Redbirdgrad wrote:
Contempt? Really? Do you understand the definition of contempt?!? Here, I'll help. Besides the legal one (being held in contempt of court), contempt literally means the feeling with which a person regards anything considered mean, vile, or worthless; disdain; scorn. It's also the state of being despised; dishonor; disgraced. You really think Wichita should have this feeling about the Valley? Hell, the Valley went 23 years with different champions between 1983 and 2006 when you started this run you've been on, and you didn't win it from 2006 to 2012 either. So the Valley has been ok without Wichita being on top, and will be ok when it falls off the ladder as well. It's ok, that happens. To have "contempt" for the other teams in a league on which you've often been the whipping boy through various times in your history is completely short sided. We're all happy Wichita is doing well, and it's great for the league, but to say you as a program or fan base should have "contempt" for the rest of us is beyond ridiculous.
I still think contempt is the right word. Contempt that no one else is able to compete. That 1 or 2 losses makes us have to win the MVC tourament. It might be a little strong, but still not too far off base. Yes, it is short sighted, but that's how this works. We can't have 3 to 4 year periods, as a mid-major league, where everyone but one or two teams completely falls out of national relevancy or it hurts the league as a whole.
That's a strong assumption since the Valley Tournament seems to be your kryptonite. See last year's results and the "5th scariest team in the Valley" for reference
I agree its a strong assumption, and I don't agree with the 5th scariest comment. ISU and UNI (the good version) are the 2 I don't want to see.
Slow down Romeo. Didn't you guys just lecture us Redbirds that 1 loss wont break your season? Now why do you get to build arguments around 1 loss in the Valley?!?
Yup, exaggerated a bit, but an RPI 100 to 150 loss WILL hurt us come seeding time. There is only 1 team this year that we can lose to and it not be a "bad loss'. If we lose another, we are on the bubble.
I agree. The Valley has been very down... but it hasn't always been that way. If you know your Valley history you'll know you just happen to be dominating in a time in which the Valley in uncharacteristically down. But maybe that's why you're dominating... maybe it isn't you.. it's us?!?
I'd agree with this statement if WSU was dominating the league then lost in the first round of the NCAA. We've proven we are better than just a team dominating a down league.
You're right. As as matter of fact when we play Evansville on Thursday night the teams are actually going to meet at half court and have a coin flip to see who wins. Why even play the game? It's not Wichita after all. Did you happen to think that teams have to (wait for it) give their best efforts against teams that are the best in the conference?!? When you go out and play in a summer softball league and play against crap teams and those that are better, don't you grip the bat just a little bit tighter or focus a little more in the field against he better teams? It's natural man, that's how we're all wired. Do you think Wichita got up for the Bradley game and played with the same effort as the game you played against Kentucky last year? Come on, I've seen your posts and like you as a poster, you're better than this.
Its not just the players. Its the whole programs and fanbases. How many times does WSU roll into town and the program starts rolling out all sorts of promotions and a sold-out crowd appears. Then the rest of year the arenas are 1/2 or 1/3 full (Loyola and their 1,500 average attendance comes to mind)? That type of crap hurts recruiting for EVERYONE including WSU. Without good recruiting, the league wont get better. As far as Bradley vs UK (2 years ago). We may not have had the same intensity, but we got up enough to win by 20+. That's not what I'm talking about.
Yep, we've disappeared against every other team we've played. Hence the 1-20 record we currently have.
You guys are talented enough to disappear against a lot of the league and still win games. You have still lost quite a few games that you should have won though, enough to completely eliminate you from at-large consideration.