What would it take?
- Thread starter superfan
- Start date
That's a fair and true statement. However, when players are constantly transferring or getting kicked off it causes me as a fan to not trust that players will be back the next season. For example, I'm not alone in thinking that Colvin may not be back next season. I wouldn't have this feeling if it weren't for so many other instances where players have left. That, to me, is an unstable feeling.
I think you have to look at the reasons for each player leaving and see if Colvin fits into any of those categories. Do you think he'll be kicked off the team for disciplinary reasons? Do you think he'll leave to play ball over seas? :smile: Is he going to leave because he can't play at this level? Is he going to leave because he had an injury that wasn't treated properly? As far as I know, no one has left because they think they're too good to play here. Craig stayed. I have no worries that Colvin will be back next season.
Here is what I can guarantee.
We have a pretty demoralized fanbase that wants to win badly. They were so loyal that they watch what had been a pretty decent program be gutted by defections, and backed the coach that it happened under. They watched the "face of the program" leave, and stayed with the coach.
They watched awful basketball for three years, continuing to believe. They listened to a coach tell them that this was the year that we should be in the NCAA conversation. They watched the early season games, and ignored all of the problems that have been in existence since the coach took over (rebounding, decision making) because they finally had hope.
They have seen a season of hope turn into the worst of the four years of the coach, and they aren't happy. And they stopped showing up at Hilton more and more as the season went along. Next year doesn't look to be any better.
THAT is what I can guarantee.
I feel pretty comfortable guaranteeing that at least one other player will quit the team this offseason, irrespective of what Brackins/Gilstrap do.
But I guess in some worlds, stability is defined as a starter quitting on the team in mid-season.
It doesn't really matter what the reason is. It could be a completely new reason. All I know, is that from a fan's standpoint who follows the team as closely as he can, I don't trust that everyone who should be back, will be back. Now, you may not have the same feeling, but I know I'm not alone with feeling like we're going to lose someone unexpected this offseason.
I don't see any guarantees in your dialogue. You aren't talking about the future at all except in your last sentence. Shouldn't a guarantee be about the future? :biggrin:
So it is better to be 10-12 in the league every year than to be unstable.
So it is better to draw 6000 people per game than be unstable.
Way to sell your point,
People are tired of losing. People are tired of excuses. People want a reason to believe, and a lot of them don't see one.
I get what you are saying, but in what way would we not be like Iowa by keeping Mac? As far as things I can guarantee, I guarantee with Mac back ticket sales and attendance will be down, and probably way down next year. As evidence I present the last two home games.
I'm not sure if firing him is the right way to go either and I don't have an opinion on if he stays or goes. I'll be fine either way and yes I'll get tickets next year either way.
This is interesting. I was under the impression that Wayne telling his players to "turnover" was the reason for GMAC's demise and not the actual "turnover" of coaches itself in March of 06'. Didn't JP say last year he considered it GMAC's first year because of early problems? If those early problems were not the fact of player "turnover" due to a coaching "turnover".....then what was JP talking about?
Again, I think he will be back next year.
We are 11th in the league in Greg's fourth year. Nebraska will be better next year, will we? We used Brackins to get on the ESPN family this year a few times. How many ESPN games (national television) do we get next year? That may be regardless of the coach, we have nothing to sell.
How many season tickets do you think we will sell next year if Greg is indeed the coach. You are now seeing the women's team outdrawing the men, and it will get worse. 6500 people in Hilton is a big revenue loss.
Also, if Greg wins at the mid major level, it will prove what many believe, that he is a good mid major coach. I think the guy is a solid game planner myself.
Finally, the reason it is so bad is that people have lost hope. That contract depresses so many people, not because they don't like Greg, because they are tired of watching this team lose the same way over and over again.
Hope sells tickets. Iowa State fans will be back, but they need hope for it to get better. I don't see how Greg McDermott sells that hope.
I'm in the exact same boat as you.
How I think we aren't like Iowa if we keep Mac is we do have a loyal fan base of 6K in fans that will show up no matter what. We have a very vocal minority that wants Mac fired. Exactly like Iowa did with Alfraud. Mac supposedly has inroads in recruiting now and bringing in better players every year it seems. He's already shown he can find some great Big 12 talent (with some big misses, and keeping them is another matter). I'd take a dozen Wes Eik's for every Wes Johnson/CB he brings in here. If we let go of Mac almost all recruits are probably gone, especially the ones that are 2 or 3 years in development. Coaches are recruiting kids in Junior High right now.
The root cause of the player turnover was the coaching turnover. Combine that with a shortened recruiting period.
Do you think that the fans are happy with the product on the floor?
You don't think that they have been incredibly loyal to Greg, especially after the Wesley Johnson thing?
Do you think that the dwindling attendance numbers (real butts in seats) is just a fluke?
Do you think people are going to forget how bad this season has been, and come back in droves next year?
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I don't want hope. I want wins. And I don't see a new coach giving that to us anytime soon. Don't know if Mac can either, but I think he has a much better chance than a new coach will.
Whatever decision is made, I can back either of them up. I just think people are looking for a quick fix, when the quick fix actually may end up costing the program more than sticking it out one more year.
There is only one way to "sell that hope" now, and that's winning. If McDermott is back next year, and the team wins, people will show up. It's that simple, really.
