Former Chicago Athletes: Where Are They Now? (Clem Haskins)

[BleedGopher]

Haskins says he doesn’t look back on the scandal at Minnesota, though it’s clear that the memory haunts him. “It’s not easy when you’re accused of things you know didn’t happen, but there’s nothing you can do about it,” he says. Late in 2009, he was invited back to Williams Arena in Minneapolis for a celebration honoring the 1989–90 team he led to the NCAA tournament’s Elite Eight. Unsure of the reaction he’d receive, he went anyway. When his name was announced, the crowd erupted in cheers, and his former players urged him onto the court, where they embraced him. “I’ve shaken hands with presidents in the White House,” Haskins says, “but that’s one of the highest moments of my life. I was crying like a baby.”

http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-M...rea-Jaeger-Luc-Longley-Willie-Gault-and-More/

Go Gophers!!

 

[SelectionSunday]

That's quite a fantasy land Clem is living in. Proof that if you keep telling yourself something enough times, eventually it becomes true in your mind. Sad.

 

[Tater]

SS - I'm sure you have a great amount of background information on the Clem scandal, yet in his defense, I was never really convinced that Clem actively orchestrated the whole scandal. Lack of institutional control -- sure -- but actively instructing a tutor to write papers? I don't recall ever hearing any information to suggest Clem went that far. From the information I read at the time and thereafter, it seemed that one of two things happened: (1) Clem instructed his staff to do whatever was necessary to make sure the players passed their classes, and/or (2) Clem just simply did not want to know about the academic side and left that to others to handle. Either scenario supports the lack of institutional control finding, yet I never really heard any solid evidence that Clem actually instructed Ganglehoff or any other individual to cheat academically.

That being, said -- feel free to enlighten me if I missed something. Based on what I saw in the past, it seemed like Ganglehoff felt some sort of pressure from someone on Clem's staff to make sure the kids got passing grades and/or from the players themselves and decided it would be easier to just write papers for them.

Bottom line is that Ganglehoff, as a tutor, should have never done academic work for the players and should have gone straight to university administration if she was ever asked to engage in such activities. That being said, no one really knows how this all went down -- just giving a feeble defense of Clem's "I-didn't-know-anything" position.

 

[SelectionSunday]

I don't have any more information than the next guy. I just leave it at, I was (and still am) very disappointed in Clem. Not angry, disappointed. I thought he was the real deal, but I was duped.

I've never thought (and still don't) he's a terrible person. ... I think deep down he's a good person who lost his way in the name of power, fame and success. It happens to good people.

 

[RahRahSkiUMah]

I was at the game when he got up on the court and got that ovation... I have to say I was embarrassed for our fan base that day. All these people around me were standing and cheering, and I kept saying, "You know he set the program back 10 years, right?" Couldn't quite figure that one out.

 

[Lincoln gopher]

I don't have any more information than the next guy. I just leave it at, I was (and still am) very disappointed in Clem. Not angry, disappointed. I thought he was the real deal, but I was duped.

I've never thought (and still don't) he's a terrible person. ... I think deep down he's a good person who lost his way in the name of power, fame and success. It happens to good people.

I feel exactly the same way. I had a good friend who was an assistant coach under Clem, because of that I go to meet Clem. My nephew went to Clem's camp for 2 years, dreamed of playing for him. I thought he was a very good person, now I am just dissappointed.

 

[washgopher]

None the less, he was a damn good coach.

 

[fryguy22]

I was at the game when he got up on the court and got that ovation... I have to say I was embarrassed for our fan base that day. All these people around me were standing and cheering, and I kept saying, "You know he set the program back 10 years, right?" Couldn't quite figure that one out.

Those people remember the Final Four run, they realize it happened (no matter what the NCAA says) and they remember how great of a feeling it was. That is why they cheered.

 

[GoGoGophers]

SS - I'm sure you have a great amount of background information on the Clem scandal, yet in his defense, I was never really convinced that Clem actively orchestrated the whole scandal. Lack of institutional control -- sure -- but actively instructing a tutor to write papers? I don't recall ever hearing any information to suggest Clem went that far. From the information I read at the time and thereafter, it seemed that one of two things happened: (1) Clem instructed his staff to do whatever was necessary to make sure the players passed their classes, and/or (2) Clem just simply did not want to know about the academic side and left that to others to handle. Either scenario supports the lack of institutional control finding, yet I never really heard any solid evidence that Clem actually instructed Ganglehoff or any other individual to cheat academically.

That being, said -- feel free to enlighten me if I missed something. Based on what I saw in the past, it seemed like Ganglehoff felt some sort of pressure from someone on Clem's staff to make sure the kids got passing grades and/or from the players themselves and decided it would be easier to just write papers for them.

Bottom line is that Ganglehoff, as a tutor, should have never done academic work for the players and should have gone straight to university administration if she was ever asked to engage in such activities. That being said, no one really knows how this all went down -- just giving a feeble defense of Clem's "I-didn't-know-anything" position.

Except that whole check written to Jan Ganglehoff for $3k for the services provided, right? That check from Clem Haskins...that he admitted to writing during the investigation only after his financial records were turned over. Up to that point he denied everything. Only when the truth was evident did he quit lying.

The revisionist history re: Clem is astounding to me. He cheated, lied, and disgraced my University. That's not ok. I almost puked when he got that standing ovation at the barn.

 

[howeda7]

Those people remember the Final Four run, they realize it happened (no matter what the NCAA says) and they remember how great of a feeling it was. That is why they cheered.

+1. It is possible to be disappointed in what Clem did and still cheer him. That night was not about anything other than celebrating the 1990 team and what they accomplished. I am perplexed by the % of people on this board who see everything in black and white. Clem was a good coach. He also cheated. So have lots of other coaches. He got caught. He got punished. The U got punished more. None of it completely erases the fact that he was a good coach and won a lot of games here.

 

[NurumbiCongo]

I was at the game when he got up on the court and got that ovation... I have to say I was embarrassed for our fan base that day. All these people around me were standing and cheering, and I kept saying, "You know he set the program back 10 years, right?" Couldn't quite figure that one out.

I take it you weren't a fan of the Gophers during the Clem years? Because if you were you would be able to figure it out.

his former players urged him onto the court, where they embraced him. “I’ve shaken hands with presidents in the White House,” Haskins says, “but that’s one of the highest moments of my life. I was crying like a baby.”

It was Sid who urged him on the court.