There had been ugly scenes between Wicks and two of his coaches, first Rolland Todd then Jack McCloskey. The one with McCloskey, chosen as coach because he was said to be a strict disciplinarian and would bring order to a chaotic clubhouse, involved Wicks announcing to his coach: “I’ve checked you out and you’re nothing but a loser. You’ve been a loser every place you coached, and I’ve been a winner everywhere I played,” and McCloskey (soon, of course, to depart) answering in turn, “All-star? Sidney Wicks an all-star? The only all-star team you could make is the all-dog team.”
