Wessler- Better days are not ahead

[BradleyJD]

This seems like a silly question. I support Bradley. Who do you support?
Apparently, you are a supporter of:
Bradley when they win.

What????

So you can only be supporter if you like every coach??? WOW, thats a new one.

I AM A FAN....and i am losing faith in the coach. You can do both!

[real fan]

Unfortunately after the last several games I have to agree that things are really going downhill fast, I have always felt that every good head coach has great asst. coaches and BU does not have that which falls into Jims responsibility, the last time things got this bad we ended up having good players transfer out which in turn put this program back several seasons, that is a major concern as I think we all agree that we do not want to wait another 5 years to compete for a championship, an asst. coach that can teach better defensive techniques and schemes would be the answer to most of our problems .I think Jim had better find one soon or he may not be aroud much longer.

[wizard1]

Wessler-Better Days are not Ahead

Coach---Whilw I usually agree with you and have respected your opinions, you are 100% wrong in your continual "Head-in-the-Sand" optimism and excuse rationales for the BU program under JL and our current situation.

For the record, I was a 100% JL supporter and lobbied strongly for his hiring. I now realize I was wrong. Except for a few bright days when we won 2 games in the NCAA against ranked opponents and our win over Illnois, the program when viewed over the past several years under JL has been very mediocre and is now doing a fast nose-dive into embarassment.

Whatever has happened to the once proud BU tradition and the fighting spirit of the Braves? I fear that it is gone. WE NEED A CHANGE AND WE NEED IT SOON.

I also must take issue with your personal attack on KW and your incorrect assumption on what motivates him. I know KW personally and he is a fine man, a very good sports writer, and a great BU supporter. He grew up near the campus and is very close to people like Chas. Osborn and Ron Ferguson.
His Father Max was a distingushed professor of Mechanical Engineering at Bradley and was one of my teachers.

Regarding your angry and not very well- thought- out comment that " EVERY NEWSPAPER COLUMNIST WANTS TO BE A MIKE ROYKO-TYPE, MEANSPIRITED,KICK-THEM-WHEN-THEY'RE DOWN WRITER" would you also include Max Siebel, Paul King, Allan Upton, and Dick Lien in this catagory?

Clearly Coach, you are dead wrong on this one and I fear your angry comments and blind support will cause you to lose credibility.

I hope you have the grace and courage to rethink your positions and come back into the real world regarding BU.

Sorry for the tirade but I felt your wrong position needed to be challanged.
I would be happy to meet with you personally to discuss this further. Give me a call. Thanks.

[BradleyJD]

Coach---Whilw I usually agree with you and have respected your opinions, you are 100% wrong in your continual "Head-in-the-Sand" optimism and excuse rationales for the BU program under JL and our current situation.

For the record, I was a 100% JL supporter and lobbied strongly for his hiring. I now realize I was wrong. Except for a few bright days when we won 2 games in the NCAA against ranked opponents and our win over Illnois, the program when viewed over the past several years under JL has been very mediocre and is now doing a fast nose-dive into embarassment.

Whatever has happened to the once proud BU tradition and the fighting spirit of the Braves? I fear that it is gone. WE NEED A CHANGE AND WE NEED IT SOON.

I also must take issue with your personal attack on KW and your incorrect assumption on what motivates him. I know KW personally and he is a fine man, a very good sports writer, and a great BU supporter. He grew up near the campus and is very close to people like Chas. Osborn and Ron Ferguson.
His Father Max was a distingushed professor of Mechanical Engineering at Bradley and was one of my teachers.

Regarding your angry and not very well- thought- out comment that " EVERY NEWSPAPER COLUMNIST WANTS TO BE A MIKE ROYKO-TYPE, MEANSPIRITED,KICK-THEM-WHEN-THEY'RE DOWN WRITER" would you also include Max Siebel, Paul King, Allan Upton, and Dick Lien in this catagory?

Clearly Coach, you are dead wrong on this one and I fear your angry comments and blind support will cause you to lose credibility.

I hope you have the grace and courage to rethink your positions and come back into the real world regarding BU.

Sorry for the tirade but I felt your wrong position needed to be challanged.
I would be happy to meet with you personally to discuss this further. Give me a call. Thanks.

Some good thoughts Wizard.

I would also add again....Everyone WANTS BU to win. If that is with Jim Les or without, it does not matter.

However, to continually say that none of this is Jim's fault is absurd.

Kirk is merely posting some items that he, and anyone else watching this team, can see.

[Buesch N Chips]

I also must take issue with your personal attack on KW and your incorrect assumption on what motivates him. I know KW personally and he is a fine man, a very good sports writer, and a great BU supporter.

How would you classify his relationship with Jim Les throughout Les' tenure?

[Dallas Brave]

Unfortunately after the last several games I have to agree that things are really going downhill fast, I have always felt that every good head coach has great asst. coaches and BU does not have that which falls into Jims responsibility, the last time things got this bad we ended up having good players transfer out which in turn put this program back several seasons, that is a major concern as I think we all agree that we do not want to wait another 5 years to compete for a championship, an asst. coach that can teach better defensive techniques and schemes would be the answer to most of our problems .I think Jim had better find one soon or he may not be aroud much longer.

If it comes down to replacing JL, I'm hoping that the program can avoid a fall out. Bradley has a lot to offer prospective players ... and that doesn't change even if JL goes away. With the new facilities, a new AD, and a President who places a high priority on winning ... I think Bradley would be able to attract some highly qualified, proven coaching talent. A new coach will have the benefit of stepping into a program trending the right direction in terms of talent and facilities.

At the end of the day, winning is very important to a school's attractiveness for qaulity students. I was just talking with a TCU administrator the other day and applications to TCU are out the roof thanks to the success of the football team.

[BradleyBrave]

If it comes down to replacing JL, I'm hoping that the program can avoid a fall out. Bradley has a lot to offer prospective players ... and that doesn't change even if JL goes away. With the new facilities, a new AD, and a President who places a high priority on winning ... I think Bradley would be able to attract some highly qualified, proven coaching talent. A new coach will have the benefit of stepping into a program trending the right direction in terms of talent and facilities.

At the end of the day, winning is very important to a school's attractiveness for qaulity students. I was just talking with a TCU administrator the other day and applications to TCU are out the roof thanks to the success of the football team.

BU canned a similar legendary figure about 30 years ago, and everything turned out just fine. He's still a beloved legendary figure, and the program took a major step forward with the guy that succeeded him. The only thing BU has to fear is fear itself...

[Da Coach]

Wizard, perhaps you have forgotten what a "fan" is. I am a fan of Bradley. If it comes time for Bradley to make a change, I will support that, as well.

[dogsrus]

I read the article. It's very hard to disagree with any of it at this time. That being said, I think KW has been waiting for this. He took some heat a year ago for being anti-Les, and as a result backed off. Apparently the frustration of yesterdays game super ceded his attempt to prove people wrong about his opinions of Les, and he went into attack mode. It takes no guts to write an article like this at this time.

But like I said at the beginning, it is a very hard time to defend Les. Even though the article is harsh, and oozes of KW's personal issues with Les, it is not inappropriate.

I don't think you can agree with what is written and at the same time criticize him for writing the truth can you?

He is just writing what the mases allready know and see for themselves......I understand its like a bully pulpit where its hard to argue him directly if you disagree but there are ways of disputing WHAT he says IF you disagree.

Again though, it sounds like you don't disagree......

[dogsrus]

This seems like a silly question. I support Bradley. Who do you support?
Apparently, you are a supporter of:
Bradley when they win.

It may irk a few people, but the truth is that the administration supports Jim Les, so apparently you think they are irrational, too.
And so do a lot of fans.

Both those that complain and don't complain as much or at all can support the same University.

I support the US but I'm sure not happy about giving up what I EARN through hard work to those that sit around wanting and expecting handouts....and I'm going to voice my opinion about it time and time again until a change is made.

I think we ALL support BU the University.....some are just not supporting JL and want change.

[dogsrus]

Wizard, perhaps you have forgotten what a "fan" is. I am a fan of Bradley. If it comes time for Bradley to make a change, I will support that, as well.

Sorry I wrote my last thread before I read this one.....I agree. And I think that holds true to MOST of the fanbase...even those that are calling for change now.

I have yet to see alot of fire JL type statements. I beleive MOST are willing to play this year out before that choice is made.

[Braveman]

Let's remember that as a columnist- KW is supposed to give his opinion- which he did...

My question to those blind loyalists would be- what did he say that was untrue or attacking the program?

I don't see any attacks- and before anyone says I am a fair-weathered fan only- I have close ties and a history with the program and have for many years..

It is what it is... and right now, it isn't very good- FACT

[Buesch N Chips]

I don't think you can agree with what is written and at the same time criticize him for writing the truth can you?

He is just writing what the mases allready know and see for themselves......I understand its like a bully pulpit where its hard to argue him directly if you disagree but there are ways of disputing WHAT he says IF you disagree.

Again though, it sounds like you don't disagree......

Any criticism that comes now cannot be disputed. I guess my point is, if everyone is thinking it, for KW to be so vitriolic about things that everyone can see speaks to their relationship.

[Bravesfan]

I don't think anyone disagrees with the central thesis of KW's article that BU plays soft and passive. Yesterday's game was a clear example of this. Love to have a nickel for every rebound that was taken away from us, or every shot that was eeked up to the basket in fear by one of our big men.

But....this team has proven that when it plays aggressively it can win against top 25 caliber teams. And, no, I'm not hanging my hat on the Illinois win alone as hope that this team can be better. How about we let the conference season play out and then make a judgement? We still have Drake once, Evansville twice and a very beatable Creighton team twice. We'll also get a look at this MoSt. team at home, where I'm pretty sure that Michael Jordan Weems won't have the same production.

At this point, though, through about half of the season, the trademark of this team is softness.

I absolutely 100% agree with all your points doug. And while KW makes some very good points as well, I don't totally agree with his assessment that Bradley's better days are not ahead.

I think the real evaluation of this team starts next Saturday at Carver Arena with our rematch against MSU. I do think Bradley will improve before the end of this season. Of course everyone has a different definition of what "better days" mean. I think in terms of what Bradley can do this year, a .500 record beyond the UNI game is certainly within grasp, maybe even a few games above .500. Again I realize this would not constitute better days in the eyes of many fans, but it certainly would be an improvement over this 2-6, and most likely soon to be 2-7 stretch that this team has suffered through since the Illinois win. But I can still see this team finishing the regular season 8-5, perhaps even 9-4 if they get some lucky breaks.

I think my philosophy behind this prediction stems from the Drake/SIU game last night. It shows that even the worst of the worst teams in the Valley can upset good teams on the road if they have a great shooting night and play good defense. Therefore you can't dismiss any game until it's played. We also get most of our toughest games out of the way with the UNI game on Tuesday night. And finally just because a team embarrasses us on their home court doesn't mean it will happen on our home court. I have seen many teams over the years just bury us at their place only to come to our place and look just as bad as we were on their home court. That's why I really can't see MSU pulling that same performance in Peoria that they did in Springfield yesterday. Can they still beat us in Peoria? Absolutely! But will they make as easy as yesterday. Possiblely if we come out flat again, but not as likely.

In short, I think Bradley will upset a few good teams at least at home this year, and judging by the SIU performance in Carbondale last night, I think Bradley steals at least one game against a mid level road team like SIU or either of the ISU's in addition to a win at Evansville. Creighton in Omaha will be tougher but is very winnable too. I still can see Bradley finishing with between 9 and 11 conference wins, and yes KW, that would represent better days ahead!

[Bravesfan]

Let's remember that as a columnist- KW is supposed to give his opinion- which he did...

My question to those blind loyalists would be- what did he say that was untrue or attacking the program?

I don't see any attacks- and before anyone says I am a fair-weathered fan only- I have close ties and a history with the program and have for many years..

It is what it is... and right now, it isn't very good- FACT

What did he say that was untrue? That better days are not ahead. How does he know that for sure? I've seen many bad seasons in college basketball turn on a dime over the years. Sometimes things just all of the sudden "click" for a team and they go on a run. Heck even during Coach Mo's second season in 1993, Bradley finished the season on a 5-2 run after starting 6-14. That propelled them to a 23-8 NIT season the following year, which was the first of three consectutive 20 win seasons.

So I don't know about anyone else, but I for one am certainly not ready to write off this season yet!