More crap coming from "The Round One" -- BM

[TheGoat]

"Once upon a time, Lowery would have been a great choice for the coaching job at St. Louis University, but SLU has a coach, and Lowery has clearly outgrown the SLU job. Lowery isn't looking to leave, but if he did go, he'd be crazy to bolt SIUC for SLU's chronically mediocre and lethargic program. Lowery is too smart for that."

From the Bits section today. What an ######, why doesn't he just get over himself once and a while? This is nothing against CL, as I feel he is a fine coach, but why the shot?

[Bay Area Billiken]

That was a completely unnecessary pot shot. I read it last night, almost posted, but decided to sleep on it.

18-11 is not be what we want, but it is not evidence of a "chonically mediocre and lethargic program." There are 336 Division 1 basketball programs. An RPI of 77 is not what we want either, but it is not evidence of a "chronically mediocre and lethargic program."

As for Chris Lowery, he is a fine coach, But I have no recollection of him ever being a candidate for the SLU job. When the SLU job last opened, Lowery was a very young assistant coach under Bruce Weber. I don't think Lowery was even Weber's top assistant then. Per Lowery's bio, his head coaching experience then consisted of a short stint at Missouri Southern State, a Division 2 school.

Don't let the facts get in the way of your opinions, Bernie. When it comes to SLU hoops, The Bern has become a "chronically lethargic" columnist.

What is most disturbing is that Saturday Bits column is in the Saturday Post-Dispatch and read throughout the Midwest. This weekend is Arch Madness, the Missouri Valley's time in the sun. That does not mean that SLU has to be ripped in the process. The two (SLU and the MVC) are not joined at the hip.

[Bay Area Billiken]

is right there at stltoday.com for the whole world to see.

[slu72]

I think BM's hoping for the day when SLU does make it....then he can say he played a role in it by his constant bashing of the program during it's lethargic ways.

[inthelou]

It's like a daily shot to the ribs he has to give the Billikens.

The guy had such a woody over SLU and Spoonhour in Charlie's first few years it was almost embarrassing. Now he does everything to ridicule us.

What's amazing to me is that SLU is doing as much if not more now to get the job done with things like the new arena, than they were back then and still he has to bash.

[3star_recruit]

I'm sure that's the plan. But if on-the-court success comes even without a change in program philosophy and without a change in coaches, any future claims by Bernie will have no merit. I'm sure BRoy will be right there when the day comes to remind him.

[AGB91]

Maybe Bernie should broker the deal with the MVC and the arena. I can see supporting an organization or event but his blatant cheerleading really calls into question his objectivity on anything having to do with the MVC. However we are talking about Bernie.

[KC Billikens Fan]

I don't read his columns frequently, but his comments are no different than many rendered on this board; i.e, SLU is stuck in mediocrity, SLU coaches do not recruit well (particularly power forwards), Soderberg has no NCAA tourney appearances is 5 years as coach, SLU made a poor decision to join the A10 over the Missouri Valley, etc., etc.

BM sounds like a typical frustrated Billiken fan. Does he go overboard? Perhaps, but I welcome the voices in the media demanding better results.

[kshoe]

When Bernie writes a column about SLU and rationally points out many of the things you mentioned I generally will respect it and argue that he is accurate.

But when he's in the middle of writing a section on the MVC and decides to use it as a place to take a totally uncalled for cheap-shot against SLU...how can that be defended?

There is a line between being an objective media voice that points out the good with the bad and being a sarcastic critic that takes pot shots at every chance he gets. Bernie has clearly crossed that line.

[sltom6]

I think the issue is that Bernie isn't, and shouldn't be, a fan. What we do here is entirely different. He's a journalist and it's unprofessional for him to say that he's a "cheerleader" for the MVC. He's said strongly before that it's not his job to be a promoter, but he applies this claim selectively.

The shot this morning was strange in it's context and egregious even by Bernie's standards. He had to stretch to fit that one in. And for all his blustering about the arena...where was even a word about that?

At least he saved us the indignity of suggesting that Easy Ed should be the one excluded from the MVC team in favor of Wes Unseld.

[Westy03]

He probably reads this board and is just trying to get under our skin. Thats the only logical reason I can come up with.

[NashvilleBilliken]

Play a role? He's a friggin reporter for christ sake. He must think very highly of himself to think he would have that kind of influence on the program. What he's doing/saying take nothing more than a blowhard to accomplish. If he feels so strongly, I'd be impressed if he actually wrote an article...ya know, with quotes and stuff. I know that may require him to leave the buffet line though. What a d-bag.

[billiken_roy]

as kshoe pointed out, the comment had no business in the mvc article.

plus, the fact is that the last time slu was looking for a coach, lowery was definitely not ready to be a head coach. especially somewhere with the built in problems we had at the time with kern, pulley and edwin all flunking out and hollins running from his verbal.

by the time lowery was head coaching material, slu wasnt in the market for a coach.

i tried to e-mail bernie this morning, but it keeps bouncing back, but i dont understand why he keeps taking the uninformed shots and running. why doesnt he do a full expose that analyzes the situation and puts the blame sqaurely in the appropriate lap? lay out some facts and sound reasoning besides just throwing insults and inferences.

i actually like bernie's column and agree with him more than i disagree, but he is just not approaching the scenario the right and professional way imo. shame on bernie.

[billiken_roy]

since everyone is on the lowery train these days, i'd like to point out that siu really has done things the gonzaga way. even though they have switched coaches 4 times in about 10 years, the last three coaches all of which have been the successful ones, are all either bruce webber or his disciples. they have stuck with an offensive and defensive system that remains the same from the webber days, and have maintained the same recruiting philosophy.

they have capitalized on a weak conference at the beginning of the run and managed to stay on top as the conference blossumed.

it isnt the coach necessarily. it is the system.

btw, the seniors and juniors are all weber and painter recruits. it will be interesting to see how they continue to go the next few years.

[Tonka]

Roy, I would agree that it is the system but the Coaches still have to get in trenches and continue that system. Lowery has done a good job coaching and from what I hear on this board about recruits he has coming in I would say he will be fine in the years to come if continues doing what he has been doing.

Bernie is so negative on SLU. Can't SLU make things difficult for him? Is that possible? When I say that by not extending interviews, feeding him information, when and if he ever attempts to research things regarding SLU.

I think Bernie is like Slaten in the written form. I think he tries to stir up trouble. I certainly think BM is more level headed than Slaten but I think his tactics at times are similar.

[Band Legend]

because he is a great big fat tub of crap. I hope you read this board, Bernie, because I once again have to reiterate that no one should ever take you seriously. Anyone who makes a living commenting on sports should have to be in some semblence of shape, and you are not. You should refuse those dinners with Elgin, because your chronic overeating has made you morbidly obese. I am not some skinny person who does not know what it's like to be really fat; when I was 23 I weighed 290 pounds. I worked my ass off, literally and figuratively, to lose 100 pounds, and although I constantly battle my weight I have run 5 marathons in the last three years. If I was an athlete in a locker room I would snicker behind your back. I'm really serious about this; either lose some weight or quit the business, because your credibility is nil.

[billiken_roy]

oh i definitely think that lowery is a good coach. i wasnt insinuating that. however it hasnt hurt him one bit to have been intrenched in weber's system from day one. i hope he doesnt make the giant mistake of taking the big dollars to go to one of the bigger budget schools for more money that is a mess right now like minnesota.

think about minnesota. monson was a genius at gonzaga. he got dumb pretty quick in minnesota didnt he.

[courtside]

>oh i definitely think that lowery is a good coach. i wasnt

>insinuating that. however it hasnt hurt him one bit to have

>been intrenched in weber's system from day one. i hope he

>doesnt make the giant mistake of taking the big dollars to

>go to one of the bigger budget schools for more money that

>is a mess right now like minnesota.

>

>think about minnesota. monson was a genius at gonzaga. he

>got dumb pretty quick in minnesota didnt he.

According to Monson, Flip Saunders is taking the U of Minnesota job. He said the agreement has been in place a while. We'll see if that turns out to be true.

[slufanskip]

This shot by Bernie is why I have absolutely no problem with Brian's post the other day. I really don't even care if you leave the sarcasm out and post a bunch of made up crap just to make Bernie look bad. If it's ok for Bernie to write stuff that he has no clue about, it's ok for us.

Official Billikens.com sponsor of H Waldman

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[Bay Area Billiken]

I think someone closer to the situation than yours truly should respond to Bernie in Bernie's Pressbox. I nominate Billiken Roy, although many others on this board are more qualified than me.

First, Chris Lowery has nothing to do with SLU, other than that he is now an opposing coach who recruits SLU's area. As noted above, he was a young assistant when the SLU job last opened with minimal head coaching experience at D-2 Missouri Southern State. He wasn't even first in line then for the SIU job. So Bernie's column today re SLU was a pot shot.

Second, ask Bernie for some specifics. What exactly does he recommend re SLU? Specifics, please, not pot shots. The new arena is being built. Tell him that if he wants to help the situation, that throwing all these flaming arrows our way is not helping. Put some beef behind the barbs, Bernie. What are your recommendations? What are your issues?

Third, ask him if someone from SLU killed his dog. Did someone at SLU rub him the wrong way?

Bernie Miklasz has more influence than he may even realize. His column is read throughout the Midwest and nationally on the internet. At minimum, it is time to call a truce, a cease fire.

The SLU program is entering a crucial stage that will affect the next 5 years. Is Bernie aware that SLU currently has 2 very good, high Division 1 caliber sophomores in Tommie Liddell and Kevin Lisch? This poster is not Pollyanna. But the sky is not falling either.

[Bay Area Billiken]

This is being reposted here, as I'm hoping it will be read and not lost.

I think someone closer to the situation than yours truly should respond to Bernie in Bernie's Pressbox. I nominate Billiken Roy, although many others on this board are more qualified than me.

First, Chris Lowery has nothing to do with SLU, other than that he is now an opposing coach who recruits SLU's area. As noted above, he was a young assistant when the SLU job last opened with minimal head coaching experience at D-2 Missouri Southern State. He wasn't even first in line then for the SIU job. So Bernie's column today re SLU was a pot shot.

Second, ask Bernie for some specifics. What exactly does he recommend re SLU? Specifics, please, not pot shots. The new arena is being built. Tell him that if he wants to help the situation, that throwing all these flaming arrows our way is not helping. Put some beef behind the barbs, Bernie. What are your recommendations? What are your issues?

Third, ask him if someone from SLU killed his dog. Did someone at SLU rub him the wrong way?

Bernie Miklasz has more influence than he may even realize. His column is read throughout the Midwest and nationally on the internet. At minimum, it is time to call a truce, a cease fire.

The SLU program is entering a crucial stage that will affect the next 5 years. Is Bernie aware that SLU currently has 2 very good, high Division 1 caliber sophomores in Tommie Liddell and Kevin Lisch? This poster is not Pollyanna. But the sky is not falling either.

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[thetorch]

Bernie is a lost cause. He has personal issues with the SLU admin.

He has now completely whored himself out to the MVC. It is in the best ineterest of many MVC programs for SLU to play poorly on the court and be regarded in the media poorly as well. We are in direct competition for recruits with many MVC schools. They don't want the next Liddell or Lisch to bypass them in favor of SLU.

The facts are while SLU has not reached expectations we will most likely have a 20 win season. That hasn't happened in many many years at SLU. We will get zero credit for it from the local media though. Our players will not get the recognition that valley players will.

The MVC has a stranglehold on the St Louis market. Good for them. They were smart and worked hard to get where they are.

SLU is unfortunately in a poor position. I'm afraid that even a great season, ie 20 wins, A10 championship, NCAAs, will garner SLU very little good press as long as the valley has such a strong presence.

[billiken_roy]

i sent bernie an email earlier today that pretty much addressed the issues you bring up. he has not responded to me.

[thetorch]

from his forum

I love SLU fans... telling the truth is a "cheap shot."

Well, you can expect many more "cheap shots."

But do not worry -- the SLU media cheerleaders and apologists are in abundance in our town; you can all have a little party and try to handicap those NIT chances. You do not have to be concerned with me.

But....

Memo to the SLU whiners, again:

RAISE YOUR STANDARDS.

LEAVE CANDYLAND.

DEMAND MORE THAN MEDIOCRITY.

I'll keep repeating this -- a million times if I have to -- and there isn't a stinking thing you can do about it. Rip me here, rip me to the editors, rip me on your SLU boards. DOES NOT MATTER. I will stop when SLU makes an effort to have a quality program, and when that happens, I will be happy to applaud. But please don't think you can silence me. In fact, I would say this: when you rip me, it actually reinforces my determination. So thank you very much!

--B

[Band Legend]

Bernie Miklasz is not the only media member in St. Louis. There are many members of the media, print, radio and tv that respect SLU. And let's face it; I enjoy calling him a big fat ass as much as he enjoys ripping the Billikens. In the long run the only thing that will shut him up is winning. (That or a coronary problem; you really, really need to shape up for your health. I'm sure you have many loved ones who don't want to see you die young.)