It's been long enough since I last did this...WARNING RANT WARNING
We are fans of the program that created modern basketball! Perhaps saved the whole sport, took a plodding competition of hand-eye awareness and turned it into an exciting race to the basket. I'm not saying the modernization of basketball wasn't inevitable, I'm saying Frank Keaney was the visionary that did it first. Why oh why does that not get capitalized upon?!? Never been marketed, not once in my lifetime! WE SHOULD PROUDLY BE A BASKETBALL FIRST INSTITUTION!!! It would drive the bus, keeping everything well funded and it is a testimony to our ingenuity not an indictment on our academics. Seriously, "think big, we do" is the perfect slogan for us, as others have suggested it just translates into "think big, do little."
Okay, that's it, off my chest for a few months at least...
PLEASE SEND TO THORR ASAP. I've been to the Basketball HOF and have seen the URI display. Its awesome, but many Rhode islanders and even many fans have no idea their school and state are represented in the HOF. True shame. No mention of it at the Ryan, (at least its not obvious enough).
Running Ram wrote: ↑4 years ago
It's been long enough since I last did this...WARNING RANT WARNING
We are fans of the program that created modern basketball! Perhaps saved the whole sport, took a plodding competition of hand-eye awareness and turned it into an exciting race to the basket. I'm not saying the modernization of basketball wasn't inevitable, I'm saying Frank Keaney was the visionary that did it first. Why oh why does that not get capitalized upon?!? Never been marketed, not once in my lifetime! WE SHOULD PROUDLY BE A BASKETBALL FIRST INSTITUTION!!! It would drive the bus, keeping everything well funded and it is a testimony to our ingenuity not an indictment on our academics. Seriously, "think big, we do" is the perfect slogan for us, as others have suggested it just translates into "think big, do little."
Okay, that's it, off my chest for a few months at least...
Moderators....think we should take this excerpt and then make it it's own locked topic that's pined at the top of the message board for eternity, so anyone visiting this board knows the historical importance of URI basketball (such as players, prospective players & their families, other A10 fans, etc). Feel it's a shame to keep such an important aspect of Rhody basketball hidden away. Thoughts?
"Frank W. Keaney
Known as the architect of modern run-and-shoot basketball, Frank Keaney’s uptempo style made use of a fast-breaking offense and a full-court defense. Keaney’s innovative tactics enabled his 1939 Rhode Island club to become the first college team to score better than 50 points per game. In 1943, Rhode Island averaged over two points a minute (80.7 points per game), earning them the nickname, “The Firehouse Gang.” In 27 seasons at the University of Rhode Island, Keaney had only one losing record, led the Rams to four NIT appearances, and finished with a career record of 401-124.Namesake for the University of Rhode Island Frank W. Keaney Gymnasium-Armory. Opposing coaches hated the fast-breaking style of Keaney-led teams but the results showed the future of basketball. Keaney preached speed at all times, urging his boys on to higher and higher scores from the sidelines. When Keaney decided to enter the professional leagues, he became the first coach ever to be signed by the Boston Celtics." - The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall Of Fame
"Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds!" - Marcus Garvey
Running Ram wrote: ↑4 years ago
It's been long enough since I last did this...WARNING RANT WARNING
We are fans of the program that created modern basketball! Perhaps saved the whole sport, took a plodding competition of hand-eye awareness and turned it into an exciting race to the basket. I'm not saying the modernization of basketball wasn't inevitable, I'm saying Frank Keaney was the visionary that did it first. Why oh why does that not get capitalized upon?!? Never been marketed, not once in my lifetime! WE SHOULD PROUDLY BE A BASKETBALL FIRST INSTITUTION!!! It would drive the bus, keeping everything well funded and it is a testimony to our ingenuity not an indictment on our academics. Seriously, "think big, we do" is the perfect slogan for us, as others have suggested it just translates into "think big, do little."
Okay, that's it, off my chest for a few months at least...
Rant? I think this is one of the most important posts to ever be made on KB. Every time I'm on campus and walk by Rodman I always wonder why the school isn't capitalizing on the basketball history that no other school can really claim.
.......put Frank Keaney somehow in the KB banner, and some type of on-going display in the RC......I shoulda added, my a Dad was on the Keaney teams roster, ‘37, ‘38, ‘39......
Last edited by section(105)4 years ago, edited 1 time in total.
Running Ram wrote: ↑4 years ago
It's been long enough since I last did this...WARNING RANT WARNING
We are fans of the program that created modern basketball! Perhaps saved the whole sport, took a plodding competition of hand-eye awareness and turned it into an exciting race to the basket. I'm not saying the modernization of basketball wasn't inevitable, I'm saying Frank Keaney was the visionary that did it first. Why oh why does that not get capitalized upon?!? Never been marketed, not once in my lifetime! WE SHOULD PROUDLY BE A BASKETBALL FIRST INSTITUTION!!! It would drive the bus, keeping everything well funded and it is a testimony to our ingenuity not an indictment on our academics. Seriously, "think big, we do" is the perfect slogan for us, as others have suggested it just translates into "think big, do little."
Okay, that's it, off my chest for a few months at least...
I also think every court we have should be the Frank Keaney Court. Dude is a Hall of Famer and a NCAA Basketball Legend.
My dad was a student in the forties and would spend Saturday afternoons at Rodman. His dorm was East hall and his stories were amazing. I thought Kearney was a pit...no way you could compare it with Rodman. He told me his feet would hang over from the balcony. Boy, if I could go back in time.
Keaney would be unbelievable in the modern game with the 3-point line. Even during the relatively freewheeling Tyson Wheeler days, he'd probably be like "speed it up, you guys are plodding along." Paul Westhead was definitely the closest in the more modern era, when Loyola Marymount averaged 122.4 points per game (!!) in 1990. And like Keaney this was not a gimmick offense, but led to LMU making the NCAA Tournament Regional Final from a "lesser" conference and without the deceased Hank Gathers.
The fact that the Keaney name is not mentioned constantly at games I've attended since we have moved into the Ryan Center is unfathomable. There should be a Keaney factoid of the game or some other type of mention. You think of how much mileage UCLA has gotten out of the Wooden legacy although he has been gone for how many years now. Red Auerbach's last year coaching the Celtics was 1965-66, and he is on the forefront of our minds when it comes to the evolution of basketball.
We are the worst at marketing. Promoting our heritage story and great history. Celebrating and nurturing relationships with former players, teams, coaches. Building our "brand" - that is what it means. We are bad at it. When you win AND have a strong brand you will retain players, coaches, build new fans and create a community beyond the 200 or so nuts on this board.
Running Ram wrote: ↑4 years ago
It's been long enough since I last did this...WARNING RANT WARNING
We are fans of the program that created modern basketball! Perhaps saved the whole sport, took a plodding competition of hand-eye awareness and turned it into an exciting race to the basket. I'm not saying the modernization of basketball wasn't inevitable, I'm saying Frank Keaney was the visionary that did it first. Why oh why does that not get capitalized upon?!? Never been marketed, not once in my lifetime! WE SHOULD PROUDLY BE A BASKETBALL FIRST INSTITUTION!!! It would drive the bus, keeping everything well funded and it is a testimony to our ingenuity not an indictment on our academics. Seriously, "think big, we do" is the perfect slogan for us, as others have suggested it just translates into "think big, do little."
Okay, that's it, off my chest for a few months at least...
I also think every court we have should be the Frank Keaney Court. Dude is a Hall of Famer and a NCAA Basketball Legend.
I agree with this. No one gives a FLYING SHIT about "Care New England". I wouldn't even trust Kent Hospital to give me a damn bandaid. Everything has to be about money. I know Lifespan is in shit so wonder what's going to happen to CNE. I would recommend a more meaningful business to be the court sponsor again. Going from Alex & Ani to Care New England was like going from semi-pathetic to equally pathetic.
I apologize in advance to the sensitive eyes here for using the "s" word. Let me repent by saying 10 Hail Marys.
Can we pin the Keany excerpt to the top of the board?
This is already getting buried. Seems a shame to waste a good recruiting tool & some valuable history notoriety for people visiting this board.
Should I start a poll?
"Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds!" - Marcus Garvey
