Letter to the Sports Editor in the PJ Star

[dogsrus]

I am not sure why I'm jumping in this one, but I am anyway.

This has turned into a high school fight between two people that want the same thing. We want a good, clean program that has some level of sustainable success. Everyone has a different standard of success. There are teams in our league who would kill to have the success that JL has had, on and off the court. There are other teams that wouldn't be satisfied with his program for the last nine years. It's all in the eye of the beholder.

Let's agree on one thing -- JL has had an excellent record of recruiting good kids. Have there been problems with some? Of course... but let's categorize the offenses and then analyze whether anyone cares. If someone got caught speeding, no big deal. If they got caught with a weapon, big deal. I think we can count on one hand how many kids had serious problems once they were on campus. The rest of this is meaningless.

If anybody wants to see JL fail, then you are anti-JL. I'm not implying that anyone said or typed that... but I do agree that if you want him fired, then you are anti-JL. I don't see it as an awful thing to be anti-JL, as long as you can justify your position. Being anti-JL isn't a horribly negative thing - to me, it means you think someone else would be better off running the program. That is anti-JL, but not necessarily awful.

It's only bad to me if someone isn't cheering for JL to do well. I'm in the boat that if things don't improve next season, the administration should weigh out all options. I don't think that's anti-JL... I think that's wanting the best for my program. I hope we are 28-3 next year with an auto bid to the dance, and I hope JL is our coach when it happens. I just agree with some that all options should be weighed out to see what the best direction of the program is.

This is similar to how I feel about our President - Obama, not Glasser. I didn't vote for the man, but he has my full support and respect. If things don't get better soon, I would be for looking at other options.

I'm proud to have graduated from BU, and I support all current staff, coaches, students, alumni, etc. I wish nothing but the best for our program.

Be well -- Joe

Well said but wold you not agree the moniker "anti" JL at least SOUNDS as if you are against JL and do not want him to succeed as you pointed out.

And, like I stated in another post, why the labels...why make it about the poster vs the content of whats posted?

I give you the thread the other day following the loss at MSU as an ex. where the author simply was questioning late game tactics and BAM...the anti JL hogwash gets dragged out and the entire thread crumbles.

Most of us LIKE JL and want him and BU to succeed...mostly we want BU and ANY coach that happens to be in charge to succeed.

[srw]

Ok I will bite the bullet here.

By the powers of this board I am anti JL.

I saw a program under coach mo that spent the middle tenure of his era, years 3-7 or 8 as one of the top 100 teams in the country.

He graduated all players but 1 who completed their senior years on campus (Anthony Parker)


Simply put in 9 years
1 mvct final, 1 NCAA (yes go on your sweet 16 rant if you life) 1 NIT

Its not enough for me.

I would say this to Jims face. I would ask him simply, if on his first day, if he would have said being way under .500 in the league in your 9th year would have been acceptable.

I suspect he would honestly, even now, say no, its not acceptable

[dogsrus]

OK -- I'll bite on this one...

Jabbar Battle - now eight years ago -- a minor "he said/she said" issue that is now cleared from the record.

Saihou Jassey - I am unaware of a single legal issue Saihou had, can you cite a reference?

Tyrone Cole-Scott - what?? -- a citation for underage drinking that was since removed from the record?

Theron Wilson - ibid..

Dan Ruffin - again -- charges were reduced severely so as to give him something to plead to that would be removed from the record after 6 mo., which they were...

Will Egolf - again can you cite a reference, I am unaware of any documentation of a single incident

Taylor Brown -- minor scuffle, minor charges that were deferred then dropped and no longer on the record.

Eddren McCain - was already off the team when anything happened...so he was an ex-player when charged ...and again mioir charge already off the record.

Ray Brwon -- you are wrong again -- never arrested and never a single issue with the law...he was a team-rules violation and then dismissed...case handled appropriately..but not a legal issue so stop making all this stuff up.

In the same time span almost every other Valley school -- certainly ISU, SIU, etc... have had major felony assaults, rapes, DUI's, thefts, and numerous other altercations, bar incidents, and arrests...

I think you have indeed confirmed the previous point that was stated...

"When was the last legal issue of any significance? .." there are none this decade

No one was argueing the severity of the offenses. The argument was whether BU kids got in trouble or not. Thanks for confirming what is painfully obvious....and the truth is we always WILL have kids that get into trouble as will every single College in AMerica from time to time.

But we all agree JL and staff does a good job of handling things WHEN they run afoul AND for the most part recruits good kids.

[dogsrus]

Ok I will bite the bullet here.

By the powers of this board I am anti JL.

I saw a program under coach mo that spent the middle tenure of his era, years 3-7 or 8 as one of the top 100 teams in the country.

He graduated all players but 1 who completed their senior years on campus (Anthony Parker)


Simply put in 9 years
1 mvct final, 1 NCAA (yes go on your sweet 16 rant if you life) 1 NIT

Its not enough for me.

I would say this to Jims face. I would ask him simply, if on his first day, if he would have said being way under .500 in the league in your 9th year would have been acceptable.

I suspect he would honestly, even now, say no, its not acceptable

DO you want JL to fail......?

[tornado]

ha - nice try -- I "confirmed" no such thing..
I think I did a good job REFUTING most of those guys ever had a single problem at all...

If you come up with 8 guys in a decade and half never had a legal issue or an arrest...and ALL the rest had such minor stuff the charges have all been dropped, then I guess we clearly have a different definition of "legal trouble".

You should be thankful you are not an ISU or SIU fan -- or even a local HS fan!

[Braves4Life]

Will Egolf - again can you cite a reference, I am unaware of any documentation of a single incident

Taylor Brown -- minor scuffle, minor charges that were deferred then dropped and no longer on the record.

Eddren McCain - was already off the team when anything happened...so he was an ex-player when charged ...and again mioir charge already off the record.

This may be accurate but I believe you left out some minor incidents that may not have been placed "on the record". Example, I think it is common knowledge that Egolf tweeted recently that he was given a citation. It was minor and something that most college kids do, but it was an incident nonetheless.

TB had other incidents that were never reported -- this is common knowledge among many. Again, nothing that probably warranted anything more than the discipline Les/Glasser imposed. I think TB is a good guy from a good family.

Regarding McCain. Wasn't he still on the team when his "incident" occurred? Again, not a big deal because I think he's a good kid who was dealt a very bad hand in life. I wish we still had him and I wish him well.

[AZ BU Fan]

Making progress....

Some people want BU to win more, and think the current coach can make this happen.

Some people also want BU to win more and don't think the current coach can make this happen.

Both sides can support their beliefs. Neither side can cite enough statistics to change the other side's beliefs. Both sides can like JL as a person, and, can separate the person from their expectation of job performance.

PERIOD

Forget all the "Pro" and the "Anti" nonsense. Isn't "Con" the opposite of "Pro"?

"Anti" someone implies something personal in the motivation. Not true. I would suspect the people who are claimed to "want to see JL fail" are a miniscule subset of the people who believe a change will help BU to win more.

[TheAsianSensation]

But if you are for the firing of JL, then IMO, you are anti-JL

I have no problem with this distinction, but it feels like on this board that if you're defined as "anti-JL", you're defined as someone who wants to see JL and the program fail until he's gone.

And the only reason we have so much argument overall this is because it's a tough decision either way, and I continually wish both sides would simply acknowledge the fact JL brings many things to the table and takes things off the table all at once, because it makes an opinion or argument that much stronger when you can reference the other side of thinking and why it doesn't outweigh the other side.

[lefty]

Haven't we won three out of four? Good grief guys....gotta be something else to talk about.

[AZ BU Fan]

Haven't we won three out of four? Good grief guys....gotta be something else to talk about.

You're right Lefty......

How about them Cubs? Gonna win a WS before we all die?

PS if any Forum Posters will be in Az for Spring Training, let me know! Could try to arrange a BF.com Spring Training Game outing!

Chico is out here already....and SFP may be coming through...Anyone else?

Your best chance to tell me face to face I am wrong about JL!

[dogsrus]

ha - nice try -- I "confirmed" no such thing..
I think I did a good job REFUTING most of those guys ever had a single problem at all...

If you come up with 8 guys in a decade and half never had a legal issue or an arrest...and ALL the rest had such minor stuff the charges have all been dropped, then I guess we clearly have a different definition of "legal trouble".

You should be thankful you are not an ISU or SIU fan -- or even a local HS fan!

SIMPLE one word answer yes or no question only.

Have BU kids got into trouble during the JL era ?

What is your answer..YES or NO.

[Lakeview Brave]

Can anyone argue that Jim Les is the most divisive coach in Bradley history from the time he was hired till present?

Everything will wash out at the end of this year, if the university retains Coach Les after this season he will be here till the end of his current contract.

[jrish12]

So what about the people that want the program to succeed no matter who the coach is? Does that make me anti JL if I think that person is not JL that can take the program to the next level? I think you can be in the middle here, there is so much gray area here it isnt even funny. There is a middle ground that some of you are seeming to forget, or just choosing to forget and refuse to admit that you dont have to be completely on one side of the issue or the other.

With that said, do kids get in trouble, yes. Have Bradley's incidents been minor, yes but they are still put in the press. Do I want them to EVER have a bad issue, ABSOLUTELY NEVER. But Im sure the New Jersey Institute of Technology has a bunch of "good guys" but they lost 51 straight games. There has to be a line drawn here somewhere, you are chosen as a basketball coach to win games, graduation rates and good kids are all good things, but you dont pull in the same amount of booster money, which funds the program significantly, with "good kids" without the success on the court.

[tornado]

This may be accurate but I believe you left out some minor incidents that may not have been placed "on the record". Example, I think it is common knowledge that Egolf ....

wait just a minute.....the first challenge was issued as this...
"Name me a player who has been in trouble the last year or two, at least to the level of issues ..."

then...the response included allegations and CLAIMs made was about significant "run-ins with the law"...

then eight players were named.....

BUT as I properly noted, all eight of those examples are BOGUS!

One was an ex-player who was NOT on the team when his run in occurred
Egolf's transgression was equal to a violation of dorm noise policy - and was NOT a legal run in
Two more (SJ, RB) were NOT legal issues at all....no law enforcement agency ever involved
..and all but DR were not serious charges...and ALL have been removed from the record.
Add to that -- not one of those examples have occurred in the past few years -- the challenge that was issued...
in fact many were allegations from 4, 6 and 8 years ago!
Thank God the legal system doesn't have the memory of certain "fans"...

[houstontxbrave]

What is your answer..YES or NO.

One word answer really? That isnt possible and I guarantee you your question gets ignored.

This is a very interesting thread. Simply because of this statement:

But give credit when it's due. JL's players are all good guys, and they have graduated at a higher rate than any other coach, and they stay out of trouble.

I have a very hard time believing that all of Les's players are all good guys... no links just an idea that after 9 years not every guy who ever suited up was a good guy. Gratuated at a higher rate then any other coach? What other coach... in the history of Bradley, DI, current Bradley Varsity coach? Who?

But the best of the best is they stay out of trouble. I dont care how much it is spun and it was spun bigtime, that statement is absolutely not true. If that statement were not true not one player would have EVER been arrested, issued a ticket, punched another person. And for the recored each has happened while Les has been headcoach. How minor it is it is still a fact Bradley players HAVE gotten into trouble.

They are 18-22 year old college students, things are going to happen and it is not a black eye on Les or Bradley to admit things have happened. But to try and minimize the truth is silly.

BTW I am BIGTIME ANTI Jim Les. I think his time has come and gone and it is time for a change at Bradley in terms of headcoach.

I have also either listened to or watched every BU game this season other then 2. As much as my belief is that Les needs to be let go, I still follow the team very closely. Call me a hater whatever, but the absolute truth with atleast me is I DO NOT CARE who the head coach is at Bradley. I only want to win basketball games and become relavant again in Division 1 Basketball.

Its the name on the front of the jersey I care about, not the back or who stands on the sideline.