RI_Bred wrote: ↑2 years ago
Blue Man wrote: ↑2 years ago
Rhody15 wrote: ↑2 years ago
I agree and have told my friends, "watch, we'll win 20ish games, people will think that's a good benchmark, and Cox will get extended for two more years and we'll be stuck like this for a little while longer."
I'm 30, and remember all the way back to the Keaney days, crying all the way home at 7 years old after watching Stanford come back on us.
I completely understand the other side (your side) but I'll be going to home games and watching every road game I can.
This is a true case of to each is own.
Ok lol so we understand each other.
I’m trying to avoid your above scenario.
The “people” who think 20 wins are a good benchmark are the people who go to these games complacent and happy to be there.
The only way that the athletics department knows that people aren’t happy with 20 wins is by empty seats.
That's not entirely true. You can have people that go to the games and are not complacent. They've spent the money and it's an event, something to do. I would bet that a lot of the older crowd/season ticket holders in fact are retired and it's especially viewed by them as something they do as part of their retirement/routine. I know the people we attend with fit this description - they definitely see the possibility of Cox not being renewed. I don't think you can put everyone in the same bucket. We can agree to disagree on that. Can't be too much of a fair-weather fan. It's still Rhody hoops.
Yeah...I mean that's literally my whole point. Most of our fans view URI basketball as a part of their retirement routine/date night/south county RI place to go in the winter.
Of course they could "see" the possibility of Cox not getting renewed. To them, having a basketball team to watch is much more important than having a good basketball team.
There is nothing wrong with that. I know people think I'm being disparaging but I'm being serious. I have accepted that not all fans of our basketball program are sports fans who have expectations of winning. I understand that concept. I vehemently disagree with it, but I understand it.
Rooting for a coaching change doesn't make you a fair-weather fan. It makes you a fan of the program, and not the person in the coaches' chair. There were plenty of people with the same opinion when Baron was on the way out. It took a 7 win season and empty stands to get that trigger pulled.
So a winning season, with Covid and everything else, plus fans still showing up to games, will mean a Cox extension. Book it. The only way they make a change if URI wins 16+ games, is with an empty Ryan Center.
Yes, I trust Thorr's judgement better than mine, I also have a feeling I know his thought process fairly well. Thorr is not a fan. Of course he wants to win, but he is a GM. He has other realities and consequences than just what the fans "see" and write about on the message board.
There is a new president. He is (basically) Australian. Like he literally was in Australia (and elsewhere around the globe for 17 years) until he came here. Who knows his level of care when it comes to NCAA basketball. College basketball is a numbers game. He may not approve a coaching change if he still sees fans cheering in the stands. Who knows?
Tom Ryan may still be salty about the Pitino thing. He may want Thorr to feel the pain a bit more. Again this is total speculation but he's the head of the URI foundation now. Maybe he won't want to break out the buyout money. That's another factor to consider.
We still don't have this practice facility started...we're like a couple hundred thousand short - $300k may not be a lot in today's basketball terms - but would that have to come out of that pot?
Just because "everyone" sees what's happening - unless there is a blatantly, unimpeachable, obvious detraction with this program - doesn't mean there will be a change.
We aren't on pace for a terrible losing record. We could very easily be bad down the stretch, and win 18 games. That's a 6-6 record. So the only other thing that would facilitate a coaching change would be tumbleweeds in the Ryan Center.
Again, very clearly:
If all you care about is going to basketball games, and you will go regardless of the teams performance - that's great. Keep doing you.
If you want to see a GOOD basketball team, and you do not think this is the right coach to do that..if you think this coach needs to be changed...you are acting not in your self-described best interest by going to games. Attending games does not help your cause of making a coaching change.