Figured we should to revive the old discussion from football season in light of the poor preparation and execution from the past couple of the days.

At least the football team recovered to win in the postseason.

(03-21-2015 05:09 PM)Pellet Wrote:  Figured we should to revive the old discussion from football season in light of the poor preparation and execution from the past couple of the days.

At least the football team recovered to win in the postseason.

For a newcomer to the Parliament, this post is not a very good start!

(03-21-2015 05:55 PM)RiceDad Wrote:  

(03-21-2015 05:09 PM)Pellet Wrote:  Figured we should to revive the old discussion from football season in light of the poor preparation and execution from the past couple of the days.

At least the football team recovered to win in the postseason.

For a newcomer to the Parliament, this post is not a very good start!

I chuckeled a bit.

I'm assuming this is totally tongue-in -cheek.

Football a different kind of sport, but I get what he's saying. Losing 2 straight to ODU in baseball is probably more surprigins than losing 1 to ODU in football, especially if you consider this team is pretty healthy while the football team was not at all for that game.

(03-21-2015 07:46 PM)Buho00 Wrote:  Football a different kind of sport, but I get what he's saying. Losing 2 straight to ODU in baseball is probably more surprigins than losing 1 to ODU in football, especially if you consider this team is pretty healthy while the football team was not at all for that game.

Isolated, yes.

But comparing the bodies of work of the OG and Bailiff and this is straight up laughable.

ODU athletics has dominated Rice athletics over the last year.

If we had to fire a coaching staff every time we lost to ODU this year we would have to start over in every sport.

(03-24-2015 09:11 AM)elf owl Wrote:  If we had to fire a coaching staff every time we lost to ODU this year we would have to start over in every sport.

Old Dominion is the only Conference USA school without a men's OR women's track & field team.

Is it just me, or does it seem like the baseball program has slipped a bit over the past two or three years? I don't follow baseball closely, but it seems that way.

(03-24-2015 12:45 PM)Afflicted Wrote:  Is it just me, or does it seem like the baseball program has slipped a bit over the past two or three years? I don't follow baseball closely, but it seems that way.

I think you are correct. After going to Omaha, what was it, five out of seven years, was it, we have since only gone to the SRs I think twice, and did not host in the SR. (I think this is correct.) It just does not seem to be the same. I remember one poster posted several years ago that in the past, he expected Rice to win, now he hoped that Rice would win.

We seem to have problems lately with the fundamentals of the game.

(03-24-2015 12:50 PM)Ranger Wrote:  

(03-24-2015 12:45 PM)Afflicted Wrote:  Is it just me, or does it seem like the baseball program has slipped a bit over the past two or three years? I don't follow baseball closely, but it seems that way.

I think you are correct. After going to Omaha, what was it, five out of seven years, was it, we have since only gone to the SRs I think twice, and did not host in the SR. (I think this is correct.) It just does not seem to be the same. I remember one poster posted several years ago that in the past, he expected Rice to win, now he hoped that Rice would win.

We seem to have problems lately with the fundamentals of the game.

The other teams in the state and region have gotten better, too.

In 2003, we were one of six teams to make the tournament from the state (Rice, Texas, Texas A&M, Baylor, Lamar, Houston). Last year, we were one of eight, by my count (Rice, Texas, A&M, TCU, Tech, Houston, SHSU, DBU).

In 2003, four of those were #1 seeds in their regional (Rice, Texas, A&M, Baylor--despite Southern Miss hosting), with UH and Lamar as #3 seeds. Last year, only two were #1 seeds (TCU and us), with 4 #2 seeds and 2 #3 seeds. A good chunk of that spread can likely be chalked up to the NCAA's slightly-bizarre obsession with geography for where it hosts things.

Pre-2003 tournament, there were five Texas teams in the NCBWA's top 25 (the only one I can find from pre-tournament); post-tournament there were six (the tournament teams). Last year there were also six, but also three more in the region (ULaLa #1, LSU #4, OSU #7) compared to the two in 2003 (LSU #9, Tulane #22).

There's more decent schools recruiting more good players in the region than there used to be. As such, we likely aren't getting quite the same level of talent in that we once did. We've taken a bit of a step back, partially due to hordes of teams in our region taking large steps forward.

For how much longer do you guys think Graham will coach, not that he needs to be rushed. We're still a top 25 program.

(03-24-2015 09:07 PM)Afflicted Wrote:  For how much longer do you guys think Graham will coach, not that he needs to be rushed. We're still a top 25 program.

he will outlast Amos Alonzo Stagg.

For those ready to jump off the bandwagon, preseason #2 ranked and last year's Omaha runner-up, UVA, has lost 7 of it's last 9 games, including blowout mid-week losses to Old Dominion and Georgetown, and has but one victory all season against Top 100 ranked competition.

(03-25-2015 08:02 AM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  For those ready to jump off the bandwagon, preseason #2 ranked and last year's Omaha runner-up, UVA, has lost 7 of it's last 9 games, including blowout mid-week losses to Old Dominion and Georgetown, and has but one victory all season against Top 100 ranked competition.

Walt, do you think people discussing if we have fallen from being a Top 5 club to a Top 25 club is jumping off the bandwagon?

Also, IMO, anyone who takes the time to be on Parliament isn't a bandwagon fan.

(03-25-2015 08:34 AM)Antarius Wrote:  Also, IMO, anyone who takes the time to be on Parliament isn't a bandwagon fan.

I think Pellet might be an exception.

(03-25-2015 08:24 AM)RiceLad15 Wrote:  

(03-25-2015 08:02 AM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  For those ready to jump off the bandwagon, preseason #2 ranked and last year's Omaha runner-up, UVA, has lost 7 of it's last 9 games, including blowout mid-week losses to Old Dominion and Georgetown, and has but one victory all season against Top 100 ranked competition.

Walt, do you think people discussing if we have fallen from being a Top 5 club to a Top 25 club is jumping off the bandwagon?

We were never a perennial Top 5 club, and no college program-- save for USC and UT in the 1970s - ever has been. I honestly don't think we've slipped all that much. Rather, we have simply failed to deliver in the post-season. The 2003 team was an upperclass, JUCO and college transfer-laden team (save for the Big 3), and the 2005 - '08 team was a once-in-a-generation squad that rode a truly exceptional and deep 2005 incoming recruitment class.

I'll agree "bandwagon" was a poor choice of words. However, there were more than a few Parliamentarians who were in total panic mode over the weekend, and calling for radical changes. Aside from the current skid by UVA, let's not forget that the Coogs had lost 7 of 9 games at one point not so long ago, against largely weak opposition, and has immediately followed that slump by reeling off 11 straight wins and counting. Cal State-Fullerton is yet another preseason Top 10 team that has suddenly found itself in an extended skid, having now lost 7 of it's last 10 games....but at least they've played solid competition.

(03-25-2015 09:57 AM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(03-25-2015 08:24 AM)RiceLad15 Wrote:  

(03-25-2015 08:02 AM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  For those ready to jump off the bandwagon, preseason #2 ranked and last year's Omaha runner-up, UVA, has lost 7 of it's last 9 games, including blowout mid-week losses to Old Dominion and Georgetown, and has but one victory all season against Top 100 ranked competition.

Walt, do you think people discussing if we have fallen from being a Top 5 club to a Top 25 club is jumping off the bandwagon?

We were never a perennial Top 5 club, and no college program-- save for USC and UT in the 1970s - ever has been. I honestly don't think we've slipped all that much. Rather, we have simply failed to deliver in the post-season. The 2003 team was an upperclass, JUCO and college transfer-laden team (save for the Big 3), and the 2005 - '08 team was a once-in-a-generation squad that rode a truly exceptional and deep 2005 incoming recruitment class.

I'll agree "bandwagon" was a poor choice of words. However, there were more than a few Parliamentarians who were in total panic mode over the weekend, and calling for radical changes. Aside from the current skid by UVA, let's not forget that the Coogs had lost 7 of 9 games at one point not so long ago, against largely weak opposition, and has immediately followed that slump by reeling off 11 straight wins and counting. Cal State-Fullerton is yet another preseason Top 10 team that has suddenly found itself in an extended skid, having now lost 7 of it's last 10 games....but at least they've played solid competition.

I understand where Walt was and is coming from here. I don't think he meant "bandwagon" in the sense a few took it.

This is baseball, it's a long season and he is correct, no reason to panic. This is a young team still