Suspensions + Cost + Schedule = Ticked off STH

[skoalvikings]

This is getting out of hand. We are paying big money to watch this team. First, we get one of the worst non-conference home schedules in the history of the Big Ten at prices as high or higher than any other team in the history of the Big Ten. I was hoping that a nice looking incoming class would take away some of the sting of the crappy scheduling, but now 2 of the blue chippers are going to be riding the pine. Lots blame to go around here: AD, Tubby, players, just a big mess. Good times at the Barn

 

[centerofmn]

This is getting out of hand. We are paying big money to watch this team. First, we get one of the worst non-conference home schedules in the history of the Big Ten at prices as high or higher than any other team in the history of the Big Ten. I was hoping that a nice looking incoming class would take away some of the sting of the crappy scheduling, but now 2 of the blue chippers are going to be riding the pine. Lots blame to go around here: AD, Tubby, players, just a big mess. Good times at the Barn

I find it pretty hard to blame Tubby or Maturi for any of this.

 

[skoalvikings]

I find it pretty hard to blame Tubby or Maturi for any of this.

Tubby and Maturi are responsible for the scheduling and cost problems, not the suspensions. I'm fine with the suspensions--the fault for those go on the players.

 

[JackiO]

Tubby and Maturi are responsible for the scheduling and cost problems, not the suspensions. I'm fine with the suspensions--the fault for those go on the players.

He recruited Royce knowing damn well he had a checkered past. Some of it falls on coaching. Recruiting high character athletes who have been academically strong in previous academic situations is always something you should try to shoot for. In this case, Royce was too good to pass up. Royce will learn from yet another experience and become a better person for it. Well we can hope at least.....I do feel bad for the season ticket holders. You pay good money to see a certain product and when that product is no longer available you are left with a big wtf?

 

[Tater]

I'll take your tickets. :^)

In all seriousness, aren't we all overreacting a bit. The schedule complaining is a general indictment of college basketball scheduling across the nation. Would we love a better non-con schedule? Yes. Has non-con scheduling been weak here and other places for a long, long time? Yes.

As for the suspensions, etc., we don't even know what happened. If anything, the suspensions send a strong message to this team to keep its s*%t together. Good for Tubby. How many other programs would have swept something like this under the rug? As for Mbawke, I'd like to see him play and the U give him the benefit of the doubt but I can't fault Maturi's decision either.

Everything will be okay. They'll plow through the non-con schedule, other players will get much needed playing time to develop, and Mbawke will either play come late December or be redshirted and play next year (provided he's not guilty).

I'm looking for a few calm headed fans here to help calm everyone down. Anyone out there?

 

[Sparlimb]

Well I think of it this way. Not many of our craptastic non-conference games are on tv anyway. Since I don't have season tickets to basketball, I wasn't going to see White in the first few games either way. Plus we should beat alot of these teams playing with any 5 Tubby cares to throw out there. So if it settles the team down, sends the right message that no more funny business will be accepted, then so be it.

 

[From the Barn]

Anyone out there?

Hello, hello!

The fact that Tubby even mentioned possible lengths of the suspensions (as short a two games) suggests that these are very minor rules violations. Someone said something in practice, missed a class, etc, and once they right their wrong they'll be on the court. It really isn't a big deal. At a lot of programs these might not have been a rules violation, and a lot of coaches would have looked the other way and not punished a player for whatever it is these two players did.

Would you rather have a coach suspend a player for breaking a rule, or would you rather have them be so lax there are no rules or for him to ignore the rules?

If there a more suspensions or the length of the current suspensions drags on, then we shall see.

Also, in terms of expectations of ticket holders, you are by no means guaranteed a winning team. These three players could have just as easily blown out their knees, and they wouldn't be on the court either.

 

[Sota1]

Break the rules and you sit. Tubby hasn't made it this long in the business without being willing to flex his muscle for the good of the team and follow through on the rules in place (whatever they are). Next guy steps up and gets the extra experience. This is a good message for the rest of the team, that no one is bigger than the team. Unfortunate to start the season on this note, but at the end of the day Gophs will be just fine .

 

[CP Gopher]

I can't believe people are surprised about White and Mbakwe.
They've had trouble forever. Why would it stop now?
White has too many negative outside influences. His own grandfather says so.
Mbakwe has never been satisfied with his situation.
Why is any of this surprising?

 

[Gold Vision]

I can't believe people are surprised about White and Mbakwe.
They've had trouble forever. Why would it stop now?
White has too many negative outside influences. His own grandfather says so.
Mbakwe has never been satisfied with his situation.
Why is any of this surprising?

Right... Because no high school kid with a checkered past has ever overcome some early bad decisions as a teenager.

 

[goldengophers]

I can't believe people are surprised about White and Mbakwe.
They've had trouble forever. Why would it stop now?
White has too many negative outside influences. His own grandfather says so.
Mbakwe has never been satisfied with his situation.
Why is any of this surprising?

I would agree that Royce's suspension is not surprising but people who say that Tubby shouldn't have recruited White are going too far. There is not a coach in the country more apt to handle Royce White than Tubby Smith. We are talking about a local kid who has had a checkered past, our hope should be that Tubby is the mentor and teacher who sets Royce on the right path to succeed and be a model citizen of Minnesota after his career and education at the U.

 

[GophersInIowa]

This is getting out of hand. We are paying big money to watch this team. First, we get one of the worst non-conference home schedules in the history of the Big Ten at prices as high or higher than any other team in the history of the Big Ten. I was hoping that a nice looking incoming class would take away some of the sting of the crappy scheduling, but now 2 of the blue chippers are going to be riding the pine. Lots blame to go around here: AD, Tubby, players, just a big mess. Good times at the Barn

Hasn't it been pointed out in other threads that this may be true if you look at just the ticket price, but many other places require large donations for season tickets? If you want a good seat at Michigan St., you'll pay a lot more than if you want a good seat at Williams Arena.

 

[ChemEGopher]

This is getting out of hand. We are paying big money to watch this team. First, we get one of the worst non-conference home schedules in the history of the Big Ten at prices as high or higher than any other team in the history of the Big Ten. I was hoping that a nice looking incoming class would take away some of the sting of the crappy scheduling, but now 2 of the blue chippers are going to be riding the pine. Lots blame to go around here: AD, Tubby, players, just a big mess. Good times at the Barn

At what age will I garner this negative mentality? 30? 40? 50? I'm just curious because I want to be ready for it. At what point will I earn the right to b!tch about everything that isn't perfect in my life? Someone please enlighten me.

 

[JackiO]

At what age will I garner this negative mentality? 30? 40? 50? I'm just curious because I want to be ready for it. At what point will I earn the right to b!tch about everything that isn't perfect in my life? Someone please enlighten me.

How does he not have the right to be angry? Our players are F-ing up left and right. Our team is now without two of it's top players who were supposed to make huge contributions to our supposed top 25 ranked team because one is a moron and the other one, well, we'll leave the courts to decide that one.

 

[samthebutcher]

I find it pretty hard to blame Tubby or Maturi for any of this.

Really? White and Mbakwe's problems have been well documented dating back to their high school careers. Many other schools passed on both because of their character issues.

 

[akgopher]

This stuff has been a total buzz kill. I couldn't wait for this year, a year ago even before the season began, because this recruiting class and the maturity of the last was going to bring the program back to when Gopher Basketball was relevant and a premiere sport in a pro sports town. A lot of wind has been knocked out of the sail today.

 

[skoalvikings]

At what age will I garner this negative mentality? 30? 40? 50? I'm just curious because I want to be ready for it. At what point will I earn the right to b!tch about everything that isn't perfect in my life? Someone please enlighten me.

Right about the time you start making enough money to afford season tickets but you still can't afford to throw away money on a bad product.

 

[dingo]

Really? White and Mbakwe's problems have been well documented dating back to their high school careers. Many other schools passed on both because of their character issues.

And there have been many more kids with similar or worse problems while in High School that have figured it out while attending a variety of Universities across the country. The light turns on, they graduate and become proud productive alumni.

Some of them also play basketball, but many dont.

 

[goldengophers]

Right about the time you start making enough money to afford season tickets but you still can't afford to throw away money on a bad product.

You remind me of the crusty old guy who sat behind me at the Cal game and spewed negativity the entire time. I think Tubby's upperclassmen are a team worthy of watching.

 

[samthebutcher]

And there have been many more kids with similar or worse problems while in High School that have figured it out while attending a variety of Universities across the country. The light turns on, they graduate and become proud productive alumni.

Some of them also play basketball, but many dont.

Interesting position with the possibility of one ending up in prison and the other on probation in the not so distant future. It may be too late for one to hit the light switch and the other could be getting close.

 

[Bronko Nagurski Gopher]

This stuff has been a total buzz kill. I couldn't wait for this year, a year ago even before the season began, because this recruiting class and the maturity of the last was going to bring the program back to when Gopher Basketball was relevant and a premiere sport in a pro sports town. A lot of wind has been knocked out of the sail today.

my advice: chill out. this too shall pass.


my god are some of you drama queens.

 

[dingo]

Interesting position with the possibility of one ending up in prison and the other on probation in the not so distant future. It may be too late for one to hit the light switch and the other could be getting close.

But are you saying that they didnt deserve the chance?

I agree with the suspensions and if Tubby kicks them off the team that I will most likely agree with that as well. But to say, that young men dont deserve a chance to change is just ridiculous. Young people make mistakes, but have to own up to them and learn from them. If they dont then they should be gone.

Luckily for you and I, we dont have to decide when that is. You seem to think they ran out of chances while they were 17 years old and in High School. I believe that each situation is unique and we pay our coach/AD alot of money to make that call. I just know of too many young adults, who were menaces when they were in HS, that turned out to be great people to just write off somebody when they are 18.

 

[SelectionSunday]

MSU ticket prices (some are actually quite inexpensive)

"If you want a good seat at Michigan State, you'll pay a lot more than if you want a good seat at Williams Arena."

Respectfully, that's not necessarily true. My parents are season-ticket holders at MSU. They paid $494 for two tickets located about three rows from the top of Breslin, just off the center-court line. If you've been to a game at Breslin, the seats near the top are just fine. The Spartans play 19 home games, meaning my parents' average ticket price is $13 per game. Considering the product Izzo puts out year after year, I'm not sure there is such a thing as a bad seat at the Breslin. There certainly aren't any seats obstructed by huge poles.

As a comparison, I paid $894 for my two Gopher season tickets. The Gophers play 19 home games, meaning my average ticket price is $23.53 per game.

 

[Rick Mons]

The woes just keep piling on...

This is getting out of hand. We are paying big money to watch this team. First, we get one of the worst non-conference home schedules in the history of the Big Ten at prices as high or higher than any other team in the history of the Big Ten. I was hoping that a nice looking incoming class would take away some of the sting of the crappy scheduling, but now 2 of the blue chippers are going to be riding the pine. Lots blame to go around here: AD, Tubby, players, just a big mess. Good times at the Barn

And the weather has been just awful plus those losses to PSU and OSU and that it was very chilly last Saturday night and the hockey team is not doing so hot and there's still no resolution to the health care mess and Iran may have a nuclear bomb and that mass-murderer in Cleveland and soon it's gonna snow and you know what that means and I lost a sock in the dryer and it was my favorite pair and ....

 

[ChemEGopher]

Right about the time you start making enough money to afford season tickets but you still can't afford to throw away money on a bad product.

So can you or can't you afford it? I am confused. Sounds like you aren't getting the returns that you were expecting on your investment in season tickets. This is surprising to me because we haven't had a decent home schedule in a long time and it was well known that Royce and Trevor had checkered histories. I expect you won't be renewing next year.

 

[goldengophers]

So can you or can't you afford it? I am confused. Sounds like you aren't getting the returns that you were expecting on your investment in season tickets. This is surprising to me because we haven't had a decent home schedule in a long time and it was well known that Royce and Trevor had checkered histories. I expect you won't be renewing next year.

No, he'll continue to renew and complain year after year.

 

[Brew_recruit]

Maturi is to blame. Innocent until proven guilty used to mean something in this country.

 

[Ski U Mah Gopher]

Maturi is to blame. Innocent until proven guilty used to mean something in this country.

Maturi made the right decision. Trevor is allowed to practice & stay in school. He can't play or travel.

Playing basketball is a privilege, not a right. To have the privilege to play, certain rules have to be followed, like not going on trial for a felony in the near future.

 

[Jim V2]

Innocent until proven guilty used to mean something in this country.

Yeah, but that was back in the days when people paid enough attention in class that they knew the difference between defending against criminal penalties vs. loss of privileges.

 

[97alumni]

How the hell are Tubby and Maturi to blame for this? Tubby didn't tell White to shoplift and Maturi didn't have Trevor at the scene where this took place.

We wanted a clean above the board coach - we got one. If he chooses to suspend someone he has a reason.