Hey, ESPN! Show Scates some love
One thing that really irked me as a sportswriter, but more importantly a sports fan, was how ESPN naively neglected to mention UCLA volleyball guru Al Scates in its list of the Top Coaches of All-Time. Assumedly such a list would perfunctorily include Vince Lombardi, Red Auerbach, Dean Smith, Bear Bryant, Mike Kryzewski, John Wooden, Scotty Bowman, Phil Jackson, Bill Walsh, Joe Torre, Don Shula, and others. And I was also pleasantly surprised to see Anson Dorrance and Dan Gable receive recognition, showing that non-mainstream sports got consideration, too.
But insultingly left out was The Great Scates, who with all due respect to Wooden, is a Westwood wizard in his own right.
Next season will be his 45th year on the job - for tenure alone, he's approaching Eddie Robinson status. But his success with the Bruins is unprecedented - almost 1,200 career victories while winning nearly 85% of his games. His teams have appeared in 25 national championship games, winning 19 titles for UCLA. His winning percentage is among the highest in college sports - period. Hell, the man coached Karch Kiraly. He's a living legend. And that Coach Scates isn't on the list is pure blasphemy.
Now I'm a realist, so I accept that in an American sports world so enamored about all things football, basketball, baseball and hockey (in that order), and even extended to include golf, auto racing, tennis, horseracing, and - maybe - soccer, volleyball isn't most people's cup of tea. Even beach volleyball, overwhelmingly the fan favorite when compared to its indoor counterpart, hasn't risen above its status as athletic fetish - appealing only to a certain breed of person. Making the sport more appealing to the masses is something marketing and volleyball officials are and have been addressing for a decade.
But to ignore the contributions and achievements of a true giant in the sport is just irresponsible journalism, making the list incomplete and of less value. Do the right thing: give the man his due credit. He's certainly earned it.
But insultingly left out was The Great Scates, who with all due respect to Wooden, is a Westwood wizard in his own right.
Next season will be his 45th year on the job - for tenure alone, he's approaching Eddie Robinson status. But his success with the Bruins is unprecedented - almost 1,200 career victories while winning nearly 85% of his games. His teams have appeared in 25 national championship games, winning 19 titles for UCLA. His winning percentage is among the highest in college sports - period. Hell, the man coached Karch Kiraly. He's a living legend. And that Coach Scates isn't on the list is pure blasphemy.
Now I'm a realist, so I accept that in an American sports world so enamored about all things football, basketball, baseball and hockey (in that order), and even extended to include golf, auto racing, tennis, horseracing, and - maybe - soccer, volleyball isn't most people's cup of tea. Even beach volleyball, overwhelmingly the fan favorite when compared to its indoor counterpart, hasn't risen above its status as athletic fetish - appealing only to a certain breed of person. Making the sport more appealing to the masses is something marketing and volleyball officials are and have been addressing for a decade.
But to ignore the contributions and achievements of a true giant in the sport is just irresponsible journalism, making the list incomplete and of less value. Do the right thing: give the man his due credit. He's certainly earned it.
posted by Jason Salas @ 10:56 AM
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