Bradley Welcome luncheon for AD Chris Reynolds, Brian Wardle, and new coaches

[Da Coach]

Reminder-
The Welcome Luncheon is Tuesday, June 2 (note that tickets say Friday, June 2nd at 12 PM, but the Luncheon is Tuesday, June 2nd).

http://www.bradleybraves.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=25965&SPID=1498&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=210080391&DB_OEM_ID=3400

First, as everyone hopefully knows, because of much larger ticket sales than originally expected, the program was moved to the Peoria Civic Center Ballroom. That is on the 4th level off the lobby- there are elevators and escalators.

And a couple things I heard today that might be of interest to those coming:

Doors will open at 11:00 AM, a little earlier than originally posted, and the lunch (it will be buffet style) will begin serving right at 11:00 AM to try to accommodate the large crowd. So plan to get there early. The speaking program will start promptly at 12 Noon and is expected to run until about 1:15 PM. Dave Snell will be the emcee, and he will introduce AD Chris Reynolds and Coach Brian Wardle, among others. Other speakers include Peoria Mayor Jim Ardis, who will make a brief proclamation honoring the new Bradley athletic personnel. I have heard they could be another speaker or two, but remarks will be kept brief to get everyone in.

I also heard this morning that there have been close to 1,200 tickets sold. Ticket sales have been capped because there is no more space! However, I heard Ken Goldin, the event's organizer, say this morning that they may have a dozen or so tickets still available, so if anyone is still thinking of going, call and reserve your tickets quickly. It will be a sold out event.
The number to call for the Bradley Braves Club office is (309) 677-2667

And, parking for the event is free if you park in one of the Civic Center parking lots.

Wear red, and Go Braves!

[tornado]

For those who have access....

BU AD Chris Reynolds is speaking this week at the North Peoria Rotary Club

His topic:
"Vision for Bradley University Athletics"

Thursday from 11:45AM - 1:15PM

Barrack's Cater Inn Banquet Center
1224 W. Pioneer Parkway - Peoria, IL

http://www.peorianorthrotary.org/

They generally post pics and reports of the event on their web site & Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/RotaryPeoriaNorth

[basketball nut]

Is anyone trying to get a group from BradleyFans.com together anywhere as I'm sure we will be well represented today?

[Da Coach]

There will be about 1,200 fans there, so that may be difficult. I'd be happy to meet anyone who wants to come by and say hello. I'll be at table 16 with tornado, Big Mike, and others.

[tornado]

Back from the incredible event at the Civic Center...
hardly any words to describe....

3 hours of chills down your spine - a pep rally that emphasized over and over that we are going 180 degrees the other way from the last four years...

1200 enthusiastic fans in the off-season -- I have been going to Bradley events for almost 50 years and have never seen a thing like it..
pretty much everyone elose from Joe Stowell to Chuck Buescher, to Mitchell Anderson, Dave Snell, Ken Goldin, and everyone else said the same thing.

Chris Reynolds and Brian Wardle had the crowd really amped and we're ready for the season to start now.
the great highlight video had tons of clips from the 40's, 50's etc...up to 2011 - then it ended - no highlights after that...
but that mirrored the anti-past-four years atmosphere that this event was clearly ALL ABOUT.

-the Itoo Supper is being brought back
-past players & coaches will always be welcome & recognized at games
-Scheduling is already BETTER
...get this...we already have TCU & Ole Miss at home this coming year!!!!!!!!!!
geez- how'd that happen - we were told it was impossible...
-they will commit to getting the deal with Carver Arena done and no more BS about moving to Ren-Col
-Ball State also coming here this fall
-Sat., Sept. 26 is Bid for the Braves

there's more but I'll let others tell ya....it was the best single event regarding Bradley basketball in at least many years...
there was only a little media presence so I suspect the coverage may be slim but don't let that fool ya...it was awesome.

[wizard1]

Bradley Wlcoe Luncheon....

A tremendous event. Super big screen video on Bradley tradition with nothing left out....sent chills up ones spine. Chris announcements were absolutely what the Doctor ordered....ITOO Spaghetti Dinners(Two if needed), great additions to the home non-conf. schedule, Carver will always be the Bradley home court, Preseason scrimmages for the fans to watch...etc.,etc.
My strong impression is that the BU basketball program and the entire athletic program is ready to explode into something "off-the-Charts" GREAT.
It may not happen all at once....may take three or four years but it is going to happen....I honestly feel BU is headed toward a Butler, Gonzaga, Marquette
program in the next few years! Hang on fans....It's going to be a great ride!
Wiz

[Chico]

One of the best ever. Saw many old friends. Like old home week again. Can't wait.

[Big Mike]

WOW.....came away impressed with the passion from the Coach Wardle & AD Chris Reynolds to get things back in order and back to where the fans feel Welcome to be a part of Bradley again! ITOO is back which was always the kick-off to the season.....really feel like this will be Peoria's team again!


Favorite lines tweeted by Dave Reynolds....https://mobile.twitter.com/DaveReyno...92867919892480

https://mobile.twitter.com/DaveReynolds2/status/605799503384297473

https://mobile.twitter.com/DaveReynolds2/status/605792007915569152

[tornado]

...Carver will always be the Bradley home court...

emphasized that over and over and over - left no doubt that it'll be over Chris Reynolds' dead body if they ever talk again about moving home games to R-C

I couldn't help but think they had spent time reading the fans' wishes on the message boards and then specifically going after each item to please the fans...
---better scheduling, no talk of R-C, fan friendly, want to engage the community, no price hikes, commemorate the past and past players, start up the favorite fan events again, and did I mention get BCS-caliber opponents right here at Carver Arena (He specifically mentioned Ole Miss & TCU..)

then specifically this idea - a family & kid oriented area at home games..

plus I noted that even tho this was scheduled weeks ago - one of the local print media guys was out of town covering rainstorms in S. Dakota and missed the event...
..and it looks like a few Geno/JG fans are already bummed that we are no longer downsizing to the Ren-Col and looking to schedule Eureka...but did anyone happen to notice how enthusiastically all those changes/reversals were welcomed by the enormous crowd? Thanks Coach Wardle & Chris Reynolds for using common sense and listening to the fans...the good ones who have been there for decades.

100% of the Bradley fansbase should be ecstatic - and proud - no more bad times - good times are here to stay!! if there's any grumbling fans now then not worth trying to please them

and hey- it was a darned good fundraiser.....
not only did 1200 people pay $20-25 each - but they also got a winning $5000 bid for the table at Bid-for-Braves with Coach Wardle - that's around $30,000 raised at a single lunch event! (plus more as I am sure others were persuaded to up their commitment)

Kudos to Ken Goldin & Jackie Rea!!!!

[tornado]

PJS article...as expected - pretty lukewarm...hardly the glowing, over-the-top, drool-filled stuff they wrote when Geno landed 7 ppg juco kids, got Eureka on the home schedule, drew 1800 to Ren-Col, got a bid to an EIEIO tourney or got discarded transfers from obscure low-major programs.

http://www.pjstar.com/article/20150602/SPORTS/150609808/11130/SPORTS?rssfeed=true&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

the long-time, best BU fans seem to have gotten NINE of the TOP TEN things on their wish list...
now all we need to do is start winning, maybe the media will notice the unprecedented HUGE crowds and unbridled excitement and multiple standing ovations then...

[pfcmsh]

Nice To Meet You Guys!

What a great event it was today!!! I loved it. There is energy, direction and relating to the fans! I loved that the staff milled about and said hi. I loved being down on the floor and in the lockers. I met Coach Wardle and all of his people and that says a lot about connecting.

I also got to meet all of you at table 16. Da Coach, Big Mike and the other nice gentlemen.

I am feeling good. How can we not after all the talk and no results from before. I am coming to one of the spagetti dinners!!

It was great to meet you guys!!

Long ride but worth it.

See you this fall!

[tornado]

...
I also got to meet all of you at table 16. Da Coach, Big Mike and the other nice gentlemen. ...!

one of whom is the namesake & benefactor of this....what a great guy!

http://lydia.bradley.edu/hilltopics/10spring/appreciation/

http://www.bradley.edu/about/news/article.dot?id=87859

btw- I sent an e mail (and urge others to do same) to Ken Goldin, Chris Reynolds, Coach W and the staff thanking them for this fine event - it was a risk - never been done before, it's the off-season, the fans base had been way, way down....
Yet they knocked it out of the park - a great day and I am still riding high with excitement !

BTW - was impressed that many great fans - plus Mitchell JJ Anderson, ex-Board member Brian McGough, and others drove from as far as Chicago and even further to be in attendance...
There were a few other vocal fans I did not see there - but it was worth the effort.

[pfcmsh]

Thank You

one of whom is the namesake & benefactor of this....what a great guy!

http://lydia.bradley.edu/hilltopics/10spring/appreciation/

http://www.bradley.edu/about/news/article.dot?id=87859

btw- I sent an e mail (and urge others to do same) to Ken Goldin, Chris Reynolds, Coach W and the staff thanking them for this fine event - it was a risk - never been done before, it's the off-season, the fans base had been way, way down....
Yet they knocked it out of the park - a great day and I am still riding high with excitement !

BTW - was impressed that many great fans - plus Mitchell JJ Anderson, ex-Board member Brian McGough, and others drove from as far as Chicago and even further to be in attendance...
There were a few other vocal fans I did not see there - but it was worth the effort.

Certainly. Thank you for the update!!

[Da Coach]

Finally home to post about the luncheon.

The key points made, mostly by Chris Reynolds-

Bradley has or will be reaching out to every past coach and every past player of every past era, and encouraging them to return and participate in game days. Dr. Reynolds also said that they will feature at least one past great player at every home game and feature them at halftime.

Tremendous video that included photos and video clips of every past coach and every past era, including some old photos and video clips I had not seen before. There were mentions and pictures of teams as far back at the initia;l 1903 team, all the way through the Jim Les era.

Nice, brief speeches by Mayor Jim Ardis, and Judge and BU Trustee Jim Shadid.

Then the moving speech by Chris Reynolds:
> asking past players to return and be a part of the Bradley program again. He apologized that the recent ignoring of past players would be totally different under his administration.
> Dr. Reynolds also implored fans who have felt "left out" and those who have dropped their tickets to allow Bradley to "turn the page" and to return and support the BU program going forward.
> He also made it clear that the events that have been eliminated would be brought back- the Itoo Hall spaghetti suppers and he said they would possibly hold 2 such events this September to allow all the fans to attend.
> I inferred other events would be brought back, like the Red-White games
> Practices would be open to season ticket holders.
> Scheduling would be improved, especially the home schedule, which he acknowledged that fans had a right to feel was bad in past years.
> All home games would be played only at Carver Arena, and no games will be played at the Renaissance Coliseum (not even the exhibitions!).
> There will be more family friendly seating packages, and events and activities for kids at home games.
> Bradley will honor not only their past players at every game, they will also honor at least one long-time fan at every home game to show their appreciation for those fans who have stuck with Bradley through the tough times.

Coach Wardle did not talk quite as long, but he promised:
Better scheduling
Better "accountability"
More "discipline"
"change in culture"
He wants only players who "buy in 100%"
He guaranteed improvement, and he also said he welcomes the past players to come back.

Does anyone else notice the trend of all these promises? Basically, he is saying we will do things 180?° different than the previous administration has done them in these past few years. They will value the fans greatly put them first, and bring back the traditions and well-liked events of the past, and they will upgrade the weak schedule and put Bradley back at the top of the MVC. Thanks to Dr. Reynolds and Coach Wardle.

I believe they will do it.

[tornado]

they did put quite an emphasis on being anti-you-know-who or at least the diametric opposite of what we've seen the last 4-5 years