Commentary: Don't blame Bennett for leaving

By Howie Stalwick | For The Olympian • Published April 01, 2009

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Ah, there is nothing quite like a lover scorned.

Tony Bennett, the subject of so much hero worship for three years at Washington State, has become the subject of much ridicule by that wonderfully wacky delegation known as Cougars fans.

"I thought Tony had integrity," whined one blogger. "I guess I was wrong."

"I feel betrayed," another wrote.

"You make me sick," one fan informed Bennett.

Wow. Good to know that blogger apparently maintains the belief that Bennett has time to read such nonsense while in the process of recruiting at his new school, hiring assistant coaches, selling and buying homes and moving his family from one side of the country to the other.

Yep, you certainly hate to see an honest, devoted, hard-working young man move up in the world. Plus, you have to admire all those haters out there who undoubtedly would have turned down Virginia, a significant pay raise and the chance to work for a much better basketball school that draws far more fans to a much nicer arena in, arguably, the best college basketball conference in the country.

C'mon, people. Are you really so narrow minded that you think Pullman is the end all for each and every coach who ever yanks a crimson-colored shirt over his or her head?

Tony Bennett accomplished the impossible at Washington State, and this is how you react? Good grief. The man won 69 games in three years in the middle of nowhere. He convinced young men from Hawaii, Australia, Serbia, Florida and beyond that the best thing to do with four years of their lives was to live amidst wheat fields.

Does Pullman have its charms? You bet. But if it's so incredibly charming, how come so few other coaches have been able to win there? And that includes Tony's father, Dick Bennett, a certified master at rebuilding basketball programs.

The elder Bennett couldn't win at Washington State, but his son did.

Dick helped lay the foundation for his son's success, but Tony was integrally involved from the start, and he was always the No. 1 recruiter.

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