Phil Martelli recalls thrills, regrets of unbeaten ride that faces Zags

[gonzagafan62]

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2017/feb/19/saint-josephs-phil-martelli-recalls-thrills-regret/

Really cool piece that ties St. Joes with what Gonzaga's current season. Awesome story

[MDABE80]

Our kids will need to be protected from the media. The media is sure to come calling and they just want a story. Lots of pressure will be brought to bear. Distractions and selected comments can hurt the focus. The distractions need to be minimized. I'm pretty sure these last two games will be won by us. Then comes the tournament in LV. It'll be hard to draw a curtain around the team down there. The further we go in the NCAA's the more difficult will be the games. If I was GU administration, I'd be thinking about media management prior to the tournament.

Knowing that no team since 1976 has gone the distance undefeated, I'd make the kids aware of the rules of the road depending on whatever the university decides. The last thing the kids need are distractions. Only my opinion though.

[Bogozags]

Our kids will need to be protected from the media. The media is sure to come calling and they just want a story. Lots of pressure will be brought to bear. Distractions and selected comments can hurt the focus. The distractions need to be minimized. I'm pretty sure these last two games will be won by us. Then comes the tournament in LV. It'll be hard to draw a curtain around the team down there. The further we go in the NCAA's the more difficult will be the games. If I was GU administration, I'd be thinking about media management prior to the tournament.

Knowing that no team since 1976 has gone the distance undefeated, I'd make the kids aware of the rules of the road depending on whatever the university decides. The last thing the kids need are distractions. Only my opinion though.

First off, excellent story and "62" thanks for finding and posting...I remember that squad and I love the answer to the most common response to us being ranked #1 or being undefeated and that is "If we were in the ACC we would not be undefeated!" Well, a the Coach stated, if we were in the ACC, B12, SEC, B10 or P12 we more than likely have different players...this is the answer I will now use...


Doc, you are absolutely correct with regards to the media and how they could interfere with the team's concentration. There are more added distractions today than in 2004 as stated in the article and don't know how to ensure the team is completely focused on their goal and stay off of Social Media sites...one thing is certain, having a private airplane sure does make navigating airports a breeze compared to flying commercial. Not sure where they are staying in Vegas but it won't be some far away hotel in the desert so they will continue to have to navigate through media on a daily basis...I am sure GU will define media rules for both the team/staff as well as the media itself and let's just hope the media respects these wishes as the players and staff will have to be made available for interviews but under controlled circumstances...I would rather the team be in this scenario than be 22-6...just saying...

[ZionZag]

First off, excellent story and "62" thanks for finding and posting...I remember that squad and I love the answer to the most common response to us being ranked #1 or being undefeated and that is "If we were in the ACC we would not be undefeated!" Well, a the Coach stated, if we were in the ACC, B12, SEC, B10 or P12 we more than likely have different players...this is the answer I will now use...


Doc, you are absolutely correct with regards to the media and how they could interfere with the team's concentration. There are more added distractions today than in 2004 as stated in the article and don't know how to ensure the team is completely focused on their goal and stay off of Social Media sites...one thing is certain, having a private airplane sure does make navigating airports a breeze compared to flying commercial. Not sure where they are staying in Vegas but it won't be some far away hotel in the desert so they will continue to have to navigate through media on a daily basis...I am sure GU will define media rules for both the team/staff as well as the media itself and let's just hope the media respects these wishes as the players and staff will have to be made available for interviews but under controlled circumstances...I would rather the team be in this scenario than be 22-6...just saying...

Bongo, I think I recall that the NCAA requires the Zags to park their private jet and fly commercial for the NCAA tourney....Makes the non stop flight to SLC real attractive!!

[RenoZag]

If this year's team had the same affection for social media as Wiltjer, I would share MDABE's concerns. Instead, as a group they've shown maturity, unity, and a focus on getting better.

I think Few and his staff will also set some ground rules for dealing with the media circus ( if they haven't already) as MDABE suggests.

Another nice feature story from Jim Meehan, thanks for the link, '62.

[CDC84]

St. Joe's was the first team since 1991 Vegas to finish the regular season unblemished. It still has to kill Phil and his players that they lost on essentially a fluke shot in the E-8. They truly proved (not that they didn't before) that they were a national title threat that season. It was a team that revolved around two transcendent guards who went on to be NBA players. This year's Gonzaga team doesn't have a Jameer Nelson superstar (although Nigel is looking more and more like it - but the talent around him causes him to stick out less), but the Zags are so deep with their talent. What's so funny is that after St. Joe's lost that elite 8 game, a few years later GMU made the final four, VCU made the final four, and Butler went to back to back national title games. I also question if the 2004 Gonzaga team had gone unbeaten if Billy Packer would've barked as badly at GU getting a number 1 seed due to their conference affiliation as he did St. Joe's. He would've probably used their recent success in NCAA tournaments as an excuse to avoid going off on Few and the Zags in the way that he went off on Martelli during the NCAA Selection Show. Packer really overstepped his boundaries in that situation.

[CDC84]

Bongo, I think I recall that the NCAA requires the Zags to park their private jet and fly commercial for the NCAA tourney....Makes the non stop flight to SLC real attractive!!

This is true. In order make everything fair, the NCAA requires every team to fly commercial.

That just seems very painful for a guy like Karno. Can't ya give a 7-1 guy with a history of back problems a break?

[NumberCruncher]

This is true. In order make everything fair, the NCAA requires every team to fly commercial.

That just seems very painful for a guy like Karno. Can't ya give a 7-1 guy with a history of back problems a break?

Interesting. I had no idea.

So when a 7 seed has to fly clear across the country to play in a 10 seed's backyard, it's more "fair" for them to travel commercial. The NCAA never ceases to amaze me.

[DZ]

IF there is a team out there with the maturity and perspective to handle this like professionals on the job (while having a great time), this is the team.

I'd say the "average"' Gonzaga team is a head above other college teams in the ability to deal with distractions. This isn't an average Gonzaga team.

I fear trapping guards more than media trappings.

Maybe I'm naïve, or blindly in-love, but I get the sense that "we," - and, soon, in the coming weeks, the country - are just getting around to understanding something that the team has understood for quite some time, that they are a very special bunch wired into something very special.

We're all just catching-up.

[Birddog]

I also question if the 2004 Gonzaga team had gone unbeaten if Billy Packer would've barked as badly at GU getting a number 1 seed due to their conference affiliation as he did St. Joe's. He would've probably used their recent success in NCAA tournaments as an excuse to avoid going off on Few and the Zags in the way that he went off on Martelli during the NCAA Selection Show. Packer really overstepped his boundaries in that situation.

Thanks for giving my morning OJ a sour taste. Billy packer always had a very pronounced "anus orientation", I for one cheered his absence.

[Birddog]

Interesting. I had no idea.

So when a 7 seed has to fly clear across the country to play in a 10 seed's backyard, it's more "fair" for them to travel commercial. The NCAA never ceases to amaze me.

This is true. In order make everything fair, the NCAA requires every team to fly commercial.

That just seems very painful for a guy like Karno. Can't ya give a 7-1 guy with a history of back problems a break?

Not exactly the way it works. I'm pretty sure they do fly charter, just not their own. The NCAA arranges it. Here is an article from 2015 that explains it. I believe it's still essentially the same.

http://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/media-center/news/making-madness-happen