Jack Berenzweig wrote:
>>This year, in his first game for BC, he had a goal and three
>>assists.  Immediately after that game, Jerry York benched Ryan, and
>>purportedly told him that he was being benched for having "slow feet".
>>Shortly thereafter, Ryan chose to leave BC.
>>...
>>Could it be that Jerry York was
>>attempting to free up a scholarship by causing Ryan to quit?
 
Alex Bricker replied:
>I wouldn't put anything like this past York.
>...
>A lot of people here in BG were happy to see Jerry go, and I think
>it's only a matter of time until the people out at BC feel the same.
 
I can't say what Jerry's motivations were for sitting Ryan Mittleman
down, but we need to clarify some facts.  Yes, Ryan scored four points
in the first BC game, which was an exhibition against a relatively weak
University of Ottawa squad (BC won 9-2.)  Ryan was named number two star
in the game for his point production.  Ryan started the next game as
well, the first of two at Bowling Green (BC lost that one, 8-3, and
Mittleman had no points and one penalty.)  It was after that performance
that Ryan was benched, apparently.
 
I am not so naive to think that coaches have not resorted to various
behaviors to "induce" a player to quit a team once they have decided that
a player does not fit in to their plans, but there is no evidence of that
here.  Mittleman played 34 of 36 games his freshman year and was the
fifth leading scorer on the team (10-13-23).  He played the first two
games of this year before his benching.  If I had to hazard a guess, it
would be that Ryan, who was not known for his defensive prowess, might
not have satisfied the coaches that he was doing what they wanted him to
do.  These types of disagreements about "policy" and how well a student-
athlete is doing are commonplace.  Sometimes they work out and sometimes
they don't.  I do not know which is the case here.  Did Ryan decide that
his future was in juniors?  Were his grades/academic/social life okay?
Did he get along with the coaching staff/players?  Was there any ulterior
motive of the staff or school?  Unless you have more concrete evidence
of what happened, and have the facts more accurate, I have a hard time
lending much credence to this type of speculation.
 
As to coach York's tenure at BG, I have no knowledge of that.  Perhaps
he had reached the point where players/administrators/fans did not have
confidence in his approach.  But he has been relatively successful at
the various schools he has coached, he has had good success so far at
BC in recruiting and results, and the feeling at BC about the coach is
mostly positive at this point.  Of course, he came into a tough situation
at BC following the well-publicized problems with scholarships, coaches,
and winning, and most people are happy that those sorts of problems have
been (for now) put in the past.
 
In the midst of the current problems surrounding the football team, the
basketball team, and the overall atmosphere on campus, the one thing most
fans want (besides a winner) is someone who will not bring any further
negative publicity to the school.  I have a hard time believing that
anyone, let alone coach York, would tempt the fates by trying any sort
of bad-faith behavior.  (But, stranger things have happened ...)
 
Each story has at least two sides, and we don't know the facts from
either of the principal sides here.  What we do have is rumor,
second-hand information, and some strong opinions from a few in the
hockey community.  Rumor and speculation is interesting and fun, but it
also has the power to mislead and hurt.  While HOCKEY-L is (largely) a
close-knit community, it also is distributed to many people around the
country and the world who may not have the background or perspective
that many others have.  I hope that everyone keeps that in mind as they
throw out ideas and opinions.
 
As to whether the "people out at BC" will ultimately want Jerry York to
leave, time will tell.  Most coaches eventually wear out their welcome
unless they have such success or have such a power base that they cannot
be moved (Joe Paterno, for example; perhaps Ron Mason and others in
college hockey?)  Each unsuccessful year (or at least a year where the
team does not meet the fans' expectations), each dissatisfied recruit,
each parent whose son or daughter is not treated as they would like, each
new AD or college president, each lapse of judgment or decorum, each
media member who feels antagonized or slighted at some time, etc., all
contribute to a growing "family" of disgrunted folks who want the coach
to leave.  Most coaches know this -- "it's only a matter of time till
you are fired."  And you have to deal with the school's reputation, the
previous coaches' behavior, etc., not just your own actions, so it can
be very frustrating.  I don't know coach York, and I doubt I will ever
get to know him.  I haven't seen or heard anything at BC that would
give me a reason to doubt his sincerity or honesty, and until I see some
evidence to the contrary I will grant him the courtesy of respecting
his abilities and history, and I will assume he has a basic mantle of
integrity until proven otherwise.
 
If there is commentary on the general topic of coaches and expectations
and longevity, etc., please respond to the list as usual.  If there are
responses to the specifics of this situation with this one player or one
coach, please respond privately.  Thanks.
--------------------               ----------------------
Rick McAdoo                        [log in to unmask]
"Volunteer reporter"               A positive BC fan.  GO EAGLES!
 
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