Louisiana Monroe (1/5/13)

[Harry]

I always wonder why Trilli gets credit for facility upgrades He popped off about liking the UT color seats and quickly backed off and supposedly led to the recovering of the seats. Problem, he had little to do with any of it. Several fans did raise some money, see the plagues, for total of a few hundred units of the over 10,000 seats needed. Schools funds were used for most of the balance.

I don't know where you got this info but I promise you Trilli hated the orange seats and had a lot to do with getting them fixed. I can say this from personally dealing with Trilli and donating to the seats. Heck there was even a meeting about this at Tavern on The Green with the original Mean Green Club and Mean Rob Black.

[meanrob]

Yep, I bought seats as well. I recall it being said our names would be on the back of the seats we paid for. But, seems to me the big plaque in the concourse is a much better idea.

Plus, I did not donate so I could see my name on some plaque. I donated to help get rid of those awful orange seats. It wasn't about recognition for me, it was about the seats and about helping with this project.

Greenjoe was one of the folks who helped to spearhead this project. I recall his twisting my arm to get me to contribute. Good job, Joe. He 's still a donor to this day...thanks to greenjoe and all who give of their hard earned funds to help the Mean Green.

Man, you just don't get it and obviously never will. You and I will always be fans but when you are trying to get other people involved and the Athletic Department doesn't do what they say, it's a tough sell next time around. You think I give a damn about a plaque? I wanted the AD to keep their word. It's not for you to decide what's better or not.

The next time you come on here and talk about how you are a MGC member and brag about how much you try to get people involved, you might want to remember that once upon time there was no MGC. Go figure, people other than you have done something for our University.

Edited January 7, 2013 by meanrob

[emmitt01]

Anybody remember "Kid's Corner"? I do. I distinctly remember the outcome too.

[NT03]

Anybody remember "Kid's Corner"? I do. I distinctly remember the outcome too.

Did all the Kid's get suspended ?

[UNT90]

Did all the Kid's get suspended ?

Maybe the experienced assistant coaches are reporting rules violations in order to keep only 3 scholarship players on the bench, therefore limiting the mass, confused substitutions of the head coach.

Edited January 7, 2013 by UNT90

[KRAM1]

Man, you just don't get it and obviously never will. You and I will always be fans but when you are trying to get other people involved and the Athletic Department doesn't do what they say, it's a tough sell next time around. You think I give a damn about a plaque? I wanted the AD to keep their word. It's not for you to decide what's better or not.

The next time you come on here and talk about how you are a MGC member and brag about how much you try to get people involved, you might want to remember that once upon time there was no MGC. Go figure, people other than you have done something for our University.

No kidding...just what was your first clue? I believe you were the first post to talk about donating for these seats. You had a problem with the positioning of the nameplates....it was explained to me and it made sense....things change...some folks understand the change and move along. Some folks seem to want to hold petty grudges. Who was the AD then...do you even recall? BTW...please show me where I bragged about trying to get anyone to join the Mean Green Club? I do what I can to get people to join....where is that bragging about anything? Never have I talked about how much...I talk about "if". So, I suggest you get over you pettiness and just ignore my posts. There is a way to do so on this site. It might help you not get so worked up if something happens to hit a bit close to home. Just sayin....we have very different priorities it seems. Who cares?

Edit: Thanks, sarge for the edit...darn spell check...fixed it so it couldn't do it this time...but maybe there just is a plague or pox going around after all....you may be right.

Edited January 7, 2013 by KRAM1

[meanrob]

No kidding...just what was your first clue? I believe you were the first post to talk about donating for these seats. You had a problem with the positioning of the plagues....it was explained to me and it made sense....things change...some folks understand the change and move along. Some folks seem to want to hold petty grudges. Who was the AD then...do you even recall? Btw...please show me where I bragged about trying to get anyone to join the Mean Green Club? I do what I can to get people to join....where is that bragging about anything? Never have I talked about how much...I talk about "if". So, I suggest you get over you pettiness and just ignore my posts. There is a way to do so on this site. It might help you not get so worked up if something happens to hit a bit close to home. Just sayin....we have very different priorities it seems. Who cares?

Helwig. Guys like you made excuses for him too.

[KRAM1]

Helwig. Guys like you made excuses for him too.

Yep...you remembered. Good for you. I think you would also admit, entirely different time...entirely different administration. The sins of the father thing I guess with you.

And, what makes you think you know anything at all about "guys like me", and I am really happy that I am not considered by you to be "a guy like you!" If, of course, your negative accusatory and oh so pleasant posts are any indication of your overall attitude.

For the record, was not a fan of Helwig...I was a big supporter of the then men's soccer team. Enough said...so, once again you know little about "guys like me".

[emmitt01]

"You had a problem with the positioning of the plagues."

I think we all have a problem with the positioning of the plagues. That's why we're in this mess to begin with.

[aztecskin]

Wish someone would write a History Of this seat subject so I can understand what the helll ya'll are talking about.

This is a dumpster fire. I can't see this being anyone else's fault but the coach. I want to blame RV for the hire, but I do understand he is in a bind. There isn't a ton of money to find the best hires so he's always looking for diamonds in the rough. When he makes a mistake, it is nigh uncorrectable for the same short-on-money reason.

But that is what happens when you go cheap. Spend money on quality coaches and you get quality results usually.

[KRAM1]

Wish someone would write a History Of this seat subject so I can understand what the helll ya'll are talking about.

This is a dumpster fire. I can't see this being anyone else's fault but the coach. I want to blame RV for the hire, but I do understand he is in a bind. There isn't a ton of money to find the best hires so he's always looking for diamonds in the rough. When he makes a mistake, it is nigh uncorrectable for the same short-on-money reason.

But that is what happens when you go cheap. Spend money on quality coaches and you get quality results usually.

Not much history to it...when the Super Pit was constructed, for some reason...maybe they got a good deal on them...ORANGE seats were installed. So, the whole Super Pit, as nice as it was to have it, reeked UT due to the orange seats. First comments from the AD were that they reflected the "fire in the eagle's eyes"...well, I don't think anyone bought that little excuse, but off we went with orange seats. After a short while some folks, greenjoe among them as I recall, decided to do something about it and started a fund-raising action to get the seats re-done in green....as, of course, they should have been from the start. Some folks opened their wallets and checkbooks and donated to have the seats changed out. It was, at first, said that donors would have their names attached to the backs of the seats they purchased. It was determined that not enough folks would see the names if they were placed on the backs of seats (only those sitting directly behind the seats), so they decided instead to place the names on a plaque that is now attached to the concourse level in the Super Pit so more folks could see the names. It's there, so you can see who donated if you care to do so. I do believe that not enough private funds were collected to cover every seat, so I think the school came up with the rest.

Not that big of a deal...sort of like the basketball practice facility...call went out for help with this project and some folks stepped up to help. No biggie....the big deal was getting those ugly orange seats removed and replaced. Fire in the eagle's eyes my rear end...right!

That's what I recall....am sure others can add to the history if they so choose. It was during the Helwig years...interesting times those for those of us around and engaged at that time. It's, however, history.

[KRAM1]

Spend money on quality coaches and you get quality results usually.

The operative word here being "usually". Still, it's always a crap shoot.....some just easier targets than others. I think we can all name some hires at universities around the country that looked good at the outset, but did not turn out to be so in reality.

[UNT90]

The operative word here being "usually". Still, it's always a crap shoot.....some just easier targets than others. I think we can all name some hires at universities around the country that looked good at the outset, but did not turn out to be so in reality.

It's just this particular situation that is so frustrating. If ever a team needed a proven head coach, it was this one.

And we got an assistant that is in terribly above his head and is losing/has lost his players' confidence.

This was the one hire that had to be gotten right. It wasn't.

[KRAM1]

It's just this particular situation that is so frustrating. If ever a team needed a proven head coach, it was this one.

And we got an assistant that is in terribly above his head and is losing/has lost his players' confidence.

This was the one hire that had to be gotten right. It wasn't.

So, what is the situation with all the experienced assistant coaches? Have they forgotten how to coach for some reason? Not arguing one way or the other...just asking the question to some of my more "knowledgeable" basketball friends....seems strange to me that all the HC experience on the bench has not seemed to help this season's record so much either. What's with that I wonder?

[curtisdaa]

So, what is the situation with all the experienced assistant coaches? Have they forgotten how to coach for some reason? Not arguing one way or the other...just asking the question to some of my more "knowledgeable" basketball friends....seems strange to me that all the HC experience on the bench has not seemed to help this season's record so much either. What's with that I wonder?

I have worked for head coaches that did not want any imput from assistants. They just wanted some one to run practice and be a yes man. Needless to say I could not leave that school fast enough.

I don't know what the story is here, as I don't know what goes on in coaches meetings. I was excited about the hire of Evans. I thought his knowledge and experience would be used more by a first year head coach. This does not appear to be the case, but again I don't know what goes on behind closed doors.

[UNT90]

So, what is the situation with all the experienced assistant coaches? Have they forgotten how to coach for some reason? Not arguing one way or the other...just asking the question to some of my more "knowledgeable" basketball friends....seems strange to me that all the HC experience on the bench has not seemed to help this season's record so much either. What's with that I wonder?

Because there is only one head coach. Only one man runs substitutions, and on this team that is Coach Benford. They can talk to him until they are blue in the face, doesn't mean he accepts what they are saying.

Also doesn't mean he listens to them on strategy or offensive and defensive game planning.

There is only one head coach, and just about any head coach will tell you that, loud and clear.

Would this team be different if Evans were running the team? Sure would like to find out. I think Daheeb and WKU can tell you how bad things can be when you have a crappy head coach, but good assistants.

After all, WKU hired their assistant after firing their crappy head coach. All that guy did was lead them to the NCAA tournament in his 1st half season.

Head coach sets the temperment for the team. This team's temperment is to panic at the first sight of adversity. That comes directly from the man leading them on the bench.

These players are checking out. Without a change soon, there are very bad times ahead.

Edited January 7, 2013 by UNT90

[Green P1]

These players are checking out. Without a change soon, there are very bad times ahead.

Then you should buy more tickets and give more monies. Duh.

[jredallas]

Would this team be different if Evans were running the team? Sure would like to find out. I think Daheeb and WKU can tell you how bad things can be when you have a crappy head coach, but good assistants.

After all, WKU hired their assistant after firing their crappy head coach. All that guy did was lead them to the NCAA tournament in his 1st half season.

We all had a taste of that type of a change here on the football front when Chico took over as the interim HC as well.

[Army of Dad]

Without a change soon, there are very bad times ahead.

Do you know what Tony Benford does to programs when he is the head coach?

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_OJl6ATsGFco/TAOiNALFIfI/AAAAAAAAHFE/1GAldCj57LM/s1600/0.jpg

Bad things man, bad things.

[GrandGreen]

I don't know where you got this info but I promise you Trilli hated the orange seats and had a lot to do with getting them fixed. I can say this from personally dealing with Trilli and donating to the seats. Heck there was even a meeting about this at Tavern on The Green with the original Mean Green Club and Mean Rob Black.

Yes, Trilli did talk about the seats after his gaff about liking them, but unless he personally persuaded the school to part with hundreds of thousands of dollars to recover the seats than he was not very effective. As I am sure you recall, the seats were awful stained eyesores by that time: so my guess they would have been recovered with or without Trilli. That orange did make the area look brighter, the supposed reason that they were chosen, but they also showed every coke stain.

FYI, I heard Trilli say that he liked the orange seats when he was first hired, was at the very meeting you cited, and also remember the vast amount of money that was needed to recover the seats provided by the university. Yes, I also heard Trilli ask for donations for recovering the seats several times, so in that sense I suppose he was a factor.

Trilli had a problem with the bending the truth if you were around him enough, you would likely have noticed. He was very big on self promotion. For instance, at the Tavern meeting you cited, he stated he had personally sold over 1000 new season tickets. A number I find hard to believe.

[rws69]

This is the first year I have attended more than two or three games since my years as a student, something that simply wasn't easy until I moved 25 miles closer and then retired. I bought into the hype that was fed to us last summer. Benford inherited a talented roster, but the team has not come close to living up to the hype. Sure, some outside shooters got hurt, and that made it easier for opponents to defend. We have seen at times what looked like sheer laziness on the part of the players. For those of who have watched both the ladies and the men, we have seen much better execution by the ladies. Most of us, myself included, don't know what is going on in practice or how well Benford is managing the team beyond not seeing execution or control and seeing a lot of disruptive substitutions. One thing is starting to really stick out with me - a high incidence of players being being benched for violating team rules. That it has impacted several players says a lot about a huge disconnect between coaches and players expectations. This suggests that Benford has lost the respect of the team. I doubt that he is capable of getting it back.

The ladies deserve a good turnout, but they will not get that the way the men are playing. It is unfortunate that the men's program is lost and that will keep most fans (and a few players) away until it is fixed.