to
make great successes of their lives. We'll say it again: measuring John
Chaney's career by wins and losses is a gross injustice. His life is
measured by lives saved. He was denied a crack at the NBA, among other things,
as a young black man, and has spent the rest of his life not bemoaning his treatment, but making sure that other young men would not be denied.Â
Sorry to go off on a Chaney rant. We'd still like to see Tommy get Griffin.
But it's a close call, frankly.