Where Did the Posters Go

[mvcfan31]

I remember the creighton v siu championship game from 07 (I believe). As a 15 year old kid I felt like I was at the Rose Bowl. Both bowls were packed and the crowd was 50/50. Not like that any more.

[glm38]

It really comes down to this year being incredibly depressing for the MVC and mid majors in general. For me, it's been the least interesting year of college basketball.

I would love to see how active ValleyTalk was in 05-06.

I think you nailed it. It's a really down year in the MVC. Shox look to be our best but they are also down at least by the standard they've set the last few years.

[Ricardo del Rio]

Thanks to a friend of mine, I present you with a sampling of what VTalk was like that year, just before Bradley and WSU went to the Sweet Sixteen:

Dawg_Tired Sept. 23, 2005 8:43am
“I don't think you'll recover that easily with the seventh best recruiting class. I predict the shockers will once again not meet expectations.”
“To tell you the truth I think that WSU and Drake will battle for sixth. I think WSU is down in talent and Drake is up. As far as WSU goes, you lost your two best players. You didn't replace them with players who are as good as the players you lost.
*******************************************************************************************************************************
Old dirty brooks Oct. 5, 2005
Re: Matt Shaw, beginning of soph year
“Just remember what you say now, because by the time he graduates from SIU, he will be a great college basketball player.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
True BlueJay 2/19/06 7:19pm
“Watching this game yesterday it was amazing to see the glossed over look of the Shocker players. Here they were again, reliving old nightmares. A late season crash. They couldn't believe the hammer that came down on them so hard. They tried to look to the deafly quiet crowd for help, but to no avail. It was just another ugly loss at home for the Shockers. No luck in this game to help them like the luck from their last game. Pure and simple, the Shockers we all know and love were back on the floor, blowing any homecourt advantage they thought they should have had.

It was something to again watch the Shocker players and their coach, hang their head low and slowly waltz out of the Roundhouse. Don't you think they don't know what is coming? Every last player on that team is expecting it now. The dreaded crash & burn at the end of the season. The only real question left for this WSU team is - have they done enough up to now to take them to the promised land? They know the rest of the year is nothing but a free fall.
Oh well....if that cliff is large enough and the NIT comes calling, I know at least one of you who will be jumping for joy!”
**************************************************************************************************************************
Crjays1 2/20/06 5:32am
“The end of the season shocker choke job is starting, it will be fun to watch.”

Wow! I do not remember that level of venom. Of course, I am aged.

[Ricardo del Rio]

I miss old Dog Tired.

I wonder whatever happened to him.

Now there was a man, who had never enjoyed a lick of sunshine in his life.

[Wufan]

Thanks to a friend of mine, I present you with a sampling of what VTalk was like that year, just before Bradley and WSU went to the Sweet Sixteen:

Dawg_Tired Sept. 23, 2005 8:43am
“I don't think you'll recover that easily with the seventh best recruiting class. I predict the shockers will once again not meet expectations.”
“To tell you the truth I think that WSU and Drake will battle for sixth. I think WSU is down in talent and Drake is up. As far as WSU goes, you lost your two best players. You didn't replace them with players who are as good as the players you lost.
*******************************************************************************************************************************
Old dirty brooks Oct. 5, 2005
Re: Matt Shaw, beginning of soph year
“Just remember what you say now, because by the time he graduates from SIU, he will be a great college basketball player.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
True BlueJay 2/19/06 7:19pm
“Watching this game yesterday it was amazing to see the glossed over look of the Shocker players. Here they were again, reliving old nightmares. A late season crash. They couldn't believe the hammer that came down on them so hard. They tried to look to the deafly quiet crowd for help, but to no avail. It was just another ugly loss at home for the Shockers. No luck in this game to help them like the luck from their last game. Pure and simple, the Shockers we all know and love were back on the floor, blowing any homecourt advantage they thought they should have had.

It was something to again watch the Shocker players and their coach, hang their head low and slowly waltz out of the Roundhouse. Don't you think they don't know what is coming? Every last player on that team is expecting it now. The dreaded crash & burn at the end of the season. The only real question left for this WSU team is - have they done enough up to now to take them to the promised land? They know the rest of the year is nothing but a free fall.
Oh well....if that cliff is large enough and the NIT comes calling, I know at least one of you who will be jumping for joy!”
**************************************************************************************************************************
Crjays1 2/20/06 5:32am
“The end of the season shocker choke job is starting, it will be fun to watch.”

Good stuff. I want more! The SIU bandwagon fans were pretty insufferable from about 03-06.

[Cdizzle]

It really comes down to this year being incredibly depressing for the MVC and mid majors in general. For me, it's been the least interesting year of college basketball.

I would love to see how active ValleyTalk was in 05-06.

I think you nailed it. It's a really down year in the MVC. Shox look to be our best but they are also down at least by the standard they've set the last few years.

I think people will find that WSU is not down.

In fact, I think it is possible this becomes the best WSU team, ever.

[Red]

Valley play on the court is down this year, and by extension Valley fandom.

The question I have is whether or not this is the "new normal"? Has the MVC turned into the Midwest WCC with Wichita playing the role of Gonzaga?

As long as every thread doesn't turn into 'the Shox are the greatest team since Naismith hung peach baskets' - the board can be interesting.

I wouldn't say this is the new norm. A few things have put us here I think:

1. WSU injuries lead to WSU losses against the bread and butter RPI teams.
2. Creighton is gone (not that they'd be worth a damn) and LUC is not what CU was.
3. SIU, ISUr, MSU and Drake lose their young talent to P5 teams. This is probably the biggest problem.
4. Under-scheduling by Evansville

Overall the lack of national relevancy is the problem. Fans already go to their team board and bitch about how bad they are so why listen to other fans pile on at a league board? And we can't underestimate what losing hundreds of Creighton posters did to post volume.

[PurpleAcesFootball]

Valley play on the court is down this year, and by extension Valley fandom.

The question I have is whether or not this is the "new normal"? Has the MVC turned into the Midwest WCC with Wichita playing the role of Gonzaga?

As long as every thread doesn't turn into 'the Shox are the greatest team since Naismith hung peach baskets' - the board can be interesting.

I wouldn't say this is the new norm. A few things have put us here I think:

1. WSU injuries lead to WSU losses against the bread and butter RPI teams.
2. Creighton is gone (not that they'd be worth a damn) and LUC is not what CU was.
3. SIU, ISUr, MSU and Drake lose their young talent to P5 teams. This is probably the biggest problem.
4. Under-scheduling by Evansville

Your points #2 & #3 are what I mean by the new normal. The West Coast Conference was Gonzaga and 7 step-brothers for almost a decade (before adding BYU).

Will it be only WSU with a consistent shot at an at-large? Will the MVC be a 1 - 2 bid league instead of a 2-3 bid league?

And #4 - Don't even get me started on that travesty

[glm38]

It really comes down to this year being incredibly depressing for the MVC and mid majors in general. For me, it's been the least interesting year of college basketball.

I would love to see how active ValleyTalk was in 05-06.

I think you nailed it. It's a really down year in the MVC. Shox look to be our best but they are also down at least by the standard they've set the last few years.

I think people will find that WSU is not down.

In fact, I think it is possible this becomes the best WSU team, ever.

I think that's possible. I meant thus far from a won/ loss standpoint wsu is down. Probably mostly related to injuries. But I do have to say early in the year the shox seemed to lack the killer instinct they had shown the last 5 years. They seem to have it back? Time will tell.

[UNIFanSince1983]

It really comes down to this year being incredibly depressing for the MVC and mid majors in general. For me, it's been the least interesting year of college basketball.

I would love to see how active ValleyTalk was in 05-06.

I think you nailed it. It's a really down year in the MVC. Shox look to be our best but they are also down at least by the standard they've set the last few years.

I think people will find that WSU is not down.

In fact, I think it is possible this becomes the best WSU team, ever.

Is this the case? Were the early season OOC struggles simply due to injuries? Or is the current run due the fact that the MVC is far worse than the OOC games that WSU played?

I can't tell you any of that for sure yet. I know the Valley is down. I know WSU was affected by injuries. When all is said and done maybe this will be the best team of the run. I am not convinced it is though. Pretty sure the 34-0 team will still be the best when all is said and done, but I have been completely wrong before.