It just keeps getting worse...

[valporun]

Oct 20, 2010 16:34:11 GMT -5 rlh said:

So what's your answer...not report our scores. Look we are all hurtin' , including the players and coaches, but that doesn't mean we demean them or abandon them. I have no doubts the players are doing the best they can, and if you have an idea that would straighten this out right now, I'm sure the coaches would love to hear it. They are doing the best they can with what they have. I don't know what you want...we all want a better team, and in time we hopefully will have one...unfortunately we have to live with what we have and my view is we support the effort and hope the results will follow. That's my opinion, and you are welcome to yours.

My answer, and I will follow through on it after this post, is that I'm just going to stop commenting on the fact that our football team sucks right now. I just don't want to keep harping on the fact that the team sucks because it will become a tired battle for me.

[vuchunga]

At this point the only remaining option is to forego all redshirts, play all your freshman, try to retain as many of them as possible for the next season - this would deter your underclassmen from leaving. I would have to assume that there has been attrition and planned transfers up to this point with all of the losses. If the program is to move forward and recruit talent, local or otherwise, a positive face has to be put on the program for recruits and donors to see and embrace. Celebrate your academic leaders on the team, promote stewardship and create a team atmosphere. if you watch a game at Brown you will notice anywhere from 3 to 5 seperate groups on the sidelines, this shows that some things are missing.

[jerome1]

Oct 20, 2010 21:18:44 GMT -5 vuchunga said:

At this point the only remaining option is to fore go all redshirts, play all your freshman, try to retain as many of them as possible for the next season - this would deter your underclassmen from leaving. I would have to assume that there has been attrition and planned transfers up to this point with all of the losses. If the program is to move forward and recruit talent, local or otherwise, a positive face has to be put on the program for recruits and donors to see and embrace. Celebrate your academic leaders on the team, promote stewardship and create a team atmosphere. if you watch a game at Brown you will notice anywhere from 3 to 5 separate groups on the sidelines, this shows that some things are missing.

And just which programs are they transferring to? I don't believe many of them have the option except to quit football altogether.
I guess they have the option of cheaper tuition at a community college.

[mj]

I've heard that over 30 kids have quit the football team. What does that tell us about the state of our team?

Watching the game, I saw a team with a lack of talent but more importantly a lack of toughness. If you don't have the talent you better make it up by hitting hard and grinding out every play. I saw guys who were afraid to tackle the opposing team and afraid to take a hit.

We have every right to complain about this team. I'm not going to sit here and praise the players for showing up and being nice people to talk to. These are adults playing college football. Not kids playing junior soccer where everyone wins.

[blackpantheruwm]

So my question would be, how does this make you feel about the athletic department? Is this something that deters you from showing financial or other support for the program, because they've chosen to not put any good faith and resources into their football program?

I'm not trying to steer you one way or the other, just curious.

[okinawatyphoon]

Oct 21, 2010 1:59:45 GMT -5 blackpantheruwm said:

So my question would be, how does this make you feel about the athletic department? Is this something that deters you from showing financial or other support for the program, because they've chosen to not put any good faith and resources into their football program?

I'm not trying to steer you one way or the other, just curious.

Makes me wonder about the improvements to the football field. While the turf field and lights have definitely helped more than the football team (notably soccer and intramurals), maybe some more money should have been allocated to a TRACK around the field.

[jj]

Drop Football: Put the savings (salaries,equipment,travel) into a new track,increased # of scholarships for soccer and volleyball and salary increases for the coaches.:thumbsup

[valpogal]

Volleyball doesn't need anymore scholarships, but swimming and track currently have 1 each for men and women and cross country doesn't have any. Those programs could sure use a boost.

[milanmiracle]

Oct 21, 2010 1:59:45 GMT -5 blackpantheruwm said:

So my question would be, how does this make you feel about the athletic department? Is this something that deters you from showing financial or other support for the program, because they've chosen to not put any good faith and resources into their football program?

I'm not trying to steer you one way or the other, just curious.

It hasn't changed what we give to Valpo in the slightest. Not saying it won't, but as of yet they haven't given us a reason to stop supporting the university and it's teams.

And example, when Kelvin Sampson was hired at IU, we stopped donating to the university entirely, and that was before he was caught cheating. We didn't agree with the fact that the university brought in a known cheater and he didn't represent our values or the university very well.

Valpo hasn't done anything like that, so for right now they have my support.

[crusaderjoe]

Oct 21, 2010 1:59:45 GMT -5 blackpantheruwm said:

So my question would be, how does this make you feel about the athletic department? Is this something that deters you from showing financial or other support for the program, because they've chosen to not put any good faith and resources into their football program?

I'm not trying to steer you one way or the other, just curious.

The only thing that has bothered me about the Valpo Athletic Department in recent years is that when the new AD was hired, the Department as a whole did not abandon FITT. IMO, if there was going to be a new direction in athletics taken at that time, FITT should have been scrapped and completely overhauled. From an intercollegiate athletics standpoint, putting both intramurals and VU's varsity athletic teams on the same level of priority was and continues to be an absolute joke, IMO. Not to mention that major athletic improvements cannot move forward for the flagship sport of the University until FITT is completed makes it even more of a muddled mess.

We've already got the worst venue in the HL as it is...wait until Loyola finishes their upgrade. Ours will move from "worst" to "awful" in a matter of seconds after LU's is completed.