I think it's time to stop shooting ourselves in the foot

[PalmTreeSpidUR]

For a lot of reasons, many of them deserving, we’ve had a lot of negative posts lately. However, if we’re trying to dig ourselves out of the well, I’m not sure the way to do that is to keep being so negative all of the time.

We’re trying to retain our own players, and we’re trying to recruit new ones. If we keep saying how terrible things are and you’re a potential transfer in, would you want to come here if you read our comments? If you’re considering transferring out, would you want to stay and play for such pessimistic fans?

 

[SpiderRick]

If im a recruit I might be asking why are the fans and alumni so pessimistic.

 

[Spider17]

For a lot of reasons, many of them deserving, we’ve had a lot of negative posts lately. However, if we’re trying to dig ourselves out of the well, I’m not sure the way to do that is to keep being so negative all of the time.

We’re trying to retain our own players, and we’re trying to recruit new ones. If we keep saying how terrible things are and you’re a potential transfer in, would you want to come here if you read our comments? If you’re considering transferring out, would you want to stay and play for such pessimistic fans?

I get what you’re saying Palm and I think a lot of us wish it weren’t so negative but this forum is a discussion on the state of spider men’s basketball and right now there aren’t a lot of positive things to discuss. If you read the women’s basketball threads or men’s lacrosse threads, it’s good vibes over there.

The men’s basketball program needs to give us fans a reason to be optimistic, not the other way around.

 

[vt4700]

For a lot of reasons, many of them deserving, we’ve had a lot of negative posts lately. However, if we’re trying to dig ourselves out of the well, I’m not sure the way to do that is to keep being so negative all of the time.

We’re trying to retain our own players, and we’re trying to recruit new ones. If we keep saying how terrible things are and you’re a potential transfer in, would you want to come here if you read our comments? If you’re considering transferring out, would you want to stay and play for such pessimistic fans?

Our recruiting has been so bad lately, why does it matter? And our players, and everyone we recruit know we went 5-14 in the A-10 each of the last 2 years. If I were a player or a recruit, I would appreciate fans caring enough to be upset about that.

 

[SpiderTrue]

For a lot of reasons, many of them deserving, we’ve had a lot of negative posts lately. However, if we’re trying to dig ourselves out of the well, I’m not sure the way to do that is to keep being so negative all of the time.

We’re trying to retain our own players, and we’re trying to recruit new ones. If we keep saying how terrible things are and you’re a potential transfer in, would you want to come here if you read our comments? If you’re considering transferring out, would you want to stay and play for such pessimistic fans?

Couldn't have said it better myself.

 

[SFspidur]

“The losses will continue until morale improves.”

 

[Spider2020]

Admin already coming up with next year’s excuse for Mooney, I see. “We couldn’t recruit good players because the message board was too negative”

 

[Spiders4ever]

" We had plenty of NIL money on hand, but we recruit student athletes"

 

[CityStadiumFan]

There’s a difference between being negative and demanding accountability. The back to back 5 win conference seasons aren’t negative spin…those are cold facts. 3 NCAA appearances in 21 years isn’t spin either. At this point anyone who asks me to be positive comes off as “trust us” and at this point I don’t trust any of the decision makers. There’s zero transparency and the vibe reeks of “we don’t care what the fans/alumni think”.

 

[MrTbone]

I’m a generally positive guy although you might not know it from how I engage in the board. So I say this sincerely, what’re we supposed to be positive about?

As a season ticket holder, I paid more money than I ever have to watch an epically bad schedule, highlighted by maddeningly inconsistent/poor play, underpinned by coaching decisions that at times made me feel like I could personally have won more games had I been coaching myself.

Positives: Argabright. And the popcorn.

 

[Ferrum Spider]

Hardt must go. Then hire a real AD to hire a coach who understands the modern landscape of college basketball.

Until then it’s pointless to have a positive attitude.

 

[vt4700]

I seriously thought this was a thread about how we struggle and look so clueless at the end of what seems like every close game we play.

As for positives, is there really anything else other than AA?

Win/loss record: negative.
OOC schedule: negative.
Coaching decisions: negative.
Excuses: negative.
Exciting style of play: negative.
Anything besides AA to look forward to: negative.
Hope for a turnaround: negative.
Post season accountability and "we will fix this" letter from the AD: negative.
During the season or post season accountability and "we will fix this" talk from the coach: negative.
Frustration level: at an all time high.

 

[ur2K]

Might as well ask the internet to take down the records over the last 21 years

 

[*23*]

I get what you’re saying Palm and I think a lot of us wish it weren’t so negative but this forum is a discussion on the state of spider men’s basketball and right now there aren’t a lot of positive things to discuss. If you read the women’s basketball threads or men’s lacrosse threads, it’s good vibes over there.

The men’s basketball program needs to give us fans a reason to be optimistic, not the other way around.

Exactly. You reap what you sow. No reason to be positive until big changes come. This admin and Coach have just made excuses and no changes no confidence. This board is a big huge vote of no confidence now. Up to the powers to change it.

 

[PalmTreeSpidUR]

I don't disagree with many of the posts above, and I tried to think of some examples of positives that we could talk about (at the moment I couldn't think of many, other than "facilities" and "UR's food is really good."). There are more of course, many of them intangible, and most of them are not basketball or even athletics related. I just think that we could tone it down (a bit) while we're in prime portal time.

And no, I did not intend to give the athletic department any ideas for next year's excuse.

 

[spider_hoss]

If im a recruit I might be asking why are the fans and alumni so pessimistic.

I thought the powers that be said they'd just create new fans. Where are they?

 

[Spider17]

I don't disagree with many of the posts above, and I tried to think of some examples of positives that we could talk about (at the moment I couldn't think of many, other than "facilities" and "UR's food is really good."). There are more of course, many of them intangible, and most of them are not basketball or even athletics related. I just think that we could tone it down (a bit) while we're in prime portal time.

And no, I did not intend to give the athletic department any ideas for next year's excuse.

If a recruit can’t handle negative comments (that are very fair comments which accurately assess the state of our program right now) from a few disgruntled fans on an overall very tame message board, they’re probably not cut out for high level D1 basketball to begin with.

 

[Fatherspider]

For a lot of reasons, many of them deserving, we’ve had a lot of negative posts lately. However, if we’re trying to dig ourselves out of the well, I’m not sure the way to do that is to keep being so negative all of the time.

We’re trying to retain our own players, and we’re trying to recruit new ones. If we keep saying how terrible things are and you’re a potential transfer in, would you want to come here if you read our comments? If you’re considering transferring out, would you want to stay and play for such pessimistic fans?

OMG. We need to keep the negativity up because until Mooney is gone, nothing will get better even if UR has one decent year. And unfortunately one decent year will give Mooney another 5 years. The only hope is to wish for continued failure for Mooney. Embarrassing, humiliating failure to the urmost degree because that is possibly the only way this dumb clueless admin will figure out he is a horrendous coach.

 

[MrTbone]

I don't disagree with many of the posts above, and I tried to think of some examples of positives that we could talk about (at the moment I couldn't think of many, other than "facilities" and "UR's food is really good."). There are more of course, many of them intangible, and most of them are not basketball or even athletics related. I just think that we could tone it down (a bit) while we're in prime portal time.

And no, I did not intend to give the athletic department any ideas for next year's excuse.

I admire your sentiment and I can appreciate not waning to scare away potential recruits or transfers. Most of those guys are going to be primarily motivated by nil money and everything else is really just noise for the most part.

And while I’m not quite as apoplectic as Fatherspider is, he has a point which is that it seemingly is going to take either an epically bad performance or an unrecoverable PR problem to fire CM. So I get the desire for fans to let their feelings be known.

 

[Wood Hall]

If im a recruit I might be asking why are the fans and alumni so pessimistic.

We have ample reason to be pessimestic about our men's basketball program.

* Because we have been to ONE NCAA tournament in the last 14 years, despite being the richest school in the A-10 BY FAR?

* Because our athletic department and Board of Trustees tolerate losing or poor performance throughout the athletic department, not just men's basketball?

* Because our arch-rival does what it has to do to support its marquee sport, throughout numerous coaching changes, and won't tolerate a Mooney-like performance?

* Because our AD has the personality and leadership ability of a wet blanket?

We've lost the city/Henrico/Chesterfield/Hanover counties to VCU. Now we are even losing our own fan base, not to VCU but to apathy. Even Mooney's biggest and longest detractors here are realizing their opinions don't mean sh** inside the Robins Center.

Selection Sunday used to be something to look forward to. Who was the next giant for us to slay? Where are we playing? How can I get there? How can I get tickets? Who would we face in the round of 32? Now it's just another Sunday, no reason to watch, no reason to care. That magic weekend in Buffalo seems like a lifetime ago.

I can't stand Bobby Hurley. But he's out of a job and if we hired him tomorrow I would be the happiest person in the state of Oregon, or even on the entire West Coast. We would have a coach who cares, who fights for his team, who pisses off other teams, coaches and fans. He would flip a big freaking bird at VCU and realize that beating them is Priority 1, because if we start doing that with regularity the rest of the pieces would fall into place.