All this stuff is certainly getting a lot of people on edge...
You know, I love Bradley basketball - but even if we go 0-30, I am not going to jump off a cliff -
I plan to be there every game and cheer Bradley on - I want to see success - that's what everyone is waiting for!!!
..and yet I have to admit, I have read a few comments here & there (more there than here) that are maybe more in the realm of a Psychiatrist-
It's still just a game - no need for "woe is me" and "I'm outta here" ...
and "goddam anyone who disagrees with me"..." and "someone ought to sue that guy for what he said..."
But then I guess each of us can only control one person - while we watch a whole bunch of others careen out of control.
But let me remind everyone of one thing....
Back 2011, there was EVERY BIT as much poison being spewed, vile things yelled, and people lashing out - even filling 600 page threads with bitterness, HATE and insults..and aiming the most vile and unrepeatable insults at one of our Hall of Famers who chose to coach this team....and at other fans - really despicable insults and believe it or not personal threats and hate mail...
Interestibng that I didn't see many people concerned about it back then....
In fact some of that hate and vile attack goes on every single day - even to this day in some places...
How come - all of a sudden now the very people who have spewed all that stuff for four years NOW want to see it stopped?
I find that kinda interesting. Did they just get back from Cursillo and have an epiphany?
Friday, January 30, 2015
A look at the attendance figures at a few select schools
Check this out...UC-Davis has kinda come into the big time and will likely never be small-time again.
Here's an attendance comparison - you tell me what you'd rather have, and which schools have made the right moves, and which have made the wrong moves.
UC-Davis
Historical average in prior decade- 600-1000
so far in 2014-15 - [B]2091 [/B](they had over 3000 last night and have over 4000 advanced sales for Saturday)
...up 100-200% above their historical average
Bradley
Historical average in prior decade- 9,000-10,000
so far in 2014-15 - 5437 (they had worst crowd in over 50 years Wednesday with just over 5000 and half were empties)
..we are DOWN 50% from our historical average
And I will throw in one other school also
FGCU
Historical average in past decade- 1200
so far in 2014-15 - 4,296
- up almost 300% from their historical average
Then try this one on for size...
SIUE Women's Basketball - their current home attendance average is 1,232...
not real impressive unless you look back where they were just 3, 4, 5, and 6 years ago..
Those season attendance averages were 949, 655, 473, 526, 458
...so again - they are up 100% over their historical average!!!
..are we beginning to see a pattern here - every one of those programs at SIUE, FGCU, UCD all have the very people we ran off and we went out and got new people who are destroying our programs!
Case closed.
Here's an attendance comparison - you tell me what you'd rather have, and which schools have made the right moves, and which have made the wrong moves.
UC-Davis
Historical average in prior decade- 600-1000
so far in 2014-15 - [B]2091 [/B](they had over 3000 last night and have over 4000 advanced sales for Saturday)
...up 100-200% above their historical average
Bradley
Historical average in prior decade- 9,000-10,000
so far in 2014-15 - 5437 (they had worst crowd in over 50 years Wednesday with just over 5000 and half were empties)
..we are DOWN 50% from our historical average
And I will throw in one other school also
FGCU
Historical average in past decade- 1200
so far in 2014-15 - 4,296
- up almost 300% from their historical average
Then try this one on for size...
SIUE Women's Basketball - their current home attendance average is 1,232...
not real impressive unless you look back where they were just 3, 4, 5, and 6 years ago..
Those season attendance averages were 949, 655, 473, 526, 458
...so again - they are up 100% over their historical average!!!
..are we beginning to see a pattern here - every one of those programs at SIUE, FGCU, UCD all have the very people we ran off and we went out and got new people who are destroying our programs!
Case closed.
Thursday, January 29, 2015
Time for an unprecedented, sweeping change at Bradley
All those in power at Bradley University in both 2002 & 2011 used the following reasons to fire everyone, clean house, and completely rebuild....
And in both cases (2002, 2011) the press (Phil Theobald in 2002, Kirk Wessler in 2011) were the Exorcists who helped rid of us of all the perceived demons.
Here's the reasons they hailed
-losing games, losing finances, losing respect, losing fan base
-not competing for championships
-embarrassments off the court
-concerns of declining ticket sales/revenue
-vocal & written complaints from fans & season ticket holders
-and the desire to restore the public image of Bradley basketball to some higher level.
In 2002 there were a couple of down years but everything including winning, post-season, national caliber success, funds & donations and restoration of the program & ticket sales all happened in just 4 years
In 2011, different story - all the moves that were made were horribly planned, horribly executed, misguided, and regardless of everyone's good intent and they're all nice guys, we ended up way, way worse in every regard -
especially ticket sales, embarrassments, and public image...
BUT - in the intervening span (2011-2015) we've been fed such a tremendous line of B***S**T from those in power & their allies in the media that we WERE on the right track, we were "doing it the right way", that fans needed to shut up and be patient, that the fans were uneducated, that we are MUCH better even though nobody could see it, and that all the problems if they did exist were all someone else's fault who got run out of here half a decade or more ago.
It's time those who have failed us miserably fess up, and yield the stage...
And in both cases (2002, 2011) the press (Phil Theobald in 2002, Kirk Wessler in 2011) were the Exorcists who helped rid of us of all the perceived demons.
Here's the reasons they hailed
-losing games, losing finances, losing respect, losing fan base
-not competing for championships
-embarrassments off the court
-concerns of declining ticket sales/revenue
-vocal & written complaints from fans & season ticket holders
-and the desire to restore the public image of Bradley basketball to some higher level.
In 2002 there were a couple of down years but everything including winning, post-season, national caliber success, funds & donations and restoration of the program & ticket sales all happened in just 4 years
In 2011, different story - all the moves that were made were horribly planned, horribly executed, misguided, and regardless of everyone's good intent and they're all nice guys, we ended up way, way worse in every regard -
especially ticket sales, embarrassments, and public image...
BUT - in the intervening span (2011-2015) we've been fed such a tremendous line of B***S**T from those in power & their allies in the media that we WERE on the right track, we were "doing it the right way", that fans needed to shut up and be patient, that the fans were uneducated, that we are MUCH better even though nobody could see it, and that all the problems if they did exist were all someone else's fault who got run out of here half a decade or more ago.
It's time those who have failed us miserably fess up, and yield the stage...
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Attendance has tanked like a lead ship's anchor in the Glasser/Cross era
Below are attendance figures going back four decades.
Notice that the all-time highest total attendance was 2007-2008 (just 6 1/2 years ago - just on the tail end of the Ken Kavanagh/David Broski era and before a single action was implemented by Dr. Glasser or Dr. Cross.)
And the average attendance held steady at well over 9,000+ all the way through 2010, when Dr. Glasser & Dr. Cross took over the Athletic Department completely and began making their moves.
Plus at that same time we were setting records for Braves Scholarship Society membership, total revenues, record donations, GPA grade average for the basketball team, Braves Club membership, and of course- season ticket sales and community interest.
Plus at that same time we were setting records for Braves Scholarship Society membership, total revenues, record donations, GPA grade average for the basketball team, Braves Club membership, and of course- season ticket sales and community interest.
The program was not fraught with dissention and discontent, did not have thugs or criminals, we had great kids, we did not have the player turnover we see now. Our AD was voted the AD of the Year, our coach was widely respected and was getting interest and offers from other schools, we were winning over 20 games for the 4th season in a row and 86 games over 4 seasons was an all-time record for games won over any 4-year period in our grand history, and everything in the Athletic Department was running well with only about 1/4 as many employees as we have now. We were playing far better non-conference schedules, the MVC was way stronger than it is now, and we were coming off 2 straight seasons with RPI's under 40!
And we would still go on and post 3 additional seasons with RPI's in the top third nationally every year all the way until the 2010-11 season with the injuries.
Those are just a few of the accomplishments & all were part of the basketball program as recently as 5-6 years ago.
And one more thing- even though there are still some deniers, just like fallout deniers, Jim Les had a loaded recruiting class ready *Remy Abell, Tyler Brown (who ended up having a great career at ISU after JL was fired), Sean Harris, and reportedly another big man), plus Sam Maniscalco and Taylor Brown returning (from injury years) along with Egolf, DSE, Walt, etc., and he would have gotten Corey Hawkins & Tyler Les (who both shoot 50% from the arc!), and other far better recruits than we've seen these last 4 years (don't forget that Jim Les was actively recruiting Washington's Alec Peters as a high school freshman & soph then Geno Ford totally dropped the kid and made no further effort to recruit him), and with the weakened MVC I have no doubt we would be fighting Wichita State and Creighton for the top rungs in the MVC these last 4 years if he was still at Bradley and massive stupid changes had not been made out of haste and anger.
And... all this discussion would be moot and everyone would still be happy.
The few miserable and whiney fans and of course the local media made the calculated mistake of hooking their wagon to the wrong vehicle. They supported all this massive failure we've been handed by Dr. Glasser, Michael Cross and Geno. So it's no wonder now that they want to believe all kinds of demented, ludicrous ideas to justify this massively failed program (and the entire athletic department failure, and University-wide failures) that they supported 100%.
The few miserable and whiney fans and of course the local media made the calculated mistake of hooking their wagon to the wrong vehicle. They supported all this massive failure we've been handed by Dr. Glasser, Michael Cross and Geno. So it's no wonder now that they want to believe all kinds of demented, ludicrous ideas to justify this massively failed program (and the entire athletic department failure, and University-wide failures) that they supported 100%.
They will continue to blame JL, KK, and even Jim Molinari (and who knows - probably even Albeck) and will ignorantly deny who is really at fault - mostly because they themselves are partly to blame, and not the vast majority of good, generous, and supportive Bradley fans.
Year..rank..total....avg....change
2015 10 53,751 5,375 down 1,225 as of 1/14/15
2014 #74 17 112,335 6,608 up 51 Carver average 6,984
2013 #79 18 118,024 6,557 down 1,083
2012 #68 16 122,245 7,640 down 807
2011 #56 16 135,148 8,447 down 892
2010 #52 15 140,079 9,339 up 229
2009 #55 18 163,981 9,110 down 490
2008 #52 19 183,392 9,600 down 128
2007 #53 17 165,376 9,728 up 508
2006 #54 14 129,086 9,220 down 117
2005 #51 15 140,065 9,337 up 159
2004 #52 15 137,667 9,178 down 173
2003 #47 14 130,907 9,351 up 279
2002 #47 13 117,935 9,072 down 50
2001 #51 15 136,683 9,112 down 1,066
2000 #41 14 142,495 10,178 up 646
1999 #44 15 142,980 9,532 down 237
1998 #41 13 127,001 9,769 up 144
1997 #41 14 134,755 9,625 down 47
1996 #44 13 125,733 9,672 up 151
1995 #47 14 133,288 9,521 up 707
1994 #46 16 140,700 8,794 up 1,523
1993 #67 13 94,523 7,271 up 278
1992 #78 13 90,904 6,993 down 391
1991 #70 13 95,995 7,384 down 357
1990 #65 13 100,632 7,741 down 1,177
1989 #51 13 115,939 8,918 down 1,098
1988 #36 16 160,263 10,016 up 1,307
1987 #41 14 121,922 8,709 down 199
1986 #37 14 124,712 8,908 up 1,366
1985 #60 15 113,124 7,542 up 350
1984 #62 15 107,881 7,192 down 1,821
1983 #38 16 144,209 9,013 up 1,730
1982 #56 17 123,810 7,283 down 33
1981 #55 14 102,430 7,316 up 63
1980 #59 16 116,050 7,253 up 503
1979 #64 14 94,500 6,750 down 113
1978 #56 16 109,800 6,863
Year..rank..total....avg....change
2015 10 53,751 5,375 down 1,225 as of 1/14/15
2014 #74 17 112,335 6,608 up 51 Carver average 6,984
2013 #79 18 118,024 6,557 down 1,083
2012 #68 16 122,245 7,640 down 807
2011 #56 16 135,148 8,447 down 892
2010 #52 15 140,079 9,339 up 229
2009 #55 18 163,981 9,110 down 490
2008 #52 19 183,392 9,600 down 128
2007 #53 17 165,376 9,728 up 508
2006 #54 14 129,086 9,220 down 117
2005 #51 15 140,065 9,337 up 159
2004 #52 15 137,667 9,178 down 173
2003 #47 14 130,907 9,351 up 279
2002 #47 13 117,935 9,072 down 50
2001 #51 15 136,683 9,112 down 1,066
2000 #41 14 142,495 10,178 up 646
1999 #44 15 142,980 9,532 down 237
1998 #41 13 127,001 9,769 up 144
1997 #41 14 134,755 9,625 down 47
1996 #44 13 125,733 9,672 up 151
1995 #47 14 133,288 9,521 up 707
1994 #46 16 140,700 8,794 up 1,523
1993 #67 13 94,523 7,271 up 278
1992 #78 13 90,904 6,993 down 391
1991 #70 13 95,995 7,384 down 357
1990 #65 13 100,632 7,741 down 1,177
1989 #51 13 115,939 8,918 down 1,098
1988 #36 16 160,263 10,016 up 1,307
1987 #41 14 121,922 8,709 down 199
1986 #37 14 124,712 8,908 up 1,366
1985 #60 15 113,124 7,542 up 350
1984 #62 15 107,881 7,192 down 1,821
1983 #38 16 144,209 9,013 up 1,730
1982 #56 17 123,810 7,283 down 33
1981 #55 14 102,430 7,316 up 63
1980 #59 16 116,050 7,253 up 503
1979 #64 14 94,500 6,750 down 113
1978 #56 16 109,800 6,863
More of the most asinine statements ever about why Bradley is soooo bad, but then you gotta know who it's coming from...
Just read a comment on a message board by a guy claiming to be a Bradley fan - although if truth be known - you gotta wonder where the line gets drawn on "fan" if a guy spends a decade trashing Bradley, never gives a single penny to support the school or the Athletic Department, then roots for the hiring of incompetent people who drive the programs to the worst state ever...
But here's the line given to explain the horrid current state of Bradley basketball....
..."the last 20 years have been an absolute embarrassment in performance,
the way we've conducted basketball business, and otherwise."
really...sort of the extreme of the Kirk-Wessler-school-of-thought where everything including global warming gets blamed on Jim Les and Ken Kavanagh...
Except this nutty guy wants to go back 20 years and claim it was bad or corrupt back then....LOL
I suggest he flash back 20 years and see what then happens in the next upcoming seasons...
Right off the bat, in '94-95 we went 20-10, 12-6 in MVC, went to the NIT when it was still a bit prestigious, had eight home crowds over 10,000 & even drew almost 9,000 to a home NIT game..
I was there then - fans were happy - even excited that we had good personnel and were headed UP!!!
Then '95-96 - a really great season and a memorable team - 22-8, 15-3 in the MVC, we went to the NCAA, then BCS-caliber schools came calling and asking to interview our coach after the season but he chose to stay here, we had NBA caliber players, multiple 10,000 plus home crowds...
(does this sound embarrassing?)
then 1997-2007 we produced more NBA guys than any MVC program, remained inside the Top 50 nationally in attendance, lots of sellouts, had multiple 20-win seasons and a Sweet 16...
There's even undeniable proof that we were as successful as any other MVC program during that stretch - just count total wins, MVC wins, tournament wins, attendance, etc...!!!
The fans were coming, we had news releases of RECORD attendances, RECORD donations, record revenue...we scheduled well, we had MULTIPLE RPI's inside the Top 100 - and several even in the Top 30-40....
In addition we had gobs of fans who'd follow Bradley on the road - games at UNI, ISU, and even in Chicago where literally thousands of the fans would be Bradley people.
To claim this was an embarrassment is ridiculous and ...
what about the way we "did business"???
Well, our AD won the AD of the Year (he's also won again since getting run off)..
..and all those guys that were fired because fans griped (Molinari, Judson, Les, Kavanagh, Alvin Brooks, etc...) - well they all got hired instantly somewhere else and have proven themselves highly successful and highly respected!
Their fans are laughing all the way to the post-season, and in FGCU's case all the way to the Sweet Sixteen!
hmmm...I'm thinking a lot of people would love to see that level of embarrassment again!!!
So what exactly is this bozo talking about? Well, the answer is he just doesn't know squat, but even worse, he's another of those disgruntled whiners who didn't get what he wanted when working for BU and he was happy to see all those people get fired....and now holds intensely personal and juvenile grudges - kinda like the old Mr. Happy...
Now we've had FIVE years of the exact combo he was rooting for --
FIVE straight years of the Glasser/Cross combination - and what have those five years shown?...
the most miserable (and EMBARRASSING) stretch of athletic performance in 110 years of Bradley athletics, plus horrible and even scandalous levels of financial mismanagement, horrible work environment where nobody can do their job, and we're gonna need another $8-10 million thrown down the piss-pot in order to buy out all those incompetent stooges who dragged Bradley into this cesspool.
Glad it's not my money anymore - let someone else pay for that cleanup.
But a lot of the fans are likely gone forever....getting back to the pre-2009 level of success & performance is a pipe dream now....
it's worse that we were right there - right neck & neck with teams like Creighton, Wichita State, even with, if you go back 10-15 years - with Butler and we blew it all away - mostly within the past 5-6 years.
A lot of fans are saving their $300, $500, and even $1-2,000 and staying home and giving up their season tickets...
and saving their $1000-2000 maintenance and unfortunately even their bigger donations -
Letters to the Editor are appearing almost every day pointing out the comical state of Bradley athletics and explaining why people are staying away in droves.
But the warnings have been there for that entire time from even 2007, 2008 onward and especially loudly and consistently since 2009-2010 - yet the nobody listened and here we are...
But here's the line given to explain the horrid current state of Bradley basketball....
..."the last 20 years have been an absolute embarrassment in performance,
the way we've conducted basketball business, and otherwise."
really...sort of the extreme of the Kirk-Wessler-school-of-thought where everything including global warming gets blamed on Jim Les and Ken Kavanagh...
Except this nutty guy wants to go back 20 years and claim it was bad or corrupt back then....LOL
I suggest he flash back 20 years and see what then happens in the next upcoming seasons...
Right off the bat, in '94-95 we went 20-10, 12-6 in MVC, went to the NIT when it was still a bit prestigious, had eight home crowds over 10,000 & even drew almost 9,000 to a home NIT game..
I was there then - fans were happy - even excited that we had good personnel and were headed UP!!!
Then '95-96 - a really great season and a memorable team - 22-8, 15-3 in the MVC, we went to the NCAA, then BCS-caliber schools came calling and asking to interview our coach after the season but he chose to stay here, we had NBA caliber players, multiple 10,000 plus home crowds...
(does this sound embarrassing?)
then 1997-2007 we produced more NBA guys than any MVC program, remained inside the Top 50 nationally in attendance, lots of sellouts, had multiple 20-win seasons and a Sweet 16...
There's even undeniable proof that we were as successful as any other MVC program during that stretch - just count total wins, MVC wins, tournament wins, attendance, etc...!!!
The fans were coming, we had news releases of RECORD attendances, RECORD donations, record revenue...we scheduled well, we had MULTIPLE RPI's inside the Top 100 - and several even in the Top 30-40....
In addition we had gobs of fans who'd follow Bradley on the road - games at UNI, ISU, and even in Chicago where literally thousands of the fans would be Bradley people.
To claim this was an embarrassment is ridiculous and ...
what about the way we "did business"???
Well, our AD won the AD of the Year (he's also won again since getting run off)..
..and all those guys that were fired because fans griped (Molinari, Judson, Les, Kavanagh, Alvin Brooks, etc...) - well they all got hired instantly somewhere else and have proven themselves highly successful and highly respected!
Their fans are laughing all the way to the post-season, and in FGCU's case all the way to the Sweet Sixteen!
hmmm...I'm thinking a lot of people would love to see that level of embarrassment again!!!
So what exactly is this bozo talking about? Well, the answer is he just doesn't know squat, but even worse, he's another of those disgruntled whiners who didn't get what he wanted when working for BU and he was happy to see all those people get fired....and now holds intensely personal and juvenile grudges - kinda like the old Mr. Happy...
Now we've had FIVE years of the exact combo he was rooting for --
FIVE straight years of the Glasser/Cross combination - and what have those five years shown?...
the most miserable (and EMBARRASSING) stretch of athletic performance in 110 years of Bradley athletics, plus horrible and even scandalous levels of financial mismanagement, horrible work environment where nobody can do their job, and we're gonna need another $8-10 million thrown down the piss-pot in order to buy out all those incompetent stooges who dragged Bradley into this cesspool.
Glad it's not my money anymore - let someone else pay for that cleanup.
But a lot of the fans are likely gone forever....getting back to the pre-2009 level of success & performance is a pipe dream now....
it's worse that we were right there - right neck & neck with teams like Creighton, Wichita State, even with, if you go back 10-15 years - with Butler and we blew it all away - mostly within the past 5-6 years.
A lot of fans are saving their $300, $500, and even $1-2,000 and staying home and giving up their season tickets...
and saving their $1000-2000 maintenance and unfortunately even their bigger donations -
Letters to the Editor are appearing almost every day pointing out the comical state of Bradley athletics and explaining why people are staying away in droves.
But the warnings have been there for that entire time from even 2007, 2008 onward and especially loudly and consistently since 2009-2010 - yet the nobody listened and here we are...
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
Do we really trust the same people and the same Board members picking the next leaders at Bradley?
Remember - just a few weeks ago the Chairman of the Board (the very guy directing the process of picking the next batch of people in charge) wrote that he strongly supported, applauded, and defended the current administration and said this about Athletics
http://bubravesblogger.blogspot.com/2014/12/letter-of-nov-24-2014.html
"As far as Bradley's overall athletics program is concerned: I think we have
made positive strides.
Last year was a record setting one for Bradley Athletics with the department
achieving its best over-all athletic performance in at least the last 30 years."
Athletics at Bradley was the BEST it's been in "at least the last 30 years"????
This statement alone ought to require the guy get drug tested .. it clearly shows he has no clue why
so many fans have given up and the stands are are empty!
http://bubravesblogger.blogspot.com/2014/12/letter-of-nov-24-2014.html
"As far as Bradley's overall athletics program is concerned: I think we have
made positive strides.
Last year was a record setting one for Bradley Athletics with the department
achieving its best over-all athletic performance in at least the last 30 years."
Athletics at Bradley was the BEST it's been in "at least the last 30 years"????
This statement alone ought to require the guy get drug tested .. it clearly shows he has no clue why
so many fans have given up and the stands are are empty!
Saturday, January 24, 2015
Message board posters aren't as anonymous as they think
People literally from all over the US who are Bradley fans have asked me what's the deal with that cesspool they call Therapy Thread...
People pick on on headlines like Presidents being run off and repeated last place finishes and player arrests - which causes them to search and they find the BU message boards - but sometimes they also find the (anti) Bradley message board and the Therapy Thread...
Seriously - sane & sensible people from coast to coast who have interest in Bradley and who know about or stumble on that message board & that thread think that part of the BU fan base is about as degenerate and imbecilic as it gets...
I have even had people ask me to identify the people who post under those screen names (and of course it is no secret who they are - and they are all disgruntled ex-BU athletic dept. employees who couldn't hold a job) and then it clicks for people....then they google the names and find out some interesting stuff real fast...
If interested - just PM me
People pick on on headlines like Presidents being run off and repeated last place finishes and player arrests - which causes them to search and they find the BU message boards - but sometimes they also find the (anti) Bradley message board and the Therapy Thread...
Seriously - sane & sensible people from coast to coast who have interest in Bradley and who know about or stumble on that message board & that thread think that part of the BU fan base is about as degenerate and imbecilic as it gets...
I have even had people ask me to identify the people who post under those screen names (and of course it is no secret who they are - and they are all disgruntled ex-BU athletic dept. employees who couldn't hold a job) and then it clicks for people....then they google the names and find out some interesting stuff real fast...
If interested - just PM me
Are our guys already waving the white flag? Throwing in the towel?
Today's PJ Star piece is just another recap of how we've had unprecedented injury problems...
This morning's article by Dave Reynolds even has this quote direct from Geno Ford...
http://www.pjstar.com/article/20150123/SPORTS/150129563/10930/SPORTS
"You always want to end the year on a positive note,” BU coach Geno Ford said. ...
...build some momentum as we head to the (Valley) tournament and the off-season"
Wait a freaking minute... we are only seven games into the Valley regular season then a couple more weeks of potential play
if we can actually beat a Thursday team and advance....
That means we have potentially almost 40% our season ahead of us!!!
WHAT THE HELL are we doing when our head coach is talking like it's already summer and the season is OVER!!!!
"end the year"????
"as we head to the .. OFF SEASON" ???
OMG - are we, the fans, the only ones left rooting for this team and actually thinking we still have a chance to be a major player in how the conference finshes up??
HELLOOOOOO - Geno - we have at least a DOZEN more games left - and hopefully MORE!!!!
Please get your mind off the golf course & casinos and coach this team & get some wins!!
If Geno has more intterest in the off season than in coaching in January then he has to go now and put Jaydee Luster in charge
This morning's article by Dave Reynolds even has this quote direct from Geno Ford...
http://www.pjstar.com/article/20150123/SPORTS/150129563/10930/SPORTS
"You always want to end the year on a positive note,” BU coach Geno Ford said. ...
...build some momentum as we head to the (Valley) tournament and the off-season"
Wait a freaking minute... we are only seven games into the Valley regular season then a couple more weeks of potential play
if we can actually beat a Thursday team and advance....
That means we have potentially almost 40% our season ahead of us!!!
WHAT THE HELL are we doing when our head coach is talking like it's already summer and the season is OVER!!!!
"end the year"????
"as we head to the .. OFF SEASON" ???
OMG - are we, the fans, the only ones left rooting for this team and actually thinking we still have a chance to be a major player in how the conference finshes up??
HELLOOOOOO - Geno - we have at least a DOZEN more games left - and hopefully MORE!!!!
Please get your mind off the golf course & casinos and coach this team & get some wins!!
If Geno has more intterest in the off season than in coaching in January then he has to go now and put Jaydee Luster in charge
Monday, January 12, 2015
Sad State
What probably hurts the most about the mess that currently is Bradley basketball is that the pain is far from over....
Most of us have been following, supporting & donating to BU for many decades...
some since the 40's & 50's...
I sit in front of the widow of Bob Carney and their family have been season ticket holders and supporters since the early 1950's...
But most of us have a lifetime tied up in Bradley basketball....Bradley basketball is our passion - sure it's illogical but it is what it is....
sure, other things may come first - faith, family, friends -- but most all of us would agree we were here long before those who took over the reigns in 2007 & 2008 - and most of us will be here far into the future picking up the pieces and suffering from the fallout...
For folks who have come into Peoria having never set foot here before and likely never knowing a doggone thing about Bradley University - and for the Board to enable those people who have only been here 4, 5, or 7 years - to so vastly change Bradley for the worse - to send not just athletics but academics and the finances of the entire University quickly down the drain...
is a real tragedy....cuz we all know they will soon take their golden parachute, their comfy buyouts & retirements, and they won't care any more...
But the loyal and generous fans who have supported this school thru thick & thin will suffer severely from this mess for generations to come.
And, one more time, it did NOT have to happen - plenty of people from fired administrators to fine academic people at BU to even the fans...
all saw it coming long ago and tried to warn those in charge & on the board..
it didn't have to happen - it's like a visiting child who plays with your beloved cocker spaniel and chokes it to death because he has nothing invested in it himself except his own strange enjoyment of doing what he's doing.
Most of us have been following, supporting & donating to BU for many decades...
some since the 40's & 50's...
I sit in front of the widow of Bob Carney and their family have been season ticket holders and supporters since the early 1950's...
But most of us have a lifetime tied up in Bradley basketball....Bradley basketball is our passion - sure it's illogical but it is what it is....
sure, other things may come first - faith, family, friends -- but most all of us would agree we were here long before those who took over the reigns in 2007 & 2008 - and most of us will be here far into the future picking up the pieces and suffering from the fallout...
For folks who have come into Peoria having never set foot here before and likely never knowing a doggone thing about Bradley University - and for the Board to enable those people who have only been here 4, 5, or 7 years - to so vastly change Bradley for the worse - to send not just athletics but academics and the finances of the entire University quickly down the drain...
is a real tragedy....cuz we all know they will soon take their golden parachute, their comfy buyouts & retirements, and they won't care any more...
But the loyal and generous fans who have supported this school thru thick & thin will suffer severely from this mess for generations to come.
And, one more time, it did NOT have to happen - plenty of people from fired administrators to fine academic people at BU to even the fans...
all saw it coming long ago and tried to warn those in charge & on the board..
it didn't have to happen - it's like a visiting child who plays with your beloved cocker spaniel and chokes it to death because he has nothing invested in it himself except his own strange enjoyment of doing what he's doing.
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
Just not getting it done on recruiting...
We hear the report that recruiting is hard all the time but the good coaches still get it done even when it's hard..
..I recall several times over the past few years, when BU had kids like Larry Austin, Allen, Taphorn, Coupet, and even Da'Monte Williams on campus and offered them - there was a lot of ballyhoo about how well we were doing in getting in on those kids first...
But just as many predicted - getting in first didn't pay off one iota -- all that ballyhooing and hooting even by some fans was a bit premature....
I don't have a problem with anyone we target - I say definitely go after the higher end kids - but let's not get our priorities crooked - let's not get too worked up about just being the first school to recruit or offer a kid...
let's focus on being the one that finds the hidden gems, sticks with the kid, keeps the offer right in front of him continuously, and LANDING the kid...
As was the case with Allen and also with Alec Peters - we were in on the kid early but for some reason we backed off.....just when it might have been beneficial to keep after the guy...
Instead we went whole hog after kids like Buovac, Tucker, Bluford, Zecevic, Fields, Swopshire, and others who have not panned out at all.
Now our established game plan the past 3-4 years is to free up several scholarships every spring by running guys out of here and then scrambling in May & June to grab whoever's still left, but how has that gone? All we get that late are marginally talented leftovers that everyone else has passed on because they have eligibility issues or can't score.
Is it wise to throw all our eggs in one basket and go after largely just kids connected to one AAU program - getting some talent but, overall, very little in the process?
BTW - a look back - just one year ago we were stunned to see Bradley's home attendance falling into the 6000 range...
http://bubravesblogger.blogspot.com/2012/12/bu-attendance-woes.html
http://bubravesblogger.blogspot.com/2012/12/more-attendance-woes-going-to-get-worse.html
well - notice those blog entries predicted it was going to get worse and it sure has....
now home attendances are pretty regularly being announced at 5000-5500 but it's way worse than that - as anyone with eyes can see - that half those seats are empty at many games as well - giving a true attendance at BU home games of as little as 2000-2500.
Can it get any worse? Stay tuned - the very worst of the fallout is still yet to happen - big stuff right around the bend...
..I recall several times over the past few years, when BU had kids like Larry Austin, Allen, Taphorn, Coupet, and even Da'Monte Williams on campus and offered them - there was a lot of ballyhoo about how well we were doing in getting in on those kids first...
But just as many predicted - getting in first didn't pay off one iota -- all that ballyhooing and hooting even by some fans was a bit premature....
I don't have a problem with anyone we target - I say definitely go after the higher end kids - but let's not get our priorities crooked - let's not get too worked up about just being the first school to recruit or offer a kid...
let's focus on being the one that finds the hidden gems, sticks with the kid, keeps the offer right in front of him continuously, and LANDING the kid...
As was the case with Allen and also with Alec Peters - we were in on the kid early but for some reason we backed off.....just when it might have been beneficial to keep after the guy...
Instead we went whole hog after kids like Buovac, Tucker, Bluford, Zecevic, Fields, Swopshire, and others who have not panned out at all.
Now our established game plan the past 3-4 years is to free up several scholarships every spring by running guys out of here and then scrambling in May & June to grab whoever's still left, but how has that gone? All we get that late are marginally talented leftovers that everyone else has passed on because they have eligibility issues or can't score.
Is it wise to throw all our eggs in one basket and go after largely just kids connected to one AAU program - getting some talent but, overall, very little in the process?
BTW - a look back - just one year ago we were stunned to see Bradley's home attendance falling into the 6000 range...
http://bubravesblogger.blogspot.com/2012/12/bu-attendance-woes.html
http://bubravesblogger.blogspot.com/2012/12/more-attendance-woes-going-to-get-worse.html
well - notice those blog entries predicted it was going to get worse and it sure has....
now home attendances are pretty regularly being announced at 5000-5500 but it's way worse than that - as anyone with eyes can see - that half those seats are empty at many games as well - giving a true attendance at BU home games of as little as 2000-2500.
Can it get any worse? Stay tuned - the very worst of the fallout is still yet to happen - big stuff right around the bend...
Friday, January 2, 2015
Predictions 2015
1) Major changes will finally be coming.
2) Those responsible for the horrific decisions that have turned Bradley basketball - and even all of Bradley Athletics into a trainwreck of epic proportions will still never admit their mistakes and negligence even as they are on their way out.
3) The Board of Trustees might consider starting the changes by throwing one of those responsible under the bus.
4) Names will be floated for replacements but in the end the current Board cannot help but get it wrong again. Nothing will improve until major changes take place way at the top including the Board.
5) Thursday night once again for an unprecedented FIFTH straight year - and NO wins in St. Louis since Jim Les' final season.
6) There will be no talk of re-seating the lower bowl, raising ticket prices, or jacking up the maintenance. Those horribly unpopular bonehead moves from last year hurt BU basketball tremendously, not just in lost attendance but also losing and alienating a large number of lifelong fans and major donors.
7) This year there will be an ITOO Supper as someone finally stumbles on the idea of "if it's not broke, don't fix it" and they try to re-institute the incredibly successful events of the past - but unfortunately it's a bit too late to get back the 5,000 regular ticket-buying fans that have said "bye-bye".
8) After another embarrassing year for Bradley baseball & women's basketball - changes made there, too, but not without a remarkable uproar among fans as some will try to protect their buds.
9) As predicted earlier, the MVC will show itself this season to be weak at the bottom and thus Bradley might finish as high as 7th - and some will tout that as success - finishing higher than predicted. This of course is the same "fools gold" approach we've been fed over and over by those in charge telling fans how great BU has been doing in all sports when it is NOT happening, and how great it would be if we just played all the games at the tin-can-RC. Of course the lap-dog local media will also help out and continue to search like crazy to find one tiny thing to tout as doing great - like this article hyping the minute positives despite a series of embasrrassing losses, and - MAKING FOUR FREE THROWS IN A ROW!!
Wow, what a major accomplishment!!
http://www.pjstar.com/article/20141231/Sports/141239815
10) Of course there will be the usual housecleaning in the spring with multiple players again leaving despite having eligibility remaining.
Bradley must lead the nation in players who get run out every spring then replaced with leftovers, obscure non-scoring juco kids, and transfers who were unable to even make the roster at powerhouse places like Air Force, CMU, or even make the starting lineup as high schoolers!
Can anyone tell me how Donte Thomas is any better than Jordan Swopshire?
Or how Jermaine Morgan is any better than Chris Blake or Devon Hodges?
Or Anthony Fields is better than the guy we ran out of here to open up the scholarship, Donivine Stewart?
.295 might be a decent batting average, but .295 is not good as a batting average for a Division I head coach landing players who can stay on the roster more than a year and/or contribute at all.
But look for even one or more of the better players leaving as well....can't blame them, can you? They want to play on a team that at least has a chance of winning.
Then the fact that we couldn't even get a nibble on the open scholarship we had last fall - couldn't even get one D-I caliber kid interested in playing here - couldn't even get anyone wanting to take a visit to Bradley - that speaks volumes....
If we can't get anyone interested when there's gobs of talented kids out there - then just how desperate is it gonna look when we can't get anyone with talent to consider Bradley when the only thing left out there are leftovers and kids who have been passed on by every other D-I program!
2) Those responsible for the horrific decisions that have turned Bradley basketball - and even all of Bradley Athletics into a trainwreck of epic proportions will still never admit their mistakes and negligence even as they are on their way out.
3) The Board of Trustees might consider starting the changes by throwing one of those responsible under the bus.
4) Names will be floated for replacements but in the end the current Board cannot help but get it wrong again. Nothing will improve until major changes take place way at the top including the Board.
5) Thursday night once again for an unprecedented FIFTH straight year - and NO wins in St. Louis since Jim Les' final season.
6) There will be no talk of re-seating the lower bowl, raising ticket prices, or jacking up the maintenance. Those horribly unpopular bonehead moves from last year hurt BU basketball tremendously, not just in lost attendance but also losing and alienating a large number of lifelong fans and major donors.
7) This year there will be an ITOO Supper as someone finally stumbles on the idea of "if it's not broke, don't fix it" and they try to re-institute the incredibly successful events of the past - but unfortunately it's a bit too late to get back the 5,000 regular ticket-buying fans that have said "bye-bye".
8) After another embarrassing year for Bradley baseball & women's basketball - changes made there, too, but not without a remarkable uproar among fans as some will try to protect their buds.
9) As predicted earlier, the MVC will show itself this season to be weak at the bottom and thus Bradley might finish as high as 7th - and some will tout that as success - finishing higher than predicted. This of course is the same "fools gold" approach we've been fed over and over by those in charge telling fans how great BU has been doing in all sports when it is NOT happening, and how great it would be if we just played all the games at the tin-can-RC. Of course the lap-dog local media will also help out and continue to search like crazy to find one tiny thing to tout as doing great - like this article hyping the minute positives despite a series of embasrrassing losses, and - MAKING FOUR FREE THROWS IN A ROW!!
Wow, what a major accomplishment!!
http://www.pjstar.com/article/20141231/Sports/141239815
10) Of course there will be the usual housecleaning in the spring with multiple players again leaving despite having eligibility remaining.
Bradley must lead the nation in players who get run out every spring then replaced with leftovers, obscure non-scoring juco kids, and transfers who were unable to even make the roster at powerhouse places like Air Force, CMU, or even make the starting lineup as high schoolers!
Can anyone tell me how Donte Thomas is any better than Jordan Swopshire?
Or how Jermaine Morgan is any better than Chris Blake or Devon Hodges?
Or Anthony Fields is better than the guy we ran out of here to open up the scholarship, Donivine Stewart?
.295 might be a decent batting average, but .295 is not good as a batting average for a Division I head coach landing players who can stay on the roster more than a year and/or contribute at all.
But look for even one or more of the better players leaving as well....can't blame them, can you? They want to play on a team that at least has a chance of winning.
Then the fact that we couldn't even get a nibble on the open scholarship we had last fall - couldn't even get one D-I caliber kid interested in playing here - couldn't even get anyone wanting to take a visit to Bradley - that speaks volumes....
If we can't get anyone interested when there's gobs of talented kids out there - then just how desperate is it gonna look when we can't get anyone with talent to consider Bradley when the only thing left out there are leftovers and kids who have been passed on by every other D-I program!
Sunday, December 28, 2014
Recruiting comparison
Below are the lists of recruits that each of Bradley's last two head coaches brought in via verbal commitment or signed LOI - in his first 3 1/2 years...scholarship players...
In other words - it's a comparison between the total recruiting haul that Geno Ford has landed to date...
vs. the total recruiting haul Jim Les had landed at the exact same time in his tenure at Bradley - 3.5 years.
Geno Ford:
Donivine Stewart
Jalen Crawford
Nate Wells
Shayok Shayok
Devon Hodges
Tyshon Pickett
Michel Tucker
Ka'Darryl Bell
Stefan Zecevic
Anthony Fields
Omari Grier
Jordan Swopshire
Mike Shaw
Auston Barnes
Chris Blake
Xzavier Taylor
Macari Brooks
Kendahl Amerson
Tramique Sutherland
Jermaine Morgan
Warren Jones
Donte Thomas
Josh Cunningham
...a couple who never even made it here, seven more who played little and are already departed, and likely a couple more..and several still hangin around who have never contributed.
..at least nine who won't finish their careers here - maybe 2, 3 or more
..NOT ONE has yet to receive any All-MVC mention - and none of such anywhere in sight, and we are still badly lacking in shooters (we continue to be way dead last in shooting in MVC) , ball handlers (worst assist to turnover rate ever!), and big men capable of even making wide open layups..
Jim Les:
Danny Adams
Jabbar Battle
Stefan Marcetic
Joey Paul
Michael Rembert
Daniel Ruffin - 1000 pt club
Marcellus Sommerville - 1000 pt club
JJ Tauai
Tony Bennett
Jeremy Crouch - led the nation in 3-pt shooting!
Patrick O'Bryant - Lottery Draft Pick
Sam Singh
Lance Stemler
Lawrence Wright
Zach Andrews
Ray Brown
Will Franklin
Saihou Jassey
Andrew Warren - already committed in fall of 2005 - Top 10 in career scoring
..a few misses - six did not finish their careers at BU, but almost all the others were solid contributors -
half a dozen of whom got mentions on some All Valley writeup...but by the time we were 3.5 years in back in 2005-2006 even the most uneducated could see we had the talent to win plenty of games ahead.
I think the difference is obvious....we had shooters - nationally ranked shooters, NBA caliber big men, ball handlers, assist guys...
But the biggest contrast is in the media coverage...
The PJS writers continuously ripped JL for recruiting "too many jucos", no local kids, etc., etc...
but they praise GF when he's got more jucos, enormous player turnover & revolving door, and has yet to ever address the BIGGEST needs we have such as shooters when he had NATION-CALIBER kids right in his own back yard such as Alec Peters that he declined to even pursue!
And yet we get no honest criticism by the media - just brown-nosin' accolades endlessly such as "difference-maker" and "go-to guy" applied to players who are brought in and can't even break into the lineup.
In other words - it's a comparison between the total recruiting haul that Geno Ford has landed to date...
vs. the total recruiting haul Jim Les had landed at the exact same time in his tenure at Bradley - 3.5 years.
Geno Ford:
Donivine Stewart
Jalen Crawford
Nate Wells
Shayok Shayok
Devon Hodges
Tyshon Pickett
Michel Tucker
Ka'Darryl Bell
Stefan Zecevic
Anthony Fields
Omari Grier
Jordan Swopshire
Mike Shaw
Auston Barnes
Chris Blake
Xzavier Taylor
Macari Brooks
Kendahl Amerson
Tramique Sutherland
Jermaine Morgan
Warren Jones
Donte Thomas
Josh Cunningham
...a couple who never even made it here, seven more who played little and are already departed, and likely a couple more..and several still hangin around who have never contributed.
..at least nine who won't finish their careers here - maybe 2, 3 or more
..NOT ONE has yet to receive any All-MVC mention - and none of such anywhere in sight, and we are still badly lacking in shooters (we continue to be way dead last in shooting in MVC) , ball handlers (worst assist to turnover rate ever!), and big men capable of even making wide open layups..
Jim Les:
Danny Adams
Jabbar Battle
Stefan Marcetic
Joey Paul
Michael Rembert
Daniel Ruffin - 1000 pt club
Marcellus Sommerville - 1000 pt club
JJ Tauai
Tony Bennett
Jeremy Crouch - led the nation in 3-pt shooting!
Patrick O'Bryant - Lottery Draft Pick
Sam Singh
Lance Stemler
Lawrence Wright
Zach Andrews
Ray Brown
Will Franklin
Saihou Jassey
Andrew Warren - already committed in fall of 2005 - Top 10 in career scoring
..a few misses - six did not finish their careers at BU, but almost all the others were solid contributors -
half a dozen of whom got mentions on some All Valley writeup...but by the time we were 3.5 years in back in 2005-2006 even the most uneducated could see we had the talent to win plenty of games ahead.
I think the difference is obvious....we had shooters - nationally ranked shooters, NBA caliber big men, ball handlers, assist guys...
But the biggest contrast is in the media coverage...
The PJS writers continuously ripped JL for recruiting "too many jucos", no local kids, etc., etc...
but they praise GF when he's got more jucos, enormous player turnover & revolving door, and has yet to ever address the BIGGEST needs we have such as shooters when he had NATION-CALIBER kids right in his own back yard such as Alec Peters that he declined to even pursue!
And yet we get no honest criticism by the media - just brown-nosin' accolades endlessly such as "difference-maker" and "go-to guy" applied to players who are brought in and can't even break into the lineup.
Thursday, December 18, 2014
A remarkable letter from the Bradley Physics Department
Just got an interesting letter from the Bradley Physics Department. Sounds like rather serious financial straits and asking for help. Clearly the problem is far worse than anything being reported in the press.
Here is the text of the letter from Dr. Douglas Early, who has been a physics professor for 55 years and who I had when I was at Bradley more than 40 years ago.
"...I write this document to bring you up to date about the goings-on in the department. No, I have not retired yet and I don’t plan to any time soon. I find that being around the students and the younger faculty keeps me interested in physics things (the Higg’s boson and stuff like that) and life in general. I am somewhat surprised that the university has not encouraged me to retire.
Here is the text of the letter from Dr. Douglas Early, who has been a physics professor for 55 years and who I had when I was at Bradley more than 40 years ago.
"...I write this document to bring you up to date about the goings-on in the department. No, I have not retired yet and I don’t plan to any time soon. I find that being around the students and the younger faculty keeps me interested in physics things (the Higg’s boson and stuff like that) and life in general. I am somewhat surprised that the university has not encouraged me to retire.
I received my 55 year pin in October. I’m the only one at Bradley to have received that honor. I doubt that anyone else will ever match that. The president had never met me before she gave me the pin, but she hugged me anyway. I’m not sure how I feel about that since she has never visited the department. I know why she hasn’t, but I can’t talk about it.
I should tell you that the administration has told us that Bradley is in dire financial straits. Programs are being reviewed to see where money saving is possible. Small departments, like physics, are under a very high-powered microscope. There has even been talk of deleting the physics major. Physicists do arithmetic really well and we can’t figure how deleting our major will make up for the 6 or so million dollars that athletics lost last year. Yes, that’s correct. However, athletics seems to be untouchable. If you have strong feeling about this, maybe you should write to someone about your concerns.
The department is looking forward to holding our fifth annual Physics Day in February, 2015. We invite local high school physics classes to spend the day with us, tour our teaching and research labs, have lunch with our majors and get a tour of the campus led by Admissions. Each year we host up to 40 or so students and their teachers. It has worked very well for us. In addition, our students put on a demonstration show for the parents and other visitors on Parents Day.
Every spring, when we do the Sigma Pi Sigma induction, we dig out the book many of you signed when you were inducted. The students being inducted are always intensely interested to know what their predecessors are doing now. Please keep in touch.
Have a very nice holiday.
Dr. Doug Early
Bradley University
Department of Physics
1501 W. Bradley Avenue
Peoria, IL 61625"
Hmmm...pretty much speaks for itself ....
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Bradley's astounding plunge in attendance just since the housecleaning of 2011
Carver Arena has been Bradley's home since 1982
Only one season ever had an average attendance at Carver of less than 7,000 (1991-92 fell seven short and had 6,993)
NO other season even fell below 7,200 and all but 4 others were over 8,000
And if all seasons from 1982 thru 2011 are considered, then the roughly 30-year average at Carver is about 9,000.
BUT the past four seasons are
2011-12 - 7640
2012-13 - 6557
2013-14 - 6608
2014-15 - 5261 (thru 12/9)
so all four of these last four seasons are among the WORST FIVE SEASONS ever and three of them are BY FAR the three worst...
(not to mention the massive financial losses, nearly 50% drop in donations, complete bungling of the TV deals, 300 RPI, and explosion of 30-pt blowouts)
Is anyone listening?? Is anyone on the Board paying any attention at all? Or are they so stupefied by a single women's XC MVC title (first in 30 years) that they think that'll satisfy all the basketball fans for years to come?
How can the current admin run Bradley basketball so far into the ground and so far into oblivion and yet the Board has yet to bother or notice??
This did NOT need to happen. Many, many warnings were given, many clear signs of disaster ahead were obvious to just about everyone except those steering the ship over the falls, and the few brown-nosers who thought it would benefit them to parrot their disastrous spin.
If Kirk Wessler dares to mention "free fall" then please.....do NOT point towards 2007 and try haplessly to find a culprit there.
Point directly at 2011 and maybe 2010 and find out who came on board and started pushing agenda and policy that had destroyed Bradley basketball for a long time to come.
Note Bradley used to be proud of their attendance - they used to update a web page exclusively dedicated to these outstanding attendance figures...
but that's old history now - of course they no longer want to mention it!
http://www.bradleybraves.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=130273&DB_OEM_ID=3400
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Setting some things straight
Just by chance I ran across this post on a message board:
"Bradley hired Jim Les when they were "stuck" after Brian Gregory was hired by Dayton. Bradley could have hired Jim, Wayne or re-open the search. Bradley did not want to get egg on their face by re-opening the process.
Al Biancalana was never welcomed by Les because Les was insecure about his lack of head coaching ability and knew Biancalana was actually better prepared for the job.
Assistant Steve Merfeld run off about 1 week after Vegas Invitational (early December 2009). Pretty curious move when an assistant coach leaves 7 games into a season. ..."
I had never seen this post before or else I would have found a way then to debunk all that's wrong here.
but even worse than the ignorance displayed by these comments - is the complete lack of any of the next many responses that go on for a few more pages - who seem not to know how incredibly wrong this crap is. But then given where this occurred, no surprises.
-Then the comment on Biancalana is false also. Biancalana was someone else's choice for assistant coach - he was never Jim Les' choice. When Mr. Biancalana decided he no longer wanted the position HE CHOSE to leave. It was his choice and it was clearly reported as such by the local media.
Interestingly - there were rumors of a grudge and lo & behold, within a few weeks the NCAA had gotten an "anonymous tip" about some violations and were almost instantly on campus unannounced looking for and digging for things to nil Bradley.
You can draw your own conclusions.
-Lastly the Merfeld thing. Yup he suddenly resigned in early December 2009, right after we had played in Las Vegas.
But the precipitating factor is that while Bradley was in Las Vegas - Merfeld was reported to have met with the Illini coaching staff secretly - purportedly about a possible opening on their coaching staff - but later when it was apparently found that the assistant met secretly with the staff of a team we were playing in that tournament - then that's all that is necessary to demonstrate a violation of whatever you want to call it - where people don't have secret sessions with the opponents before a game.
Nobody has to believe any of this - and this one never hit the press.
It was just an issue of a guy's gotta fit on a coaching staff to be comfortable and welcome there - and a few things just alter that fit...
"Bradley hired Jim Les when they were "stuck" after Brian Gregory was hired by Dayton. Bradley could have hired Jim, Wayne or re-open the search. Bradley did not want to get egg on their face by re-opening the process.
Al Biancalana was never welcomed by Les because Les was insecure about his lack of head coaching ability and knew Biancalana was actually better prepared for the job.
Assistant Steve Merfeld run off about 1 week after Vegas Invitational (early December 2009). Pretty curious move when an assistant coach leaves 7 games into a season. ..."
I had never seen this post before or else I would have found a way then to debunk all that's wrong here.
but even worse than the ignorance displayed by these comments - is the complete lack of any of the next many responses that go on for a few more pages - who seem not to know how incredibly wrong this crap is. But then given where this occurred, no surprises.
-First - even a dolt can readily find or confirm that Brian Gregory, who was a candidate for the Bradley job, did not withdraw because he took the head coaching job at Dayton.OMG - he wasn't hired at Dayton until a FULL freaking YEAR later in 2003.He withdrew from candidacy because of the irrational and offensive behavior of one of the 2002 selection committee members who was openly campaigning for the hiring of Wayne McClain and kept repeatedly pressuring the candidates about racism, how many Black friends they had and other offensively personal information. This was widely reported even by the PJ Star and it resulted in BOTH Gregory and additional candidate James Jones (who is Black) both withdrawing their names saying they do not want the job if they had to be subjected to such offensive behavior from the member of Bradley's Board of Trustees.So - the Gregory part of this post is so filled with stupidity that I hardly need to go further but....
-Then the comment on Biancalana is false also. Biancalana was someone else's choice for assistant coach - he was never Jim Les' choice. When Mr. Biancalana decided he no longer wanted the position HE CHOSE to leave. It was his choice and it was clearly reported as such by the local media.
Interestingly - there were rumors of a grudge and lo & behold, within a few weeks the NCAA had gotten an "anonymous tip" about some violations and were almost instantly on campus unannounced looking for and digging for things to nil Bradley.
You can draw your own conclusions.
-Lastly the Merfeld thing. Yup he suddenly resigned in early December 2009, right after we had played in Las Vegas.
But the precipitating factor is that while Bradley was in Las Vegas - Merfeld was reported to have met with the Illini coaching staff secretly - purportedly about a possible opening on their coaching staff - but later when it was apparently found that the assistant met secretly with the staff of a team we were playing in that tournament - then that's all that is necessary to demonstrate a violation of whatever you want to call it - where people don't have secret sessions with the opponents before a game.
Nobody has to believe any of this - and this one never hit the press.
It was just an issue of a guy's gotta fit on a coaching staff to be comfortable and welcome there - and a few things just alter that fit...
Some interesting facts
Here are some interesting facts that have been previously unreported - you sure cannot count on the local media to report this...
I have all the references - feel free to contact and I will show them to you..
The Bradley Board of Trustees met in November as did the Bradley University Senate and the minutes & reports from those meetings detail several interesting facts.
First & foremost are that ..(all statements in quotation marks are directly from the reports)
-"..many issues, trends, and items that were disclosed .. were not made available (previously) to the URC (University Resources Committee) for their inclusion in their April 2014 report."
-"Non-disclosure and lack of transparency at appropriate time has rendered the April 2014 committee report incomplete."
-"The Board of Trustees mandated that Bradley reduce the operating budget by .. 7.6 M$ ($7.6 million)."
-Tuition hikes should result in an increase in revenue of $5.3 million
-Here's the biggie - Athletics costs were misrepresented previously at $5.8 million for fiscal year 2013-14.
".in fact the actual Athletics loss ballooned to over $7.1 million."
-"Unrestricted contributions were down 46% (in 2014) to only $.8 million. This was the only year in the past ten years where contributions were under $1 million."
-"Athletic losses continue to grow at a pace of about $.5 million more every year. Ten years ago, the Athletics loss was $2.1 million and it is now $7.1 million."
-"Athletics (costs) have increased by 240%" over the past 10 years
-"The increase in the Athletics loss has also put a severe strain on enrollment and the funds that new students contribute.
..twenty additional students need to be enrolled just to cover Athletics' growing loss.."
Some summary thoughts...
-"Non-disclosure" and "lack of transparency" are fancy words for falsifying reports, lying, and hiding the damaging facts.
-the dollar loss in Athletics in 2013-14 was much higher than they admitted to - it was actually $7.1 million in just that one year when under Ken Kavanagh - it was never more than approx. $2 million per year.
http://bubravesblogger.blogspot.com/2014/12/letter-of-nov-24-2014.html
http://bradleyfans.com/vb/showpost.php?p=300504&postcount=13
- and contributions were down by almost HALF in just one year while Athletics sending has skyrocketed. Go figure. Spells trouble...
I have all the references - feel free to contact and I will show them to you..
The Bradley Board of Trustees met in November as did the Bradley University Senate and the minutes & reports from those meetings detail several interesting facts.
First & foremost are that ..(all statements in quotation marks are directly from the reports)
-"..many issues, trends, and items that were disclosed .. were not made available (previously) to the URC (University Resources Committee) for their inclusion in their April 2014 report."
-"Non-disclosure and lack of transparency at appropriate time has rendered the April 2014 committee report incomplete."
-"The Board of Trustees mandated that Bradley reduce the operating budget by .. 7.6 M$ ($7.6 million)."
-Tuition hikes should result in an increase in revenue of $5.3 million
-Here's the biggie - Athletics costs were misrepresented previously at $5.8 million for fiscal year 2013-14.
".in fact the actual Athletics loss ballooned to over $7.1 million."
-"Unrestricted contributions were down 46% (in 2014) to only $.8 million. This was the only year in the past ten years where contributions were under $1 million."
-"Athletic losses continue to grow at a pace of about $.5 million more every year. Ten years ago, the Athletics loss was $2.1 million and it is now $7.1 million."
-"Athletics (costs) have increased by 240%" over the past 10 years
-"The increase in the Athletics loss has also put a severe strain on enrollment and the funds that new students contribute.
..twenty additional students need to be enrolled just to cover Athletics' growing loss.."
Some summary thoughts...
-"Non-disclosure" and "lack of transparency" are fancy words for falsifying reports, lying, and hiding the damaging facts.
-the dollar loss in Athletics in 2013-14 was much higher than they admitted to - it was actually $7.1 million in just that one year when under Ken Kavanagh - it was never more than approx. $2 million per year.
http://bubravesblogger.blogspot.com/2014/12/letter-of-nov-24-2014.html
http://bradleyfans.com/vb/showpost.php?p=300504&postcount=13
- and contributions were down by almost HALF in just one year while Athletics sending has skyrocketed. Go figure. Spells trouble...
Thursday, December 4, 2014
Letter of Nov. 24, 2014
Dear *****:
I am sure that our paths have crossed over the past 40 years that I have lived in the Peoria Area.
Thanks you for your support of Bradley Athletics and the time you took to write an insightful letter!
As I thought about your comments I broke them into two parts: Bradley Athletics in general and our men's basketball program, which is often viewed as being synonymous with the state of the University's intercollegiate athletics programs.
At our most recent board meeting, on November 6th and 7th, the athletic programs were a major discussion at the committee level. At future board meetings they will be part of an in depth discussion at the full board level. You might have also read that we are taking further action the reduce the loss realized in intercollegiate athletics. This is appropriate in light of the enrollment challenge facing higher education.
As far as Bradley's overall athletics program is concerned: I think we have made positive strides.
Last year was a record setting one for Bradley Athletics with the department achieving its best over-all athletic performance in at least the last 30 years. Further, this occurred with an all-time record performance in the classroom with a 3.31 grade point average for all student athletes. And already this fall women's cross country won the MVC title and the men's team had their best finish since 1987. Once again soccer contended for an MVC crown.
Having recognized our accomplishments, the men's basketball program is another story. I attend the games just like you and last year's season did not meet expectations. Thus far this year, we have not shown any meaningful progress. It is still early and injuries have impacted the ability to get a new team on the same page. The program is top of mind. It is on our radar and we will assess its progress at the end of the season.
We are full committed to NCAA Division I competition as doing so is very much part of the Bradley brand that many of us have enjoyed. As fellow alums, we both realize that as the intercollegiate landscape changes, our alumni involvement and support are critical ingredients to our program's future successes.
Thank you again for your loyalty, support and also for constructively sharing your obervations.
Regards
*********
D*** S******
Chairman of the Board of Trustees
B****** University
now - for a couple qualifying facts in rebuttal....
-"best over-all athletic performance in at least the last 30 years"??? Just how does anyone come up with this when our baseball, volleyball, women's basketball, men's basketball - and yes, even soccer, are all doing about as historically worst they've ever done.
Soccer did not contend for an MVC crown - they were 1-5 in the league and as far from contending as any team in the MVC.
-much of the academic success was due to the high grade point averages of our senior athletes who were recruited by those coaches that are no longer here - this will not likely be repeated this season.
-we have debunked this "enrollment challenges" argument already - the big time financial losses were 100% due to overspending - even irresponsible spending in the Athletic Department.
The Athletic Dept. has lost $6 million each year for the past 3 years....and prior to 2011 no prior year had ever had a loss of more than about $3.
http://bradley.edu/dotAsset/9c19ad59-b660-4d92-83f4-b29f1d8b84a6.pdf
http://bubravesblogger.blogspot.com/2014/06/text-of-e-mail-release-regarding-bu.html
http://www.bradleyscout.com/news/show-us-the-money-bradley-salaries-in-2011/
http://www.pjstar.com/article/20141121/NEWS/141129754?template=printart
..also reference the April 17, 2014 Report to Senate by the Bradley University Resources Committee ...(copy available upon request) -
http://bradleyfans.com/vb/showthread.php?t=24001&highlight=financial+report
Or try this link directly
http://www.bradley.edu/academic/cio/senate/documents/2013-2014/Bradley+University+Senate+Agenda+May+2014+website.pdf
Also if you scroll to pages 36 through 56 - especially page 47 showing Athletic Department LOSSES
-of $5.915 million in 2011-2012
-of $5.940 million in 2012-2013
-of $5.800 million in 2013-2014
...but going all the way back to 2005 - never a loss of even 1/3 or about 1/2 of those figures under different Athletic Director & different basketball coach.
I am sure that our paths have crossed over the past 40 years that I have lived in the Peoria Area.
Thanks you for your support of Bradley Athletics and the time you took to write an insightful letter!
As I thought about your comments I broke them into two parts: Bradley Athletics in general and our men's basketball program, which is often viewed as being synonymous with the state of the University's intercollegiate athletics programs.
At our most recent board meeting, on November 6th and 7th, the athletic programs were a major discussion at the committee level. At future board meetings they will be part of an in depth discussion at the full board level. You might have also read that we are taking further action the reduce the loss realized in intercollegiate athletics. This is appropriate in light of the enrollment challenge facing higher education.
As far as Bradley's overall athletics program is concerned: I think we have made positive strides.
Last year was a record setting one for Bradley Athletics with the department achieving its best over-all athletic performance in at least the last 30 years. Further, this occurred with an all-time record performance in the classroom with a 3.31 grade point average for all student athletes. And already this fall women's cross country won the MVC title and the men's team had their best finish since 1987. Once again soccer contended for an MVC crown.
Having recognized our accomplishments, the men's basketball program is another story. I attend the games just like you and last year's season did not meet expectations. Thus far this year, we have not shown any meaningful progress. It is still early and injuries have impacted the ability to get a new team on the same page. The program is top of mind. It is on our radar and we will assess its progress at the end of the season.
We are full committed to NCAA Division I competition as doing so is very much part of the Bradley brand that many of us have enjoyed. As fellow alums, we both realize that as the intercollegiate landscape changes, our alumni involvement and support are critical ingredients to our program's future successes.
Thank you again for your loyalty, support and also for constructively sharing your obervations.
Regards
*********
D*** S******
Chairman of the Board of Trustees
B****** University
now - for a couple qualifying facts in rebuttal....
-"best over-all athletic performance in at least the last 30 years"??? Just how does anyone come up with this when our baseball, volleyball, women's basketball, men's basketball - and yes, even soccer, are all doing about as historically worst they've ever done.
Soccer did not contend for an MVC crown - they were 1-5 in the league and as far from contending as any team in the MVC.
-much of the academic success was due to the high grade point averages of our senior athletes who were recruited by those coaches that are no longer here - this will not likely be repeated this season.
-we have debunked this "enrollment challenges" argument already - the big time financial losses were 100% due to overspending - even irresponsible spending in the Athletic Department.
The Athletic Dept. has lost $6 million each year for the past 3 years....and prior to 2011 no prior year had ever had a loss of more than about $3.
http://bradley.edu/dotAsset/9c19ad59-b660-4d92-83f4-b29f1d8b84a6.pdf
http://bubravesblogger.blogspot.com/2014/06/text-of-e-mail-release-regarding-bu.html
http://www.bradleyscout.com/news/show-us-the-money-bradley-salaries-in-2011/
http://www.pjstar.com/article/20141121/NEWS/141129754?template=printart
..also reference the April 17, 2014 Report to Senate by the Bradley University Resources Committee ...(copy available upon request) -
http://bradleyfans.com/vb/showthread.php?t=24001&highlight=financial+report
Or try this link directly
http://www.bradley.edu/academic/cio/senate/documents/2013-2014/Bradley+University+Senate+Agenda+May+2014+website.pdf
Also if you scroll to pages 36 through 56 - especially page 47 showing Athletic Department LOSSES
-of $5.915 million in 2011-2012
-of $5.940 million in 2012-2013
-of $5.800 million in 2013-2014
...but going all the way back to 2005 - never a loss of even 1/3 or about 1/2 of those figures under different Athletic Director & different basketball coach.
Saturday, November 22, 2014
With excuses growing thin a small but vocal clan tries hauling out a haggard old alibi
I saw a claim that the current Bradley situation and indeed the changeover of coaches from Jim Les to Geno Ford was ...."a situation" that "was not remarkable in any way"
I respectfully disagree and will present evidence to support that the Jim Les situation was really quite unique...
Just show me any other coaching changeover where such a vocal clan of fans that team with the grudge-holding media to continue well into the 4th year attacking the past coach?
Here are the numerous unique factors to the BU situation...
-Les came under attack and was criticized even before he was a finalist for the job
-the local media made absolutely NO effort to hide their displeasure with JL's selection and stirred up an uproar with attack pieces for the entire first year or more than JL was here...
(remember the Phil Theobald attack that he never explained that Les had surrounded himself with people who prefer the expedient way to the ethical way)
-the editor and columnist of the PJ Star (Kirk Wessler) has publicly stated he soured on Jim Les in year two, became convinced he had to go and began beating the drum to get JL fired...all before JL had been here for his 3rd season!
-then Jim Les was fired after his first and only losing season over a SIX YEAR STRETCH - something that is extremely rare and only a handful of such examples of a coach being "fired for losing" when he actually had that much success.
-lastly - even though all players who played for JL are long gone, we're in our 4th year under GF, and even the JL-haters guaranteed we'd be winning and competing for championships by now - those same people have hypocritically backtracked and in order to cover their own embarrassment have begun dragging out the old "blame it all on Jim Les" and "this terrible slide actually started 10-12 years ago" fairy-tale.
I respectfully disagree and will present evidence to support that the Jim Les situation was really quite unique...
Just show me any other coaching changeover where such a vocal clan of fans that team with the grudge-holding media to continue well into the 4th year attacking the past coach?
Here are the numerous unique factors to the BU situation...
-Les came under attack and was criticized even before he was a finalist for the job
-the local media made absolutely NO effort to hide their displeasure with JL's selection and stirred up an uproar with attack pieces for the entire first year or more than JL was here...
(remember the Phil Theobald attack that he never explained that Les had surrounded himself with people who prefer the expedient way to the ethical way)
-the editor and columnist of the PJ Star (Kirk Wessler) has publicly stated he soured on Jim Les in year two, became convinced he had to go and began beating the drum to get JL fired...all before JL had been here for his 3rd season!
-then Jim Les was fired after his first and only losing season over a SIX YEAR STRETCH - something that is extremely rare and only a handful of such examples of a coach being "fired for losing" when he actually had that much success.
-lastly - even though all players who played for JL are long gone, we're in our 4th year under GF, and even the JL-haters guaranteed we'd be winning and competing for championships by now - those same people have hypocritically backtracked and in order to cover their own embarrassment have begun dragging out the old "blame it all on Jim Les" and "this terrible slide actually started 10-12 years ago" fairy-tale.
Thursday, November 20, 2014
Has any Bradley team ever been this bad?
Bradley has now lost horribly to Augustana, Texas-Arlington, and a very, very bad Robert Morris team that just got shellacked twice by 30 points or more before coming here to Peoria to pick up a seemingly easy win.
I notice even the message board of JL-haters are admitting their precious admin & AD have made a series of inexcusable and stupendous mistakes and bonehead moves.
Sadly they still think people don't notice how bad this stinking mess is or that the fans are gonna keep coming because they are trying so hard!
Changes need to made right from the top - from the Board on down or Bradley will be DIII so fast it'll happen before the PJ Star sees it coming - which wouldn't surprise anyone since they sure never saw this fiasco coming and were hooting and hollering just a week ago in the HOOPS section how tough and how good this team is.
Glasser, Cross, the coaching staff, and even the entire Board of Trustees must go...every Bradley grad and every fan I have talked to says the same thing- not giving a single cent of their money to those crooks again.
I notice even the message board of JL-haters are admitting their precious admin & AD have made a series of inexcusable and stupendous mistakes and bonehead moves.
Sadly they still think people don't notice how bad this stinking mess is or that the fans are gonna keep coming because they are trying so hard!
Changes need to made right from the top - from the Board on down or Bradley will be DIII so fast it'll happen before the PJ Star sees it coming - which wouldn't surprise anyone since they sure never saw this fiasco coming and were hooting and hollering just a week ago in the HOOPS section how tough and how good this team is.
Glasser, Cross, the coaching staff, and even the entire Board of Trustees must go...every Bradley grad and every fan I have talked to says the same thing- not giving a single cent of their money to those crooks again.
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
BU fans will be glad to see 2014 go...
Lots were optimistically looking forward to 2014 - those who wanted all the housecleanings claimed when all the new coaches got their own players - we'd be competing for championships...
OK - we're here now.....how has 2014 turned out for Bradley's team sports.....?
(XC did well but even the other individual sports of golf, tennis, track - were disasters)
BUT - let's just check the team sports - the sports where game coaching matters - the sports that people actually come to see and come to cheer Bradley on...the sports where we are paying big contracts to hire those coaches that are doing this to Bradley...
In calendar year 2014, here are the records - all games/matches included:
Men's basketball: 7-14, & 7-11 in conference
Women's basketball: 6-17, & 5-13 in conference
Baseball: 24-27, & 5-16 in conference
Softball: 27-32, & 15-12 in conference
Volleyball: 1-25, &1-15 in conference
Soccer: 10-11-1, & 1-5 in conference
TOTAL - all team sports records combined for 2014...
75-126-1, and 34-72 in conference...woeful......really, really woeful....
All told - in 2014, Bradley won only 37% of their contests overall, and only 32% of their games in the MVC.
And yet there are still clueless fans and some media people who claim we are headed in the right direction!
I doubt you can find a single year where Bradley's team sports did so badly across the board - no wonder the attendance had crashed to only half of what it once was - and the number of donors, Scholarship Society members, and just people who care or who are interested - have all literally plummeted to only a small fraction of what once was...
The amazingly stupid long term contracts given to the very people, in the Athletic Dept. and coaching staffs - that have brought BU athletics to this low point are the anchor that is killing BU sports.
As recently as 2008 & 2009 Bradley basketball was winning 20 games, heading to the post-season, and commonly drawing crowds over 10,000 - even several sellouts.
The dive occurred after that despite the attempt by some to try to blame it on those who successfully raised $170 million back in the early & mid-2000's for all the improved facilities, and who helped build donations and the BSS to an enviable record level that has not and likely now will not ever be surpassed.
Read for yourself:
http://bradleyfans.com/vb/showthread.php?p=294762#post294762
Please stop looking for someone else, even fans - to blame - put the blame where it belongs - and right this sinking ship before we are indeed DIII.
OK - we're here now.....how has 2014 turned out for Bradley's team sports.....?
(XC did well but even the other individual sports of golf, tennis, track - were disasters)
BUT - let's just check the team sports - the sports where game coaching matters - the sports that people actually come to see and come to cheer Bradley on...the sports where we are paying big contracts to hire those coaches that are doing this to Bradley...
In calendar year 2014, here are the records - all games/matches included:
Men's basketball: 7-14, & 7-11 in conference
Women's basketball: 6-17, & 5-13 in conference
Baseball: 24-27, & 5-16 in conference
Softball: 27-32, & 15-12 in conference
Volleyball: 1-25, &1-15 in conference
Soccer: 10-11-1, & 1-5 in conference
TOTAL - all team sports records combined for 2014...
75-126-1, and 34-72 in conference...woeful......really, really woeful....
All told - in 2014, Bradley won only 37% of their contests overall, and only 32% of their games in the MVC.
And yet there are still clueless fans and some media people who claim we are headed in the right direction!
I doubt you can find a single year where Bradley's team sports did so badly across the board - no wonder the attendance had crashed to only half of what it once was - and the number of donors, Scholarship Society members, and just people who care or who are interested - have all literally plummeted to only a small fraction of what once was...
The amazingly stupid long term contracts given to the very people, in the Athletic Dept. and coaching staffs - that have brought BU athletics to this low point are the anchor that is killing BU sports.
As recently as 2008 & 2009 Bradley basketball was winning 20 games, heading to the post-season, and commonly drawing crowds over 10,000 - even several sellouts.
The dive occurred after that despite the attempt by some to try to blame it on those who successfully raised $170 million back in the early & mid-2000's for all the improved facilities, and who helped build donations and the BSS to an enviable record level that has not and likely now will not ever be surpassed.
Read for yourself:
http://bradleyfans.com/vb/showthread.php?p=294762#post294762
Please stop looking for someone else, even fans - to blame - put the blame where it belongs - and right this sinking ship before we are indeed DIII.
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