Yeah St. John's and Fordham have been ducking us for a while. St. John's has to play Fordham because they have a long standing rivalry and SJ's would have no cover ducking them. Same with Fordham and Manhattan. The Rams couldn't possibly explain ducking the Jaspers. But both can duck us claiming there is no real, long standing rivalry, which is more true for St. John's than Fordham. Thing is this approach hasn't really helped either team, nor hurt us. Its a shame that schools are afraid of competition and its really counter-intuitive. I think competition against us would actually HELP both of those schools, although SJs needs it less than Fordham does.
A while back a guy on the Fordham board said there is nothing to gain playing Iona. He actually seemed to believe this. When I saw it, I'm thinking we have the best RPI in the area, along with St. John's over the past five years, perhaps 150 points better than Fordham. Two years ago we had a 40 rpi team that got an at-large bid to the NCAA tourney and apparently they would have "nothing to gain playing us." Typically schools say this about local rivals in lower conferences who are not as good as they are - then it makes some sense. A 250 RPI team playing a 40 RPI team and you have nothing to gain? That's simply code for we don't want to get exposed as not being very good. Now this team that has nothing to gain by playing Iona has schedule this year, St. Francis of PA, Sacred Heart, Lehigh, Monmouth, Siena, and Loyola-Chicago. Currently they are something like 2-8 in conference and 9-15 overall. Playing better teams early on might have helped, but get this, they actually PURPOSEFULLY scheduled a bunch of "cupcakes" in their words, so that their team could learn how to win. You can't make this stuff up. It goes along with the North Korea like propaganda the program spews, buying time on SNY and hiring a coach who schmoozes everybody. One of their posters a while back wanted to know why they scheduled the game against Colgate on the road, as if they are Syracuse and should be playing all these cupcakes at home. The dysfunctional approach right now appears to be let's act like a big time program, even though we're not, and maybe the unsophisticated and those not paying attention won't notice. Its bizarre. Here's an idea. Why don't you play the best local teams you can and create a rivaly, thus creating more buzz for your program? I know why, we're afraid we will lose alot.
Like I've said time and again, its counter-intuitive, but rivalries HELP your program. MLS added a second team in NY. They did so to create a rivalry in the Big Apple, create buzz and intensity.
BTW, I hope we do a great job upgrading Hynes and I hope the Jaspers upgrade Draddy and we spend the next decade knocking each other silly. The rivalry with Manhattan is already recognized as the best in NYC.
Post by hawaii bill on Feb 15, 2014 11:32:28 GMT -5
They're looking to can Pecora and hire a new coach. One guy appeared to suggest Tommy Amaker at Harvard. Apparently this guy is allowed internet access where ever he's located. The guy for them is John Dunne. I suggested that to them last search. Proven record of winning a conference championship at a Jesuit school that has facilities issues. They'd probably lose Severe and Paschall, but in three years nobody in that league would want to play them. Problem is, Dunne isn't sexy enough for a lot of their alums, I'm guessing. When you're looking to hire an employee to do X and there is a guy out there who's done X, well seems like he'd be a good candidate.
Yeah St. John's and Fordham have been ducking us for a while. St. John's has to play Fordham because they have a long standing rivalry and SJ's would have no cover ducking them. Same with Fordham and Manhattan. The Rams couldn't possibly explain ducking the Jaspers. But both can duck us claiming there is no real, long standing rivalry, which is more true for St. John's than Fordham. Thing is this approach hasn't really helped either team, nor hurt us. Its a shame that schools are afraid of competition and its really counter-intuitive. I think competition against us would actually HELP both of those schools, although SJs needs it less than Fordham does.
A while back a guy on the Fordham board said there is nothing to gain playing Iona. He actually seemed to believe this. When I saw it, I'm thinking we have the best RPI in the area, along with St. John's over the past five years, perhaps 150 points better than Fordham. Two years ago we had a 40 rpi team that got an at-large bid to the NCAA tourney and apparently they would have "nothing to gain playing us." Typically schools say this about local rivals in lower conferences who are not as good as they are - then it makes some sense. A 250 RPI team playing a 40 RPI team and you have nothing to gain? That's simply code for we don't want to get exposed as not being very good. Now this team that has nothing to gain by playing Iona has schedule this year, St. Francis of PA, Sacred Heart, Lehigh, Monmouth, Siena, and Loyola-Chicago. Currently they are something like 2-8 in conference and 9-15 overall. Playing better teams early on might have helped, but get this, they actually PURPOSEFULLY scheduled a bunch of "cupcakes" in their words, so that their team could learn how to win. You can't make this stuff up. It goes along with the North Korea like propaganda the program spews, buying time on SNY and hiring a coach who schmoozes everybody. One of their posters a while back wanted to know why they scheduled the game against Colgate on the road, as if they are Syracuse and should be playing all these cupcakes at home. The dysfunctional approach right now appears to be let's act like a big time program, even though we're not, and maybe the unsophisticated and those not paying attention won't notice. Its bizarre. Here's an idea. Why don't you play the best local teams you can and create a rivaly, thus creating more buzz for your program? I know why, we're afraid we will lose alot.
Like I've said time and again, its counter-intuitive, but rivalries HELP your program. MLS added a second team in NY. They did so to create a rivalry in the Big Apple, create buzz and intensity.
BTW, I hope we do a great job upgrading Hynes and I hope the Jaspers upgrade Draddy and we spend the next decade knocking each other silly. The rivalry with Manhattan is already recognized as the best in NYC.
Really no reason for Iona to schedule Fordham any more. I loved the games with the Rams when they were in the MAAC, but that's ancient history now. Fordham is a terrible program, and has been for at least 20 years. With what Cluess is trying to accomplish each season with our OOC schedule, there is no reason for Iona to schedule a game with an RPI drag like a Fordham. If Fordham ever gets it's act together and fields a decent team, Iona could give them an OOC game. Otherwise Fordham is in Iona's rear view mirror.
Post by hawaii bill on Feb 15, 2014 14:35:23 GMT -5
83 I get why you feel that way and that we want to schedule up as much as possible, but we should be playing one of these four OOC every year imo, SJ's, Fordham, Hofstra, LIU. Now some of that is out of our hands. And the ironic thing is nothing screams "We're not a big time program" as much as ducking a local rival. Anyone think UConn is afraid to play Quinny, Central, Fairfield, Sacred Heart, et al on a regular basis? LOL.
Post by hawaii bill on Feb 15, 2014 15:47:26 GMT -5
How could I have. I said big time programs don't duck local rivals. Are we ducking anyone?
Ok, I see re-reading it how it could've been interpreted that way. Not very clear on my part. I meant to say that schools who are ducking us because they would gain nothing from playing us, are not "big time."
Last Edit: Feb 15, 2014 15:49:11 GMT -5 by hawaii bill
I just want to make sure that any OOC games with local teams benefit Iona's RPI. St John's, LIU would be fine. But Fordham would simply be a nostalgia game. Not interested.
By the way, Pecora seems to have players quitting on him in games. He's a lousy coach.
Not sure when people are talking about Fordham and when they are talking about SJU. When Tiger says "no jealously here", I'm happy, but SJU should be the jealous party because Iona has made the tourney more in the last 20 years. Also, lets settle this issue once and for all. I don't care what the schools "say" about why they don't schedule certain locals. The real reason is this: if you play a team that has extra motivation to beat you, but that is not expected to beat you, they have a major advantage because they can play "fast and loose" with "nothing to lose". Then if you do lose an extremely close game to them, you take the RPI hit, but if you beat them you don't get the RPI boost you deserve for having won a difficult game. AND THAT IS THE REASON SCHOOLS KEEP "RIVALRY GAMES" TO A MINIMUM. The RPI does not take the "rivalry", which is a neutralizing factor, into account. That is why Villanova ended the round robin format of the "Big Five" in the 80's, for example. With 18 DI schools in the the NYC area, St. John's can't worry about all of them, St. John's has to worry about St. John's. And look, Iona is doing just fine without us. How has Fordham been doing? Be careful what you wish for. Hofstra played and even beat SJU two or three years in a row. How are they doing now? Just getting games with St. John's is certainly no panacea.
By the way, I don't think Pecora is a bad coach. He was just faced with a really tough rebuild in a wicked conference. It does not look like he is going to make it, though. But all is not lost for them, because the next coach won't have has tough of a job, since Pecora has already upgraded the talent somewhat.
Post by hawaii bill on Feb 15, 2014 16:35:20 GMT -5
Reckson, of course St. John's has to worry about St. John's. I'm just a guy who'd like to see NYC hoops have some juice. I think the more juice NYC hoops has, the better for all the players, including SJ's.
And over the past five years Iona's RPI has been virtually dead even with SJ's.
Last Edit: Feb 15, 2014 16:36:21 GMT -5 by hawaii bill
If you want to see a negative board check out the UCLA Bruinsnation. They were calling Steve Alford the "Hoosier Loser" before he even coached a game. UCLA has been playing well lately but I bet they are still negative. They are usually negative after wins. They banned me from their site, after I was critical of their articles in the comments section. I wasn't being belligerent or anything, but they just banned me for criticizing them for being so unfair to their coaches and how it has been counterproductive for them. (I first went on their to check up on Lavin). But they are insane. They said, check the terms of membership. When I did I realized that they were the most egregious hypocrites that I have ever encountered online. You can't criticize. But that is all that THEY ever do. So they violate their own policy there. I should log on there with another email and just blast them this time for their hypocrisy.
By the way, I don't think Pecora is a bad coach. He was just faced with a really tough rebuild in a wicked conference. It does not look like he is going to make it, though. But all is not lost for them, because the next coach won't have has tough of a job, since Pecora has already upgraded the talent somewhat.
You wouldn't say that if you saw Fordham play. That team is a poorly coached train wreck.