To all that are jumping ship..........

[patrick_o'brian]

Just don't come to the next game! That way I will have the best seats in the house. Hell, don't come at all for the rest of the year. Donate your tickets to charity, that will show Dr. Cross that you guys mean business alright! I guess I was just as upset last night after the game, but we are 5-4, lost twice at home, but it's a long season, and we BEAT ILLINOIS! This team is a TOP 3 Valley team and will finish in the TOP 3. I don't understand how people are talking right now about a 7th or 8th place finish. Right now we are the 1st place team in the Valley, and will be until a VALLEY team beats us! Thanks in advance for the GREAT SEATS at the next game! GO BU!

[real fan]

You think just because we are not happy about BU losing 2 games at home that they should have won that we should stay home, sorry but there is no excuse for this team losing the last 2 at home when they held 10 point leads in both of them and if you think this coach has done a good job then you are not watching the same games the rest of us are, this team is too talented to lose at home to Loyola and coaches are responsible for their players performance. I want Les to be successful and Bradley to win but his coaching just doesn"t seem to be getting any better, he should be coaching in a 6ft. and under league.

[dogsrus]

Just don't come to the next game! That way I will have the best seats in the house. Hell, don't come at all for the rest of the year. Donate your tickets to charity, that will show Dr. Cross that you guys mean business alright! I guess I was just as upset last night after the game, but we are 5-4, lost twice at home, but it's a long season, and we BEAT ILLINOIS! This team is a TOP 3 Valley team and will finish in the TOP 3. I don't understand how people are talking right now about a 7th or 8th place finish. Right now we are the 1st place team in the Valley, and will be until a VALLEY team beats us! Thanks in advance for the GREAT SEATS at the next game! GO BU!

POB...I don't think anyone is jumping off the ship. We are BU fans...PERIOD. Coaches, players, cheerleaders.....presidents......cheerleaders...mo re cheerleaders... come and go but the ONE constant is BU...the UNIVERSITY.

We will support it through thick and thin.....it doesn't mean we won't get upset or voice our opinion when we feel the University we love and support so much is not performing up to each of our individual expectations.

IF you are thrilled at where this program is right now..where it has been the last several years and where its headed...my big red BU hat is off to you. I respect that and respect the fact we all have differing expectations and comfort zones so to speak.

Mine personally is waning....quickly. I bet JL isn't even happy right now. Will he quit...no...will I quit going to the games and supporting the team...no way...haven't now and haven't during worse periods then this.

It isn't going to stop me and what appears many others from voicing exactly how they feel. If that makes it look like we are jumping ship....don't look to sit in MY seat becuase it won't be empty ONE time this year just like it hasn't for 20 plus years.

BU can and will do better wether its under JL or someone else.

[MacabreMob]

Patrick - maybe you can sit next to me sometime.

[Beninator]

You think just because we are not happy about BU losing 2 games at home that they should have won that we should stay home, sorry but there is no excuse for this team losing the last 2 at home when they held 10 point leads in both of them and if you think this coach has done a good job then you are not watching the same games the rest of us are, this team is too talented to lose at home to Loyola and coaches are responsible for their players performance. I want Les to be successful and Bradley to win but his coaching just doesn"t seem to be getting any better, he should be coaching in a 6ft. and under league.

IMHO, JL's best coaching jobs were the year after the Sweet 16 run and last year. Currently nobody including JL is happy with the performance from last night. A friend of mine asked me the other day what to expect from this year's BU team.. (beore the Loyola game) I honestly told him that this team does not play at a very mature level and that this team will win some games that they are not supposed to win and lose some games in the same manner. I also stated that he should not worry as this year's freshman class is one of the finest incoming classes that I have seen come to BU in years. So if a person wants to think in the short term, than go ahead and fire away. I have been critical of substitution patterns this year, however, I am very optimistic about the long term direction of this program. If some fans care to remember, there was a group who wanted Versace gone in the 1980's before the years when BU had a run with Hawkins etc... Now history has glossed over the Versace years and people tend to forget that there was a faction that wanted to run Dick v out of town. Relax people!

[CLBravesfan]

If BU finished in the top three in the MVC, it will only mean that the MVC is a very weak conference. No team in the MVC has shown anything (Excepts BU win aganst Illinois), if BU does finish in the top three I can only imagine how weak the conference must be.

[versace4pres]

Just because some of us here question the direction of the program doesn't necessarily mean we are jumping ship. You need to watch that "trick" knee of yours. Just because some are not lock step with the Kool Aid drinkers does not make us less a fan, maybe it makes us more realistic and more desirous of better things for this program.

One question...is anyone currently ecstatic about the direction of the team this year?

[Braves4Life]

If some fans care to remember, there was a group who wanted Versace gone in the 1980's before the years when BU had a run with Hawkins etc... Now history has glossed over the Versace years and people tend to forget that there was a faction that wanted to run Dick v out of town. Relax people!

You always seem to make excellent points Ben! Many of the great coaches have been "hated on" early in their careers -- Coach K, Dean Smith, Valvano, and Versace (to name a few). Les still has a chance to get things on track so that we all forget the criticism of his early years. However, I am in the camp that says he MUST win consistently over the next 3 years with his current crop of recruits/players or else......

[Fetz86]

Well. . .on the bright side, no where to go but up, it doesn't get much worse than back to back home loses when you had 10 pt leads in each. I really have no expectations for this season at all anymore, good or bad, just plan to sit back and watch what happens. We'll win some games, we'll lose some games, at this point, just try not to get too up or too down with the results. Beating the Illini gave us all a little too much hope for the teams prospects, as that was probably just an anomaly, explained by being up for the big name opponent.

[brocks]

Here's an idea: if you ARE happy with with BU right now, YOU are the one who should just stop going to games and give up, because obviously YOU don't care about Bradley basketball.

What a simpleton straw-man argument. Ooooooh . . . if you're not happy, don't come anymore! Well I'll tell you what, I'm NOT happy, and I will NOT quit BU hoops.

Live with it.

[ER3]

Here's an idea: if you ARE happy with with BU right now, YOU are the one who should just stop going to games and give up, because obviously YOU don't care about Bradley basketball.

What a simpleton straw-man argument. Ooooooh . . . if you're not happy, don't come anymore! Well I'll tell you what, I'm NOT happy, and I will NOT quit BU hoops.

Live with it.

Bravo, B.
Very well said...

[Beninator]

You always seem to make excellent points Ben! Many of the great coaches have been "hated on" early in their careers -- Coach K, Dean Smith, Valvano, and Versace (to name a few). Les still has a chance to get things on track so that we all forget the criticism of his early years. However, I am in the camp that says he MUST win consistently over the next 3 years with his current crop of recruits/players or else......

I am in agreement here B4life. The 3-4 year time frame you mentioned is a fair time frame given what we currently have on our roster.

[MacabreMob]

Here's an idea: if you ARE happy with with BU right now, YOU are the one who should just stop going to games and give up, because obviously YOU don't care about Bradley basketball.

What a simpleton straw-man argument. Ooooooh . . . if you're not happy, don't come anymore! Well I'll tell you what, I'm NOT happy, and I will NOT quit BU hoops.

Live with it.

I'm with ya Brocks. I'm not happy right now - but I still care about Bradley Basketball and will NOT quit BU hoops. That's what I meant in response to Chitown Fanatic's thread of "time to go find another sport to watch".

I emailed a friend last night in response to a frustrated email to me expressing how upset he was. My exact response was (except for his name and a deletable word which means I was "ticked off"):

"C'mon now xxxx... tell me how you REALLY feel.



LOL!

I'm xxxxxx - and I have so many things I want to say but for right now... I'm not gonna say anything.

I will make a small prediction.... you're gonna see a much different team when they play at Iowa St. I'm not predicting a win - I just think things will be different. And by Jan 1st vs SIU in the MVC opener for Bradley - they're gonna be really different. I just have this feeling.

Hang on man. It's a ride. It's a long season. It's a work in progress. It's a Journey. It's a Marathon and not a sprint.

Sometimes hard.... but try to enjoy it. These kids are (were) just like you and me... watch them grow up before your eyes over a season and over 4 years. I enjoy that the most. (tho I'd prefer we won more often - lol)"

[shaunguth]

Here's an idea: if you ARE happy with with BU right now, YOU are the one who should just stop going to games and give up, because obviously YOU don't care about Bradley basketball.

What a simpleton straw-man argument. Ooooooh . . . if you're not happy, don't come anymore! Well I'll tell you what, I'm NOT happy, and I will NOT quit BU hoops.

Live with it.

This argument reminds me of Cubs' fans that throw things onto the field and boo their own team. I honestly feel if you're not happy with the product, then don't waste the effort. That doesn't mean everyone that shows up is "happy", but hopefully they are there to support their team in a positive way. If you continue spending your money on a product you are not happy with and don't enjoy, then stop.

[Bravesfan]

IMHO, JL's best coaching jobs were the year after the Sweet 16 run and last year. Currently nobody including JL is happy with the performance from last night. A friend of mine asked me the other day what to expect from this year's BU team.. (beore the Loyola game) I honestly told him that this team does not play at a very mature level and that this team will win some games that they are not supposed to win and lose some games in the same manner. I also stated that he should not worry as this year's freshman class is one of the finest incoming classes that I have seen come to BU in years. So if a person wants to think in the short term, than go ahead and fire away. I have been critical of substitution patterns this year, however, I am very optimistic about the long term direction of this program. If some fans care to remember, there was a group who wanted Versace gone in the 1980's before the years when BU had a run with Hawkins etc... Now history has glossed over the Versace years and people tend to forget that there was a faction that wanted to run Dick v out of town. Relax people!

I agree that this is a team that will have some inconsistencies this year. I guess I along with many others were lulled into a false sense of security so to speak after that Illinois win. But now reality is setting in that this team still needs to learn how to gel and play with the consistency that they played with against Illinois every time out.

As I just stated on another thread, most national pundits picked Bradley to finish sixth in the Valley this year. So far they seem like they are right on the money so far.