Random Thoughts Thread

[Eight Legger]

Mooney and Co. are really fortunate that Richmond is a small media market with really almost no critical media analysis of local sports programs. The major local afternoon radio show is hosted by his own PBP guy. The other sports radio station in town is in between hosts after McElroy left. Matt Josephs is the only one who isn't afraid to tell the truth about our programs, but he's only on the air for an hour from 3-4 weekdays and probably doesn't have much reach. There are no sports-oriented publications or websites with any significant reach that cover UR, much less provide commentary on its programs. JOC isn't a columnist, and the sports columnist the RTD does have hardly ever writes about UR anyway.

Compare that to the way DC media keeps the WFT/Commanders in check by constantly calling attention to every misstep they make (not that those are hard to spot). There are multiple local radio shows on multiple stations morning, noon and night talking about them. Multiple newspapers and websites with multiple columnists providing insight. Etc etc. It's obviously a much larger market, but the differences are so night and day.

When no one is around to point out obvious failures, no one feels any pressure to change.

 

[Spider B]

his job isn't to grill Mooney or make anyone at UR look bad. he does his job very well.

Except he is also an employee of ESPN 106.1. He hosts a show that covers local sports. So he opened himself up to covering UR without rose colored glasses. If you are going to be critical of the Redskins, Hokies, or UVa, you should be critical of UR athletics too.

 

[SpiderGuy]

Except he is also an employee of ESPN 106.1. He hosts a show that covers local sports. So he opened himself up to covering UR without rose colored glasses. If you are going to be critical of the Redskins, Hokies, or UVa, you should be critical of UR athletics too.

Fact.

But he's part of the family & is just not going to be critical.

 

[spiderman]

Except he is also an employee of ESPN 106.1. He hosts a show that covers local sports. So he opened himself up to covering UR without rose colored glasses. If you are going to be critical of the Redskins, Hokies, or UVa, you should be critical of UR athletics too.

again ... he's a UR employee. the "Voice of the Spiders". he cashes checks from UR to promote UR athletics. he's the Director of Broadcast and News Content. you think a separate gig at 106.1 absolves him of of that resposibility?

 

[Spider B]

again ... he's a UR employee. the "Voice of the Spiders". he cashes checks from UR to promote UR athletics. he's the Director of Broadcast and News Content. you think a separate gig at 106.1 absolves him of of that resposibility?

Fair enough, then don't host the show

 

[Long Island Spiders]

his job isn't to grill Mooney or make anyone at UR look bad. he does his job very well.

Agreed. How is this not obvious? We are lucky to have such a talented in-house broadcasting team. I mean how fortunate are we that we are able to watch every game on television? If you would’ve told me that I’d be able to do that when I graduated UR many years ago I would’ve called you crazy.
Many of you are miserable watching these games but I love it!

 

[Eight Legger]

It is nice, but these days it's also the norm for almost every D1 school. Look at ESPN+ any given night and you'll see a ton of random games.

 

[spiderman]

Fair enough, then don't host the show

sure, he could turn doen that paycheck if his conscience bothered him so much that he couldn't stand to be pro-UR. lol.

he does a great job for UR, whether you agree with what he says or not.

 

[712_VT]

Except he is also an employee of ESPN 106.1. He hosts a show that covers local sports. So he opened himself up to covering UR without rose colored glasses. If you are going to be critical of the Redskins, Hokies, or UVa, you should be critical of UR athletics too.

And he is actually extremely critical of everyone else. He isn’t doing the job 106.1 is paying him to do. I guess this further proves Ur athletics is a dictatorship. “Shut up, mooney has gone to a sweet 16 before. Stop complaining and keep buying tickets”. That’s the attitude of Ur and it’s so blatantly obvious.

 

[spiderman]

I give up. yes, 106.1 could bring in someone to be tougher on UR. but they haven't. so I guess they're happy with Bob. it's certainly not on Bob to fire himself.

 

[Long Island Spiders]

It is nice, but these days it's also the norm for almost every D1 school. Look at ESPN+ any given night and you'll see a ton of random games.

and for that I am grateful. I never knew that I enjoyed watching college volleyball — I put that on occasionally on ESPN+

 

[CarolinaSpider]

again ... he's a UR employee. the "Voice of the Spiders". he cashes checks from UR to promote UR athletics. he's the Director of Broadcast and News Content. you think a separate gig at 106.1 absolves him of of that resposibility?

Don’t remember how Frank Soden was before Bob Black, when Mills and Sloan were basketball coaches Frank Jones and Jim Tate were football coaches. Certainly some rough years and bad records.

 

[Eight Legger]

and for that I am grateful. I never knew that I enjoyed watching college volleyball — I put that on occasionally on ESPN+

I find it enjoyable even with the sound off.

 

[urmite]

I find it enjoyable even with the sound off.

Have you tried slow motion?

 

[urmite]

sure, he could turn doen that paycheck if his conscience bothered him so much that he couldn't stand to be pro-UR. lol.

he does a great job for UR, whether you agree with what he says or not.

So you are saying the airwaves, are not a court of law? and therefore not an illegal conflict of interest?

Now if an attorney walked into a courtroom an informed the judge he was representing both the prosecution and the defense...

 

[MrTbone]

Banging on Bob for being pro-UR is a bad take. I’m certain he told the radio station that he is obligated to frame UR in a positive light and wouldn’t be objective on air.

Bob is not “media”, expecting him to behave as such is silly.

 

[ur2K]

Look, the 14 people that listen to his show probably just want to hear his takes on the Eagles.

 

[spider fan]

Interest in UR sports in the Richmond area and the state of Virginia is minimal. In the day when there were morning and afternoon editions of the paper - the Times Dispatch and the News Leader - there were columns in the Richmond papers most every edition about Richmond sports and often two columns. Local papers in many other Virginia cities also often carried columns about the Spiders. In state radio and TV coverage was also more extensive. The percentage of both Richmond and Virginia residents in our student body was much higher than now. Not much coverage because not much interest.

 

[8legs1dream]

Take a cup of koolaid from table and repeat after me, “All is well. All is well”

 

[Eight Legger]

I will say that our atmosphere has been better than most other teams' in the A10 this year, including VCU.

 

[97spiderfan]

his job isn't to grill Mooney or make anyone at UR look bad. he does his job very well.

There's a difference between grilling Mooney and asking insightful questions in his job. His questions are soft on their best days, irrelevant most of the time. Go listen to the Q&A on Rhodes coaches show sometime and see if you can spot the difference. You can actually learn something from their interactions.

 

[97spiderfan]

Take a cup of koolaid from table and repeat after me, “All is well. All is well”

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We have a great atmosphere and crowds no doubt. I just picked up free kids club tickets to go to a Friday night ESPN game between the preseason 1 and 2. So, if we were actually trying to make a profit on this attendance, that probably is a different metric.

 

[97spiderfan]

Banging on Bob for being pro-UR is a bad take. I’m certain he told the radio station that he is obligated to frame UR in a positive light and wouldn’t be objective on air.

Bob is not “media”, expecting him to behave as such is silly.

Except Bob is media. He literally hosts a sports radio call in show, the very definition of "media". And I get that he has to be pro UR, but geez louise, he doesn't have to live in la-la land either when he talks about us.

I feel quite confident that if any of us spent a vast majority of our working days for the past 10 plus years in the Robins Center, we would like Bob, be completely effed up in the head about the reality of the program. Have to come to work every day for the past 4000 days pretending that everything is great must be a hell of a drug.

 

[SpiderGuy]

Except Bob is media. He literally hosts a sports radio call in show, the very definition of "media". And I get that he has to be pro UR, but geez louise, he doesn't have to live in la-la land either when he talks about us.

Mooney, Hardt, & Queally live in la-la land. You can't expect Bob to be any different. One happy family & all that stuff.

Look, I'm with you, and would like to see a little reality from media, but it's not going to happen.

 

[Spider B]

Except Bob is media. He literally hosts a sports radio call in show, the very definition of "media". And I get that he has to be pro UR, but geez louise, he doesn't have to live in la-la land either when he talks about us.

Exactly. How is this not obvious?

 

[spiderman]

No, he's not media. he's a UR Athletics Department employee who does media.

97, we're not winning enough so you want media to ask Mooney tough questions, put him on the spot and make him uncomfortable. That's what media would do. That's not what a UR Athletcis Department employee in media would do. I'm not sure how that's not obvious.

 

[Spider B]

You totally ignore the fact that BB took and has another job as a talk show host on a station that covers VCU, UR, VT, and UVa. He rips other teams/organizations and won't ever approach the truth about UR athletic's persistent mismanagement and underpreformance. I'm not asking him to go after CM necessarily, but he should (or atleast have guests) cover UR athletics objectively. It's part of his duty as the host of a sports show. I'm not sure how that's not obvious to a couple posters.

 

[MrTbone]

Exactly. How is this not obvious?

He is the SID for UR. That’s his job. I don’t know why that’s not obvious.

 

[GKiller]

He is the SID for UR. That’s his job. I don’t know why that’s not obvious.

he’s not the SID. I don’t think anyone has that title anymore but essentially the SID is Jason Vida.

 

[MrTbone]

he’s not the SID. I don’t think anyone has that title anymore but essentially the SID is Jason Vida.

Fair enough. He is an employee of UR in a primary communications role. Close enough? The point is he is never going to be openly critical of the athletics program. That’s actually the opposite of what his job is. It’s wishful thinking hoping he does otherwise.

 

[urmite]

he’s not the SID. I don’t think anyone has that title anymore but essentially the SID is Jason Vida.

That is just crazy or should I say “Loca”?

 

[KE Spider]

Don't expect Fan1 or 05 to come on here and bash the SpiderNation Board and they don't even get paid for their considerable efforts. Why expect BB, as a paid UR employee, to tee it up against the Spiders even when they fall short of expectations?

 

[GKiller]

Fair enough. He is an employee of UR in a primary communications role. Close enough? The point is he is never going to be openly critical of the athletics program. That’s actually the opposite of what his job is. It’s wishful thinking hoping he does otherwise.

just pointing out he’s not the SID. Different job. Btw where is Phil Stanton when u need him. Or Simon Gray now the Niagara AD.

 

[SFspidur]

McCollester is our equivalent of SID...Assistant Athletic Director for Communications. But yes, Vida is the communications person directly responsible for men's hoops.

Bob did hold the SID-level assistant AD role for a decade, but gave it up a few years ago to focus on the broadcasting aspect.

 

[SpiderRick]

Bob is the show host. If he doesn't want to be critical of UR, then it's his job to have guests on that can give unbiased facts and opinions. This is where he fails.

 

[Gallipoli]

Agreed. How is this not obvious? We are lucky to have such a talented in-house broadcasting team. I mean how fortunate are we that we are able to watch every game on television? If you would’ve told me that I’d be able to do that when I graduated UR many years ago I would’ve called you crazy.
Many of you are miserable watching these games but I love it!

Spider TV is an in house effort. The productions have been very good.

 

[MrTbone]

Bob is the show host. If he doesn't want to be critical of UR, then it's his job to have guests on that can give unbiased facts and opinions. This is where he fails.

So that is fair, I just think you guys are kind of nutty to think he’d go on some rant given what his day to day job is.

 

[GKiller]

I don't know exactly what this is all about...radio, step ladders, VCU's crappy gym, ADA compliance...but kinda funny.

& look there's Bob Black...confirmed he does have hot takes & finds some things embarrassing.

 

[SFspidur]

It's bad. Apparently, the intended way to access media row at Siegel right now is using that rickety ladder to climb over the railing. Really bad look for VCU.

 

[mojo-spider]

I don't know exactly what this is all about...radio, step ladders, VCU's crappy gym, ADA compliance...but kinda funny.

& look there's Bob Black...confirmed he does have hot takes & finds some things embarrassing.

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I have wondered where the visiting team's radio crew is setting up in the Robins Center...before every game began being televised the home and away radio crews sat at courtside at the main entrance to Robins Center...now that is where the TV broadcasters and Spiders radio team broadcast...

I don't think I've seen an away radio crew on the risers located behind the broadcasters, or on the other side of the court, where the game officials and PA announcer are located...

Go Spiders!