Quality Is Job 1 Posted March 31, 2016 Share Posted March 31, 2016 Hi. Long-time reader, long-time poster. I'd like to re-introduce myself (especially for those who hide all signatures, which actually still shows who I am). Back when Lawrence Biondi flubbed Brad Soderberg's name at the hiring press conference, we had a long-time poster, Kniest, change his display name to Unca Soderberger to allude to Biondi's mispronunciation and the fact that concurrent players said the new coach was something like an uncle to them (paraphrasing) during his year as assistant coach under Romar. Later, after Rick Majerus was hired, this same poster changed his display name to Major Majerus. For the past couple of coaches, I've done something similar. (For whatever reason, Mr. Kniest decided to stick with "Major Majerus.") I'm the poster formerly known as thicks (first initial, last name), after ditching THe Bills on Crews Control early in the second of two horrendous seasons that ushered Jim Crews out of SLU's head coaching position. SLU has named Travis Ford its new head coach. I don't really have strong feelings about the hire: neither positive nor negative. He is a "name" coach, but he doesn't seem to have the reputation as a great coach. He hasn't experienced a great deal of success, but he hasn't failed miserably, either. I've adopted my new screen name, which used to be the Ford (Motor Company) motto, because it expresses pretty well the onus that Travis Ford, Chris May, and Fred Pestello carry as this new era of Saint Louis University men's basketball begins. Fans have let it be known that they expect a high-quality program and will not tolerate failure. That's the top priority. I'm not one to attempt to predict how things will turn out. I'd love for SLU to make at least one Final Four in my lifetime, if not win the National Championship, and I'd like it to happen sooner than later. Maybe it will. However, I really find it interesting -- not necessarily in a good way -- that of the two programs I've followed closely and rooted for 28 years, this is the first time that either of them has hired a head coach immediately after he was fired as a head coach. Every other time my programs have hired a head coach from another program (or one who'd been out of coaching voluntarily), promoted an assistant, or (in one case that ended very badly) an assistant from a highly-regarded program. Only the established head coaches have had good results. While Ford is an established coach, does the fact that he just got fired tarnish his reputation with recruits and desireable assistant coaches? After a Ford drives SLU, will you buy it? Best wishes, Mr. Ford, may you be successful and lead the Billikens to levels its fans have never seen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonwich Posted March 31, 2016 Share Posted March 31, 2016 Nicely done, Hicks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bay Area Billiken Posted March 31, 2016 Share Posted March 31, 2016 I think Travis Ford is a tremendous hire, as does my friend out here, the Iowa State alumnus. My old SLU roommate and I are both 100% behind Coach Ford. Ford said all the right things in that press conference, that if you are from St. Louis, Kansas City, or Illinois, St. Louis U is the place for you. I have been saying that same thing for at least 38 years. We have a coach now, a coach who flat out gets it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ACE Posted March 31, 2016 Share Posted March 31, 2016 Hi. Long-time reader, long-time poster. I'd like to re-introduce myself (especially for those who hide all signatures, which actually still shows who I am). Back when Lawrence Biondi flubbed Brad Soderberg's name at the hiring press conference, we had a long-time poster, Kniest, change his display name to Unca Soderberger to allude to Biondi's mispronunciation and the fact that concurrent players said the new coach was something like an uncle to them (paraphrasing) during his year as assistant coach under Romar. Later, after Rick Majerus was hired, this same poster changed his display name to Major Majerus. For the past couple of coaches, I've done something similar. (For whatever reason, Mr. Kniest decided to stick with "Major Majerus.") I'm the poster formerly known as thicks (first initial, last name), after ditching THe Bills on Crews Control early in the second of two horrendous seasons that ushered Jim Crews out of SLU's head coaching position. SLU has named Travis Ford its new head coach. I don't really have strong feelings about the hire: neither positive nor negative. He is a "name" coach, but he doesn't seem to have the reputation as a great coach. He hasn't experienced a great deal of success, but he hasn't failed miserably, either. I've adopted my new screen name, which used to be the Ford (Motor Company) motto, because it expresses pretty well the onus that Travis Ford, Chris May, and Fred Pestello carry as this new era of Saint Louis University men's basketball begins. Fans have let it be known that they expect a high-quality program and will not tolerate failure. That's the top priority. I'm not one to attempt to predict how things will turn out. I'd love for SLU to make at least one Final Four in my lifetime, if not win the National Championship, and I'd like it to happen sooner than later. Maybe it will. However, I really find it interesting -- not necessarily in a good way -- that of the two programs I've followed closely and rooted for 28 years, this is the first time that either of them has hired a head coach immediately after he was fired as a head coach. Every other time my programs have hired a head coach from another program (or one who'd been out of coaching voluntarily), promoted an assistant, or (in one case that ended very badly) an assistant from a highly-regarded program. Only the established head coaches have had good results. While Ford is an established coach, does the fact that he just got fired tarnish his reputation with recruits and desireable assistant coaches? After a Ford drives SLU, will you buy it? Best wishes, Mr. Ford, may you be successful and lead the Billikens to levels its fans have never seen. Well your other program has had a couple of hirings that SLU has never had - a guy from a D2 school and hiring a guy from another school while he was under investigation by the NCAA. We've also never had an AD hire a coach and fail to tell him that the school was currently under investigation by the NCAA. Now bringing it all back to Travis Ford and today... Cusumano mentioned that the reason Ford left Mizzou after one season as a player is... because "SURPRISE" they were getting hit with NCAA sanctions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsmith19 Posted March 31, 2016 Share Posted March 31, 2016 Ford said all the right things in that press conference, that if you are from St. Louis, Kansas City, or Illinois, St. Louis U is the place for you. I have been saying that same thing for at least 38 years. We have a coach now, a coach who flat out gets it. How is that new? Majerus and Soderberg both talked about how they wanted to make that true for SLU. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bay Area Billiken Posted March 31, 2016 Share Posted March 31, 2016 How is that new? Majerus and Soderberg both talked about how they wanted to make that true for SLU. I am not here to criticize the late Maestro, Rick Majerus. As for Brad Soderberg, actions speak louder than words. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slufan13 Posted March 31, 2016 Share Posted March 31, 2016 I am not here to criticize the late Maestro, Rick Majerus. As for Brad Soderberg, actions speak louder than words. Same way I think the majority of us feel about Ford Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bay Area Billiken Posted March 31, 2016 Share Posted March 31, 2016 Same way I think the majority of us feel about Ford If you are even in the majority, the majority is not always right. That's how Plessy v. Ferguson eventually was overruled by Brown v. Board of Education. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsmith19 Posted March 31, 2016 Share Posted March 31, 2016 So you're saying it's not really new, then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonka Posted March 31, 2016 Share Posted March 31, 2016 We should ban all people who change their username. It's misleading, unethical, and not necessary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bay Area Billiken Posted March 31, 2016 Share Posted March 31, 2016 So you're saying it's not really new, then? I don't know what either said. When I first heard "Brad Soderberger" was hired, my initial reaction was, "Oh no." A former Cal Bears Tight End and work colleague was with me at the time. I supported Brad Soderberg thereafter, given his position as SLU's Coach, but I never thought he was the right coach for SLU, and I did not like either (a) his shot clock expiration offense (dubbed Keep-a-Way by then Houston Coach Tom Penders) aka Wisconsin Badgers Stall Ball, and his "pack" defense which allowed opponents to shoot 3's at will. Rick Majerus is above reproach for me. He is the Maestro. I am not going to criticize him. He was the best coach I have ever seen, bar none. What is new is SLU as an institution is hopefully making the necessary commitment to its Men's Basketball Program. Coach Grawer was able to recruit effectively in St. Louis, but that was on a nickel and dime, a wing and a prayer, several prayers, out of West Pine Gym. I was actually at Humphrey's at lunchtime, and saw Coach Grawer sitting there with his then Assistant Ed Stewart, at the time Grawer pulled off his first major recruiting win, Monroe Douglass and Roland Gray. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quality Is Job 1 Posted March 31, 2016 Author Share Posted March 31, 2016 We should ban all people who change their username. It's misleading, unethical, and not necessary. Each and every poster here has the ability to change his/her display name up to three times every 30 days. It's built into the forum script and SignGuy hasn't turned it off, so there's nothing unethical about it. (My username hasn't changed; just my display name.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bay Area Billiken Posted March 31, 2016 Share Posted March 31, 2016 Re the bench coach issue, walking over to my San Francisco office this morning, I thought of my all-time favorite Coach, Al McGuire of Marquette. Al McGuire was the public face of the Marquette program, the PR man. Al had his X's and O's man Hank Raymonds, a former Billliken, seated next to him on the bench, and his young former gym rat assistant, none other than Rick Majerus, the future Billiken, seated next to Raymonds. It can work. It worked at Marquette, all the way to the 1977 National Championship. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonka Posted March 31, 2016 Share Posted March 31, 2016 Each and every poster here has the ability to change his/her display name up to three times every 30 days. It's built into the forum script and SignGuy hasn't turned it off, so there's nothing unethical about it. (My username hasn't changed; just my display name.) Absurd Bills Fan, it was a joke. Hence, the smiley face. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsmith19 Posted March 31, 2016 Share Posted March 31, 2016 I don't know what either said. When I first heard "Brad Soderberger" was hired, my initial reaction was, "Oh no." A former Cal Bears Tight End and work colleague was with me at the time. I supported Brad Soderberg thereafter, given his position as SLU's Coach, but I never thought he was the right coach for SLU, and I did not like either (a) his shot clock expiration offense (dubbed Keep-a-Way by then Houston Coach Tom Penders) aka Wisconsin Badgers Stall Ball, and his "pack" defense which allowed opponents to shoot 3's at will. Rick Majerus is above reproach for me. He is the Maestro. I am not going to criticize him. He was the best coach I have ever seen, bar none. What is new is SLU as an institution is hopefully making the necessary commitment to its Men's Basketball Program. Coach Grawer was able to recruit effectively in St. Louis, but that was on a nickel and dime, a wing and a prayer, several prayers, out of West Pine Gym. I was actually at Humphrey's at lunchtime, and saw Coach Grawer sitting there with his then Assistant Ed Stewart, at the time Grawer pulled off his first major recruiting win, Monroe Douglass and Roland Gray. My point is that a lot of SLU coaches have said the right things, especially re: making SLU the destination for top regional players. Maybe Ford will succeed at that better than some of the ones who have said similar things. He seems like a likable guy, and I will give him a chance. It just seems weird to make a big deal out of him repeating the same types of things that have been said so many times before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quality Is Job 1 Posted March 31, 2016 Author Share Posted March 31, 2016 Absurd Bills Fan, it was a joke. Hence, the smiley face. Yeah, but I just wanted to put that out there for those who might be unaware. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bay Area Billiken Posted March 31, 2016 Share Posted March 31, 2016 My point is that a lot of SLU coaches have said the right things, especially re: making SLU the destination for top regional players. Maybe Ford will succeed at that better than some of the ones who have said similar things. He seems like a likable guy, and I will give him a chance. It just seems weird to make a big deal out of him repeating the same types of things that have been said so many times before. Irrespective of what prior coaches may have said, the difference is the way Coach Ford said it, the delivery. I can see why he is considered a good recruiter. He has it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonka Posted April 1, 2016 Share Posted April 1, 2016 Yeah, but I just wanted to put that out there for those who might be unaware. Can you take somebody's name that used it already, but hence has a new screen name? That could be interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quality Is Job 1 Posted April 1, 2016 Author Share Posted April 1, 2016 Can you take somebody's name that used it already, but hence has a new screen name? That could be interesting. Indeed. I'm not sure what would happen. I've never tested trying to use someone else's display name. Another thing many posters may be unaware of is the ability to view posters' display name history. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.