Tosh vs. LeBron: I think there are a lot of commonalities to the two situations. Cleveland fans were said to be more upset about <i>the way</i> LeBron left than <i>that</i> he left. He was local to the area. He promised to bring long-sought success to a frustrated fan-base. He left for a historically more successful rival. His departure was sudden and jarring.<br /><br />In short, both moves left the jilted fans emotionally devastated. Calls for remembrance of what the defector had done for the program fall on deaf ears. Incidentally, I started disliking LeBron when he went to Miami, although now I'm emotionally indifferent to him. I expect it'll be the same cycle with Tosh (for me).

Apt comparison.<br /><br />Funny, but the only thing that made LeBron's "King James" act tolerable was the fact that he played in Cleveland.<br /><br />Move him to Miami and he just seems gauche.

Frankly, I think the comparisons to Todd Bozeman are most relevant. A hot shot mid-level assistant who gradually became the national focal point of the program and staff based on his recruiting ability....creating an atmosphere of don't ask, don't tell when it comes to how he does it...creating animosity among the staff for all the notoriety....a belief of not getting enough credit for bringing kids into the program...a connection with players and recruits (and less of a connection with fellow staff)....recruiting on the basis of connections with individuals rather than the university. So on and so on...<br /><br />When you're a national hot shot like both Lupoi and Bozeman, you always are looking for the next thing to keep that rocket ship on your back burning brighter and brighter. Lupoi left for more money and the shame of undermining his alma mater. Bozeman staged a coup and got the top gig. The question is whether Lupoi will recognize the limits of his stardom and find his anchor point before he goes down the Bozeman route.

It's what happens when you start believing all your press clippings. It is a form of self-immolation. And, in "enabling" this latest morality play in it's misplaced lust for success, the University of Washington's current football establishment has tarnished itself and planted the seed of it's own dissolution. It is a "story" about a person's character. It is a "story" about a football program's "character." <br /><br />Long ago, Machiavelli wrote about the corrosive nature of corruption, and in order to avoid it's effects, a system had to be virtuous. There is nothing "virtuous" in this story, yet the actors have taken their introductory performances, and we have all become unintended spectators....

<blockquote><div class="name-said">bear cass;682788 said:</div><hr>Tosh vs. LeBron: I think there are a lot of commonalities to the two situations. Cleveland fans were said to be more upset about <i>the way</i> LeBron left than <i>that</i> he left. He was local to the area. He promised to bring long-sought success to a frustrated fan-base. He left for a historically more successful rival. His departure was sudden and jarring.<hr></blockquote><br /><br />Wow. I never thought I'd say this, but that comparison is unfair to LeBron. <img src="<img src="<img src="<img src="<img src="" />" />" />" />">

<blockquote><div class="name-said">TheSouseFamily;682837 said:</div><hr>Frankly, I think the comparisons to Todd Bozeman are most relevant. A hot shot mid-level assistant who gradually became the national focal point of the program and staff based on his recruiting ability....creating an atmosphere of don't ask, don't tell when it comes to how he does it...creating animosity among the staff for all the notoriety....a belief of not getting enough credit for bringing kids into the program...a connection with players and recruits (and less of a connection with fellow staff)....recruiting on the basis of connections with individuals rather than the university. So on and so on...<br /><br />When you're a national hot shot like both Lupoi and Bozeman, you always are looking for the next thing to keep that rocket ship on your back burning brighter and brighter. Lupoi left for more money and the shame of undermining his alma mater. Bozeman staged a coup and got the top gig. The question is whether Lupoi will recognize the limits of his stardom and find his anchor point before he goes down the Bozeman route.<hr></blockquote><br /><br />+1<br /><br />Yup, the Lupoi = Bozeman comparison fits way, way better than Lupoi = LeBron.<br /><br />From what I've read, Bozeman just hung himself at Cal before he got a chance to leave for so-called greener pastures (post-Tarkanian UNLV?) ala Posh Lupoi, that's all.<br /><br />Comparing Posh to LeBron is a gross exaggeration.

<blockquote><div class="name-said">Bear Island;683261 said:</div><hr>I think until you can establish that Lupoi was getting these guys paid, that comparison doesn't quite entirely fly other than the results. If and when evidence ever came out that substantiated that, well....that's a whole new can of beans.<hr></blockquote><br /><br />Well we all believe that Bozeman only started paying players AFTER the pressure of the HC job really started to get to him and he was looking at a downward spiral if he didn't. Right? Isn't that the 100% truth?<br /><br />So by comparison, the pressure at UW will be astronomical, and then there is even more chance of shady dealings.

<blockquote><div class="name-said">ColoradoBear1;683476 said:</div><hr>Well we all believe that Bozeman only started paying players AFTER the pressure of the HC job really started to get to him and he was looking at a downward spiral if he didn't. Right? Isn't that the 100% truth?<br /><br />So by comparison, the pressure at UW will be astronomical, and then there is even more chance of shady dealings.<hr></blockquote><br /><br />Bozeman was still making $100K, even as head coach. Cal had not given him a raise. He had no money to buy recruits. The money for Jelani Gardner came from an agent (his only client was L.A. Clipper Benoit Benjamin)--who just <i>happened</i> to be Jelani Gardner's uncle who lived a few blocks from the Gardners in L.A., he was also the one that "loaned" Tremaine Fowlkes a car. Of course, supposedly Jelani didn't know anything about it, so the NCAA let him transfer to Pepperdine without losing a year of eligibility (which was Tom Gardner's motive for going to the NCAA following Jelani losing the starting PG job) and for some reason the Gardners were allowed to keep the money they received from their brother/brother-in-law with Jelani retaining his amateur status.<br /><br />Tosh is not like Bozeman (that would be more Sark), Tosh is more like Jelani.