Does it begin today?

[MtownRebel]

Grenada,
It's been common knowledge around Oxford that the coaches enjoy partying around Oxford and other areas, often without their ring, but I would say the losing streak is magnifying this problem, IF IT IS ONE. I first started hearing stories around July of this past year.

Oxpatch,
I understand your frustration. This upcoming offseason is going to be very telling. I think changes have to be made to the coaching staff, not AK keep him, but his assistants. Not only do I question their offcourt behavior but on court as well. AK is a brilliant basketball mind, no doubt about it, and his assts are great recruiters but just how good are they on the court? I'm starting to wonder...They bar scene may not even be an issue, but given the disappearance of effort from the team and the Rod Barnes offense we have started to execute (why did we stop running) I think it's time for a shake up with the ACs.

[Grenada Reb]

Thanks MTown!

[fastbrk4]

Man, how quickly things can change in college sports!!! Or maybe better put, how quickly perceptions change.

Mtown, don't be so vague. What exactly do you know? Who is transferring, etc, etc? Also, given all this is true what amazes me is how this stuff only comes up when you are losing. If there are alcoholics and such then they were probably so before we started losing. Also, again not to say there is no truth in all of these comments but we must have one of the most unstable fan bases I've ever witnessed. Other schools go through losing streaks and such just as we are but you don't see the same kind of reaction from the fans. Kentucky, for example, they just took the worst loss is SEC history and the fans don't leave a 10pt game with 4 minutes left. It was disgraceful to be in the TadPad Sat. Same thing happens at football games. Look at the football attendance this year, the team was in several games, Florida as an example, and the fans just give up on the team and don't even show up for the home games. I know Coach O had a lot to do with the results but you can't just walk out on your team. You have to take the bad with the good.
Mark this down, those who love Nutt today will be calling for his head by the end of next season if we aren't bowl bound. Expectations are unrealistic. I heard the same people cursing Kennedy yesterday who were praising him last year. One thing I can say about the Bullies is that they stuck with Croom and have supported him all along. Sorry for the rant, but I'm sick of this.

Sorry, but your are so wrong on so many points. Kentucky ran off their coach Tubby Smith, you know, the father of the player that Rod Barnes let have a scholarship that could have been given to a better ball player.
It happens everywhere, this thing we call sports is a business. Win at all cost as long as the skeletons are buried deep in the closet.
Look at Arkansas, they just ran off one of the best football coach they have ever had. Auburn tried a midnight coup to get rid of Tubby and the list goes on.
As far as fans are concerned we don't have a large enough base because we have not won enough to build a large base to withstand a losing streak. When tickets are hard to get during a long spell of winning there are fans who can't go but when the team starts losing the tickets are available and it looks like the fans still support the team but the truth is there is just a set of fans who can now go to a game or two.
I remember going to Memphis games when Finch was the coach. We used to get free tickets and almost sit where we wanted. Now you can't get a ticket to a Memphis Basketball game.

Don't get on the fans, the product on the court and on the field will determine the amount of fans in the stands, always has and always will.

RebelBond

RebelBond,
I'd have to say Tubby had been a disappointment for longer than AK. He had done nothing (in Kentucky terms) for 4-5 yrs. Ditto with Finch and Nutt. None of the 3 you mention were turned on overnight. It took YEARS for the fanbase to overwhelmingly turn on these guys. So your examples do not compare to what I heard on Sat at the game and what I saw with Cutcliffe. Yes, it happens everywhere but not as quickly as it does with us. Go Rebels!

[oxpatchreb]

RebelBond,
I'd have to say Tubby had been a disappointment for longer than AK. He had done nothing (in Kentucky terms) for 4-5 yrs. Ditto with Finch and Nutt. None of the 3 you mention were turned on overnight. It took YEARS for the fanbase to overwhelmingly turn on these guys. So your examples do not compare to what I heard on Sat at the game and what I saw with Cutcliffe. Yes, it happens everywhere but not as quickly as it does with us. Go Rebels!

Fast,

Try 20 years of being an "almost team". With the exceptions of a few good years in the the big 3 sports, we are a 3rd tier SEC school.

There's a certain amount of frustration that builds up during that amount of time when you're defending your Football, Baseball and Basketball programs from chants of Tiger Bait and Roll Tide with a measly...... "we ain't never lost a party". When one or another of our programs shows some promise, you are correct that fans come out of the woodworks!!!! Because we salivate at the thought of handing State their a** in Basketball, or spanking the crap out of LSU in VH, or dominating the SEC in Baseball for all the world to see!!!!!!!! And then when something happens to turn that thought of revenge into a dream..... WE GET ANGRY!!!!!!!!!!
DOWNRIGHT, *BEEP*ED OFF, UPSET, READY TO TAKE IT OUT ON THE FIRST *BEEP*HOLE WHO SAYS IT'S ONLY A GAME WITH A 2 HOUR STOMP PARTY ON THEIR HEAD, KIND OF *BEEP*ED OFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why is it so hard to recognize that when a fan has it within him to support and honor and defend his sports teams it requires only the mind (and a sore throat). He cannot go out there and play for the team, or motivate them individually to lift more weight, or spend more time at the free throw line, or run longer, or train harder. The average fan can do none of these things. So he's left with faith. Faith that the players want to win as bad as he does. Faith that the coaches will motivate the players they way the fan would if he had the chance. Faith that the management will make the correct decisions that seem completely obvious to the fan!!!! When they let us down it HURTS. We can't take comfort in the fact that we left it all out on the field, tried as hard as we could, practiced as hard as we could, ran as hard as we could, and coached as hard as we could. When we hear that the team/coaches/mgmt don't care, or did something colossally stupid, or the players are complete selfish a-holes, the only thing we can take away is support.

We don't take it away when it's not called for. We ) take it away when they (players, coaches, management) do or most commonly DON'T do something that shows us (me) that they don't feel the same way that I (we) do about the situation. If all we have is faith and support, it's a little hard to effect change in those people that hold our success and failure in their hands. So we take it away when they show us how they don't care, don't have the skill, don't have the brains to give the fans something to be proud of and cheer for.

The difference is when you have fans of a team that is perennially good in several programs, who don't show up b/c there's no NC in the picture. A team that won a NC a year ago or two, loses a couple games that puts them out of the NC picture, and the fans dry up. Even though the team can still win the conference, and go deep into post season. Fans who will accept only an NC or they don't care, THOSE are the fans you're talking about...... not us.

[fastbrk4]

RebelBond,
I'd have to say Tubby had been a disappointment for longer than AK. He had done nothing (in Kentucky terms) for 4-5 yrs. Ditto with Finch and Nutt. None of the 3 you mention were turned on overnight. It took YEARS for the fanbase to overwhelmingly turn on these guys. So your examples do not compare to what I heard on Sat at the game and what I saw with Cutcliffe. Yes, it happens everywhere but not as quickly as it does with us. Go Rebels!

Fast,

Try 20 years of being an "almost team". With the exceptions of a few good years in the the big 3 sports, we are a 3rd tier SEC school.

There's a certain amount of frustration that builds up during that amount of time when you're defending your Football, Baseball and Basketball programs from chants of Tiger Bait and Roll Tide with a measly...... "we ain't never lost a party". When one or another of our programs shows some promise, you are correct that fans come out of the woodworks!!!! Because we salivate at the thought of handing State their a** in Basketball, or spanking the crap out of LSU in VH, or dominating the SEC in Baseball for all the world to see!!!!!!!! And then when something happens to turn that thought of revenge into a dream..... WE GET ANGRY!!!!!!!!!!
DOWNRIGHT, *BEEP*ED OFF, UPSET, READY TO TAKE IT OUT ON THE FIRST *BEEP*HOLE WHO SAYS IT'S ONLY A GAME WITH A 2 HOUR STOMP PARTY ON THEIR HEAD, KIND OF *BEEP*ED OFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why is it so hard to recognize that when a fan has it within him to support and honor and defend his sports teams it requires only the mind (and a sore throat). He cannot go out there and play for the team, or motivate them individually to lift more weight, or spend more time at the free throw line, or run longer, or train harder. The average fan can do none of these things. So he's left with faith. Faith that the players want to win as bad as he does. Faith that the coaches will motivate the players they way the fan would if he had the chance. Faith that the management will make the correct decisions that seem completely obvious to the fan!!!! When they let us down it HURTS. We can't take comfort in the fact that we left it all out on the field, tried as hard as we could, practiced as hard as we could, ran as hard as we could, and coached as hard as we could. When we hear that the team/coaches/mgmt don't care, or did something colossally stupid, or the players are complete selfish a-holes, the only thing we can take away is support.

We don't take it away when it's not called for. We ) take it away when they (players, coaches, management) do or most commonly DON'T do something that shows us (me) that they don't feel the same way that I (we) do about the situation. If all we have is faith and support, it's a little hard to effect change in those people that hold our success and failure in their hands. So we take it away when they show us how they don't care, don't have the skill, don't have the brains to give the fans something to be proud of and cheer for.

The difference is when you have fans of a team that is perennially good in several programs, who don't show up b/c there's no NC in the picture. A team that won a NC a year ago or two, loses a couple games that puts them out of the NC picture, and the fans dry up. Even though the team can still win the conference, and go deep into post season. Fans who will accept only an NC or they don't care, THOSE are the fans you're talking about...... not us.

Hey, I feel the same pain. What I'm saying is anyone here in the group of folks I heard Sat saying AK must go, this team sucks, etc? This is much too quick a reaction to me. Do you feel that this team/coaching staff is not giving it their all? Is it effort/lack of talent of what? You tell me.

I hope the baseball team wins the SEC and the World Series this year, but will anything less satisfy a majority of fans. I hope so. I'm tired of State fans rubbing last year in my face. I'm tired of Rebel fans being negative just because of last year too. I think Bianco and the boys will have a great season regardless of it ends with a NC.

[Planodoc]

I thought we were too young when we started the season. They did play great early on & that got everyone excited. I think in another year or two, we will be much better.

It is very bad to lose at home to Auburn. South Carolina beat us at home,but they also beat Arkansas at home & that is very difficult to do. Auburn shot lights out, well over 60% for the game. I think they were just hot. it happens sometimes. Look at Vandy beating KY by over 40 points.
You can say, we should have played better defense & held them down, but who knows. I thought the effort was there. Just not our night.

Doc 8)

[oxpatchreb]

Hey, I feel the same pain. What I'm saying is anyone here in the group of folks I heard Sat saying AK must go, this team sucks, etc? This is much too quick a reaction to me. Do you feel that this team/coaching staff is not giving it their all? Is it effort/lack of talent of what? You tell me.

I hope the baseball team wins the SEC and the World Series this year, but will anything less satisfy a majority of fans. I hope so. I'm tired of State fans rubbing last year in my face. I'm tired of Rebel fans being negative just because of last year too. I think Bianco and the boys will have a great season regardless of it ends with a NC.

Yeah, I get your point about the people at the game. And I'll submit to you that none (or at least very few) of the folks on this board would do that. From my short time here, it's plain to see that RF posters see through shallow d-bag fans and hammer them hard. And we're left with solid, intelligent, mostly even keel (even though I lose it sometimes) fans who would never stoop to threats and harassment of our own team and coaches. The people who do that are worthless, I agree completely.

For the second part, I don't know what it is specifically b/c we don't know the whole story. That's why I'm so ardent about showing my distaste for the situation by pulling my support (if it's warranted when everything shakes out). We have no other recourse!! Maybe it's a combination of all of the things you mentioned. All I know for sure is that these guys are self destructing and no one is doing anything about it. Coaches aren't fixing it. Players aren't working through it. Staff aren't helping it. If we could see somethings being done it might help. Suspend the player who poisons the team, regardless of talent. Fire the AC that is making things worse. Hell, sit everyone who doesn't respect AK enough to play hard for him!!! We can't get any worse by sitting the guys who don't want to be here anymore.

The bottomline is, show us fans that someone, somewhere has a handle on this and is working to fix it. Maybe it'll be next year, maybe it'll be next week. But don't make us look like fools for believing heart and soul that we are capable of more. They(coaches/players/staff) should make us proud by showing their dedication to the team equals or exceeds ours!!!!

I'm really getting ready for baseball. I thought we needed something big to happen in Basketball to take our minds off of Football, but this is ridiculous. I'm not looking for much more than a run into Omaha. If we just get there, I'll be grateful.

[rebeljim]

I thought we were too young when we started the season. They did play great early on & that got everyone excited. I think in another year or two, we will be much better.

It is very bad to lose at home to Auburn. South Carolina beat us at home,but they also beat Arkansas at home & that is very difficult to do. Auburn shot lights out, well over 60% for the game. I think they were just hot. it happens sometimes. Look at Vandy beating KY by over 40 points.
You can say, we should have played better defense & held them down, but who knows. I thought the effort was there. Just not our night.

Doc 8)

awbarn shot lights out because we can't play defense. Even the announcer said we were last in the conference in points allowed. When u let awbarn score 90 on u at your house, there's nothing else that needs to be said, NO DEFENSE. We were giving up uncontested layups Saturday. We suck right now, and probably won't win another game this season.

[done]

194 days until kickoff!! 8)

[MtownRebel]

I thought we were too young when we started the season. They did play great early on & that got everyone excited. I think in another year or two, we will be much better.

It is very bad to lose at home to Auburn. South Carolina beat us at home,but they also beat Arkansas at home & that is very difficult to do. Auburn shot lights out, well over 60% for the game. I think they were just hot. it happens sometimes. Look at Vandy beating KY by over 40 points.
You can say, we should have played better defense & held them down, but who knows. I thought the effort was there. Just not our night.

Doc 8)

awbarn shot lights out because we can't play defense. Even the announcer said we were last in the conference in points allowed. When u let awbarn score 90 on u at your house, there's nothing else that needs to be said, NO DEFENSE. We were giving up uncontested layups Saturday. We suck right now, and probably won't win another game this season.

Quote from assistant coach Michael White, "Sooner or later teams are going to stop hitting contested threes."

[Redbluedude]

Doc 8)

quote]

Quote from assistant coach Michael White, "Sooner or later teams are going to stop hitting contested threes."

Maybe he should have mentioned the UNcontested 3's also. Opponents are able to shoot a lot of those, also.

[bbqit]

194 days until kickoff!! 8)

191 days 21 hours 11 minutes until the first college game

[MtownRebel]

That's what I was thinking too. While opponents have hit some contested threes, the majority of what people are making against are wide open shots.

And while everyone points to the lack of experience on the wings and guard positions for this I blame the lack of defense we have down on the blocks. Dwayne Curtis blows at defense, I'll go ahead and say that. And Kenny Williams, not a great defensive year so far. If you watch the big men they do a terrible job at giving up position and biting on pumps and screens which forces players like Huertas (an under rated defender) and Graham to collapse to try to provide help and prevent an easy two point basket. Just my observation.

[Tcounty]

194 days until kickoff!! 8)

AMEN!!!! 54 until the spring game.

[RebelBond]

quote]

Quote from assistant coach Michael White, "Sooner or later teams are going to stop hitting contested threes."

Maybe he should have mentioned the UNcontested 3's also. Opponents are able to shoot a lot of those, also.

Maybe running out to about three feet in front of the shooter is called a contested three point shot. LOL

RebelBond