Area Codes Basketball: Shaka is in Minneapolis.

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Let's assume that picture was taken this morning. People have heard of airplanes and air travel, right? It is more than feasible for him to have been in Minneapolis yesterday and back in Richmond this morning - especially traveling by private aircraft as he almost certainly would have. Furthermore, if there is any truth to this story, it would make perfect sense that he would meet with Teague here yesterday, have a tour of the facilities and perhaps the local area, and then go back to Richmond today to inform his team, gather his belongings, and return to Minneapolis for a press conference tomorrow or Friday. The theoretical timeline is perfect.
 

dpodoll68 said:
Let's assume that picture was taken this morning. People have heard of airplanes and air travel, right? It is more than feasible for him to have been in Minneapolis yesterday and back in Richmond this morning - especially traveling by private aircraft as he almost certainly would have. Furthermore, if there is any truth to this story, it would make perfect sense that he would meet with Teague here yesterday, have a tour of the facilities and perhaps the local area, and then go back to Richmond today to inform his team, gather his belongings, and return to Minneapolis for a press conference tomorrow or Friday. The theoretical timeline is perfect.
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I worry that he never came and is at VCU because the extension talks are close to being finished and he's there to sign.
 


He never seriously considered Minnesota. Sorry.
 


dpodoll68 said:
Let's assume that picture was taken this morning. People have heard of airplanes and air travel, right? It is more than feasible for him to have been in Minneapolis yesterday and back in Richmond this morning - especially traveling by private aircraft as he almost certainly would have. Furthermore, if there is any truth to this story, it would make perfect sense that he would meet with Teague here yesterday, have a tour of the facilities and perhaps the local area, and then go back to Richmond today to inform his team, gather his belongings, and return to Minneapolis for a press conference tomorrow or Friday. The theoretical timeline is perfect.
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We need you to do another stakeout!!!

Go Gophers!!
 


I'm keeping an eye on flight aware. There's an executive airport in Richmond but no flights to or from Minnesota in the past several days. Could be unlisted I suppose.
 

Don't you think with todays technology and everyone having a camera phone someone would have snapped a quick photo of Shaka somewhere in Minneapolis? That photo would be worth gold, no way he was in town.

I would believe photos over troll tweets. If it happens awesome! But if not I'm not going to be smacked with a huge letdown.
 




I heard NT planted a body double in Richmond to throw UCLA, USC and all of VCU nation off the trail.
 

BleedGopher said:
We need you to do another stakeout!!!

Go Gophers!!
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All we need is for ChemEGopher to tell us which airport some random Erickson Petroleum executives are landing at today, and I'll be there with grainy cell phone videos/pictures to placate the masses!
 

dpodoll68 said:
All we need is for ChemEGopher to tell us which airport some random Erickson Petroleum executives are landing at today, and I'll be there with grainy cell phone videos/pictures to placate the masses!
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You are a gentleman and a scholar.

Go Gophers!!
 




JMWZ said:
Coupled with the tweets, it's true. Get over it.
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I don't think that guy in the photo even looks like Shaka? Does he just shave his head on Game Day? I have never seen a photo or interview with him having any hair.
 

MaxyJR1 said:
I don't think that guy in the photo even looks like Shaka? Does he just shave his head on Game Day? I have never seen a photo or interview with him having any hair.
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I can't tell if this is a joke or serious, but what a stretch either way LOL
 

BleedGopher said:
The only reason for Shaka to come to Minneapolis is to see the facilities and he and his wife to see the city. He doesn't need to interview Teague and vice versa.

Either that or maybe he likes not having to pay taxes on clothing and wanted a quick in and out MOA shopping trip.

Go Gophers!!
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Good one:D
 


Wouldn't You like to Know said:
What Tweets?!?
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The kid tweeted, tried to take this without looking like a creep.

I don't doubt that he is in VCU right now, mostly. However, I don't think that is a big indicator of what job he will have next year. Planes can work pretty efficiently if you are Shaka Smart / NT.
 

Gopher07 said:
I'm keeping an eye on flight aware. There's an executive airport in Richmond but no flights to or from Minnesota in the past several days. Could be unlisted I suppose.
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The AD and coaches are on to the Flight Aware tracking done by fans/media. They've developed counter-measures to stop people from figuring out who is traveling to where:

1. Blocking tail number
2. Diverting flight in air
3. 1 hop-routing (Richmond -> Ft. Wayne -> Mpls )
4. Meeting at neutral site
 

TC-Monkey said:
The AD and coaches are on to the Flight Aware tracking done by fans/media. They've developed counter-measures to stop people from figuring out who is traveling to where:

1. Blocking tail number
2. Diverting flight in air
3. 1 hop-routing (Richmond -> Ft. Wayne -> Mpls )
4. Meeting at neutral site
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I demand we develop counter-countermeasures. Creepin is serious business.
 

I can't be the only Marcy Elementary alum who remembers Chad Groth, can I? Wasn't he in Sam's room?

That being said, I'm finding it hilarious that as more and more of these personal news bits come out, they're all pointing to Smart actually coming here. Also hilarious is how UCLA thinks they are a great place for a younger hire. What a joke.
 

ClemtheGem said:
I can't be the only Marcy Elementary alum who remembers Chad Groth, can I? Wasn't he in Sam's room?

That being said, I'm finding it hilarious that as more and more of these personal news bits come out, they're all pointing to Smart actually coming here. Also hilarious is how UCLA thinks they are a great place for a younger hire. What a joke.
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Drove through Bel Air and Beverly Hills a couple years ago on a whirlwind one-day driving tour of LA and Hollywood, and so we drove right past the UCLA campus. Holy mackerel, it looked like the Garden of Eden. What a beautiful place. It would be hard to resist as either a student or staff. The question is whether a dude really wants to live in LA. I thought of that as I was watching Ben Tracy report for the CBS morning news show this morning, which also reminded me of Paul Magers. Most everyone I've talked to who lives or has lived there says the same thing - "It's different." Shaka is a midwestern guy, and I think if he comes here, that would have something to do with it.
 

ClemtheGem said:
I can't be the only Marcy Elementary alum who remembers Chad Groth, can I? Wasn't he in Sam's room?

That being said, I'm finding it hilarious that as more and more of these personal news bits come out, they're all pointing to Smart actually coming here. Also hilarious is how UCLA thinks they are a great place for a younger hire. What a joke.
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They got Wooden away from the Gophers because of a snowstorm. Just ask Sid. We get Shaka 65 years later.
 

Bad Gopher said:
Drove through Bel Air and Beverly Hills a couple years ago on a whirlwind one-day driving tour of LA and Hollywood, and so we drove right past the UCLA campus. Holy mackerel, it looked like the Garden of Eden. What a beautiful place. It would be hard to resist as either a student or staff. The question is whether a dude really wants to live in LA. I thought of that as I was watching Ben Tracy report for the CBS morning news show this morning, which also reminded me of Paul Magers. Most everyone I've talked to who lives or has lived there says the same thing - "It's different." Shaka is a midwestern guy, and I think if he comes here, that would have something to do with it.
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I was referring to the microscope that is currently trained on the UCLA program right now. They have several big money alums who want to have a hand in what the coach does. Come on, this is a program that ran Ben Howland out of town. This is a program where you're considered a failure if you don't live up to John bleeping Wooden. If I'm a young-ish coach like Smart, I want zero part of UCLA, no matter how nice the campus looks.
 


ClemtheGem said:
I was referring to the microscope that is currently trained on the UCLA program right now. They have several big money alums who want to have a hand in what the coach does. Come on, this is a program that ran Ben Howland out of town. This is a program where you're considered a failure if you don't live up to John bleeping Wooden. If I'm a young-ish coach like Smart, I want zero part of UCLA, no matter how nice the campus looks.
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I really disagree. UCLA is like Notre Dame in football. It's a destination job. Great resources. Great tradition. Easier conference than the B1G (and most Pac-10 teams actually play basketball and not indoor rugby). If UCLA wants Smart, they'll come with a giant offer and if Smart doesn't do the job there and gets fired in 5 years, then he'll drop down to a lower level and keep coaches (and count all the money he made while he was at UCLA).
 


50PoundHead said:
I really disagree. UCLA is like Notre Dame in football. It's a destination job. Great resources. Great tradition. Easier conference than the B1G (and most Pac-10 teams actually play basketball and not indoor rugby). If UCLA wants Smart, they'll come with a giant offer and if Smart doesn't do the job there and gets fired in 5 years, then he'll drop down to a lower level and keep coaches (and count all the money he made while he was at UCLA).
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First off, thanks for the well written and well thought out reply.

I see UCLA less of a basketball version of ND football, and more of a basketball version of UTexas or even Texas Tech football, where you have a bunch of entitled, rich boosters who think that because of the rich history of the program that they know more about the relevant sport than the staff. Sure, in a sense that's more or less all boosters, but personally, I think expectations would be lower and the spotlight would be dimmer at Minnesota than it would be at a higher profile school like UCLA.

I also love the idea of Villa 7, and think that more of those coaches in the Big10 would be fantastic.
 

I think Texas is an apt comparison more than Texas Tech. Texas was a premier football power nationally in the 1960s and 1970s that has come back to the pack (although they still have a performance spike every few years and they pretty much get every high school player they want). UCLA has probably fallen below Duke and North Carolina (and maybe Kansas) in terms of basketball prominence. I guess my point was they are still well ahead of us in a number of categories and Smart going there will generate a whole lot more buzz than him coming here. I agree you are absolutely right that the pressure would be less here, but most guys coaching at a high level have the determination to climb the highest mountain. It's not ego or arrogance; it's simply being ambitious and having a lot of self-confidence. In other words, I don't think they'd shy away from pressure.
 

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