Spitzer Q and A

[T-bonedazag]

Blanchette has a Q and A with Spitz on Sports Link

http://www.spokesman.com/blogs/sport...ather-spitzer/

Everyone should read this

Go Zags!

[MedZag]

Everyone should read this

Seconded. Thirded. Fourthed.

[former1dog]

Seconded. Thirded. Fourthed.

Fifth. Quite an interview. Highly recommended.

[ZagNative]

I liked this ..

JB: Have you ever been concerned what might happen if the program were to slip competitively, because of the enormous expectation that’s been built here? Do you worry about the repercussions?

FS: No one is going to turn their back on this team even if we have bad years. First of all, we ain’t no ingrates. We know what this team has done for us. Your kid has a bad semester, you don’t reject him. Whatever Gonzaga is, we are a grateful community first and foremost. It pervades. I’ve noticed at Gonzaga that are different sometimes – sometimes – from the atmosphere of other schools. Not all schools. The key thing is, at Gonzaga, if we have a disappointing loss, I don’t get calls from anybody telling me, thihs has to change, players, coaches, whatever. I don’t get this. I know other people do. I think the reason is sheer appreciation and gratitude. And secondly the confidence that we’ve done everything we could. There is just something here. We are a community of appreciation, of gratitude, and confidence in the competency of our coaches and program. We’re believers. I don’t get a lot of yadda-yadda. I don’t get it. I know other presidents get it. In fact, it’s the opposite. Please tell Mark or please tell so and so, that we just love the way they play, such great heart. If people tell me that, I pick up the phone and leave a message for Mark and tell him exactly that, win or lose. That’s special about Gonzaga.

If we had a slippage, I think – A) we ain’t no ingrates, but also B) it wouldn’t just be tolerance. We’d be figuring out whatever we could to help, not to hang somebody at midnight. So, no, I don’t worry about that. The other thing is, in a way, I just think we have such forward looking coaches and athletic staff that even if we had two bad seasons or whatever, I know this much: we would be systematically rebuilding.

I’ve always said to your coaches, I’m your athletically challenged president. So I trust you. That trust has never been unjustified. And I’m going to back them, and I know the next guy will, too.

[TheZagPhish]

Good catch, T-bone!

Dammit, I'm going to miss Spitzer and his elegant, at times prosecutorial, loquaciousness.

Thank heaven I'll have Mark Few and a fresh team of Zags to help me through.

[rawkmandale]

Wow. None of this surprises me, having known Father Spitzer ("Bob" as he would insist) for many years, but to read all of this laid out so clearly, lets us all understand what a special place Gonzaga is, and what special people it has attracted to leadership.

Any of you that may have heard today at First Presbyterian a former Gonzaga grad, Father Boyle and the two ex-gang members he brought up from LAs "Homeboy Industries," would know the powerful impact that Gonzaga grads like Boyle can have on the world. Basketball is a big part of the story, but truly is just part of the story.

Let us be thankful for what God has Blessed us with in His infinite wisdom and mercy.

Go Zags!

[Angelo Roncalli]

Every time a coach, athletic director or university presidents asserts they are determined to be the "next Gonzaga," they should consider these three reasons why they won't be the "next Gonzaga":

1. (Insert school name here) doesn't have Mark Few;
2. (Insert school name here) doesn't have Robert Spitzer, SJ; and
3. (Insert school name here) doesn't have Mike Roth.

[MedZag]

Every time a coach, athletic director or university presidents asserts they are determined to be the "next Gonzaga," they should consider these three reasons why they won't be the "next Gonzaga":

1. (Insert school name here) doesn't have Our Knute Rockne;
2. (Insert school name here) doesn't have Robert Spitzer, SJ; and
3. (Insert school name here) doesn't have Mike Roth.

Corrected.

[FuManShoes]

Incredibly informative, and quite the lesson in perspective.

And this redemption story will always give me goosebumps. So many who wanted to sell Josh down the river were shown there are such things as 2nd chances worth granting:

You’ve brought up Josh’s name in our conversation. Mark has said that when Josh had his troubles two years ago, he was ready to remove him from the program and that it was you who talked him out of it and encouraged him to give Josh a second chance. Why was that your counsel?
Mark sometimes doesn’t give himself enough credit. Mark very much wanted to be a believer in Josh, too. But the key element was that I was assured when I was talking with people that Josh was having a deep reconsideration of what had gone on his life. Being a Jesuit, I’m a believer in forgiveness. And I’m a believer that people can change their minds about everything, including life. We all wanted to be believers. There were certain expectations asked of Josh to see if he could step up to them and frankly he stepped up so strongly, I was amazed. This was a transformation. It’s not that I didn’t believe in him; I didn’t know he could do that much that fast. I was very gratified. Josh has made the most of our trust. I always would say, if there is a real purpose of amendment and you think that’s genuine, it’s worth it to take a chance on somebody. And Josh just proved it to me that it was worth it to me to take a chance. He proved it for the next person I’ll have to trust.

[T-bonedazag]

Josh's story of redemption is one of the best Zag stories of all time...that part of the interview made it even better.

Go Zags!

[RenoZag]

Well worth the time to read (and re-read ).

[Akzag]

That. was a "wow" read.

I hope that they do not cut anything out of that q&a.

[LAZAGFAN11]

Unbelievable man. We are so lucky as fans, family, friends, and alumni to have Fr. Spitzer and Mark Few. Great interview.

[Salsageek]

Go Zags and let's win a few games for Fr. Spitzer.

[Bocco]

This morning's S-R ran pretty much ran the whole thing. The read was just as good with my morning cup of coffee as it was last night, and just reinforces that GU is truly a special place. Fr. Spitzer and the graduating seniors on this years team will be missed.

[SWZag]

Amen. Great Q&A. He's definitely going to be missed. Very high expectations for whomever takes his position. He's been amazing and an often unsung hero of Gonzaga basketball.

I agree, lets make this the best NCAA run yet, for Fr. Spitzer.

SWZag

[HillBillyZag]

Fr. Spitzer examplifies what the head of a Catholic Universisty should be. He has never lost sight of the Jesuit mission.

[mendiant]

Honestly, I think the whole 1999 basketball thing and the fact that we got Spitzer that year was such a "perfect storm" for GU.

We had the basketball, but the solid spiritual influence of Fr Spitzer will be missed...not to mention his genious business acumen.

I love the little Yiddish words put in, rarely, but here and there...

He comes from a Jewish/Catholic backround, you know.

Fr Spitzer often has programs on EWTN if you have a good cable package and want to watch for him.

printing this article off for my scrapebook...

[bballbeachbum]

No dry eyes here. What a man. Very inspiring.

a MUST READ...100% agree.

Many thanks T-bone.