Kirk W....

[wizard1]

Kirk....Nice atricle & fun to read....Good Job.
Wiz

[Da Coach]

I just read it, too-
Wessler: Bradley's effort should make Coach Stowell proud

http://www.pjstar.com/article/20151114/SPORTS/151119625/12701/SPORTS

Kirk probably wouldn't want to hear this, but it proves he is still capable of writing an objective and positive column about Bradley at the same time. I hope I don't ruin his reputation, but nice job, Kirk!

The only thing I disagree with is Kirk's analysis of the previous administration's dealing of Coach Stowell. He says "It wasn’t malicious; just clumsy and tone deaf". I disagree. It was malicious. There was a degree of malice in pretty much everything they did.

But this administration is 180?° different. I like the logic Chris Reynolds uses:
“It was the right thing to do,” Reynolds said. “After all the years he invested in Bradley, all he’s done for the university, it was right. I know how much this institution loves him, and I know how he feels about the institution. He is Bradley University. You think of Bradley, you think of Joe Stowell.”

[tornado]

I also enjoyed it..but I ask - -what took so long...
this group of players has been together, working out and/or practicing together just about every day since June...
There have been countless opportunities to view them and I know Kirk has seen them a few times...

so why does he only now see what almost everyone else already knew months ago...
-yes, a whole bunch of them are freshmen - we knew that
-they have some talent and come from different countries and backgrounds
-they play really hard
-they are mature beyond their young ages
-they play as a team, are unselfish, and there's no prima-donnas to be found
-they can and will win a few games
-they are fun and exciting to watch and the fans will love them
-their effort alone will draw applause
-the refs somehow seem to be hell-bent on making themselves the story instead of the game

[PhiAlphaBoy]

I like the logic Chris Reynolds uses:
???It was the right thing to do,??? Reynolds said. ???After all the years he invested in Bradley, all he??™s done for the university, it was right. I know how much this institution loves him, and I know how he feels about the institution. He is Bradley University. You think of Bradley, you think of Joe Stowell.???

I couldn't agree more with that statement Coach! So glad Bradley has reached out to Coach (Stowell) to bring him back into the fold.

[lefty]

Kirk....Nice atricle & fun to read....Good Job.
Wiz

I agree with you Wiz??¦..

[Buesch N Chips]

The only thing I disagree with is Kirk's analysis of the previous administration's dealing of Coach Stowell. He says "It wasn??™t malicious; just clumsy and tone deaf". I disagree. It was malicious. There was a degree of malice in pretty much everything they did.[/I][/B]

I'd be interested in hearing from someone on Cross' side, or at least a neutral party, what their approach actually was. Was it just to close the loopholes of access to the program that had been grandfathered in over all these years? And who was affected? What did they hope to gain? Was it an over-correction to something Jim Les had been doing? Who made the decision? Glasser/Cross/Ford?

[lefty]

I'd be interested in hearing from someone on Cross' side, or at least a neutral party, what their approach actually was. Was it just to close the loopholes of access to the program that had been grandfathered in over all these years? And who was affected? What did they hope to gain? Was it an over-correction to something Jim Les had been doing? Who made the decision? Glasser/Cross/Ford?

Well, there are always two sides??¦..and usually the truth is somewhere in the middle

[Da Coach]

Well, there are always two sides…..and usually the truth is somewhere in the middle

Well it has happened to a lot more than just Coach Stowell. They treated Jim Les and most of his assistants like dirt, and when they tried to hire his replacement, their confrontational approach turned off a bunch of good candidates. The first 9 turned them down, despite salary offers double and triple what they were making. Unprecedented, but I'm sure you'll say it was just a coincidence, or refuse to believe it altogether. Plus there a lot of other ex-Bradley coaches and a ton of ex-employees who have nothing nice to say about them. I have talked to several, and it would only take a phone call by the PJ Star for them to find out the truth from any of dozens of former employees. But they'd rather sugar coat everything and play dumb. They would rather give Dr. Cross a whole column to give his side as he was kicked out the door, and place the entire blame on the fans for "not being patient enough".

[lefty]

Well it has happened to a lot more than just Coach Stowell. They treated Jim Les and most of his assistants like dirt, and when they tried to hire his replacement, their confrontational approach turned off a bunch of good candidates. The first 9 turned them down, despite salary offers double and triple what they were making. Unprecedented, but I'm sure you'll say it was just a coincidence, or refuse to believe it altogether. .

Come on DC??¦.you want to make my response for me? I'm not saying anything is a coincidence or that I don't believe it altogether. I wasn't a big fan of the administration and some of the things they did and stated as such when situations come up. I have said that the two previous HC hire processes before Wardle were a joke??¦..and I have talked to some people that weren't all that thrilled with how JL treated them either and I'm sure Jim's version would be different---the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle??¦??¦??¦I had my own experience with Jim which wasn't all that great at the start but was certainly cordial as time went by

[Da Coach]

All I am saying is that to say "the truth lies somewhere in the middle" is a bit of a cop-out. I am sure you heard some of the things I have heard, and I have heard similar stories from way too many people, and have dealt with the administration myself to believe the truth isn't a lot closer to the experience I have had or the innumerable stories I have heard.
It took a while, but the Board finally learned this as well. That is why they were willing to eat millions of dollars of their bloated contracts to send them packing.

[lefty]

All I am saying is that to say "the truth lies somewhere in the middle" is a bit of a cop-out. I am sure you heard some of the things I have heard, and I have heard similar stories from way too many people, and have dealt with the administration myself to believe the truth isn't a lot closer to the experience I have had or the innumerable stories I have heard.
It took a while, but the Board finally learned this as well. That is why they were willing to eat millions of dollars of their bloated contracts to send them packing.

It's not a cop-out. Everyone situation is different and I don't doubt you on your experiences.....Somewhere in the middle doesn't mean exactly in middle....maybe somewhere in between is a better phrase....but still each situation stands on it's own

[Buesch N Chips]

Whatever. My point is not to cause an argument. My point is I would like to hear the justification for choosing to sever ties with people, from that side of the table. What was to be gained from it?

[tornado]

...Well it has happened to a lot more than just Coach Stowell...

indeed and even people in Athletic Depts. 1000 miles away know what's going on - this is why when BU went to hire a MBB coach in 2011 and a WBB coach in 2012 - they couldn't even beg anyone to take the job...seriously -
they had to settle for their 10-12th choice in both cases and had to boost the offer to ridiculous amounts...then he dishonestly claimed Geno Ford was the only candidate that was even offered the job when everyone knew otherwise.

....it would only take a phone call by the PJ Star

and yet Kirk did make phone calls to somewhat disgruntled ex-employees who had been canned by Bradley 12 to 15 years ago (literally a completely different era) just to get their take on what was happening in 2011-15 and quote them as gospel in blind-side attacks on KK & JL.

..They would rather give Dr. Cross a whole column to give his side.....

They never gave KK such an honor but if they had- he's got too much class and would have taken the high road and stayed silent & moved on instead of taking parting shots, bragging about "successes" he had absolutely nothing to do with and that were accomplished by his predecessor, and then blaming the fans for not being patient.

[Da Coach]

...My point is I would like to hear the justification for choosing to sever ties with people, from that side of the table. What was to be gained from it?

I don't think you'll ever hear much more on the subject, unless someone in our local media wants to actually look into what is a real story. But don't expect that to happen.

Recall that when Michael Cross was interviewed by Dave Reynolds in a 5-page article last March about his failures, instead of explaining why Bradley athletics, and especially the marquee sports of women's and men's basketball, baseball, volleyball and softball were so bad, and why fan support, ticket sales, and donations had fallen to record lows, he refused to accept any of the blame for the failures, said he had "no regrets", and instead blamed the fans for not having "enough patience", and for being too hung up on "nostalgia".
BTW, he was AD at Bradley for 5 years, the worst 5 years in the history of Bradley basketball and arguably in all of Bradley Athletics if measured by losses, wasted spending, and massive drops in attendance, ticket sales, donations, and incoming revenues.

http://www.pjstar.com/article/20150316/SPORTS/150319345

"...I don’t have any regrets. The regrets have to do with how this business works. Ultimately, winning and losing matters to a lot to people. I wasn’t here two weeks in 2010 when I told my wife, ‘No question in my mind, Bradley can be great. But I hope there’s enough patience for that to happen.’ Unfortunately, there isn’t enough patience."
There’s no question in my mind that people in Peoria and at Bradley want progress. Everybody wants progress, but nobody wants change. That’s a very apt description of the general environment. We have a high level of nostalgia that is very beneficial, but is also a double-edged sword with some significant downsides."

[PhiAlphaBoy]

They never gave KK such an honor but if they had- he's got too much class and would have taken the high road and stayed silent & moved on instead of taking parting shots

I always liked Kavanaugh but that's not entirely true. He displayed a total lack of class with a below the belt tweet the day that Bradley made a change in administration. That disappointed me. I would have expected better from the man.