So any word on Brad Irwin? 13-34 overall with a 1-24 record in conference play.
I can hear Bob Uecker's voice saying one conference win, that's all we got is one G.D. win? (whispering: You can't say G.D. on etsufans.com!) Who cares, it's a softball thread!

Irwin has now lost more games in three years (105) than Mangrum won in five (104). He has won FIVE conference games in his time at ETSU. FIVE! I don't care if he got saddled with players he didn't want, that's inexcusable.

I want to say he signed a four year contract, so he is likely gone after next season at the latest, but the team has shown no signs of getting better and he has won 4% of his conference games (27% of games overall). The program is downright embarrassing.

Coaches win with other coaches players all the time, and he's recruited a couple of times. He should terminated this year based on personnel policies they've been following.
There's enough softball talent in Tennessee that they can muster more than one conference win.

Make a donation, buy him out. Mullins signed him to a five year contract, so I believe it's at least a 3 year buyout.

I've not been wanting to weigh in on this, because what I think is pretty negative, but I'll finally just say it....

I've been around the softball players some, and, by and large, they are just not very athletic. (There are a few exceptions. A few.) Yes, I know many of them had good or very decent high school careers, but there's really just not a lot of athleticism on that team. I have zero knowledge of the recruiting process he/they use(s), but I do know we need better athletes.

We've got some pretty good female athletes for hoops, soccer, tennis, definitely for track and field, probably golf, although I can't say for sure, and I think for volleyball. I just haven't been able to understand why we can't get some better athletes for softball. Have any of the rest of you seen what I have in that regard?

I dont know if there are but a handful of softball teams in this country that are athletic. I hate to stereotype an entire sport, but ive been around softball more than probably most- and its just a terribly un-athletic sport. Much more so than any other women's sport.

Ive been to college tournaments where the most common play was a walk, from every team in the tournament. Half of those walks resulted from pitchers who would throw the ball over the catchers head on one pitch and then bounce it 3 times on the next pitch. So a batter rarely had to do anything productive. And if the batter is facing a pitcher that could throw a strike its so easy to hit since its going fairly slowly, its a big ball, and its a metal bat.

Softball as a sport is basically an invention of Title IV as far as i am concerned

(05-19-2013 09:01 AM)etsubuc Wrote:  I dont know if there are but a handful of softball teams in this country that are athletic. I hate to stereotype an entire sport, but ive been around softball more than probably most- and its just a terribly un-athletic sport. Much more so than any other women's sport.

Ive been to college tournaments where the most common play was a walk, from every team in the tournament. Half of those walks resulted from pitchers who would throw the ball over the catchers head on one pitch and then bounce it 3 times on the next pitch. So a batter rarely had to do anything productive. And if the batter is facing a pitcher that could throw a strike its so easy to hit since its going fairly slowly, its a big ball, and its a metal bat.

Softball as a sport is basically an invention of Title IV as far as i am concerned

First you claim to be around softball more then most then make some really off the wall statements. Go down and watch the Tennessee Lady Vols play and tell them they aren't very athletic and the pitcher throws the ball slow.

I said that there were a handful of teams that were athletic. Tennessee, and everyone that has been on ESPN the last couple weeks- are obviously the best that there is. The pitcher that Tennessee had a few years ago was just amazing.

But there is an enormous dropoff between those teams and the teams at our level. And then when you get to the Milligan, King, etc., thats unwatchable

(05-19-2013 09:46 AM)etsubuc Wrote:  But there is an enormous dropoff between those teams and the teams at our level. And then when you get to the Milligan, King, etc., thats unwatchable

that is true in all sports.

Well, I think the truth is somewhere in between. I've personally witnessed a few pretty decent high school pitchers around here. The girl from Science Hill about 4-5 years ago, a couple of Erwin pitchers, and this girl for University High right now can throw strikes and throw them well.
And everybody knows in terms of the fielders, girls are gonna throw like girls, etc.... But just things like running the bases, catching fly balls, or worst, cutting off a ball hit in the outfield gap, seem to be too much of an adventure. I admit I'm not an expert on girl's softball, but I've seen enough to know that ETSU, at their level, is less athletic than their comp, more often than not.
Heck, and this is what started me saying this stuff, just watching (most of) them walk, away from that setting, one would never imagine they're college athletes. And yes, there are a few exceptions. I'm not trying to demean those girls, but I guess I am, indirectly. I'm more wondering why we can't get better athletes recruited for the team....

Winning and losing doesn't matter if their GPA is high.

I mean, that was the reason the softball team got a new stadium? Right?

My tongue now out of my cheek (and it is really sad that a certain element of this board wouldn't get it if I didn't say so, but regardless):

For the softball team to be given so much and to be so bad is just another sign of the previous regime's incompetence. I don't know if ETSU will ever really get out of it.

AND I TOLD YOU ABOUT IT AS IT WAS HAPPENING!

I just wonder, if ETSU had rechanneled their directions back when and instead of dropping football and then spending money on soccer programs and stadiums and softball fields had put it into football where they might be now.

A couple fewer NCAA appearances? Sure. But there would be no Bartow and we might be talking about moving to an FBS conference instead of just returning to a SoCon that is a shadow of its former self.

(05-17-2013 09:34 PM)GoBucsGo Wrote:  Make a donation, buy him out. Mullins signed him to a five year contract, so I believe it's at least a 3 year buyout.

The word from the supposed ETSU insider is that the fans themselves should belly up and pay for the previous regime's mistakes.

For Mr. Vastly Intelligent: My point wasn't really that the fans should belly it up. My point was that Irwin has 3 years left on his contract. Thus, that means a 3 year buyout. I know, I have to spell it out for you, Mr. Vastly Intelligent.

Now, carry on and tell us how stupid we all are.

Well, you are, because you just told ETSU fans to buy out his contract if they didn't like him.

A snarky and insulting comment anyway you slice it, directed at the fan base you wish to have patronize the teams.

Here's a tip. If you would like the fans to patronize you, don't be patronizing!

And by the way, I love the nickname. Think I'm going to use it.

"Mr. Vastly Intelligent."

Sort of like when Pete Franklin called Mike Trivisonno "Mr. Know It All," huh?

(05-19-2013 08:37 PM)PittsburghBucs Wrote:  Well, you are, because you just told ETSU fans to buy out his contract if they didn't like him.

A snarky and insulting comment anyway you slice it, directed at the fan base you wish to have patronize the teams.

Here's a tip. If you would like the fans to patronize you, don't be patronizing!

You got me!

You should really watch the show Shark Tank sometime, not for the gimmicky inventions, but listen to the top questions that gets asked by Damon John, Kevin O'Leary, Mark Cuban, Mark Herjavec, Lori Greiner, and Barbara Corcoran. The top questions always asked: What are you going to spend the money on and why should I give you the money? I get that ultimately you're giving to charity, but in charitable giving - like for instance the United Way you see a tangible difference being made. And while student athletes are getting an education, there's also a reasonable expectation that:

A. They represent ETSU with class. Men's basketball and that little doofus who made the comment about a new coach bringing discipline into the program. I'm sorry, these student athletes can serve our country, vote for the POTUS and in some cases legally buy alcohol, if they don't have enough discipline and responsibility to go to class, not do drugs, break the law as well as showing up for workouts and practice, that's not a coaching issue, that's a you problem.
With student athletes blaming coaches for them not having discipline, along with the lack of wins on the field/court it's just not inspiring to donate.
I really thought for me that I'd be really inspired to donate, give the 250, buy tickets and donate most of them to a charity up there since I'd realistically only be able to get to probably 1-2 a year, but I'm less inclined to give right now that I was this time a year ago.