How does Mick Cronin survive this, sending his own player off the court after hustling hard on defense to get a piece of the ball but unfortunately too much contact and drew a foul. Does he not constantly rip his team for weak defense?
Steven Jamerson, you deserved better from your coach and I won’t be surprised if your teammates and UCLA’s decision-makers agree going forward. Except …. he just recently got an extension. Way to go, Martin Jarmond.
Ron Mortvedt
San Bernardino
How can UCLA’s combustible coach possibly demand discipline, hold his players responsible, or blame them for failing to take accountability when, night after night, he’s the most unhinged person in the building? Hey Mick, as my grandma used to say, “When you point a finger at someone, three point back at you.”
Steve Ross
Carmel
Bill Plaschke nailed it in his column today. Mick Cronin just seems to be angry all the time prowling the sidelines. What does that look like to a kid still playing in high school? How AD Martin Jarmond gave him an extended contract with a $22.5-million buyout is beyond me. It’s going to cost UCLA to move on from him. It would be a lot easier if he only starts throwing chairs.
Paul Atkinson
Ventura
The sky has fallen! For the first time I can remember I agree with something Bill Plaschke has written!
Julian Pollok
Palm Desert
As a lifelong fan and proud alumnus, I believe it’s time for UCLA to seriously evaluate the direction of its men’s basketball program. Why would we want a head coach who appears angry every time he’s in the spotlight? Leadership sets the tone, and right now that tone feels tense and joyless. Players want to compete for someone who inspires them and makes them better — not someone whose public demeanor seems rooted in frustration.
Watching from the outside, it often looks like the team is playing tight rather than confident, and that reflects leadership. Mick Cronin has had success and deserves credit for that, but UCLA basketball is bigger than any one résumé; if the standard is sustained excellence and a culture players are proud to represent, then it’s fair to question whether this is the right long-term fit for the program.
Michael Gesas
Beverly Hills
What planet is Luc Robitaille living on when he says sending NHL players to the Olympics is a good thing because it increases worldwide exposure for hockey? Since the majority of people in the world could care less about hockey, the only thing sending players to the Olympics does is expose them to unnecessary injury, with Kevin Fiala’s being a disaster for the Kings. If the NHL owners thought Olympic exposure would make hockey more popular and their teams more valuable, they wouldn’t have stopped sending players to the Olympics after the 2014 Games. Earth to Luc, I’m sure Phil Anschutz right now isn’t saying, “Oh well, at least Fiala’s injury was good for the game of hockey.”
Doug Vikser
Manhattan Beach
As I’m seemingly force-fed curling every time I turn on the Winter Olympics, I have no orientation as to what it takes to be a good curler. Every country’s athletes seem to look similar and built the same with little distinction of individual skill sets. It left me to ponder, how do you know if you’re the Wayne Gretzky or Michael Jordan of curling or the next great star to revolutionize the sport?
Ron Yukelson
San Luis Obispo
Letters: Apology or not, UCLA coach Mick Cronin must go
