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Award-winning columnist Tom Archdeacon — an old-school storyteller in a brand-new venue — writes about sports, the city, southwest Ohio and anything else that catches his fancy… or yours.Home > Blogs > Through the Arch > Archives > 2008 > March > 13
Thursday, March 13, 2008
In Defense of Stanley Burrell
The only air ball I thought Xavier threw up at Thursday’s Atlantic 10 Tournament — where it sent the Dayton Flyers packing with a 74-65 victory — came in the post-game interview session.
That’s where X coach Sean Miller and his outspoken senior, Stanley Burrell, clarified — and more or less apologized — for some of Burrell’s pointed criticisms of the league for voting no Musketeer players to the A-10 first team.
I wish they wouldn’t have said a thing.
Except for calling a couple of rival players out by name, I think Burrell was right on the money. Xavier is 27-5, one of the best ball clubs in the nation. It truly plays as a team and it is led by Drew Lavender.
The 5-foot-7 senior belonged on the first team.
Miller emphasized Burrell’s respect for other players in the league and Burrell said he regretted calling out a couple of league honorees by name.
I think he was sincere about that.
As for Dayton folks thinking he’s dissed Brian Roberts, I think that’s mostly a tiff manufactured by some. I think his comments have been twisted to mean more than they actually did.
After Burrell left the postgame media session, he and I talked in private. I believe he was sincere when he commended Roberts. I also watched when the game ended. He sought Roberts out and embraced him for a long time.
As for the rest of his public mea culpas, I think he was “encouraged” to do that by those above him in the program.
Away from the cameras, he stuck to his guns and said he thought it was “kind of ridiculous” that Xavier didn’t get “at least one guy on the first team.”
“Being a leader of the team, I had to stand up for my guys,” he said. “If I came into the locker room and hadn’t said anything, that makes me a terrible leader.”
I think he’s a fiery leader and, for the most part, I think he was dead on in his criticism.
As for the Flyers fans who have made him Public Enemy No. 1 — especially some students who rode him throughout Thursday’s game with “Just shut-up, no one wants to hear you!” — I think they’re off base.
