Beilein: Caris NOT cleared, tells reporters to "back off"
Beilein on LeVert: "I want to be clear about something with Caris. Nothing is clear."
Beilein says LeVert will get out there when he's ready, "I need everybody to back off, stop projecting. Thank you."
Seriously, what the hell is going on? He was cleared, now he's not? How do we just know absolutely nothing about this injury?
Beilein gets paid millions of dollars to coach this team, and he needs to be accountable to the media when our star player is out for weeks with a mysterious injury.
February 12th, 2016 at 3:16 PM ^
emerged a reasonable opinion about this.
February 12th, 2016 at 3:36 PM ^
replace "reasonable opinion" with "something that fits my entitled narrative"
February 12th, 2016 at 2:29 PM ^
It's one thing to protect the privacy of a player, but at this point it's almost deliberate obfusication. These updates would be more clear if they were coming from the Riddler.
February 12th, 2016 at 2:56 PM ^
I agree with the sentiment, but the execution ofthat sentiment is just impractical. Media is not going to stop asking. Media and fans are not going to stop speculating. Rumors are going to float out there.
If they were more forthcoming with information it would probably be better for everyone, including Caris.
February 12th, 2016 at 2:22 PM ^
beilein doesn't need to be accountable to the media. you need to be less entitled
February 12th, 2016 at 2:30 PM ^
You don't think a coach needs to answer questions? This is insane.
February 12th, 2016 at 2:33 PM ^
I'm just here so I don't get fined
February 12th, 2016 at 2:57 PM ^
Show us in JB's contract where it states he has to answer every question he gets asked.
February 12th, 2016 at 4:13 PM ^
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February 12th, 2016 at 11:36 PM ^
There is no injury policy for college athetes, so coaches don't have to disclose that information. He doesn't have to, so he probably shouldn't. The only reasons to discuss injuries are to make players look bad (not likely with Beilein, but not out of the question as with Steve Spurrier and Jadeveon Clowney), or to satisfy fan curiosity, which isn't really a reason at all.
February 12th, 2016 at 2:24 PM ^
Beilein has inadvertently turned this into a total clownshow with his secrecy. If you want people to back off, you need to provide some actual information or at least stop with the mixed messages.
February 12th, 2016 at 2:29 PM ^
I think he's trying to cover for Caris.
February 12th, 2016 at 2:46 PM ^
If so, he's doing a terrible job. After his comments about medical clearance, people are now starting to accuse Caris of being soft and disinterested.
February 12th, 2016 at 2:30 PM ^
It's not that we or the media are entitled to know anything. It's that the handling of this seems very strange. Giving a little insight into the type of injury etc. would go a long way towards getting people to "back off". It has become a much bigger story due to the secrecy.
February 12th, 2016 at 2:43 PM ^
I see three explanations for where we're at, and someone looks bad in each of them.
Possibility 1: the coaching staff and training staff expected him to be back in a week or two, and the fact that he's not has the coaching staff thinking he's soft, so they're a little pissed at him. They can't call him out explicitly without being assholes themselves so instead they have to prolong the uncertainty while continuously talking about "pain."
Possibility 2: The injury was serious and they knew it was a 5-6 week period or more and instead of just saying so, played this Hokian game of not talking about it, which created the uncertainty and has made Caris look as if he's being soft in not overcoming an injury that he really should not have been expected to overcome.
Possibility 3: The trainers don't know what's going on and they can't figure out why he wasn't able to go a month ago, or they misdiagnosed the injury, leaving Beilein to continuously explain why Caris is still not available without providing him any real answers.
For Caris' sake, I hope it is the second choice and Beilein has just screwed up the communication in some failed quest to protect him somehow.
February 12th, 2016 at 2:55 PM ^
Maybe Caris is out because he has 2 fouls on him. At all costs, JB does NOT want to get that third fould oh him, even if it means tanking the season!
Caris is such a great kid. Its too damn bad his draft stock is tanking because of this injury. Costing him some benjamins.
February 12th, 2016 at 2:24 PM ^
it's their business, not ours.
February 12th, 2016 at 2:30 PM ^
You are free to watch if you would like, or not watch if you would like. You are also free to demand answers from Beilein. Coach Beilein, however, is also free to not provide those answers, and you thinking that you deserve them is just you being douchey.
February 12th, 2016 at 3:32 PM ^
Go ahead and stop watching then. I dont think they will miss you.
February 12th, 2016 at 2:25 PM ^
Caris is out for the season. Just accept it. He's been a week away from playing for 4 months.
February 12th, 2016 at 2:27 PM ^
Unfortunately, I think you're right. From one Joe to another. Watching him on the sideline, he doesn't look like a kid that's itching to get out there. Looks more like a kid who knows his fate, and it ain't good.
February 12th, 2016 at 3:11 PM ^
My best guess is that he's clear to play, but I think Caris might be worried about his future and wants to wait longer, which I don't blame him for at all. It's just such a shame watching all these injuries drag on.
February 12th, 2016 at 2:25 PM ^
That quote doesn't actually say "Caris is not cleared." I wouldn't read too much into this. The truth is that if Caris isn't ready himself (mentally/conditionally) then he won't play. This is just a way to tell the media to give the kid a break and let him do what he feels is necessary instead of being pressured by the media to hit the court NOW.
February 12th, 2016 at 2:28 PM ^
If an All Big Ten player is not "mentally" ready to get back on the court, then that is a big story which should be reported. If he's not ready conditioning-wise (even though Beilein just said he practiced for an hour the other day), then why doesn't Beilein just say that? Giving reporters and fans information about the team is part of Beilein's job, we don't need to handle this situation with kid gloves.
February 12th, 2016 at 2:38 PM ^
We don't even know what his injury was. For all we know, he could have reinjured that foot and coming back too early could put his career on the line (see Kevin Durant for example of coming back too early). If mentally he feels like it's still broken, how is he going to perform at a level that the team needs him to perform?
Another example, an ACL injury in football. How often do we hear that mentally it's hard to work the ligament as if the injury never happened? Sometimes injuries may be healed, but mentally it still feels broken.
That was my point.
February 12th, 2016 at 3:07 PM ^
His job is to win basketball games. If Caris is cleared to play but isn't comfortable yet - either due to conditioning or mentally playing with the injury - that's their business.
The media howding them about it only forces Caris to play when he's not ready, or causes him to question his confidence/toughness/whatever longer, and hurts him as a player. Thus, the media/fans need to back off. He'll get back when he's ready.
And in that, in telling the media to back off, in not talking about Caris's injury, he's helping both Caris and his team win games.
I'd argue you don't need to handle the situation with kid gloves. I'd argue Beilein isn't handling the situation with kid gloves either. I'd argue he's looking out for the best for his program. I'd argue you're looking out for your desire to have more information than you need or are obligated to have.
February 12th, 2016 at 4:11 PM ^
but also timing, skills/execution, and team integration.
Remember how poorly Irvin shot early in the season?
February 12th, 2016 at 2:25 PM ^
February 12th, 2016 at 2:26 PM ^
It's looking more and more like he won't return this season, the way things are progressing. I hope he comes back, but if he's not ready, I fully understand.
February 12th, 2016 at 2:28 PM ^
See LeVert play again at Michigan. Time to face reality.
February 12th, 2016 at 2:39 PM ^
to say it, but I tend to agree with you. I sure hope I am wrong but it just seems like Coach B may feel it's better for Caris in the long-run.
February 12th, 2016 at 2:57 PM ^
Been feeling this way for weeks but still wishing he swoops in for March Madness
February 12th, 2016 at 2:29 PM ^
February 12th, 2016 at 2:31 PM ^
Even without HIPAA Beilein wouldn't be accountable for answers
February 12th, 2016 at 2:34 PM ^
I mean, he could give us a less vague update without delving deep into the medicine of it. Especially since this contradicts what he previously said when he said Caris was cleared to play. This whole thing has become a circus and I'm sure it hasn't helped the team's mental preparation.
February 12th, 2016 at 2:36 PM ^
I feel like I read something somewhere about how student athletes sign something waiving their HIPAA rights for injury reports. Maybe I'm misremembering but I swear I saw that somewhere. I guess I could google it, but i'd rather just speculate instead and let someone else do the actual work to find out.
February 12th, 2016 at 2:46 PM ^
The University's health records on its student athletes are not covered by HIPAA, they are covered by FERPA, as long as those treating the student are employees of the University. If not, say outside doctors under contract, then HIPAA applies.
In both cases blanket authorizations to release PHI can be obtained and usually are, often as a requirement for participation in the athletic program. Not because they want to or have to tell the media, but often they have to report to the conference or to people who aren't licensed medical providers, such as some trainers.
February 12th, 2016 at 2:32 PM ^
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February 13th, 2016 at 1:10 AM ^
There's an obvious difference man. Harbaugh usually just says, "He's working through something." Then that's the end of it. For weeks now Beilein has made it seem like Caris' return is just around the corner, but it hasn't happened. And it's looking like it might not happen. On Tuesday Beilein said, "This is his call. This isn't my call." Now a few days later he says, "I want to be clear about something with Caris: Nothing is clear, that's what I want to be clear of." Beilein has obviously worded things poorly from the start and has gotten himself into a bigger mess. I think he realized how people might view Caris as selfish, so he backtracked. The real issue was making it seem like Caris might have come back a month ago when that clearly wasn't going to happen.
February 12th, 2016 at 2:34 PM ^
He is obviously covering for him so his draft stock doesn't fall.
February 12th, 2016 at 2:48 PM ^
His draft stock hasn't really fallen.
#22 to Toronto http://hoopshype.com/2016/01/09/nba-mock-draft-2016/
#15 to Utah http://www.nbadraft.net/2016mock_draft
#23 to Boston http://www.draftexpress.com/nba-mock-draft/2016/
February 12th, 2016 at 2:56 PM ^
You don't think any team that drafts him will want to learn exactly what this injury was? What is the point of "covering for him" and obfuscating on all the details when that information is going to come out eventually anyway?
February 12th, 2016 at 4:16 PM ^
NBA teams will demand physicals, workouts, etc. If they don't get transparent answers, they always have the option to pass until Caris falls to pick numbers below his ability/those selected around him and someone decides it's time to take a chance. If there's uncertainty about the health of his leg, you pick someone else of his rough ability who is healthy.
February 12th, 2016 at 2:40 PM ^
February 12th, 2016 at 2:42 PM ^
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February 12th, 2016 at 2:43 PM ^
is, we don't talk about injuries. With Hoke, it was "He has a boo-boo." With Harbaugh, it is "He is working through something." As a fan base, we seem to give those two coaches the benefit of the doubt, but with Beilein some seem to think it should be different. We are going to get what the coaches decide to give us. Might as well get used to it.
February 12th, 2016 at 2:47 PM ^
February 12th, 2016 at 2:48 PM ^
Beilein gets paid millions of dollars to coach this team, and he needs to be accountable to the media when our star player is out for weeks with a mysterious injury.
This isn't pro sports, where the gambling community has bullied the leagues into regular injury updates. College coaches can do what they want. As such, there is zero strategic benefit to publicly disclosing players' injury status.
February 12th, 2016 at 2:58 PM ^
Really? There's "zero strategic benefit"? How about not alienating a huge chunk of your fanbase? If this thread shows us anything it's that many fans aren't happy with all the mystery surrounding the status of the team's best player.
February 12th, 2016 at 3:04 PM ^
The idea that he is alienating the fanbase over this is farfetched.
The people who are mad over this were mad at him for other things already.