slu72

First thanks for the good news heads up about Lidell. Now, we know he spent the summer hitting the books. How does it look for him qualifying for next year? Or, and this is no problem, will we see him in 2005-06? Just wondering as would like to see him on the floor in Billiken Blue as soon as possible.

Fr. Biondi, UB, Tommy Lidell, Polk, Luke Meyer, Pdiddy, Jalens dad...what with the arena announcement and the addition of Meyer and Lidell, if this all happens what a great week to be a Billiken. Now let's get Shaw, and next year young Mr.Lisch. Pinch me I must be dreaming.

Would that be SPUMAC?

P diddy this is torture....when will it be official? Any rumors on Shaw?

Have any article about the arena today? Not in the biz section but in the sports section? How come the PD does not show the interest in our conference alignment that Charlotte Observer does? Their reporters actually do some investigative work on the issue, rather than get it from the ESPN site or off the AP wire. Don't give me that PRO town argument either, Charlotte has an NFL, new NBA team, and NHL team. Also, NASCAR is bigger than all of the other pro sports there. And they sit right in the middle of the Tobacco road triangle-DUKE, UNC, NC State, yet they continually mention Charlotte.

website. They ought to make a wallpaper version available. That would be a reminder for us to donate.

think the twin spires on the new arena resemble in a way the spires of a certain building on Pelozi Street? I seem to recall this edifice had twin spires. Is this an indication of whose name will be on the dome? Also, would you agree that the financing has been pretty much worked out on this deal? I can't see Biondi putting this out there as a fantasy.

As Harry Cary would say "Holy Cow" it's a Taj 79 Mahal. Man, is that beautiful! Leave it to Biondi to create something spectacular.

Taj, things a little slow in DC? I would think you'd guys would be really busy with the war on terroism, high level leaks of CIA agents, the hunt for Osama and Sadam, etc. That thong thing was thought provoking though. Note to Broy-private messages not working?

Whoaa....kudos to UB and his staff. This is big. Now we get Shaw and Lisch commits early, you have to like the future UB is mapping out.

I cannot believe what I am seeing from STL media. First, read the post below about RFT's best of issue. They managed to take two positives and turn them into two negatives. SLU has the inside track but.... "Lisch and Lidell will be recruited by comparably better barns!" Jeez, thanks! UB best coach in area..."but enjoy him while you got him despite his claim he's staying for the long term." For cripes sake why don't you just tell Lidell and Lisch don't sign with SLU or UB 'cause he's not going to be there for very long and we suck. Freaking amazing! Could you please leave us out of any of your best of publications. Then the Cusamano/Rammer deal. For cripes sake...go to the MVC vs the A-10? Thanks for the advice boys. Maybe you'd like to pass it on to our potential recruits that we'll be playing the likes of Drake and Northern Ill instead of X, Dayton, Temple. That ought to lock 'em up for good old SLU. And finally the Post Disgrace. OK, now, SLU's got a choice. MVC or A-10. Which is better.....for Mizzery....why of course, the MVC! SLU joining the MVC makes: 1. the arena sell harder. 2. makes recruiting harder. 3. costs us a great, decent, coach (maybe the PD's secret agenda is that when Q gets sacked UB will move to Columbia), and 4. just show the whole stl area how bush SLU really is. This is disgusting. In the space of two days, days the media should have been promoting the program for making strides toward the big time, they tell our two top recruits and our head coach: You'll be wooed by bigger better programs, SLU is mid major at best. Freaking sickening. You guys should be calling into these programs, writing letters to the editors, and starting sponsor boycotts. Never have I heard local media trash a program as bad as these guys do ours. I'm not so sure the old adage "Any press is better than no press" applies here. To quote from a famous movie about the media "WE ARE MAD AS HELL AND NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE!"

Has something happened we don't know about, or is this just a post to fill time until 10/18? Personally, I hope pretty Q gets the book thrown at him. He has not pushed the envelope with his recruiting tactics, he's torn it up. Wouldn't it be ironic that in the year everyone is touting them for a final four, he's got a program facing severe penalties. Unfortunately, I don't think anything will come of all this, as it is obvious Ricky Clemons has been bought off by the Wal Mart boys.

Having never listened to any of these shows, except for Randy Karracker(sp?)when he did it with Spoon and Romar, I can't believe two STL sports guys would be pushing us to join an inferior mid major league. Just ask around any where in the country. X is establishing a big time name, Temple (enough said), Dayton add SLU and Charlotte you've got a start to a nice league. Now just add College of Charleston and dump one of the A-10 bottom feeders and it would be a solid conference.

I think one thing the new arena should have is in "interactive sports" room. This would be great for kids. If kids go to a Bills game and look forward to their next visit, we start to build local support and long term traditions.

For purely selfish reasons, why doesn't the A-10 kick out either Fordham, Duquense, St.B's, or LaSalle and add The College of Charleston? The coug's have a solid program. Which one of you guys wouldn't like to make a roadie to scenic historic Charleston in January or February when our weather is in the 60's. Promise, I'll get you tee times. You guys ease up on Broy. Yeah, DePaul and MU are making the right moves for themselves. But either out of jealousy or mistaken loyalty, as a Bills fan I'm pi**ed neither school really looked at the revised A-10 format, or form a new conference. Purely a case of what's in it for me. Human nature dictates most Bills fans would be upset because we weren't invited to the party. But Broy, get over it, and PRAY we sweep both MU and DePaul this year. Actions speak louder than words. Thanks Stu for your insightful article on the A-10 invite. It was about as informative as a Hillary Clinton sound byte. You don't think you could have called Doug Woolard for a quote? Was Stu anywhere to be found at the Bratfest? Getting excited about this year, especially IO. There are not going to be many teams that have someone to handle a 6'9" wing. This could cause real match up problems if IO proves to be a 12-14 ppg player. Don't want to get my hopes up too high, but this team is going to do alright this year. Please no UT-Martin's though. Pick for 1st in CUSA-UC, if their players avoid jail time.

You know this would be a really good division if we had Butler instead of Duquense. I am not complaining though. This is the best we can get right now. Hopefully, these things come to pass in the next four years: Arena gets built, SLU goes to a sweet 16, and makes the Dance two or three times, our attendance gets back to 12-13,000 pg.

Question for Billiken Law. You write, "When the split occurs a few years down the road one team will likely be added. I wouldn't be surprised if that's Xavier. In fact, I think Xavier should get the invite over DePaul but the Chicago market is too tempting for the Big East to pass up." So MU will not only depart now but later raid the A-10 for one of it's premier teams? You guys are cold. Also, where is the stability in a conference that knows it's going to break up? What if MU falls on hard times, i.e. a job Crean just can't pass up? Again, MU and DePaul should have hung tough, not with CUSA, but with the idea of starting a new conference altogether. And really what have schools like GU, Seton Hall, St.John's done lately? Yes, I can see where MU fans would be estatic today, but down the road, well....let's see where we are in 3-5 years. As for MU having a big alumni base on the East coast, is that speculation on your part or a fact?

MU desiring this right now...it improves Crean's sales pitch for recruiting. DePaul? You are right I'd have some serious questions. It was only two seasons ago, DePaul couldn't get 1,500 to their games. And people were staging walkouts. What gets me are all the added expenses for their other teams travel. I still maintain, however, that with a little foresight, the Presidents of these very similar institutions could have got together and said screw the BE, screw CUSA, screw big time college football, aka BCS, we're doing our own thing. As it stands they are still at the mercy of the FB schools. The guy who is really dancing in the street over this though is Rick Pitino. He never liked CUSA, which I can understand, and wanted a presence back east. Looks like he got his wish.

So they go to the BE. I like the part in the article where the guy says the FB and BB schools are always sniping at one another, but the new conference will allow the FB schools an out if things get too burdensome. Beautiful. This is like getting married with a pre- agreement to get out if you don't like it. All the non FB schools presidents should be ashamed of themselves for sucking up to the Cuse's and UConns. They want to ride their coat tails for awhile and then be brushed aside like a flake of dandruff. Jeez, if these guys had just put their heads together we could have had ourselves one of the best all BB conferences in the land. Whose willing to bet that by 2008 all the be bb schools will come knocking on the revamped A-10's door trying to find a place to sleep?

Thanks, brew... I think the SLU, X and Dayton rivalry is good for all involved. XU has put together a really strong program that we hope to emulate. Now if we could only get MU and DePaul to see the wisdom in all this. Even more significant would be to get our fellow Catholic institutions in the east to see the benefits of leaving the BE and coming together to form the Papal Conference with east and west divisions. Now that would be some kind of set up. But for now, we Bills fans look forward to being reunited with X and Dayton.

Just really looked at the schedule. Please tell me out of our first three games we don't have a UT-Martin lurking somewhere. I think we really need to get off to a fast start this year to carry over the momentum from last season's great run.

That's what I'm talking about, 3 star.

Does anyone agree that DePaul and Charlotte will finish ahead of us? What did DePaul do in the offseason-good JUCO's? Didn't Charlotte lose a key guy or two? I can see UAB and the rest but don't see us this far behind. Also, don't see Marquette in #1. I'd opt for UC to return to the top. I know one thing, I'll have us beating Marquette in my preseason picks.

I don't think it's unrealistic for SLU to land one of the top 3 or 4 area recruits every year. By area I would say a 150 mile radius around St.Louis. It should be the goal of UB, and am sure it is, that SLU is an attractive stay close to home option. Not every kid in this area wants to go far away. McKinney and Grimes are basically stay at homes. The reason for the local talent is it will attract more local talent to SLU. These kids all know one another from AAU and their normal HS competitions.

Take the last two years of hs talent in the st.louis area add in this year's class and next years, what would that team look like for the 2005-06 season? D.Lee, McKinney, Kern (if he qualified), Price, Grimes, Lidell, Polk, Lisch, Hansborough, Shaw, Meyers, the tall junior from Vashon (name escapes me)....who else? I think you'd be talking final 4. So if the Bills could land one of the top 3 area/state recruits every year and supplement with local underrated talents like Meyers and Shaw, add in a Drejaj or two, a foreign player or two, you would have a pretty solid team. I would hope one of Brad's objectives would be to land one of the area's top 3 every year.