Schasz Posted February 4, 2005 Share Posted February 4, 2005 Nice turnaround by UMKC as they lost their first 7 and now have run off 11 wins in a row. It just goes to show that it can be done. http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/st...r+starting+0-7+ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taj79 Posted February 4, 2005 Share Posted February 4, 2005 On the surface, this sounds wonderful, but it happens in this area every year and its called Coppin State. Coppin is the (real) poor man's Temple ... will play anyone, anywhere. Coppin is an HBCU in the inner city of Baltimore. Fang Mitchell is the coach and he basically plays his whole non-conference season on the road, where they take a beating but make their money to pay for the rest of the season and other sports. Sure, they get creamed because the go to places like Oklahoma, Mizzou, Pitt, Florida and other big name boys. Sure, they're "buy" games as some call it but that's what they have to do. But all of a sudden, the non-conference is over and they are undefeated in the MEAC .... and I believe its because of the level they play first compared to the level in their league. Florida A&M, Norfolk State, Bethune-Cookamn just ain't the same as those mentioned above. And many time, they end up a 15 or 16 seed come March and end up playing some big boy close or even beating them as they did a few years ago as a 15 in Pittsburgh I think. I went and looked at UMKC's schedule. The out of conference wasn't that tough ... but the conference ain't exactly the CUSA. Centenery, Valpo, Okalnad ... sure, its got a pretty good Oral roberts team and UMKC did beat them at home the other night so more power to them The issue to me seems that this type of recovery is much more possible in the bottom conferences .... the MEAC, the Mid-Con, Horizon, Patriot .... more so than in the top conferences. I would argue that it is more likely to go the other way in a CUSA .... where a St. Louis or a Houston or a DePaul or a SoMiss would get fat, bloated records out of conference and then get b*tch-slapped back down to earth when you start seeing your conference buddies. Where I think the greatest benefit comes from is in the head ... look at it this way, if you've got a new team or one devoid of confidence, you beat up some patsies, get some mojo going, and it stays with you for a while. Sure, talent eventually wins out but you get enough to maybe steal a game or two. The inverse is true as well.... if you drop some of those early season ones, the end becomes "how do we lose this time" instead of "how do we win." I think the Bills are there now. there are exceptions and nothing is as certain as those two inevitables ... death and taxes ... because I can think of the Perry-led team going ocunter to what I said above. But I htink in the long run its true I'd guess 80% of the time. Maybe the state of Missouri is just looking for a team to hang its hopes on. Pretty sad state that UMKC wins this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schasz Posted February 4, 2005 Author Share Posted February 4, 2005 Perspective...if UMKC keeps winning they will be playing in the post season, while our Bills will be licking their wounds from this horrible season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taj79 Posted February 4, 2005 Share Posted February 4, 2005 ... and if anybody and everybody "keeps winning" they will all be in the post season. Those not winning, go hom and "lich their wounds." Here's some perspective .... Falcons blow out Rams and Eagles beat Vikings. The whole week leading up to the NFC Championship game, it was (in my biased view) Vick this, and the Falcons running game that, and Vick's ultimate weapons status, and the Falcons defense against no T.O., and so on. (Us paranoid Iggle fans have a tendancy to watch the sports news that way!). But I was more worried about choking in the big game again for the fourth time .. what was inthe heads and minds of Iggles and not who they were playing. Why? Perspective. While yes, the Falcons ran roughshod over the Rams, the Rams are not known for defense as much as the Eagles are. And while the Falcons were doing this they were doing so in front of 70K+ supposrtive fans, not at Linc with those nuts screaming AT them. Also, the Falcons vaunted running game was not playing in doors adn on turf ... two situations that would favor their approach. In hindsight, the game was a non-event. All the Vikc?Falcons hype was completely bogus based onthe results. All I'm saying is perspective is nice balancing item to include in things. I also beleive that if the game referenced above was played in Atlanta, a whole different result most liekly would have been achieved. There's another perspective. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwyjibo Posted February 4, 2005 Share Posted February 4, 2005 I believe the Kangaroos had two of their better players ineligible for the 2004 part, and schedule aside, that is the main reason they have turned around (a solid rotation). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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