Did anyone see Pat Mineos post in The Wrestling Room? Looks like some racial slurs have the Bassets and Gibson's on the way out of Forest Hills.
Forest Hills Studs on their way out?
- Thread starter PerryLion1997
- Start date
Something smells here. There’s no place for that crap, but haven’t rumors been swirling for awhile about upcoming poaching?
This would be the same Pat Mineo who reported that Cael is shirting everybody this year, right?
Yes and the same person who said JB to Penn one month ago, called the departure of Gilman to NLWC as well as the women from HWC, Zahid suspension and Fix out of PanAms. He’s been pretty on in 2020.
No clue about the racial slur stuff, but apparently there was a newspaper article about how Bassett was fired as the middle school coach, and there was a meeting where the Gibson’s spoke on his behalf. Certainly seems likely just by reading that that they’d leave.
Help out a dummy -Is The Wrestling Room a webpage or FB page? Can’t find this.
^^ This.
That the Bassets and Gibsons might leave isn't exactly groundbreaking.
The racial slur angle is incendiary and shouldn't be thrown out there carelessly. Maybe it's true -- in which case it isn't changing, so there's time to get it right.
Note that one of the nation's best wrestling reporters is based in Johnstown -- Eric Knopsnyder. He has yet to report on this angle in the paper or on social media.
I think this is pretty much confirmed. I saw one of the Gibson's basically confirm it on Twitter. Not the reasons, but what he said made it seem like they were moving.
Side note - has there always been this much drama in middle school wrestling?
IDK how to quantify how much -- but because PIAA transfer restriction rules only apply to high school, there has been some amount of pre-HS drama for years.
Likewise, private school recruitment is much more prominent now than say 25 years ago.
It does look like this reporter has responded to Mineo’s claims on Twitter (Knop’s knotes?) in which Knopsnyder states he reported on this situation last month. His article requires a subscription to Rofkin so I am unable to read the details.
Thanks for the link. The article requires login but not subscription -- anybody can read it.
Some key points from the article:
- Confirmed that Erik Gibson is considering transferring to Blair, Seminary, or Bishop McCort -- but could still remain at Forest Hills.
- Bill Bassett was Forest Hills JH coach this past season, also coaches the Ranger Pride Wrestling and The Compound. No mention of him leaving FHJH in the article, though it does say he isn't sure where he will be next year.
- The McCort head coach job is open (as of the 6/25 article). Bassett has a prior relationship with the school principal, and Bassett's brother has a leadership role at McCort.
The article posits no reasons for any known or potential changes, except that the previous McCort head coach resigned to take a sales job.
I've long said you can be "insider" just by reading the various boards and being willing to throw things against the wall.
Oh ...and unconcerned about your reputation
Oh ...and unconcerned about your reputation
If the Bassets and Gibson's do leave, I hope they stay in PIAA so I can watch them every year at states. I think the older Bassett is going to be phenomenal to watch. At Trojan Wars Bo Bassett torched our teams best middle school wrestler in the finals. And our guy went through the bracket before that almost untouched.
Two new articles that shine some light on the situation:
Forest Hills wrestling program torn by racial incident, fallout
https://www.tribdem.com/sports/fore...cle_0cd5b820-ce30-11ea-8e48-5338a76cea28.html
Bassett stunned at removal as Forest Hills junior high wrestling coach
https://www.tribdem.com/sports/bass...cle_9c9733e0-ce2f-11ea-9f82-3b4800a3df5c.html
Summary (though things are still unclear):
- A teammate did utter a racial slur at Gibson during Day 1 of the King of the Mountain tournament in December.
- Gibson notified an assistant but not Strayer. Strayer learned from another parent, not from the assistant or Gibson.
- Gibson's parents (the Millers) were at Day 2. Strayer did not notify them at the event, apparently to avoid a conflict (with the offending wrestler and possibly his family there). Gibson told them during the drive home.
- School officials took months to discuss the issue with the Millers. It is unclear if they ever did prior to a June meeting with Forest Hills admin, the local NAACP, the Millers, Bassett, and the coaches.
- That meeting was successful -- Miller said he was ready to squash the issue.
- But the truce didn't last. Strayer called Miller to cancel a scheduled workout because Gibson was too tired. Miller blew up -- he saw it as a thinly-veiled shot that he was overworking his son. (It's not clear from the article, but it was likely to cancel a workout for the club that Miller runs with Bassett.)
- About a month later, Miller's cousin Bassett wasfired by the superintendent "given the option of resigning" as JH coach, despite being the D6 Coach of the Year -- nominated by Strayer for the award -- and saying he looked forward to having Strayer coach his kids.
My guess from the articles: the relationship between Miller and Strayer became too incendiary. FH School District did not want to deal with another 4 years of turmoil (with Mason Gibson an incoming freshman). The easiest solution (for the school) would be for the Gibsons to transfer, and firing Bassett was their way of facilitating that move -- if that made Bassett collateral damage, so be it.
Should also be noted from the article: Strayer has a black brother-in-law and 2 bi-racial nephews.
Forest Hills wrestling program torn by racial incident, fallout
https://www.tribdem.com/sports/fore...cle_0cd5b820-ce30-11ea-8e48-5338a76cea28.html
Bassett stunned at removal as Forest Hills junior high wrestling coach
https://www.tribdem.com/sports/bass...cle_9c9733e0-ce2f-11ea-9f82-3b4800a3df5c.html
Summary (though things are still unclear):
- A teammate did utter a racial slur at Gibson during Day 1 of the King of the Mountain tournament in December.
- Gibson notified an assistant but not Strayer. Strayer learned from another parent, not from the assistant or Gibson.
- Gibson's parents (the Millers) were at Day 2. Strayer did not notify them at the event, apparently to avoid a conflict (with the offending wrestler and possibly his family there). Gibson told them during the drive home.
- School officials took months to discuss the issue with the Millers. It is unclear if they ever did prior to a June meeting with Forest Hills admin, the local NAACP, the Millers, Bassett, and the coaches.
- That meeting was successful -- Miller said he was ready to squash the issue.
- But the truce didn't last. Strayer called Miller to cancel a scheduled workout because Gibson was too tired. Miller blew up -- he saw it as a thinly-veiled shot that he was overworking his son. (It's not clear from the article, but it was likely to cancel a workout for the club that Miller runs with Bassett.)
- About a month later, Miller's cousin Bassett was
My guess from the articles: the relationship between Miller and Strayer became too incendiary. FH School District did not want to deal with another 4 years of turmoil (with Mason Gibson an incoming freshman). The easiest solution (for the school) would be for the Gibsons to transfer, and firing Bassett was their way of facilitating that move -- if that made Bassett collateral damage, so be it.
Should also be noted from the article: Strayer has a black brother-in-law and 2 bi-racial nephews.
Thank you for the synopsis. I've been reading here and there and had no idea what the hell was going on and how it was all connected.
I don't know anyone involved. I'm not from that part of the state. But in reading the articles and focusing on the direct quotes of those involved, it appears that John Miller is too tightly wound around his son's wrestling careers. I'm especially talking about his statements regarding the thinly veiled accusation that he was pushing his son too hard. Even if that is true, do you blow it up and put your kid in a tough situation? If it were true, maybe he should have just taken some time to self reflect, and then move forward trying to be the best parent you can.
And the fact that Bill Basset becomes collateral damage in the situation is just weird and wrong.
And the fact that Bill Basset becomes collateral damage in the situation is just weird and wrong.
Theres accusations from parents that Mr.Bassett treated their kids wrong and called them names and degraded them. Its playing out on fb now with Mrs Basset defending her husband. I know nothing about any of it but if its true, I could see the school asking him to step down... Not in my day but in todays environment anyway. Let's just say my coaches in highschool didnt really worry about my feelings....lol
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No inside info, but my gut tells me the whole Gibson/Miller/Bassett camp makes the move to Bishop McCort.
Bassett has a track record of talent development and the program has a vacancy on their coaching staff.
He gets the HC position and then the rest falls into place.
Bassett has a track record of talent development and the program has a vacancy on their coaching staff.
He gets the HC position and then the rest falls into place.
I read the articles. My opinion is that Miller, if left to hover around that program, would be a lawsuit waiting to happen. Bassett has two sons who will be talked about for a long time.
So, both Miller and Bassett will move on. And, they should. I don’t think Jake did anything wrong. He followed protocols.
I give FH a lot of credit for standing behind Strayer. A rare occurrence in today’s Twitter world.
So, both Miller and Bassett will move on. And, they should. I don’t think Jake did anything wrong. He followed protocols.
I give FH a lot of credit for standing behind Strayer. A rare occurrence in today’s Twitter world.
Knowing nothing about any of these people, I think the main thing Strayer did wrong was not informing the parents. I mean you know they’re gonna find out anyway (especially since through a parent was even how Strayer found out about it), you should be the one to do it.
But I’m confused about the end of the article. The article makes it sound like the argument is about who asked who to make a phone call. But if Miller think it’s a “thinly veiled accusation of pushing his son too hard,” wouldn’t it be that regardless of who asked who to make the call?
On another note, I’ve now seen on multiple occasions in quotes from the family the claim that Gibson got a “full scholarship” to Cornell.
I know the Ivies have legal ways of getting kids scholarship money. But I thought that was determined more after they’re accepted and everything...can Ivy coaches basically guarantee that a HS junior will be able to get a “full scholarship”?
I know the Ivies have legal ways of getting kids scholarship money. But I thought that was determined more after they’re accepted and everything...can Ivy coaches basically guarantee that a HS junior will be able to get a “full scholarship”?
I thought if your income was below a certain level, the Ivies paid for everything, assuming you could get in. That may be the reason a full could be promised. Also, the person could be full of crap.
Bassetts/Millers pulled something dirty BS to try and get Strayer removed. It backfired and now you are seeing the aftermath. McCort will end up with one hell of a wrestling team for the next 6-8 years. Forest Hills will be just fine.
But as the coach of the whole team, you keep them focused on the task at hand. He made sure the victim was ok. He punished the offender swiftly. Parents would find out from the son before a coach/school/admin would be involved.
Unfortunately, it is so easy to be a Monday morning quarterback.....not so easy to manage all this at one time.
There arevpolicies for disciplining students (and student-athletes) and it sounds like the coach did the right thing. Telling the parent before the administrator, when the parent could then confront the offending student, creates more problems on many levels.
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Several things about the non-notification timeline aren't clear:
1. When the incident occured. The article only specifies the date, but not what part of that day -- at arrival, during a break, afterward?
2. When Gibson notified the assistant coach. We assume it was immediately afterward, on Day 1, but that isn't mentioned in the article.
3. When Strayer was told by the parent. The article only says "eventually."
4. What opportunity Strayer had to notify the Millers -- i.e., when they arrived and left, vs. the team's schedule. We know only that they were present on Day 2.
5. The team's travel arrangements. The schools are less than 2 hrs apart -- seems likely that they commuted rather than get a hotel.
Strayer pulled the offending student for some other misdeed but "eventually" learned of the slur from an unspecified parent. He likely didn't know at that time -- and it's hard to imagine the assistant didn't tell him then -- which implies that the assistant didn't know at that time either.
One of Forest Hills' starters double forfeited -- which implies that the "other" incident was after weigh-ins but before Round 1. Seems likely that the assistant was not yet aware of the racial slur, or it had not yet occurred.
Beyond that, it's hard to piece together a timeline from available info.
1. When the incident occured. The article only specifies the date, but not what part of that day -- at arrival, during a break, afterward?
2. When Gibson notified the assistant coach. We assume it was immediately afterward, on Day 1, but that isn't mentioned in the article.
3. When Strayer was told by the parent. The article only says "eventually."
4. What opportunity Strayer had to notify the Millers -- i.e., when they arrived and left, vs. the team's schedule. We know only that they were present on Day 2.
5. The team's travel arrangements. The schools are less than 2 hrs apart -- seems likely that they commuted rather than get a hotel.
Strayer pulled the offending student for some other misdeed but "eventually" learned of the slur from an unspecified parent. He likely didn't know at that time -- and it's hard to imagine the assistant didn't tell him then -- which implies that the assistant didn't know at that time either.
One of Forest Hills' starters double forfeited -- which implies that the "other" incident was after weigh-ins but before Round 1. Seems likely that the assistant was not yet aware of the racial slur, or it had not yet occurred.
Beyond that, it's hard to piece together a timeline from available info.
I mean if the kid got kicked off the team for something else that day, seems like he was a real winner and if anything that should have made the hypothetical conversation easier because the coach could've just said that he handled it, the kid was off the team and they won't have to worry about him anymore, etc.
Middle school wrestling has always provided drama. The Forest Hills middle school drama level is directly proportional to the cumulative talent level of the kids involved.
Nope. Live vicariously through them and belittle them when they fail to meet our needs.
If ya scroll down in that tweet you see Zahid taking down Bo who had a much better hair cut back then. That's a match I'd like to see now.
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