Last Saturday I witnessed a passion-filled man twirl around in circles, wail his arms madly and pound the floor like a maniac.
No, I wasn't at Evolution; I was watching Bowling Green men's basketball coach, Dan Dakich, attempt to get his team to escape The Convo with a victory.
The Falcons' coach was almost crawling out of his skin as he watched his team succumb to the mighty Bobcats in a tight game decided by three points. Dakich later said at the press conference, I think that Ohio and Tim (O'Shea) have done a very
very very very good job
and they are a really tough team. What the heck? They only beat the crap out of everyone they have played here (in Athens) except for us.
Read that? That was four verys -pretty impressive coming from the coach with the highest Mid-American Conference winning percentage.
Dakich went on to defend Ohio and O'Shea's progress with the Bobcats. He demanded that, If people would shut the hell up and let the guy do his job
they'd see this will be a really good basketball team.
However, this humble and somewhat calm side of Dakich wasn't seen by the 5,379 people in attendance Saturday. What they saw was a raving coach, boiling over with the competitive spirit and language foul enough to make a sailor blush.
Dakich obviously knows how to coach his team and how to communicate with his players despite his potty mouth and Bobby Knight-esque actions (minus the chair throwing and player attacking).
So for the fans who sat behind the scorers table last weekend, I'm sure he really didn't mean some of the phrases he shouted your way. This includes the remark, Shut up
you stupid (expletive) hillbillies
which I hope was a spur of the moment response to the continuous nagging by the crowd.
I'll admit, even though I thought the last remark was quite funny at the time, it was the type of statement that belongs in a late night comedy lounge rather than on a basketball court. Nonetheless, I forgive you, Dan, and I got your back in case someone wants to make something of it. Because even if you and your team are intrastate rivals, I still respect you as a coach for your ability to keep your team in a close game and to handle yourself in a press conference that could have been an ugly scene.
And for all you readers who have made it this far, don't think I am betraying the Bobcats or O'Shea just because I am supporting another coach. I still bleed green and white and truly believe O'Shea has begun to turn around the Ohio basketball program. In fact, I see a MAC championship banner coming Ohio's way sometime in the near future.
-Miller is a sophomore journalism major who looks forward to a Bowling Green-Ohio showdown in Gund Arena this March just so he can feel like he's at Evolution in Cleveland. Send him an e-mail at nicholas.miller@ohiou.edu.
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Nick Miller
