Al Scates comment

[mvbdad]

Check out the article in the Daily Bruin to see how CLASSLESS Al Scates is , by his comment about the Pepperdine students: Quote," Whenever we play," ( against Pepperdine ) , "all the students come out ," Scates said. " I don't know if they don't have chapel or what . Maybe they want to see US play." Yes , Pepperdine is a Christian University , and a great environment to go to school , But it isn't YOU they want to see AL . By the way chapel is tomorrow morning , come and join us.

[sandflea]

You would be grummpy too if you were the "best coach" with the "best volleyball program", you have 24 guys on your roster (10 of which are 6'7" and above) and you can't put a team together that can finish better than 8th or 9th in your conference ! Oh, and did I forget to mention that 90% of these 24 guys on your roster were recruited as the #1 or #2 players in their postions.

Doesn't life just suck! Too bad Al doesn't know that there are other things going on in the world other than UCLA volleyball.

[My 2 Sense]

Sounds like an over reaction to the statement to me. I'm not a bruin fan, but every program has its ups and downs, most have them chronically. They have one in 30 years and they're schmucks. Give me a break. It's easy to snipe at a program when they're down, and they're down more this year than usual. It's easy to hate a team with 18 NCs I guess. I'm currious as to who are their #1s at the positions you mention. I know Nihipali was, last year and didn't play this year. Who else? Not to accuse, but if there aren't others was that an objective statement?

[bruins]

As a Bruin, I do admit that we had the number 1 recruits for the past 2 years, David Russell the number 1 recruit 2 years ago is very disappointing, Nilipahi is the number 2 recruit for last year, I do not know why he is not playing, Mckinney is good but he did not play much. I heard that UCLA will have the number 1 recruit for next year, Klosterman, we will see what will happen, I feel bad for Mckinney, after he came in, we had the worst ever season for both basketball and volleyball . Talk about bad luck here.

[007]

Al Scates is the penultimate "grumpy old man". He needs to think about retirement. He has an unbelievable record and has been good for the game, but his days have come and gone. AND, he isn't well liked by very many of his peers! I would love to see UCLA NOT make the MPSF tournament this year, YES!

[My 2 Sense]

Guest-007 said:

Al Scates is the penultimate "grumpy old man". He needs to think about retirement. He has an unbelievable record and has been good for the game, but his days have come and gone. AND, he isn't well liked by very many of his peers! I would love to see UCLA NOT make the MPSF tournament this year, YES!

When you've been beating up on everyone in the country for 30 years you're going to be disliked by EVERYONE. It's call jealousy, 007. Scates is ANYTHING but done. He won the NC in 2000, just 3 years ago, something 20 other D-1 coaches would love to brag but can't. They may hate losing to him but there is a professional respect for what he's done, even if they don't like it. He's had more than his fair share of wins and that will get anyone jealous. Who wouldn't dislike that? It's human nature.

I don't recall reading if David Russel was a #1 recruit, and dissagree with it. He was an awesome hs player, no doubt, but he was sporadic in club which is where the the rubber meets the road. Yes they have some top talent, but there are other programs that have more so-called top recruits and aren't on top of the VB world, LBS being one example with Touzinsky and Wooten. Next year will be an interesting year, but the so-called top recruits will also be very young so I'm not expecting them to just drop in and be dominant. We'll see.

[Anonymous Beachman]

Well Skates is getting another possible #1 recruit next year in Klosterman. I'm predicting, however, that his days of dominating collegiate VB are OVER! They ain't gonna win a title any time soon! Just in case you don't get it my2sense, Scates is disliked not because his teams have won so much, but he is disliked because of the way he has historically "hoarded" players "behind the blue curtain". That tactic has NOT BEEN GOOD FOR THE MEN'S GAME!

[My 2 Sense]

Yes, I'm aware of that and have heard those comments. I honestly don't see much difference though in the LBS program. There may not be an official black curtain but look at all the redshirts and a large roster too. When youi add up all the talent in that program it isn't much less than the UCLA roster. I think it's become evident that any team needs to have backups, and with so few D-1 teams players want to be on a D-1 team so bad even if it means sitting. At least at UCLA they have the lure of getting a coveted UC sheepskin. The injuries were too much to overcome for ucla this year, even with their deep roster. Shows me that while the roster is big, there aren't really as many top tier talents on it as most would like to think.

[Anonymous Beachman]

I think that the analogy of UCLA to LBS is a major stretch. This is, in fact, the first year that LBS has had anywhere near the back-up players and redshirts in the numbers that they currently have. Not sure if Alan plans on making this his 'USUAL' practice either. LBS has much fewer "resources" than does UCLA and I think that you know that. What Alan is doing in a moderate way this year, Scates has done in a major way for years and years. Just my two cents worth!

[Anonymous Beachman]

And, let's not forget one more thing.....It isn't always easy or possible to keep those playing "behind the curtain" or those who sit the bench, happy! LBS saw it this year when they lost their other "first string setter". He simply didn't want to share playing time, and that is always a possible rammification of having too many players. BTW, my guess is that he ends up at UCI or UCLA next year!

[My 2 Sense]

Agree with what you say. It seems to me that LBS is on a track to have a large roster, and is able to attract the players due to the lower tuition. I am waiting to see how UCI builds itself up over the next few years since their coach learned the game at UCLA and knows what it takes... it takes a deep roster. He has similar "assets" there with the promise of a UC education and reasonable tuition of being a state school, vs. the privates like USC and Pepperdine with $30 to $40,000 tuitions/living expenses.

And you're right about your setter. He was/is top tier quality. I don't blame him for not wanting to sit for 4 years. There are many programs that can use his talent if LBS didn't.

[Psychopotamus]

Guest-Anonymous said:

Well Skates is getting another possible #1 recruit next year in Klosterman. I'm predicting, however, that his days of dominating collegiate VB are OVER! They ain't gonna win a title any time soon! Just in case you don't get it my2sense, Scates is disliked not because his teams have won so much, but he is disliked because of the way he has historically "hoarded" players "behind the blue curtain". That tactic has NOT BEEN GOOD FOR THE MEN'S GAME!

It's not like he kidnaps the players. They go there because, among other things, the program is the most successful, they have the most titles and they like the school. What is wrong with that?

[David]

If Al Scates is the "penultimate 'grumpy old man'", then who is the ultimate "grumpy old man"?

Or, do you just not understand what the word "penultimate" means?

[Charlie]

Guest-007 said:

Al Scates is the penultimate "grumpy old man". He needs to think about retirement. He has an unbelievable record and has been good for the game, but his days have come and gone. AND, he isn't well liked by very many of his peers! I would love to see UCLA NOT make the MPSF tournament this year, YES!

Nice try but no cigar. I know Al Scates pretty well. He is not a grumpy guy. And the comment he made in the newspaper is just part of his wry sense of humor.

Also, you show your ignorance when you claim that Al Scates is not liked by his peers. I know Marv Dunphy and Allan Knipe pretty well too, and I know how they feel about Scates. They do not dislike him, and they sure as hell do respect him. There may be a few who don't like him, but that is not "very many".

And I get a kick out of the discussions of burying people behind the 'blue curtain'. Here's a true story. A young man and his dad went to visit Ruben Nieves at Stanford to talk about playing there. Ruben was cordial, but very frank. He said that he got the impact players he wanted and that he didn't try to bring in a lot of other players. Fair enough. So the youngster heads to UCLA, toils anonymously behind the blue curtain (yes, there actually is a blue curtain), changes from being a high-school setter to a DS/Serving Specialist. Something happens and he gets his chance - Scates notices him, likes what he sees and a career as a DS blossoms, including two NCAA Championship rings. I know this story is true because I was the dad at that meeting with Ruben.

Al Scates talks every day to the coach who runs the second court (this year they are in the Wooden Center and there is no blue curtain, and this year that coach is Mike Sealy). I would venture to say that players at UCLA have more opportunity to earn a starting spot than most places.

There is a UC that has been known to churn players, but it isn't UCLA.

And you're going to tell me Scates is grumpy, is not liked, blah, blah, blah? Al Scates is a good man. He is also one of the most straight-forward guys I've ever known. He is truthful almost to the point of bluntness. He tells it like it is, in a very matter of fact way. There is nothing wrong with that. I much prefer that to people who beat around the bush and try to BS you. Talk to his players, as I have over the years, and you will hear heartfelt admiration and respect for him. And once they have graduated, they get to see a different side of him. Recently, when my son's first child was born, Al Scates called him to congratulate him.

Oh yeah, that's really grumpy, isn't it.

[quikset]

Agree with Charlie. Al Scates is not grumpy. Arrogant, yes. Grumpy, no.

And despite his unparalleled success in men's volleyball, I would think that Al takes himself (and volleyball) a LOT less seriously than alot of the posters on this board. I would venture to say that Al has alot more passion for his golf game than for volleyball.

Coaching UCLA is his JOB, and he treats it as such. For many years, it wasn't even his PRIMARY job, as he was a full-time administrator with the Westwood School District and was coaching the Bruin program after hours.

I've never had anything against Scates as a person. I could do without the Bruin arrogance, perpetuated through the years by Big Al. Men's college volleyball is a small, tightly-knit community in which most coaches are cordial and do their best to foster the sport and are willing to share ideas/coaching theory, with the exception of Al.

But there has been a subtle shift in the balance of power in the men's game. Al's top recruits in recent years haven't panned out as planned, and UCLA hasn't had any impact players the past 2 seasons. Some very good players yes, but none that you could term "franchise" players. Next season will be a gut-check for sure for UCLA - as next year's senior class is in jeopardy of becoming the first-ever Bruin recruiting class to go without a championship ring.

I witnessed a small piece of history this season when I witnessed UH sweep UCLA in Pauley for the first time ever. I may even witness a little bit more history if UCLA doesn't make the MPSF playoffs, which seems highly likely at this point.

-Aaron