Caution, language. This is a great clip. Howard, as he admitted in his presser, tells Gard he’ll remember this, at which point Gard grabs his arm to stop him and give his rebuttal regarding Michigan pressing. But Howard immediately goes off with “Don’t f’ing touch me”.
Also, Brad Davison really enjoys singing and doesn’t want anyone or anything to take away singing time.
Gard has a reputation as a tool. However, Juwan was in complete control of this situation all the way through. How you get from "Please; I don't want to talk about it now, Greg" to taking a swing across several heads at some assistant coach who may or may not have slagged you verbally is a heck of a stretch.
I don't believe he'll be fired for this. I don't see it happening. But he has given the university and his program a black eye by this behavior. The guy is taller and bigger than every other mature adult there. He's nearly 50 years old. Nothing, absolutely nothing, prevented him from holding his hands up and saying "Guys, let's take this up later" and walking on. His behavior was indefensible. Period. Doesn't matter if the worst human being on earth makes that observation; it remains the case. He is first and foremost a role model for his team, as Bill Musselman was on the floor of Williams Arena 50 years ago last month when all hell broke loose at the end of the game and his players attacked Ohio State players in the most underhanded way possible. It begins and ends with the coach.
I'm sympathetic to someone who grew up in an environment in which disagreements were settled physically. Completely sympathetic, having had firsthand experience for many years with someone from such an environment. But 30 years after leaving that environment, especially when you made millions of dollars along the way that afforded you the resources and time to learn to react differently, and modulate your behavior in a civilized manner, you're long out of excuses and slack. He had a choice and he chose badly, on national TV, and it led to his players getting in fistfights solely b/c he lacked judgement, maturity, and impulse control. Did the guy learn nothing form the Turgeon incident last spring? The fact that Howard expressed no contrition or even regret (not even the ever-ready "mistakes were made" buck-passing of the spineless) in his postgame presser today (and didn't have the good judgement just to bow out of it altogether) floors me.
End of story, boys. The chips will fall where they will, regardless of what's fair, just, or rational. I will be surprised if Juwan Howard, Kevin Warren, or Warde Manuel emerge from this looking better than they did at noon today.
Peace out.
