Coach K to Obama: Focus on the Economy not the Brackets (Wizbang)

Duke's coach Mike Krzyzewski has a little advice for President Obama, a big basketball fan, that perhaps the economy is a bit more important than the NCAA brackets:

Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski isn't thrilled his team got snubbed by the leader of the free world.
"Somebody said that we're not in President Obama's Final Four, and as much as I respect what he's doing, really, the economy is something that he should focus on, probably more than the brackets," Krzyzewski told a reporter from the Associated Press on Wednesday.

That's advice Obama would be smart to take, but I guess when your job exceeds your capabilities, you will take any escape you can. Meanwhile, the media is in full leg tingle mode on Obama's ability to fill out his brackets. No word on whether he used a teleprompter.

Hat tip to Gateway Pundit.

Update: Here's the video of Coach K making his comments, thanks to Townhall blogger Greg Hengler. Like Warren Buffett and Jack Walsh before him, Krzyzewski feels the need to chase his criticisms with "I love the guy. I think he's great." All three of them must be trying to inoculate themselves from the Obama cultists who would most likely come down on their heads like a ton of bricks.

Update II: Mark Halperin informs us that Obama called into Ed Schultz's show to discuss Coach K's statement. He attributed Krzyzewski's remarks to his competitive streak rather than to a real concern about the economy:

Obama called into the Ed Schultz radio show and was asked about Coach K's mild snub over his NCAA picks.
"Coach K, I think, is a great coach. And you know, Reggie Love, my assistant, played for Coach K. And so it's not surprising. I didn't pick him to go to the finals. Look he's a competitive guy, I just don't think they've got the inside game to go all the way. But I look forward to him proving me wrong," the president said.

ABC News characterized Coach K's comments as "lighthearted," but I didn't see anything lighthearted about it in the video. He wasn't smiling or laughing. It looked to me like he truly was concerned about Obama's handling of our economy.

Comments (23)

When I saw the 'news' of Ob... (Below threshold)

1. Posted by _Mike_ | March 19, 2009 8:20 AM | Score: 9 (11 votes cast)

_Mike_:

When I saw the 'news' of Obama's Final Four picks yesterday, I thought it was a odd bit of a puff piece to be some prominent. So, I searched for where the press had done the same thing with previous presidents. I thought that it must have been some 'tradition' that I hadn't noticed before and not the result of adulation for The One.

However, it doesn't appear that the media did the same type of personal interest puff pieces on Bush... hmmm.

Posted on March 19, 2009 08:20

This guys arrogance and nai... (Below threshold)

2. Posted by Pretzel Logic | March 19, 2009 8:29 AM | Score: 8 (10 votes cast)

Pretzel Logic:

This guys arrogance and naivete will cost us plenty I'm afraid.

Posted on March 19, 2009 08:29

Already has, Pretzel... and... (Below threshold)

3. Posted by JLawson | March 19, 2009 8:34 AM | Score: 7 (9 votes cast)

JLawson:

Already has, Pretzel... and it's going to cost us a lot more before it's finished.

Posted on March 19, 2009 08:34

Considering what Obama want... (Below threshold)

4. Posted by William Teach | March 19, 2009 8:38 AM | Score: 8 (12 votes cast)

William Teach

Considering what Obama wants to do to the economy, and what happens when he takes a break from insulting allies and partying in the WH and talks about it, maybe it would be best if he spend more time on trivialities like this.

Posted on March 19, 2009 08:38

This is typical of this ass... (Below threshold)

5. Posted by John | March 19, 2009 8:38 AM | Score: 6 (12 votes cast)

John:

This is typical of this asshole. Obama has time for Leno and picking brackets but doesn't have time to focus on the economy.

Hope and change you can be scammed into believing.

I was thinking more than tr... (Below threshold)

6. Posted by Pretzel Logic | March 19, 2009 8:51 AM | Score: 5 (7 votes cast)

I was thinking more than treasure...

Posted on March 19, 2009 08:51

Brackets ... another Obama ... (Below threshold)

7. Posted by Maggie Mama | March 19, 2009 8:57 AM | Score: 9 (11 votes cast)

Maggie Mama:

Brackets ... another Obama distraction.

We now know the Admnistration "forced" Senator Dodd's staff to pull the bonus clause from the stimulus bill. Yet Obama fiegns outrage.

Tonight we can all watch our great "actor" perform on Leno.

We are so screwed.

Posted on March 19, 2009 08:57

Coach K: "the economy is... (Below threshold)

8. Posted by P. Bunyan | March 19, 2009 9:10 AM | Score: 7 (9 votes cast)

P. Bunyan:

Coach K: "the economy is something that he should focus on, probably more than the brackets"

Unfortunately we will shortly see that he knows very little about either.

Posted on March 19, 2009 09:10

No word on whether he used ... (Below threshold)

9. Posted by MichaelC | March 19, 2009 9:19 AM | Score: 7 (9 votes cast)

MichaelC:

No word on whether he used a teleprompter.

heh heh

Posted on March 19, 2009 09:19

What, no mock outrage that ... (Below threshold)

10. Posted by Rance | March 19, 2009 9:32 AM | Score: -3 (9 votes cast)

Rance:

What, no mock outrage that he's giving a wink and a nod to all the illegal gambling that goes on in March?

Posted on March 19, 2009 09:32

"Obama has time for Leno an... (Below threshold)

11. Posted by JB | March 19, 2009 9:45 AM | Score: 7 (9 votes cast)

JB:

"Obama has time for Leno and picking brackets but doesn't have time to focus on the economy."

The less he "focuses" on the economy, the better off we'll all be.

Posted on March 19, 2009 09:45

Petty argument here. The pr... (Below threshold)

12. Posted by Paul Hooson | March 19, 2009 10:28 AM | Score: -10 (20 votes cast)

Paul Hooson:

Petty argument here. The president has been very engaged on the economy, health care, getting credit flowing, and numerous other issues. But, ever since President Kennedy, the public has wanted to see a president with the latest opinions on popular books, movies and sports. So a president has to at least offer some opinion on these subjects, or else appear to be ignorant, as silly as they might seem.

Posted on March 19, 2009 10:28

"I was thinking more tha... (Below threshold)

13. Posted by JLawson | March 19, 2009 10:29 AM | Score: 3 (5 votes cast)

"I was thinking more than treasure..."

Me too, Pretzel. Me too...

Posted on March 19, 2009 10:29

Well, Paul, Obama seems pre... (Below threshold)

14. Posted by JLawson | March 19, 2009 10:34 AM | Score: 8 (14 votes cast)

Well, Paul, Obama seems pretty ignorant on the economy, health care, getting credit flowing, and numerous other issues. He was a real whiz at getting elected, though.

If sports opinion is all that's left, then he'd better be damn good at it.

I still think he missed his calling - he would have been a hell of a telemarketer, and (if his picks pan out) a sports commentator. Oh, wait - there's that uh, teleprompter, uh, issue to contend with... no, sports announcing would be right out.

Posted on March 19, 2009 10:34

Here's a clue. He picked sc... (Below threshold)

15. Posted by MPR | March 19, 2009 11:24 AM | Score: 6 (6 votes cast)

MPR:

Here's a clue. He picked schools from swing states. Props to Hotair. I hear the refrain that he doesn't know what he is doing almost as an excuse for his ineptness. He is calculating and knows exactly what he is doing.

Posted on March 19, 2009 11:24

Paul says:"Petty arg... (Below threshold)

16. Posted by DaveD | March 19, 2009 11:44 AM | Score: 4 (4 votes cast)

DaveD:

Paul says:
"Petty argument here. The president has been very engaged on the economy, health care, getting credit flowing, and numerous other issues."
And when you find out which country this is let me know because up till now I'm not sure it's the United States. In fact, I think if the facts of the economy were explained to Coach K he couldn't make any worse decisions.

Posted on March 19, 2009 11:44

The scary thing afte... (Below threshold)

17. Posted by Joe | March 19, 2009 12:01 PM | Score: 4 (4 votes cast)

Joe:

The scary thing after watching his "pick up" games is he's a worse president than a basketball player. Just watch video of him playing. Plus. What other sole black kid on an all white high school team sits the bench? And in Hawaii? Definetly not the Mecca of HS BBall! Now that's bad!!

Posted on March 19, 2009 12:01

Paul Hooson:So a ... (Below threshold)

18. Posted by _Mike_ | March 19, 2009 12:19 PM | Score: 4 (4 votes cast)

Paul Hooson:
So a president has to at least offer some opinion on these subjects, or else appear to be ignorant

Or busy with other, more important matters...

Posted on March 19, 2009 12:19

The teleprompter could not ... (Below threshold)

19. Posted by 914 | March 19, 2009 12:24 PM | Score: 5 (5 votes cast)

914:

The teleprompter could not be reached for comment.

Posted on March 19, 2009 12:24

This is typical of this ... (Below threshold)

20. Posted by ODA315 | March 19, 2009 12:24 PM | Score: 1 (3 votes cast)

ODA315:

lol. John, your posts remind me of the "Headley Lamar hiring bad guys" scene in Blazing Saddles. "I see you've listed "Asshole" twice.....yeah, I like the word "Asshole""

"Petty argument here. The p... (Below threshold)

21. Posted by brainy435 | March 19, 2009 12:54 PM | Score: 4 (4 votes cast)

brainy435:

"Petty argument here. The president has been very engaged on the economy, health care, getting credit flowing, and numerous other issues."
Posted by Paul Hooson | March 19, 2009 10:28 AM

You mean aside from staffing Treasury?

Posted on March 19, 2009 12:54

Better yet Marc, when he ge... (Below threshold)

22. Posted by ODA315 | March 19, 2009 3:57 PM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)

Better yet Marc, when he gets to the jail with the Waco Kid, they shut the door and he sez "Boy, are those people dumb"

A line made for Commissar "O"

Posted on March 19, 2009 15:57

"He wasn't smiling or laugh... (Below threshold)

23. Posted by Bruce Henry | March 19, 2009 7:46 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)

Bruce Henry:

"He wasn't smiling or laughing."

I've lived within 15 miles of Duke University for longer than Coach K's been around. Believe me, Coach K NEVER smiles. If he has, I've never seen it, even when he won National championships.

Posted on March 19, 2009 19:46