This is similar to the "Grade the Atheltics programs" thread from a little while ago. I gave it an F and some people took umbrage with that given some of the Womens sports doing well etc.

Unfortunately it doesn't matter how good of a satellite you have as Payload if your rocket blows up on lift off.

Baseball was a Hubble Telescope quality program. Unfortunately it was saddled with two really crappy rockets that held it back. Feelings aside, despite all the success that baseball has had, we are in a death spiral in terms of fan interest, money, revenue and conference affiliation. Acting like that isn't true is trying to rewrite history.

That's not to say baseball and other sports aren't important. But they aren't saving the athletics department and never will.

(04-25-2018 11:12 AM)flash3200 Wrote:  The only coherent argument the Graham apologists can make for his continued employment is a cynical take that the baseball team's performance really doesn't matter in the face of nostalgia and JK & Co. should be free to run the program completely into the dirt just like football and MBB.

First of all, you need to check yourself on your statements on other people's opinions.

Second, perhaps the BIGGEST single response to the issue hasn't been that 'Wayne' doesn't have another run in him... but that unless we fix some apparent issues with scholarships, that RICE doesn't have another run in it... so your comment about the only coherent argument is patently false.

and finally, there have been comments that doing what we have done is consistent with your 'run the program into the ground like football and mbb' and not that 'keeping him around for nostalgia' has been that.

People can disagree (respectfully), but if you can't defend your position without arguing in the demonstrably absurd, you might want to rethink it.

(04-25-2018 11:18 AM)dranoel48 Wrote:  Anyone that went to Rice from 1997 to 2013 is offended.

I went to Rice from 2000 to 2004, but sure...

(04-25-2018 11:19 AM)dranoel48 Wrote:  

(04-25-2018 11:12 AM)flash3200 Wrote:  We are a bubble regional team at best and have no business on the field against super-regional type competition.

Considering the high schools area, we have the potential to be a top 10 team year after year after year...

Hypothetically, sure. In practice, no where close at the moment.

We are barely even top 10 in the state (Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Texas, Dallas Baptist, Houston, Baylor, Sam Houston, TCU, UTSA (!), #10 Rice per WarrenNolan Elo, UTA and HBU right behind us) and barely in the top 10 in our conference this year. Your logic could be stretched to football and MBB as well, but our geographical proximity to talent has obviously not done us any favors in those sports.

Kendall Roger's take on 4 candidates (and I'd add ULaLa's Riser, who is a Tulane alum)...

https://d1baseball.com/analysis/rice-pre...ut-graham/

(04-25-2018 02:07 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  Kendall Roger's take on 4 candidates (and I'd add ULaLa's Riser, who is a Tulane alum)...

https://d1baseball.com/analysis/rice-pre...ut-graham/

So who are Kendall's 4 candidates? The non-subscription version of the story ends with that teaser.

(04-25-2018 02:12 PM)Tomball Owl Wrote:  

(04-25-2018 02:07 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  Kendall Roger's take on 4 candidates (and I'd add ULaLa's Riser, who is a Tulane alum)...

https://d1baseball.com/analysis/rice-pre...ut-graham/

So who are Kendall's 4 candidates? The non-subscription version of the story ends with that teaser.

Saarloos, Dreggs, Lance, DBU's coach

(04-25-2018 02:15 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(04-25-2018 02:12 PM)Tomball Owl Wrote:  

(04-25-2018 02:07 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  Kendall Roger's take on 4 candidates (and I'd add ULaLa's Riser, who is a Tulane alum)...

https://d1baseball.com/analysis/rice-pre...ut-graham/

So who are Kendall's 4 candidates? The non-subscription version of the story ends with that teaser.

Saarloos, Dreggs, Lance, DBU's coach

Thanks!

It’s Deggs....not Dreggs....and although I think he’d be a great hire, I have a feeling he’s staying at Sam.

(04-25-2018 02:07 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  Kendall Roger's take on 4 candidates (and I'd add ULaLa's Riser, who is a Tulane alum)...

https://d1baseball.com/analysis/rice-pre...ut-graham/

Not to be confused with SELA’s head coach, Matt Riser, also a Tulane alumnus.

I am hoping we pick him.

I love Lance Berkman, but if this is a power play to push Wayne aside for Berkman--as I am starting to see rumored--then I'm 100% opposed. I think Wayne has earned the right to go out with a first class sundown cruise and to name--or at least to have significant input in naming--his successor. I'm pretty sure Berkman is not the person that Wayne would choose, and if the rumors are accurate (which is a dicey proposition) I can understand Wayne's recalcitrance.

(04-25-2018 03:00 PM)Owl1998 Wrote:  It’s Deggs....not Dreggs....and although I think he’d be a great hire, I have a feeling he’s staying at Sam.

Matt is an outstanding coach. My students who play baseball love him (the players didn't have the same love for Pierce, by the way). I think Matt may see Sam as a better opportunity right now. Also, he is even more outspoken about his Christian faith than Ken Hatfield was, and I can see where that could cause friction.

(04-25-2018 03:43 PM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  I love Lance Berkman, but if this is a power play to push Wayne aside for Berkman--as I am starting to see rumored--then I'm 100% opposed. I think Wayne has earned the right to go out with a first class sundown cruise and to name--or at least to have significant input in naming--his successor. I'm pretty sure Berkman is not the person that Wayne would choose, and if the rumors are accurate (which is a dicey proposition) I can understand Wayne's recalcitrance.

For Pete's sake, try to keep up. Graham has zero interest in a "sundown cruise," if by that you mean him graciously accepting that this is his final year.

His contract is up. There's no need to "push him aside".

(04-25-2018 03:49 PM)Frizzy Owl Wrote:  

(04-25-2018 03:43 PM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  I love Lance Berkman, but if this is a power play to push Wayne aside for Berkman--as I am starting to see rumored--then I'm 100% opposed. I think Wayne has earned the right to go out with a first class sundown cruise and to name--or at least to have significant input in naming--his successor. I'm pretty sure Berkman is not the person that Wayne would choose, and if the rumors are accurate (which is a dicey proposition) I can understand Wayne's recalcitrance.

For Pete's sake, try to keep up. Graham has zero interest in a "sundown cruise," if by that you mean him graciously accepting that this is his final year.
His contract is up. There's no need to "push him aside".

I think he would if he had a significant role in picking his successor. I think he would relish the opportunity to pass the baton to someone of his choosing. And I don't think Lance would be on his short list. So if this is a power play to hand Lance the job, then I'm not in favor. And if Lance is the chosen successor, I can see why Wayne would dig in his heels.

I agree it is time for him to move on. But I also think that we owe our very existence as a D-1 athletic program to him, and IMO that means he deserves some special perks.

(04-25-2018 04:04 PM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  

(04-25-2018 03:49 PM)Frizzy Owl Wrote:  

(04-25-2018 03:43 PM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  I love Lance Berkman, but if this is a power play to push Wayne aside for Berkman--as I am starting to see rumored--then I'm 100% opposed. I think Wayne has earned the right to go out with a first class sundown cruise and to name--or at least to have significant input in naming--his successor. I'm pretty sure Berkman is not the person that Wayne would choose, and if the rumors are accurate (which is a dicey proposition) I can understand Wayne's recalcitrance.

For Pete's sake, try to keep up. Graham has zero interest in a "sundown cruise," if by that you mean him graciously accepting that this is his final year.
His contract is up. There's no need to "push him aside".

I think he would if he had a significant role in picking his successor. I think he would relish the opportunity to pass the baton to someone of his choosing. And I don't think Lance would be on his short list. So if this is a power play to hand Lance the job, then I'm not in favor. And if Lance is the chosen successor, I can see why Wayne would dig in his heels.

I agree it is time for him to move on. But I also think that we owe our very existence as a D-1 athletic program to him, and IMO that means he deserves some special perks.

There's no "power play." It's not Graham's decision, and it never was.

He does not want to quit. If follows that he does not want to name his successor. If you're arguing that he would want to quit if he were allowed to name his successor, and he's refusing to quit because he isn't being allowed to - that's just bizarre.

(04-22-2018 07:40 AM)JustAnotherAustinOwlStill Wrote:  

(04-20-2018 05:19 PM)illiniowl Wrote:  

(04-20-2018 04:07 PM)Antarius Wrote:  

(04-20-2018 01:53 PM)Frizzy Owl Wrote:  

(04-20-2018 01:38 PM)Antarius Wrote:  Arsene Wenger stepping down after this season.

https://www.arsenal.com/news/merci-arsene

Tangential, but a classy way to go out. We can learn something from this.

From that article, I can tell nothing about the circumstances behind it. Was Arsene allowed to resign? Well, so was Greenspan. Just sayin'.

Wenger has been coaching for forever. However over the last several years Arsenal has fallen behind their peers in the championship race. As a result, pressure has been building for a change.

Wenger either was told he was going to be fired at the end of the season and chose a graceful exit or came to the realization that this was it and stepped down.

This wasn't a scandal Greenspan thing. Aresenal isn't what it once was, but things aren't a flaming trainwreck... as a result, Wenger is going out on top and will be celebrated as a top coach.

Not an assessment shared by Gunners fans in the hilarious Arsenal Fan TV clips they like to show on Men in Blazers!

I confess to only casually following the Premier League through the aforementioned Men in Blazers but my impression has been that "Wenger Out!" signs and even skywriting have been quite prevalent for a few seasons now. I mean, is there not a sizable contingent of Arsenal supporters who feel that a year or two or more were wasted in waiting for Wenger to retire of his own accord?

I think you're being overly harsh on Wenger. After all, there may still be a St. Burnleyham's day this year...

Splendid. COYS.

(04-25-2018 03:21 PM)Ranger Wrote:  

(04-25-2018 02:07 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  Kendall Roger's take on 4 candidates (and I'd add ULaLa's Riser, who is a Tulane alum)...

https://d1baseball.com/analysis/rice-pre...ut-graham/

Not to be confused with SELA’s head coach, Matt Riser, also a Tulane alumnus.

I am hoping we pick him.

Same. SELA has a great reputation of developing pitchers and Riser has built a consistent winner there.

(04-25-2018 11:25 PM)uconnbaseball Wrote:  

(04-25-2018 03:21 PM)Ranger Wrote:  

(04-25-2018 02:07 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  Kendall Roger's take on 4 candidates (and I'd add ULaLa's Riser, who is a Tulane alum)...

https://d1baseball.com/analysis/rice-pre...ut-graham/

Not to be confused with SELA’s head coach, Matt Riser, also a Tulane alumnus.

I am hoping we pick him.

Same. SELA has a great reputation of developing pitchers and Riser has built a consistent winner there.

Would the tagline be Rice Rising with Riser?

Who are the 4 candidates in Kendall's article?

(04-26-2018 06:40 AM)Antarius Wrote:  

(04-25-2018 11:25 PM)uconnbaseball Wrote:  

(04-25-2018 03:21 PM)Ranger Wrote:  

(04-25-2018 02:07 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  Kendall Roger's take on 4 candidates (and I'd add ULaLa's Riser, who is a Tulane alum)...

https://d1baseball.com/analysis/rice-pre...ut-graham/

Not to be confused with SELA’s head coach, Matt Riser, also a Tulane alumnus.

I am hoping we pick him.

Same. SELA has a great reputation of developing pitchers and Riser has built a consistent winner there.

Would the tagline be Rice Rising with Riser?

That is utterly fantastic and I 100% support it.

(04-25-2018 04:04 PM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  

(04-25-2018 03:49 PM)Frizzy Owl Wrote:  

(04-25-2018 03:43 PM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  I love Lance Berkman, but if this is a power play to push Wayne aside for Berkman--as I am starting to see rumored--then I'm 100% opposed. I think Wayne has earned the right to go out with a first class sundown cruise and to name--or at least to have significant input in naming--his successor. I'm pretty sure Berkman is not the person that Wayne would choose, and if the rumors are accurate (which is a dicey proposition) I can understand Wayne's recalcitrance.

For Pete's sake, try to keep up. Graham has zero interest in a "sundown cruise," if by that you mean him graciously accepting that this is his final year.
His contract is up. There's no need to "push him aside".

I think he would if he had a significant role in picking his successor. I think he would relish the opportunity to pass the baton to someone of his choosing. And I don't think Lance would be on his short list. So if this is a power play to hand Lance the job, then I'm not in favor. And if Lance is the chosen successor, I can see why Wayne would dig in his heels.

I agree it is time for him to move on. But I also think that we owe our ver y existence as a D-1 athletic program to him, and IMO that means he deserves some special perks.

Wayne is behaving as if he’s the athletic director. He doesn’t get to chose his successor. That is the job of the athletic director.