Messages

I understand that brown is probably here to stay.  I still vote that gold should be the dominant color.  Looks better on TV (yes that's important) and in the arena. 

Great idea.  But remember, our dominant color is brown.  That says enough about marketing B-Ball.  Hopefully, Roger's hire moves Valpo to better marketing schemes.

Nothing new to say, other than I have hope again!!!!

Sure, baseball lost to Miss State during a mid-week game.  I guess that's a reality check.  But given what VU has done in the first ten games, I think there is reason to smile. I think the Men's basketball team would take a 6-4 record against similar competition, wouldn't they?  Here's hoping that VU baseball gives us a little something to cheer about this spring.

Let him ride it out and relieve him after the final loss.  Better days ahead.  At least that's what I keep repeating to myself.

I haven't been able to watch a game yet this season.  Does VU really have talent to win some of these games?  How much is talent and how much is coaching?  Asking for a friend.

Teachers are on the job 180 days a year.  My hope is that you haven't been around many teachers.  Most teachers spend their Saturday mornings or Sunday evenings grading papers, revising lesson plans to meet district/school requirements, and considering how to make the next "unit" informative and interesting.  You also fail to account for teachers who are involved in extracurricular activities.  Teachers also coach, conduct bands or orchestras, accompany students to academic competitions, direct school plays, supervise school clubs and organizations, chaperone dances, etc.  In schools with limited resources, teachers routinely spend their summers painting their classrooms, collecting school supplies for students, providing tutoring to students, with much of the expenses coming out of their own pockets. While you can always find a person in any profession who behaves badly and it reflects on the entire profession, making general statements about how much teachers work is reckless.  Some of us can point to people in our own lives who were teachers, and can assure you that all teachers aren't on the gravy train. 

I'm less concerned about the uniforms, and more concerned the colors that show on TV and in person. My two cents (and that's all it's worth) is that gold needs to be the dominant color for fans.  Having gone to all four MVC tourney games in 2020, there's something about walking into an arena and seeing a section of fans with the same color.   There was no mistaking the Bradley fan base in red.  Same for Missouri State in maroon.  Maybe it's living in STL and going to Cards games for 50+ years in a "sea of red".   As a fan, you just know what to wear.  The Valpo fan base at the MVC had a hodge podge of brown, gold or no color at all.  Gold shows in the arena and on TV.  "Look at that sea of brown" has yet to roll off an announcer's tongue. 

Judging by the comments, I'm probably in the minority.  But I'd switch to black and gold or maroon and gold, and emphasize gold spirit wear.

Gold shows on TV far better than brown, in my opinion. Gold shows far better in person at an event like the MVC tourney. I will leave the logos and history conversation to others.

It's about the look on TV.  Gold shows far better than brown on TV. 

It's all relative.  What's your measuring stick?  A conference in the 10-11 range, sure beats the Horizon. Far more attention making the MVC championship game and losing, than making the Horizon championship game and losing.  Would we rather win?  Sure, who wouldn't.    I'd rather be playing in a conference with Bradley, Loyola, and Drake, than a conference with commuter schools.

My wife and I went to four games in four days.  Great fun.  We didn't have an answer when Bradley went to a zone, but it was a great four days.  Great job Valpo.

After attending the last three games in STL, and getting ready to go today, I actually think that the other Valley schools think more of Valpo than the Valpo administration does.  Talked with a number of Bradley fans who are very impressed with our team, and think that Valpo was a great addition to the Valley.  I also had a friend just text me from a sports book in Vegas who said that a number of people were talking about the Valpo run.  Do you think the administration understands the impact that men's BB has on the perception of a university?

I will put my hope in this team that seems to have developed a real ability to deal with adversity.  Enjoy the ride today.

Valpo by 7!

Valpo wins by 5.  Why not? Enjoy the ride.

Just got home from the game.  Fun to hear most of the other schools cheering for Valpo in overtime. Winning cures a lot doesn't it! 

Reading this thread may be more entertaining than the game itself.  We're terrible, Matt's terrible, it's not Matt's fault, Matt can recruit, Matt recruited horrible players,  we play defense, we don't play defense, shoot, don't shoot.  It's a thread from fans who want the best for the program, and could see us at either 4-0 in conference or 0-4.  I get it.  I don't see enough of the games online, and frankly, this is my main source for information about games. 

I really only know two things about this team:

1. I wish the fans in the VU stands had as much passion as the people on this thread.

2.  I did see JFL in person last year in the Valley tournament in STL.  Even when he's not on the top of his game, he is a huge difference-maker.  Rebounding, steals, FTs, defense. Glad we have him.

I haven't watched any games this year, and I get most of my intelligence through this board.  Some comments suggest lack of talent (after JFL) and some suggest coaching issues.  I have no idea.  Is the truth somewhere in the middle?  We have a long way to go until Arch Madness, so I will try to enjoy the ride.  As if we can do anything else.

Great moments are born of great opportunity.  That's what you have here.

Frankly, when Tom Smith was at Valpo, the program was supported financially like a mid-level DII program, at best.  At Central Missouri, which funds athletics at a high level for DII, he had success.  Smith goes back to DII at Missouri Western and wins.  I was at Valpo during the Smith era, and while I didn't think he was much of a coach while he was there, I think he proved that he could win in two other good  situations.  Tip of the cap to Tom.

I saw Grafs play three games in St. Louis in the fall of '99 (VU beat Mississippi State, lost to Murray State and Evansville) and he had such great footwork.  Really smooth for a big man.

GuideStar is the website the posts all the Form 990 for exempt organizations.  It is a couple of years behind, as the last VU 990 shown is 2015.   

Agree with USC.

I'm not an insider, and I don't see enough games to know whether ML should stay or go.  I do believe that given the scarce resources and the lack of commitment from Board/Admin to make Men's B-Ball a bigger priority, any new coach would be faced with a lot of the same obstacles.

SLU has no interest in joining the MVC.  They've been there and done that many moons ago.  They still harbor hopes (unrealistic) of the Big East.

I don't get the disdain for Butler.  They've built a national brand, and they've had a long period of sustained success. Butler's down year this year does nothing to raise Valpo's profile. 

I find myself picking apart  everything a coach says when the team isn't winning.  If the team was winning more, we'd probably be less concerned about whether ML's interviews are dynamic.   Winning more cures a lot.

The Half Full side of me says that we split with the two teams that played in the MVC Championship game, so maybe we aren't that far off.  Javon is a player who will only get better over the next three years.  The two transfers have good experience.  Clay was a big-time high school player in a big-time conference that is stocked with DI talent.  We will be healthy and deep. We go at least 11-7 in conference play, maybe 12-6.

The Half Empty side of me says that we didn't improve over the course of the year, and that we don't have the depth necessary to play through injuries.  We stand around too much in the half court offense.  We may lose good players to transfer.  We go 6-10 in conference play.

Between now and November of '19, I will spend time on both parts of the glass.  Stay thirsty my friends, the off-season just started!

Nothing like having a HIPAA debate (and possible student record debate) on a fan board.  When I saw the reference to "covered entity", I broke out into hives.

Let's stick to breaking down half court offenses.