WBB: NESCAC

[Pat Coleman]

   I thought about it and then realized that the rough play in the midwest is understandable. I am quite sure that at a similar stage of development (about 150 years ago) New England sports were most likely very rough and violent. Remember New England has the oldest universities in the country. They were 'book larnin' while folks in other parts were Baar huntin'.

Spare me. This stuff is ridiculous. New England sports is somehow more developed? Get over yourself.

[senatorfrost]

  My my-there doesn't seem to be room for diversity of opinion here. By the way Pat I thought that since D3 hoops announced the game that they would have somehow had the tape/film. So then am I right in assuming that the camera(s) and the film/tape belonged to the NCAA? I would have thought they had their own announcers.

[Pat Coleman]

When your "opinion" is as ridiculous as the one I quoted, then it deserves to be called out.

Midwest basketball is not some inferior, less-evolved life form. You are not some higher life form. That's arrogance of the highest order.

By the way, the NCAA hired us, Senatorfrost, same as they did last year. And the year before. They know how to find good neutral Division III basketball announcers.

[WUPHF]

I thought about it and then realized that the rough play in the midwest is understandable. I am quite sure that at a similar stage of development (about 150 years ago) New England sports were most likely very rough and violent. Remember New England has the oldest universities in the country. They were 'book larnin' while folks in other parts were Baar huntin'.

In terms of arguments, you are indeed taking the road less traveled.

It is true that no one here needs to read your posts, but they get better and better each day.  The latest is absolutely the best I have read

I particularly love the history lesson.  Of course, Amherst was founded only about twenty-five years before Washington University (founded 1854).  And, basketball was not played at the collegiate level until 40 years later.  The game was first played in Massachusetts, but Naismith left soon after for the midwest.  The University of Chicago, a founding member of the Big 10, and eventually, a founding member of the University Athletic Association, started basketball in 1901.  Amherst was a football school, right?  But no matter.

[senatorfrost]

  Geez, I'm logged in all the time. I thought I unclicked. First of all I have no ties to Amherst. I am not an alum. I go to some Trinity games and once in a while some Wesleyan games. I go to more Amherst games because it's a lot closer than Wes. and easier to navigate around, so to speak, than Trinity. In past years I went to a Springfield game or two.
 I had no idea when Wash U or Amherst were founded and I had no idea they were a football school. I thought they were a baseball school because one of the lobbies has a number of old baseballs behind glass. First off I have to say that I have been laughing almost uncontrollably at the reactions to my New England v Midwest nonsense. Psst-here's a secret, I was 90% or so kidding. I say 90% because being perfectly honest,I do have some stereotypical beliefs about some folks in other  parts of the country. (The Hinterlands i.e.) However, for the most part I was kidding. Actually I was somewhat curious to see if people would react the same way that wrestling fans react to almost pure nonsense and lo and behold, some did.
  Now I've been thinking and I see I will not be able to view the tape. However, I asked myself would I have thought the brutal foul was quite as brutal if it had been dished out in a Men's game? In keeping with my policy of nothing but the truth, the answer is probably not. I guess I'm chauvinistic. I guess I don't like to see the women's game take such a turn, where the personal safety of a young girl is disregarded and the win becomes more important than safety-see how I think. I can't help it. I will always believe that it was a really brutal foul but I probably would have forgotten about it five minutes afterwards, if I saw it in a Men's game.
 'Book larnin' cracks me up.

[GoGreenGoRed]

I don't think I'd consider a college sophomore to be a "young girl," but why not talk about semantics...

[WUPHF]

First off I have to say that I have been laughing almost uncontrollably at the reactions to my New England v Midwest nonsense. Psst-here's a secret, I was 90% or so kidding. I say 90% because being perfectly honest,I do have some stereotypical beliefs about some folks in other  parts of the country. (The Hinterlands i.e.) However, for the most part I was kidding. Actually I was somewhat curious to see if people would react the same way that wrestling fans react to almost pure nonsense and lo and behold, some did.

I am trying to decide what to post next.  Do I say something to keep the garbage coming, or do I give everyone else a break and say that 10 percent of a heaping pile of garbage is, well, still garbage.  Yeah, the latter is better. 

Have a great off-season Division III basketball fans.

[remsleep]

When your "opinion" is as ridiculous as the one I quoted, then it deserves to be called out.

Midwest basketball is not some inferior, less-evolved life form. You are not some higher life form. That's arrogance of the highest order.

By the way, the NCAA hired us, Senatorfrost, same as they did last year. And the year before. They know how to find good neutral Division III basketball announcers.

Thank You Pat!

[pureshooter]

When your "opinion" is as ridiculous as the one I quoted, then it deserves to be called out.

Midwest basketball is not some inferior, less-evolved life form. You are not some higher life form. That's arrogance of the highest order.

By the way, the NCAA hired us, Senatorfrost, same as they did last year. And the year before. They know how to find good neutral Division III basketball announcers.

Thank You Pat!

I second that Pat! The arrogance and elitist attitude of some of the nescac fans, coaches etc. is ridiculous.

[Laserty]

The UVM coach got the UMass job. Everyone can exhale now.

[sumfun]

A collective sigh of relief on the Amherst campus!!!

[amh63]

Coaching changes are always interesting this time of the year.  However, concern that Amherst's coach would go over to UMass is  interesting but not a real one based on what I know.   An Amherst alum who knows the Amherst coach from his time at St. Lawrence gave me the background that brought Coach G. to Amherst.  The discussion was held at the men's BB Final 4 in Salem in 2008.  Later, I met Coach G. at the team dinner ( along with Coach Hixon).  Coach G. sought advice from this alum who was on the Board of Trustee/director at St. Lawrence when their friendship began.  Coach G. considered the job at Amherst his "dream job" but was not sure whether to apply because of his recent hire at Hamilton.  The Amherst alum suggested a path to take that would be respectful to Hamilton and allow Coach G. to submit an application.   My read of Coach G. is that his honor/rep and the job is more important than money.   Yet, Cornell's MBB coach just signed with Boston College.

[amh63]

A little side item on Div 3 recruiting that surprised me.  First, a disclosure; I know very little about recruiting on the women's side, especially at the Div3 level.  However, I am learning a little.
Last night, I attended a reception in D.C. for accepted students at Amherst in the MD/VA/DC region.  I met a potential WBB player for Amherst.  She plays the guard position and was recruited by a number of Div 1 schools along with Div 3 schools.  She has met team members and is quite comfortable with Coach G., so much so that she may even attend Amherst.
She surprised me with her being aware of the vacancy at UMassAmherst and its possible effect on her options.  Speaking to her father, I learned the following:
  Parents of recruited players are quite up to date of coaching changes, etc. and the history, personality of coaches.  Her father stated that he had received a number of calls from Div 3 schools when the UMass  vacancy came up.  The message conveyed was that Coach G. may apply, etc. since the job at UMass pays 3 times the Amherst salary.  How do people know this?  Interesting that even at Div 3,  such inferences are made, rumors started.   I am learning about the competitive nature of WBB at the Div 3 level!
To convey "the rest of the story", the father made a call to Coach G..  Coach G. answered the call, by remarking that he had just come back from an interview at UMass.  After a pause, the worried father was told by Coach G. that he was just kidding.

[remsleep]

Coaching changes are always interesting this time of the year.  However, concern that Amherst's coach would go over to UMass is  interesting but not a real one based on what I know.   An Amherst alum who knows the Amherst coach from his time at St. Lawrence gave me the background that brought Coach G. to Amherst.  The discussion was held at the men's BB Final 4 in Salem in 2008.  Later, I met Coach G. at the team dinner ( along with Coach Hixon).  Coach G. sought advice from this alum who was on the Board of Trustee/director at St. Lawrence when their friendship began.  Coach G. considered the job at Amherst his "dream job" but was not sure whether to apply because of his recent hire at Hamilton.  The Amherst alum suggested a path to take that would be respectful to Hamilton and allow Coach G. to submit an application.   My read of Coach G. is that his honor/rep and the job is more important than money.   Yet, Cornell's MBB coach just signed with Boston College.

I don't get your point about Coach Donahue, new BC coach, former Cornell coach as it relates to your "read" of Coach Gromacki.  Are you suggesting that Coach Donahue values money more than his honor/rep?

[amh63]

my comment also stated  "...and the job".  You can infer anything you want, however.   Coach G., I believe, has been at Amherst or about three years and hopes to win a national championship there.  The "job"/place should allow him to reach that goal.  The former coach at Cornell had been there for over seven years.  He won three IVY Championships the past three years.  I doubt he will ever win  a national championship or even reach a Final Four in an Ivy college. (Did Princeton reach it with Bill Bradley?).  The BC job puts him in the ACC conference and a better chance to reach the Final Four.  It will still be a major challenge but his compensation will/can be in the seven figures.  It is a win/win situation and a better job for him with min. impact on his coaching rep., IMO.