(07-03-2018 09:47 PM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  

(07-03-2018 08:32 PM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  

(07-03-2018 05:36 PM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  As I said, if making a crappy bowl is seen as a steppingstone rather than as a goal achieved, then it is good. TCU went to a lot of crappy bowls on their way up (and will again). I see every bowl,, every win, as a prelude to better things.
The problem with the Bailiff years (and every year since 1960) was that we didn't build on our successes. So if Bloom gets us to a 6-6 bowl this year, fine, nice job, but it has to be cemented in with progress the year after, and the year after, and the year after...

As I've said before, that was always my concern about Bailiff--that he couldn't sustain. He could win if the stars aligned right, but not consistently, year in and year out. He didn't at Texas State--he was 5-6 the year after the playoff run--and he didn't at Rice--2008 was followed by 2009-11, at a critical time for the program, and 2012-14 was followed by 2015-17.

I hope Bloom can put us on a solid upward trend. I don't give a damn about the the things people are gushing about now, unless they produce some wins and the first steps toward that higher plateau we were talking about. Whether we show three wins or seven in 2018, I want us to show more in 2019, and more yet in 2020. I would rather see that than nine wins in 2018 and four in 2019. Been there done that.

Exactly.

Asst comments from items above:

1) Miss St (see the very next year and ranked number 1 for a bit) was not your ordinary 6-6 team, having lost just barely to several SEC powerhouses that year without some guy named Dak Prescott who played in that bowl and who is at least an average NFL QB (and this coming from someone who hates Dallas more than even UH). The 2013 team was a nice memory, but as with 2008, it was not built on.

2) Someone mentioned Bailiff's first game, please do not mention that name of that team again. Maybe some knew, but if that wasn't foreshadowing I don't know what is. Gawdawful doesn't even begin to describe that night. Little did we know of some of the horrors to come. I would hope that Bloom's first game will be better.

(07-04-2018 06:58 PM)texowl2 Wrote:  .

2) Someone mentioned Bailiff's first game, please do not mention that name of that team again. Maybe some knew, but if that wasn't foreshadowing I don't know what is. Gawdawful doesn't even begin to describe that night. Little did we know of some of the horrors to come. I would hope that Bloom's first game will be better.

If Bloom loses his first game, what should we do?

(07-04-2018 07:15 PM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  

(07-04-2018 06:58 PM)texowl2 Wrote:  .

2) Someone mentioned Bailiff's first game, please do not mention that name of that team again. Maybe some knew, but if that wasn't foreshadowing I don't know what is. Gawdawful doesn't even begin to describe that night. Little did we know of some of the horrors to come. I would hope that Bloom's first game will be better.

If Bloom loses his first game, what should we do?

Panic.

And complain profusely on the Parliament.

(07-04-2018 07:47 PM)Tomball Owl Wrote:  

(07-04-2018 07:15 PM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  

(07-04-2018 06:58 PM)texowl2 Wrote:  .

2) Someone mentioned Bailiff's first game, please do not mention that name of that team again. Maybe some knew, but if that wasn't foreshadowing I don't know what is. Gawdawful doesn't even begin to describe that night. Little did we know of some of the horrors to come. I would hope that Bloom's first game will be better.

If Bloom loses his first game, what should we do?

Panic.

And complain profusely on the Parliament.

You all do remember that Prairie View hung 44 on us...at home. I don't expect to lose, but you never know with first games.

(07-04-2018 07:47 PM)Tomball Owl Wrote:  

(07-04-2018 07:15 PM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  

(07-04-2018 06:58 PM)texowl2 Wrote:  .

2) Someone mentioned Bailiff's first game, please do not mention that name of that team again. Maybe some knew, but if that wasn't foreshadowing I don't know what is. Gawdawful doesn't even begin to describe that night. Little did we know of some of the horrors to come. I would hope that Bloom's first game will be better.

If Bloom loses his first game, what should we do?

Panic.

And complain profusely on the Parliament.

Fire him?

(07-04-2018 07:59 PM)Pan95 Wrote:  

(07-04-2018 07:47 PM)Tomball Owl Wrote:  

(07-04-2018 07:15 PM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  

(07-04-2018 06:58 PM)texowl2 Wrote:  .

2) Someone mentioned Bailiff's first game, please do not mention that name of that team again. Maybe some knew, but if that wasn't foreshadowing I don't know what is. Gawdawful doesn't even begin to describe that night. Little did we know of some of the horrors to come. I would hope that Bloom's first game will be better.

If Bloom loses his first game, what should we do?

Panic.

And complain profusely on the Parliament.

You all do remember that Prairie View hung 44 on us...at home. I don't expect to lose, but you never know with first games.

And some of us were (vindicated in hindsight) panicking. And not because PVaTm was good. We just sucked monkey nuts.

(07-04-2018 09:11 PM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  

(07-04-2018 07:47 PM)Tomball Owl Wrote:  

(07-04-2018 07:15 PM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  

(07-04-2018 06:58 PM)texowl2 Wrote:  .

2) Someone mentioned Bailiff's first game, please do not mention that name of that team again. Maybe some knew, but if that wasn't foreshadowing I don't know what is. Gawdawful doesn't even begin to describe that night. Little did we know of some of the horrors to come. I would hope that Bloom's first game will be better.

If Bloom loses his first game, what should we do?

Panic.

And complain profusely on the Parliament.

Fire him?

No. That would just be another reason to 1) panic and 2) complain profusely on the Parliament.

(07-04-2018 10:12 PM)Tomball Owl Wrote:  

(07-04-2018 09:11 PM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  

(07-04-2018 07:47 PM)Tomball Owl Wrote:  

(07-04-2018 07:15 PM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  

(07-04-2018 06:58 PM)texowl2 Wrote:  .

2) Someone mentioned Bailiff's first game, please do not mention that name of that team again. Maybe some knew, but if that wasn't foreshadowing I don't know what is. Gawdawful doesn't even begin to describe that night. Little did we know of some of the horrors to come. I would hope that Bloom's first game will be better.

If Bloom loses his first game, what should we do?

Panic.

And complain profusely on the Parliament.

Fire him?

No. That would just be another reason to 1) panic and 2) complain profusely on the Parliament.

Just wondering. Some have said Bailiff should have been released after his opener. Apparently it was a harbinger. Others have advocated for making an early decision about the retention of coaches.

I would not go to that extreme, and hope the season is successful enough that the subject does not ever arise. But if we end September 0-5, I guess it will arise among those who advocate a short leash and a quick release. If we end October 0-9, it will certainly arise.

We are getting to the interesting time of the season now. I hope Bloom is the guy we want him to be.

Hosting TSU is a good move. They'll bring several thousand fans to fill seats and spend money. Their band is incredible. It'll be a great crowd, an amazing football atmosphere, and Rice makes money. Keep going.

(07-05-2018 11:25 AM)Ourland Wrote:  Hosting TSU is a good move. They'll bring several thousand fans to fill seats and spend money. Their band is incredible. It'll be a great crowd, an amazing football atmosphere, and Rice makes money. Keep going.

Have you ever been to a football game at a big time school?

(07-03-2018 08:08 PM)Antarius Wrote:  

(07-03-2018 07:39 PM)Hambone10 Wrote:  

(07-03-2018 05:36 PM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  As I said, if making a crappy bowl is seen as a steppingstone rather than as a goal achieved, then it is good. TCU went to a lot of crappy bowls on their way up (and will again). I see every bowl,, every win, as a prelude to better things.

The problem with the Bailiff years (and every year since 1960) was that we didn't build on our successes. So if Bloom gets us to a 6-6 bowl this year, fine, nice job, but it has to be cemented in with progress the year after, and the year after, and the year after...

This

Except this is not even remotely close to how Rice Athletics, the 25(0) or most of Parliament acted. 7 years in going to a bowl and beating a pretty terrible AFA team was heralded as impressive. Making another bowl (and getting throttled) by a 6-6 team was enough to make it rain extensions. Anyone who pointed out that beating a 6-6 team in a bowl wasn't a big deal was shouted down as a malcontent. We saw exactly how the next 4 years developed.

8 years in we were applauding a participation award. Same **** different day with MBB and the CIT under Braun. Color me skeptical that this cycle won't repeat.

Oh I know Ant... and I was one of those people on your side...

If it repeats, then it won't live up to OO's first line

(07-05-2018 11:34 AM)Antarius Wrote:  

(07-05-2018 11:25 AM)Ourland Wrote:  Hosting TSU is a good move. They'll bring several thousand fans to fill seats and spend money. Their band is incredible. It'll be a great crowd, an amazing football atmosphere, and Rice makes money. Keep going.

Have you ever been to a football game at a big time school?

Plenty. Those schools also schedule Prairie View, TSU, Lamar, Louisiana etc... These games will make Rice money. Fans show up for them. That's all that matters right now.

(07-05-2018 04:06 PM)Ourland Wrote:  

(07-05-2018 11:34 AM)Antarius Wrote:  

(07-05-2018 11:25 AM)Ourland Wrote:  Hosting TSU is a good move. They'll bring several thousand fans to fill seats and spend money. Their band is incredible. It'll be a great crowd, an amazing football atmosphere, and Rice makes money. Keep going.

Have you ever been to a football game at a big time school?

Plenty. Those schools also schedule Prairie View, TSU, Lamar, Louisiana etc... These games will make Rice money. Fans show up for them. That's all that matters right now.

The difference is THEIR fans show up to these game. Big difference.

I'm not saying don't play PVaTm, TSU etc. But it is laughable that several thousand fans now construes a great atmosphere to some people. The standards keep dropping.

(07-05-2018 04:30 PM)Antarius Wrote:  

(07-05-2018 04:06 PM)Ourland Wrote:  

(07-05-2018 11:34 AM)Antarius Wrote:  

(07-05-2018 11:25 AM)Ourland Wrote:  Hosting TSU is a good move. They'll bring several thousand fans to fill seats and spend money. Their band is incredible. It'll be a great crowd, an amazing football atmosphere, and Rice makes money. Keep going.

Have you ever been to a football game at a big time school?

Plenty. Those schools also schedule Prairie View, TSU, Lamar, Louisiana etc... These games will make Rice money. Fans show up for them. That's all that matters right now.

The difference is THEIR fans show up to these game. Big difference.

I'm not saying don't play PVaTm, TSU etc. But it is laughable that several thousand fans now construes a great atmosphere to some people. The standards keep dropping.

Several thousand fans would be a big improvement. The east side has been mostly empty for 25 years. I wish we could schedule Texas, TCU, Baylor, and Texas Tech at Rice Stadium, but it won't happen fairly or regularly. Scheduling area FCS and Sun Belt schools is the only way to draw fans to Rice Stadium in decent number. It's a practical move that helps finances. That's all it is. I think Karlgaard is trying his best to emulate something as close as possible to what Rice had in the SWC. He wants the opposing team's fans to be excited enough and close enough that they'll all show up on game day. As far as I can see, it's all he can do to boost attendance.

(07-04-2018 06:58 PM)texowl2 Wrote:  Asst comments from items above:

1) Miss St (see the very next year and ranked number 1 for a bit) was not your ordinary 6-6 team, having lost just barely to several SEC powerhouses that year without some guy named Dak Prescott who played in that bowl and who is at least an average NFL QB (and this coming from someone who hates Dallas more than even UH). The 2013 team was a nice memory, but as with 2008, it was not built on.

Agree that they were not ordinary, but IMO it was the offense that was especially bad in that game. We had 7 first downs and 145 total yards. Had we lost 44-21 and had 275 yards, I would have been fairly happy. We threw only 16 passes and rushed for only 60 yards. The biggest problem in my mind was playing 'TOP' down by 35+

Sorry to rehash that nightmare.

(07-05-2018 04:06 PM)Ourland Wrote:  Plenty. Those schools also schedule Prairie View, TSU, Lamar, Louisiana etc... These games will make Rice money. Fans show up for them. That's all that matters right now.

History does not support that games against schools like TSU make money or that fans show up for them.... at RIce. They are good potential warm-ups and record padders.... and also potentially huge issues. Most of the people who show up to them for the big boys are 'their regulars' who attend every game (and we have about 5,000 of those while they have more like 50,000 of those) plus their friends who never get to go to the big games because they are sold out.

I'm fine with enthusiasm, but let's not compare apples and Fords and act like they're the same.

(07-05-2018 05:10 PM)Hambone10 Wrote:  

(07-05-2018 04:06 PM)Ourland Wrote:  Plenty. Those schools also schedule Prairie View, TSU, Lamar, Louisiana etc... These games will make Rice money. Fans show up for them. That's all that matters right now.

History does not support that games against schools like TSU make money or that fans show up for them.... at RIce. They are good potential warm-ups and record padders.... and also potentially huge issues. Most of the people who show up to them for the big boys are 'their regulars' who attend every game (and we have about 5,000 of those while they have more like 50,000 of those) plus their friends who never get to go to the big games because they are sold out.

I'm fine with enthusiasm, but let's not compare apples and Fords and act like they're the same.

Succinctly put.

PVaTm, Lamar, TSU are warm up cannon fodder (or should be). The moment we start acting like these teams are the SWC.... I didn't think the bar could be set that low.

If they have a great band like Prairie View, then bring them on.

(07-05-2018 11:25 AM)Ourland Wrote:  Hosting TSU is a good move. They'll bring several thousand fans to fill seats and spend money. Their band is incredible. It'll be a great crowd, an amazing football atmosphere, and Rice makes money. Keep going.

and then host the pre game and halftime on our own network

These small area schools are cannon fodder for Rice too. They're cannon fodder with fans. Rice is bleeding red, and it isn't going anywhere until attendance spikes dramatically. Scheduling these schools kills two birds with one stone. It's a strategy that's grounded in practicality, not prestige. I don't have a problem with it at all if it helps get Rice where it needs to be.