Hate?

[clones_jer]

Obviously...but playing in the WCC and the Big 12 are two totally different things. It's not THAT hard to win the WCC. All that a team like Gonzaga has to do is make the dance a few times by playing in that junk league and bam, there's some big-time national exposure. Pull of an upset of two in the Dance and all of the sudden, you're a national program that kids from all over America want to attend. You're out west...that is appealing.

Comparing Iowa State to Gonzaga is an apples to oranges type of deal.

A higher percentage of teams make it from the Big 12 ... its easier for Gonzaga because someone put in the hard work to make them a "name" program. We almost had that after Orr, Floyd, & Larry.

A team in a "1-bid" conferance has to win the damn thing every year just to get in. they don't have the luxery getting in based on their record.

 

[TedKumsher]

I am relatively new to this but I've already noticed a trend. It seems a common response that some of you post to anyone that criticizes our coaching staff or our teams play goes something like this: "I know you hate McDermott and the team so just shut up."

I am critical of our coaching staff and I have been critical of our team's play. However, that criticism is not rooted in hate. It is rooted in LOVE for my alma mater. I want the very best for her and will criticize anyone or anything that stands in the way of excellence for her.

I think Coach McDermott is a good man and an honorable man.

I also think he is a good example of the Peter Principle and has been promoted to his level of incompetence. I also sense that the level of expectations for our program have been lowered by fans, the administration, and coaching staff. Somehow not making the NCAA is the new normal and to be expected. Our goals for this program need to be more in line with these three.

1. Iowa State should expect to be in the NCAA every year.
2. NIT berths should be as disappointing to us as they would be to Kansas.
3. We should compete for the Big 12 title every year.

Those goals might seem lofty. All I know is when Lynn Nance was our coach we never dared even dream of such goals. We turned it around then and we can turn this around now.

Well, for some people, certains words/phrases are considered strong language. Calling someone incompetent, for instance, is one of the highest insults that I personally would ever level against another person. I fully understand that I am unusual -- I try pretty hard to avoid hyperbole.

So what does that mean? To me -- this is a young season. While there are many returning players, there are also a lot of complete newcomers who are primary contributers. I'm leaning towards the idea that Mac may not have the coaching acumen for your 3 listed goals. But what if we get hot and end up 5th in the Big 12 conference? I'm not ready to label him incompetent. I equally am not labeling him great. I'm officially labeling him "jury is still out".

But that's just me.

 

[Cycsk]

The issue isn't whether it is legitimate to make very strong points based on our opinions. It has to do with decorum. I get a bit frustrated by those who seem to have only one or two points that they interject into each and every thread whether it is relevant or not. There are plenty of occasions to address the issues of "hate" in threads where they fit. However, do you have to put them in every thread?

For instance, I'm surprised that no one has griped yet in this thread about HB not going to ISU!

Take all the shots you want as hard as you want, but please try to keep them in threads where they belong. Also, try to have some discipline so that you don't let threads get dragged down by those who interject their important, but irrelevant and monotone points into each thread. Please don't reply to my comment about HB, tempting as it may be for his good friends and bitter enemies on the discussion board.

 

[cyclonenum1]

I absolutely love Johnny Orr, and I love what he did for ISU basketball. The problem that lies within that, though, is a lot of people look back to that era and idealize it into something that it just wasn't. It's an era that fans think ISU basketball made these magical runs in the NCAA tournament and had successful season after successful season - that just wasn't the case. Of the 6 times Orr coached the Cyclones to the NCAA Tournament, 1986 was his highest seed - #7. That was also the one and only team he coached to the Sweet 16. Four other times his teams were seeded 10 or worse. Also, of the 6 times, four times we were knocked out in the first round. When you get right down to it, it's not the era of dominance that most Cyclone fans want to idealize it as - it was really an era of mediocrity. But most Cyclone fans are okay with that because of just how horrible Cyclone basketball was prior to Orr. It's just unfortunate that 25 years later the whole era is looked at as something it never was - Iowa State's golden age in basketball. If that truly was our golden age, that's pretty sad.

If you want to classify the JO era as "mediocre" then how would you classify the GM era?

 

[WalkingCY]

I am relatively new to this but I've already noticed a trend. It seems a common response that some of you post to anyone that criticizes our coaching staff or our teams play goes something like this: "I know you hate McDermott and the team so just shut up."

I am critical of our coaching staff and I have been critical of our team's play. However, that criticism is not rooted in hate. It is rooted in LOVE for my alma mater. I want the very best for her and will criticize anyone or anything that stands in the way of excellence for her.

I think Coach McDermott is a good man and an honorable man.

I also think he is a good example of the Peter Principle and has been promoted to his level of incompetence. I also sense that the level of expectations for our program have been lowered by fans, the administration, and coaching staff. Somehow not making the NCAA is the new normal and to be expected. Our goals for this program need to be more in line with these three.

1. Iowa State should expect to be in the NCAA every year.
2. NIT berths should be as disappointing to us as they would be to Kansas.
3. We should compete for the Big 12 title every year.

Those goals might seem lofty. All I know is when Lynn Nance was our coach we never dared even dream of such goals. We turned it around then and we can turn this around now.

Totally agree. This is how I feel too.