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The days of Jimmy and Bruce
INSIDE THE RIVALRY
(2/6/05)
MILWAUKEE—Wisconsin-Milwaukee forward Joah Tucker had it right when he said the off-court issues between UIC’s Jimmy Collins and Bruce Pearl were a “soap opera.” It’s just the type of thing that the much media loves to blow out of proportion.
When both Collins and Pearl were Big Ten assistants in 1990, Pearl, then at Iowa, made allegations of recruiting wrongdoing against Collins, then with Illinois. While Collins was exonerated of the serious charges, the Fighting Illini were still slapped with sanctions by the NCAA due to “lack of institutional control,” which stemmed from football violations.
Collins was hired by UIC in 1996, while Pearl came to Milwaukee in 2001, putting the two coaches in the uncomfortable position of competing against one another in the same conference.
The two coaches chose not to shake hands or exchange pleasantries before or after each meeting. Collins just wanted to focus on coaching and not bringing up past issues.
At the end of Saturday’s game, each coach was in the traditional handshake line, but again Collins and Pearl walked past each other without shaking as a good portion of the crowd of 6,041 at U.S. Cellular Arena erupted in boos, believing Collins was a bad sport and not understanding the past tensions between the two.
Obviously upset by losing to his archrival, Collins got emotional and started waving his arms, inciting the crowd more before fading into the tunnel. A fan even held up a sign, saying, “Be a man, Jimmy. Shake Bruce’s hand.”
Once again Saturday, the media from Milwaukee initiated discussion about the lack of a handshake in the postgame press conference. A frustrated Collins explained his stance.
(A transcript of Collins follows:)
“Certainly, I respect [Pearl’s] program, but let me clear something up. You know, there are a lot of times people have convictions—things that they strongly believe in. It’s about a family. Back when that happened, my family went through some hellacious [stuff]. …
“The fact I don’t shake his hand has nothing to do with the people of Milwaukee or his team. I think he does a hell of a job with his team. But I’m never going to shake his hand. You know what? You all missed this—he really doesn’t want to. No one ever says that. What the hell would he want to shake my hand for? We’re enemies—he and me. It has nothing to do with Chicago, nothing to do with Milwaukee, nothing to do with the program. The guy’s doing a hell of a job with the program. …
“I don’t like him, and he doesn’t like me. What the hell? Why do we have to go through this every year? (addressing media member) You don’t have anybody you don’t like? I’m not shaking his hand. It’s not going to do anything. It’s not going to do anything. It’s not going to do anything. It has nothing to do with [everything else]. I guarantee you there’s a million people in the world that you have never shook hands with. I guarantee it. There’s probably some people, if you’re really honest, that you won’t shake hands with now. I mean, what’s the deal on that? I mean, we’re still playing the game. I want my kids to play fair, exhibit sportsmanship; I don’t want them to play dirty. And I think he wants the same thing for his team. I don’t have to shake his hand to get that, do I?”
Simply stated, Collins wants to move on and forget the past.
Pearl also deflected the spotlight away from the drama.
“It’s a difficult situation for both of us,” Pearl said. “The focus should be on the players, the crowd, the game, ESPN.
“I have great respect for the way UIC plays. How can you not admire what Cedrick Banks did in the first half, or how hard they compete and when Armond Williams and Elliott Poole work inside.”
The players don’t get wrapped up in the hubbub over the coaches.
“The business that went on between them is way before my time, Williams said. “I have nothing to do with it, so I’m innocent to the fact. I just come out to play hard for my coach and my university. I know, every time we play [Milwaukee], they’ll play hard, too.”
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The ordeal hurt Collins (pictured) personally and professionally and the sting clearly hasn’t gone away nor will it fade away.
Pearl (pictured) attempted to shake Collins’ hand for the first time this season when the Panthers defeated the Flames 75-67 on Dec. 4 at the Pavilion, but Collins politely declined. In past years, neither man came close to the other in the postgame handshake line, particularly after Collins’ Flames defeated Pearl’s Panthers in the 2004 Horizon League championship game in Milwaukee. Pearl walked off the court with security as UIC celebrated.