Pat Richter calls Roy Williams a pussy

[Goober McTuber]

Boy, you've got to love Pat Richter.

Madison's favorite son retired as the University of Wisconsin's athletic director in 2004 but he's still standing up for his coaches.

Speaking on his WTLX-FM radio show last week, Richter caused a stir when he criticized the location and timing of UW's first matchup against men's basketball power North Carolina in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The Badgers and Tar Heels will meet Nov. 30 at Chapel Hill in a game that will be televised on an undetermined ESPN network.

Richter joined a lengthy list of conspiracy theorists in complaining about the murky scheduling process for the Challenge. He also asserted that North Carolina coach Roy Williams has no interest in bringing the Tar Heels to Madison where he is still disliked for comments he made about UW's style of play following its NCAA Final Four appearance in 2000 and that Williams uses his power to covertly influence the decision-makers at ESPN and the two conferences when it comes to when and where North Carolina plays in the Challenge.

"It still is a joke," Richter said. "I know darn well that you'll never get Roy Williams here. He won't come to Wisconsin. He's afraid the people are going to boo him and everything else. I think that's all bogus."

Richter also said the timing of the schools' first meeting in the 13 years of the Challenge was suspect. North Carolina is loaded with blue-chip returnees for next year and should be the No. 1 pick in the preseason polls. Though still expected to be ranked from 10th to 15th, UW must replace its top two post players, including likely NBA draft pick Jon Leuer.

"They should have been at our place a long time ago and it never happened," Richter said. "And here we go again. We've got to go down there when they're supposed to have all these horses back and it's going to be a tough road for us. Who's going to benefit but Roy Williams?"

Credit Richter for one thing he knows his audience. No one will ever get in trouble for ripping Williams in Wisconsin. Nor will anyone take offense to complaints about the all-too-frequent unfairness of the Challenge matchups.

Williams was the coach at Kansas in 2001 when he made unsolicited comments about the halftime score (19-17) and the physical play in the 2000 NCAA semifinal between UW and Michigan State, statements that were self-serving and, worse, hurtful to then-UW coach Dick Bennett. Richter no doubt still holds that against Williams.

As for the Challenge, people have long suspected that big-time coaches such as Williams, Duke's Mike Krzyzewski and Michigan State's Tom Izzo have undue influence on the scheduling process. In some ways, that's been proven. Heck, it was even true with UW.

After the Badgers were sent to play the ACC's other major power, Duke, in 2007, and then went to Virginia Tech the following year, coach Bo Ryan strongly pointed out to Big Ten and ESPN officials that UW had the greatest disparity between home and road games of any team from either conference. UW was immediately rewarded with a home game against Duke in 2009 and another against North Carolina State last year.

The biggest problem is that the scheduling process was never defined when the Challenge was created for ESPN in 1999. Though it would be naive to think ESPN doesn't listen to certain coaches and schools more than others, the truth is the network wields most of the scheduling power and it generally looks for the most attractive matchups.

Sources in the athletic department said that until recently UW had been told its Challenge opponent likely would be Virginia and coach Tony Bennett, Dick's son and a former UW assistant. Meanwhile, North Carolina's likely opponent was up-and-coming Michigan. However, when Michigan sophomore Darius Morris unexpectedly left his name in the NBA draft, ESPN switched gears and put UW against North Carolina.

Of course, there are other ways to look at the matchup.

First, it is a sign that UW has arrived as a big-time program. For a long time, it didn't have enough cachet nationally for ESPN to pair it with a North Carolina or a Duke and this will be its third such game in five years.

Second, this is a chance for the Badgers to add to that reputation because it will be a great challenge. And have you ever seen Ryan back down from a challenge?

However, none of that will silence the conspiracy theorists. The only way that will happen is if North Carolina shows up at the Kohl Center in 2012 or 2013.

[Screw_Michigan]

Nice take, Newslink42. Richter is right. And RACK him.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

Wasn't it Roy Williams who was whining about how difficult it was to bring in a good recruiting class because.........his team was so deep with talent that future studs didn't want to go there in fear of having to battle for playing time? The guy is a major league doucher.

[King Crimson]

3 Big Ten fans ripping Roy.....

kidding. anyway, Roy's teams sure did used to get a lot of easy baskets....at Kansas. they were always a little soft if you played physical or they had a bad night from floor. it's easy to rip Roy, but i've never hated on him so much. however, who doesn't win the NCAA with McCants, Sean May, and Co?

i do give RW credit for a couple of his wins over OU....Big XII tournament championship....i mean, Kelvin Sampson has 7 legit D-1 players on his roster and KU is stacked full of McD's guys...game is still close in the 2nd half...and Roy wises up and feeds the ball to Paul Pierce in the 2nd half...like anyone would. he's by far the best player on the floor and cannot be stopped. takes RW 30 minutes of basketball to figure that one.

Jon used to hate on Roy, in his way. that was funny. LaFrenz is from Iowa or something....Jon used to sleep with his underwear under his pillow?

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

3 Big Ten fans ripping Roy.....

In fairness, I didn't have much of an opinion of him one way or the other while he was at KU. It wasn't until he took over the baby blue that he seemed to turn into a whiny pussbag over basically everything. Got one of the greatest gigs in sports, enough already.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

And for the record, Pat Richter essentially calling someone a pussy while complaining about scheduling is a bit of a KYOA job. Plus they are now 6 home, and 5 away in the ACC/Big 10 Challenge.

[Goober McTuber]

Is there a specific beef you have about Richter? Let’s hear it. Dude did an incredible job as AD, building up both the football and basketball programs simultaneously. Put the athletic department in the black, where it remains. One of the few in the country.

Richter called out Roy Williams for being scared to play at the Kohl Center. And he’s right. I was there for the Sweet 16 where Roy was unmercifully booed by the Badger faithful. Dude looked like he was going to cry.

And for the record, they are 5 home and 6 away, with one in Milwaukee.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

Is there a specific beef you have about Richter? Let’s hear it.

Beyond what I already said? No. Don't you see the irony/hypocrisy in calling out Roy for being a pussy while complaining about Big Ten/ACC scheduling? And then to go on and say "wah wah wah, why do we have to play UNC when they're good?"

And for the record, they are 5 home and 6 away, with one in Milwaukee.

Soooo, what's the issue?

[Goober McTuber]

And for the record, they are 5 home and 6 away, with one in Milwaukee.

Soooo, what's the issue?

Just that you had it backwards.

If you have no problem with Roy controlling who he plays in the challenge and where, I give a shit. It's just one game. He's still a pussy. Do you think Bo Ryan has an equal say in who Wisconsin plays? What I don't understand is why ESPN didn't insist on UNC playing tOSU since both are picked to be the best in their conferences this year. That would have been the premier matchup, but the idea of it being played in Columbus probably caused a vaginal herpes flareup for Roy.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

Just that you had it backwards.

No, I'm asking what Ricther's issue is. There is no great disparity there between home and away games. Maybe a few years ago, but not currently. Plus, you need to count Milwaukee as a home game. Maybe it's not the environment you get at the Kohl Center, but it's not away, and it sure as hell isn't neutral.

If you have no problem with Roy controlling who he plays in the challenge and where, I give a shit. It's just one game. He's still a pussy.

I agree. I'm just saying, Richter countering Roy Williams' pussification by also being a pussy isn't a real effective strategy.

[Goober McTuber]

Just that you had it backwards.

No, I'm asking what Ricther's issue is.

No, you said we had already had 6 home and 5 away. You had it backwards. But rack you for flying the IKYABWAI flag on Roy's behalf.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

1. Yes, I was asking what Richter's issue is.
2. Even with your numbers, there is still no huge disparity between home & away games.

[Goober McTuber]

1. I believe that Richter’s issue is with the timing of sending UW down to Chapel Hill and that Roy Williams probably had something to do with it. UNC will be loaded this year, UW has no way of matching up in the frontcourt, and UW is way overrated if people are putting them in the Top 15. I expect a blowout. It’s curious that UNC is not playing tOSU. And Roy will do anything he can to avoid setting foot in the Kohl Center.
2. I didn’t say there was a huge disparity. I said you had it backwards. Sorry you have such a difficult time admitting that.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

UNC is going to be "loaded" most years. It's UNC. Even when they suck, they're good. Roy's influence aside, I would relish the opportunity to play a good UNC team, not complain about it. It will only better prepare you for tournament play, something that a Bo Ryan team could benefit from.

2. I didn’t say there was a huge disparity. I said you had it backwards. Sorry you have such a difficult time admitting that.

No difficulty. I had it backwards. I just fail to see how it's relevant in regards to my point.

[Goober McTuber]

I give up. You are relentless.