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7 hours ago, brianstl said:

 

I appreciate Ford.  He has raised the recruiting bar to a level never seen at SLU before and brought back the program from a very bad spot.   He has already made the tournament once and we will make it again this season.  He can say the program developed a NBA player that wasn’t viewed as a potential NBA player when he signed.  He has done a really good job to this point. I have always said, he shouldn’t be on the hot seat.  That doesn’t mean he is above criticism and that the goals shouldn’t be higher going forward.  If the landscape dramatically changes, then of course those goals should be adjusted.

I am not demanding that Ford be like Majerus.  I am not demanding a program that wins a game in the tournament three years in a row and gets ranked in the top 10.  I just think having a program that can just make the tournament half the time should be the goal going forward.  I don’t think that is too much to ask given where the program is and the resources it has heading into the future.

These are exactly my thoughts. Program was an absolute dumpster fire when Ford took over. He helped keep the ship from completely sinking while also bringing in and developing someone who would ultimately become an NBA level player. He has taken our talent level to a place where we can consistently compete for a top 4 spot in the A10. He is not immune to criticism for performances in big games, going all the way back to his OK State days. But he knows how to market and manage a program and he is exactly who we needed to keep us in a stable position over the past 6 years. 
 

Now I think there’s a reasonable debate about whether Ford can take us from “pretty good” to “great,” but just being “pretty good” for 4-5 years after J Crews single-handedly nuked this basketball program isn’t too bad for Bills fans. Like another poster said, we shouldn’t throw out the bicycle that we got when we’ve never even really had a pony to begin with.
 

Ford should have a full 8 or 9 years with us. Whether we decide to move on if we can find that person that will take us to the next level is reasonable to debate, but I will always appreciate Ford’s bridging us to being a steady and solid program that just narrowly missed the NCAA last year and will likely have us making the tourney this year. One more win last year, and we’d likely be having a different conversation. 

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9 minutes ago, brianstl said:

Local sponsors aren’t what make you competitive in NIL.  A collective is what makes you competitive. I understand May not wanting to go all out on that route (the loss of control over donor money), but it is the route the program needs to go.

Who am I to argue over where the $s come from? 

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1 hour ago, BC1764 said:

SLU and Dayton’s budgets are higher than DePaul, Butler, and Seton Hall.

The last I looked, SLU was right in the middle of Beast basketball budgets.

The new Champions Center (scheduled to open fall 2023) will add a very nice element to the recruiting mix. While it is not the panacea that NIL is, it will be a strong asset that few if any Beast schools have. Add this to the basketball budget, Chaifetz Arena, head coach salary, and expected NIL money... SLU can compete. There is no doubt SLU, its donors and sponsors are investing.

We just have to get to the tourney this year. Hopefully to the second weekend. Then continue to build upon it. Build a tradition. That'll be the best recruiting asset. Kids wanna go to play in the tourney. Not sit home.

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4 hours ago, HoosierPal said:

This is all nice and lovely.  But unless you have a competitive NIL situation, facilities, budget, salaries and team culture aren't going to cut it by themself.

A collective is being actively worked on and will be here soon. We will all be solicited to contribute. That is the reality of college athletics. I will also speculate that if the collective/NIL efforts aren't successful, retaining/hiring a good basketball coach will be difficult.

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27 minutes ago, shempie said:

A collective is being actively worked on and will be here soon. We will all be solicited to contribute. That is the reality of college athletics. I will also speculate that if the collective/NIL efforts aren't successful, retaining/hiring a good basketball coach will be difficult.

-good to hear, any idea of when "soon" is? just asking

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59 minutes ago, shempie said:

A collective is being actively worked on and will be here soon. We will all be solicited to contribute. That is the reality of college athletics. I will also speculate that if the collective/NIL efforts aren't successful, retaining/hiring a good basketball coach will be difficult.

It is great to heat a collective will be here soon.  Thank you for that information.  

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Just look at the women's basketball team.  If you dump your coach the results aren't necessarily guaranteed.  Who would you rather have than Travis (that will actually come here long term?)  Piss and moan all you want about Travis' shortcomings but tell me who you want instead or stow it and enjoy the ride.............

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56 minutes ago, HoosierPal said:

A carrot thread, I love it. Did you know that originally carrots were purple and then through selective farming/grafting, became predominately yellow and then, maybe 500 years ago, orange. 

Purple carrots are more delicious than orange in my opinion. I have no basis for that opinion. 

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24 minutes ago, BrettJollyComedyHour said:

Purple carrots are more delicious than orange in my opinion. I have no basis for that opinion. 

They taste like grapes!  You could probably ferment them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

In reality take your heirloom veggies and you patchouli stink and GTFO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

 

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1 hour ago, HoosierPal said:

A carrot thread, I love it. Did you know that originally carrots were purple and then through selective farming/grafting, became predominately yellow and then, maybe 500 years ago, orange. 

Did you know that wild rabbits do not actually eat carrots and the reason people feed their pet rabbits carrots is because of the cartoon Bugs Bunny? In 1940 Tex Avery produced A Wild Hare(Bugs Bunny's Debut). Bugs' voice, his carrot and his famous line "What's up Doc" was all a spoof of the movie It Happened One Night. Clark Gable's character ate carrots in a scene with a female character, while another character in the movie continued to refer to Gable as Doc. 

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They are not the only roots that are grown in different colors. For example there are purple potatoes, not only the skin but the inside of the potato. I believe potatoes originated in S. America, Peru maybe. I also know that in country markets in the Cuzco area (near Machu Picchu) they sell a huge variety of potatoes that you never see in the US. They also give you (at the hotel) tea made from tea and coca leaves so that you can go up to see the ruins. A lot of people cannot do it otherwise.

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Pro Tip - While buying some organic produce is worthwhile, carrots are not.  Farmers rarely use pesticides on carrots.  You will usually find that "organic" carrots are cheaper than so called conventional in many instances.  Organic carrots have the lowest markup compared to their conventional counterparts.  Don't pay extra, they are all the same.

Purple and white carrots can be made into a fermented beverage popular in Iran and Afghanistan.  They are also sweeter than orange varieties.

The best way to grow carrots is to over winter them.  I plant in late summer early fall and continue to plant throughout the winter.  Freezing temps do nothing to them as long as they are mulched heavily.  Harvest carrots in late winter and early spring for super sweet carrots that taste nothing like the bland grocery store varieties.  

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3 hours ago, Billiken Rich said:

Just look at the women's basketball team.  If you dump your coach the results aren't necessarily guaranteed.  Who would you rather have than Travis (that will actually come here long term?)  Piss and moan all you want about Travis' shortcomings but tell me who you want instead or stow it and enjoy the ride.............

i dont recall anyone asking him to be fired.   and why cant we complain about his shortcomings as the coach?   i complain about his floor/game coaching all the time, but there is no one i'd rather have here simply because i believe he is the best billiken recruiter coach in history.   he will always give us a chance to win with the talent we have.

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12 minutes ago, billiken_roy said:

i dont recall anyone asking him to be fired.   and why cant we complain about his shortcomings as the coach?   i complain about his floor/game coaching all the time, but there is no one i'd rather have here simply because i believe he is the best billiken recruiter coach in history.   he will always give us a chance to win with the talent we have.

And, perhaps, we will be able to get him to improve his faulty closings of important games.

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19 minutes ago, thetorch said:

Pro Tip - While buying some organic produce is worthwhile, carrots are not.  Farmers rarely use pesticides on carrots.  You will usually find that "organic" carrots are cheaper than so called conventional in many instances.  Organic carrots have the lowest markup compared to their conventional counterparts.  Don't pay extra, they are all the same.

Purple and white carrots can be made into a fermented beverage popular in Iran and Afghanistan.  They are also sweeter than orange varieties.

The best way to grow carrots is to over winter them.  I plant in late summer early fall and continue to plant throughout the winter.  Freezing temps do nothing to them as long as they are mulched heavily.  Harvest carrots in late winter and early spring for super sweet carrots that taste nothing like the bland grocery store varieties.  

You can make fermented beverages out of carrots?

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18 minutes ago, billiken_roy said:

i dont recall anyone asking him to be fired.   and why cant we complain about his shortcomings as the coach?   i complain about his floor/game coaching all the time, but there is no one i'd rather have here simply because i believe he is the best billiken recruiter coach in history.   he will always give us a chance to win with the talent we have.

Your buddy old guy really seems to be implying we could do better.  I'd ask the haters (not you) for some examples of where we could go for a better coach.  Majerus over Brad was a no brainer though poorly executed......Zombie Wooden? Tell me.  I might agree.  Otherwise..............................

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