Gottfried's exit was one I won't forget

[Chris Stewart]

Chris Stewart has just posted a new blog entry:
January 27th, 2009 02:09 AM

I walked into Coleman Coliseum at 8:45 a.m. yesterday, as I do almost every Sunday morning during the college basketball season.

That’s when we would tape Mark Gottfried’s television show, a program I started hosting with him last year.

Mark was standing in the hallway outside the team’s locker room (which is where we tape it) when I walked up. He greeted me as he usually does – “What’s up, Voice?” - a nickname he gave me seven years ago when I started doing play-by-play for men’s basketball.

I said, “I’m good. How are you?”

Mark replied, “I’m good.”

I said, “No. Forget basketball. How are YOU doing?”

[URL="http://www.chrisstewartsports.com/index.php?view=article&catid=35%3Abasketball&id=289%3Agottfrieds-exit-was-one-i-wont-forget&option=com_content&Itemid=61&lang=en"]http://www.chrisstewartsports.com/in...mid=61&lang=en[/URL]


...READ MORE HERE...

 

[jangalang]

Great thoughts, Chris! There was a post in the basketball forum by Cajun Crimson that summed it all up pretty well.

Page 1 by Cajun Crimson

While many are happy about his departure, we have got to give CMG his dues and make him feel welcomed to come back and visit any time.

 

[dayhiker]

Thank you for sharing that. It was wonderfully written.

 

[crimsonaudio]

Nice article.

No comment regarding xCMG.

 

[CajunCrimson]

As we move on in life (I turned 40 last month).....I find that I'm surrounded by fewer and fewer "nice" people. I think it makes us cherish those that are truly good people even more. Growing up, I only knew "good" and "nice" Bama fans. Though I should have assumed that there were those that didn't quite measure up in the "nice" department, I never ever considered it, because my young sports life was quite Utopian......growing up a Bama fan in the late 70s was about as good as it got.

With that said......I do believe that Coach Gottfried was a good one. Over the years on at least 6 occasions he responded to my emails, thanking him for a memorable season...... Because whether it came out good or bad, Alabama Basketball provided me with wonderful life distractions, and special moments to share with my Dad (now 74 with Parkinson's) and my daughters. And even though I was disappointed more than a few times, I never doubted Coach's dedication to trying to run a clean, winning program.

Every time he answered after the first email, he remembered my father's ailment, and always asked about him......I guess there aren't many Bama Basketball fans in Cajun Country, so it was easy to remember, but I prefer to think that he's just a nice guy who really remembered.

This is a sad day for me, only because I think he represented us well..... and as Chris said in his blog......it just unravelled and he couldn't get it back. But, I respect him, admire him as a man and as a father, and ultimately am proud of his days as the Bama Basketball Coach.....

 

[pc2bama]

This is a sad day for me, only because I think he represented us well..... and as Chris said in his blog......it just unravelled and he couldn't get it back. But, I respect him, admire him as a man and as a father, and ultimately am proud of his days as the Bama Basketball Coach.....

I really hope it stays that way. I hope this move quiets things down a bit.

 

[BamaRevT]

Great Read. Good luck coach Gottfried in your future endeavers !

 

[countrytider]

I also just want to say thanks, Coach Gottfried. Like Chris said in his blog, this isn't about whether or not it was time for him to go. This is about a good man. Count me in also as one who Coach Gottfried had taken time out of his schedule to reply to an email of mine. This was about 4 or 5 years into his tenure I believe, and I had asked for an autographed picture. A few weeks later, there it was in the mail. It said, "To Stephen: Roll Tide, Mark Gottfried".

I will always appreciate Coach Gottfried's time, and effort he gave to the university. He did some good things while here, and I wish him nothing but the best in the future. Roll Tide.