Support Bradley Basketball-UPDATE

[tornado]

And support the coaches and players as well.

Last night when I listened to the Jim Les radio show, Jim spoke of coach Mike Davis at Indiana, and mentioned how he knew Mike Davis and knew him to be a good and humble man who has been the target of some very unfair criticism and personal attacks.
Jim also mentioned that some similar personal and negative attacks have occurred here. He specifially mentioned some aimed at him and at one of the players, and how as a man he could take it, but that the attacks were a bit more difficult for the families and the players.

Well, I was motivated to send and e mail and let the coaches and the players know of my support and admiration for what they are doing.
They probably hear a whole lot more of the personal negative stuff than the positive stuff, I know I certainly do in what I see in print and on boards, as well as some personal criticisms.
I wanted to make sure they did hear from one fan who is appreciative and supportive. I hope other will send messages as well.

I encourage anyone who is similarly inclined to send a letter and email to tell the coaches and players of your support and encouragement.

Send your messages to the coach's secretary at
"jdiemer@bradley.edu"

or to Assistant A.D. for Communications, Bobby Parker,
"bparker@bradley.edu"

[McFly]

I am curious if fans actually email coaches or colleges with attacks? How does a coach or player know if they are being attacked by fans? I didnt listen to the radio program, in fact I hardly ever do but do fans call in and voice their displeasure. If their main source for knowing anything negative is message boards I hope they are mature enough to realize that message boards are only a handful of people and of those a smaller percentage are negative and of those the number that "attack" are miniscule. I can appreciate you sending a positive message but I really dont understand how anyone can let a few anonymous folks on message boards be deemed as attacking. Just a thought

[BUBraves2006]

Good thoughts ...

Unfortunately for a coach, I really think it is all about NOT being noticed. Here's a correlation for any of you church going folks: Noone notices the alter boy/girl until they trip or do something wrong. It's not a praiseworthy job but they certainly will hear about it afterward if they do something wrong.

As you can see on message boards, things are much more quiet after a win (even a big one) than after a loss. People tend to always expect a victory every time out and it's just unrealistic.

I stand by my thoughts that Jim Les is improving as a coach. I almost completely threw them out the window against Indiana State, but overall he is improving and that is what matters.

For every pat on back he gets, I'm sure he gets 3 slaps in the face. Sadly it is the business and he knows that is what he is getting into ... the only good thing about negativity is that the die hard fans will not tolerate mediocrity. He is expected to win because that is the tradition here. Nothing wrong with that!

[user1]

I am curious if fans actually email coaches or colleges with attacks? How does a coach or player know if they are being attacked by fans? ....

I have heard from a source inside the athletic dept. that negative comments appear in letters, e mails, and in personal comments that people make at public Bradley events.
Sure, people are entitled to their opinions, but some of the stuff is very personal and unfair.
Surely you have seen the stuff on certain message boards about JJ Tauai and Brandyn Heemskerk, and undoubtedly you have stumbeld across a few comments on Jim Les that have escaped the moderators on certain boards.

Add to that the stuff that shows up on a regular basis in the newspaper columns and on message baords, and I guess I can understand fully how some of the stuff is viewed as over the top, and a bit more than is warranted in the setting of college basketball.

On his radio show, Jim's comments suggest that some of the personal stuff is indeed aimed directly at his family.

[McFly]

Well I suppose anything is possible and I suppose it takes all kinds...but I have never seen anything aimed at JL family anywhere.....And the stuff I have stumbled onto regarding him as a coach or any of the players is generally part of the territory. As I said, its just message boards and there are only a handfull of folks that are posters. True fans can be critical as well as positive.

Regarding emails and letteers to the University.....I have no way of knowing about that, but that is ridiculous. I suppose that sort of stuff does go on, there have been numerous stories nationaly...those type of people are over the top.

[BradleyBrave]

I think it's sad if people make things personal. I am not happy with losing, and I have opinions on people's performance, but that is where it ends. I have had interactions with just about everyone involved with the program, and they're all good people. This is about winning basketball, not about personal lives or agendas. There's no place for personal attacks.

[Murph]

I think some fans do way too much obsessing over the perfomances of 18 to 21 year old kids. I love it when BU wins and hate it when they lose but I still sleep well at night either way.

[tornado]

Well I suppose anything is possible and I suppose it takes all kinds...but I have never seen anything aimed at JL family anywhere.....And the stuff I have stumbled onto regarding him as a coach or any of the players is generally part of the territory. As I said, its just message boards and there are only a handfull of folks that are posters. True fans can be critical as well as positive.

Regarding emails and letteers to the University.....I have no way of knowing about that, but that is ridiculous. I suppose that sort of stuff does go on, there have been numerous stories nationaly...those type of people are over the top.

I have heard from one college basketball head coach that you often hear some pretty profound things out on the recruiting trail.
Recruits, their parents, and their coaches are often very shrewd and inquisitive, sometimes asking each coach what he thinks of other coaches and their programs.
They are also occasionally willing to share what they have heard, so Jim does have a way of knowing what other "competing" coaching staffs are saying about BU, and about JL. I haven't spoken to Jim Les as to what he's heard, but I can tell you the prior coach sometimes heard some very unpleasant and untrue things being said about him.
I have also seen and heard some very unfair and unpleasant things said about players and coaches, example--Patrick O'Bryant when the NCAA thing hit, people calling him crooked and cheater, and people saying the same thing about Jim Les and the staff.

It doesn't help when one of the insiders in the BU athletic staff quit and went to work at the sports info/athletic dept. of a competing school (perhaps you know who I mean).
That led to some unfair and negative comments being said, but I won't go into that any further.

You can believe or choose not to believe what you want, but it is a dog-eat-dog, competitive world out there in college basketball, and lots of slams, lies, and attacks are being spread.
Some of it became quite public and "over the top" 3 years ago when one kid showed up at a press conference and alledged charges of cruelty, racism, and slavery toward Bradley, or did you conveniently forget that incident which coincidentaly had no other independent evidence to support any of the attacks.

Hey, I have a challenge. Name for me a D-I coach who has had more unfounded attacks levelled at him than the head coach at BU. Remember, BU has never once been found during Jim Les' time to have been in violation of any NCAA rule even one time. You cannot count the thing with Will & Pat, as the institution was fully exonerated, and the only way the NCAA even found about it was that BU was honest and forthright and voluntarily turned the info in to the NCAA who was on campus checking out other unfounded allegations and attacks that had been levelled by outsiders. But the NCAA never found a thing on those attacks.
You can't count Quin, since his regime HAS had several violations, so the attacks there do have ground, as do some of the attacks about New Mexico and elsewhere. Jim Les has never tampered, never driven drunk, never violated recruiting rules (as Wainwright did), never offered money to a player, never been tied up with the kinds of crime and drug involvement we are seeing almost every day in the news.
Yet he does not enjoy the full support of his own fan base and local high school coaches who have a determined bias to continue unfounded attacks on him and his players.
It's pretty much there in black and white, but if you don't see it, then I guess you never will.
I started this post because I am going to try to let those kids and their coaches know that some, indeed many, maybe MOST BU fans are the strongest supporters you'll find anywhere.
For the size of the school, you'll find precious few who support their team the way good BU fans do, with 9,000 at every game, hundreds of young who line the court, and sellouts at almost all other non-game events. We just need to say some things to the kids and Jim to let them know the attacks they hear are coming from the minority.
We are very fortunate to have what we have, so I plan to let them know.

[Bravesguy]

I also plan to send a note of support

[patrick_o'brian]

I can't believe what I'm hearing. Boo hoo-ing about how bad Jim Les has been treated? We complain because we can. I know every single coach is put under the microscope. Look at Barry Hinson, Steve Merfield, Royce Waltman earlier this year. This type of thing happens when you don't win. Come on guys. Think. Now, I can't fathom personal attacks on Coach Les. He doesn't deserve that, nor have I ever heard any personal attacks towards him. There are still people calling for Barry Hinson's job. You can't feel sorry for Coach Les. If you don't win you get criticized. That's the name of the game. Now he has the monkey off his back and WE ARE WINNING. And as far as the players getting attacked. Do you really think a 7 footer with NBA skills like Pat cares about what a bunch of beer guzzling fans think. I doubt it. Jim Les is blessed with the program he was handed. He has done a good job ecruiting and finally it is starting to pay off. Hey, it could be worse. He could be Porter or Merfield. Right.

[BradleyBrave]

Hey, I have a challenge. Name for me a D-I coach who has had more unfounded attacks levelled at him than the head coach at BU.

Jim Molinari, Barry Hinson, Mike Davis for starters. I don't pretend to be omnipitent and all-knowing, so I can't speak for the entire nation.

Remember, BU has never once been found during Jim Les' time to have been in violation of any NCAA rule even one time. You cannot count the thing with Will & Pat, as the institution was fully exonerated, and the only way the NCAA even found about it was that BU was honest and forthright and voluntarily turned the info in to the NCAA who was on campus checking out other unfounded allegations and attacks that had been levelled by outsiders. But the NCAA never found a thing on those attacks.

What do you mean "you can't count it"? It was an NCAA violation that happened under his watch. If it "didn't count", Pat and Will would have played. It's irrelevant whether it was intentional or not, it was an NCAA violation and we were punished. End of story.

Jim Les has never tampered, never driven drunk, never violated recruiting rules (as Wainwright did), never offered money to a player, never been tied up with the kinds of crime and drug involvement we are seeing almost every day in the news. Yet he does not enjoy the full support of his own fan base and local high school coaches who have a determined bias to continue unfounded attacks on him and his players.
It's pretty much there in black and white, but if you don't see it, then I guess you never will.

We're all glad he hasn't done any of these things. You're not supposed to. Since when do people get patted on the back for following the rules? He doesn't enjoy the full support of the fan base because we've been losers every year he's been here until this year. What is black and white is wins and losses, and so far under his tenure we're losers. I hope that changes, but if you're asking why there isn't this unanimous support for the coach, the record is why.

I started this post because I am going to try to let those kids and their coaches know that some, indeed many, maybe MOST BU fans are the strongest supporters you'll find anywhere. For the size of the school, you'll find precious few who support their team the way good BU fans do, with 9,000 at every game, hundreds of young who line the court, and sellouts at almost all other non-game events. We just need to say some things to the kids and Jim to let them know the attacks they hear are coming from the minority. We are very fortunate to have what we have, so I plan to let them know.

Jim Les is a good guy. We've established that. It doesn't make him a good basketball coach. When the wins start outnumbering the losses, then we'll talk. I hope they do soon, or else another good guy is going to be looking for a job. I am never in favor of personal attacks, and this isn't one. I am just not in favor of lauding someone who's done a below average job so far.

[tornado]

BU was not cited with a violation of any kind in the POB thing.
Could the University have caught it and prevented it?--possible
Was it their fault?-- nope

and Jim Les also has an e mail link, here is the page:

http://www.bubraves.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=19450&SPID=1510&DB_OEM_ID=3400&ATCLID=122838&Q_SEASON=2005

And I disagree on Barry and the others. They have their opponents, but I've not seen the silly attacks, lies, posters that get hung up in St. Louis, etc.
I am sure you know that at least FOUR different times someone has "ratted" on BU with allegations that caused the NCAA to inquire on campus, but all of those were false attacks and lies.
This stuff is not made public, but one of them was, the abuse allegations by DG. All were ultimately proven to be complately phoney.

Has Missouri State been subjected to that? Nope, the bias against Jim Les has virtually no parallel. It started before he took over, and continues even when BU is winning. With Davis, it only parallels losing.

[BradleyBrave]

BU was not cited with a violation of any kind in the POB thing.
Could the University have caught it and prevented it?--possible
Was it their fault?-- nope

and Jim Les also has an e mail link, here is the page:

http://www.bubraves.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=19450&SPID=1510&DB_OEM_ID=3400&ATCLID=122838&Q_SEASON=2005

And I disagree on Barry and the others. They have their opponents, but I've not seen the silly attacks, lies, posters that get hung up in St. Louis, etc.
I am sure you know that at least FOUR different times someone has "ratted" on BU with allegations that caused the NCAA to inquire on campus, but all of those were false attacks and lies.
This stuff is not made public, but one of them was, the abuse allegations by DG. All were ultimately proven to be complately phoney.

Has Missouri State been subjected to that?

Pat and Will were suspended by the NCAA. It counts whether you like it or not.

There are false allegations made about schools all the time. Bruce Pearl's allegations about Illinois ended up being false, but there were other improprieties discovered which led to subsequent violations. It happens everywhere Tornado, not just at BU.

In regards to Hinson, you must not read the ValleyTalk board very much if you don't think personal attacks are made about him. Same thing with personal attacks about Mike Davis.

There is nothing more 'black and white' than the wins and losses. When the wins outnumber the losses, I think you'll find people to be very supportive. It's a performance business.

[yahtzee]

There is nothing more 'black and white' than the wins and losses. When the wins outnumber the losses, I think you'll find people to be very supportive. It's a performance business.

I can't agree with you more BBrave the win/loss record of a program can make a huge difference in support for a program. When Dana took over Creighton I believe they had problems filling a very small arena. Now that their program is considered successful they are selling out a much larger facility. It is very easy to support a winning program.

[egib52]

There is nothing more 'black and white' than the wins and losses. When the wins outnumber the losses, I think you'll find people to be very supportive. It's a performance business.

I whole-heartedly agree with this this statement. There are some positions in society (DI basketball coach, politics, entertainment, isu grad) that you accept or put yourself in that will lead to much criticism and scrutiny. Jim Les and these players knew going in that it they would constantly be in the public's eye. The realities are if you are bad everyone has an idea why, if you are good everyone loves you, if you are good for too long (Duke, North Carolina, Yankees) everyone is gunning for you and hates you. Welcome to DI basketball...welcome to the spotlight. Perform or go home. I believe that it is tough and stressful for them, but I would trade for that life any day. Focus on success and dont listen to the media and life will be a lot better.