The resignation of Wisconsin strength and conditioning coach Erik Helland is not the exact same story as another relatively recent sports story involving a coach. Yet, there are some legitimate comparisons which can be made between the two.
Recall this story from the NBA from early January? Cleveland Cavaliers head coach John Beilein called his players “thugs” in a team gathering. He later said he meant to say “slugs,” referring to being slow and sluggish instead of quick and energetic on the court. However, he didn’t catch his mistake when he made it. Others had to tell him of his word choice after the fact.
Obviously, word of the slip of the tongue got around, to the point that it became a story splashed in the headlines. The key insight: Cleveland players would not have allowed the story to get outside the locker room if they didn’t want to… but at least one player (if not more) DID want the story to spread. The Cavs have had a miserable season, and Beilein has not enjoyed a smooth relationship with his players. Therefore, a mistake akin to the one he made blew up in his face, instead of being contained in the locker room with no harm done.
This is part of the NBA world in which players, not the coaches, have ultimate leverage. To that extent, this is not the Erik Helland story at Wisconsin, in which the UW coach resigned when it became apparent to him that another person who had been inside the program was not content to let the matter go. At the very least, this other person gave indications that he would not allow the matter to fade away, indirectly pressuring Halland into self-reporting and then resigning.
These aren’t the same stories, but one detail of Halland’s account of events is worth noting:
Erik Helland: I was sharing a story from my NBA career and was explaining the intensity of a particular athlete. I quoted that individual and in doing so repeated a repugnant word. In no way were these my words and I clearly stated my disapproval….
— Jeff Potrykus (@jaypo1961) February 6, 2020
If we take Helland at his word that he used the offensive term within the context of quoting another person, that is not a trivial detail. It doesn’t completely absolve Helland of guilt or blame, but there IS a difference between quoting another person using caustic speech and using caustic speech directly.
Yes, it’s true that Helland did not have to CHOOSE to quote someone else using caustic speech, but it’s different from a coach — remember Mike Rice at Rutgers a few years ago? — lighting into his players and being a true, persistent, disgusting bully.
This is not that. It’s not even close to that.
And yet, much as the Cavs players wouldn’t let Beilein skate on his spoken error, someone in the Wisconsin program wouldn’t let Helland skate, either. That is the connection.
Is it fair? I’ll let you be the judge. Is it complicated? You betcha.