Lariat (BU/Illini) Smoker

[dogsrus]

Put this in another thread but for those that missed it Thursday October 16th is the 13th annual Independent Sports Club's Smoker featuring the "sportswriters talk show" hosted by WMBD/PJS sportwriters.

Featured guests are head coaches Jim Les of Bradley and Bruce Weber from Illinois.

This is a fundraiser for the ISC which supports area youth sports.

Event has beer, hors d'oeuvres starting at 5;30-8:00.

If anyone is interested I have a table of 10 to this sold out event and should have a ticket MAYBE 2 available.

PM me if you would like to attend this fundraiser. Its a good time with the coaches fielding questions from the audience and they NEVER let us down with some great answers. THey especially love the usual question about the Illini scheduling SIU and specific questions about kids they are recruiting

Dru......

[MacabreMob]

... featuring the "sportswriters talk show" hosted by WMBD/PJS sportwriters.

Is that talk show still alive? I thought it died a couple years ago. I never listened to it hardly at all (as mostly I was out of the area) - but friends and family members told me it was basically everybody anti-BU and then DR.

Now I suspect this "smoker" will have DR and Dave Snell. And I understand the fans of both teams may be interested.

But I don't care to be around some people drooling over BAM and then considering JL a side-show. (I am not accusing you of that DRU.) Then add in all the thick smoke.

I just would never pay money to be in attendance for something like that.

So I look forward to your post/update on it. I appreciate your offer for people (maybe even myself) to sit at your table.

[dogsrus]

I recall a couple things from last year's smoker...and found a few old threads about it....

first...there was some talk between the coaches and the sports writers that message boards are bad...that they spawn rumors and hurt recruiting.

Here are two descriptions of the discussion:
"Several times the coaches and the reporters veered off topics and
lambasted the internet as the source of everything that is evil. They believe
nearly everything that is said on internet recruiting sites, and message
boards is not true, and it is damaging to the coaches, kids, and colleges.
Repeatedly all the reporters echoed this sentiment, that the internet is a
terrible thing, and the falsehoods perpetrated are the worst things in the
history of sports."

"veered of topic"....I don't understand. How does someone veer off topic when they were simply answering the question asked of them? The TOPIC was the question asked at that moment and the question AT that moment was about message boards.

Are those the actual posts or YOUR interpretation? I was at the smoker and I can tell you for a FACT nothing even CLOSE to that was said. Did a few discuss message boards..YES....did a few tell the truth about some of what is undeniably bad about message boards...yes.

Message boards are wonderful places and can be alot of fun for fans but they are filled with lies, rumors and specualtion. Its why Bradleyfans monitors so much of what is said and has strict rules and guidelines about what IS and ISN'T allowed.

Our mods here tell us on a constant basis that "this or that" won't be tolerated. To a certain degree I agree with those principals but it EXACTLY those kind of things that you guys won't allow to be posted that a few at the smoker were voicing their SAME concerns about.

YOU are basically "saying" the EXACT same thing Bruce Weber, a few sportswriters and even JL did to a degree through your right to censor some things..... something those guys CAN'T do but instead they can only speak up about it and tell how they feel when asked to do so.

[Scouter]

dogs.....those were the words I quoted from the post of Oct. 11, 2007, of someone who was there.

http://bradleyfans.com/vb/showthread.php?t=5280

also, at least two other people who were there, confirmed to me that what was said in that post was essentially true...
http://bradleyfans.com/vb/showthread...4690#post44690

I was told by numerous people who were there last year that the "lambasting" of message boards was untrue. Then again, they were part of the panel and were the ones who supposedly said it so they're probably not believable...

[Da Coach]

I was one of the audience, and there were indeed 2 instances when the topic of message boards and their evils were raised. Bruce Weber was the most outspoken about the issue, but a couple of the media panel members also commented.

[Scouter]

I was one of the audience, and there were indeed 2 instances when the topic of message boards and their evils were raised. Bruce Weber was the most outspoken about the issue, but a couple of the media panel members also commented.

I'm not doubting that the topic of message boards were brought up, but according to DRU and the members of the panel I spoke with, the following passage was not accurate:

Several times the coaches and the reporters veered off topics and lambasted the internet as the source of everything that is evil. They believe nearly everything that is said on internet recruiting sites, and message boards is not true, and it is damaging to the coaches, kids, and colleges. Repeatedly all the reporters echoed this sentiment, that the internet is a terrible thing, and the falsehoods perpetrated are the worst things in the history of sports.

I've never talked to a writer (especially DR or KW) that would say that. They might say the Internet and message boards have perils, but not to the extent that you said they did.

[Da Coach]

The writers basically just agreed with what Coach Weber said and didn't say much themselves. Weber was very outspoken in his criticism for the internet for unverified rumors and the criticism of coaches and players.
Around that time he was being skewered by people for his poor recruiting and for losing Eric Gordon to Indiana.

[dogsrus]

The writers basically just agreed with what Coach Weber said and didn't say much themselves. Weber was very outspoken in his criticism for the internet for unverified rumors and the criticism of coaches and players.
Around that time he was being skewered by people for his poor recruiting and for losing Eric Gordon to Indiana.

Yes thats true...I just didn't understand the "veered off topic" comment and it sounded as if the "lambasting" was panel wide and quite pronounced. I didn't get that feel. Again...I think we ALL can agree message baords have a "bad" side. I think it really depends on what side your on also.

As a poster I am not troubled as much from some of that "bad" stuff as much as a coach or a moderator of a board might be. Allthough I don't like cencorship perse I like how BUfans trys to protect Bradley and the kids to an extent. Again I think the stuff you guys try to limit is EXACTLY the stuff that coaches and others dislike and spoke up about.

BW was telling the truth ESPECIALLY how it can hurt him as a coach and as a recruiter. I wouldn't speak up like HE does as it makes you sound like a whiner but I CAN understand WHY he does.

[Da Coach]

You hit the nail on the head, dogs.
Every message board is different. We have always made it clear that the one area on BradleyFans that will be limited is the area of unfair criticism and unverifed rumors about the Bradley players and personnel, and to an extent of other kids elsewhere.
No policy or format will please everyone, all the time, but this works best here, and from the feedback we get, is appreciated by the people this site was created for, the Bradley fans.
The message boards that get the most criticism, and are the most out of control, are the ones where there is little or no moderation. And usually those sites don't survive very long.

[dogsrus]

You hit the nail on the head, dogs.
Every message board is different. We have always made it clear that the one area on BradleyFans that will be limited is the area of unfair criticism and unverifed rumors about the Bradley players and personnel, and to an extent of other kids elsewhere.
No policy or format will please everyone, all the time, but this works best here, and from the feedback we get, is appreciated by the people this site was created for, the Bradley fans.
The message boards that get the most criticism, and are the most out of control, are the ones where there is little or no moderation. And usually those sites don't survive very long.

I agree but this board gets blasted to by SOME who feel you guys are trying to "control" all things BU. I don't agree but I understand how an OUTSIDER might feel that way. There is a fine line between censorship and just good quality control.

But like you said you aren't going to please all.

[Da Coach]

This board is geared toward the Bradley fans. If outsiders don't like the fact they can't lob "flaming" attacks, too bad. No matter how the board is moderated, there will always be some who don't like it. So be it.

[SFP]

If you do not like this board and our slant you have the freedom to leave, go to another board or create your own. I for one find this board perfect for my obsessiveness for all things on BU basketball. You can ask my GF she'll agree and would probably add a few more choice words

[Chico]

I haven't been to the smoker in several years. The last time I was there both coaches were disrespected by a group in the rear who wouldn't quiet down so the rest of us could hear. Dan DiOrio tried his best to silence them to no avail.