(01-11-2024 03:45 PM)mainejeff Wrote:  

(01-11-2024 11:13 AM)Tribe32 Wrote:  Things change, conferences change, rivals change, but hopefully the Tribe keeps winning and the program improves.

A rotating door of "rivals" is not a good thing. It hurts brand loyalty, attendance and revenue IMO.

My post was an illustration of a 50 year time frame. A lot of people who loved the rivals 50 years ago died a long time ago. I think a lot will change over the next 50 years. Changing every 5 or 10 years would map to your point, but this was somewhat of a big reset when we added all of the teams to the CAA. Not sure things like that will happen that often. In 50 years from now I couldn't even guess on whether the NCAA exists.

(01-11-2024 03:55 PM)Tribe32 Wrote:  

(01-11-2024 03:45 PM)mainejeff Wrote:  

(01-11-2024 11:13 AM)Tribe32 Wrote:  Things change, conferences change, rivals change, but hopefully the Tribe keeps winning and the program improves.

A rotating door of "rivals" is not a good thing. It hurts brand loyalty, attendance and revenue IMO.

My post was an illustration of a 50 year time frame. A lot of people who loved the rivals 50 years ago died a long time ago. I think a lot will change over the next 50 years. Changing every 5 or 10 years would map to your point, but this was somewhat of a big reset when we added all of the teams to the CAA. Not sure things like that will happen that often. In 50 years from now I couldn't even guess on whether the NCAA exists.

Fair points.

I understand the objections to the Patriot League. However, my question is do you really think we’re supporting our MBB at a CAA-level? I don’t think we do and I don’t think we ever have.

In my opinion, the Admin needs to significantly, and I mean, significantly, increase program support for MBB or face reality and look for less competitive league.

Maybe we should stay in the CAA iin football and move the rest of the program to the Patriot.

Craig Haley's early top 10 for 2024. Tribe at #9.

https://theanalyst.com/na/2024/01/never-...ew-mirror/

I want us to play teams from VA/NC/MD/PA, one moneyball FBS game, and opponents that give us a great chance of going 8-3 or better. I don’t care about rivalry status, how many opponent’s fans show up, or prestige.

Give me the ‘22 schedule and swap out UD, URI, and SBU for VMI, Norfolk St, and Georgetown all day.

(01-11-2024 05:16 PM)Tribal Wrote:  I want us to play teams from VA/NC/MD/PA, one moneyball FBS game, and opponents that give us a great chance of going 8-3 or better. I don’t care about rivalry status, how many opponent’s fans show up, or prestige.

Give me the ‘22 schedule and swap out UD, URI, and SBU for VMI, Norfolk St, and Georgetown all day.

"Rivals" can also mean teams of interest.....opponents that keep the fans engaged....on game day and from season to season. Let's face it....at this level Southern fans want to play Southern opponents and Northern fans want to play Northern opponents. Villanova is probably the one exception.....everyone wants them on their schedule....lol.

True fans want to see a team that they love win a lot of games in an exciting manner. Opponents shouldn't matter. Anything less means that the fans are interested in seeing the opposition or just coming for a game here and there.

(01-11-2024 07:27 PM)Tribe32 Wrote:  True fans want to see a team that they love win a lot of games in an exciting manner. Opponents shouldn't matter. Anything less means that the fans are interested in seeing the opposition or just coming for a game here and there.

Opponents absolutely do matter. Do you think Alabama (and their fans) would rather see a win over Georgia or against Chattanooga? Would Tech rather beat UVa or East Carolina? Speaking for me, I’d rather see a win against Delaware or Villanova than against VMI or Campbell. In fact, a well-played exciting LOSS to UD or ‘Nova is ALMOST as preferable as a win against Merrimack or St. Francis.

Not sure if I’ll renew my season tickets next year and the lack of any JMUs or Delawares or Villanovas or UNHs doesn’t make the renewal more likely. Going 10-2 against chumps just invites the same scorn and derision that we received from Montana St. fans two years ago.

(01-11-2024 08:06 PM)Zorch Wrote:  

(01-11-2024 07:27 PM)Tribe32 Wrote:  True fans want to see a team that they love win a lot of games in an exciting manner. Opponents shouldn't matter. Anything less means that the fans are interested in seeing the opposition or just coming for a game here and there.

Opponents absolutely do matter. Do you think Alabama (and their fans) would rather see a win over Georgia or against Chattanooga? Would Tech rather beat UVa or East Carolina? Speaking for me, I’d rather see a win against Delaware or Villanova than against VMI or Campbell. In fact, a well-played exciting LOSS to UD or ‘Nova is ALMOST as preferable as a win against Merrimack or St. Francis.

Not sure if I’ll renew my season tickets next year and the lack of any JMUs or Delawares or Villanovas or UNHs doesn’t make the renewal more likely. Going 10-2 against chumps just invites the same scorn and derision that we received from Montana St. fans two years ago.

You aren't a true fan.

We'd all be happier in new conference situations. Fingers crossed for all of us.

What Alabama fans want and what William and Mary fans need are two different things completely. Let’s keep this discussion in perspective. What we need is to win and make the playoffs, and compete for a championship so that we can grow and keep fans interested. Losing to Villanova does nothing but hurt the program while beating Campbell helps the program and keeps people interested because we’re winning.

If anyone thinks that losing to anyone, save a FBS payout, is even remotely better than beating anyone (ie VMI), I don’t know what to tell you. I would personally prefer a victory over Norfolk State than lose to Virginia Tech.

Unfortunately, just making the playoffs doesn’t cut it anymore in today’s FCS. It is obviously the first step but unless your team has some signature wins then you won’t get a high enough seed (with the home games that go along with it) to make a meaningful run in the playoffs. In fact, even “good losses” (such as to a Villanova or Delaware most years) will do more for a playoff resume than a win over lowly VMI. Don’t believe it? Then do a study of what happens every year to get so many MVFC schools into the playoffs. They get tons of credit for playing each other and it sometimes doesn’t even matter which of them wins because they both get credit. Northern Iowa routinely (although not this year) gets in with 7-4 or even 6-5 records because they play tough FCS teams in addition to their MVFC schedule.

Concerning games against FBS, I’m against them because they are automatic losses 90% of the time. Yeah, they make money but there is usually no chance of winning and you get no credit for losing to them like you would if you scheduled a good FCS team instead.

Lastly, I made it clear by using the word “almost” that a win, even against VMI, is still better than a loss to ‘Nova —- but it is nowhere near as interesting. I remember lots of games against Villanova but all those 37-6 wins against VMI are long forgotten.

(01-11-2024 08:06 PM)Zorch Wrote:  

(01-11-2024 07:27 PM)Tribe32 Wrote:  True fans want to see a team that they love win a lot of games in an exciting manner. Opponents shouldn't matter. Anything less means that the fans are interested in seeing the opposition or just coming for a game here and there.

Opponents absolutely do matter. Do you think Alabama (and their fans) would rather see a win over Georgia or against Chattanooga? Would Tech rather beat UVa or East Carolina? Speaking for me, I’d rather see a win against Delaware or Villanova than against VMI or Campbell. In fact, a well-played exciting LOSS to UD or ‘Nova is ALMOST as preferable as a win against Merrimack or St. Francis.

Not sure if I’ll renew my season tickets next year and the lack of any JMUs or Delawares or Villanovas or UNHs doesn’t make the renewal more likely. Going 10-2 against chumps just invites the same scorn and derision that we received from Montana St. fans two years ago.

Just a dumb comment. The 22 team beat nova Delaware and Rhode Island but lost on ice big to MSU. You act like what their fans think really matter. They had a huge advantage and capitalized on it.
Truthfully, from year to year the preseason rankings are almost always wrong because nobody really knows what rosters will look like anymore. Just be a freaking fan.

(01-11-2024 04:01 PM)tribeinexile Wrote:  I understand the objections to the Patriot League. However, my question is do you really think we’re supporting our MBB at a CAA-level? I don’t think we do and I don’t think we ever have.

In my opinion, the Admin needs to significantly, and I mean, significantly, increase program support for MBB or face reality and look for less competitive league.

Maybe we should stay in the CAA iin football and move the rest of the program to the Patriot.

I’m not sure that we’re supporting MBB at all Patriot League level. I don’t think joining the Patriot League for basketball would change the odds of making the dance.
Joining the Patriot League seems to me to be a way to give less of the school’s resources to athletics, including football and will just lower the level of the pond for all sports.
That would, I believe hurt the school in general.
I enjoy playing teams we have a history with. I enjoy playing teams with a close geographical location and while some of the schools in the Pat fill those definitions, none of them are among the first schools in either of those categories that come to my mind.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Let's get this football talk going guys....4 days without any posts? JMU and Delaware fans would not have gone this long.....

Lost in the signing day and transfer portal talks, with Coach Johns departure to New Mexico, we are down a RB coach. A vacancy announcement has come and gone, and I'd expect a new hire any day now. Does London hire from within his tree, or does he look at an outsider?

(01-15-2024 01:26 PM)mrjoolius Wrote:  Lost in the signing day and transfer portal talks, with Coach Johns departure to New Mexico, we are down a RB coach. A vacancy announcement has come and gone, and I'd expect a new hire any day now. Does London hire from within his tree, or does he look at an outsider?

What's Jonathan Grimes doing these days?

(01-15-2024 01:26 PM)mrjoolius Wrote:  Lost in the signing day and transfer portal talks, with Coach Johns departure to New Mexico, we are down a RB coach. A vacancy announcement has come and gone, and I'd expect a new hire any day now. Does London hire from within his tree, or does he look at an outsider?

Matt Johns was our QB coach and I don't know whether Taylor will take that over or we hire a new QB coach and Passing game coordinator. Ted Hefter is currently filling both those roles at Dayton and has always been seen as having a bright coaching future.

https://daytonflyers.com/sports/football...efter/5417

A friend mentioned that Glenn Allen HS football coach, Perry Jones, just stepped down. He was a RB for HC London at UVA.

(01-15-2024 03:07 PM)Tribal Wrote:  A friend mentioned that Glenn Allen HS football coach, Perry Jones, just stepped down. He was a RB for HC London at UVA.

He was a great player at 757 football powerhouse Oscar Smith HS. Could be an excellent recruiting addition, too.