(03-25-2019 09:38 AM)I45owl Wrote:  You may as well just start calling them the "Rice Illuminati". Are we really convinced that they ever actually existed?

The state of Rice athletics (and its fans)

(03-24-2019 11:06 AM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote:  

(03-24-2019 11:00 AM)Owl1998 Wrote:  

(03-24-2019 10:51 AM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote:  

(03-24-2019 10:01 AM)Owl1998 Wrote:  I’m sure whenever Walt finishes his Russian investigation into Trump he will find time to respond but in the meantime....

I know I’ve beaten this dead horse for quite some time but I truly believe it to be so...

When Bragga came in and dropped multiple recruits for the 2019 signing class with little to zero observation, my gut reaction was “he better win quick because this is a bad look and other coaches will use it against him.” I still believe that to be the case. Problem is, he’s not winning quick.

If you don’t think his first impression of dropping longtime recruits and now a miserable start to his Rice career won’t negatively be used against him in the cutthroat game of recruiting, I have bad news for you. It’s already happening.... and yes, I know this first hand.

If there’s not a miracle turnaround this season and into next, Rice will be making a buyout attempt to start over again in a couple years.

Or Rice could just go Greg Goff him?

Goff had some serious infraction issues but, yes, they could theoretically...

It’s funny that the first 2019 recruit (Jackson Kiddy) Rice had was immediately snatched up by Pat Hallmark at UIW within 2 days of Bragga unceremoniously cutting his offer. Probably because Hallmark had actually seen him play and evaluated him multiple times. Hallmark, by the way, has led a very quick turnaround at Incarnate Word. Add that tiny school to the ever growing list of better programs in Texas than Rice...

I see what you’re saying about recruiting, the decline, etc but it’s hard to square what you’re saying about the guys Bragga dropped with the fact that our 2018 recruits, who are freshman now (recruited by Graham/Pope), have not yielded one impact player. That doesn’t give me a ton of confidence about the direction our recruiting was heading.

When I combine that with the fact the Bragga commits have been more highly rated *on paper* than the guys that Graham was bringing in late in his career, I’m not sure that recruiting is Bragga’s problem... Coaching might be.

Agree that Hallmark has done a nice job at UIW.

Hallmark and D Pierce face off this week. In San Antonio, I believe.

(03-25-2019 09:20 AM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  

(03-25-2019 07:33 AM)Antarius Wrote:  

(03-24-2019 09:33 AM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  I don't see any of that as instructive as to whether or not he 'gets' Rice. I don't see how you can reach that conclusion in half a season.

Agenda peddling.
Let's call a spade a spade. The 250(0) and insiders have oft used this line to justify their agenda, regardless of reality. Given the 0-fer record by the aforementioned on actually successful coaches, I wouldn't give this a lick of credibility. Bragga may or may not succeed, but theres no way it's due to this amalgamous excuse of whatever known as "getting Rice" just yet.
This has the credibility of Fattah El Sisi bemoaning the lack of competition in the elections.

I know a lot of people involved in what you are calling the 250(0) and I'm not sure what their agenda is, other than a bigger financial commitment to football. I think they ended up getting placed on the side of retaining David Bailiff, but I know that was not the feeling of a large number of them.

As far as 'gets' Rice, I am not at all certain just WTF that means. If it means knowing that Rice has residential colleges, then Bailiff 'got' Rice. So did Todd Graham, by the way, if that's where we set the bar. If it means knowing how to relate to Rice students and get them involved in supporting his program, then Scott Thompson 'got' Rice. If it means figuring out how to build a consistent winning program that reaches the highest level and sustains for two decades or more, then Jess Neely and Wayne Graham are the only two people I know who 'got' Rice. If it's that latter standard, then the jury is still out on Bloomgren, Pera, and Bragga.

I'm not sure what it means either. But it has been used as a way to prop up a mistake and seemingly now to drag down an unknown by several posters here. Which is why it is, IMO, best termed as agenda peddling - someone likes x, dislikes y so they make up intangibles like "gets Rice" to defend their crony hegemony.

I used the 25(0) term loosely to capture people who wouldn't know what success is even if it had neon signs, yet use their influence to make decisions; most of which decisions have contributed to the precipitous and embarrassing death spiral of Rice Athletics.