Valpo Fan Zone Forum Post Hall of Fame

LaPorteAveApostle · February 21, 2013, 09:08:38 AM

One of the problems about message boards, even one as cozy as our own, is that good material is quickly tamped down by the volume of new material coming out on top of them, and then we lose good, thoughtful posts, buried like Troy VIIA (if you immediately get that reference, I need to buy you a beer when I'm in Valpo next).

So I thought, after commenting for the second time about "post of the year!", how about a list of "nominees" for posts that really made a difference--that were well-written and worth remembering so as to come back to them? Analytical or funny, verbose or concise, but let's make this the "Hall of Fame" rather than the "Hall of Really Pretty Good".

Only "rule" is that self-nomination is out, like liking your own status on Facebook. Anybody and everybody are welcome to nominate--make sure to link to the post, though, and explain why you picked it. (Don't immediately nominate, because it might take a day or two to make sure it "stands the test of time", but don't wait too long, like I did with the first post either, because then it's well nigh impossible to find!:)

LaPorteAveApostle · February 21, 2013, 09:10:57 AM

1) http://www.valpofanzone.com/forum/index.php?topic=1166.msg23338#msg23338

WHO: vu72
WHAT: "Another poll about HL expansion"
WHERE: On The Horizon, reply #1
WHEN: 1/16/13, 11:19 AM
WHY: A thoughtful post about expansion, comparing schools to each other as well as to the rest of their conferences.

QuoteLet me show you some current facts about the candidates and what they might do for our conference and why they might want to join or why we might want them.

For this analysis I'm going to use the Sagarin's.

Currently the four schools in question are ranked as follows:

Belmont 28
Evansville 93
Murray St. 101
Robert M. 131
Oakland 189

At the same time their conferences are ranked:

The Valley 9th
Summit 22nd
OVC 23rd
Northeast 24th

Now let's take a look at the Horizon, currently ranked 11th while our two best teams--Valpo at 79th and Detroit at 84th.

So you can see why Belmont would want to move to a better conference and why we would want them. Murray has the same issue with the OVC but at 101 isn't as attractive but still would rank third in the Horizon, better than WSU at 118

Robert Morris would like to make the jump but is less attractive than Murray being currently ranked 131 which would put them 4th in our league and a head of Loyola at 138th.

Oakland is the least attractive, being ranked 189th but would want to join to get in a better conference.

Evansville would help us being ranked at 93 but would be moving slightly lower moving from the the Valley, ranked 9th, to the Horizon.

So, from a ranking standpoint we would want Belmont, then Evansville and then Murray State. Both Belmont and Murray would be making a sizable jump in conference while Evansville would be moving down slightly. Not sure why Evansville would make the move as geographically is seems it would be more difficult travel wise, haven't done the analysis on that one.

Robert Morris is the top ranked team in a very bad conference, but would also fit if we are trying to take the top ranked teams from lower ranked conferences. The odd team out is Oakland, who has a bad record, a pretty bad ranking and is not at or near the top of the Summit.

I'd take Evansville, Murray and Belmont, but Murray may not want to leave because of football in the OVC. That makes Robert Morris the third pick.

LaPorteAveApostle · February 21, 2013, 09:15:37 AM

2) http://www.valpofanzone.com/forum/index.php?topic=1253.msg26599#msg26599

WHO: wh
WHAT: "2/19/2013: Valpo @ Loyola"
WHERE: Valpo Basketball, reply #81
WHEN: 2/20/13, 8:56 PM
WHY: A spot-on analysis of why we lost two second halves in a row, with evident passion but without anger.

QuoteI think we are missing the larger point. The Detroit and Loyola comebacks were far more about terrible Valpo defense than inept Valpo offense. Without checking for accuracy, we gave up an amazing 58 points to Detroit in the 2nd half, and followed that up with an even more ridiculous 49 points against an offensively challenged Loyola team minus 2 starters. We were constantly beaten off the dribble for easy hoops or out of position fouls. Our zone was porous and slow to react. How many times did Loyola throw the ball underneath to someone totally unguarded, followed by that "who should have had him" deer in the headlight look by our interior defenders? Could Minnerath have been more wide open for free throw line jump shots? Loyola killed us on the offensive boards possession after possession because we didn't make the effort to block out. We looked tired, confused, and slow. The effort was not there - plain and simple. Neither game should have been close, despite the offensive lapses. The old expression that good offense begins with good defense works the other way, as well. Bad defense translates into bad offense. This team needs to rededicate itself to playing 40 minutes of hard-nosed, in-your-face defense, and quick looking at the scoreboard to determine how much effort to give. The fact that this is an issue nearly 30 games into the season on a talented, experienced team that is supposedly on a mission defies any logic.

agibson · February 21, 2013, 09:22:49 AM

Quote from: LaPorteAveApostle on February 21, 2013, 09:08:38 AMburied like Troy VIIA

I'll admit that I googled before remembering exactly _which_ layer that was. With the Jeopardy thread going, you'd think I'd first have bothered to guess, "It's the most famous layer."

HC · February 21, 2013, 06:33:42 PM

Who: sader
Why: for his awesome video dub many moons ago, hope I didn't just blow your cover...this was the greatest post on this site of all time. Hopefully someone with more time can dig it up!

LaPorteAveApostle · February 21, 2013, 08:36:38 PM

I know I wasn't around then, but I am good at tracking down stuff and HC made a GREAT point.

3) http://www.valpofanzone.com/forum/index.php?topic=588.msg9141#msg9141

WHO: crusader03, aka SadersofthelostArc
WHAT: "A little lighthearted fun re: 'Sader basketball!!!!!"
WHERE: Valpo Basketball, original topic post
WHEN: 1/24/12, 10:31 PM
WHY: What HC said above. We've all seen the Downfall video given various subtitles, just not one striking this close to home (and to the funny bone)...

'Drama on the VU Forum'

Drama on the VU Forum.m4v

LaPorteAveApostle · February 21, 2013, 08:50:55 PM

4) http://www.valpofanzone.com/forum/index.php?topic=636.msg10352#msg10352

WHO: valpo04, (upon prodding/questioning from crusader 03)
WHAT: "Behind the Scenes: VU Fan Forum"
WHERE: Off-Topic / General Off-Topic, reply #2
WHEN: 2/17/12, 7:37 AM
WHY: A revealing bit of history/info I stumbled upon looking for the video above. Helpful to all who stumble upon this site and wonder all the various capitalized words I just used before the colons:

Quote*How did this board start? I know there were previous boards, so how did this one come to be?

Back in 2005 the Voy board was becoming unmanageable, with spam and hijacked usernames. Valpower was looking for a better home, so I created the Valpo Fans Forum on Proboards and he, Hoops and I were the admins. After a few years there, the lack of customization and the idea that Proboards "owned" all of our data lead me to begin to search for an option that would allow us to have our own site, free and clear. I also wanted the ability to build a website around the board. Having our own domain and running our own forum software allows us to do that. So, a year ago I purchased valpofanzone.com and installed this forum.

*Do the mods know each other in "real life?"

No

*How much, if any, communication do you have with the athletic department?

Very little. We used to have semi-regular posts from valpomarketingguy, but other than that and rlh's work to create the Q&A with ML, we have had no other communication with the athletic department.

*Who does the banners and how much work does that take?

The person who makes the banners has asked to remain anonymous.

As for time... When we feel a new banner is needed, I email them, they usually create one and send it back within a day or so.

*Does this board cost you anything or does it make any money?

The board costs me the domain registration each year, plus my time and energy. It does not make any money.

*How do you decide when to start a new forum category?

The forum categories have remained constant for quite some time. When we switched from the Mid-Con to the HL, we simply renamed that category. But the general Valpo Hoops, Valpo Sports, HL talk and Off Topic has been in place since the beginning of the Proboards era.

We did at one time try combining all of the Valpo sports into one category, but that ended up not working out, so we switched it back.

*Any future plans to expand or improve the board in any way?

I am constantly working to improve the board. I do not anticipate any expansion, but always work to give members what they want and tweak things as needed. Occasionally I will install a new feature and if people like it, it stays. If they don't, I remove it.

I am actively looking to revamp the main site, but haven't had much time lately. I really want to take advantage of the fact that we have the domain and could build a quality fan site around this board. Any suggestions or help are appreciated!

*Do you plan to have a presence at the HL tourney?

No.

LaPorteAveApostle · March 05, 2013, 09:39:12 PM

5) http://www.valpofanzone.com/forum/index.php?topic=96.msg1009#msg1009

WHO: wh
WHAT: Change the NCAA Tournament Now!
WHERE: Valpo Basketball, original post
WHEN: 4/5/11, 3:40 PM
WHY: just read the thread after you read the post:

QuoteWhat happened last night was an embarrassment to college basketball – lowest shooting pct. in the history of the championship game, low TV ratings, millions of homes changing the channel in the 2nd half, scathing reviews, mocking and laughing by the pundits, etc., etc. A Cinderella story is nice, but not at the expense of damaging the sport. To quote a well known philosopher from 2002, "something needs to be done to make sure this never happens again."

As a fan concerned about the greater good, I am going to contact the NCAA and recommend a major change be made to the tournament format. It's not good enough to have teams representing the sport that happen to be playing the best at the time, but fall woefully short of being the best teams. Simply put, what the sport needs are the best teams as demonstrated by their "body of work" playing the best at tournament time.

What we need is a system that protects the top seeds, while still giving the Cinderellas a chance. What I am going to suggest is that the tournament be expanded to 80 teams. The 5-20 seeds will play 2 preliminary rounds to reduce the field to 32 teams. After receiving a double bye, the top 16 teams (1-4 seeds) will begin play against the remaining 16 teams. This way, in order to play in the national championship game the 1-4 seeds would only have to win 3 games while the lower rated seeds would have to win 5. To make it even more challenging, it would be preferable to have the surviving lower seeded teams play the 1-4 seeds the day immediately following their last game.

This change far better protects the best teams that play in the best conferences against the best competition over those who play in weaker conferences against weaker competition and thus better protect the image and reputation of college basketball. Any thoughts?

SadersofthelostArc · March 10, 2013, 10:05:52 PM

Quote from: LaPorteAveApostle on February 21, 2013, 08:36:38 PM
I know I wasn't around then, but I am good at tracking down stuff and HC made a GREAT point.

3) http://www.valpofanzone.com/forum/index.php?topic=588.msg9141#msg9141

WHO: crusader03, aka SadersofthelostArc
WHAT: "A little lighthearted fun re: 'Sader basketball!!!!!"
WHERE: Valpo Basketball, original topic post
WHEN: 1/24/12, 10:31 PM
WHY: What HC said above. We've all seen the Downfall video given various subtitles, just not one striking this close to home (and to the funny bone)...

'Drama on the VU Forum'
Drama on the VU Forum.m4v

I think we have a winner, folks.

(And a big thanks goes out to EE for mentioning me! That is a true honor coming from this guy)

LaPorteAveApostle · September 24, 2013, 03:21:58 PM

6) http://www.valpofanzone.com/forum/index.php?topic=1565.msg36256#msg36256

WHO: wh
WHAT: Valpo Rivals
WHERE: Valpo Basketball, reply in above thread
WHEN: 9/24/13, 3:13 PM
WHY: Insta-classic

QuoteHad Butler stayed in the league I think we would have a pretty solid rivalry in place at this point. We would have extended our winning streak from 4 to 7 this past season, knocking them out of the HL tournament with a 15-point victory. They would have accepted another invitation to the NIT over more deserving teams based on milking their "glory days" reputation one last time. "Brad" would still be their coach because no one would be interested anymore. Pundits would be writing that "the Butler way" apparently had more to do with a roster of future pro players than some mysterious master system that no one but Butler has the intelligence to put in place. Last, but not least, their 5 remaining message board fans would be posting that they hope their students don't storm the court if they're fortunate enough to upset us this year. Oh, and I would be starting a thread over here about now entitled, "Do you still consider Butler our rival?"

LaPorteAveApostle · November 18, 2013, 09:35:08 PM

7) http://www.valpofanzone.com/forum/index.php?topic=1096.msg21165#msg21165

WHO: bbtds
WHAT: New Football Coach
WHEN: 12/6/12, 6 PM
WHY: funny, and any time someone remembers your post ELEVEN MONTHS-PLUS LATER it deserves to be here. plus we're a little low on satire.

QuoteVALPARAISO | Mike Ditka received a lengthy round of applause before taking the podium on Thursday afternoon and laying out his plan to transform the football culture at Valparaiso University.

Ditka, who was named the 17th head coach in school history, said he immediately will begin rebuilding a program that went 2-31 in the last three years under former coach Dale Carlson.

Ditka arrives at Valparaiso from the hospital and the Chicago Bears, where he was named the "Who You Crappin" Football Coach of the Year.

"This is a new day for Crusader football," Ditka said. "From this day forward, we aspire for nothing but greatness, both on and off the field."

Valparaiso director of athletics Mark LaBarbera introduced Ditka, saying that he authorized the hire after a national search by an appointed committee that included several faculty and staff members as well as sophomore quarterback, Eric Hoffman.

"We had well over 10 people express interest, and I'm thankful for the search committee and they work they did to help out," LaBarbera said. "Coach Ditka's resume itself stood out. We knew he had kicked butt at programs and that was very attractive to us."

Ditka mentioned several coaching mentors, including George Halas, who helped Ditka get his first coaching job.

Halas was the coach of the Chicago Bears a long time ago.

Ditka said he would not keep any of the previous coach's assistants because they were generally all a bunch of pussies.

"We're in that process right now," Ditka said. "I met with the coaches today, and had to fire them all. Mark LaBarbera said I did such a good job I could fire the current coach, Carlson too."

One of the toughest hurdles Ditka faces is in regards to recruiting. While most programs have been working on their upcoming recruiting classes for months now, Ditka and his staff will be getting a late start, and without the benefit of scholarships.

"I don't view it as a handicap because there are so many smart people here," Ditka said. "The biggest thing we have to do here is change the culture. I don't care if it's scholarship or non-scholarship, we're a Division I football program and we're going to kick some butt."

LaPorteAveApostle · December 02, 2013, 06:11:42 AM

8) http://www.valpofanzone.com/forum/index.php?topic=1608.msg39081#msg39081

WHO: VULB#62
WHAT: Valpo Opponents' Schedule & Results 2013-14
WHEN: 12/1/13, 10 PM
WHY: if this kind of post isn't what this board is meant to preserve forever then ban me.

(following Talksalot's game-by-game of that season, which he annotated: )

QuoteThe highest points-per-game average for a season was 1965-66, under Bartow, the average was 94.71 points per game.... here are the results from that 1965-66 season, where no player had a shot they didn't like.

Dec. 1 Marquette L 80-79 {Missing from the original list}
Dec. 4 Wheaton W 100-80
Dec. 7 Hope W 104-85
Dec. 10 Capital W 112-59
Dec. 1 Luther W 120-85
Dec. 14 at Wabash W 90-69
Dec. 16 Alberta W 120-60 {that was before Canadians were alowed to play good basketball}
Dec. 18 at DePauw L 80-77
Dec. 22 Purdue W 114-96 {Yes, Purdue!}
Dec. 30 at Washington (Mo.) W 70-59
Jan. 3 at Wheaton W 111-60
Jan. 5 at Indiana State L 113-100
Jan. 8 Evansville W 83-73 {never a question}
Jan. 12 Butler W 89-83
Jan. 22 Washington (Mo.) W 125-92
Jan. 26 at Ball State W 89-76
Jan. 29 Saint Joseph's (Ind.) W 72-65
Feb. 2 DePauw W 110-71
Feb. 5 Indiana State L 101-86
Feb. 9 at Evansville L 95-88 {homers! even then}
Feb. 12 at Butler L 93-91 {was at Hinkle for that one -- we shouddah won}
Feb. 16 at Air Force L 98-69
Feb. 19 Ball State W 112-87
Feb. 22 at Saint Joseph's (Ind.) L 98-69
Feb. 26 Wabash W 109-77
Mar 1 at Drake L 78-74
Mar 4 vs. Saint Procopius #W 107-76 (NCAA Midwest Regional)
Mar 5 at North Dakota #L 112-82 (NCAA Midwest Regional)
All in all, a pretty impressive season.

QuoteI was there for every home game that year. That team was unreal in the way they ran and scored. It wasn't a "throw up anything and hope it would go in" offense. It was just a fast paced offense that scored tons of points inside and on breaks. Tallest player was Ken Rakow at 6'6." Tom Smith was at point and Dick Jones was at what is now called the 2. Rich Eynon, Steve Cook (All-American in the 110 High Hurdles and at 6'2" could dunk (it was illegal then in games) with his eyes even with the rim) and Vern Curtis were the forwards (and the basic rotation). That was a 5'9", 5'10", 6'2", 6'4", 6'3", and 6'6" lineup that ran by larger teams and went nose to nose with the Jerry Sloan/Larry Humes Evansville teams in 65 and 66. Brown Gym was an incredible place to watch a game from 63-66 and, as I remember it, we packed in over 4K per game those years (classes never got in the way of watching that team play) -- can't speak about 67 cuz I was outta there by then, but Dick Jones, who also was an ace pitcher on Em Bauer's baseball team, averaged over 18 PPG. I'm proud to call all of them, except Smitty who was a Phi Psi but an honorary brother, brother Phi Delts. In that era we (Phi Delt) owned the basketball, football, and baseball programs on campus. My, how things have changed. But a big point to make was that Gene Bartow was a genius at taking available talent and conjurring up a system that would use each player's talents to the max. We beat Marquette in 65 and lost to them by one point in 66, but it was one of my best memories watching a frustrated Al McGuire dealing with a game he could not control in 65. I had the pleasure and honor of flying from Boston to Milwaukee on the same flight with Al years later -- what a great gentleman. We talked at length. He was one of the great ones.

LaPorteAveApostle · March 04, 2014, 01:37:31 PM

9) http://www.valpofanzone.com/forum/index.php?topic=1768.msg42778#msg42778

WHO: wh
WHAT: What Valpo game do you want to revisit?
WHEN: 2/28/14, 10 AM
WHY: if you don't enjoy this check your fandom, then your sense of humor, and finally, your pulse.

after a3uge, tongue-in-cheek, no doubt, suggests revisiting the 2011 1st rd CIT game vs. Iona, wh saves Paul Oren the trouble:

QuoteDo you mean the game that Homer convinced ml to pay a lot of money to host because he felt the team deserved something special for the fine season they had and for how hard they had worked and for what good people they were and for which Cory Johnson and others from the team went to Pepe's bar the night before the game and had a good time and then went through the motions and play halfheartedly resulting in getting blown out by a team they were favored to beat and for which I bought 4 tickets to attend and watched in total disgust as we were out hustled and out worked and that I heard afterwards some of the players just wanted to get the season over and move on with their lives showing no gratitude for what Homer had done after inexplicably blowing 2 or 3 games at the end of conference play losing the conference championship followed by losing in the conference tournament against a team they were obviously better than? Is that the game?