Suggs interview on Kare 11 at 6:30

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alchemy2u

alchemy2u

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Just watched a short interview with Suggs on 11. They built it up saying what a great player he was and that he was going to Gonzaga. And that even though he was not going to the U that he wanted to represent Minnesota. In the interview he said he was proud to be someone from St Paul that could make it on the world stage, etc...

He has had quite a bit of success playing for the US team and represented Minnesota well on those teams. Sorry, but playing for Gonzaga is not representing Minnesota! He could have played with his friends at the U, but he chose to leave. Gonzaga and their fans couldn’t care less where he played high school. Most of the fans watching him play at Gonzaga will not know where he grew up. None of them ever watched him play in high school, etc. You can represent something that nobody knows or cares about. Of course, that would have been a different story if he went to the U.
 






alchemy2u said:
Just watched a short interview with Suggs on 11. They built it up saying what a great player he was and that he was going to Gonzaga. And that even though he was not going to the U that he wanted to represent Minnesota. In the interview he said he was proud to be someone from St Paul that could make it on the world stage, etc...

He has had quite a bit of success playing for the US team and represented Minnesota well on those teams. Sorry, but playing for Gonzaga is not representing Minnesota! He could have played with his friends at the U, but he chose to leave. Gonzaga and their fans couldn’t care less where he played high school. Most of the fans watching him play at Gonzaga will not know where he grew up. None of them ever watched him play in high school, etc. You can represent something that nobody knows or cares about. Of course, that would have been a different story if he went to the U.
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He will represent a great deal to many people. Not everyone is bound by a border. Not everyone is provincial. Countless people could care less where you came from. He had no say in being born in Minnesota. People from Minnesota that know and love him will be glad he represents them. Many fans that watched him in high school are not even Gopher fans. Most Gopher fans never even saw him play. Gonzaga fans will live in the moment and cheer for him there. Over the years Gopher fans loved players that came from out of state.
 


builtbadgers said:
He will represent a great deal to many people. Not everyone is bound by a border. Not everyone is provincial. Countless people could care less where you came from. He had no say in being born in Minnesota. People from Minnesota that know and love him will be glad he represents them. Many fans that watched him in high school are not even Gopher fans. Most Gopher fans never even saw him play. Gonzaga fans will live in the moment and cheer for him there. Over the years Gopher fans loved players that came from out of state.
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The point was he talked about representing where he was born, where he came from, Minnesota, etc... I am sure that his family and old friends from HS will be proud of him... It was he who brought up the Minnesota issue, he was being provincial. I just pointed out that if he isn't wearing the M on his jersey, then 95% of the people who watch him will not know that he wants to represent Minnesota.
 

Maybe they will rebroadcast it on the 10pm show tonight (KARE11) and you can get a better feel for what he was saying.
 



Reminds me of when mark hall said he wanted to be the face of Minnesota wrestling.
 

alchemy2u said:
The point was he talked about representing where he was born, where he came from, Minnesota, etc... I am sure that his family and old friends from HS will be proud of him... It was he who brought up the Minnesota issue, he was being provincial. I just pointed out that if he isn't wearing the M on his jersey, then 95% of the people who watch him will not know that he wants to represent Minnesota.
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Great points , thank you. With all that state pride, even more evident why he picked Gonzaga. He is not all that provincial if he chose to leave.
 





There are a lot of people in the TC who don't feel that you have to be going to the homestate school to represent the state/city. Same for most other places. Chicago reps hard for guys that go elsewhere. LA reps hard for guys like Harden that went to ASU. NYC and Atlanta produce plenty of players who leave. As Gopher fans we want him to come here but even those that leave feel like they're repping their hometown and most of the folks they grew up with and around agree.
 


LongLiveMilesTarver said:
It reminds me of when Tyus got drafted by the Wolves and said it was a dream come true to be able to represent his hometown.
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How about the entire state worshipping someone like Bud Grant who is from Wisconsin or Kirby Puckett who was from Chicago. For a very long time people have been driven to try new things, to travel, to broaden their experiences. Recruits are no different. They have a criteria of what they are looking for.
 

Don't care about him. I may see him play for Gonzaga and recognize the name as a past recruit, but I'm not from St. Paul and Suggs isn't my neighbor. Gonzaga can love him, but don't expect me to. Wouldn't have thought about the Jones boys but there were so many of them and one played for the a Wolves for a bit. Most other local recruits that we missed on I can't even remember their names. I'm a Gopher fan, not part of their circle of family and friends.
 

Suggs appears to be a great kid. He said he would have played football at the U for Fleck but never jived with Pitino. Maybe we know what about he solution is but don’t want to admit it.
 

goldenboy said:
Don't care about him. I may see him play for Gonzaga and recognize the name as a past recruit, but I'm not from St. Paul and Suggs isn't my neighbor. Gonzaga can love him, but don't expect me to. Wouldn't have thought about the Jones boys but there were so many of them and one played for the a Wolves for a bit. Most other local recruits that we missed on I can't even remember their names. I'm a Gopher fan, not part of their circle of family and friends.
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This is all about Suggs and those close to him as it should be.. He needs to do what is best for him and go to a place that will best serve his goals.

This is all fake news. Representing Minnesota by going to Gonzaga is B.S. He is going to Gonzaga to rep himself and Gonzaga and Minnesota won't care.

Like other MN players who shun their home state, its their life.
 

builtbadgers said:
For a very long time people have been driven to try new things, to travel, to broaden their experiences. Recruits are no different. They have a criteria of what they are looking for.
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I'm a former Minnehaha basketball player and U of M grad who left the state after graduation and will never live there again. I have some perspective. I agree with your sentiment -- it is a great thing to broaden your experiences. I don't hold anything against the guys that want to get out of state.

But to defend his claim he is representing the state of Minnesota? Now you're being an apologist. If he wanted to represent Minnesota he could have elevated them on the national stage by playing here. This idea that he is representing Minnesota by playing one year for a top private school in Washington is sophistry.
 
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oleboy41 said:
There are a lot of people in the TC who don't feel that you have to be going to the homestate school to represent the state/city. Same for most other places. Chicago reps hard for guys that go elsewhere. LA reps hard for guys like Harden that went to ASU. NYC and Atlanta produce plenty of players who leave. As Gopher fans we want him to come here but even those that leave feel like they're repping their hometown and most of the folks they grew up with and around agree.
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To represent something then people have to know what it is you represent. If 95% of the fans do not even know what you represent, it is hard to claim that it means anything.
 


builtbadgers said:
How about the entire state worshipping someone like Bud Grant who is from Wisconsin or Kirby Puckett who was from Chicago. For a very long time people have been driven to try new things, to travel, to broaden their experiences. Recruits are no different. They have a criteria of what they are looking for.
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I have no argument with what you are saying, we enjoy traveling immensely and discovering new things. It is something that everyone should do if they can.

Kirby and Bud were professional players that brought their teams to new levels. It is natural for them to be fan favorites as they represented Minnesota on those teams. And I understand that player want to try other parts of the country, and in fact most high school players do. Here we have a player say he wants to be connected with the state, but then chooses not to do that. It is his decision and he can do what he wants to do, but just be real and don’t fool yourself.
 

alchemy2u said:
To represent something then people have to know what it is you represent. If 95% of the fans do not even know what you represent, it is hard to claim that it means anything.
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I haven't lived in Minnesota since 1979. Yet, I think I'm doing a pretty nice job of representing Minnesota out here in the west. I get a lot of comments on my midwestern work ethics and attitude. Comments on my sense of humor, which I remind people, comes from my Minnesota upbringing. Had more than a few people make a "Minnesota Nice" reference and comment on my ability to take life in stride. I generally make sure to credit those traits to growing up in Minnesota.

These folks may not have known or cared about where I came from at first, but as I started to make an impression, they started to realize, "You get a guy from Minnesota and you've got yourself a good, hard-working person who is enjoyable to be around.". Would that be considered "representing Minnesota?". Maybe not to everybody, but I think I'm doing an OK job of it.

Why did I move away? Winters and the wish to experience a different part of the country and, hopefully, do exactly what I've done with my life. Which is to start over from scratch, where nobody knew anything about me, to see if I could build a successful life, based strictly on my current abilities and attitude, not a previous reputation or "Knowing somebody" that could help me get my foot in the door. I don't begrudge anybody who wants to do something similar.
 

alchemy2u said:
To represent something then people have to know what it is you represent. If 95% of the fans do not even know what you represent, it is hard to claim that it means anything.
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you're talking about Gonzaga fans. And that's also wrong. MN fans know where our players are from. Suggs is the highest rated recruit they've ever brought in and has played on multiple National televised games for his HS. Guarantee you most of them know where he's from.

Also you're thinking extremely small. Suggs is going to Zaga for 1 year. When he talks about representing his city he's talking long term. And he's talking about carrying the flag for the kids/people here.

Lastly you're being naive. Khalid El Amin won a title at UCONN like 20 years ago and is still a star in Minneapolis, at least among the black community. Plus he played a big role in increasing the level of respect for local talent. I get that some of you think only where you go to college matters but that's just not the case.
 

eker0016 said:
I'm a former Minnehaha basketball player and U of M grad who left the state after graduation and will never live there again. I have some perspective. I agree with your sentiment -- it is a great thing to broaden your experiences. I don't hold anything against the guys that want to get out of state.

But to defend his claim he is representing the state of Minnesota? Now you're being an apologist. If he wanted to represent Minnesota he could have elevated them on the national stage by playing here. This idea that he is representing Minnesota by playing one year for a top private school in Washington is sophistry.
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The problem with this idea is that it's simply untrue and it's untrue in most walks of life. If the only way you can represent where you come from is to go to the local college then that's a very narrow window. It's also ignoring realities.

Everyone knows Dywane Wade is from Chicago. He played for Marquette
KAT reps the Dominican Republic. Went to school in the states at KY
James Harden reps LA - went to ASU
Randy Moss has always repped West Virginia - went to FSU first
Steve Nash reps Canada - went to school in the states

Some of you guys are acting like bitter ex girlfriends and are trying to make things true that just aren't. Here's the funniest thing: Suggs has done more representing of the state of Minnesota, and particularly the basketball community, than anyone here. Dude has been a representative of the state playing in AAU, for Team USA, at camps, etc. All these kids talk about the pride they take in repping MN basketball. They do not have to choose to play for the U, and for a coach/program they may not believe in in order to rep the state, regardless of if a few bitter Gopher fans refuse to recognize that fact. And guess what? Tons of young basketball players in this state look up to him and gain motivation from seeing a guy from where they're from doing what he's doing.
 

Suggs did not want to go to MN. He wanted to go to Gonzaga.

that is not his fault.

The Gopher program - at this point - is not attracting the top players from MN. That is not on Suggs - it's on the people who run the Gopher program.

We're not talking about one player here. We are talking about player after player after player. They have different circumstances - different goals - and one common denominator. They did not want to play college basketball for the Gophers.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
Suggs did not want to go to MN. He wanted to go to Gonzaga.

that is not his fault.

The Gopher program - at this point - is not attracting the top players from MN. That is not on Suggs - it's on the people who run the Gopher program.

We're not talking about one player here. We are talking about player after player after player. They have different circumstances - different goals - and one common denominator. They did not want to play college basketball for the Gophers.
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Yep. I look at it like this: If your kid was a top 50 player and could theoretically go to any school in the country and you wanted him to go to MN, what would you sell him on? We can't use relationship with coaches because that's an unknown.
Coaching? Can you say he's going to receive coaching and development on par with the top programs?
NBA? Does Mn give him a better, worse, or equal chance as other places?
Winning?

Go down the line. I believe it's a solid program and could be a great fit for some kids but the reality is we have 0 expectation that we're going to land big time players from other places because we know we're not on that level. If Suggs was from Chicago we wouldn't even think twice about him not considering MN at all because we know we're not a national program. But we somehow want local players to ignore all those other things because why? Loyalty to a bunch of fans that will say 'screw him' if he doesn't do want they want him to? As much as people hate on AAU coaches and folks like that, guys like Suggs know those guys will have their backs wherever they go. If a kid wants to stay home that's great. Positive vibes. But If staying home is the only reason to go to the local school well then I can't blame them for leaving
 

oleboy41 said:
you're talking about Gonzaga fans. And that's also wrong. MN fans know where our players are from. Suggs is the highest rated recruit they've ever brought in and has played on multiple National televised games for his HS. Guarantee you most of them know where he's from.

Also you're thinking extremely small. Suggs is going to Zaga for 1 year. When he talks about representing his city he's talking long term. And he's talking about carrying the flag for the kids/people here.

Lastly you're being naive. Khalid El Amin won a title at UCONN like 20 years ago and is still a star in Minneapolis, at least among the black community. Plus he played a big role in increasing the level of respect for local talent. I get that some of you think only where you go to college matters but that's just not the case.
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Sorry could care less about Minnesota kids once they leave the state. I'm not going to care for a kid just because he is from MN. I didn't know him and could care less unless he played for the U. I care about the kids that represent the U and never even think of the state they came from.
 

oleboy41 said:
Yep. I look at it like this: If your kid was a top 50 player and could theoretically go to any school in the country and you wanted him to go to MN, what would you sell him on? We can't use relationship with coaches because that's an unknown.
Coaching? Can you say he's going to receive coaching and development on par with the top programs?
NBA? Does Mn give him a better, worse, or equal chance as other places?
Winning?

Go down the line. I believe it's a solid program and could be a great fit for some kids but the reality is we have 0 expectation that we're going to land big time players from other places because we know we're not on that level. If Suggs was from Chicago we wouldn't even think twice about him not considering MN at all because we know we're not a national program. But we somehow want local players to ignore all those other things because why? Loyalty to a bunch of fans that will say 'screw him' if he doesn't do want they want him to? As much as people hate on AAU coaches and folks like that, guys like Suggs know those guys will have their backs wherever they go. If a kid wants to stay home that's great. Positive vibes. But If staying home is the only reason to go to the local school well then I can't blame them for leaving
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Do you think that Oturu would have developed better as a player at another school? Do you think a school like Duke would have let Amir play PG to develop his ball handling? If anything, Hurt looks like a worse player after a year at Duke. You know very well that the cream of the crop players will get their shot at the NBA no matter where they play. It is not like playing at the U is like playing at Macalester College.

A good portion of the early NBA draft picks are from Europe where they learn better fundamentals than kids do in the "win over development" AAU. We all know that Pitino has made more than his share of "learning on the job" mistakes early in his career, but the anti-U environment of the AAU group in this state is not fair to the players or the U.

It becomes a catch 22 situation. A program can never reach "that level" unless some big time players are willing to give it a chance. How do you expect any out of state top players to come if the local kids wont even try it? Some local kids have to have the courage and the confidence in their abilities to bring the U to that top level. And it is not loyalty to the fickle fans, it is loyalty to the family, his band of brothers that can join together at the U, his school and his hometown fans helped him grow up, the little kids that see him as a role model, etc.
 

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