Ron Steele's Career is Over - Page 3

Blanda's Shoes · January 21st, 2009, 04:05 PM

For how many years now have we been seeing players making the same choice Steele just did--players who know they've no real shot at the draft, but would rather take their chances in the NBADL or in Europe than play under these coaches?

I know some of the posts above have pointed out that he's quit on his teammates. But for the long-term success of the program, Steele may have just taken a bullet for them.

Fire him at the next loss or right now. The sooner Gottfried has no continued influence on this team, the better off it will be.

January 21st, 2009, 04:33 PM

	Quote:	bamamick
	Aaarrrggghhhh!!!!! So this is what we are left with? I could play and help my team mates win but I'd just rather not? That's what we get from Ronald Steele? He couldn't stick it out six more weeks? I KNOW that very, very few of us have a lot of sympathy for Mark Gottfried, but I am not worried about him, I am worried about THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA. I will have fond memories of Ron's time on the court for us. Who wouldn't? But I really wish that he would have kept his damn mouth shut. Damn it! What about the other guys on this team? What about their sacrifice? It wouldn't surprise me if we lost a very winnable game tonight because of this. This is extremely un-cool! rtr

Honestly, this attitude makes me sick.

Ronald has worked to overcome injury after injury. Have you ever had plantar fasciitis? Have you ever had a needle put directly into your heel in a vain attempt to relieve a little of the pain? Have you ever tried to walk (not run) as gingerly as possible because every step you took hurt? It can take months to get better. In my case (and I wasn't trying to run up and down a besketball court) 5 months.

I have to agree - extremely uncool post.

BamaSteve999 · January 21st, 2009, 04:38 PM

Amen on the plantar fasciitis. If you have not had to deal with it in everyday life activities, much less playing competitive D-1 basketball, you really have no idea what that pain is like.

bamamick · January 21st, 2009, 04:43 PM

Sorry if you feel that way, but the intent of my post had nothing at all to do with whether or not Ron ever played another minute for us. Just his presence on the bench would have been a very positive thing for Alabama. What he accomplished by telling Rappaport what he did was to make himself an issue that Gottfried and the players are going to have to deal with at a very bad time.

I don't care about any one individual, be he a coach or player, more than I care about the team and the school. I am sure that in the future that this will all be forgotten about and we may even benefit from it somehow (though that one will be a mystery for me), but dealing with it in the present, if you are at all interested in us winning tonight against Ole Miss or UK on saturday, is going to be difficult.

As far as injuries go, yes, I have played with pain, but please remember that it was Ron who told Rappaport that the pain and the injury were not that big an issue, or wouldn't be for long. He turned this from an injury story to a controversy between himself and someone at Alabama and that was the reason for my post. Not the injury.

jmo rtr

January 21st, 2009, 05:01 PM

	Quote:	bamamick
	As far as injuries go, yes, I have played with pain, but please remember that it was Ron who told Rappaport that the pain and the injury were not that big an issue, or wouldn't be for long. He turned this from an injury story to a controversy between himself and someone at Alabama and that was the reason for my post. Not the injury. jmo rtr

I see that. (In fact, I was coming back to edit the 'tone' of my post, but saw you'd seen it and already responded.)

I think the year is already too far gone to recover though, redardless.

BigAl5833 · January 21st, 2009, 05:09 PM

In one of the articles Ron mentions talking to the players about this before making his decesion and that they support him. There is more to this then what is out. I wouldnt say just yet that he walked out on his team-mates. I believe they know the whole story and respect his decesion.

peteswell4 · January 21st, 2009, 05:15 PM

I don't think he just walked out on his teammates. Steele seems like a good guy and I am sure his teammates respect his decision. Heck, his brother is on the team. I bet that he would not want to do something that is going to have a very negative impact on him.

rolltideface · January 21st, 2009, 06:55 PM

Steele's response to whether it had to do with Gottfried or not was very telling. Wow- this has to be the end of the road for CMG.....

Steele: injury not the reason for departure | TideSports.com | The Tuscaloosa News | Tuscaloosa, AL

CHES-Franklin · January 21st, 2009, 08:44 PM

Without getting into a verbal sparse with anyone and without all the details, all I know is that Ronald Steele gave more night in and night out for this program than many players and likely many associated with the program. Any player that averages 38.4 minutes for the season and 40.3 minutes in conference play (2006 season) has earned my respect. I just wish he would have had some help throughout his career where he didn't physically have to carry this team at point guard. Whether or not Ron is right or wrong that's not for me to decide. I wish him all the best in the future, and I hope his brother sticks around.

CrimsonEyeshade · January 21st, 2009, 09:03 PM

	Quote:	CHES-Franklin
	Without getting into a verbal sparse with anyone and without all the details, all I know is that Ronald Steele gave more night in and night out for this program than many players and likely many associated with the program. Any player that averages 38.4 minutes for the season and 40.3 minutes in conference play (2006 season) has earned my respect. I just wish he would have had some help throughout his career where he didn't physically have to carry this team at point guard. Whether or not Ron is right or wrong that's not for me to decide. I wish him all the best in the future, and I hope his brother sticks around.

I live out of state, and someone correct me if I'm wrong, but up to know we've had dueling press releases from the coach and his star player. Has anyone offered any insights as to what really happened?

There are just too many questions on such an important story.

TIDE-HSV · January 22nd, 2009, 08:09 AM

There are some things which I know have happened, but I don't think they'll ever be made public, and it's probably best. I regard them as the inevitable friction which breaks out on a team when it's not playing well and the players know the coach's job is on the line. Particularly in the last few years, CMG has not shown a lot of empathy in the way he's managed his players. Perhaps Steele is not handling it as well as he could, also. However, I'm disappointed in seeing so many judgmental posts, when the facts aren't known and probably won't be known. I'd like to leave this thread open, but if the posts cross the line into being overly harsh, I'll close it...

bamaslaw · January 22nd, 2009, 10:55 AM

For all the players we've had who should have stayed another year or two - Winston, Grizzard, etc, it's painfully ironic that the best player we've had play for Bama in years should have left while he was a first round pick easily. Sad, but I'll always be a Ron Steele fan and wish him the best in the future.

Tidetwin · January 22nd, 2009, 10:59 AM

	Quote:	TIDE-HSV
	There are some things which I know have happened, but I don't think they'll ever be made public, and it's probably best. I regard them as the inevitable friction which breaks out on a team when it's not playing well and the players know the coach's job is on the line. Particularly in the last few years, CMG has not shown a lot of empathy in the way he's managed his players. Perhaps Steele is not handling it as well as he could, also. However, I'm disappointed in seeing so many judgmental posts, when the facts aren't known and probably won't be known. I'd like to leave this thread open, but if the posts cross the line into being overly harsh, I'll close it...

Earle, this is very significant stuff. The star of a team leaves in mid-season due to a fractious relationship with his coach; the same coach who seemed to hang all his past troubles and future successes on the shoulders of said player? We are moving very quickly from 'sad' to 'embarrassing' in describing our program. I am wondering, if not this, what is it going to take before moves are made?