Thad on My Chicago Flight

[vee4xu]

Last night I rode with Thad Matta on a flight from Chicago to Columbus. No it was not a private jet. In fact it was a Southwest Airlines flight. I saw Thad wandering around the gate area, mostly yakking on his cell phone. Either for real or fake to keep people away. I stood right next to him in line as he was A4 and I was A31. I resisted talking with him because the flight back from SFO to Chicago sucked and so did SWA after missing my connection. I just thought that nothing good could come from starting a conversation with him at 10:00 p.m. after a long day of crappy travel. So I let it go. Also, just about everyone else let him go too. I heard folks saying that they recognized him, but didn't bother him.

I was at the Jamboree (now known as the All for One Golf Outing) shortly after Thad was hired so met him in person back then. However, I don't recall his beak being that big back then. MOR, you would have been amazed at how big his schnoz is in person. UREAL!!

Just curious if anyone else would have said something to our former coach if put in my situation. If so, what? I am glad I didn't, just because. I do wish that I had my Xavier cap on. Unfortunately it was packed in my check in bag.

[Backyard Champ]

If anything, I would have thanked him for the tremendous job he did at Xavier, and thank him for the great memories he gave me. Maybe talk some college hoops, but in general, just let him know that I appreciated what he did while at Xavier.

[Xavier]

Agreed with backyard--I would have thanked him for what he did at X and helping them grow. Maybe ask him a few questions about being a big time coach but would let him be for the most part after thanking him. Last thing I would want to do is represent Xavier in a bad way

[paulxu]

Just curious if anyone else would have said something to our former coach if put in my situation.

After thanking him for his efforts at X, mention that you were looking forward to a home-and-home some day.

[Fireball]

If anything, I would have thanked him for the tremendous job he did at Xavier, and thank him for the great memories he gave me. Maybe talk some college hoops, but in general, just let him know that I appreciated what he did while at Xavier.

Absolutely. I probably wouldn't have had the guts to talk to him, but if I did, it would be to thank him for his role in where we are as a program now. No way that Xavier is where it is as a program without Coach Matta...especially considering that he brought Sean Miller along with him.

Our I would have Chris Farley'd him: "Hey, Coach Miller, you remember when you coached Xavier and we went to the Elite 8? That was awesome."

In thinking about it, it definitely would have been the Chris Farley thing and not the graceful thanking him thing :)

[Ledgewood]

I'd have nothing to say to Ohio State's coach.

[bleedXblue]

I guess I give more credit to Xavier, our program and all of the great coaches we've had over the years.........

Matta did a good job, but also left days after he said he was happy at X and had no interest in the OSU job.

Do I blame him for taking it......NO.

Am I bitter about how he handled himself and the situation....YES.

[Masterofreality]

Should have tweaked that nose, Vee.

Surprised there was any room left on the plane after Toucan entered. That beak would block the aisle.

Oh, the reason why the nose is bigger now is because it grew after he left. #Pinocchio

[Ledgewood]

Should have tweaked that nose, Vee.

Surprised there was any room left on the plane after Toucan entered. That beak would block the aisle.

Oh, the reason why the nose is bigger now is because it grew after he left. #Pinocchio

This was the correct answer.

[Mrs. Garrett]

I heard Thad was in Chicago checking out an open gym at Simeon HS. Simeon is a basketball factory here and right now everyone wants Jabari Parker - he's either #1 or #2 in the class of 2013.

There were a ton of college coaches there. I heard someone from X was there, but I don't know if it was Mack or one of his assistants.

[94GRAD]

Doubt it was Mack, He was in Maine yesterday.

[Muskied]

I would have pushed him 10 feet into the exit row and said "sorry coach, that wasn't intentional"

[surfxu]

I would have thanked him for the memories at X, then asked him what he's doing now (feigning complete ignorance). When he replied that he was coaching at osu I would have said "isn't that a football school?" then ask him about the Tressell situation.
Seriously though, I think I would have just thanked him for his time at X and then (insincerely) wish him luck this year.

[Kahns Krazy]

I would have asked him what he normally gets on his burgers here.

Oh wait, is this the Fuddrucker's thread?

[BlueX]

I feel bad for the person who had to sit in front of him. Couldn't imagine having that beak pecking at the back of my seat all flight.

[sgarcia]

I would have 3 questions for him:

1) How about a home and home series?
2) You can admit that the Greg Oden foul should've been called intentional right?
3) Are you in the guinness book of records for biggest beak?

[bobbiemcgee]

I might have asked it he was going to stay @ OSU and if he was a candidate for other coaching positions, and he may have said:

"I'm not a candidate. It's that plain and that simple," Matta told The Cincinnati Enquirer on June 29.

He has ignored other job openings, saying he could not fathom leaving OSU.

"I'm not a very public person, so nobody's ever going to know how happy I am at OSU," Matta said last week. "I've had players that have three [Atlantic 10 championship] rings in three years. We've been to the round of 32, round of 16 and Elite Eight. I'm sitting here and I probably have one of the longest contracts in the country. I love that.":D

[Blue Blooded-05]

I would have thanked him for the memories at X, then asked him what he's doing now (feigning complete ignorance). When he replied that he was coaching at osu I would have said "isn't that a football school?" then ask him about the Tressell situation.
Seriously though, I think I would have just thanked him for his time at X and then (insincerely) wish him luck this year.

Haha, you kinda beat me to it...

I would have said "Hey Thad! Huge Buckeye Fan!! (aggressive hand shake).. So... What are the chances Urban Meyer will be our coach next year?..."

[vee4xu]

I feel bad for the person who had to sit in front of him. Couldn't imagine having that beak pecking at the back of my seat all flight.

Haha. He actually sat in the window seat in the row behind the exit seat for two people. On SWA that means there was no seat between him and the one two rows ahead of him. So you are right on target, but he also must have been worried about his beak hitting someone.

[Smails]

I would have pushed him 10 feet into the exit row and said "sorry coach, that wasn't intentional"

Solid...

[xudash]

I like how you handled it vee.

I also like how you wanted to handle it: X hat on, maybe quick eye contact and a nice nod. Then, if he approaches you, you have a nice chat with him. Otherwise, if he looks away and moves forward to take his seat, you could care less.

As was already noted above, it was how he left that got him into so much hot water with so many Xavier fans. He did great things for X. He had/has every right to improve his livelihood financially. I know it is a tricky thing to pull off, given the visibility of the position, but don't have yourself caught on a news camera in Columbus with OSU's AD soon after you've said that the Xavier job is what you want and are all about.

[GoMuskies]

X hat on

If I had the X hat on and he mentioned it to me, I would have played dumb. Pretended like I didn't know who he was. "Oh, did you graduate from Xavier, too?" "Basketball coach, when?" "Huh, I don't remember that at all."