A rant, with soothing capabilities.

[lmutex]

I feel this rant warrants its own topic due to the myriad of negative post-game posts.

My favorite quote from my tv show is “It’s all connected” from The Wire (that, and Clay Davis’ “shhhhhheeeeeeeiiiiiiiiitttttttt”). We’re attacking admin/coaching as if they are mutually exclusive. They aren’t. RT is a direct reflection of who Husak wants to lead this program, and as a figurehead of our Ath. Dept. This is a good thing. RT is a family man who ensures that our student-athletes have a life beyond Gersten. For that, he is to be applauded.

Now, as far as our success is concerned, we’re the last team in the WCC (or close) to make it to the NCAA tournament (i.e. the longest drought). This, obviously, is disappointing given our location, campus, etc. But I feel this is more of a result of a snakebitten team than outright ineptitude (which is what some are insinuating):

-Ayer dunks the ball, we tourney. Think we’d have the same vitriol on this board if Bill Raftery was pontificating about RT and the gang between 89’-91’ flashbacks?

-If Karl the Younger doesn’t undercut Worthy, I think we tourney as well (at the very least, NIT). One player doesn’t make a team, unless that player is Brandon Worthy.

That’s back-to-back postseason appearances, if we get a couple breaks. Now, I’m not going to go all Hong on you and say there’s some inane curse. But what I am saying is that we need to gain a little perspective, myself included.

I blame RT more for @$!#ign up our scholarship situation on all Fresh/Sophs, than our current play. And IMO, we should wait this out. We didn’t do that to Aggers, but I feel his dismissal was more of a “philosophical differences” thing than a performance issue.

If we see improvement soon, who’s to say where we could be this time next year? Shawn could be our Wes, Orlando our Worthy, Mason our Matty, and so on. Maybe not. Regardless, RT’s fate will be decided by these players’ performance.

The sky isn’t falling, it’s merely wavering on the shoulders of RT.

[ironlions]

Great post LMUTEX.

[lionspride]

I strongly, but respectfully disagree with lmutex. It is that attitude that keeps LMU from demanding greatness.

As in my other recent posts, I don't see our situation getting any better until 2010-2011 season (that is if we can bring aboard big men in the 2009-2010 season and have them developed by the sophomore season). Other than that....it looks as if the "drought" will continue.

SCOREBOARD....reads Cal State Bakersfield 98, LMU 64. STANDINGS read 3-13. I am optimistic, but when reality sets in, an entity needs to react.

IF then, IF that scenerios ONLY are talked about AFTER THE FACT. Bottom line is that the JOB IS NOT GETTING DONE PERIOD.

[Lion Alum]

lion pride you are right on!!! We need help. At best we are three years away from a .500 season. That sucks. Things need to change!!!

[fanblade]

thank you lmutex. We need some dose of reality. While things are not in a state of emergency I do think we fans are entitled to high expectations. LMU is a quality school we should present/and see quality athletics.

An interesting tidbit

LMU's loss to Bakersfield caused the highest traffic to the Lions Den ever. Over 400 unique hits that night that will live in infamy. And high traffic levels since. Misery loves company.

[LMUpepbander]

I wouldn't go as far as to say that we had two legitimate tourney bids in grasp. For one, as I stated in the Bakersfield thread, even if Ayer DID make that layup (and, I was standing less than 15 feet from the basket, and Errol Knight was far too high in the air to allow Chris to throw it down), we would have a losing record, and would probably play some MAAC team in the play-in in Dayton for a shot to be fodder to a 1 seed.

Then, the thing to realize about the next season was that Rodney was still using inherited players. Craig didn't contribute much, Maynard didn't have enough size, Deadweiler was rushed back from injury, and then Sutton and Sweezy on RS didn't help much. But, the point is that our near success shows that while RT might have a system that worked better with Aggers' players, Aggers was the one who managed to bring them in, and RT's done very little to replenish the ranks. Heck, the only players from his first season are Marko and Counts, a walk-on. We just haven't been able to recruit to fill needs. We're almost the Knicks in a way... a bunch of swingmen and not much else. And that's sad, considering that he was Olsen's assistant in charge of recruiting and had all these pipelines open for talent.

Between that, and the athletic department using basketball as its cash cow to support the other sports as I mentioned in the other thread, things need to change and quickly.

[Deleted]

We are not going in a good direction it seems pretty obvious. Serious changes need to be made. Hard decisions up ahead. Hate to say it but it is all there to see.

[lionspride]

admin said:

thank you lmutex. We need some dose of reality. While things are not in a state of emergency I do think we fans are entitled to high expectations. LMU is a quality school we should present/and see quality athletics.

An interesting tidbit

LMU's loss to Bakersfield caused the highest traffic to the Lions Den ever. Over 400 unique hits that night that will live in infamy. And high traffic levels since. Misery loves company.

I like the WEB TRAFFIC, but hate the reason why.

Wouldn't it be nice to have a form letter ready and available for those in attendance at the Zag game on Saturday. If it goes the way the odd makers are predicting, someone should stand outside of Gersten and hand out these form letters or have a petition signed to give to Lawton. Our energy needs to be with getting the message to Lawton.