Huh?

[grizpack]

One of the great moments of all time during this period is when McCarthy dropped a superfan (Dave Pantalione) who was in his face. As it turned out McCarthy was a navy boxing champion.

Oh gosh, I remember Dave. Or I am thinking his name was Mike Pantalione. He was a rabid sports fan; from NY or NJ and brought that "attitude." I can't remember now, he coached a minor sport, rugby or soccer, but was quite an accomplished coach. I hadn't heard that McCarthy decked him.

It was Mike Pantalione ("Philly"). Coached soccer at a JC in Arizona. Yapavia or something like that and won multiple JC NC's. He was also the guy who managed or helped manage the YMCA youth sports program while he was here. Never a dull moment.

 

[Proud Griz Man]

And we really didn't "throw" the potatoes at them per se, but rather rolled them in their general direction.

We also once had a pizza delivered to Neil McCarthy on the weber bench. Ahhhh, those were the days!! :thumb:

The night the pizza was delivered, I was at my first Griz BB game (ever!) We had just moved to Msla. Larry K and the Griz beat Weber that night (Feb. 1985) if memory serves me correctly. I also remember the place was packed. We were seated high in the south section riding the two by tens.

Damn near 30 years ago and I will NEVER forget McCarthy's look of sheer bewilderment as the delivery guy kept trying to hand him the pizza box. He may have thought there was a bomb in it.... :lol:

That was also the same game that McCarthy and Monty stood near mid-court literally shouting at one another for a full timeout near the end of the game. Neil thought Monty called the TO to rub it in a little. We all started chanting, "Share the pizza! Share the pizza!!!". I don't think it helped matters....

It wasnt a delivery guy that gave the pie to McCarthy, it was one of us from the Zoo. After the game I asked Bill what McCarthy said when he gave him the pizza and Bill said he just gave him a blank look like WTF and shoved the box under his chair. :lol:

The Zoo had fun, but the UM administration didn't find as much humor. Correct, it was a pepper-jack cheese pizza with jalapenos on top and Bill delivered it. I know some guys that had to write an apology letter to Weber and McCarthy. It was the same season that the Zoo treated Nevada-Reno and Curtis High to a little "eye black" and tape-over-the-nose treatment.

 

[EverettGriz]

I think the apology was due more to us yelling at his son, including stuff about his mom, not knowing that she'd passed away earlier that year.

That was the only time I thought we overstepped the bounds of good taste.

 

[Grizbacker1]

Neil McCarthy so hated coming to Montana and being harassed by "The Zoo." He was their special target.

No he didn't hate coming to Missoula, he LOVED it, and LOVED it even more when they won and he got to F with the crowd.

 

[knhoj]

I agree the level of the BSC has fallen down a well.

But it's unfair to compare Sweet 16 appearances from that era with today. The tournament was vastly different. First, there were half the teams, so one win and you were in the Sweet 16. Second, the tournament was truly regionalized, with teams from the west playing other teams from the west. There weren't nearly as many at-large teams, and an ISU or Montana didn't get matched up with a UNC or Cuse or Florida. They got matched up with a conference champion from the west.

With a few breaks, I could see a BSC team reaching the Sweet 16. But sadly, not this year....

What year did Weber upset Jud's Michigan State team in the first round.....I think?

As a 14 seed, WSU upset 3 seed Michigan State in 1995, and then lost to Georgetown by 2 points in the 2nd round. In 1999, also as a 14 seed, they upset 3 seed UNC, then lost to Florida in OT in the 2nd round. So they literally came within a couple of buckets of making the Sweet 16 twice in a span of 5 years. They did made the Sweet 16 in 1969 and 1972.

WSU's two wins plus UM's win in 2006 gives the BSC a whopping total of three wins in the tourney since 1982. That's a record of 3-28 in the first round, in the past 31 years. It pains me to say it, but the BSC has become a "low major".

 

[GrizPony]

I think the apology was due more to us yelling at his son, including stuff about his mom, not knowing that she'd passed away earlier that year.

That was the only time I thought we overstepped the bounds of good taste.

I thought McCarthy later admitted that his wife hadn't died and that he said that to the paper just to make the Zoo feel bad. Maybe I am mistaken but I vaguely remember that.

 

[mondayamqb]

Motor Mouth.

 

[WyomingGrizFan]

What year did Weber upset Jud's Michigan State team in the first round.....I think?

As a 14 seed, WSU upset 3 seed Michigan State in 1995, and then lost to Georgetown by 2 points in the 2nd round.

Isn't 1994-95 the last season Jud Heathcote coached Michigan State? That must've been the last game he coached then. What a lousy way to go out; losing to Weber State in your last game.

 

[Proud Griz Man]

. . . I doubt that anybody knew & would not have intentionally said those hurtful things

. . . McCarthy has guarded his private life since his first wife died of a ruptured brain aneurysm in 1975. He was an assistant at Weber State then and had three children.
"I was depressed for a good year and a half after she died," McCarthy said.

His second wife, Vivian, learned that she had breast cancer 18 months ago. She had a double mastectomy. McCarthy has taken her illness hard, becoming reclusive, friends say. "I feel very positive she will get through this fight with cancer," McCarthy said. "But the only time I don't think about it is when I'm on the basketball court." Because he is private, McCarthy has been accused of being cold-hearted and eccentric, cantankerous and egotistical, more concerned with winning than getting players to graduate. He is rarely seen on campus, unless there are practices or games. McCarthy scoffs at those labels. "I'm cordial, " he said. "But I'm not your best friend the first month I meet you."

http://articles.latimes.com/1994-01-19/sports/sp-13201_1_big-west" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;



And those Weber teams had some really good players

SHAWN CAMPBELL

http://www.deseretnews.com/top/1366/5/SHAWN-CAMPBELL-Weber-State-mens-basketball-50th-anniversary-team.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

BRUCE COLLINS

http://www.deseretnews.com/top/1366/6/BRUCE-COLLINS-Weber-State-mens-basketball-50th-anniversary-team.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

ROYAL EDWARDS

ALAN CAMPBELL

TODD HARPER

RICO WASHINGTON

RANDY WORSTER

KIRK SMITH

HAROLD ARCENEAUX

http://www.deseretnews.com/top/1366/2/HAROLD-ARCENEAUX-Weber-State-mens-basketball-50th-anniversary-team.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[EverettGriz]

McCarthy has been accused of being cold-hearted and eccentric, cantankerous and egotistical,

Those are actually the 4 nicest adjectives I've ever heard used to describe the guy....

 

[Proud Griz Man]

Has there ever been a top-50 Griz players newspaper article (like the Weber one) ?

:?: :?: :?: :x