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I have never seen such a disaster of a team. How many times are they going to turn the ball over on a press?? I have tried to give this staff the benefit of the doubt and stuck up for them too long. Nobody on this team can make a **** shot. Outside of josh Cunningham this team is a joke. Geno has completely lost this team and I dont think will ever lead us out of thursday night. Geno needs to go but im afraid the damage is so severe its going to be a long time until this program is back to where it should be. So sad to be a bradley graduate and basketball supporter.
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BF07 - I think even the spinmachine that's been telling us how we're so much better than any time in the last 30 years will fall flat trying to put lipstick on this pig...
even on the message board where worship of their spin is considered scripture....
I saw this comment from a lifelong admin-zombie......
"Since this administration came in everything seems to be headed downhill, student enrollment down, funds down and finally they want to downsize the basketball program and play in a smaller facility, the real downsizing that needs to be done should start at the top because the ave. attendance was 10,000 plus until they took over and things have went from good to bad and now just ugly."
and talk about waving a white flag... the single biggest blind supporter of this admin and all the disastrous changes just started a thread saying heads need to roll -
now the post-game spin starts as Dave Snell puts the mic in Geno's hands.... we were frustrated, they were great, we had an off nite, our point guard was unavailable, we shot poor.... -
I was fed up a long time ago, and finally more people are starting to see what I could see. Too bad the PJ Star sports writers still are blind and ignorant to the reality of how bad this team has become, and the problem isn't just sub-D1 talent, it's the terrible coaching, terrible preparation, and abysmal effort.
I see no chance things will ever get better without a complete housecleaning like I have been saying for 3 years. They have lost half of the loyal Bradley fan base, and they are just about to lose the other half.
Heck with moving the games to the Renaissance Coliseum- they might as well move them to the Markin Center.Comment
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Tornado I have given you and others on this site a lot of grief before and dont always agree with what you have to say but you did predict this. When I was a student during the sweet 16 year I never could have imagined we would be this low 8 years later. I was so proud of this team those years and always felt we could compete with anyone on a given night. Now I just pray we dont lose by 30. I have been to st louis for the Mvc tournament with some college buddies every year since I was a freshman in 2002 but this year none of us wanna go. Im just embarrassed to be a fan of this joke of a program right now.Comment
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BF07 - I will issue an honest apology because I have been down on this entire team & basketball program for 3-4 years..
I should probably hold my tongue at times, I know the job is hard ..but four facts stand out..
**-despite that this job of producing a good basketball program IS hard - all we have heard for 4-5 years from higher-ups are silly & insulting excuses -
we haven't given them enough time, the fans are impatient, the cupboard was bare, the problem was deeper than anyone knew about, recruiting is hard, scheduling is hard, we have a broken relationship with the Civic Center, injuries, close misses in recruiting, kids didn't pan out, etc...!
You are all being paid OBSCENELY huge salaries that are BANKRUPTING the University that we love and want to support for decades into the future!
And you are NOT getting the job done - it is time for major changes.
**-we've been lied to - we keep being told everything is great, we got great recruiting classes, great leadership, great recruiting connections to the top AAU programs & jucos, and that "Bradley's athletic success is the best it's been in at least 30 years"! Tired of being lectured that one single women's XC conference championship equates to incredible, vast athletic success that ought to shut the fans up.
And the record number of 30-pt blowout losses recently as well as the 60-70 year record small home attendances prove things are not great - they are all-time disastrous.
**-it's time for those in charge to step up and take responsibility. Time to STOP blaming someone from the past - from 4-5 years ago, from 6-8 years ago, even some comments I have seen recently trying to hang all our current problems on Jim Molinari or the committee who sought his replacement.
And time for the enabling group of people or fans who hated the past so much they were willing to bankrupt the future just to get their way, to admit they were wrong.
**-and no matter what spin we keep hearing - they are NOT GETTING THE JOB DONE
we are miserably bad in every sport that people pay to see MBasketball, WBasketball, Baseball, Softball, Volleyball, and even soccer had a losing season.
Add to that all the horrific panic-level overspending and irresponsible financial problems that they claim is NOT THEIR FAULT!
It's the economy, it's a nationwide trend of enrollment declines that NOBODY could have possibly seen coming.
It's all someone else's fault who was run out of here 5-10 years ago!
Nope, the fans know better even if the admin, the Board, and the media keep spinning happy days.Comment
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I think I speak for a lot of average Bradley fans. I have not been a season ticket holder, but I follow games on radio and TV (though they have almost disappeared from TV), I go to several games a year, and I buy Bradley merchandise. I read this board all the time, though I haven't posted much.Originally posted by BradleyFan07 View Post
I noticed an obvious change in the basketball program some time early in the 2010-2011 season (Jim Les' last season). Bradley was picked to be a top contender, but faltered after all the injuries. It was clear to me the Bradley administration, and the new AD made a calculated decision to change everything they could about Bradley basketball and create their own new brand.
they changed assistant coaches
they then fired the coach and made their own hire
they changed the logo
they changed the mascot
they tried to change the nickname from Braves to Brave but backed off only when fans said they would stop donating
they cancelled he Itoo Hall event
they cancelled the preseason gala banquet for fans
they cancelled the postseason banquet
they cancelled the postseason player awards
they cancelled the red-white scrimmage after a failed attempt to hold it after a volleyball game
they cancelled the spaghetti supper, chili supper, and virtually every other preseason, in-season, and postseason event for fans
they did away with the Braves Club room and, most Braves Club events
they don't even try to arrange road trips for fans which many of us used to love (we miss Ken Goldin)
they moved games to the Ren Col, and now want to move all the games there despite promises they wouldn't
they raised ticket prices almost beyond the average man's reach
they downgraded the schedule big time
they dumped Nike (which the kids prefer) and committed to Adidas
they stopped putting games on TV
they even changed just about every other sport by running off coaches and hiring new ones who haven't had as much success as the ones they ran off
and there are other changes, but you get my point- they have tried to completely re-brand everything in their own image, and it has been a complete and total failure.
And now they seem to have developed an elitist and condescending attitude in the athletic department and ticket office toward us lowly fans, as any fan can attest to if they have ever had personal dealings with them.
And all that in addition to giving fans an embarrassing poor excuse for a basketball team that is a "light year or two" away from being competitive or ever returning to the NCAA tournament..
I have been very patient as a fan until now, but I'm ready to move on. Like thousands of others, I can't take it any more.
To paraphrase some politician, we fans haven't abandoned Bradley basketball, Bradley basketball has abandoned us fans.Comment
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Originally posted by JC View Post
And this is the most interesting part of this, to me, because in conversations I have had with people who are close to the athletic program (or were once close), the common theme is that the people running things are not entirely capable.
As I've said before, it is a common business mistake to overcorrect from previous management. Usually the mistake is recognized early and corrected.Comment
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I have followed Bradley basketball since 1963. Without a doubt, this is the lowest, not only the basketball program has sunk, but the entire athletic department. This administration has severed all ties to the great BU tradition, that has allowed these people to be paid incredible wages for a poor product. Does anybody find it odd that the only people looking to move back on campus are the very people that have created this mess? The civic center was fine for Versace, Albeck, Molinari, Les and even Ford when he first arrived here. He use to talk about how nice the locker rooms were and would show the facility off to recruits. Now, that he has found out, he is in over his head, he is making every excuse he can. Isn't it odd also, that BU didn't have any scheduling problems at the civic center when the Rivermen played 41 home games. Now that they only play 24 or so, they have problems getting dates. That is just a bunch of bunk and more excuses and reasons to weaken the schedule so they can get cupcake wins. This administration is running unchecked. They will only address it when it hits them in the wallet. They got to have an awful big bruise by now.Comment
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I still can not believe it took people this long to figure out Geno was a bad coach. The only good thing is he is making Stan Albeck look good.Comment
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Wow. Nice post for your first one, Vent. Welcome to the board! I agree 100%, and I have been a fan since 1967. But it seems us "old timers" really don't matter to them any more. However, their plan to draw in new and younger fans isn't working out so well. There aren't many of them, they are fickle and not very loyal, they seem to come to games only when it's convenient and when they don't have anything else to do, they only buy the cheaper tickets and move down to the open seats (and there are lots to choose from), and they don't donate money. That doesn't sound like a good plan to me. Maybe you should be advising them Vent!Originally posted by Vent View PostComment
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This administration has turned their back on the fan that takes a shower after work. They only want to be seen shaking hands with the people with big wads of money and fancy clothes at the games. The generating of revenue from Bradley basketball was built on the backs of hard working people and military veterans after WWII. They were family oriented people that placed a value on going to the games. Obviously, the people that make large financial contributions are important. However the working man, that may scrape together the funds to join the Braves Club and get season tickets, is spending that money elsewhere. Why? Because of people making athletic decisions that know nothing about athletics. Like when they did away with the preseason smoker at the Itoo Hall, or scheduling a Red/White event on the river, on a Friday night, during high school football season. That was just plain dumb. The administration has insulated the athletic director and head coach from fielding any questions from the general public. When Ford or Cross are on WMBD, they don't field questions from the listeners. When Dave Snell, Dan Diorio or Chad Klein make comments during games, they tip toe through it, because they're paid by the university. At least Mort Cantor on WIRL, use to tell it like it is. It's too bad he's no longer around, because people like him are our only hope.Comment
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Great post.Comment
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If Bradley refuses to fire Geno, the least they could do is fire their 12 year old looking assistant and hire Kevin Brown. Let Brown do ALL the coaching. Geno can do the press conferences after the games and be a stand up comedian, which is by far what he does best. Don't let the other assistants do anything at practice or on game nights. Keep their butts firm on the bench and let Brown coach and motivate the players.Comment
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if you have a head coach YOU MUST let him choose his staff or you have a disaster - it happened here, and also at DePaul, SIU, and a few other places..
if someone else mandates changes in Geno's staff against his wishes, then the problem will immediately go from bad to worse..
Recall - that the only losing season Jim Les had in the last SIX SEASONS he was here was the season that the admin forced two of his assistants out and forced him to bring in two new ones - one of whom was NOT of his choosing. If people wanna claim Les didn't recruit well then check the list of players he landed when he had his own assistants - most of whom are still playing professionally - vs. the ones he landed after that last season when the admin chose part of his staff for him.
Also - over the first 3 seasons JL was here he also was forced to operate with a staff that was partly chosen by the admin. but...
Simple facts are...
In the seasons Jim Les had a coaching staff that was fully of his own choosing he was - 102-71 with four post-season appearances, one Sweet Sixteen
In the seasons Jim Les had a coaching staff that was not fully of his choosing he was - 52-69 with no post-season appearances - night and day difference as would be expectedComment
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