The unofficial online home for fans of the Kent State University Golden Flashes. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

Another great article from Terry Pluto shedding some light on Coach Lewis and Dustin Crum. Hopefully we keep this momentum going forward.

https://www.cleveland.com/sports/college...pluto.html

(11-27-2021 10:46 AM)Polish Hammer Wrote:  Another great article from Terry Pluto shedding some light on Coach Lewis and Dustin Crum. Hopefully we keep this momentum going forward.

https://www.cleveland.com/sports/college...pluto.html

I assume, and hope, that Pluto's question was a rhetorical one. The answer, obviously, is they made a good coaching hire. Not to knock Pluto - he's a good guy and writes some good stuff. But I often find his articles on Kent State sports somewhat off-putting. While the article is favorable, it reminds me of his column the day after Kent State lost to Indiana in the 2002 basketball tournament. And that is the idea that it takes a MIRACLE for Kent State to succeed in sports. It doesn't require a miracle. All it requires is for the university to consistently do the things other successful programs do.

(11-27-2021 11:21 AM)Muskrat Wrote:  

(11-27-2021 10:46 AM)Polish Hammer Wrote:  Another great article from Terry Pluto shedding some light on Coach Lewis and Dustin Crum. Hopefully we keep this momentum going forward.

https://www.cleveland.com/sports/college...pluto.html

I assume, and hope, that Pluto's question was a rhetorical one. The answer, obviously, is they made a good coaching hire. Not to knock Pluto - he's a good guy and writes some good stuff. But I often find his articles on Kent State sports somewhat off-putting. While the article is favorable, it reminds me of his column the day after Kent State lost to Indiana in the 2002 basketball tournament. And that is the idea that it takes a MIRACLE for Kent State to succeed in sports. It doesn't require a miracle. All it requires is for the university to consistently do the things other successful programs do.

Muskrat. I remember that column well and agree with you 110%
Pluto wrote well on the Elite 8 team , but at the end of the day his media
bias is NORKA . He does always give the impression that Kent’s success is based on a divine miracle.

(11-28-2021 04:27 PM)Older and Older Wrote:  

(11-27-2021 11:21 AM)Muskrat Wrote:  

(11-27-2021 10:46 AM)Polish Hammer Wrote:  Another great article from Terry Pluto shedding some light on Coach Lewis and Dustin Crum. Hopefully we keep this momentum going forward.

https://www.cleveland.com/sports/college...pluto.html

I assume, and hope, that Pluto's question was a rhetorical one. The answer, obviously, is they made a good coaching hire. Not to knock Pluto - he's a good guy and writes some good stuff. But I often find his articles on Kent State sports somewhat off-putting. While the article is favorable, it reminds me of his column the day after Kent State lost to Indiana in the 2002 basketball tournament. And that is the idea that it takes a MIRACLE for Kent State to succeed in sports. It doesn't require a miracle. All it requires is for the university to consistently do the things other successful programs do.

Muskrat. I remember that column well and agree with you 110%
Pluto wrote well on the Elite 8 team , but at the end of the day his media
bias is NORKA . He does always give the impression that Kent’s success is based on a divine miracle.

Thanks, Older and Older, I'm glad it's just not me, and one of my friends now deceased. That mindset is pervasive in northeast Ohio and in all likelihood elsewhere. Whenever a NEO mid-major does something good it's made to seem like it's "Hoosiers Part II", or even worse, a 1960s Disney movie. Even though it's meant to be favorable, I find it demeaning to the players, coaches and fans of the mid-major.

What's funny is the points Lewis made about why he took the job are exactly why losing shouldn't be the norm at Kent. Nice city and campus. Located in the middle of a great HS football region. Recruiting good players shouldn't be a challenge, and even in the dark years hasn't been as big of a problem as it seems. Hazel won with a lot of Martin's players. Lewis has got a lot out of players Haynes recruited. As long as we're making good coaching hires there's no reason we shouldn't be respectable most years. It's not like we have to sell kids and their parents on coming to live in Akron for 4 years.

Not being a Kent State Alumni I will say you guys are way too touchy. I think we have won 3 MAC titles in 50 years. That’s not very good to an outsider. All the things you say are true on paper but the fact of the matter is Kent hasn’t been very good in football. Yes it should be possible to change that but a plethora (I don’t think I ever used that word before) of ADs and coaches haven’t got the job done. As far as Pluto is concerned remember he writes about sports AND religion. He can be a bit pollyannish and I think that is what shows up when writing about teams that all of a sudden turn it around. It’s just his style.

In another post we complained about being treated by ESPN as the worse major college conference in football. Well we pretty much are. The P5 is obviously better and I doubt we have ever been better than the MWC, Conf USA and the AAC. That means it’s between us and The Sun Belt right? Add to it we accept a ridiculous TV schedule of Tuesday, Wednesday etc games and what do you expect. The MAC powers to be thought they were being smart (financially they probably were) but it lowers what non-MAC fans think of the Conference. Just like letting the fans in to the Womens MAC Championship game for a box of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese cheapens that game. Sometimes you cause your own problems.

All good points, Burden. There are a plethora of issues affecting mid-majors nationwide, in general, and in northeast Ohio, in particular. Lots of problems deal with a classic vicious circle - to win you need to recruit good players, but it's hard to recruit good players unless you win.

You are right about Pluto. I've been reading him since his beginning here. He's a good man and a decent writer and commentator. But I noticed a decline in his columns ever since he began recovering from his addiction and became more religious.