TheLurker

I caught PM being interviewed on 1380 by Bernie and Karraker. I must say that PM comes across as very charismatic and passionate about the program and his role. He had those two self-admitted SLU-bashers eating out of the palm of his hand by the time the segment was finished. They couldn't wait to annoint him a "friend of the show" and have him on the air again soon. It's nice that we will have someone other than just Majerus working the media and building the public perception of the program. I know that some have questioned PM's game-coaching skills and some have even questioned his recruiting. Time (and results) will tell, but he has made a favorable firts impression on me and others I have talked to on his initial rounds with the local media. Some paraphrased highlights from today's interview: He's been working the phones non-stop since taking the job and there isn't a single high school coach in the country who won't at least take his call simply because of RM's presence. Reiterated the unbridled passion that RM has for the game. Talked about how you can't go more than 10 minutes with Majerus without him reverting the conversation to X&Os, players, etc. Talked about wanting to be in on every worthy local recruit. Knows you won't get them all, but expects to be in on all of them. Mentioned that "a recruit" (Thompson, per pdiddy in another thread) was on campus yesterday for an unofficial visit. Coaching roles for the assistants haven't been finalized yet such as will a certain coach work with guards, post players, etc., or will all of the coaches work with all of the players.

Thanks. I appreciate that you can only say so much. I will take your "be patient" as a sign that things aren't dead in the water and hope that I'm interpreting correctly.

Your post last night on Bernie's forum sounded quite ominous. Am I reading too much into that, or is this thing disintegrating?

>so basically you admit you are a mi$$ouri fan. thanks for >verifying. The level of irrational zealotry exhibited by some of you guys is just amazing. There are A LOT of people who grew up in the St.Louis area and are loyal fans of BOTH programs. Count me among them. I am a SLU alum and a season-ticket holder. I was one of the few hundred people at every home game in the old Kiel as a freshman in the fall of 1984, and was rewarded with the raucous years that immediately followed with Gray, Douglas, Bonner, et al. As a result, the Bills are number one in my heart and I "live and die" with them as much as any of you. I was at each of the three games against Mizzou dressed in my Billiken blue and screaming my rear-end off for my beloved Bills. The Wesley Stokes buzzer beater ranks amongst my all-time "kick in the nuts" Billikens moments. All that being said, I am still a Mizzou fan and am not in any way sorry to say so. They are clearly now my "second" team, but a team that I grew up with and continue to want to see succeed. The recent history there is embarassing and ugly, but they now have a coach who just about everybody on this board respected during many years as a conference rival. I certainly hope that he turns things around because it is a far more enjoyable winter when both/all of the local programs are doing well and I believe that it also helps for them to set the bar higher for each other. This board is a great source of information and debate about Billikens basketball. I read the board nearly every day, and the passion of most of the regular posters here is undeniable. But to question another poster's status as a "true" Bills fan or to dismiss someone's level-headed opinion/analysis because he has the gall to like or defend Mizzou is simply narrow-minded and petty. I understand that there are fans on both sides of the Saint Louis (notice the proper spelling)-Mizzou rivalry that have no good feelings for the other school. That's great and helps to make this such an enticing annual matchup. However, the rivalry is only enhanced by the large number of people who truly have an affinity for BOTH programs, regardless of which means more to them than the other.

Not to mention, the Bills were the first to offer TG a scholly, and did so before he ever played a HS game. Does this mean they will absolutely get him? Obviously not. Have they been lax in his recruitment? Even more obviously not.

He was offered by SLU before he ever played a HS game. That's the good news. The bad news is that he is already very much on the radar of the big boys on Tobacco Road as well as the not-so-big-right-now boys in CoMo. There will be a lot of dogs in this fight if he continues to progress as a player.