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Date Posted: 08:20:14 01/20/03 Mon
Author: RayS
Subject: Re: Stag 89 - only obstacle
In reply to: free_beer 's message, "Re: Stag 89 - only obstacle" on 23:04:41 01/19/03 Sun

To put the TOT controversy in perspective let me first say I have been following Stag basketball since my Freshman year in '61. Even after I moved to Mich. in '67 I continued to follow the Stag's fortunes thru the good & not so good yrs. I remember going to MSU to watch the Stags in a tournament there. I've traveled to Ohio & Illinois & even back to FU to see the Stags in action. In fact I was first told about this board 2 yra ago @ the No. Ill. game by a fellow alum.

When I first started posting numerous posters were calling for TOT's head. At that point I felt he deserved a chance to demonstrate what he could do with his own recruits. I made the point then & have cntinued to make the point that a coach must be judged not only on wins & losses but on the over all improvement in his team's play. Unfortunatly thru that year & last year it appeared to more then a few of us tha the team was retrogressing.

It was especially upsetting, & remeniscientof years past, to see us get blown out by St. J's in Feb. last year. I believe many of us felt at that point a new direction was needed & said so publicly. Frankly many of us, who are alums were justifiably upset over TOT's demeanor. I stated as much on this board & to TOT personally.

Since that time I would agree that TOT's coaching & demeanor have improved, & before you jump all over me I'm not taking any credit, mine was only one voice among many. Frankly I think what G. Doris said probably had the most impact.

At any rate when johnny-come-latelys like T-Ruth & omm critisize us they fail to appreciate the history we've witnessed. They're loyalty is to TOT not Fairfield University. I know that I'll still be a fan after TOT is gone as will many others on this board. When TOT leaves FU, & I'm not saying he should be fired obviously, but when he does leave for another job or for any of the myriad reasons coaches move on I doubt we'll hear much fro TR & omm.

As for TOT he obviously deserves a new contract. As to his coachig ability I would give him an incomplete. He shows promise but half a good season does not a John Wooden make, that takes sustained excellence. As I've said before I hope he makes it as that means success for the Univ., something every one of us wants to see.

So when I read posts that say ban all students or TOT critics from games I also put that in the perspective of someone who is only a TOT toady & definitely not a STAG like Stag92 or free-beer or Running Man or Joe Stag & all the rest who have suffered thru the lean years. They all deserve a winner precisely because of the patience & loyalty they've shown over the years. Now lets go beat the halo out of the Saints. GO STAGS!!!!

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Replies:

[> [> [> [> [> Nice Post Ray(NT) -- JCM, 09:06:41 01/20/03 Mon


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[> [> [> [> [> Very well said -- Menzies, 09:20:23 01/20/03 Mon

The darkest before the dawn cliche seems to have been true.


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[> [> [> [> [> Re: Stag 89 - only obstacle -- Proud Papa, 11:15:16 01/20/03 Mon

Nobody will ever argue that the FF mens BB faithful have been tortured over the last few decades - its an abysmal history. Would I be wrong in characterizing that, during those decades, Harbor Yard is the first real indication that the administration acknowledges BB to be anything more than an intramural sport - an unavoidable component to a full-featured academic campus?

My long-winded point, the FF BB faithful are in the unenviable position of being devoted to a program the product of a University that concentrates its efforts and ephasis on academics, not athletics. There's nothing wrong with that. Conversely, I'm afraid the FF faithful should expect to continue to suffer through more famine than feast when it comes to athletics. While the frustrations of long-time FF fans are understandable, TOT should not be over-scrutinized, criticized or demonized - nor bear the brunt of decades of poor basketball as a result. He should be judged on his tenure - his record - whether good, bad or mediocre. Past history has nothing to do with it. (Except, perhaps, in seeing (JoeStag) how TOT's career record stacks up against past coaches. MAAC games - as I suspect the out-of-conference schedules may be dratically different and less of a litmus test.)

RayS is correct when he says TOT will one day move on. If/as he's successful, he's gone. If he's not, he's gone. A few things seem to be very consistent over the decades: FF is a highly respected academic institution; it has produced(except for a few flashes) a highly mediocre, or worse, basketball program. If history continues, when TOT leaves for more furtile territory, he will be replaced by another in a long line of "I want to break into head coaching" coaches to grace the FF campus - for more of the same - only to one day be let go to temporarily quell the restlessness to the FF devotees. I hate to sound so dark - I hope I'm wrong - I hope Harbor Yard is the administrations's first step in a more competetive direction. But history is a very good teacher - the coaches come and go - and the programs continues to struggle.

There should be no TOT controversy. He's in the last year of his contract - let him coach and see from there. No coach alive isn't constantly second-guessed, but as JoeStag said, despite the close games (only my laundry-man knows) - he seems to get the most out of his players. Enjoy the best MAAC start in decades - you don't know how long it will be before FF has a similar start. Surprisingly, this site seems just as contentious as it was last year.

P.S. Does FF have a debate team?


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[> [> [> [> [> [> A Winning Season vs Building a Program -- JoeStag, 12:47:39 01/20/03 Mon

Well it will feel good that we will have a winning season, but they key if TOT can make this into a Winning Program. Fairfield's coaches over the last 20 years (O'Conner, Buonaguro, Cormier) had a winning season here and there, but never back to back and did not have anything close to a successfull program. Matter of fact, they took over a program that was very successfull and it wnet down hill.

From 65-80, Bisacca and Barakat built programs, where a losing season was the exception. We need to get back to the point know that we are winning 16-19 games EVERY year, and have that 20+ win season and MAAC Championship every 3 or 4 years.

From what I see, not only will we win this year, but I see a pretty good run on the horizon. PP, I agree that the administration needs to make more of a committment for us to get to even a higher level, but even under current University support...... winning 16-19 games a year should definitely be in our grasp. Once we do that, and average 3,000 - 4,000 fans, we will be in position to take it to the next level, and the University better be ready..... as it was not ready to take that step in 1980 after 15 successfull Division I seasons.

I always felt the program was getting better under TOT, but the W-L's did not prove it. Hopefully that has changed. I prefer to compare TOT to Bisacca and Barakat, and not O'Conner, Buonaguro, and Cormier.


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[> [> [> [> [> [> Re: Stag 89 - only obstacle -- RayS, 13:01:14 01/20/03 Mon

I have no quarell with judging TOT on his individual merits. Frankly to compare him to previous coaches is to damn him with faint praise. I think for the most part people are judging him on the merits, think back a moment to where we were last Feb. We had just been humiliated by St. J's our only 2 guards were Freshmen who frankly weren't playing well. There seemed to be dissension on the team & a rather bleak prospect for any improvement.

In that context TOT deserved the criticism he got based on his record. I, and others on this board Stag92 to mention one much maligned poster (no he's not a relative of mine), gave TOT full credit at that time and said he deserved another year. With the record he has compiled it is obvious he desrves an extension.

My post was in response to those who imply that TOT should somehow be above criticism & that those who critisize are somehow unworthy of serious consideration or in the case of students should be barred from attending games or are too impatient or disloyal. I have no problem with people defending TOT on the merits I do have a problem with ad hominem attacks & a mean spirited "I told you so" attitude from those whose loyalty is directed toward TOT the individual rather then Fairfield the Univ.

One thing I learned @ FU was that one can disagree without being disagreeable. furthermore if TOT has any problem with anything I've said he has my phone# & e-mail address he doesn't need people defending hom on this board who are mean-spirited & ugly. TOT, frankly has been very gracious in our communications & I'm sure he would disavow the rantings of posters like omm & TruthRuth. If I thought he wouldn't I'd think much less of him as a person.


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