UNI - Split from the Evansville Thread

[unipanther99]

it is embarrassing to see a program like UNI lead this conference.

Nice.

[Ace Dad]

it is embarrassing to see a program like UNI lead this conference.

Nice.

Disparaging UNI's success is not nice, it is tasteless and crass, and I say that with affection.

[unipanther99]

Disparaging UNI's success is not nice, it is tasteless and crass, and I say that with affection.

I didn't want to derail this thread, it should be about the Aces, but I couldn't just let that one go either.

[WuDrWu]

I have NOTHING against the players and coaches at UNI. They have worked their collective TAILS off for years to achieve the success the team deserves over the few years.

The FACT remains that few people are putting money into the UNI basketball program, or seemingly UNI athletics at all. The school is a stone's throw away from being a DII or DIII school and it is located in a lousy town in the middle of nowhere. You know it, I know it, everyone knows it. None of that is going to change anytime soon.

Can UNI continue to win in the MVC? Sure they can. They may win again this year. It is going to be harder for them, year in and year out, but anything is possible.

You can think big or you can think politically correct. The problem with the Valley, and this board for that matter, is nobody wants to think big, nobody wants to acknowledge that the goal is to destroy the opponent.

Everybody wants to be touchy feeling kumbayah. Give me the CUSA where one team pounds the living crap out of the chafe.

As far as I am concerned, AceDad, '99 and anyone else that responded....your comments are offensive to me.

It must suck to go through life without expectations.

[jayball]

I'm interested in this conversation. Perhaps we can move it to a different thread? I have seen this attitude and outlook from several Shocker posters, from fellow Creighton fans during the height of Altmans run, and some SIU fans during their run of success.

I think it could be an interesting discussion if people are willing to have it without devolving into a simple namecalling exercise.

[Little Eddie]

I'm interested in this conversation. Perhaps we can move it to a different thread? I have seen this attitude and outlook from several Shocker posters, from fellow Creighton fans during the height of Altmans run, and some SIU fans during their run of success.

I think it could be an interesting discussion if people are willing to have it without devolving into a simple namecalling exercise.

Whatever d-bag...I kid!!! I agree...potential for good discussion is there as long as things stay civil.

[unipanther99]

WuDrWu, I just don't think the facts support your statements. Over the past 5 years, UNI has built their own on campus arena with private donations, no public funds. We've increased our coach's salary by 400%, and season ticket sales and overall attendance is way up. When you factor in student fees, UNI's budget situation isn't all that different than any other public school our size in the conference or around the country. In terms of success, our first 20 years in the conference is at least comparable to that of WSU's first (or last) 20 years.

Fund-raising is increasing, but huge endowments are not built overnight. For the first time ever, we are starting to get individual and unrestricted gifts of over $1 million. That's a huge step in the right direction.

I respect WSU, their history, and their current team. There are many area of success that WSU enjoys that I think UNI should aspire to. And I respect your basketball (and volleyball) knowledge as a poster. You are often quite insightful and are right far more often than you are wrong. I also don't think it's necessary for you or anyone else to be constant cheerleaders for the Valley. I don't want that.

If you think I'm wrong, I would be interested to hear why, and what more UNI supports can and should be doing.

[MVCfans]

You can think big or you can think politically correct. The problem with the Valley, and this board for that matter, is nobody wants to think big, nobody wants to acknowledge that the goal is to destroy the opponent.

Everybody wants to be touchy feeling kumbayah. Give me the CUSA where one team pounds the living crap out of the chafe.

My 0.02. I think most fans of MVC teams have two different sets of expectations - one is probably more realistic, using some introspection and realizing the warts of the team and program. The other expectation is what the fan would like to see the team and program develop into. This year, most of the fans have commented on the former. However, I think each fan base has a more significant expectation level for their own program and/or for the conference which aren't as clearly defined or discussed in forums like this. Part of that may be because "fan A" stating that they want their school to be a Final Four team knows he will be ridiculed by "fan b" and "fan c" for making such comments. Thus, they keep the larger goals to themselves.

I have no problem with fans calling out other schools and programs, but there is a way to do it that doesn't require ridiculing posters. You are all entitled to your own opinions and we as mods will do our best to respect the opinions of everyone.

Carry on.

[DUBulldog]

I understand where WuDrWu is coming from.....I don't think he meant it as a slam to UNI as much as he thinks that schools in the conference are setting their expectations too low. Lord knows, I think my school sets their expectations too low.

P.S. Can this thread be moved to the basketball board?

[jayball]

I don't necessarily see this line of thinking as an intentional special insult to UNI even though that is how it came out this time. Elitist? Yes, but not necssarily some special hatred for UNI. Previously fans have gone after UE and perhaps a few times against Drake or InSt. I think it is really about the Valley as a whole and this line of thinking is more about fans who want their schools to be considered "elite" and don't like being a part of a mid level conference or associated with other mid-level teams.

Maybe we could retitle the thread to something like "Class Warfare in the MVC" or "What does greatness mean for your program?" or "WuDrWu's Habits for High Expectations" or "The Tao of the MVC"? ok sorry.

I know there were a few years where some Creighton fans were talking about how the Valley was holding us back and that we need to jump to some other higher profile conference or we need to start some Catholic superleague with Marquette and Georgetown. All we supposedly needed was better exposure (ie better opponents) and a couple of wins in March and we could really be "somebody". Eternal glory awaited if we could just ditch the MVC. I might have entertained those thoughts for a time.

I seem to remember some SIU fans also taking this track. It might have been Dawgiestyle though, I don't remember.

Additionally, there have also been a section of WSU posters that felt this way, even before Turgeon had rebuilt the basketball program. Some claimed it was because of their baseball team and their experience "taking on the big boys" and winning. Some talked about their basketball history and the glory days in the 1980s and 1960s and 1950s. Their program was viewed as being of a higher caliber than most everyone in the Valley, except maybe Bradley for historical reasons. They missed bigtime rivalries with Tulsa and playing bigtime ranked opponents. Recently some of the anti-MVC chatter seems to have focused more on the resources being invested in different programs vs what WSU (or other conference leaders) invests. And the complaint being that somehow less successful MVC teams were just leeching off WSU and/or holding WSU back.

Does that sound relavtively accurate?