“That’s one of the dumbest things ever....”

[ChoiceBeef]

Haha - you beat me to it.

In Texas we have the fastest internet.

 

[DAG10]

Choice Beef beat me to it. Worth the read.

It was a good read...very good, but, it is much different with basketball, and, even much different with Purdue for that matter.

First...UGA is getting guys regardless, as the article even said...they have to worry more about getting the "right" guys of the the guys...Purdue is not getting the guys.

The bigger difference though is in having to recruit 20 guys in a class opposed to 3...and, recruiting multiple classes at once...that requires a staff of 9 people or whatever to do it at the absolute peak level.

 

[Bob Sienicki]

Okay, I'll offer my 2 cents...

I kind of look at our situation, as fans, with Purdue basketball as follows...

So you graduate from college, find a great job with a fine employer, and you're paid very well for the skills you bring. You work hard and you advance in your career, achieve many awards and accomplishments, meet and marry a wonderful spouse (note the lack of gender specificity here, gals! lol), are able to afford a really nice home, raise a fine family, enjoy some really nice extras, like taking wonderful vacations, maybe a boat at the lake, and everyone in your family enjoys years of good health and genuine contentment.

And then a new neighbor moves in, who appears to have achieved the same station in life, with a wonderful spouse and family, and the same blessings and success - but at the very first neighborhood barbecue, he pulls you aside and does nothing but b!tch about not winning the lottery and becoming CEO of the company for which he works. He looks at his life as nothing more than missed opportunities every time he picks the wrong lottery numbers, and every time he is bypassed for the Big Promotion. He barely tolerates his life and its many blessings, but longs for achieving what he feels is his dream and ultimate success.

Does this sound familiar?

A long time ago, I was that very neighbor, and despite all the blessings that surrounded me, I could not see nor appreciate them. But slowly, v-e-r-y slowly, perhaps from getting old, I have learned the one true lesson that applies to us all...

That success in life is not a destination, but rather the journey itself.

I may never see Purdue win a national championship in basketball, or even reach the Final Four ever again. But I will tell you that there is nothing, and I mean nothing, that brings me more happiness and satisfaction as a fan of college basketball, than to watch the Purdue program compete, grow, and develop each and every year!

So if you're my new neighbor, please consider skipping the barbecue, if you know what I mean!

 

[New Pal Boiler]

It was a good read...very good, but, it is much different with basketball, and, even much different with Purdue for that matter.

First...UGA is getting guys regardless, as the article even said...they have to worry more about getting the "right" guys of the the guys...Purdue is not getting the guys.

The bigger difference though is in having to recruit 20 guys in a class opposed to 3...and, recruiting multiple classes at once...that requires a staff of 9 people or whatever to do it at the absolute peak level.

Georgia’s recruiting is always good, but it has gotten better with Smart. They were only getting 2 out of the top 5 instate kids before he got there, now they are getting 4 of 5.

And the numbers may be greater in football, but the concept is the same: the more support staff you have to evaluate game tape, write recruiting notes, put together graphics, etc, the more time the coaches can spend actually recruiting. Especially if they have a helicopter.

 

[lbodel]

Budget has been used as an excuse many times even this year (see @lbodel post in this thread).

Our last few recruiting classes have been nice, but they lack the top end talent that push teams over the top come tournament time, imo.

It's not an EXCUSE, it is REALITY.

We have the SMALLEST staff in the Big Ten Conference. What do you think the other schools have staff for? Filing paper work? Hint: Things recruits want, and people whose sole job is to recruit.

You're like someone who can't understand that if your friend spends $10 million on a house and you spend $5 million on a house in the same area - why your friend has a nicer house!?

It's not rocket science.

 

[lbodel]

After reading Ibodel’s post I think he is making a two level statement on budget. He acknowledges that the current budget is better than it was roughly 8 to 10 years back but not as good as the highest end programs today. Kinda similar to recent performance. Very good but not the elite of the game. Actually, it seems like we out perform our budget level.

Yes, we far outperform it. It may have improved, but it improved to still being in the bottom half of the conference.

You can't be in the bottom half of your own conference, but have expectations of making a Final Four.

 

[lbodel]

I think it will once he is done with football. That I think is in more dire need of funds to finish things off than basketball.

Here's my problem with that line of thought.

Purdue basketball is basically being taken for granted. The coach is a solid coach, he's running a clean program, he's winning at a high level, etc.

But instead of pumping that program with resources to take the next step, it's basically told to wait it's turn, we have something else to focus on - like hey, let's build an upper deck to a football stadium we rarely sell out!

Purdue basketball is far outperforming the investment the athletic department is putting in it. But how long can that be sustained?

Look at football with Tiller - it was the same challenge. We were winning with fewer resources - we couldn't keep assistants, we didn't have impressive facilities and we weren't keeping up with our peers. It's the same damn thing happening with basketball now.

Look at Keady - the guy had the same facilities for 25 years, he couldn't keep his assistants, etc. You either can't sustain it, or you max out at what you can do.

Every single year that we aren't doing something to get ahead of our peers, let alone keep up with them, is just digging ourselves into a hole. We just renovated Mackey with a practice court - and it is now the worst practice facility in the Big Ten. But the problem is we were catching up from 25+ years of not doing anything.

If we're just playing catch up all the time, when the hell are we supposed to get ahead?

If you want Purdue to take the next step, give Painter what he wants. Now.

 

[Ignacious McNutt]

Here's my problem with that line of thought.

Purdue basketball is basically being taken for granted. The coach is a solid coach, he's running a clean program, he's winning at a high level, etc.

But instead of pumping that program with resources to take the next step, it's basically told to wait it's turn, we have something else to focus on - like hey, let's build an upper deck to a football stadium we rarely sell out!

Purdue basketball is far outperforming the investment the athletic department is putting in it. But how long can that be sustained?

Look at football with Tiller - it was the same challenge. We were winning with fewer resources - we couldn't keep assistants, we didn't have impressive facilities and we weren't keeping up with our peers. It's the same damn thing happening with basketball now.

Look at Keady - the guy had the same facilities for 25 years, he couldn't keep his assistants, etc. You either can't sustain it, or you max out at what you can do.

Every single year that we aren't doing something to get ahead of our peers, let alone keep up with them, is just digging ourselves into a hole. We just renovated Mackey with a practice court - and it is now the worst practice facility in the Big Ten. But the problem is we were catching up from 25+ years of not doing anything.

If we're just playing catch up all the time, when the hell are we supposed to get ahead?

If you want Purdue to take the next step, give Painter what he wants. Now.

The point of my statement is that we just dropped a chunk of change in to the football program and really need to do the same for basketball. However, I would guess we need to see some returns from the football program first to have the capital to dump in to the basketball program.

Football will be a quick turn around since it is a much higher revenue sport and with the basketball program being successful in spite of being underfunded, there isn't a rush to dump more money in to it yet.

I don't disagree Painter needs more put in to the basketball program and he deserves a raise but I also see why the delay is happening at least for the short term.

 

[New Pal Boiler]

Here's my problem with that line of thought.

Purdue basketball is basically being taken for granted. The coach is a solid coach, he's running a clean program, he's winning at a high level, etc.

But instead of pumping that program with resources to take the next step, it's basically told to wait it's turn, we have something else to focus on - like hey, let's build an upper deck to a football stadium we rarely sell out!

Purdue basketball is far outperforming the investment the athletic department is putting in it. But how long can that be sustained?

Look at football with Tiller - it was the same challenge. We were winning with fewer resources - we couldn't keep assistants, we didn't have impressive facilities and we weren't keeping up with our peers. It's the same damn thing happening with basketball now.

Look at Keady - the guy had the same facilities for 25 years, he couldn't keep his assistants, etc. You either can't sustain it, or you max out at what you can do.

Every single year that we aren't doing something to get ahead of our peers, let alone keep up with them, is just digging ourselves into a hole. We just renovated Mackey with a practice court - and it is now the worst practice facility in the Big Ten. But the problem is we were catching up from 20 years of not doing anything.

If we're just playing catch up all the time, when the hell are we supposed to get ahead?

If you want Purdue to take the next step, give Painter what he wants. Now.

All true, but you’d have to admit there’s a much greater financial opportunity with football. Mackeys already selling out most games. I want to win big at both as much as the next guy, but the ROI of football would seem to be much greater at this point.

 

[lbodel]

All true, but you’d have to admit there’s a much greater financial opportunity with football. Mackeys already selling out most games. I want to win big at both as much as the next guy, but the ROI of football would seem to be much greater at this point.

I'm not saying 0 attention should be given to football. I think things like looking to add an upper deck at Ross-Ade shouldn't be what the athletic department is spending its time and resources on right now. And perhaps balancing

But also - look at things from Painter's (or just basketball's perspective).

Basketball has been a consistent winner now for a long period of time - it's been selling out games, it's winning, it's bringing Purdue national attention, etc. - all for 10+ years in addition to the 25 years it was happening with Keady.

In the last 3 years, Purdue has:

-Built a football-only building dedicated to the practice, training, strength and conditioning, etc. of the players.

-Expanded the football staff to include positions like 2 full time staff members in charge of recruiting with a dedicated administrative assistant, a "Chief of Staff" position (I've mentioned in the past that Texas Tech and Chris Beard have this position, for example), 5 positions dedicated to strength and conditioning, etc.

-Has made our coach the 2nd highest paid coach in the Big Ten, after a 6-7 season

Now, I'm all for being competitive and adding things that can make our football program better. But at the same time, if you're basketball you're like well we're the ones actually winning and performing at a high level.....and we're basically being told "you need to wait" (if even that). I don't think that's helpful to anyone.

I don't think that creates a good culture, in my opinion. You have to support your bread and butter. Yes, football can drive in revenues and I don't think it should be ignored - but you're simply not setting up basketball for success. You have to strike a balance and you need to reward high performing programs. You can't take it for granted.

 

[ChoiceBeef]

I'm not saying 0 attention should be given to football. I think things like looking to add an upper deck at Ross-Ade shouldn't be what the athletic department is spending its time and resources on right now. And perhaps balancing

But also - look at things from Painter's (or just basketball's perspective).

Basketball has been a consistent winner now for a long period of time - it's been selling out games, it's winning, it's bringing Purdue national attention, etc. - all for 10+ years in addition to the 25 years it was happening with Keady.

In the last 3 years, Purdue has:

-Built a football-only building dedicated to the practice, training, strength and conditioning, etc. of the players.

-Expanded the football staff to include positions like 2 full time staff members in charge of recruiting with a dedicated administrative assistant, a "Chief of Staff" position (I've mentioned in the past that Texas Tech and Chris Beard have this position, for example), 5 positions dedicated to strength and conditioning, etc.

-Has made our coach the 2nd highest paid coach in the Big Ten, after a 6-7 season

Now, I'm all for being competitive and adding things that can make our football program better. But at the same time, if you're basketball you're like well we're the ones actually winning and performing at a high level.....and we're basically being told "you need to wait" (if even that). I don't think that's helpful to anyone.

I don't think that creates a good culture, in my opinion. You have to support your bread and butter. Yes, football can drive in revenues and I don't think it should be ignored - but you're simply not setting up basketball for success. You have to strike a balance and you need to reward high performing programs.

Talking about balance and ROI - that is where I wonder does having a Recruiting Director help close kids like a TJD, JJJ, etc or does it help with finding more talented kids and prioritization?

I feel in the case of Hodges - he gets this younger generation. Painter needs something like that because he clearly knows how to coach and get the most out of his kids.

 

[Do Dah Day]

Okay, I'll offer my 2 cents...

I kind of look at our situation, as fans, with Purdue basketball as follows...

So you graduate from college, find a great job with a fine employer, and you're paid very well for the skills you bring. You work hard and you advance in your career, achieve many awards and accomplishments, meet and marry a wonderful spouse (note the lack of gender specificity here, gals! lol), are able to afford a really nice home, raise a fine family, enjoy some really nice extras, like taking wonderful vacations, maybe a boat at the lake, and everyone in your family enjoys years of good health and genuine contentment.

And then a new neighbor moves in, who appears to have achieved the same station in life, with a wonderful spouse and family, and the same blessings and success - but at the very first neighborhood barbecue, he pulls you aside and does nothing but b!tch about not winning the lottery and becoming CEO of the company for which he works. He looks at his life as nothing more than missed opportunities every time he picks the wrong lottery numbers, and every time he is bypassed for the Big Promotion. He barely tolerates his life and its many blessings, but longs for achieving what he feels is his dream and ultimate success.

Does this sound familiar?

A long time ago, I was that very neighbor, and despite all the blessings that surrounded me, I could not see nor appreciate them. But slowly, v-e-r-y slowly, perhaps from getting old, I have learned the one true lesson that applies to us all...

That success in life is not a destination, but rather the journey itself.

I may never see Purdue win a national championship in basketball, or even reach the Final Four ever again. But I will tell you that there is nothing, and I mean nothing, that brings me more happiness and satisfaction as a fan of college basketball, than to watch the Purdue program compete, grow, and develop each and every year!

So if you're my new neighbor, please consider skipping the barbecue, if you know what I mean!

I remember always looking for your posts on the Old...Free Press. Now I remember why.

 

[Wolegib]

a stupid question for the old folks . Why was Keady fired? You can say he resigned, but the truth is he was fired. he was basically informed he could stay one more year. if he truly wanted to retire, I doubt he would have accepted those subsequent coaching jobs after he left Purdue.

As for lacking proper recruiting money, I would tend to disagree. Purdue would have a tremendous team if it signed the 5 best players out of Indiana each year. or if it signed the 5 best players from the Michigan/Ohio/Indiana/Illinois area. And/or going to the Spiece AAU tournaments and AAU tournaments in the Midwest. and hung out and built a feeder train at La Lum. that wouldn't cost a lot of money and would reap tremendous results. just think of the team Purdue could create if it just was able to sign the best players of those tourneys. I can't see where adding money to recruiting would change our recruiting outcome. how much more money did IU spend above the table to land Phinisee and Langford? and their other Indiana recruits?

I believe it's also been proven the money the recruits receive under the table doesn't come from the school's recruiting budget. it comes from shoe companies, agents and assistant coaches. So to give players money, you really don't have to pump more money into a recruiting budget.

As for facilities, I've seen the facilities at Purdue, Duke, IU, Illinois and SIU. Surprisingly, the team with the best recruiting history has the worst facilities. Duke doesn't have air conditioning. and their youth basketball camps are conducted on outdoor tennis courts. I do have a basketball shoe personally autographed by Coach K. The sharpie cost him $5. the selfie was free.

you can pump tons of money into a program and facilities. but that's no guarantee for success. Look at Butler. how does their budget compare to Purdue? how do their facilities compare? for that matter, how does their recruiting compare?

Sure, with more money Purdue could expand its recruiting base to reach California, Texas, New Jersey and Florida. But could those players beat a team composed of Indiana/Kentucky or Indiana/Illinois all stars?

I don't believe Purdue needs better basketball facilities or additional recruiting money. What it needs is better assistant coaches and a different recruiting strategy to go after and be able to sign the best of the state and the Midwest. And if Purdue was able to do that, I'm quite sure final 4 appearances and championships would follow.

as far as money goes, how much money does Duke spend? Did Duke go to those players? or did they come to Duke? I know from experience, I paid money for my son to go to Duke's basketball camp. how much money did Duke spend to bring Zion to Duke?

for some reason, I doubt that new AD at Purdue has any real plans to increase the basketball budget. the team is producing results. what is increasing the budget going to do ? is it going to win over brooks? Would having more money have won over Guy, Hall, Ward, Tyger, Epperson, JJJ or Langford?

 

[Ignacious McNutt]

a stupid question for the old folks . Why was Keady fired? You can say he resigned, but the truth is he was fired.

He wasn't fired. Please provide solid proof to say otherwise and not use your opinion as fact.

 

[Wolegib]

He wasn't fired. Please provide solid proof to say otherwise and not use your opinion as fact.

Would you prefer I used the term, mutual agreement ?

 

[Ignacious McNutt]

Would you prefer I used the term, mutual agreement ?

Well you're making a very outlandish claim. All I am asking for is proof.

 

[BoilerIron]

Well you're making a very outlandish claim. All I am asking for is proof.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2004-03-26-0403260386-story.html

Purdue was not going to extend him. Is it technically getting fired if your contract runs out, and you aren't extended? Maybe not. Either way, it wasn't an option for him to be head coach at Purdue starting with the 05'-06' season.

 

[Bob Sienicki]

Would you prefer I used the term, mutual agreement ?

And who was the party on the other side of that "mutual agreement"? I seem to recall that same party was on the other side of Joe Tiller's "decision to retire."

I'm not so sure MBob would have taken the same approach in each case, because a lot of the shared problems between Keady and Tiller involved AD support - which, as you know, was anything but exemplary.

 

[Dakota Girl]

Okay, I'll offer my 2 cents...

I kind of look at our situation, as fans, with Purdue basketball as follows...

So you graduate from college, find a great job with a fine employer, and you're paid very well for the skills you bring. You work hard and you advance in your career, achieve many awards and accomplishments, meet and marry a wonderful spouse (note the lack of gender specificity here, gals! lol), are able to afford a really nice home, raise a fine family, enjoy some really nice extras, like taking wonderful vacations, maybe a boat at the lake, and everyone in your family enjoys years of good health and genuine contentment.

And then a new neighbor moves in, who appears to have achieved the same station in life, with a wonderful spouse and family, and the same blessings and success - but at the very first neighborhood barbecue, he pulls you aside and does nothing but b!tch about not winning the lottery and becoming CEO of the company for which he works. He looks at his life as nothing more than missed opportunities every time he picks the wrong lottery numbers, and every time he is bypassed for the Big Promotion. He barely tolerates his life and its many blessings, but longs for achieving what he feels is his dream and ultimate success.

Does this sound familiar?

A long time ago, I was that very neighbor, and despite all the blessings that surrounded me, I could not see nor appreciate them. But slowly, v-e-r-y slowly, perhaps from getting old, I have learned the one true lesson that applies to us all...

That success in life is not a destination, but rather the journey itself.

I may never see Purdue win a national championship in basketball, or even reach the Final Four ever again. But I will tell you that there is nothing, and I mean nothing, that brings me more happiness and satisfaction as a fan of college basketball, than to watch the Purdue program compete, grow, and develop each and every year!

So if you're my new neighbor, please consider skipping the barbecue, if you know what I mean!

That is a fine analogy. There tends to be a tinge of self entitlement in those new neighbors.
Those players don’t owe us anything. But, if you just enjoy what they achieve, while they are achieving it, you realize they are giving you something terrific.

 

[Bob Sienicki]

That is a fine analogy. There tends to be a tinge of self entitlement in those new neighbors.
Those players don’t owe us anything. But, if you just enjoy what they achieve, while they are achieving it, you realize they are giving you something terrific.

OT: I keep forgetting to ask you, but are you from one of the Dakotas? And if so, which one?

 

[Wolegib]

Well you're making a very outlandish claim. All I am asking for is proof.

our city police chief was not offered a new contract or had her contract extended. What would you call that? many teachers resign in lieu of being fired, so when they fill out that next job application, they don't have to check the box that asks , have you ever been fired from your position.

Most people around here would say Steve Alford was fired by UCLA. but I highly doubt you will find anything in writing from UCLA that uses the term fired. It will probabl y state something like going in a new direction.

You can use whatever terminology you prefer. but the facts are his contract was not extended, and Purdue informed him he was going to be replaced. Would forced into retirement be a better and more preferable phrase ? he didn't retire because he wanted to. a similar case /phrase could be made for many coaches. Was Hazell fired? or was he allowed to explore other coaching opportunities?

Fired is such a harsh term and looks bad on resumes.

 

[Dakota Girl]

OT: I keep forgetting to ask you, but are you from one of the Dakotas? And if so, which one?

Actually no. The “handle” is just my dog’s name.
I am a fan of visiting South Dakota though! Beautiful state with great history.
I was born in Missouri but raised in Indiana.

 

[lbodel]

Talking about balance and ROI - that is where I wonder does having a Recruiting Director help close kids like a TJD, JJJ, etc or does it help with finding more talented kids and prioritization?

I feel in the case of Hodges - he gets this younger generation. Painter needs something like that because he clearly knows how to coach and get the most out of his kids.

I certainly can't speak for what Painter wants/doesn't want, or what priority order they are in.

Obviously football and basketball are not equal - there's a much higher volume with football, so it makes sense for them to have 3 positions for it. However, I do think it seems very reasonable to have one full time position for basketball. I don't know who on the staff is that point person - or if it's just each assistant's job to coordinate - I have no idea.

But when it comes to promoting the program, producing content (for mail, email, etc.), coordinating recruiting visits to wow a recruit (not saying Painter wants to do something like this, but I've read about other programs doing official offers at center court with the lights out in the arena, etc. to make it incredibly impactful....but coordinating a memorable visit is important) - it seems logical to have a position for that.

 

[Bob Sienicki]

our city police chief was not offered a new contract or had her contract extended. What would you call that? many teachers resign in lieu of being fired, so when they fill out that next job application, they don't have to check the box that asks , have you ever been fired from your position.

Most people around here would say Steve Alford was fired by UCLA. but I highly doubt you will find anything in writing from UCLA that uses the term fired. It will probabl y state something like going in a new direction.

You can use whatever terminology you prefer. but the facts are his contract was not extended, and Purdue informed him he was going to be replaced. Would forced into retirement be a better and more preferable phrase ? he didn't retire because he wanted to. a similar case /phrase could be made for many coaches. Was Hazell fired? or was he allowed to explore other coaching opportunities?

Fired is such a harsh term and looks bad on resumes.

True enough.

But I think a lot of us around here tend to think Keady and Tiller might have had even longer, more prosperous tenures in Boilerland had that former swimmer from my hall in Cary Quad East had actually understood the concept of return-on-investment, which might have allowed those two to retain and even attract better assistants, not to mention travel farther and more extensively to recruit better prospects.

When one turns off the spigot, it all goes down the drain eventually.

 

[Purdue Grad in Texas]

our city police chief was not offered a new contract or had her contract extended. What would you call that? many teachers resign in lieu of being fired, so when they fill out that next job application, they don't have to check the box that asks , have you ever been fired from your position.

Most people around here would say Steve Alford was fired by UCLA. but I highly doubt you will find anything in writing from UCLA that uses the term fired. It will probabl y state something like going in a new direction.

You can use whatever terminology you prefer. but the facts are his contract was not extended, and Purdue informed him he was going to be replaced. Would forced into retirement be a better and more preferable phrase ? he didn't retire because he wanted to. a similar case /phrase could be made for many coaches. Was Hazell fired? or was he allowed to explore other coaching opportunities?

Fired is such a harsh term and looks bad on resumes.

I get your point Wole, but I had to chuckle with the reference to Darrell Hazell. I think 9-33 (3-24 conference) takes care of the resume issue, regardless of being able to state "amicably left Purdue in order to "explore" other opportunities."

 

[Bob Sienicki]

Actually no. The “handle” is just my dog’s name.
I am a fan of visiting South Dakota though! Beautiful state with great history.
I was born in Missouri but raised in Indiana.

I know what you mean. My wife and I lived in a cabin on Rapid Creek up in the Black Hills west of Rapid City for the last few years we were there. You would think that SD would be a frozen wasteland, but in 5 of the 7 years we lived there, they were playing golf on Christmas day. Yet when it was cold, it was c-o-l-d! Like a high temperature of -20 deg (not wind chill!) for 3-4 days. Oddly, that is not what bothered me, but rather going to work in the pitch dark at 8:00am, and leaving in the pitch dark at 4:30pm in the winter. Still, my wife and I would move back in a heart beat, but with our two grown sons, and our grandson, all living in Mesa, AZ, we are plenty happy living in Flagstaff!

 

[Dakota Girl]

I know what you mean. My wife and I lived in a cabin on Rapid Creek up in the Black Hills west of Rapid City for the last few years we were there. You would think that SD would be a frozen wasteland, but in 5 of the 7 years we lived there, they were playing golf on Christmas day. Yet when it was cold, it was c-o-l-d! Like a high temperature of -20 deg (not wind chill!) for 3-4 days. Oddly, that is not what bothered me, but rather going to work in the pitch dark at 8:00am, and leaving in the pitch dark at 4:30pm in the winter. Still, my wife and I would move back in a heart beat, but with our two grown sons, and our grandson, all living in Mesa, AZ, we are plenty happy living in Flagstaff!

All my trips to SD have been in the summer. I’m good with that!
Living close to family and friends is what makes a place home.

 

[Flot]

Immature is being unable to defend your position. Challenging someone is not immature. If you need to play the "immature" card, you're not operating from a position of strength.

There's absolutely nothing uncivil about my challenge to you. It's duly noted you felt the need to play it that way, 'tho.

I get it: it's uncomfortable to be called on it. But, you choose to post your position on a public forum.

And we thinks he’s Courtsense2. That has to be a whole bunch of uncomfortable.

 

[Wolegib]

I am reminded of when Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Paul Molitor and Bart Starr ended their coaching careers. because of their fame and the love from their fans, none were fired. Their teams just neglected to renew their contracts and gave them a parachute , a watch and a check and said thanks for the memories.

it was much the same for Tiller and Keady.

 

[BoilerDaddy]

Okay, I'll offer my 2 cents...

I kind of look at our situation, as fans, with Purdue basketball as follows...

So you graduate from college, find a great job with a fine employer, and you're paid very well for the skills you bring. You work hard and you advance in your career, achieve many awards and accomplishments, meet and marry a wonderful spouse (note the lack of gender specificity here, gals! lol), are able to afford a really nice home, raise a fine family, enjoy some really nice extras, like taking wonderful vacations, maybe a boat at the lake, and everyone in your family enjoys years of good health and genuine contentment.

And then a new neighbor moves in, who appears to have achieved the same station in life, with a wonderful spouse and family, and the same blessings and success - but at the very first neighborhood barbecue, he pulls you aside and does nothing but b!tch about not winning the lottery and becoming CEO of the company for which he works. He looks at his life as nothing more than missed opportunities every time he picks the wrong lottery numbers, and every time he is bypassed for the Big Promotion. He barely tolerates his life and its many blessings, but longs for achieving what he feels is his dream and ultimate success.

Does this sound familiar?

A long time ago, I was that very neighbor, and despite all the blessings that surrounded me, I could not see nor appreciate them. But slowly, v-e-r-y slowly, perhaps from getting old, I have learned the one true lesson that applies to us all...

That success in life is not a destination, but rather the journey itself.

I may never see Purdue win a national championship in basketball, or even reach the Final Four ever again. But I will tell you that there is nothing, and I mean nothing, that brings me more happiness and satisfaction as a fan of college basketball, than to watch the Purdue program compete, grow, and develop each and every year!

So if you're my new neighbor, please consider skipping the barbecue, if you know what I mean!

Great post!

 

[BoilerDaddy]

There are a few posters who continually complain about the talent on the roster, but once players get to campus I no longer care about rankings and just base my opinions on what I see and I really like the talent on the current team. I think that with Haarms and Tre, for example, Purdue has one of the best center rotations in the country. I really don’t care where they were ranked. Nojel is an unconventional point guard, but developing into a very good basketball player. I think he’s very likely a year away from exploding. Wheeler is another young talent who I think will develop into a terrific player. And, of course, we all know about Carsen, who despite his struggles over the past few weeks is a special talent and a winner. I like all of the players: Cline, Grady, Hunter, Sasha, and EB are the guys I root for and I am excited to see Dow, Newman, IT, and Gillis.

Instead of complaining about who Purdue doesn’t have, I choose to appreciate and cheer for the talent on the roster.

 

[SIBoiler2]

I know what you mean. My wife and I lived in a cabin on Rapid Creek up in the Black Hills west of Rapid City for the last few years we were there. You would think that SD would be a frozen wasteland, but in 5 of the 7 years we lived there, they were playing golf on Christmas day. Yet when it was cold, it was c-o-l-d! Like a high temperature of -20 deg (not wind chill!) for 3-4 days. Oddly, that is not what bothered me, but rather going to work in the pitch dark at 8:00am, and leaving in the pitch dark at 4:30pm in the winter. Still, my wife and I would move back in a heart beat, but with our two grown sons, and our grandson, all living in Mesa, AZ, we are plenty happy living in Flagstaff!

I hunted east central SD near Watertown once in October. 70°, sunny and windy on day 1. 45°, rainy and windy on day 2. The wind stopped during the night. Woke up on day 3 to 18° and 17" of snow. Only place I've ever been with more schizo weather than Indiana. Still a beautiful wild state though.