Ben Johnson Cautions Optimism

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Sheesh. I like Ben but he is a low expectations machine. At some point if you keep pushing forward hopes for success- you never are going to get there. This stuff ( “they are only sophomores”) is a turn off to fans. Let’s Go!
 





bga1 said:
Cmon Eyore, Let’s have a little faith.
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At least our one good non-conference game is early. We'll find out what we need to know by 11/16 against Mizzou if not before.
 





Full disclosure - I like Ben as a person and I'm rooting for him to succeed.

But beyond that - Ben is who he is. He's a more low-key, soft-spoken, thoughtful person. and that is how he comes off.

so what do you want? Do you want him to start yelling, dropping F-bombs, or saying that they're going to win the Conference? that just isn't his style.

AND the person or people who hired him had a chance to evaluate that style, and THEY chose to hire him. If they wanted a more high-energy, up-beat type, then they should have hired a different person.
 



bga1 said:
Sheesh. I like Ben but he is a low expectations machine. At some point if you keep pushing forward hopes for success- you never are going to get there. This stuff ( “they are only sophomores”) is a turn off to fans. Let’s Go!
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The players are adults. Coaches and team have their internal expectations. Public pablum is for juveniles on the message board.
 



Dakota2 said:
The players are adults. Coaches and team have their internal expectations. Public pablum is for juveniles on the message board.
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I get that there are two different messages. That said- you must provide something for the fans to be interested in. That's what Bill Musselman did years ago and I can tell you from first hand viewing- the crowds helped push those teams to some extra wins. The coach has two jobs: 1. Win
2. Make the fans want to support the team before #1 happens.
 


bga1 said:
I get that there are two different messages. That said- you must provide something for the fans to be interested in. That's what Bill Musselman did years ago and I can tell you from first hand viewing- the crowds helped push those teams to some extra wins. The coach has two jobs: 1. Win
2. Make the fans want to support the team before #1 happens.
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Do you remember who Muss brought in that first year? I was there. Fans didn’t need anyone to make them want to support the team. It was on the floor in front of them from pre-game show to the end.

Ben’s in a different position. After two horrible years nothing he can say will excite a single fan. Gopher basketball has to earn the fans back on game nights. That might start happening this year or in some future year.
 

scools12 said:
The Head Coach cautions about optimism for the season.

I would caution the Head Coach about optimism for his employment after this season.
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I would caution you about thinking he gives a rats ass on Tuesday about your thoughts.
 

Dakota2 said:
Do you remember who Muss brought in that first year? I was there. Fans didn’t need anyone to make them want to support the team. It was on the floor in front of them from pre-game show to the end.

Ben’s in a different position. After two horrible years nothing he can say will excite a single fan. Gopher basketball has to earn the fans back on game nights. That might start happening this year or in some future year.
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He's never said anything to excite the fans. Ben can't sell. It's why he's not cut out to be a head coach.
 

Any direct quotes? I don’t really want to watch 18 minutes.
 

I will say this - when he was asked point-blank about scheduling St. Thomas, Ben gave a funny kind of grin or smirk. It looked like he wanted to say something, and then thought better of it.

but you can tell he has heard that before. I wonder if the "not scheduling St. Thomas" is coming from someone above Ben's head.
 

If a major revenue sports teams ever wants its fans to not care about results for a year (much less three), then they shouldn't charge for admission during that year (or years). This is a results-based enterprise, and the coach is entering year 3 already having accumulated some awful results. He needs to start producing quickly.
 

GopherWeatherGuy said:
He's never said anything to excite the fans. Ben can't sell. It's why he's not cut out to be a head coach.
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I agree. Ben can't sell. But much better to avoid trying to sell fans on some bullshit when you have nothing to sell. That is infinitely worse.

And nobody should care if Ben can excite fans. He needs to sell a few times each year to get talent on board. Nothing else matters.

He hasn't done it well enough yet. Many prospective coaches could have done better in recruiting. But at least he hasn't made the mistake of trying to hype what he doesn't have.
 

GopherWeatherGuy said:
He's never said anything to excite the fans. Ben can't sell. It's why he's not cut out to be a head coach.
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He sold the U admin to hire him. He’s also sold a bunch of players to sign here and play.
I get you can’t stand him and want him gone yesterday, but your statements are not true.
 

GFBfan said:
He sold the U admin to hire him. He’s also sold a bunch of players to sign here and play.
I get you can’t stand him and want him gone yesterday, but your statements are not true.
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Maybe those local players (Payne, Carrington, JOJ) would’ve signed here anyways because it’s the local team…no matter the coach

Christie is the first real (non-local player) who actually committed. D. Evans isn’t a positive for Ben as he bailed before ever showing foot on campus.
 

GFBfan said:
He sold the U admin to hire him. He’s also sold a bunch of players to sign here and play.
I get you can’t stand him and want him gone yesterday, but your statements are not true.
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GFBfan said:
He sold the U admin to hire him. He’s also sold a bunch of players to sign here and play.
I get you can’t stand him and want him gone yesterday, but your statements are not true.
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In all fairness, nobody here knows if Ben sold himself to get hired or was simply the very lucky beneficiary of a decision made above the Athletic Director.
 

GFBfan said:
He sold the U admin to hire him. He’s also sold a bunch of players to sign here and play.
I get you can’t stand him and want him gone yesterday, but your statements are not true.
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I believe Ben won the interview...not sure he had to, to get the job...but believe he did.
And he sold some players early and he also lost a team full, but Ben is now worn down...he's trying to be enthusiastic and positive but he when he lays down at night he knows it's hopeless this year.

He has enough hope and delusion to think it will somehow magically be better in year four when his guys have more experience playing together. Coyle has led him to believe there is a year four waiting for him.

That's what I see.
A booster could change that. Finishing last again may or may not change it.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
I will say this - when he was asked point-blank about scheduling St. Thomas, Ben gave a funny kind of grin or smirk. It looked like he wanted to say something, and then thought better of it.

but you can tell he has heard that before. I wonder if the "not scheduling St. Thomas" is coming from someone above Ben's head.
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It could be but it would take confidence in your ability to schedule St Thomas. Ben doesn't dare play them. He knows he could easily get beat and be ridiculed. Ben has no confidence...Macalester to Bethune Cookman and on down the list of non conference opponents.

The question is: who really scheduled Missouri?
 

Let's watch and find out with our own eyes. At least we currently have more than 7 players that will see the floor.

The St. Thomas thing I get, as they are new and competing to build a program locally. It's not really in either programs best interest to play right now. Plus St. Thomas isn't even eligible for post season play. I think it happens in the next 4 years however. We still don't know what the 18 team schedule will look like.

In his answer about St. Thomas he uses the work "Payout" and that it doesn't make sense. It currently doesn't fix with their scheduling building model.
 

MaxyJR1 said:
Let's watch and find out with our own eyes. At least we currently have more than 7 players that will see the floor.

The St. Thomas thing I get, as they are new and competing to build a program locally. It's not really in either programs best interest to play right now. Plus St. Thomas isn't even eligible for post season play. I think it happens in the next 4 years however. We still don't know what the 18 team schedule will look like.
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You make good points about playing St. Thomas. I still would like to play them sooner than four years from now. It does beg the question that if our program was not in such a sorry state, playing them would be a no brainer. Michigan State doesn't run away from Oakland, who has a much more stable and successful program than St. Thomas.
 

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