Join A Grassroots Movement for Change of AD and MBB Coach

[Soderball]

Just now, johnbj14 said:

I have yet to see an argument for retaining him other than fear we can’t do better. You think we have the right leadership in place for the AD? Then trust them to make a good hire that maximizes the potential of this program. It should be a no brainer for anyone with a vested interest in SLU Basketball that change is needed. 

With the recruits we have now the only way we could do worse would be to bring Jim Crews or Jim Platt out of retirement.

 

This year's recruiting class cannot win games. It is going to get worse, not better. The only guys who can play are guys recruited before this year's class.If we retain our players in 2-3 years this team will be lucky to win 5 games. We can't win with freshman, other school's rejects, and some skill-less upperclassmen. Once Jimerson and Parker and Hargrove are out things will degrade further.

 

We saw the same with Jim Crews when he started bringing bad recruits in, we had some great cushion from 2 more years of the Majerus. Once Crews' recruits made up the backbone of the team the bottom fell out and only degraded from there.

[Soderball]

This program needs new enthusiasm and a shot of adrenaline. Building is already empty, fanbase expects nothing, our "fair-weather" fans are GONE. the bills cannot be paid, revenue collapsing, talent collapsing.

 

We need new enthusiasm, the one way to do that is to put someone new at the helm.

[cheeseman]

1 hour ago, gobillsgo said:

Ford’s recruiting post-NIL is very comparable to Sodie.  He was a far superior recruiter pre-NIL, which makes you wonder what he was doing to stand out that he can’t do now. 

Show me the money!!!

[Brighton]

On 12/7/2023 at 3:49 PM, cgeldmacher said:

Well I appreciate your loyalty and commitment to the Billikens (that's why we all come here) even if I don't agree with your methods or think that they are necessary.  I think changes will happen.  The people who the changes are going to happen to might even realize that they will occur.  If these changes are already going to occur, I just think that your actions are adding unnecessary embarrassment to folks who, regardless of the results, were giving their best effort at making a program we love successful. Did it work out? No.  Were they really, truly trying to make it work out?  Yes.  Are their transgressions worthy of the public embarrassment you are attempting to put them through? No.

LOL

Tough....HIT

This is Division I Men's basketball. A division Saint Louis University has been in for well over a century.  They're stewards of it. It's loooooong past time to act like they're a part of it. Otherwise, go fill out an application east of Compton Ave (no offense).

[OkieBilliken]

6 hours ago, TheA_Bomb said:

I appreciate the posters that are nice people and are not into harsh criticism or action. Firing people is not good and it's something that should be avoided if possible. Also I'm sure that criticizing someone for family things is distasteful. I agree with you. However, I'm not criticizing the kid or the family. I'm criticizing the judgement. SLU was very strict during COVID as were many schools. So strict they started mandatory room inspections in the dorms and apartments. The VP of Student Life sent out threatening emails. Take your personal views of COVID out of this and look at SLU the employer in this situation. SLU felt that the protocols were saving lives. They took extraordinary measures to enforce the protocols. If the top paid employee, the most visible employee, very openly violated these protocols that is a grave error in judgement. The kind that could lead to being fired for cause. Furthermore, if that incident led to the team contracting COVID-19 and hurting the season. 1. it risked the student athletes health. 2. it cost the University the revenue that an NCAA tournament appearance provides. 3. It opens the school up to lawsuits.

Here's 2 emails from President Pestello.  One outlines the rules against gatherings on or off campus. The other links to a pledge to follow the protocols that all students, faculty and staff had to sign. So there is no excuse of being ignorant to the rules.

 

Pestello Email 5NOV20_copy.pdfUnavailable Pestello 11AUG20 Campus Commitment _copy.pdfUnavailable

I have a hard time criticizing anyone who tried to get around Covid restrictions that were mostly draconian and unconstitutional, and two years after the fact is a bit of a stretch.   It also makes me uncomfortable pushing to fire people while the season is going on.   Those kids busted their asses against Drake, and could have won.    I feel like some people on the board are hoping we get blown out by Hofstra and not win a conference game so everyone gets fired.  Not saying Travis should get another year, but I can’t do that.  

[slufan13]

6 minutes ago, OkieBilliken said:

I have a hard time criticizing anyone who tried to get around Covid restrictions that were mostly draconian and unconstitutional, and two years after the fact is a bit of a stretch.   It also makes me uncomfortable pushing to fire people while the season is going on.   Those kids busted their asses against Drake, and could have won.    I feel like some people on the board are hoping we get blown out by Hofstra and not win a conference game so everyone gets fired.  Not saying Travis should get another year, but I can’t do that.  

Definitely not rooting for losses but I do see a worst case scenario of like a 15-15 season.  I'd rather see a 11-19 season than a .500 season. Neither are acceptable but one is much more likely to lead to necessary changes

[billikenfan05]

4 minutes ago, OkieBilliken said:

I have a hard time criticizing anyone who tried to get around Covid restrictions that were mostly draconian and unconstitutional, and two years after the fact is a bit of a stretch.   It also makes me uncomfortable pushing to fire people while the season is going on.   Those kids busted their asses against Drake, and could have won.    I feel like some people on the board are hoping we get blown out by Hofstra and not win a conference game so everyone gets fired.  Not saying Travis should get another year, but I can’t do that.  

You’re talking about a private university’s  rules the constitution does not apply.

[Soderball]

16 minutes ago, OkieBilliken said:

I have a hard time criticizing anyone who tried to get around Covid restrictions that were mostly draconian and unconstitutional, and two years after the fact is a bit of a stretch.   It also makes me uncomfortable pushing to fire people while the season is going on.   Those kids busted their asses against Drake, and could have won.    I feel like some people on the board are hoping we get blown out by Hofstra and not win a conference game so everyone gets fired.  Not saying Travis should get another year, but I can’t do that.  

a private university gets to make its own rules; those restrictions were not unconstitutional(our courts define that, not "okiebilliken" ..) .. fans can call for firing Ford all we want to. Be uncomfortable if you like.

 

I'm uncomfortable with getting blasted by 40 by Carbondale. I'm uncomfortable with failing to make the tournament for years.

[juniorbill76]

If the Drake Debacle is followed by the Hofstra Horror, will we see Ford "step away for health reasons"?

[billikenfan05]

2 minutes ago, juniorbill76 said:

If the Drake Debacle is followed by the Hofstra Horror, will we see Ford "step away for health reasons"?

You call it the Drake Debacle, people here sucking up to Chris May call it exceeding expectations in the face of injury adversity. 

[slufan13]

1 minute ago, billikenfan05 said:

You call it the Drake Debacle, people here sucking up to Chris May call it exceeding expectations in the face of injury adversity. 

But we played so hard 

[johnbj14]

Good coaches figure out how to win with what they have. Every coach deals with injuries. Ones paid this highly should be able to figure out how to build a roster and pivot when things don’t go according to plan. Travis said it in an interview that he doesn’t want more excuses from the players. Let’s stop making them for him too. 

[dlarry]

5 minutes ago, billikenfan05 said:

You call it the Drake Debacle, people here sucking up to Chris May call it exceeding expectations in the face of injury adversity. 

 

3 minutes ago, slufan13 said:

But we played so hard 

It’s possible to think they played much better and still want May and Ford gone.

I’m pretty sure 95% of posters complimenting the play against Drake feel this way.

 

[billikenfan05]

Just now, dlarry said:

 

It’s possible to think they played much better and still want May and Ford gone.

I’m pretty sure 95% of posters complimenting the play against Drake feel this way.

 

The 5% on the other side worries me. 

[OkieBilliken]

26 minutes ago, Soderball said:

a private university gets to make its own rules; those restrictions were not unconstitutional(our courts define that, not "okiebilliken" ..) .. fans can call for firing Ford all we want to. Be uncomfortable if you like.

 

I'm uncomfortable with getting blasted by 40 by Carbondale. I'm uncomfortable with failing to make the tournament for years.

Covid restrictions at private and public universities I believe were terrible and misguided.   I applaud anyone who violated them.   It shouldn’t be the reason to fire the coach 2 years later.      I don’t think it’s that radical to prefer to wait until the end the season to make a decision, but whatever…..off with his head.    

[slufan13]

9 minutes ago, dlarry said:

 

It’s possible to think they played much better and still want May and Ford gone.

I’m pretty sure 95% of posters complimenting the play against Drake feel this way.

 

I thought they played well. To me that's different than being happy they played hard. Maybe I'm splitting hairs here 

[ACE]

45 minutes ago, OkieBilliken said:

I have a hard time criticizing anyone who tried to get around Covid restrictions that were mostly draconian and unconstitutional, and two years after the fact is a bit of a stretch.   It also makes me uncomfortable pushing to fire people while the season is going on.   Those kids busted their asses against Drake, and could have won.    I feel like some people on the board are hoping we get blown out by Hofstra and not win a conference game so everyone gets fired.  Not saying Travis should get another year, but I can’t do that.  

Well, it did derail the team's best chance for an at large bid and squandered a Top 25 ranking as several players felt the effects for quite a while, BUT other than that it was a great decision, he really showed those bureaucrats trying to tell him what to do - yeah freedom!

[OkieBilliken]

3 minutes ago, ACE said:

Well, it did derail the team's best chance for an at large bid and squandered a Top 25 ranking as several players felt the effects for quite a while, BUT other than that it was a great decision, he really showed those bureaucrats trying to tell him what to do - yeah freedom!

Yeah if we just would have locked down harder, no one would have gotten sick.    And for sure it was one event that did it.   I hear Travis made a recruiting trip to Wuhan as well, probably already looking at Bruce as a underclassman

[Soderball]

37 minutes ago, slufan13 said:

But we played so hard 

we should knit them a sweater

[Soderball]

nm. sorry to other posters. too easy to bait some folks.

[Soderball]

9 minutes ago, OkieBilliken said:

Yeah if we just would have locked down harder, no one would have gotten sick.    And for sure it was one event that did it.   I hear Travis made a recruiting trip to Wuhan as well, probably already looking at Bruce as a underclassman

It is a shame and it was just another derailment and excuse for why we can't land wins. This guy just can't coach and that is what it is. Self-inflicted injury there.

[OkieBilliken]

1 minute ago, Soderball said:

 

Yeah we would have saved a lot of lives during COVID if people had followed the recommendations of health experts.

Uh huh.  Shutting down schools and the economy was great.   I recommend a monthly booster.    It’s good for the heart.  

[Soderball]

Just now, OkieBilliken said:

Uh huh.  Shutting down schools and the economy was great.   I recommend a monthly booster.    It’s good for the heart.  

Conspiracy nut.

[OkieBilliken]

2 minutes ago, Soderball said:

Conspiracy nut.

Wear a cloth mask when you call me that.  

[ACE]

20 minutes ago, OkieBilliken said:

Yeah if we just would have locked down harder, no one would have gotten sick.    And for sure it was one event that did it.   I hear Travis made a recruiting trip to Wuhan as well, probably already looking at Bruce as a underclassman

Most other teams that season managed to do it and avoid the super spreaders.