Capel blogs about Blake Griffin

"You have done more than enough for the Capel family. This is what you helped do — you and your brother and everyone else.” I showed him the contract again and said I was fine."
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This rubbed me the wrong way. Capel's message to Blake is admirable in the "do what is best for you" thing, but I do not like that Capel says that Blake has done enough for the Capel family and focuses on his contract rather than the effect he had on the program. It seems a bit self-centered to me. Just my take.
 
Soonerborn03 said:
This rubbed me the wrong way. Capel's message to Blake is admirable in the "do what is best for you" thing, but I do not like that Capel says that Blake has done enough for the Capel family and focuses on his contract rather than the effect he had on the program. It seems a bit self-centered to me. Just my take.
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I agree. I'm glad that BG and Capel remained close; I think that's great. But Capel came off in that post as being very much about what was good for him and, to his credit, for Blake, but showed little to no sign of caring, back in the day, about what would have been good for OU.

Maybe it comes off that way now because he got fired; perhaps he harbors some bitterness toward OU. But man, focusing that much on his contract extension and salary increase without a word (as he tells it today, anyway) about what was good for the program -- he does not come off well.
 
I don't see it that way. He was pre-empting Blake thinking that he had an obligation to him (Capel) to stay at OU.

IF he had said anything about the program I think that would have been more like recruiting him to stay. Sounds like he was trying to let Blake make the decision for himself and his family which, IMO, is how it should be.
 
But cool, when he was saying, in effect, "Hey, I've got my new contract; you've done enough for me," where was a mention -- any mention -- of the program, the university?

I'm not saying he should have been trying to talk Blake into staying, but he could have mentioned on what BG had done for OU as a justification for Blake leaving if he wanted to. Instead, it was all about Capel, with nary a mention or a thought (according to what Capel wrote; I wasn't there, of course) of the program. It as if what was good for the program wasn't even part of Capel's thought process.

Was that how he genuinely felt at the time? Was he that self-centered? I have no idea. I never thought so before. But he doesn't come off at all well in that blog post.
 
It's "A" talking to "B" about the relationship between "A" and "B," not about OU (yes they were both here but that isn't what they were talking about.)
 
When we don't like somebody, that person can say 99 good things and one bad thing - and all the focus will be on the bad thing. Since I always liked Coach Capel, I didn't go searching for anything negative, and certainly nothing popped out at me...glad to see he and Blake are still close.
 
WaymanFan said:
When we don't like somebody, that person can say 99 good things and one bad thing - and all the focus will be on the bad thing. Since I always liked Coach Capel, I didn't go searching for anything negative, and certainly nothing popped out at me...glad to see he and Blake are still close.
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I didn't dislike Coach Capel, either, and I didn't go searching for the "bad thing," but it did pop out at me.

I said, “You need to do what is best for you and your family. Whatever you decide, I am behind you 100 percent. If you want to go pro, let’s do it. If you want to stay, let’s do it. You have done more than enough for the Capel family. This is what you helped do — you and your brother and everyone else.” I showed him the contract again and said I was fine.​

He could so easily have made the same point by saying, "You'have done more than enough for Sooner basketball. You and your brother and everyone else took this program from 16-15 and no posteason appearance last season to a 23-12 record and a first-round win in the NCAA tourney this season. We're back on track, and it's in large part due to you."

Instead, he said, basically, "You've done enough for me. I've got a fat new contract. Now it's time to do what's best for you."

There's no sign in that post that his focus was on Sooner basketball, that he was passionate about it. I hope and trust it's a misleading post, but it doesn't reflect well on him as written.
 
WaymanFan said:
When we don't like somebody, that person can say 99 good things and one bad thing - and all the focus will be on the bad thing. Since I always liked Coach Capel, I didn't go searching for anything negative, and certainly nothing popped out at me...glad to see he and Blake are still close.
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Capel had 99 problems...
 
skyvue said:
I didn't dislike Coach Capel, either, and I didn't go searching for the "bad thing," but it did pop out at me.

I said, “You need to do what is best for you and your family. Whatever you decide, I am behind you 100 percent. If you want to go pro, let’s do it. If you want to stay, let’s do it. You have done more than enough for the Capel family. This is what you helped do — you and your brother and everyone else.” I showed him the contract again and said I was fine.​

He could so easily have made the same point by saying, "You'have done more than enough for Sooner basketball. You and your brother and everyone else took this program from 16-15 and no posteason appearance last season to a 23-12 record and a first-round win in the NCAA tourney this season. We're back on track, and it's in large part due to you."

Instead, he said, basically, "You've done enough for me. I've got a fat new contract. Now it's time to do what's best for you."

There's no sign in that post that his focus was on Sooner basketball, that he was passionate about it. I hope and trust it's a misleading post, but it doesn't reflect well on him as written.
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since you don't know the full context of that part of their conversation you shouldn't assume anything. they could have been talking about money or contracts and that's how this reference came about.

even if it is as you say... so what! the guy is not here anymore and lets move on unless he is saying something about the OU program.
 
25mob said:
even if it is as you say... so what! the guy is not here anymore and lets move on unless he is saying something about the OU program.
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Hey, I'm not one to harp on Capel. I never bring him up and I almost never respond when anyone else posts about him. But a reaction to his blog post that mirrored mine was posted, so I posted in agreement.

It's a given that if stories about -- and especially those written by -- Capel are posted on this board, they are going to garner both positive and negative reactions. So if we want to avoid seeing even the occasional negative word said about the guy, it's best not to bring him up at all.

Believe me, I have moved on. I never give the man a second thought, pro or con, except when he's discussed on this board.
 
And remember, Capel himself wrote that post. So if there's context that's key to understanding the story, it's up to him to provide it. It's not as though he was misquoted by some inept or careless reporter; it was his story to tell.
 
skyvue said:
And remember, Capel himself wrote that post. So if there's context that's key to understanding the story, it's up to him to provide it. It's not as though he was misquoted by some inept or careless reporter; it was his story to tell.
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he doesn't have to do squat for you, me or anyone else except who it was intended for.
 
I'll close out my "contribution" to this discussion by asking this: Can anyone imagine Coach Kruger having a similar conversation with a player who is thinking of leaving early for the NBA? Saying "Hey, you helped me get a big contract: now do what's best for you" without a single mention of the university and the program they're both so closely associated with?

I can't. I'm no starry-eyed Pollyanna. I know it's a business and understand that every individual involved in it does, in fact, have the right to look out for his own best interests. But in discussing such matters, the school and program one represents (which has given both player and coach the opportunity to shine) ought to at least come up. That's all I'm saying.
 
coolm said:
I don't see it that way. He was pre-empting Blake thinking that he had an obligation to him (Capel) to stay at OU.

IF he had said anything about the program I think that would have been more like recruiting him to stay. Sounds like he was trying to let Blake make the decision for himself and his family which, IMO, is how it should be.
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That is how I read the article as well. I'm not happy about the state that Capel left the program in, but I don't see him as a bad person or selfish or anything just because he ultimately failed at OU.
 
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