A "much-needed win"

rhodyrudder · Unread post by **rhodyrudder** » 9 years ago

I said I wasn't gonna come here or read the journal, but of course have done both.
Do they do it on purpose?
The bitching about our schedule...the put-downs...
PC needed it more cuz they had lost twice?
We haven't beaten them since I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT IT FEELS LIKE...
but they needed it more? Or they just don't care what our needs are?
" Like oxygen." Fuck me!
I haven't been able to breathe since the decade started...
Do the editors not realize that some of their readers
DON'T CARE HOW MUCH PEE-CEE NEEDED THE WIN?!?!
Just stupid!!!!!

rodfromcranston · Unread post by **rodfromcranston** » 9 years ago

PC is Projo's team. URI = outsiders.
Amazing for the state university to be thought of
as such.
Someone on the dark side wrote that he's never met a URI fan.
Someone else said nobody roots for us.
Funny the negative comments came only after they won.
Of course, we gave them plenty of ammunition over here,
sorry to say.
I wish we all could just stick to basketball and leave the "my dad can beat up
your dad" stuff and the insults alone.

RF1 · Unread post by **RF1** » 9 years ago

rodfromcranston wrote:PC is Projo's team. URI = outsiders.
Amazing for the state university to be thought of
as such.
Someone on the dark side wrote that he's never met a URI fan.
Someone else said nobody roots for us.
Funny the negative comments came only after they won.
Of course, we gave them plenty of ammunition over here,
sorry to say.
I wish we all could just stick to basketball and leave the "my dad can beat up
your dad" stuff and the insults alone.

That poster Greg from Ct is a complete ass. He is always condescending toward URI. Furthemore he thinks PC is somehow comparable to UConn. That right there tells you how clueless this guy really is.

rodfromcranston · Unread post by **rodfromcranston** » 9 years ago

UConn stands alone in NE basketball history, with FOUR
NCAA championship. Only Holy Cross has one and that was in the 1940's.
The also won eight Big East tournaments and ten regular season championships.
Six All Americans and thirteen NBA players since the Big East was formed.
Nobody's basketball program remotely competes with that.
Any thoughts to the contrary are truly delusional.
To think UConn and URI were once equals in basketball, men and women's
programs.

rambone 78 · Unread post by **rambone 78** » 9 years ago

Rod, money and commitment, and a vision. That's what split the paths of the two schools.

Not "Think Big, we hope" like URI.

Now we're trying to catch up, and we never will.

rodfromcranston · Unread post by **rodfromcranston** » 9 years ago

No, we'll never catch them or even get close enough to smell
their exhaust fumes.
With a State of RI contribution of 9% to athletic's budget, it's
a laughable proposition.

rambone 78 · Unread post by **rambone 78** » 9 years ago

That, plus the level of private giving at UConn dwarfs ours.

They have more and bigger donors.

There's no way out of that.

RF1 · Unread post by **RF1** » 9 years ago

rambone 78 wrote:Rod, money and commitment, and a vision. That's what split the paths of the two schools.

Not "Think Big, we hope" like URI.

Now we're trying to catch up, and we never will.

Not entirely true. I would think UConn and URI in 1979 were very comparable when it came to money, commitment, and vision with regards to basketball. UConn however had the fortune of being invited to the Big East at its inception. There was no other school in CT in the mix for a spot in the league. There was no way that URI was ever going to get into that league with Dave Gavitt and PC calling the shots. It was UConn's membership in the Big East which chnaged the equation. It gave the school the exposure and money to really begin to elevate their program. The meteoric rise of UConn started several years after its inclusion in the Big East. The exposure and money from the elague enable the school to make a commitment to basketball. UConn then wisely made a concerted effort to elevate its program. It built an on campus arena (1990), increased salaries, and upped recruiting and operations budgets. These all however came after the Big East invite.

rodfromcranston · Unread post by **rodfromcranston** » 9 years ago

In 2009 UConn men's
basketball had revenue of 14 million dollars!
Calhoun's 1.6 million dollar salary was more than justified to critics.
In 2011,The national champion men's basketball program had revenues of $13.8 million and a $3.9 million profit after expenses, and the women's program had revenues of $10.4 million and a profit of $3.8 million.
The women's team just a tiny bit less profitable than the men's.
Monies to the University and exposure for the school make the expenditures
well worth it.

hrstrat57 · Unread post by **hrstrat57** » 9 years ago

RF1 wrote:
rambone 78 wrote:Rod, money and commitment, and a vision. That's what split the paths of the two schools.

Not "Think Big, we hope" like URI.

Now we're trying to catch up, and we never will.

Not entirely true. I would think UConn and URI in 1979 were very comparable when it came to money, commitment, and vision with regards to basketball. UConn however had the fortune of being invited to the Big East at its inception. There was no other school in CT in the mix for a spot in the league. There was no way that URI was ever going to get into that league with Dave Gavitt and PC calling the shots. It was UConn's membership in the Big East which chnaged the equation. It gave the school the exposure and money to really begin to elevate their program. The meteoric rise of UConn started several years after its inclusion in the Big East. The exposure and money from the league enable the school to make a commitment to basketball. UConn then wisely made a concerted effort to elevate its program. It built an on campus arena (1990), increased salaries, and upped recruiting and operations budgets. These all however came after the Big East invite.

I agree with this 100%. URI and HC were the top dogs in the NE and both got shut out....

As for the PROJO I seriously don't even look at it.....don't care. I know very few people that even care if it exists....

RF1 · Unread post by **RF1** » 9 years ago

rodfromcranston wrote:In 2009 UConn men's
basketball had revenue of 14 million dollars!
Calhoun's 1.6 million dollar salary was more than justified to critics.
In 2011,The national champion men's basketball program had revenues of $13.8 million and a $3.9 million profit after expenses, and the women's program had revenues of $10.4 million and a profit of $3.8 million.
The women's team just a tiny bit less profitable than the men's.
Monies to the University and exposure for the school make the expenditures
well worth it.

No doubt about it now that UConn is committed to its hoops program and it has worked out well for them. In addition to the finances of the athletic dept, the hoops programs success fostered a statewide pride and ownership in UConn which has resulted in tens of millions in CT expenditures to the school's operations and facilities.

I however contend that membership in the Big East was the initial catalyst that made it all possible.

hrstrat57 · Unread post by **hrstrat57** » 9 years ago

btw a bit off topic but my recollection as a youngster was the rivalry with UCONN was the equal of Providence.....if not greater in fact the whole Yankee conference thing was a battle.

My first RAM game in person was 1964 URI win over Connecticut at Keaney.....other than that I would have to look up the particulars....I do not have Rod's total recall....

RF1 · Unread post by **RF1** » 9 years ago

hrstrat57 wrote:btw a bit off topic but my recollection as a youngster was the rivalry with UCONN was the equal of Providence.....if not greater in fact the whole Yankee conference thing was a battle.

My first RAM game in person was 1964 URI win over Connecticut at Keaney.....other than that I would have to look up the particulars....I do not have Rod's total recall....

Rhody is actually still far and away UConn's most played opponent all time (by 30 games) even though the teams have rarely played since the formation of the Big East in 1979. The two teams have met in 145 games with the Huskies leading the all-time series 77-68. UConn is the 3rd most played opponent for URI behind Brown and UMass.

UConn has never really had a CT in state rival and currently doesn't have a true New England rival.

Below is a list of the most played series for UConn hoops:

OPPONENT #GAMES
URI 145
UNH 115
UMASS 108
MAINE 97
BC 89
SYRACUSE 87
PC 69
YALE 65
HOLY CROSS 63
VILLANOVA 61
GEORGETOWN 60
SETON HALL 60
PITT 59
VERMONT 54
ST JOHNS 51

rodfromcranston · Unread post by **rodfromcranston** » 9 years ago

Hmmm.....'63-64 Rams would be Steve Chubin, Denny McGovern (both guys averaged over 20 ppg.)forwards,
Frank Nightingale at center, Jimmy Cymbala PG, and Mike Fitzgerald SG.
We lost the playoff at Keaney to UConn for an NCAA berth, when McGovern's
last second shot rolled off the rim.
In that season, we lost at UConn by 2, won at Keaney by 1, and lost the playoff by 1.
UConn had big Toby Kimball leading them.
Frank Lanning's cartoon showed the Ram with a tear in his eye, the next day.
Yes, that was a bitter and hard fought rivalry. Made moreso, because the Yankee Conference
had an automatic NCAA bid to the winner.

RAM67 · Unread post by **RAM67** » 9 years ago

That was my freshman year. Major disappointment. Not to be disrespectful to the other guys, but those were the days when you couldn't take your eyes off of Chubin. Fearless.

Captainron@ · Unread post by **Captainron@** » 9 years ago

I agree with this 100%. URI and HC were the top dogs in the NE and both got shut out....

Not exactly, Holy Cross was invited into the Big East and declined.

rodfromcranston · Unread post by **rodfromcranston** » 9 years ago

'67, even today, Denny McGovern will tell you,
"Chubin was TOUGH".
An Oklahoma City newspaper, after we beat Wyoming in a tournament there,
compared him to Tarzan, with his wild, bullish drives to the basket.
Some really hilarious stories about him the the book about Connie Hawkins.

bigappleram · Unread post by **bigappleram** » 9 years ago

Rod, a little birdie told me that Ron Rothstein was the PG on that team not Cymbala.

rodfromcranston · Unread post by **rodfromcranston** » 9 years ago

Your birdie is right. Cynbala was on the team, though.

Ronald Rothstein, 1961-64

James R. Cymbala, 1963-66

Ramblinrose · Unread post by **Ramblinrose** » 9 years ago

It is inaccurate, like it or not, to sayURI and HC (which turned down the BE) were not the top NE prgograms. PC was in the 1970s. Went to five NCAA tourneys, including a Final Four, and one NIT.
URI had a great 77-78 (NCAA) team and a very good team in 78-79 (NIT). It's nice to think URI was the best in that era. Wish it was so. But the facts say no.

Billyboy78 · Unread post by **Billyboy78** » 9 years ago

Ramblinrose wrote:It is inaccurate, like it or not, to sayURI and HC (which turned down the BE) were not the top NE prgograms. PC was in the 1970s. Went to five NCAA tourneys, including a Final Four, and one NIT.
URI had a great 77-78 (NCAA) team and a very good team in 78-79 (NIT). It's nice to think URI was the best in that era. Wish it was so. But the facts say no.

URI was the best team in New England when Gavitt decided to form the big east.

Running Ram · Unread post by **Running Ram** » 9 years ago

Billyboy78 wrote:
Ramblinrose wrote:It is inaccurate, like it or not, to sayURI and HC (which turned down the BE) were not the top NE prgograms. PC was in the 1970s. Went to five NCAA tourneys, including a Final Four, and one NIT.
URI had a great 77-78 (NCAA) team and a very good team in 78-79 (NIT). It's nice to think URI was the best in that era. Wish it was so. But the facts say no.
URI was the best team in New England when Gavitt decided to form the big east.

That is correct Bb, furthermore UCONN was added as an afterthought or more to the point as what might have been considered their Fordam. Its great that they went on to become the best team in one of arguably the best college basketball conferences ever, all while PC amassed a less than stellar record within the Big East.

ramfan85 · Unread post by **ramfan85** » 9 years ago

When the BE was formed, URI and Syracuse were the 2 best teams in the northeast. We played at the CC and Syracuse won. Gavitt chose PC over URI for obvious reasons. I remember our AD saying, in a projo article, that he was going to let Gavitt lead us in a new undertaking, a new conference. Didn't work out very well for us.

peeps4life · Unread post by **peeps4life** » 9 years ago

how exactly was URI the best team in new england? honest question... can't find the archives. all i see is the end result was the same the year prior. first round exit.

Billyboy78 · Unread post by **Billyboy78** » 9 years ago

peeps4life wrote:how exactly was URI the best team in new england? honest question... can't find the archives. all i see is the end result was the same the year prior. first round exit.

Maybe the fact that in the '78 season we were 12-1 against New England teams, including 2 wins against both UConn and PC? The only loss to a New England team was PC early in the year and we beat them twice later in the year, including the ECAC final right before the NCAA tourney. That's how. And the loss you point out was a one point loss to Duke. C'mon now.

Obadiah · Unread post by **Obadiah** » 9 years ago

Plus One for Billyboy78!!! As one who admires people who make an effort and do their homework, it astounds me that one would just look at end result of the year and make a broad conclusion.

rambone 78 · Unread post by **rambone 78** » 9 years ago

Yeah, that loss to Duke stands out imo as the toughest loss this program ever had. That team was playing well enough to make the FF. The next 2 games would have been at the CC. Back then the NCAA tourney was only 32 teams.

Many people on this board aren't old enough to remember it, but I'll never forget it.

The Stanford game is the only one that rivals it.

Billyboy78 · Unread post by **Billyboy78** » 9 years ago

rambone 78 wrote:Yeah, that loss to Duke stands out imo as the toughest loss this program ever had. That team was playing well enough to make the FF. The next 2 games would have been at the CC. Back then the NCAA tourney was only 32 teams.

Many people on this board aren't old enough to remember it, but I'll never forget it.

The Stanford game is the only one that rivals it.

John Nelson's shot, off the backboard, around the rim, and agonizingly falls out. I watched that game somewhere in the Union, possibly the Pub? That part is foggy, the shot, unfortunately is not. That was a tough one, Jiggy and Stan's last game.

rodfromcranston · Unread post by **rodfromcranston** » 9 years ago

That '78 team was the best URI team ever.
We had our All American. He dominated the heralded
Gene Banks in the Duke game.
We had a great point guard, a shooter, a big center, and
incredible bench.
Dave Gavitt used to say we played an NBA front-line.
After a so-so December,we beat nationally ranked Wake Forest, San Francisco, Brigham Young (with Dany Ainge)and anyone else who got in the way. Super hot down the stretch.
Someone, I think Billy Packer, called us,"A ghetto team". Imagine saying that today?
Our guys played with their shirts untucked. Played with attitude.
Kraft, who wasn't prone to overstatement said we'd have beaten the
eventual champion, Kentucky, whose star player went off for
40 points in the finals.
"I guarantee, there's no way he'd ever get 40 on us."

Billyboy78 · Unread post by **Billyboy78** » 9 years ago

Don't forget the toothpick.

hrstrat57 · Unread post by **hrstrat57** » 9 years ago

Despite the success of our 88 and 98 clubs that team was our best legit shot so far at the national championship.

I guess the NIT run in the 40's at MSG was close back when that was the big show but I missed that one......

hrstrat57 · Unread post by **hrstrat57** » 9 years ago

Cause I don't care about the PROJO another interesting to me off topic thread poach treat from the www this past summer....

http://www.newhavenindependent.org/inde ... /hoopitup/

Ramulous · Unread post by **Ramulous** » 9 years ago

I was at that Duke game in 1978.....it was a long ride home after the game....

Ramblinrose · Unread post by **Ramblinrose** » 9 years ago

URI was excellent from 77-79. If you look at the decade as a whole, PC was the dominant program. PC was bad in 78-79 but the decade included a Final Four and a final in the NIT when that still meant something.
Unfortunately for URI 78-79 followed with Sly leaving, Kraft retiring, Zarchen ousted, cutbacks in hoops funding and the rise of the Big East. It was lousy until Penders. The two big years (77-79) were very exciting. And we had no idea that things were about to crash.

Ramulous · Unread post by **Ramulous** » 9 years ago

Part of the problem was that Dave Gavitt invited schools whose AD's or coaches were drinking buddies with him.....Zarchen and Kraft were not in that group.....

RF1 · Unread post by **RF1** » 9 years ago

Dave Gavitt -The Father of the Greed Movement in college basketball and the Creator of the caste system. He was way ahead of his time in building a conference to maximize tv revenues. He and his group were the first to throw decades old rivalries to the side in pursuit of a college basketball world of haves and have nots.

The irony of today is that his new world order in college basketball actually turned on his baby, the Big East. Now PC and most of his original partners are on the outside looking in.

rodfromcranston · Unread post by **rodfromcranston** » 9 years ago

To give the devil his due, Gavitt was a brilliant businessman and
strategist.
I doubt all that happened to break up the Big East would have happened, had he been alive.
The football problems came after he stepped down.

RF1 · Unread post by **RF1** » 9 years ago

rodfromcranston wrote:To give the devil his due, Gavitt was a brilliant businessman and
strategist.
I doubt all that happened to break up the Big East would have happened, had he been alive.
The football problems came after he stepped down.

Gavitt would not have been able to change much. His band of little Catholic schools had no chance against the football juggernaut's quest for big money. The Big East was doomed to eventually fail with a large portion of its members with no 1A football.

rambone 78 · Unread post by **rambone 78** » 9 years ago

Football drives the bus nowadays. Basketball is big money, but big time football dwarfs that even.

In spite of what happened to the BE, they made out like bandits with that Fox TV deal.

They are making twice the TV money the AAC football schools are with their deal.

The A10 with their bottom feeders will never approach that kind of money.

Over time, that disparity in money is going to show on the court. You might think it already has, with the BE's results so far this year versus the A10's. I don't think that's true yet, but in a couple of years, it will.

If anybody here reads the Dayton board, that's all they are talking about. They love the A10, but they know where their future is, if they're invited.

Ramblinrose · Unread post by **Ramblinrose** » 9 years ago

Gavitt would bevunable to stop the fotnall dominance. He was a great coach, administrator and politician. But he was a basketball guy, purely basketball. You think Tranghese would have retired if basketball still ruled?
I read where Indiana fans think lack of a great football team hurts IU hoop recruiting. Yes, Indiana.

Ramulous · Unread post by **Ramulous** » 9 years ago

There will soon be only 4 football conferences that matter......everyone else will be left behind

seanmc94 · Unread post by **seanmc94** » 9 years ago

The fact that Gavitt was able to make "his little band of Catholic schools" relevant in the college basketball landscape shows what a visionary he was.

RF1 · Unread post by **RF1** » 9 years ago

seanmc94 wrote:The fact that Gavitt was able to make "his little band of Catholic schools" relevant in the college basketball landscape shows what a visionary he was.

Yes. He was able to buy them a few decades and keep them relevant a while longer. Nothing however lasts forever and Gavitt and his beloved league are both dead and gone.

Billyboy78 · Unread post by **Billyboy78** » 9 years ago

F*** Dave Gavitt.

hrstrat57 · Unread post by **hrstrat57** » 9 years ago

peeps4life · Unread post by **peeps4life** » 9 years ago

Billyboy78 wrote:
peeps4life wrote:how exactly was URI the best team in new england? honest question... can't find the archives. all i see is the end result was the same the year prior. first round exit.
Maybe the fact that in the '78 season we were 12-1 against New England teams, including 2 wins against both UConn and PC? The only loss to a New England team was PC early in the year and we beat them twice later in the year, including the ECAC final right before the NCAA tourney. That's how. And the loss you point out was a one point loss to Duke. C'mon now.

uri sucks at keeping an online media guide with historical records and stats prior to 98 (at least one that is found easily... i can't find it) and i know nothing about uri prior to my birth.

anyway... you know the reasons why certain teams were included in the invite. all about markets. most teams save uconn also had a stellar history.

rodfromcranston · Unread post by **rodfromcranston** » 9 years ago

http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/uri ... ecords.pdf
Peeps, try this site. It's a little dated, but it will give you every season since the beginning,
every player and when they played, and other info.

peeps4life · Unread post by **peeps4life** » 9 years ago

thanks. that's what i was looking for on gorhody. pc had a pretty comparable year to uri that year. it's not like it isn't arguable.

rodfromcranston · Unread post by **rodfromcranston** » 9 years ago

Except that we beat you the last 2 of 3 games that year and won the ECAC.

That's a great site for all URI fans, who want to learn more than just the past
few years.
Notice the picture of Frank Keaney installing the rim within a rim,
for his team to sharpen their shooting.

ramfan85 · Unread post by **ramfan85** » 9 years ago

peeps4life wrote:how exactly was URI the best team in new england? honest question... can't find the archives. all i see is the end result was the same the year prior. first round exit.

Sorry it took me so long to get back on this.
In the 70's (at least the latter years), the NY and even projo listed the "unofficial" top teams in the Northeast and New England every Monday morning. URI was always near the top. The first time we were no.1 was on the Monday that we hosted Syracuse (sounds strange to say) that night at the CC. We lost. But, we recovered pretty well.

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