Wayland Baptist (12/21/13)

[UNT90]

I thought the interesting thing Benfotd said after the game was how Chris is their only true point guard and how badly the need him distributing the ball.

Chris came in as a true freshman and played big for us until his academic suspension. He has had injuries and hasn't been the same since.

I remember a couple of plays Chris made this season against Oklahoma and he looked like he belonged there on the court with the Sooners in spurts.

I think if Chris gets healthy and plays like he is capable of it could be Benford's salvation this season.

Chris hasn't looked the same because he has play for Benford.

Just like Mitchell.

Benford actually regresses players. Some have stayed about the same offensively, all have regressed defensively.

Can't wait till this mistake is finally recognized, admitted, and fixed.

[greenit]

We have a chance to beat both teams. SFA is leaps and bounds better then Texas A&M. We will get it together. We have no choice at this point. We should have won by 30 but I have no clue what happened because I was not there. We need to get it together soon!

From the way it looked on TV, it was a hard fought game between two evenly matched teams.

[UNTFan23]

I didn't bother checking this until now but attendance for this game was 881. There might have been two dozen Wayland fans at the game?

881, wow that is just plain straight awful. Watching the game (in person) wasn't much fun.

[oldguystudent]

Before the day started...it was 209.

It is my understanding that games against NAIA teams don't affect RPI at all. So you get to add a shiny gold star W to your record, but it means nothing.

[Army of Dad]

I didn't bother checking this until now but attendance for this game was 881. There might have been two dozen Wayland fans at the game?

881, wow that is just plain straight awful. Watching the game (in person) wasn't much fun.

So that must mean we have less than 800 season ticket holders, maybe less than 500?

I assume they called paid attendance.

[KRAM1]

So that must mean we have less than 800 season ticket holders, maybe less than 500?

I assume they called paid attendance.

Hmmm...if so, why does anyone think the BOR or anyone else in a position of authority would care who coaches BB or how the team does? The fans sure don't. As fans, if you want to exert any pressure than it might be a good idea to do more than just post on a message board. Let's see...don't buy season tickets...don't buy individual game tickets...don't donate to the program, don't show up to watch the games, but by golly you better listen to me because I post on GMG.Com that I am unhappy with Coach Benford! Yep...got it...BOR, you listening? Too funny...comic HOF stuff here!

Cue the "we support the players" and I would come but it's Benford's fault crowd for response.....3-2-1...

Anyone else notice the "sisters of the poor" teams that some big name boys have been playing lately? Wonder what the excuses were for that scheduling...and what the crowd size was at the games? Seems UNT is not the only one playing a pretty weak pre-conference schedule.

[UNTFan23]

Hmmm...if so, why does anyone think the BOR or anyone else in a position of authority would care who coaches BB or how the team does? The fans sure don't. As fans, if you want to exert any pressure than it might be a good idea to do more than just post on a message board. Let's see...don't buy season tickets...don't buy individual game tickets...don't donate to the program, don't show up to watch the games, but by golly you better listen to me because I post on GMG.Com that I am unhappy with Coach Benford! Yep...got it...BOR, you listening? Too funny...comic HOF stuff here!

Under this line of thinking, a coach would never be fired when attendance takes a dive due to poor on-the-court results.

Had Wayland had a deeper bench I'm not so sure we would have won that game. Foul trouble late in the game also affected Wayland.

[Green P1]

I feel bad for the players. Guess I can't say that I support them in that I wouldn't get off of the couch and walk to the door to watch a Tony Benford coached team play basketball in my backyard. Sorry players... You deserved a better situation.

[UNT90]

Hmmm...if so, why does anyone think the BOR or anyone else in a position of authority would care who coaches BB or how the team does? The fans sure don't. As fans, if you want to exert any pressure than it might be a good idea to do more than just post on a message board. Let's see...don't buy season tickets...don't buy individual game tickets...don't donate to the program, don't show up to watch the games, but by golly you better listen to me because I post on GMG.Com that I am unhappy with Coach Benford! Yep...got it...BOR, you listening? Too funny...comic HOF stuff here!

Cue the "we support the players" and I would come but it's Benford's fault crowd for response.....3-2-1...

Anyone else notice the "sisters of the poor" teams that some big name boys have been playing lately? Wonder what the excuses were for that scheduling...and what the crowd size was at the games? Seems UNT is not the only one playing a pretty weak pre-conference schedule.

You exert pressure by NOT renewing season tickets. By NOT going to games.

Announced attendance of 881 is an embarrassment, and the AD and BOR have no one to blame but themselves for making excuses for Benford and not stepping up and ending this when it was clear to anyone who went to games and ever step foot on a basketball court that he was a COMPLETE disaster midway through last season.

As far as positing anonymously on a message board, many in the AD know who most if the former regularly attending fans are on this board. Hell, Fly told me everyone knew who I was. Good.

2 things bring pressure. Public criticism and season ticket holders canceling their seats. Proud to say I've done both, and done both in the interest of getting rid of a disaster so the student-athletes that play basketball for this university have the chance not to be embarrassed on a night in, night out basis during the season.

You say it makes me a crappy fan? I say blindly supporting this makes you a crappy fan. So I guess we are both crappy fans now.

Edited December 23, 2013 by UNT90

[KRAM1]

You exert pressure by NOT renewing season tickets. By NOT going to games.

Announced attendance of 881 is an embarrassment, and the AD and BOR have no one to blame but themselves for making excuses for Benford and not stepping up and ending this when it was clear to anyone who went to games and ever step foot on a basketball court that he was a COMPLETE disaster midway through last season.

As far as positing anonymously on a message board, many in the AD know who most if the former regularly attending fans are on this board. Hell, Fly told me everyone knew who I was. Good.

2 things bring pressure. Public criticism and season ticket holders canceling their seats. Proud to say I've done both, and done both in the interest of getting rid of a disaster so the student-athletes that play basketball for this university have the chance not to be embarrassed on a night in, night out basis during the season.

You say it makes me a crappy fan? I say blindly supporting this makes you a crappy fan. So I guess we are both crappy fans now.

Funny...I never have nor would I ever call you or anyone else a crappy fan. Seems you are the one doing the name calling here! Not me..don't do that stuff. Interesting you felt the need. In fact I see no names at all in that original post. Touch a nerve or what?

[UNT90]

Go back and look at the attendance for the Christmas holiday games in 2011. All right around 2600 to 2700. Against Troy, New Orleans, and Grambling, with Troy being a NYE game.

I looked for last years attendance figures, but couldn't find them. Based on season tickets alone, I bet you didn't see any game under 2500 announced.

Benford has cost this team half it's fan base, if not more. RV will have to address this after New Year's Day, when the success of the football season will be behind us and the full focus will be on the train wreck that is men's basketball.

[UNT90]

Funny...I never have nor would I ever call you or anyone else a crappy fan. Seems you are the one doing the name calling here! Not me..don't do that stuff. Interesting you felt the need. In fact I see no names at all in that original post. Touch a nerve or what?

Actually, I called us both crappy fans, and meant to put a wink after it.

But yes, you did touch a nerve. When you don't agree with the direction something is going, you don't blindly support it. Period. And for those of us who do not have the finances to be major donors, this is the loudest voice we have. Should it be? No, but the people in charge know what is said here.

881 ANNOUNCED, of which there were some walk ups? I didn't know it was that bad. Maybe this will get the new president's attention.

[Andrew]

Seems someone is mad because they are going to lose a bet... I would have thrown a couple thousands dollars down on getting 12-15 wins. A win is a win. Nothing has happened this season that is really a surprise minus the loss against Columbia. To me the win against Portland negates that lose. I would have also liked to have lost by less to SFA and BYU. I also would have liked to beat many teams by 20. But our record is what most people thought. I had us going 8-4 at this point with losses to BYU, SFA, Oklahoma, and Portland. Being one game behind expectations is not all bad. If we were 8-4 there would be zero room for complaints.

Going into Conference play I thought we would be 9-5 with a lose to Texas A&M. At this point I see that game as a possible win so 9-5 is still a good possibility!

Edited December 24, 2013 by Andrew

[UNTFan23]

Going into Conference play I thought we would be 9-5 with a lose to Texas A&M. At this point I see that game as a possible win so 9-5 is still a good possibility!

You think the aTm game is going to be a win?! Based on what??!!

[calvin]

Seems someone is mad because they are going to lose a bet... I would have thrown a couple thousands dollars down on getting 12-15 wins. A win is a win. Nothing has happened this season that is really a surprise minus the loss against Columbia. To me the win against Portland negates that lose. I would have also liked to have lost by less to SFA and BYU. I also would have liked to beat many teams by 20. But our record is what most people thought. I had us going 8-4 at this point with losses to BYU, SFA, Oklahoma, and Portland. Being one game behind expectations is not all bad. If we were 8-4 there would be zero room for complaints.

Going into Conference play I thought we would be 9-5 with a lose to Texas A&M. At this point I see that game as a possible win so 9-5 is still a good possibility!

It's amazing that I almost said word for word what you would say. Unbelievable.

[meangreenacct]

You think the aTm game is going to be a win?! Based on what??!!

The eggnog he is clearly consuming in large quantities...

Just because you are not surprised by what has happened, doesn't make the season a success...it just means you have pathetically low expectations.

[GRN-WHT]

Seems someone is mad because they are going to lose a bet... I would have thrown a couple thousands dollars down on getting 12-15 wins. A win is a win. Nothing has happened this season that is really a surprise minus the loss against Columbia. To me the win against Portland negates that lose. I would have also liked to have lost by less to SFA and BYU. I also would have liked to beat many teams by 20. But our record is what most people thought. I had us going 8-4 at this point with losses to BYU, SFA, Oklahoma, and Portland. Being one game behind expectations is not all bad. If we were 8-4 there would be zero room for complaints.

Going into Conference play I thought we would be 9-5 with a lose to Texas A&M. At this point I see that game as a possible win so 9-5 is still a good possibility!

You were just one loss away from calling for Benford's head, now you're fully back on board. Which is it?

[UNTFan23]

Go back and look at the attendance for the Christmas holiday games in 2011. All right around 2600 to 2700. Against Troy, New Orleans, and Grambling, with Troy being a NYE game.

I looked for last years attendance figures, but couldn't find them. Based on season tickets alone, I bet you didn't see any game under 2500 announced.

Benford has cost this team half it's fan base, if not more. RV will have to address this after New Year's Day, when the success of the football season will be behind us and the full focus will be on the train wreck that is men's basketball.

http://www.meangreensports.com/sports/m-baskbl/stats/2012-2013/teamcume.html

Last year total attendance was 52,777 with an average of 3,518 for 15 games. Some of our best attended games were UTA (11-28 4,832), Lehigh (12-20 4,955), & FIU (2-9 5,497). The only game that had attendance under 2,000 was IUPUI.

So far this year we are averaging 2,025 per game over 7 home games. That's a 42% reduction in attendance! The only thing keeping the average above 2,000 is the Central Arkansas game where Denton ISD likely came in with 3,000 screaming kids. Take that game out of the equation and the average drops to 1,751 making it a 50% drop.

Edited December 24, 2013 by UNTFan23

[greenit]

For a school that is supposed to be a flagship university for the state, A$M is an embarrasment of a basketball program. This year is no exception.

And they will roll us.

[Andrew]

It's amazing that I almost said word for word what you would say. Unbelievable.

Yet true. Only the ignorant would say the opposite. Who came in expecting to beat OU, BYU, or Portland? After talking to someone I then realized that SFA might not be beatable. We should not have lost by 30 point, but record wise we are right where everyone expected.

[Andrew]

For a school that is supposed to be a flagship university for the state, A$M is an embarrasment of a basketball program. This year is no exception.

And they will roll us.

They have been a good team but this year they are not very impressive. Seeing that it is on the road I would mark this as a loss and I am fine with that. Let's just hope we pick it up by Confrence play.

[GRN-WHT]

They have been a good team but this year they are not very impressive. Seeing that it is on the road I would mark this as a loss and I am fine with that. Let's just hope we pick it up by Confrence play.

Before we play anybody, you always say how unimpressive they are. Then when we get blown out by them, you come here and tell us how good they are and could be top 25 by years end.

[untwillrise]

When does track start?

[Andrew]

You were just one loss away from calling for Benford's head, now you're fully back on board. Which is it?

We won a few games. Even if they were by a few points to some mediocre teams. They were wins and our record looks a bit better. I tried to go back and look at my expectations for the start of the season and then talked yo some people. I am ok right now. We will see what happens if we lose to that mediocre California team at home in January. A lose there could tilt the scale again.

[Andrew]

Before we play anybody, you always say how unimpressive they are. Then when we get blown out by them, you come here and tell us how good they are and could be top 25 by years end.

No I knew BYU and Oklahoma were good teams. I did think SFA was a bad team but then I talked to someone who knew more then I did and they convinced me they would be one of the tougher teams we face all year. Now that has yet to be proven, but I would trust them. Still no excuse for losing to Columbia and the Idaho game bugs me a bit. But the Portland win salvaged some of it. I try to take it a game at a time. I am not trying to be radical either way. I am just trying to make a rational decision based on what I see and hear. At this time point. Not based in what happened last year or even at the beginning of the year, but right now.