Reality check

Moonlight

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Sir M and I stopped off for a conciliatory libation after the game and ended up standing and talking with a younger couple about the game and the BT season. He was from Ohio and an OSU fan (ouch- losing to WV this aft.) and we found we had both been at the same institution of higher ed, he doing undergrad while I was in grad school. We talked and laughed about parenting and coaching our kids playing sports, our loyalties to our teams and the generation before us and their time at the U. By the time we left, our spirits were high, the sting of the loss lessened.

If this year's team is your whole life, by all means - end it now. If the constant litmus test is NCAA-NIT, NCAA-NIT, then just flip the damn coin and call it as you see it. But there is a whole lot of BB to be played and many of the players are just coming into their own. Many of us follow the team just for this reason - to see the development of players. The demise of the team Tubby put together for this year is discouraging and disappointing, but the season goes on regardless of our petty whining about it.
 

Reality Wish

Gophers need 8 or 9 W rest of Big 10 play and 1 or 2 W in Big 10 tourney for solid NCAA bid.
 

colloquialisms

Gophers need 8 or 9 W rest of Big 10 play and 1 or 2 W in Big 10 tourney for solid NCAA bid.

This brings to mind two colloquialisms.

1. That is one tough road to hoe and;

2. That is why they make them play the games!

Oh, did I mention it aint over 'til its over?

:)
 

This brings to mind two colloquialisms.

1. That is one tough road to hoe and;

2. That is why they make them play the games!

Oh, did I mention it aint over 'til its over?

:)

Indeed, no more missteps allowed. Gophers should be AT LEAST 15-4 now instead of 12-7.
 



Sir M and I stopped off for a conciliatory libation after the game and ended up standing and talking with a younger couple about the game and the BT season. He was from Ohio and an OSU fan (ouch- losing to WV this aft.) and we found we had both been at the same institution of higher ed, he doing undergrad while I was in grad school. We talked and laughed about parenting and coaching our kids playing sports, our loyalties to our teams and the generation before us and their time at the U. By the time we left, our spirits were high, the sting of the loss lessened.

If this year's team is your whole life, by all means - end it now. If the constant litmus test is NCAA-NIT, NCAA-NIT, then just flip the damn coin and call it as you see it. But there is a whole lot of BB to be played and many of the players are just coming into their own. Many of us follow the team just for this reason - to see the development of players. The demise of the team Tubby put together for this year is discouraging and disappointing, but the season goes on regardless of our petty whining about it.

Good points, Moonlight. However, there were many of these types of posts during the Monson years. To be honest, I am hungry for excellence. I'm not willing to "sell my soul" (haven't pushed for the return of RW or TM) but it sure would be nice to have a kick ass team. We have a great defensive coach, a fine university and a terrific venue, particularly in January and February. We can never seem to put it together.
 

No doubt, Jammer. Many of us hoped/expected that our suffering would be redeemed this year with the advent of one of the nation's top recruited teams. To use a word I usually avoid, it sucks that we've hit the wall in terms of hitting on all cylinders this year - a year many of us thought could be it. I'd be happy to have a reasonable discussion about the year but I'm just not up for the sophomoric level of discussion prevalent here these days. I'm not sure any of it could be avoided - except the crappy preseason that left us without experience in closing out a game like todays!
 


Agreed, fan. I edited out my smiley face - it doesn't fit the statement.
 



Sir M and I stopped off for a conciliatory libation after the game and ended up standing and talking with a younger couple about the game and the BT season. He was from Ohio and an OSU fan (ouch- losing to WV this aft.) and we found we had both been at the same institution of higher ed, he doing undergrad while I was in grad school. We talked and laughed about parenting and coaching our kids playing sports, our loyalties to our teams and the generation before us and their time at the U. By the time we left, our spirits were high, the sting of the loss lessened.

If this year's team is your whole life, by all means - end it now. If the constant litmus test is NCAA-NIT, NCAA-NIT, then just flip the damn coin and call it as you see it. But there is a whole lot of BB to be played and many of the players are just coming into their own. Many of us follow the team just for this reason - to see the development of players. The demise of the team Tubby put together for this year is discouraging and disappointing, but the season goes on regardless of our petty whining about it.

Moonlight, as I see it there are two kinds of people in this world: Those that preferred Mr. Rogers and those that liked Sesame Street.

I can tell by your above statement, you loved Mr. Rogers. You knew what you were going to get every show. You knew his sweater would not change and that little train would come by at the exact time every episode. Very Blase', if I might call it that.)

Then you had Sesame Street that involved Big Yellow Birds, things jumping out of Garbage Cans, Songs, Vampires. monsters, constant change and excitement but also a sense of excellence in every show. Very different from Mr. Rogers who had a sense of predictability every show.

Moonlight, no offense, but what you just described as a fan is a philosophy of mediocrity. I'm glad you can look forward to the season purely looking for those players that develop and those that don't, that is just wonderful as is a 15 - 15 record and berth in the NIT on a good year.

The reason I follow the team is to see them WIN and I expect them to win. Not to rub it in, but I think Tubby would more agree with the philosophy of winning versus your stated goal of just seeing players develop. That is the reason I like Tubby, he sets the bar higher as I think you should set your bar higher. You might get more out of your time spent with the Gophers. Tubby is a Sesame Street Guy.
 

The reason I follow the team is to see them WIN and I expect them to win.

I have respect for that philosophy, but, in my opinion, it is shallow. If the only thing that matters in sports is winning, unless you are a fan of a consistently top team, you will be disappointed most of the time. I don't care to spend my free time being disappointed.

One thing about Tubby's teams - they compete. They fight, they scratch, they claw, they hustle, they defend. They listen. They learn. I like that. It is fun - for me - to watch, even if they don't win every single game.

All that said, it was a bit deflating to lose this game, after playing so well for 35 minutes, and I empathize with your disappointment.
 


Gophers have had 6 close games this year and lost all 6. That says it all.
We are one superstar away from being a very good basketball team. We have 2 pretty good wins vs Butler and OSU and some horrific RPI losses. We have the superstar on in street cloths. If our goal is the NCAA our only real chance now is 22 wins and a deep run in the B10 tournament.
 



Gophers have had 6 close games this year and lost all 6. That says it all.
We are one superstar away from being a very good basketball team. We have 2 pretty good wins vs Butler and OSU and some horrific RPI losses. We have the superstar on in street cloths. If our goal is the NCAA our only real chance now is 22 wins and a deep run in the B10 tournament.

22 or 23 W with 1 or 2 W in B10 tourney. I said that LAST month.
 




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