Sports

Doug Gottlieb Hung Up On Heated Radio Argument Just Hours Before He Picked Up An Erroneous Technical Foul

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Doug Gottlieb technical foul chirp players coaches rob parker argument eligibility
Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

To be completely honest, I did not want to write about Green Bay head coach and former Fox Sports radio host Doug Gottlieb in October. I was trying my absolute best to hold out until (at least) the official start of the college basketball season because he and I have something of a history with each other and I want to be as fair as possible in my coverage— or whatever you want to call it. (Hi Doug if you’re reading this!)

And then the 50-year-old picked up his first technical foul of the year just one day after he hung up on his former colleague during a heated argument about his most recent hot take. I can’t not write about.

Even though it sounds like those are two separate incidents, they are related. I actually don’t think Gottlieb was out of line in either situation. The college basketball officiating crew T’d him up for a harmless (and objectively hilarious) quip about eligibility rules, and Rob Parker completely misrepresented his opinion. I’d be mad too!

Doug Gottlieb hung up on Rob Parker!

Lets start with the proposed Protect College Sports Act that is likely going to pass through Congress. Although there are a lot of flaws with the bill, the current state of college sports is a mess and this bipartisan legislation is supposed to help. The goal is to establish consistent rules on the federal level. There are eight key points:

  1. NIL rights — Protects an athlete’s ability to earn money from endorsements and sponsorships.
  2. Transfer limits — Limits athletes to one free transfer without having to sit out a season. (There are exceptions!)
  3. Eligibility — Establishes a standard five-year eligibility period. (There are exceptions!)
  4. NIL oversight — Increases transparency and regulation of NIL deals and athlete agents.
  5. Compensation limits — Restricts certain revenue-sharing arrangements between the school and its athletes.
  6. Scholarships and healthcare — Strengthens protections for scholarships, medical care, and athlete safety.
  7. Women’s and Olympic sports — Aims to preserve opportunities for non-revenue sports.
  8. Media rights — Allows schools and conferences to collectively negotiate media rights.

Doug Gottlieb is in support of the Protect College Sports Act. He went on a scathing rant about the ongoing issues during a press conference at the end of September.

One quote stood out.

“Coaches are way more important than players. Because they just do more. Coaches don’t leave every year the way that players leave every year.”

Gottlieb joined Rob Parker and Kelvin Washington on Fox Sports Radio earlier this week to discuss his recent rant. It did not take long for the conversation to turn contentions when Parker misrepresented his quote about coaches and players.

Parker asked Gottlieb if he stands by that “players don’t matter.” Gottlieb immediately pushed back.

“You said I said players don’t matter. Not only is it unfair, it’s not true and it’s the problem with media. This is not an all-or-nothing proposal. In no world is it all or nothing. Zero.”

The third-year head coach at Green Bay demanded an apology from the radio host. Parker would not give him one.

“I’m not doing that. Doug, if you came here for an apology party, I’ll hang up on you right now. I’m not doing that… I’m not apologizing two minutes in.”

Before Parker could hang up on Gottlieb, Gottlieb hung up on Parker. That was it. Interview over. Parker unloaded.

“That’s why you don’t have a show. I’m glad you hung up. Don’t call back here. In fact, turn to ESPN. Go listen to Jim Rome. You better not be listening to this show… Doug is ridiculous. What kind of system doesn’t allow the players to be involved in the bargaining of this?’

Parker asked a valid question about the bargaining process after Gottlieb already hung up. He did not get to ask him directly because he refused to apologize.

Although it is impossible to have a rational dialogue with Gottlieb, he had every right to be upset with the misquote. Never did he say that players don’t matter. Never would he say that players don’t matter. And that is not why he doesn’t have a show!

Gottlieb does not have a show because, after outside pressure from yours truly, he came to realize that he should not try to pull double duty as a Division I basketball coach and a radio host if he is not winning games. The Phoenix had one of their best seasons in recent history after their head coach decided to focus only on being a head coach. Coincidence? Don’t think so…

Did he really deserve a technical foul?

Doug Gottlieb and Rob Parker got into it on Wednesday. Green Bay played an exhibition game against Wisconsin on Thursday.

The Phoenix lost to the Badgers by 19 but they looked like a competent team that could make some noise in the Horizon League now that they have a head coach who works as a head coach and only a head coach. Green Bay shot ~74% in the second half trailed by only three points at the under-12 timeout!

It was a chippy game. There were two Flagrant 1s and two technical fouls called before the under-12. Gottlieb was called for one of the technicals. Well, technically speaking, the bench was called for one of the technicals because of the head coach.

Gottlieb chirped at fifth-year senior Braeden Carrington, who is currently playing for Wisconsin under a temporary restraining order. He told him that he is too old to be flopping.

I don’t know if what he said warrants a technical foul during an exhibition game, or any game. That’s funny!!

The referee apparently disagreed. Maybe Gottlieb’s rant about the current state of college sports had something to do with it. He went off on eligibility at the end of September and hung up on Rob Parker on Wednesday. He joked about eligibility the next day.

It could be a long season for Gottlieb if that was enough to get T’d up…