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Messages - PaulNewman

#1
Random drive-by of the site this morning and just stunned to find this discussion.

Agyemang is a great story.  Full stop.  The D3 angle is a fun, side element, especially to D3 fans like us, but in truth has only a very incidental relevance to the overall story.  This should NOT be a story about how self-perceived very savvy middle class and upper middle class parents guide their kids to the most advantageous financial and social outcomes.  Could a guy have gone to ITT Tech instead of college, or a more prestigious D3, or a full-scholly D1?  Would he already be making 85K as a high end mechanic for a trucking or RV company?  Really?

Is there anyone on the planet who believes Duncan Robinson and his parents had an extremely nuanced and brilliant strategy to get him to the Miami Heat and a long, lucrative career in the NBA by going to Williams as a way to get to Michigan as a way to get to the NBA.  No, no, no.  Absolutely not.  Oh, sure, but you said Williams, right?  What an opportunity...where you go with a 98% chance to graduate in 4 years with almost 400K of debt in exchange for a 100K+ job that projects to 1.5 million per year inside of 10 years?

First, kudos to @ecsualum who got offended by me and stormed out a couple of years ago.  He highlighted Agyemang's exploits and overall story.  There is NOTHING to criticize here, EVEN IF ESCU only has a 57% six year graduation rate.  What tf are we doing???  The kid was 17, a good athlete, good soccer player, who enrolled at a local college.  He and his family might not have even known the difference between D3 and D1.  They certainly didn't pick the route because some coach said "come here and your next 40-45 years will be great." 

The kid deserves the credit...and congrats to him even if he never earns another dime as a professional and never plays in a WC...and if he merely ends up being the future coach at a ECSU and makes money off camps..or if he chooses to become homeless and live in the woods.  Who cares??? He's made it to a point that announcers on a national broadcast of the USMNT are tripping over themselves about this kid's ability abd potential. 

All of us defend our choices.  We all made the most brilliant decisions in the end, and all of our kids are now excelling at a level that would have been unimaginable but not for our brilliant, savvy decisions.  And nothing is more savvy apparently than leaving the world of D1 to find the elite academics and fantastic ROIs that we've navigated them into.

Brilliant goal, btw...literally within  minutes of the announcers screaming watch out for this kid. 
#2
Men's soccer / Re: NCAA TOURNAMENT 2024
December 17, 2024, 04:04:42 PM
Sierra, no doubt your take is a popular one.

I personally don't care if Vermont's players are from Pluto. Still have to convince them to come to Burlington, VT. Or try Huntington, WV. I wish there were more "American" players, but maybe "we" just need to get better. UVM survived an incredible gauntlet and was the underdog every step of the way except for maybe the 1st round. Still a stunning achievement getting thru Hofstra, San Diego, Pittsburgh, Denver, and Marshall...all on the road.

I noticed the large international presence, and sure, I wish it wasn't quite so large...but imo the two most key players for UVM were Americans...and I thoroughly enjoyed a dramatically competitive match, with an actual winner of the game, and the emotionality exhibited showed me that the result means a ton to the team, school, and state.

On a side note, anyone know of non-FB and non-BB D1 athletes on significant NIL deals? Anything prohibiting an athlete in D3 from having NIL deals? My granddaughter turns 1 in four days and just wanna be prepared.
#3
Men's soccer / Re: Coaching Carousel
December 17, 2024, 02:52:11 PM
Yet another young top coach heading "home." St John's is indeed a sleeping giant. Make room, GAC, St Olaf, Carleton, Macalester....

The Johnnie's are back!
#4
Men's soccer / Re: That Other School in Amherst
December 17, 2024, 10:25:37 AM
Quote from: blooter442 on December 17, 2024, 08:34:02 AMNot UMass, and I realize that this post is free of D3 references, but thought it was worth noting that UVM — not Indiana, Georgetown, Stanford, UNC — won the national championship last night. I would have rooted for Marshall against most others, but they won a few years ago and as a Mainer I have a soft spot for Vermont...and we had a local guy (Max Murray, Kennebunk HS) playing CB and getting the "hockey assist" for the equalizer. Second sport from UVM to win a national title after the powerhouse ski program. Great watch. Congrats Catamounts!

I thought Max Murray was Man of the Match. Made critical play after critical play. Of course the last ball by the other CB who had to work his way thru some traffic just to get off the long pass over the top from deep in his defensive third was brilliant.
#5
Men's soccer / Re: NCAA TOURNAMENT 2024
December 16, 2024, 10:54:54 PM
What a night to be a Vermont Catamount....

UVM 2, Marshall 1 OT1

UVM...2024 D1 National Champions
#6
Men's soccer / Re: NCAA TOURNAMENT 2024
December 09, 2024, 06:01:30 PM
Quote from: EnmoreCat on December 09, 2024, 05:56:43 PM
Quote from: PaulNewman on December 09, 2024, 05:49:49 PM
Quote from: EnmoreCat on December 09, 2024, 05:25:22 PM
Quote from: PaulNewman on December 09, 2024, 01:21:14 PMApropos of nothing....I've got 6, maybe 7 Amherst College t-shirts.

If anyone wants any or all, they're free...and I'll cover the postage and handling.

A few are L and a few are XL.

That does make me feel a little uncomfortable, perhaps it's the shade of purple...😀

I'm guessing you are an extremely fit XXL...but four of them have never been touched and came directly from the Amherst College Bookstore and a little emerging company called Amazon.

Bang on the money, Paul Newman, technically I may be better described as Enmore BigCat, especially if I started regularly imbibing coffee stouts.

The exciting news for me at least is that I am not far from Downtown Enmore and will be re-watching the final on a big screen later today.  The real treat will be when EnmoreKitten returns at the end of the week and we all get to watch together.

Lol...how many times do you reckon you and the Kitten will watch his PK?

Wanna see my kid's walk-off GW in OT2 versus Denison in 2014 to keep the then #2 Lords unblemished at 12-0-0?
#7
Men's soccer / Re: NCAA TOURNAMENT 2024
December 09, 2024, 05:58:35 PM
Btw, I've tried to log on as just a guest several times and the site won't seem to let me.  But then I see there are frequently "guests viewing" (like 4 at latest checkand often far more).  I would prefer to have the guest option available.  Any technological insights?
#8
Men's soccer / Re: NCAA TOURNAMENT 2024
December 09, 2024, 05:49:49 PM
Quote from: EnmoreCat on December 09, 2024, 05:25:22 PM
Quote from: PaulNewman on December 09, 2024, 01:21:14 PMApropos of nothing....I've got 6, maybe 7 Amherst College t-shirts.

If anyone wants any or all, they're free...and I'll cover the postage and handling.

A few are L and a few are XL.

That does make me feel a little uncomfortable, perhaps it's the shade of purple...😀

I'm guessing you are an extremely fit XXL...but four of them have never been touched and came directly from the Amherst College Bookstore and a little emerging company called Amazon.
#9
Men's soccer / Re: NCAA TOURNAMENT 2024
December 09, 2024, 05:18:10 PM
Hop92, if I could have your optimism and your intelligence I could accomplish some things.

Two discrete issues....alleged death of the site...and what folks are looking at when they are here all day and nothing is happening.

Taking those in reverse, I'm not so much referring to "healthy" posters like yourself who routinely check in once or twice a day and then are more active, but judiciously so, during high activity periods. I'm literally asking what folks like myself and others are doing spending literally hours day and night when absolutely nothing is being posted. Studying trends from old threads could work, as stlawus suggested.

Regarding death, there is no question in my mind that participation is way down, and probably for all the reasons people have noted (COVID, lost season, lost site before re-emerging, older crowd using old platforms, anxiety about jumping in, etc).  There were times when literally hundreds were online at the same time....both registrants and guests.  Even in the middle of this season, there would be days with almost nothing. Some of the more active folks have exited or have severely curtailed their participation (Sager, Flying Weasel, Mr.Right, Flounder, blooter, D4pace, Harmanis, Falconer, the Loras crew, a few Calvin posters, couple of Chicago supporters, etc, etc).

Anyway, I managed when there was no board, as did everyone else, and I'm not complaining in the sense of really caring what happens but I really don't. Now I turn to Celtics and UK bball (just got huge win on road at Gonzaga and have an inspirational and exciting new coach), and my emerging competitive pickleball game with a goal of making at least the Elite 8 of the 65+ Pickleball National Championship.

At any rate, this theme was really a side note on folks complaining about their already media-heavy teams not commanding even more attention...and I wanted them to acknowledge that they themselves have little interest beyond their own programs....so why should I give them attention even though I do? Bandwidth aside, there are folks who are here all day and night even though often not posting much themselves and I suppose waiting to see if anyone posts anything positive or negative about their squad.

As for beating the odds, my mother was diagnosed with leukemia 30+ years ago around age 55.  I'm headed to Greensboro Wednesday to celebrate her 89th birthday. Walks 3 miles a day, has all of her faculties, and could be working full-time. She engages in what I term 'competitive living.'
#10
Men's soccer / Re: NCAA TOURNAMENT 2024
December 09, 2024, 03:42:45 PM
Back when the board seemed like it was affiliated with D3soccer.com, and before I learned otherwise but never accepted, I relied on (in my own mind) "oh, I'm buried deep in the archives figuring out who Brandeis beat in the 2nd round in 1983" or memorizing the list of national champs and finalists or checking out the scoreboard. 

To hear it's dying -- and I agree -- makes me feel like we are most nobly specialists in palliative care...at the bedside...and waiting.
#11
Men's soccer / Re: NCAA TOURNAMENT 2024
December 09, 2024, 03:31:55 PM
Stlawus, I am deeply offended by your non-stop assaults on Rochester.

Rochester is your Amherst....except for when Amherst is your Amherst.
#12
Men's soccer / Re: NCAA TOURNAMENT 2024
December 09, 2024, 03:09:34 PM
Another Vermont team makes a Final 4.

UVM headed to College Cup after dispatching Pittsburgh 2-0.

UMass departs in the Elite 8 as Denver romped 3-0.
#13
Men's soccer / Re: NCAA TOURNAMENT 2024
December 09, 2024, 02:35:35 PM
Another interesting question...

Some of us are here day and night every day or almost every day. I'm sure some of us would deny that on the stand, but there are data so just embrace it.

But wtf are we doing? Especially when no one is posting and during stretches where there are no posts for days?  Just staring at the threads unchanged and hitting refresh over and over and over? Like what are we looking at? How will I explain my behavior to future generations?
#14
Men's soccer / Re: NCAA TOURNAMENT 2024
December 09, 2024, 02:12:51 PM
Skud, guilty as charged.

Some of that is just years of being here. Most of the old-timers who still post with some frequency probably carry more weight than we should, and I know I am guilty of minimizing how someone could be scared off. I do not feel good about that.

Arbiter of good and evil? Yes...I like that lol.
#15
Men's soccer / Re: 2024 USC All American Teams
December 09, 2024, 02:04:17 PM
As suggested a day or two ago...D3 is an embarrassment of riches when it comes to GKs.  I can rattle off 10-12 in my head without even being thinking about it...and for the most part I would be unable to clearly differentiate among them.

Do feel bad for Silvester. I mean, he'll go down as a legend, but if Conn pulls that out before PKs or with PKs, he would have been in ultra -legend category. He had to think 3 PK stops should have been enough...and he'd be right.