Northwestern's Kevin Coble quits basketball

[Da Coach]

sorry...not seeing the scandal or mysteriousness in a kid burning out on sports but choosing to continue to go to class and graduate.

Maybe so, but it happens so rarely that it's understandable that there might be people who question the veracity of the reasons given, IMO.

Can you name any previous instance of a kid returning from an injury/redshirt year, who was the team's MVP and leading scorer/rebounder, who after completing all the grueling rehab, simply quit?

I don't think it has ever happened like this before.

Plus, we know things like this happen all the time where there are other reasons that the player or coach just don't feel they want to air publically.
As was said earlier- when Rashad Austin or Ty Cole-Scott chose to leave Bradley, there was plenty of wild speculation here that there were ulterior motives or that they were run off by coaches (which was never true). So maybe it's OK to speculate on other reasons when it involves BU, but not when it involves other schools?

And I am not the only person who has heard from other sources that there is more to the story that will eventually come out.

[AZ BU Fan]

I realy don't know how it could be called anything but quitting.
Maybe it would be a chaep shot if I just made it up, but I didn't.
Tell the Chicago Tribune writer--
Coble Quits Northwestern Basketball Team

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2010-07-27/sports/ct-spt-0729-northwestern-kevin-coble-20100727_1_nu-coach-bill-carmody-northwestern-quits

Lots of other people are using the same word-

http://thebiglead.com/index.php/2010/07/28/the-roundup-joe-mauers-playing-hurt-kevin-coble-quits-northwestern-hoops-kick-vandy-out-of-the-sec/

Even the official Northwestern Scout writer says Coble quit the team-

http://northwestern.scout.com/2/987262.html

btw, note that he also points out how unprecedented this act is-
"As unprecedented as Coble??™s decision to quit the team is ??“ What other three-year leading scorers have forgone their senior season for anything other than the NBA?..."

Others aren't so kind like this Northwestern fan who blogs regularly-
Coble pusses out

http://firebillcarmody.blogspot.com/2010/07/coble-pusses-out.html

Funny how Bradley fans are lightning-quick to rip into our players and coaches, none of whom have ever quit on their team, despite Bradleys recent NCAA success and 5 winning seasons in a row, while Northwestern has never had any significant success, and have never played a single NCAA tournament game in their long history. I can see why their fans (what's left of them) might be a little upset about this.

DC - I wasn't calling out you, or any particular poster on BF-Com, regarding this story. As I don't think you were calling me out with "Bradley Fans are lightening quick to rip into our players..."

Comments about performance are fair game. Ripping a kid for not wanting to play anymore......and all the insinuations of some kind of sensational motives.....As my mom used to say, 'just cause everyone else is doing it, doesn't make it right'.

The media calling a college kid a quitter is inappropriate. Being disappointed over your teams outlook/prospects is one thing, calling young adults names is something else. The outrage here seems similar to the Lebron James fiasco.

Hopefully the kid doesn't come out and say he has cancer or something similar.

[BUBrave28]

Didn't TJ Parker do the same thing after his junior season?? The only difference was he entered the NBA draft (knowing he in all likelihood wouldn't be drafted).

[Future Walk-On]

sorry...not seeing the scandal or mysteriousness in a kid burning out on sports but choosing to continue to go to class and graduate.

I am trying to remember and believe you are an ISU fan...if OE and DO decided they just wanted to quit before last year....what would you think about that?

[BostonBird]

I am trying to remember and believe you are an ISU fan...if OE and DO decided they just wanted to quit before last year....what would you think about that?

I'd be pissed, but I wouldn't be weird about it. I'd have no right to be angry at a kid because he won't continue doing something he doesn't want to just to make me happier about ISU's season. insinuating that someone is a wimp or is somehow letting you down when he is following his heart doesn't make any sense. This kid is living HIS life, not yours...and following HIS dreams not yours.

I think this happens a lot in professional sports as well. Just because you think its the best opportunity ever or the best job ever doesn't mean that person loves it. There are some who hate their jobs no matter what the job is. And thats their right. More power to them if they can find something else that makes them happier.

*does not imply you specifically, more of a general "you" to mean anyone who is not the player.

[tornado]

..It is his decision. Who are we to pry, or, insinuate other devious reasons for his decision to stop playing bball and move on with his life?
It would be nice for people to just say great career, good luck with your education and your future life.
Kevin doesn't owe anyone else anything, or, have any need to explain his personal life/decisions to the public. He is an amateur....Leave it alone...

and

sorry...not seeing the scandal or mysteriousness in a kid burning out on sports but choosing to continue to go to class and graduate.

well..the answer just might be a little more clear -- but I am sure we'll still have some debate...

Today -- SI & ESPN have coverage saying a few things that clarify what happened.....

First-- maybe Kevin Coble didn't owe anyone an explanation, but he did offer one -- and he did take the unusual step of going behind the coach back and writing a letter, via e mail, to Sports Illustrated, saying in effect the head coach is the bad guy for wanting Coble to simply be a part of the team and accompany the team on their European tour last year.

Second-- remember -- Coble was a full year down the road from his injury and was still claiming he could not participate in any activities with the team because of his rehab regimen -- something I find really hard to believe...
Remember those quotes about how strangely Coble avoided many team functions and was a real "loner"...

http://bradleyfans.com/vb/showpost.php?p=187590&postcount=13

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2010-07-27/sports/ct-spt-0729-northwestern-kevin-coble-20100727_1_nu-coach-bill-carmody-northwestern-quits

Third-- even in Coble's own words....Carmody didn't kick Coble off the team, in fact clearly he wanted Coble to be part of the team and accompany them to Italy -- and it was obvious that Coble simply didn't like the terms and quit!
Thus the departure of Coble from Northwestern, to me, seems 100% the choice of Coble.

Fourth-- obviously there was a lot of secret stuff going on and yet those reports of Coble's odd behavior and desire to never want to be part of the team -- were right on -- so maybe those people who speculated there were other reasons were right to do so.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/basketball/ncaa/11/19/coble.northwestern/index.html

http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/18359/coble-left-northwestern-over-injury-dispute

[AZ BU Fan]

So again, perhaps the proper response was to ignore the story and let him disappear without taking sides or commenting. 'Thanks for playing, good luck to you in the future, see ya later'. Take the high road. If he whines/back stabs privately and everyone else is taking the high road, no sympathy for him and no belief in his whinings.

A lack of reaction/response can be worse to some than negative feedback and notoriety.....