He is a bully.
And we let him get away with it.
Not only did he get away with it, but apologists erupted in defence of his defenceless act. They called it 'tough love', they called it 'active coaching', they called it 'teaching' and laughably, 'motivating'. But make no mistake, it was schoolyard bullying at it's worst.
Most of us have seen bullying up close and personal. We have either been bullied, watched someone be bullied, or been a bully. Maybe all three... which I will cop to in high school. And I'm embarrassed to admit that.
Tom Izzo holds the ultimate position of power over his student-athletes. He makes (I refuse to say 'earns') $5 million a year coaching basketball. Aaron Henry is a teenaged student who plays for free - at the pleasure of his attacker. He cannot fight back even if he wants to, or lose his opportunity to compete.
What makes this worse, is that hundreds of thousands of kids who are playing basketball in hopes of making it to the college level, will somehow see this as 'normal behaviour' - it isn't. Perhaps worse, thousands of youth coaches across a wide spectrum of sports will see this as a normal coaching strategy- it isn't.
Maybe this can be a teachable moment. Check out this link -
No Bully
Izzo joins the ranks of Bob Knight and Woody Hayes and will never come close to the standard set by John Wooden. Izzo is a disgrace and embarrassment and he needs to own up and apologize. He needs to grow up.
There is far too much power and money fueling it to see it going anywhere soon.
How great would it be to see a referee 'T' the coach up next time his abhorrent behaviour rears its ugly head. I would buy a ticket just to see that!
And once again, madness reigns.
