Comments on: Wife Drove Billy Donovan’s Decision to Desert Orlando

By: getitright

getitright — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 19:01:20 +0000

Actually Larry is married with 3 kids, 2 of them working for D1 programs, and it was Billys wife who WANTED to go to Orlando and it was Billy’s own reservations and loyalty that kept him in Gainesville… too bad for the rest of the SEC and NCAA.

By: Gorgeous. Rich. Totally Insane: Crazy Women And The Jocks Who Love ‘Em. | Sports Gone South

Tue, 12 Jun 2007 02:36:36 +0000

[...] Also receiving votes: Mia Hamm, derided as the “Yoko who broke up the Red Sox” (only until the 2004 World Series; now everybody’s pretty cool with it all); Christine Donovan, who may or may not have forced her husband BillyÂ to make a complete and utter ass and permanent joke of himself; and the unnamed wife of the unnamed Chicago athlete who may or may not have had sex with multiple teammates of said athlete, forcing him to retire and then return several years later. (Our lawyer advised us to keep proper names out of that one.) [...]

By: TJD

TJD — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 23:47:01 +0000

Larry Brown commenting about “honoring a commitment to a team” is sports hypocrisy at its highest level. Larry has zero credibility in this department. The way he backed out of his Pistons contract was shameful– holding Bill Davidson and Joe Dumars at gunpoint, and eventually taking off with the ransom.

Larry, if you didnt want to coach the Pistons any longer, you should have just said “thank you very much for the opportunity, it was a wonderul ride, but I feel I need to move on now. Good luck. Everyone would have respected that.

Instead you started things in the media — in the middle of a playoff run — by saying “if Joe D will have me back, I will be back…” Where did that come from? If your health was failing, go to Joe D and tell him that. Act like a man. Not a sniveling extortionist.

And we haven’t even discussed the half-dozen other teams you abandoned in your career, in mid-stream.

You are a great coach and basketball mind, Larry. Maybe a good husband and father. But you certainly should not comment about honoring a professional commitment. Too bad. You could have been a wonderful example to so many people. People like Billy Donovan, perhaps…

By: GoCatsGo!!

GoCatsGo!! — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 01:10:51 +0000

Go Cats! Gators suck!!

By: Mark

Mark — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 23:43:31 +0000

“Billy Donovan was distraught Saturday morning, and his wife took action.”

You’re trying to imply that his wife didn’t want him to go to Orlando because she preferred Gainesville. It is clear to me that she only stepped in when she realized he was having second thoughts.

I’ll tell you this though, it sounds to me is that you should be working for the rag that follows major league ballplayers around to see if they can catch them having an affair.

In other words, you manufacture news…

By: Art Vandelay

Art Vandelay — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 22:14:58 +0000

Sounds to me like Christine was doing what any good wife would do when her husband was visibly distraught — she provided support and called his closest confidantes in to help him make sure he was at peace with his decision. I don’t see this as her “calling the shots” and manipulating the situation to force him to change his mind.

By: steve acree

steve acree — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 20:58:51 +0000

Doubt it. He explained that HE wasnt happy about it. He said Christine told him to sleep on it. Maybe after that she took over some and made calls.

By: aggie75

aggie75 — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 14:23:56 +0000

Didn’t we see this same scenario played out on Friday Night Lights? Of course, Coach had a daughter helping her mom reverse the coaching move…ripped from the headlines (in reverse).

By: Ray

Ray — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 19:03:25 +0000

Sounds like Chris Pronger all over again. Although Pronger’s wife had some “other” reasons to dislike her’s (or his) stay in Edmonton, it seems Billy’s wife has her own…her. And I am married.

By: raj

raj — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 18:47:57 +0000

good point Jeff! doubt Larry is married!