(02-24-2020 08:07 PM)Almadenmike Wrote:  

(02-24-2020 07:50 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  Who was the last Rice president with Texas connections? Norman Hackerman (1970-1985 president).

Silly post.

FYI, here are the pre-Rice "connections" of all of Rice's Presidents.

Yes, Hackerman is the only one who has previously worked in Texas.

Edgar Odell Lovett (Ohio, Kentucky, UVa, Johns Hopkins, Chicago ... Princeton)
William V. Houston (Ohio, Chicago ... CalTech)
Kenneth Pitzer (California ... UC Berkeley)
Norman Hackerman (Maryland, Johns Hopkins, VaTech ... UT Austin)
George Rupp (New Jersey, Yale, California, Wisconsin ... Harvard)
Malcolm Gillis (Alabama, Florida, Illinois ... Duke)
David Leebron (Pennsylvania, Harvard, UCLA, NYU ... Columbia)

Well at least Rupp had sense enough to hire a baseball coach with Texas connections. Leebron had that chance, but passed on it.

Hackerman also the only one of the bunch to not sport a repeating double letter in his name.
But made up for it by repeating a syllable from his first name in his last name.

(02-24-2020 10:34 PM)owl at the moon Wrote:  Hackerman also the only one of the bunch to not sport a repeating double letter in his name.
But made up for it by repeating a syllable from his first name in his last name.

LOL!!!

Now THAT's insightful. :-)

Hackermans athletic legacy could be easily described as the most miserable since that period was generally noncompetitive across the board....

It is unfortunate to see the team struggle so much, especially since the schedule does not get any easier.

(02-25-2020 09:51 AM)RiceOwl Wrote:  It is unfortunate to see the team struggle so much, especially since the schedule does not get any easier.

Um, yes it does get easier. Both UT and UC-I were borderline preseason Top 25 teams, with each making at least one Top 25 ranking. Aside from Texas Tech, the upcoming schedule gets significantly easier.

Hey Walt, lighten up man. You hate on preseason rankings ALL of the time yet now you rely on them. Hypocritical to say the least.

1 - TX State is usually competitive. This game is on the road too.
3 - Missouri State is 2 years removed from a 40 win season. They were about the same as us last year and are 3-4 this year (a record we would happily take).
1 - ULaLa is always competitive and will undoubtedly be pissed with their poor start. Again, give me 2-6 at this point.
1 - UH. Anything can happen in this series. Once again, I would take 2-4.
3 - TX Tech in Lubbock. Speaks for itself.
1 - TX A&M at home. Speaks for itself.

In summary, 6 games against teams that are always competitive and have good players. 3 games against a national championship contender. 1 more against an SEC team with Omaha aspirations.

Significantly easier schedule... no shot.

(02-25-2020 10:29 AM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(02-25-2020 09:51 AM)RiceOwl Wrote:  It is unfortunate to see the team struggle so much, especially since the schedule does not get any easier.

Um, yes it does get easier. Both UT and UC-I were borderline preseason Top 25 teams, with each making at least one Top 25 ranking. Aside from Texas Tech, the upcoming schedule gets significantly easier.

UCI was also bleeding runs in their first 4 games yet held us to 6 runs in 3 games. Also, I remember you saying the preseason polls were trash. Our bats are flat and I don't trust our pitching. Things aren't looking good..

(02-25-2020 12:07 PM)Keyboard Crusader Wrote:  

(02-25-2020 10:29 AM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(02-25-2020 09:51 AM)RiceOwl Wrote:  It is unfortunate to see the team struggle so much, especially since the schedule does not get any easier.

Um, yes it does get easier. Both UT and UC-I were borderline preseason Top 25 teams, with each making at least one Top 25 ranking. Aside from Texas Tech, the upcoming schedule gets significantly easier.

UCI was also bleeding runs in their first 4 games yet held us to 6 runs in 3 games. Also, I remember you saying the preseason polls were trash. Our bats are flat and I don't trust our pitching. Things aren't looking good..

No, I said, and I've always said, the Collegiate Baseball poll is trash. I never said that of D1Baseball, Baseball America or even Perfect Game.

(02-25-2020 12:28 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(02-25-2020 12:07 PM)Keyboard Crusader Wrote:  

(02-25-2020 10:29 AM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(02-25-2020 09:51 AM)RiceOwl Wrote:  It is unfortunate to see the team struggle so much, especially since the schedule does not get any easier.

Um, yes it does get easier. Both UT and UC-I were borderline preseason Top 25 teams, with each making at least one Top 25 ranking. Aside from Texas Tech, the upcoming schedule gets significantly easier.

UCI was also bleeding runs in their first 4 games yet held us to 6 runs in 3 games. Also, I remember you saying the preseason polls were trash. Our bats are flat and I don't trust our pitching. Things aren't looking good..

No, I said, and I've always said, the Collegiate Baseball poll is trash. I never said that of D1Baseball, Baseball America or even Perfect Game.

Sweet baby Jesus I was referring to the poll you had commented on. Do explain how our schedule gets easier since you are an expert. Any justification for us being ok with a losing schedule heading into conference is blasphemy. If you really think the schedule is getting easier it only adds to how far we have fallen in the past few years.

(02-25-2020 11:57 AM)RiceOwl Wrote:  Hey Walt, lighten up man. You hate on preseason rankings ALL of the time yet now you rely on them. Hypocritical to say the least.
1 - TX State is usually competitive. This game is on the road too.
3 - Missouri State is 2 years removed from a 40 win season. They were about the same as us last year and are 3-4 this year (a record we would happily take).
1 - ULaLa is always competitive and will undoubtedly be pissed with their poor start. Again, give me 2-6 at this point.
1 - UH. Anything can happen in this series. Once again, I would take 2-4.
3 - TX Tech in Lubbock. Speaks for itself.
1 - TX A&M at home. Speaks for itself.
In summary, 6 games against teams that are always competitive and have good players. 3 games against a national championship contender. 1 more against an SEC team with Omaha aspirations.
Significantly easier schedule... no shot.

The difference is that we used to be able to handle that kind of schedule because we used to have better players than they did. We don't anymore. I place the majority of the blame for that on the ability of Baylor and TCU total talent away from us with creative use of academic scholarships to supplement partials. I hope that was it, because I think the Rice Endowment pretty much eliminates that disadvantage.

For the millionth time, the scholarship thing is a lame excuse.

We went from talking about schedule to scholarships 6 games in...

(02-26-2020 10:19 AM)RiceOwl Wrote:  For the millionth time, the scholarship thing is a lame excuse.

I'm sorry, but it is not. With the Rice Endowment, we have taken a step that should resolve it, so it should not be a factor going forward. But insisting that it was not a factor over the past decade or so is simply ignoring reality. When the out-of-pocket cost of attending Rice is $20,000 a year more than Baylor or TCU, that is an absolute barrier to a lot of student-athletes. I've spoken with at least one family whose son wanted to come to Rice and play for Graham, but ended up at TCU because the family simply could not afford the cost differential. I doubt that is an isolated instance, and even it it were, that's one player we lost and that could have had an impact.

(02-26-2020 12:30 PM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  

(02-26-2020 10:19 AM)RiceOwl Wrote:  For the millionth time, the scholarship thing is a lame excuse.

I'm sorry, but it is not. With the Rice Endowment, we have taken a step that should resolve it, so it should not be a factor going forward. But insisting that it was not a factor over the past decade or so is simply ignoring reality. When the out-of-pocket cost of attending Rice is $20,000 a year more than Baylor or TCU, that is an absolute barrier to a lot of student-athletes. I've spoken with at least one family whose son wanted to come to Rice and play for Graham, but ended up at TCU because the family simply could not afford the cost differential. I doubt that is an isolated instance, and even it it were, that's one player we lost and that could have had an impact.

With Rice's new financial aid structure, full tuition with a household income below 130k and half tuition if below between 130k-200k, they will no doubt be able to use this to more than double the money they can give to recruits! With this being the first year this is implemented, I believe Rice will have nationally competitive recruits again soon. This should lead to a nationally competitive team within the next 5 years. These are tough times for baseball, but the future is bright!