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Post by sader1970 on Jan 21, 2018 6:14:19 GMT -5
Just saw the Bucknell basketball thread that degenerated to more general complaints about athletics at Holy Cross.
Perhaps this thread can serve for the ongoing woe-is-us posts rather and leave the game threads for discussing the actual game?
I'll kick it off with understanding the frustration many feel. Despite a new multi-million dollar sports complex, our major sports are all doing poorly. Men's basketball is well on its way to another terrible season with what appears to be little improvement after bringing in a highly regarded coach. The women's basketball team retains a coach who has lost his mojo years ago and the team wallows in mediocrity. Football has had multiple losing seasons and the coach fired mid-season.
Men's hockey cannot seem to play consistently not only from game to game but even within the same game. The women get lots of wins but at a lower level of competition which will all change next year.
Only baseball seems to be playing fairly well for our level of competition.
Despite my willingness to see if the athletic fortunes change in the next 2-3 years hoping for the full effect and advantages of the LAC, I will admit that at times I wonder if this is all worth it.
I heard yesterday from a non-athletic staffer that the BOT will NOT be kicking the can down the road on the Crusader at their February meeting and a decision will definitely be made. While I have spoken to a number of staffers over the last couple of months, they all think the Crusader will stay in some form or fashion but they admit they know nothing more than us Crossporters.
Here's my extreme position, maybe because it is an early Sunday morning, if the College throws the Crusader overboard, just give up ALL varsity sports as no need for a mascot of any kind. Just become a Chicago and be a purely academic school. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
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Post by Non Alum Dave on Jan 21, 2018 7:23:32 GMT -5
In regards to the '70s, I think we suffer a wee bit from "I walked 10 miles to school uphill both ways" syndrome. Now, I recall the great PC Final Four team of 1973. But, aside from them, what did any other New England team do during that period that the Bucknell teams from the 2004-05/2005-06 seasons did not accomplish? Win a NCAA game? Nope, wins over 2 power conference teams (Kansas and Arkansas). Win a regular season game on the road against a top 10 team? Nope, won at (I believe) #10 Pitt. Be ranked in the top 25? Nope, Bucknell 05-06 was #25. Other PL teams won NCAA games (one over Duke) and won at Notre Dame. Now, my memory may be faulty, but let me ask this: during that period of the 70s, was there much awareness of the ECAC in places like North Carolina, Kentucky, Indiana or Southern California? I say no, but maybe some of those ECAC games of the week were national telecasts? The ECAC games I remember were mostly played in gyms (Roberts Center, Curry Hicks Cage, Hart Center, Draddy Gym, Walsh Center, McDonough Gym).........I don't remember seeing many of them when watching NC-NC State, Ohio State-Indiana, etc. Serious questions - not trying to be funny.
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Post by sader1970 on Jan 21, 2018 10:20:20 GMT -5
Dave, Dave, Dave . . . . you need to change your avatar because you have obviously not drunk enough purple Kool-Aid.   Your point is the same that I have made periodically over the years, that this story about Holy Cross being an athletic juggernaut is simply a myth. When we did play football teams like Syracuse and Penn State in the 60's, we got our clocks cleaned. The '66 win over BC was an exception, not the rule. When we were polled as the #1 team in D-IAA, how many people around the country even knew that? In basketball, yes, we did better in the days of Potter, Vicens and Ron Jr. and we would surely like to get back to those days but the PL isn't preventing that. OK, all, discuss. |
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Post by Crucis#1 on Jan 21, 2018 10:35:55 GMT -5
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Post by sader1970 on Jan 21, 2018 11:30:59 GMT -5
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Post by thecrossisback on Jan 21, 2018 11:42:46 GMT -5
Drop The Patriot League. It worries way to much about education and not enough about athletic teams. You have beautiful facilities and everybody has facilities that are ok.
As a BU hockey fan. The Holy Cross Team should join Hockey East, because it would make an even number of teams. The women's team is already going there. Plus if they struggle, so what. Umass Amherst, Merrimack, Vermont, Uconn have been awful for years. The one problem is that they would have to move to the DCU Center, which in my opinion is fine. Work the schedule with the Railers and maybe partner up with the Railers for afternoon and night games?
Basketball- They have to get out of the PL, even if they dominated this league. The League shows when the teams in it, play out of conference. The recruits the Crusaders have are not ready for the speed. Lastly if you want to stay in the PL, get rid of Bill Carmody. He is supposed to be the offensive coach. Yet his teams cannot score and are worse on defense. If you continue in the PL, it will require more of a defensive style with the current recruits we have.
Football- I am very excited for, Chesney was the right guy for the job and he will turn the program around. That can only go so far though. If they continue to beat teams like Lafayette and Georgetown you will not really know how much they have grown on a national level.
Baseball- Seems to be ok. Knocked Nebraska out of NCAA last year.
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Post by gks on Jan 21, 2018 11:50:23 GMT -5
The most frustrating part of HC's athletic struggles is that the majority of the woes are self-inflicted. The college chose a path that 99% of people could see would be a failure. Football has the brightest future right now. Basketball....is I'm sorry to say a lost cause. The landscape of recruiting, AAU, etc has changes to the point where if you're in a position like HC is right now it's almost impossible to get out of. HC will never get the kind of recruit that they need to reverse the fortunes of the program. Someone is more likely to get hit by lightning than HC getting a top-level recruit.
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Post by hcpride on Jan 21, 2018 17:32:13 GMT -5
Schools like UChicago, MIT, Tufts, etc. have a certain perspective on athletics and superb academic reputations. Our admin perspective seems to be that if we drop D1 we lose our current identity. Could be. |
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Post by Non Alum Dave on Jan 21, 2018 19:16:55 GMT -5
Drop The Patriot League. It worries way to much about education and not enough about athletic teams. Maybe you're right. I've even heard stories of players having to take exams on the day of the PL championship. Can you believe that? Reminded me of this: |
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Post by A Clock Tower Purple on Jan 21, 2018 19:45:28 GMT -5
God forbid a school actually care about something as insignificant as an excellent education. Good lord what is HC thinking.
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Post by trimster on Jan 22, 2018 11:50:57 GMT -5
I commented the other night that we should take a wait and see approach to the impact the LAC will have on our athletic program. I gave some more thought to it and also took a look at what some of our main competition for recruits has in terms of facilities. I couldn't find another PL school or an Ivy with anything like the Luth. I suspect it has already helped our coaches in recruiting and will only become more influential as time goes by. Is anyone out there aware of something similar to the LAC? I only looked at some of the competition.
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Post by trimster on Jan 22, 2018 11:51:36 GMT -5
I commented the other night that we should take a wait and see approach to the impact the LAC will have on our athletic program. I gave some more thought to it and also took a look at what some of our main competition for recruits has in terms of facilities. I couldn't find another PL school or an Ivy with anything like the Luth. I suspect it has already helped our coaches in recruiting and will only become more influential as time goes by. Is anyone out there aware of something similar to the LAC? I only looked at some of the competition.
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Post by lou on Jan 22, 2018 12:04:47 GMT -5
Impressive facilities: Army, Navy, Bucknell, Lafayette, Lehigh, Boston U, never been to Colgate, and Loyola is pretty nice, American has DC
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Post by sader1970 on Jan 22, 2018 12:32:44 GMT -5
A couple of coaches have said both publicly and privately that LAC is helping recruiting. How long will it take before we see results on the field is still in question but I know that even some of our current players were supposedly impressed while LAC was still on the drawing boards or at least before the trucks started rolling up the hill.
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Post by CHC8485 on Jan 22, 2018 13:02:12 GMT -5
We're seeing results on the field, just not in the two (or 3 if you count women's basketball) sports that are most visible and most here seem to care about. I know some here dismiss it, but the PL President's Cup standings is about the only objective measure of the program's on field progress year over year. It's one year and one season, but following the Fall Sports season HC was in 6th out of 10 over all - 7th for women and 4th (!!) for men. I believe since BU & Loyola joined the PL out best position after the Fall sports was 8th overall. www.patriotleague.org/news/2017/12/13/general-bucknell-leads-patriot-league-presidents-cup-race-through-fall-season.aspx?path=generalWe'll see how it holds up throughout the remaining 2 season's (Winter & Spring) this year and over the next couple of years, but the Fall season was a start. |
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Post by sader1970 on Jan 22, 2018 13:11:47 GMT -5
The title of this thread is “State of Holy Cross Athletics,” 8485!
While it is only implicit, you should know that we will brook no positivity on this thread!
We are reserving this space for complainers, grumblers, haters, and near-do-wells (I qualify for the latter and maybe some of the formers).
Now, see if you can edit your prior post to meet the established low standards!
[since Sarasota is not present, I don’t think I need to state the above is sarcastic but just in case]
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Post by CHC8485 on Jan 22, 2018 13:47:16 GMT -5
OK. OK. 1970. We only finished sixth because everyone else in the PL sucked much worse than usual. Better?  |
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Post by sader1970 on Jan 22, 2018 14:05:28 GMT -5
That's the spirit!!!
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Post by purplehaze on Feb 26, 2018 10:21:38 GMT -5
Another miserable weekend with a single W, and 10 L'S - and with the exception of 2 losses to OK. in baseball all games were against low mjaors
Does anyone have a plan (or really care) on the hill ?
to summarize:
Womens bball: 'thankfully' a win / men's bball loss / baseball 3 losses / lax both teams were blown out / women's hockey 2 bad losses / (and how can we forget) our 'intramural' tennis teams were both blanked by sacred heart in non-competitive matches
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Post by bigfan on Feb 26, 2018 16:07:41 GMT -5
We will continue to be middle of the pact if we stay in the Patriot Basketball League. If we get out and join a better league you will see much better
athletes coming to the school and the team will greatly improve. I would like to join the A-10 as this would be a perfect fit for the basketball program.
We could stay in the PL for football as the league let's Fordham & Georgetown continue in the league while being in the A-10 & Big East.
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Post by ncaam on Feb 26, 2018 16:41:07 GMT -5
No one wants us.
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Post by bringbackcaro on Feb 26, 2018 16:58:12 GMT -5
Win totals are not keeping pace with budget increases and $95M “total program” facility investment.
Not a good sign.
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Post by ncaam on Feb 26, 2018 17:24:02 GMT -5
ADNP needs to goooooo cross gooooooo.
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Post by KY Crusader 75 on Feb 26, 2018 18:51:08 GMT -5
Win totals are not keeping pace with budget increases and $95M “total program” facility investment. Not a good sign. So, in your court room, the jury is already in on the effect of the Luth Center??? |
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Post by bringbackcaro on Feb 26, 2018 19:20:29 GMT -5
Win totals are not keeping pace with budget increases and $95M “total program” facility investment. Not a good sign. So, in your court room, the jury is already in on the effect of the Luth Center??? Nope, jury is still out. However, early word from the jury indicates that while some claimed that one of the "major benefits" of having the indoor football field would be improved early season play from lacrosse because they wouldn't need to be practicing out in the cold, the teams are a combined 1-7, with 6 of the losses being total blowouts. I don't know much about lacrosse, but I'm guessing that's not good. |
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