(03-13-2015 11:26 PM)fsquid Wrote:  none of our fans went, why send the band?

Support from home. If for no other reason. Cheer leaders etc. went to the NIT in NYC in the past. A Bob Vanatta team I believe. Hartford is a little bit north of NYC. Students went by bus, car and some even flew themselves.

(03-14-2015 11:53 AM)tee bee Wrote:  Memphis was the ONLY school not to send a band or pep squad. We looked like the "backwater" of the conference. This is ridiculous.

Who was there to even notice? 1000 people? If we had beaten Temple maybe they were going to be sent up. Who knows? At this point who cares. It turned out to be a good move.

(03-14-2015 10:33 AM)George CantStandYa Wrote:  Broken record time: the Atheletic department is in financial straights. Football is the priority. Understand this is a dramatic change to how we have always done things, but this is AS it should be. I am sure Bowen would have preferred to send the cheerleaders, band and thousands of fans. Not this year...

When did football become the priority? We had one good season in twenty years and now we are a football school? Give me a break. As soon as Fuente leaves we will be right back where we started. Cutting basketball and doing what we are doing sends a sign to people that memphis is no longer willing to do what it takes to compete at the highest level in basketball. Sorry I could care less about Tiger football and winning some meaningless bowl game. This is a basketball school and a basketball city. Always has been always will be and to cut things regarding our program is tragic and shouldn't be dismissed as no big deal.

This guy is not from here and doesn't understand what tiger basketball means to people. He needs to recognize under his watch the basketball has taken a major step back. Atleast RC fought for basketball. U can rag on him all u want but under him memphis basketball was at it's highest level and a couple mad free throws from a national title. Regardless how good the football team gets we will never play for a national title. We are a have not in football. Nothing will change that. We need to stick to basketball. It makes me sick this we are a football school now. Yeah we have one good season in twenty years and now we are a football school?lol whatever. Stay in your lane.

(03-14-2015 01:37 PM)jason80 Wrote:  

(03-14-2015 10:33 AM)George CantStandYa Wrote:  Broken record time: the Atheletic department is in financial straights. Football is the priority. Understand this is a dramatic change to how we have always done things, but this is AS it should be. I am sure Bowen would have preferred to send the cheerleaders, band and thousands of fans. Not this year...

When did football become the priority? We had one good season in twenty years and now we are a football school? Give me a break. As soon as Fuente leaves we will be right back where we started. Cutting basketball and doing what we are doing sends a sign to people that memphis is no longer willing to do what it takes to compete at the highest level in basketball. Sorry I could care less about Tiger football and winning some meaningless bowl game. This is a basketball school and a basketball city. Always has been always will be and to cut things regarding our program is tragic and shouldn't be dismissed as no big deal.

This guy is not from here and doesn't understand what tiger basketball means to people. He needs to recognize under his watch the basketball has taken a major step back. Atleast RC fought for basketball. U can rag on him all u want but under him memphis basketball was at it's highest level and a couple mad free throws from a national title. Regardless how good the football team gets we will never play for a national title. We are a have not in football. Nothing will change that. We need to stick to basketball. It makes me sick this we are a football school now. Yeah we have one good season in twenty years and now we are a football school?lol whatever. Stay in your lane.

Football is the key to getting in a better conference. End of story. Basketball will play a minuscule, if any, role in that effort. The game has changed so we have to adapt to survive. Not really a choice honestly, only way to go.

Basketball has paid all the bills and funded just about everything sports wise. It's just been a reality here.

time to change the reality and become a big boy school.

(03-14-2015 02:00 PM)450bench Wrote:  Basketball has paid all the bills and funded just about everything sports wise. It's just been a reality here.

That landscape NO LONGER EXISTS. You CANNOT run a legit D1 athletic program efficiently (while being in a non-Power 5 conference) off a successful bball program. It is is IMPOSSIBLE. Now if your goal is to become a bball only program then maybe you can make it work but if you want to be with the big boys you gotta play by their rules and that means getting football to the next level.

(03-14-2015 12:09 PM)true_blue_thru_and_thru Wrote:  

(03-14-2015 12:02 PM)450bench Wrote:  

(03-14-2015 11:40 AM)Gray Avenger Wrote:  Ironic to see people who chose not to spend their own money and time attending the conference tournament criticizing the man who is responsible for keeping our athletic department financially afloat.

That's the attitude that will kill this program.
Football needs basketball to thrive and if you think the big shots are going to cower and let one guy, Pastner, negatively impact the entire sports program cash flow situation, you're dead wrong.
I understand that we all have different opinions, but the entire sports program at the university hinges, at the moment, on the success of basketball.
The question that is being mulled over is simple. Do you bite the bullet, pony up money now and get rid of Josh to reignite basketball or do you bet, literally, that he turns it around and rekindles the attitude and tradition that we have had here.
The one year window that they could give Pastner is quite literally one year. But in that one year, your program could hemorrhage unmercifully. This university simply can't afford that gamble, long term.

I'm curious why you think football needs basketball to survive and do you really think this is the lowest this program has been in its history? I mean, we survived Tic Price, Moe Iba, Zach Curlin, and on. We suck now and it sucks but my god one or two bad years does not ruin this program. I mean, you make it sound like Josh hasn't won a game in a year, hasn't recruited highly, and whatever else could conceivably "kill" a program. Take a step back from the ledge. I'm not sticking up for Josh either, just showing that any coach can come here and still recruit and win so other coaches aren't "scared" off. I don't really think Josh is the longterm answer but at the same time I'm not worried about our program becoming some dumpster fire either.

I'm not on any ledge. There is a dumpster fire right now here. If Josh stays another year the fire becomes really bad. He can't recruit here anymore. That ship has sailed. The lay of the land has changed since Tic was here and funding is declining due to said dumpster fire. If that isn't evident to you, then see the post about not wanting to spend money on cheerleaders and the pep band traveling to the tournament.

(03-14-2015 02:04 PM)true_blue_thru_and_thru Wrote:  

(03-14-2015 02:00 PM)450bench Wrote:  Basketball has paid all the bills and funded just about everything sports wise. It's just been a reality here.

That landscape NO LONGER EXISTS. You CANNOT run a legit D1 athletic program efficiently (while being in a non-Power 5 conference) off a successful bball program. It is is IMPOSSIBLE. Now if your goal is to become a bball only program then maybe you can make it work but if you want to be with the big boys you gotta play by their rules and that means getting football to the next level.

No kidding but in this university's case it needs basketball money to ignite football. It's just the way it is right now here, hence the problem.

(03-14-2015 02:05 PM)450bench Wrote:  

(03-14-2015 12:09 PM)true_blue_thru_and_thru Wrote:  

(03-14-2015 12:02 PM)450bench Wrote:  

(03-14-2015 11:40 AM)Gray Avenger Wrote:  Ironic to see people who chose not to spend their own money and time attending the conference tournament criticizing the man who is responsible for keeping our athletic department financially afloat.

That's the attitude that will kill this program.
Football needs basketball to thrive and if you think the big shots are going to cower and let one guy, Pastner, negatively impact the entire sports program cash flow situation, you're dead wrong.
I understand that we all have different opinions, but the entire sports program at the university hinges, at the moment, on the success of basketball.
The question that is being mulled over is simple. Do you bite the bullet, pony up money now and get rid of Josh to reignite basketball or do you bet, literally, that he turns it around and rekindles the attitude and tradition that we have had here.
The one year window that they could give Pastner is quite literally one year. But in that one year, your program could hemorrhage unmercifully. This university simply can't afford that gamble, long term.

I'm curious why you think football needs basketball to survive and do you really think this is the lowest this program has been in its history? I mean, we survived Tic Price, Moe Iba, Zach Curlin, and on. We suck now and it sucks but my god one or two bad years does not ruin this program. I mean, you make it sound like Josh hasn't won a game in a year, hasn't recruited highly, and whatever else could conceivably "kill" a program. Take a step back from the ledge. I'm not sticking up for Josh either, just showing that any coach can come here and still recruit and win so other coaches aren't "scared" off. I don't really think Josh is the longterm answer but at the same time I'm not worried about our program becoming some dumpster fire either.

I'm not on any ledge. There is a dumpster fire right now here. If Josh stays another year the fire becomes really bad. He can't recruit here anymore. That ship has sailed. The lay of the land has changed since Tic was here and funding is declining due to said dumpster fire. If that isn't evident to you, then see the post about not wanting to spend money on cheerleaders and the pep band traveling to the tournament.

I'll guess we'll just have to agree to disagree on what = a dumpster fire. This is the first time we've missed the NCAA since 2010 and ESPN shows us with the 12th ranked recruiting class for next year. I don't think Josh is the answer but my god do you know how worse it could be? I guess I just don't care about sending cheerleaders and pep band as much as the other people who are peeved about that so I'll guess we can chalk that up to an agreement to disagree too.

(03-14-2015 02:07 PM)450bench Wrote:  

(03-14-2015 02:04 PM)true_blue_thru_and_thru Wrote:  

(03-14-2015 02:00 PM)450bench Wrote:  Basketball has paid all the bills and funded just about everything sports wise. It's just been a reality here.

That landscape NO LONGER EXISTS. You CANNOT run a legit D1 athletic program efficiently (while being in a non-Power 5 conference) off a successful bball program. It is is IMPOSSIBLE. Now if your goal is to become a bball only program then maybe you can make it work but if you want to be with the big boys you gotta play by their rules and that means getting football to the next level.

No kidding but in this university's case it needs basketball money to ignite football. It's just the way it is right now here, hence the problem.

How so? How would pouring money into bball in lieu of football help ignite football? Honest question, I'm not trying to be a d!ck or anything. It seems to me that was RC's gameplan and it got us with the worst football program for 3 years in a row. I love Tiger bball and it will survive this season and this football boosting effort and come out better in the long run.

(03-14-2015 01:37 PM)jason80 Wrote:  

(03-14-2015 10:33 AM)George CantStandYa Wrote:  Broken record time: the Atheletic department is in financial straights. Football is the priority. Understand this is a dramatic change to how we have always done things, but this is AS it should be. I am sure Bowen would have preferred to send the cheerleaders, band and thousands of fans. Not this year...

When did football become the priority? We had one good season in twenty years and now we are a football school? Give me a break. As soon as Fuente leaves we will be right back where we started. Cutting basketball and doing what we are doing sends a sign to people that memphis is no longer willing to do what it takes to compete at the highest level in basketball. Sorry I could care less about Tiger football and winning some meaningless bowl game. This is a basketball school and a basketball city. Always has been always will be and to cut things regarding our program is tragic and shouldn't be dismissed as no big deal.

This guy is not from here and doesn't understand what tiger basketball means to people. He needs to recognize under his watch the basketball has taken a major step back. Atleast RC fought for basketball. U can rag on him all u want but under him memphis basketball was at it's highest level and a couple mad free throws from a national title. Regardless how good the football team gets we will never play for a national title. We are a have not in football. Nothing will change that. We need to stick to basketball. It makes me sick this we are a football school now. Yeah we have one good season in twenty years and now we are a football school?lol whatever. Stay in your lane.

It is not a question of being a basketball school or city. It is a football world. We tried to play the basketball card last time around and that went extremely poorly. Basketball as the "bill payer" is no longer a sustainable model. It doesn't mean we shouldn't try to be good at both, we should and we will. But the bet we made on Pastner has not worked out, we need to fix it as soon as possible, but as soon as possible does not equal right now. I wish it were different and we had enough money to handle all of our needs. We don't. Basketball as the priority is a failed strategy, we are attempting to do things differently, and it is the right thing, no matter how frustrating. And it is frustrating.

I understand and yes we can absolutely agree to disagree.

We can be good at both bb and fb here. It's really not a big deal that the school decided not to waste money sending a bunch of horomonal teenagers 1200 miles away to spend one afternoon in a 90% empty arena losing a meaningless game to Temple.

If winning isn't a birthright then neither can the band and cheer squad expect to travel back and forth 1/2 way across the country for one lousy afternoon. Josh has made his own bed.

(03-14-2015 02:15 PM)450bench Wrote:  I understand and yes we can absolutely agree to disagree.

Cool, and I get your side too. Appreciate you being able to have a civil conversation about all this too. Sometimes I wonder if that's still possible on here!

(03-14-2015 02:14 PM)true_blue_thru_and_thru Wrote:  

(03-14-2015 02:07 PM)450bench Wrote:  

(03-14-2015 02:04 PM)true_blue_thru_and_thru Wrote:  

(03-14-2015 02:00 PM)450bench Wrote:  Basketball has paid all the bills and funded just about everything sports wise. It's just been a reality here.

That landscape NO LONGER EXISTS. You CANNOT run a legit D1 athletic program efficiently (while being in a non-Power 5 conference) off a successful bball program. It is is IMPOSSIBLE. Now if your goal is to become a bball only program then maybe you can make it work but if you want to be with the big boys you gotta play by their rules and that means getting football to the next level.

No kidding but in this university's case it needs basketball money to ignite football. It's just the way it is right now here, hence the problem.

How so? How would pouring money into bball in lieu of football help ignite football? Honest question, I'm not trying to be a d!ck or anything. It seems to me that was RC's gameplan and it got us with the worst football program for 3 years in a row. I love Tiger bball and it will survive this season and this football boosting effort and come out better in the long run.

Of course football is the financial answer but this university has always been about basketball and those hoops dollars fund just about everything. To move into the 21st century and have football be the bell cow we need basketball money to help football grow and takeover the top spot. When that happens great but the process needs to slowly work and with basketball on the downward spiral that it is on it only delays that process.

(03-14-2015 01:57 PM)true_blue_thru_and_thru Wrote:  

(03-14-2015 01:37 PM)jason80 Wrote:  

(03-14-2015 10:33 AM)George CantStandYa Wrote:  Broken record time: the Atheletic department is in financial straights. Football is the priority. Understand this is a dramatic change to how we have always done things, but this is AS it should be. I am sure Bowen would have preferred to send the cheerleaders, band and thousands of fans. Not this year...

When did football become the priority? We had one good season in twenty years and now we are a football school? Give me a break. As soon as Fuente leaves we will be right back where we started. Cutting basketball and doing what we are doing sends a sign to people that memphis is no longer willing to do what it takes to compete at the highest level in basketball. Sorry I could care less about Tiger football and winning some meaningless bowl game. This is a basketball school and a basketball city. Always has been always will be and to cut things regarding our program is tragic and shouldn't be dismissed as no big deal.

This guy is not from here and doesn't understand what tiger basketball means to people. He needs to recognize under his watch the basketball has taken a major step back. Atleast RC fought for basketball. U can rag on him all u want but under him memphis basketball was at it's highest level and a couple mad free throws from a national title. Regardless how good the football team gets we will never play for a national title. We are a have not in football. Nothing will change that. We need to stick to basketball. It makes me sick this we are a football school now. Yeah we have one good season in twenty years and now we are a football school?lol whatever. Stay in your lane.

Football is the key to getting in a better conference. End of story. Basketball will play a minuscule, if any, role in that effort. The game has changed so we have to adapt to survive. Not really a choice honestly, only way to go.

Not the end of the story because we're not there yet. People have also said that Bowen hired Wren Baker to watch over BB.

But it's hard to know exactly what is correct in the info dept these days, especially when some reputable folks are also saying that the cuts made to the BB program aren't even going to FB.

Who knows. Hey....we only know what we see/ saw. And we saw everyone's band and cheerleaders except ours.
Can't we hide our budget cuts better than that?
That one did put us in a good light, not did it send a good message to some of the kids in our program.

OK..most of you will be glad to know I'm done.

(03-14-2015 02:20 PM)450bench Wrote:  

(03-14-2015 02:14 PM)true_blue_thru_and_thru Wrote:  

(03-14-2015 02:07 PM)450bench Wrote:  

(03-14-2015 02:04 PM)true_blue_thru_and_thru Wrote:  

(03-14-2015 02:00 PM)450bench Wrote:  Basketball has paid all the bills and funded just about everything sports wise. It's just been a reality here.

That landscape NO LONGER EXISTS. You CANNOT run a legit D1 athletic program efficiently (while being in a non-Power 5 conference) off a successful bball program. It is is IMPOSSIBLE. Now if your goal is to become a bball only program then maybe you can make it work but if you want to be with the big boys you gotta play by their rules and that means getting football to the next level.

No kidding but in this university's case it needs basketball money to ignite football. It's just the way it is right now here, hence the problem.

How so? How would pouring money into bball in lieu of football help ignite football? Honest question, I'm not trying to be a d!ck or anything. It seems to me that was RC's gameplan and it got us with the worst football program for 3 years in a row. I love Tiger bball and it will survive this season and this football boosting effort and come out better in the long run.

Of course football is the financial answer but this university has always been about basketball and those hoops dollars fund just about everything. To move into the 21st century and have football be the bell cow we need basketball money to help football grow and takeover the top spot. When that happens great but the process needs to slowly work and with basketball on the downward spiral that it is on it only delays that process.

Well I think in a perfect world you'd be right but we were so behind the curve and the landscape was changing so fast we had to shift the plan into overdrive from the jump. I don't think the admin thought bball would struggle like they did this year either to be honest.

(03-14-2015 02:24 PM)true_blue_thru_and_thru Wrote:  

(03-14-2015 02:20 PM)450bench Wrote:  

(03-14-2015 02:14 PM)true_blue_thru_and_thru Wrote:  

(03-14-2015 02:07 PM)450bench Wrote:  

(03-14-2015 02:04 PM)true_blue_thru_and_thru Wrote:  That landscape NO LONGER EXISTS. You CANNOT run a legit D1 athletic program efficiently (while being in a non-Power 5 conference) off a successful bball program. It is is IMPOSSIBLE. Now if your goal is to become a bball only program then maybe you can make it work but if you want to be with the big boys you gotta play by their rules and that means getting football to the next level.

No kidding but in this university's case it needs basketball money to ignite football. It's just the way it is right now here, hence the problem.

How so? How would pouring money into bball in lieu of football help ignite football? Honest question, I'm not trying to be a d!ck or anything. It seems to me that was RC's gameplan and it got us with the worst football program for 3 years in a row. I love Tiger bball and it will survive this season and this football boosting effort and come out better in the long run.

Of course football is the financial answer but this university has always been about basketball and those hoops dollars fund just about everything. To move into the 21st century and have football be the bell cow we need basketball money to help football grow and takeover the top spot. When that happens great but the process needs to slowly work and with basketball on the downward spiral that it is on it only delays that process.

Well I think in a perfect world you'd be right but we were so behind the curve and the landscape was changing so fast we had to shift the plan into overdrive from the jump. I don't think the admin thought bball would struggle like they did this year either to be honest.

I totally agree. That's why it's imperative that the Josh experiment has to end now. Too much hangs in the balance.

(03-14-2015 02:23 PM)snowtiger Wrote:  

(03-14-2015 01:57 PM)true_blue_thru_and_thru Wrote:  

(03-14-2015 01:37 PM)jason80 Wrote:  

(03-14-2015 10:33 AM)George CantStandYa Wrote:  Broken record time: the Atheletic department is in financial straights. Football is the priority. Understand this is a dramatic change to how we have always done things, but this is AS it should be. I am sure Bowen would have preferred to send the cheerleaders, band and thousands of fans. Not this year...

When did football become the priority? We had one good season in twenty years and now we are a football school? Give me a break. As soon as Fuente leaves we will be right back where we started. Cutting basketball and doing what we are doing sends a sign to people that memphis is no longer willing to do what it takes to compete at the highest level in basketball. Sorry I could care less about Tiger football and winning some meaningless bowl game. This is a basketball school and a basketball city. Always has been always will be and to cut things regarding our program is tragic and shouldn't be dismissed as no big deal.

This guy is not from here and doesn't understand what tiger basketball means to people. He needs to recognize under his watch the basketball has taken a major step back. Atleast RC fought for basketball. U can rag on him all u want but under him memphis basketball was at it's highest level and a couple mad free throws from a national title. Regardless how good the football team gets we will never play for a national title. We are a have not in football. Nothing will change that. We need to stick to basketball. It makes me sick this we are a football school now. Yeah we have one good season in twenty years and now we are a football school?lol whatever. Stay in your lane.

Football is the key to getting in a better conference. End of story. Basketball will play a minuscule, if any, role in that effort. The game has changed so we have to adapt to survive. Not really a choice honestly, only way to go.

Not the end of the story because we're not there yet. People have also said that Bowen hired Wren Baker to watch over BB.

But it's hard to know exactly what is correct in the info dept these days, especially when some reputable folks are also saying that the cuts made to the BB program aren't even going to FB.

Who knows. Hey....we only know what we see/ saw. And we saw everyone's band and cheerleaders except ours. Can't we hide our budget cuts better than that?


OK..most of you will be glad to know I'm done.

Let's assume their is a hypothetical package delivery company, that floats a lot of our bills. Then let's assume that this is not a bottomless pit of cash. Would you rather these resources go to building up our basketball program while in the AAC or go to helping get us into a new conference with a brighter out look?