OT: Tommy Tuberville?

[bengaldoug]

Never saw that coming.

 

[cincygrad]

Neither did I.... I'm not necessarily happy about it. The Bearcats had some luck with the up-and-coming type coach. This is a guy with considerable baggage.

As for Tuberville - Clearly he wanted out of Lubbock. The Bearcats have good players in a weak conference. He has an opportunity to win a lot of games, shine up his image and get back to the SEC.

 

[bengaldoug]

Tuberville is 58. He's not here to build his resume, he already has one, that includes an undefeated season at Auburn. I believe he's here for two reasons....he worked with the AD at Auburn, and his wife is from the area. Any way you look at it, UC is definitely a step down from Lubbock. I think they tired of the up and coming guy that could only take them so far and then move up. He could be here for the rest of his career if he proves capable of leading UC into success and ultimately into a major conference again. What's working against him are the attendance and the facilities.

 

[cincygrad]

So, you're happy with it?

I'm down on the prospects of the program -- We got really screwed by the conference situation. I just don't have much faith that we'll have anything left when the musical chairs end.

At this point, I'd love to see them invest in a new basketball arena and get back to our strength in the athletics department. We have always been a basketball school - Let's get back to it.

 

[bengaldoug]

I'm happy with the hire, just down on the conference situation. I think Tuberville may be the guy to bring some stability as a coach. At his age I doubt he has much ambition to move up any more, and he may give us a good 7+ years, maybe until he retires. He also has name value, which could be an added point in solving the conference situation. I'd also love a new BB arena, but the team is good, and they still can't sell out the old one. Why?

 

[kramer1]

So, you're happy with it?

I'm down on the prospects of the program -- We got really screwed by the conference situation. I just don't have much faith that we'll have anything left when the musical chairs end.

At this point, I'd love to see them invest in a new basketball arena and get back to our strength in the athletics department. We have always been a basketball school - Let's get back to it.

Amen! Fuck the crappy football team. Nobody cares.

 

[cincygrad]

I'm happy with the hire, just down on the conference situation. I think Tuberville may be the guy to bring some stability as a coach. At his age I doubt he has much ambition to move up any more, and he may give us a good 7+ years, maybe until he retires. He also has name value, which could be an added point in solving the conference situation. I'd also love a new BB arena, but the team is good, and they still can't sell out the old one. Why?

A few reasons I can think of.... In the 90s when the consistently sold out the arena, there really wasn't another game in town. The Bengals were horrendous, the Reds were boring (not to mention the strike), Xavier basketball was played in a lousy building, and UC football was nonexistent. When it came to ways to spend your entertainment cash, your choices were probably more limited - This doesn't even begin to account for the fact that the internet wasn't really mainstream and television and video games weren't what they are now. Anyway.... Your average working stiff only has so much money and so much time to be away -- It's probably just a more competitive market.

I think football had a lot to do with it as well. It used to be that you had to buy football tickets just for the right to go to basketball games (or at least have season tickets). Once the football team started going to big name bowls, a lot of the younger folks were associating the Bearcats with football rather than basketball. Sort of crazy given our history.

Finally -- The Shoe (I'm not calling it anything else) is really outdated at this point. It's always been a weird design, but it's even more problematic now that Xavier built the Cintas Center - I've never been to Cintas, but I'm assuming it's heads and shoulders above the Shoe when it comes to sightlines, etc.

 

[bengaldoug]

A few reasons I can think of.... In the 90s when the consistently sold out the arena, there really wasn't another game in town. The Bengals were horrendous, the Reds were boring (not to mention the strike), Xavier basketball was played in a lousy building, and UC football was nonexistent. When it came to ways to spend your entertainment cash, your choices were probably more limited - This doesn't even begin to account for the fact that the internet wasn't really mainstream and television and video games weren't what they are now. Anyway.... Your average working stiff only has so much money and so much time to be away -- It's probably just a more competitive market.

I think football had a lot to do with it as well. It used to be that you had to buy football tickets just for the right to go to basketball games (or at least have season tickets). Once the football team started going to big name bowls, a lot of the younger folks were associating the Bearcats with football rather than basketball. Sort of crazy given our history.

Finally -- The Shoe (I'm not calling it anything else) is really outdated at this point. It's always been a weird design, but it's even more problematic now that Xavier built the Cintas Center - I've never been to Cintas, but I'm assuming it's heads and shoulders above the Shoe when it comes to sightlines, etc.

I don't see how the Cintas center would be a factor at all. I'd rather watch UC basketball on a court at the local park than watch Xavier at the Taj Mahal.

 

[bphillips4gg]

Cintas is nice. Really nice. The Shoe isn't, it's absolutely terrible to watch a game. I'd have gone to a couple of basketball games the past few years if not for the fact all they had was upper level seating, and I am NOT sitting up there because it's terrible. They need a new arena. Having a successful football program will help get it.

As far as the hire, it's a risk but I feel better about the chances of a 58 year old coach with a solid resume sticking around than I do an up and coming coach with a ton to prove.

 

[cincygrad]

[/B]


I don't see how the Cintas center would be a factor at all. I'd rather watch UC basketball on a court at the local park than watch Xavier at the Taj Mahal.

You and me both, but let's face it, Cincinnati is full of bandwagon fans.