Reply to thread

Message: [QUOTE="Zelda Zonk, post: 4099118, member: 966"] "A positive experience." That's a little ambiguous. I think that anyone who suggests "it's time" for JB to retire clearly believes that another coach can do better than what we've been seeing these latest handful of years, and what we expect if we continue the course with JAB for another few. So, "positive," meaning an improvement on the status quo—of course. I don't really agree that "history" tells us what you seem to be suggesting, though. Your mammoth study results suggest that 'odds are against us' toward getting an improvement on JAB's legacy. But, again, i think it's important that we improve upon the product we have now. It's unfair to have to compete with our Big East history, because 1) the Dome was a massive sales piece; 2) we were instrumental in defining the greatness of a great conference; 3) NIL was not yet in existence; 4) the internet wasn't in existence; 5) etc., etc., etc. —Different landscape. That success would not be repeated even if we had an actual 30-year old JAB walking through that door. So, A) it's meaningless to set that as a standard for judging the success of the next coach. B) I think it's reasonable to assume that JAB isn't going to get better in the next few years. C) The longer we go without becoming nationally relevant (let's define that as Top 25 during the season, with any accompanying media results), the harder it will be for the next coach to claw that back. So, how far do we let this go, and why? Fear of the unknown? Lastly, your comprehensive data is, as i said before, a survey, but it doesn't delve into context. Mississippi State may have replaced a coach at some point, and the successor may or may not have been better than the predecessor. But, by what metrics or characteristics is that situation related to ours? If we were to list the top 10 reasons why a school should be able to attract a great new coach, and then another list of the reasons why a high schooler would want to play for our university or Mississippi State, how many of those factors would be common? We operate in a different set of circumstances than just about every school on the list above. And even if we didn't, the ratios and percentages and odds are only reflective of what [I]has[/I] happened. They aren't predictors of what [I]will[/I] happen. Certainly, it's smart to make decisions based on good data and best odds. But, it's not a matter of [I]do we[/I] replace JAB, it's a matter of when. So, even if the odds are shockingly bad, we will have to wade into that territory. If there are those who wish we would just stay the same for many more years out of fear of even further regression at someone else's hands, that's just something i might understand conceptually, if it were something to do with my life. Like, having fear of changing jobs or apartments or relationships or somesuch. But this is a more objective matter. It's 'business.' Or, i guess we could just say "it's sports." When someone is not performing at a level you expect, you have to make a cut and move on. You don't know with 100% certainty that the replacement will be better. But, you can't [I]settle[/I] out of nostalgia and fear. Your information also only factors in immediate successors. But, i would suggest that the road back to success/prominence should be expected to have turns. Citing Steve Lappas and Bill Guthridge isn't meaningful to me because it ignores the eventual result. Those two schools have national championships after 'the legend' retired. How long after and how many coaches in between is only relevant if we think JAB has a realistic chance to get another one. I'm just going to suggest that football and basketball are different animals. G-Rob isn't relevant. And not just because of the difference in the sports and roster demands and such, but also with us specifically. For football, we have a compromised environment. A smallish, sterile Dome and a relatively apathetic football culture—compared to the SEC, for instance. But, for basketball, we have a premiere environment and a more current positive history, and at least one big name pro player still keeping us relevant. Making an impact in basketball can be a matter of one or two recruits in a 7-man rotation. In football, it takes a lot more on a massive roster. I hope i haven't seemed dismissive of your work. I'll say it again—i'm always impressed by what you do and your commitment to bringing it all to us. I just disagree with some of the conclusions that arise from the interpretation of this set. [/QUOTE]

Verification: What is a Syracuse fan's favorite color?