RF1 wrote:GW fans are smugly satisfied on their little antiquated messageboard. They are patting themselves on the back for the win, throwing personal insults at Coach Hurley, and accusing the entire URI line-up of being on steroids. I wouldn't exactly call them a classy bunch. There was at least one of them back in Nov that seemed very pleased when E C went out with his injury as he felt Hurley deserved it.
By: herve (9,159 posts) - 1/22/2016 5:37:53 PM
URI has preached thug-ball for last 15 years, regardless of their coach. They have a "style" which is barely basketball.
Oh no! Now even GW fans are pointing out the lack of any difference in URI ball this century!
208 should go on GW's board and explain to them that none of the history matters.
Nope...been schooled...I now realize that 'older and been around a long time' is smarter, better, faster, stronger...(any kind or "er" you can think of) and that everything and anything that happens today, is a direct result of, and completely and directly tied to, whatever happened a million years ago. So...15 years ago, by comparison, is like...yesterday..
It is starting this year. No denying that. I don't think the newbs realize how early in the CFL years that the discussion was centered around firing him.
I had typed a long thing on Hassan Martin. I deleted it and think its enough to say that this team and the players on this team must make winning plays and win games. Otherwise they are what the numbers say that they are.
It is starting this year. No denying that. I don't think the newbs realize how early in the CFL years that the discussion was centered around firing him.
I had typed a long thing on Hassan Martin. I deleted it and think its enough to say that this team and the players on this team must make winning plays and win games. Otherwise they are what the numbers say that they are.
LOL...always good to be in on the ground floor of the "fire the coach" discussion.
I think maybe you get triple points for that?
Not yet anyway. In fact, he has 1 top 50 win here. It came on the road in his first year at SLU. Since then I think we have had 8 top 100 wins, with all of them between 50 and 100. So we are all still waiting for the season we want to happen.
PeterRamTime wrote:I feel like if we can just win one of those games then we can break the mental hold on us.
Quickly reading through all the posts and this^^
Its funny because someone else said Dan has won just one of those games. So the record shows winning one of those games does not lead to more wins in those games.
Blueram, you're kidding right 2 yrs. This freaken board myself probably included will self-combust if this team has a record similar to this years at this time next year. If we are repeating this season next year Bone will freaken toss the cards at the pitboss sometime mid January and post non stop day and night until the season ends Hurley Sucks Hurley Sucks Sucks Sucks. WOE THE CHILDREN!
brady1 wrote:Blueram, you're kidding right 2 yrs. This freaken board myself probably included will self-combust if this team has a record similar to this years at this time next year. If we are repeating this season next year Bone will freaken toss the cards at the pitboss sometime mid January and post non stop day and night until the season ends Hurley Sucks Hurley Sucks Sucks Sucks. WOE THE CHILDREN!
rambone 78 wrote:I'm pretty sure Rod didn't want him hired in the first place.
I wasn't sold on him either. Didn't UMass turn him down before that?
Then how the heck did he get hired????
I would say that era was the safe zone hire......and the "Think Big We Do" had not been coined yet....lack of vision then with the RC coming on line to go big or go safe....they choose safe... Ron Petro as AD then?....
Ron Petro, the AD at the time, told us he was "reaching for the stars" when he was conducting his search for the replacement for Jerry Duh. That's DiGregorio to you.
Instead, he hired a black hole named Jim Baron, ex of St. Bonaventure. He was considered at the time to be a "safe hire" that would rebuild the program after the mess that followed Harrick's departure 2 years earlier.
Petro thought he would get us to the Dance. Instead, 12 long years of ups and downs and near misses followed. After his 3rd season I think, where we made the NIT, Virginia Tech showed interest in hiring him away, and the URI president Carothers, redid his contract to keep him here for a long time to come.
Except that he basically guaranteed the entire amount of the contract over something like 7-8 more years. So, when Baron's teams collapsed at the end of several seasons, and most everyone wanted him gone, URI couldn't fire him because they couldn't afford to pay out the rest of the deal. They were stuck with him, even as things started to spiral downhill with the program.
That's why he was called CFL. Coach for life. Finally URI and some boosters ponied up enough money to get rid of him a couple of years early. Actually Thorr extended him another year toward the end, due to JB making the semis of the NIT, but it came with an ultimatum: make the Dance or you're gone. And he didn't, and he was gone. He never did make the Dance in 12 years here, which is ridiculously long for a coach at this level to be here and not make the NCAA's even once.
Anyway, some on here know a little more about the situation. That's how Dan Hurley came to be.
rambone 78 wrote:I'm pretty sure Rod didn't want him hired in the first place.
I wasn't sold on him either. Didn't UMass turn him down before that?
Then how the heck did he get hired????
I would say that era was the safe zone hire......and the "Think Big We Do" had not been coined yet....lack of vision then with the RC coming on line to go big or go safe....they choose safe... Ron Petro as AD then?....
Just find it hard to believe...that if you and rfc weren't sold on him...that the administration would have still gone through with it anyway...
Maybe now you can see why a lot of us older fans are a little impatient, and have seen some of this "almost but not quite" stuff before.
It's been 17 years since this program had it's name called on selection sunday.
We don't want to wait another 17. We won't be around, most likely, to see it if it does.
Don't really want to get in another dust-up about this, I respect what you're saying, but...I'll see your 17 URI years and raise you 86 years of Red Sox...with a couple 20 year playoff droughts thrown in for fun.... My son was 10 when the Red Sox won in '04...I was 40 something. He didn't (still doesn't) care about the 86 years...and that kinda got me to thinking...why should I? He didn't carry that burden around, he was just as happy as I was when they won and he's every bit the fan that I am. Hey, I do hope you are around to see a good selection Sunday, but to each his own (decision about how much they want to carry the history)...? Doesn't make one more or less of fan, I don't think... If they win the A10 tournament this year (strapping my helmet on again) and make the NCAAT... I'm thinking we'll be equally as happy?
When speaking of the Red Sox drought, we're talking about a world series championship. We're not asking for an NCAA championship. That is unrealistic that it will EVER happen at URI. We just want to get into the tournament. Making the tournament would kind of be like making the playoffs in baseball. The Red Sox did that plenty of times in those 86 years.
I hear ya...the Sox had some 20 yr playoff droughts, too. All I know is that, when Rhody does make it...it's going to be freakn awesome for everyone. So awesome that, you can't give up on the season until Brooklyn is done. One of the things I love about college hoops is that conf tourney that gives you one... last...chance... And it would be so cool to pull it off there...I wouldn't dare miss it.
Not sure what the Boston Red Sox, who at least made
the baseball version of the finals a few times, have to do with us.
Who needs history?
Those who don't learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat its
failures.
Lots of people scoff at history. They go way down in my view.
Oh, yeah, with all due respect.
Second time 208 said he doesn't know who Jim Baron was.
Just curious, how can anyone who is even a casual college basketball fan not know
who he is, let alone a URI fan, albeit a new one?
I don't care if it's a company, a car, a girlfriend, a friend,or a political candidate,
learning about their past is important.
CFL was what? A four time A-10 COY.
According to all the announcers who did our games, he was at least as
good as Bobby Knight and Coach K.
Rosie, I never wanted Baron. Petro told me,
"Rod, we're aiming for the stars with this hire!'
Many big names rumored.
The elephant labored and brought forth a mouse.
A career .500 coach with two NCAAs, and only
spoke in coach-speak.
Yes, he interviewed for UMass the week before he got hired here.
He also applied for the Air Force job the year before.
What's ironic is he got an extension at Bona, and '72
asked why they chose to reward Baron's mediocrity?
We found ourselves in the same boat, less than a decade later.
Rod...not sure how we went from my having the audacity to try to make a joke that, how could the U have the audacity to hire a coach that you and rb didn't approve of? ...to...not knowing the detailed history of URI basketball meaning I'm doomed to repeat it ...whatever 'repeating the history of a basketball program' means?
Well good for you.
Actually several of us urged Thorr and Dooley to go after Hurley,
in conjunction with CFL being let go.
But, hey, that's history, so it's not important, right?
Amazing.
ok....so, I guess 'history' it is....
It was said, you didn't want to hire Baron, but they did. You said that you urged them to go after Hurley, and they did. So, you were right both times. It is good to know that there are people that care involved in the discussion.
Knowing the history of a car, company, political leader or girlfriend seems very different from knowing the history of a sports team - maybe that's just me...Some of the history (of a sports team) is definitely interesting, but not sure that how much of it you know says how much of a fan you are, nor does it seem like a rationale basis on which to judge a person or fan.
When they throw the ball up at center court, I'm still every bit the fan you are.
When I make the multi-hour drives to Philly, Rose Hill, or Amherst, I'm every bit the fan you are. When I go to Brooklyn, still the same fan as you. And, when they do make the NCAAT after winning the A10, and play in some western outpost (or maybe Dayton), I'll be scraping together the means to get there, too.
It IS important and good to know that people that really care are involved in the important conversations. Am serious when I say this - I appreciate that people like you and some others on here, that care about the program, if/when you have opportunity to influence it - do so. I just don't think it's fair to diminish people, or their right to input or opinion, based on how long they've been around or how much history they know.
NYGFan_Section208 wrote:OK, author full name? name of book?
Author:
William Woodward
Son of Carl R. Woodward who was president of URI in the latter years of the legendary Frank Keaney's tenure as coach of URI basketball. He first taught and coached at the high school level, and went on to teach at the University of Rhode Island as an adjunct professor. Mr. Woodward was a fan of the Rams since boyhood and was named an URI Honorary Alumnus in 1994. Mr. Woodward passed away on July 24, 2002, shortly after completing his 2nd book about URI basketball. His son, Ted Woodward was the basketball coach at UMaine for ten years (2003-2014).
Runnin' Rams: University of Rhode Island Basketball http://advance.uri.edu/pacer/march2003/story13.htm
Keaney: If You Don't Love to Play, Pivot and Go Home!
rambone 78 wrote:Dan goes 2 more years [after this one] without a Dance invite, he should be on the hot seat.
Like Brady said, he's not in any trouble right now.
But that won't last forever, if he doesn't produce.
At some point, excuses will run out.
I think you are right, however I see it as highly unlikely there are no NCAA trips in the next 2 years. Hate to say it but I actually think a more likely scenario is NCAA next yr with a deep run, Dan gets picked up by a P5, and takes EC with him to be the star player where he can show what he can do night in and night out against tough comp to increase draft potential.
208, I haven't really had much to say directly to your posts, and I have only been loosely following the back and forth between yourself and some others, but I don't remember anyone questioning how much of a fan you are. I'm glad you are so enthused by this team and always glad to have hardcore fans of Rhody out there, no matter how long they have been a fanatic for the team, however, history does matter. To think and act otherwise is ignorant behavior, you see, history of the program may not matter to you but it does to so very many of us and we are the folks you are engaging with on this forum. I'm not scolding I'm schooling, it's a little thing called know your audience.
Many of us are native Rhode Islanders and there is a shit ton of context of which you routinely have no idea about, and instead of learning something about the program you profess to love so much you just act as if history just doesn't matter.
This program played for the national championship in its history, doesn't matter right? But the story of the that team and it's coach does, so you think it has no bearing on this team, this year right? wrong again, that coach created the fast break transition offense. Modern basketball, born of his restless mind, right on our beautiful little campus. That matters to me, that matters to some others here and that's not even the history you all have been referring to, but that matters too. The drought you guys have been referring to, well its everything and more when it comes right down to it. Our program changed basketball forever, modernized the whole sport, was a national powerhouse and more than relevant for decades. Then came the Big Least and that dead dick and born of his mind was something that would change regional college basketball profoundly as well as the business of college basketball forever, excluded from dead dick's vision were teams like URI and UMASS. Despite the Big Least's dominance through the eighties and well into the nineties, the A10 scraped and clawed becoming and staying relevant. Cyclically, we enjoyed several successful runs at the national championship, against great odds. Our successes, if they didn't match, nearly matched that of the other team, the local Big Least team north of God's campus down Kingston way. This is merely the tip of the iceberg, many of us are too aware of the deeper history that took hold of the program after the Big Least took off, the history of tight purse strings, the history of complacent university administrators, the history of small thinking that ensued, still, despite all this stacked against us we still got flashes and it gave fans pride of team, the material of 'smack talk' the ability to stay in the discussion of 'big time' hoops with the other team. Then came the drought...so when it comes to the new version of the 17 year old story, we're not buying it like we once did. This is a program rich with great and meaningful history, events that propelled basketball to what it is today. Being second rate is not acceptable and excuses don't matter. We need to be in the discussion with that little run down college up there at the very least. Your optimism is great, but it's just that, its not real, results are real.
Great post indeed.
Kearney also created the color Keaney Blue, our uniform color for many years. That's one reason we are so upset with the shit blue we've been wearing in recent years.
That post by RR is an example of how much a lot of us care about this program, and how dedicated we are to seeing it through, to the helghts it used to achieve.
And that's also why at least some of us aren't happy with what we've been seeing for a lot of years now, even including the present time.
Hurley was the guy hired to lead us out of this basketball purgatory that we've been in.
There is mounting concern, that maybe he's not that guy, after all. And us older fans know what the hell we're talking about.
This isn't our first rodeo with this program.......
Those books are terrfic guides to URI hoops. Yes, URI was once a big time program. Comparing the Sox and URI? Stop it. The Sox are run by a billionaire. URI is a middling program with little national identity. I'm still waiting for that to change. Right now I'd be happy if CFL II could get us to the Dance.
Ramblinrose wrote:Those books are terrfic guides to URI hoops. Yes, URI was once a big time program. Comparing the Sox and URI? Stop it. The Sox are run by a billionaire. URI is a middling program with little national identity. I'm still waiting for that to change. Right now I'd be happy if CFL II could get us to the Dance.
Rose,
Why would you refer to Dan Hurley as CFLII?
I feel like this is a rather derogatory sounding term to label Hurley with. Just curious what your reasoning is?
Well, talk was when Dan was hired, that the goal was to make URI the Gonzaga of the East, or at least Xavier or VCU like.
At this point, that seems so far away as to be laughable.
I really doubt that URI will ever reach that level, no matter who is coaching. A state school, with little money, trying to match a couple of private schools with lots of money, and another state school who gets a lot more support from their state than we'll ever get?
Rosie is just stating what a lot of us feel right now. Just get us to the Dance. Just once.
Then see where we go from there.
How long is it going to take for Hurley to take even that first step? One more year? Two? Ever?
rambone 78 wrote:Well, talk was when Dan was hired, that the goal was to make URI the Gonzaga of the East, or at least Xavier or VCU like.
At this point, that seems so far away as to be laughable.
I really doubt that URI will ever reach that level, no matter who is coaching. A state school, with little money, trying to match a couple of private schools with lots of money, and another state school who gets a lot more support from their state than we'll ever get?
Rosie is just stating what a lot of us feel right now. Just get us to the Dance. Just once.
Then see where we go from there.
How long is it going to take for Hurley to take even that first step? One more year? Two? Ever?
I think it is total BS to put a label on our Coach of CFLII. So Rambone you support this tag? Yes or no.
I am really getting effin tired of all the criticisms of the team and coach after the best player on the team goes down 9 minutes into the season. WTF did you guys expect when we start 1 senior who really struggles against the better teams in the league and 1 senior off the bench who cannot play defense. Let's not forget the other 2 in our 8 man rotation are freshmen. Also, we have 2 sophomores who play for the most part more than 30 minutes a game.
WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
