ADVERTISEMENT

Spiders paused through February 12 - GMU, Dayton, GW, and VCU games postponed

who knows maybe they have cut him off after him trying to exercise an ounce of journalistic integrity lately. Seems like that is taboo in the program for some reason.
I would. don't bite the hand that feeds you.
if you want to flex your "journalistic integrity", be prepared that there may be consequences. that's real world.
 
who knows maybe they have cut him off after him trying to exercise an ounce of journalistic integrity lately. Seems like that is taboo in the program for some reason.
Oh, I am sure he is learning the consequences of how our athletic department deals with journalist who ask non-softball questions. I hope no one forgets, Mooney treating JOC like some rapid dog a few years ago when JOC had the audacity to ask him a couple tough questions.

We have a pattern and a history in dealing with the media with UR athletics and it is not a good one if you believe in honesty and transparency.
 
this was brought up to me by a UR fan offline. Given we were previously a 2 time covid and now a third he wondered why we have so many suits & others on the bench & around the team. How many team managers do we have...2 or 3? Could knock that to 1 or none & have all these extra suits handle team manager duties temporarily. Or even knock out a walk on or 2. Would stink for players & they would be last resort but I do think u could put some of the staff in pure off court roles where they r not around everyone else. Given we can’t get our crap together. I thought there was some validity to that. Limiting numbers would seem to make the odds of another pause less at least. Really it should have been considered after the first one tho.
 
Dayton (who we were supposed to play on Friday) is now playing George Mason on Friday, according to Dayton twitter. So, I guess that means we are now missing yet another game.

Again, conjecture because crickets from UR about this.
 
  • Like
Reactions: nathanw19
Ever since a student was tossed out of the Robins Center (and probably long before) when Cooper was president and the student was carrying a sign that said something to the effect of Fly the Coop/Get Rid of Cooper - blatantly obvious that the plebians were not allowed to question the patricians.
 
this was brought up to me by a UR fan offline. Given we were previously a 2 time covid and now a third he wondered why we have so many suits & others on the bench & around the team. How many team managers do we have...2 or 3? Could knock that to 1 or none & have all these extra suits handle team manager duties temporarily. Or even knock out a walk on or 2. Would stink for players & they would be last resort but I do think u could put some of the staff in pure off court roles where they r not around everyone else. Given we can’t get our crap together. I thought there was some validity to that. Limiting numbers would seem to make the odds of another pause less at least. Really it should have been considered after the first one tho.
I nominate we put Mooney as team manager and let him stick to doing laundry the rest of his career. He can be the highest paid manager of all time.
 
  • Like
Reactions: nathanw19
I nominate we put Mooney as team manager and let him stick to doing laundry the rest of his career. He can be the highest paid manager of all time.

Well there is case to be made that the coaches should be pitching in on those tasks to cut down on # of ppl around team & risk that a manager puts team on pause.

Tho it’s not like u can demote Mooney. Something like that would be in the contract that he’s head coach & head coach only. Otherwise schools could force coaches to resign by demoting into low job title & responsibilities. I realize your comment was in jest just saying those things r not possible.
 
This season is a joke and will mean nothing. Not worth paying much attention to. Poor kids are locked in hotel rooms like prisoners... holy shit!!! And people on here dont see anything wrong w that? Sick!! Just cancel the season already.
 
  • Like
Reactions: CarolinaSpider
Are players hanging out with friends that aren't on the team in a close contact environment? That sounds like not a good thing to do when you're trying to get a basketball season in.
Id say screw the bball season if it means torturing the young athletes for months. They are 18-21 year old kids. This environment they are being forced to abide by is abusive. Starting/stopping, constantly worried about contamination, isolation... f this! Its not worth the abuse.
 
Id say screw the bball season if it means torturing the young athletes for months. They are 18-21 year old kids. This environment they are being forced to abide by is abusive. Starting/stopping, constantly worried about contamination, isolation... f this! Its not worth the abuse.
While I agree that our response to the pandemic regarding our youth is abusive, anti-science, ignorant of math and borderline criminal, these student-athletes were able to opt out.
 
Id say screw the bball season if it means torturing the young athletes for months. They are 18-21 year old kids. This environment they are being forced to abide by is abusive. Starting/stopping, constantly worried about contamination, isolation... f this! Its not worth the abuse.
Again, all of those precautions for a virus that isn’t even gonna harm them.
 
  • Like
Reactions: fatherspider
Id say screw the bball season if it means torturing the young athletes for months. They are 18-21 year old kids. This environment they are being forced to abide by is abusive. Starting/stopping, constantly worried about contamination, isolation... f this! Its not worth the abuse.
Isn't this for the most part all of the population in general?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Not-A-Homer
This season is a joke and will mean nothing. Not worth paying much attention to. Poor kids are locked in hotel rooms like prisoners... holy shit!!! And people on here dont see anything wrong w that? Sick!! Just cancel the season already.
Agreed Father - the only reason the NCAA put forth this season is for money that these kids will never see. The NCAA needs their basketball tourney and billion dollars of revenue it brings in. And yes - that revenue will take a hit, but since most people watch on TV (and with everyone home to watch it) - the TV revenue and gambling revenue will likely be through the roof this year.
Asking professional players who make millions of dollars of year playing and use the game as a job to quarantine and work in a bubble is one thing (and even some those players refused due to health concerns or family concerns). But the only way this season was going to work was to do the same thing in college and you simply can't ask 19 year old kids who get no paycheck to do the same.

The only way I saw this working from the beginning was that each school, including UR - would have to tell regular students to take class remotely, then open up the campus for athletes only and create your own bubble on campus. You would have enough housing for them to live seperated and spread out from each other for multiple teams/sports. But in doing this - a University would basically have to admit that it not only WANTS college athletics at the forefront, but it NEEDS college athletics at the forefront - and in doing so would be willing to sacrifice the education of the general student population for the well being of a couple hundred athletes who probably couldn't get into the school without their sport and are receiving scholarships. Can you imagine the uproar that would cause? But at the end of the day - for many schools, this is the truth and reality even before COVID, its just now it has been severely highlighted by the pandemic.
 
Agreed Father - the only reason the NCAA put forth this season is for money that these kids will never see. The NCAA needs their basketball tourney and billion dollars of revenue it brings in. And yes - that revenue will take a hit, but since most people watch on TV (and with everyone home to watch it) - the TV revenue and gambling revenue will likely be through the roof this year.
Asking professional players who make millions of dollars of year playing and use the game as a job to quarantine and work in a bubble is one thing (and even some those players refused due to health concerns or family concerns). But the only way this season was going to work was to do the same thing in college and you simply can't ask 19 year old kids who get no paycheck to do the same.

The only way I saw this working from the beginning was that each school, including UR - would have to tell regular students to take class remotely, then open up the campus for athletes only and create your own bubble on campus. You would have enough housing for them to live seperated and spread out from each other for multiple teams/sports. But in doing this - a University would basically have to admit that it not only WANTS college athletics at the forefront, but it NEEDS college athletics at the forefront - and in doing so would be willing to sacrifice the education of the general student population for the well being of a couple hundred athletes who probably couldn't get into the school without their sport and are receiving scholarships. Can you imagine the uproar that would cause? But at the end of the day - for many schools, this is the truth and reality even before COVID, its just now it has been severely highlighted by the pandemic.
Come on ......so the players don’t want to play, for many of them college basketball is the forfilment of a life long effort
This is all about money, bull
 
Come on ......so the players don’t want to play, for many of them college basketball is the forfilment of a life long effort
This is all about money, bull

Seriously, as with College Football, if the NCAA or leagues would have tried to cancel college hoops, the players would have spoken and demanded to play. I get tired of people talking about everything is about the $$$, as the only reason we are playing this year. These kids get 4 years to play D-1 ball and you think they would have just said, nah, I'll pass on 25% for some of them their last year, for a disease that if they get it, is probably amounting to a cold. And every D-1 athlete had the chance to opt out this year because of COVID, how many actually took the NCAA up on that offer, barely any.

Playing Division 1 college basketball is a dream fulfilled for the players. You know how many kids want to play college athletics and can't because they are just not good enough. And for D-1 players, they get a free college education, get to travel the country often on private jets, stay in nice hotels, eat great meals, get to be a part of close net brotherhood and get to compete at the very highest level of the game they love to play. Pretty nice deal if you ask me.

They play because they want to play.
 
Yes, the future is bright. Great things are ahead.
What exactly is bright about our future? If none of our seniors return, we are left with Burton and a bunch of back ups. We are left counting on next year’s freshmen to save the day. Not saying this current freshman class can’t develop over the next four years, but we’ve gotten very little from them thus far, so I think it’s a big stretch to count on them next year. Oh, and we will still have the same coach.
 
Again, all of those precautions for a virus that isn’t even gonna harm them.
Maybe initially, yes. But the long-term affects are still unknown and not super encouraging. This article says that 70%-80% of people who had asymptomatic cases -- no symptoms! -- had lung damage worse than long-time smokers. Some may be reversible with time, but that's unknown. There's also evidence of brain, heart and vascular issues in some people who get it.

My suspicion, unfortunately, is that in a decade or a few, there's going to be a major health fallout from this, much the way you see happen among soldiers decades after wars or even in first responders in the aftermath of 9/11. Those folks mostly survived the initial incident but then died young from any number of cancers or other medical issues caused by those events.

I don't think it's just as simple as saying, hey, they're young, they'll get it and be fine. Hopefully they all will be, but how will they feel when they're 50 or 60? That's the great unknown.
 
This season is a joke and will mean nothing. Not worth paying much attention to. Poor kids are locked in hotel rooms like prisoners... holy shit!!! And people on here dont see anything wrong w that? Sick!! Just cancel the season already.
Father I hear you loud and clear and agree none of these kids signed up for this type of situation. It not only plays on their physical but their mental health. How the AD and coaches handle this for them is a key and their willingness to be compliant. Having a child who played D1 sports just a few years back and coached D1, I thought about how he would have reacted to all this. First and foremost, he loved his sport and all he wanted to do was play it. So I think he would have sacrificed a lot to be able to practice and play. Now at what point it would have become deflating to him with all the pauses, that I don't know. As an Assistant Coach where he was responsible for monitoring the kids academically and their interactions with others, outside of practice, I think it would have been a huge headache for him. I believe the pressure on him would have been severe in trying to keep the kids compliant with testing, social distancing and keeping up academically. I know he would have taken it personally, as an assistant coach, if the team continued to have pauses despite his close monitoring.

I agree also that the continued NCAA season is all about the almighty dollar. Can you imagine how much the test kit makers are making just by their sales to the colleges. Covid has created some interesting changes in job markets and how we do business. I know LabCorp added in NC about 150 jobs just for Covid testing and most of these were Biology and Chemistry majors who had just graduated from college. Now when the Pandemic dies down, most will be out of a job, but they will have some dollars in the bank and a job reference to their resume.
 
  • Like
Reactions: fatherspider
Seriously, as with College Football, if the NCAA or leagues would have tried to cancel college hoops, the players would have spoken and demanded to play. I get tired of people talking about everything is about the $$$, as the only reason we are playing this year. These kids get 4 years to play D-1 ball and you think they would have just said, nah, I'll pass on 25% for some of them their last year, for a disease that if they get it, is probably amounting to a cold. And every D-1 athlete had the chance to opt out this year because of COVID, how many actually took the NCAA up on that offer, barely any.

Playing Division 1 college basketball is a dream fulfilled for the players. You know how many kids want to play college athletics and can't because they are just not good enough. And for D-1 players, they get a free college education, get to travel the country often on private jets, stay in nice hotels, eat great meals, get to be a part of close net brotherhood and get to compete at the very highest level of the game they love to play. Pretty nice deal if you ask me.

They play because they want to play.

Respectfully, you also said this a couple days ago:

"It might be just the grind of COVID, the forced isolation, playing in empty arenas has taken it out of them. But yeah, the seniors in particular."

Do they have the fire in their belly to play or not?

I agree with the posters indicating that the only reason this season is happening is because of the money. The NCAA will go bankrupt if the tournament does not happen for a second year in a row. And University Athletic departments will go bust without the NCAA money.

These young men may feel like they are doing this because of their desire to playin and win in the NCAA tournament. The reality is they are doing it because the system will collapse if they don't, whether they realize it or not.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: CarolinaSpider
What exactly is bright about our future? If none of our seniors return, we are left with Burton and a bunch of back ups. We are left counting on next year’s freshmen to save the day. Not saying this current freshman class can’t develop over the next four years, but we’ve gotten very little from them thus far, so I think it’s a big stretch to count on them next year. Oh, and we will still have the same coach.
All future is bright, because practice and hard work are the keys to success.
 
Respectfully, you also said this a couple days ago:

"It might be just the grind of COVID, the forced isolation, playing in empty arenas has taken it out of them. But yeah, the seniors in particular."

Do they have the fire in their belly to play or not?

I agree with the posters indicating that the only reason this season is happening is because of the money. The NCAA will go bankrupt if the tournament does not happen for a second year in a row. And University Athletic departments will go bust without the NCAA money.

These young men may feel like they are doing this because of their desire to playin and win in the NCAA tournament. The reality is they are doing it because the system will collapse if they don't, whether they realize it or not.
Well true, isn't everything about the $$$. Of course it is. But over the summer the NCAA was considering not playing football in the Fall and the players spoke up. Now, if there was not money to be made and lots of it would these universities be playing right now, no probably not.

Just look at what Universities are doing this year and not doing. The stuff that makes them money they are doing, the stuff that doesn't, ehh that is too dangerous to do.

As for my other point, COVID and its drastic societal changes have taken a toll on all of us and we all strive for a return to normalcy. For college basketball players that normalcy was playing the season. But the reality of playing this year is still a stark reminder that while playing they are doing it under vastly different and really stressful conditions, which for some players and teams, is taking a toll.

For us 3 COVID pauses where we basically have to lock our players in hotel rooms is probably grinding that fire out each day they are cooped up like that.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MolivaManiac
Come on ......so the players don’t want to play, for many of them college basketball is the forfilment of a life long effort
This is all about money, bull
Kids want to play. But they want to play in arenas with fans. They want to be able to hang out with friends after the game, maybe even go to a party to celebrate. They want to be able to see their family after the games and go out to eat with them or visit them during a break.
If the NCAA had cancelled this season and just said - everyone gets an extra year to come back next year, when hopefully this is all over - I think the kids would have been disappointed, but at the end of the day - they still get to "fullfill that life long effort" you speak of as they imagined it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 8legs1dream
Well true, isn't everything about the $$$. Of course it is. But over the summer the NCAA was considering not playing football in the Fall and the players spoke up. Now, if there was not money to be made and lots of it would these universities be playing right now, no probably not.

Just look at what Universities are doing this year and not doing. The stuff that makes them money they are doing, the stuff that doesn't, ehh that is too dangerous to do.

As for my other point, COVID and its drastic societal changes have taken a toll on all of us and we all strive for a return to normalcy. For college basketball players that normalcy was playing the season. But the reality of playing this year is still a stark reminder that while playing they are doing it under vastly different and really stressful conditions, which for some players and teams, is taking a toll.

For us 3 COVID pauses where we basically have to lock our players in hotel rooms is probably grinding that fire out each day they are cooped up like that.

Agreed. And we are operating this way because COVID-19 effects may show up on the lungs of these kids for 20-30 years, as EL says? Are we supposed to all live in a glass case for 20-30 years in order to figure it out? How many suicides and other mental health issues will we absorb with these young people in the process?

As someone else stated in the thread, the more 'humane' way to handle the situation for the student-athletes would just have been to not play. The money is why that was not an option.

Also, don't forget that the NCAA isn't the sanctioning body on P5/G5 football. The conferences/BCS are. That's why we had some leagues start in August/September and other start in October/November.

While i'm sure Clemson and the ACC rallied to play because Trevor Lawrence spoke up about wanting to play, had it not been for the fact that playing football trimmed their budgeted losses from, say $100MM to $50MM, they certainly would not have played football either.

The NCAA does sanction FCS football and ... voila ... it didn't happen because there's no money in it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: gospidersgo
Well true, isn't everything about the $$$. Of course it is. But over the summer the NCAA was considering not playing football in the Fall and the players spoke up. Now, if there was not money to be made and lots of it would these universities be playing right now, no probably not.

Just look at what Universities are doing this year and not doing. The stuff that makes them money they are doing, the stuff that doesn't, ehh that is too dangerous to do.

As for my other point, COVID and its drastic societal changes have taken a toll on all of us and we all strive for a return to normalcy. For college basketball players that normalcy was playing the season. But the reality of playing this year is still a stark reminder that while playing they are doing it under vastly different and really stressful conditions, which for some players and teams, is taking a toll.

For us 3 COVID pauses where we basically have to lock our players in hotel rooms is probably grinding that fire out each day they are cooped up like that.

I've been on covid pause for a year now (and haven't done much grinding)
 
Kids want to play. But they want to play in arenas with fans. They want to be able to hang out with friends after the game, maybe even go to a party to celebrate. They want to be able to see their family after the games and go out to eat with them or visit them during a break.
If the NCAA had cancelled this season and just said - everyone gets an extra year to come back next year, when hopefully this is all over - I think the kids would have been disappointed, but at the end of the day - they still get to "fullfill that life long effort" you speak of as they imagined it.
But, I think what they are actually doing is better than what you suggested because if they want to come back next year, they all still can. But, instead of just taking the whole year off, they have had a chance to play some games, some teams more than others of course. We still have gotten 14 games in, with some more coming, and there is still a chance to get the A-10 and NCAA tourneys in. Even with the cancellations and delays, maybe this is still better to a lot of kids than just sitting the whole year out, especially when considering they all knew this year would be different and would likely have these pauses and cancellations. It stinks big time, but I think they were all a little prepared for it.
 
Agreed. And we are operating this way because COVID-19 effects may show up on the lungs of these kids for 20-30 years, as EL says? Are we supposed to all live in a glass case for 20-30 years in order to figure it out? How many suicides and other mental health issues will we absorb with these young people in the process?

Completely agree. I'm not an medical expert but if you take some images of people's lungs after a bad case of bronchonitus, pneumonia, or the flu, they probably aren't going to look that great. But you know what, the body heals itself from viral infections and take that image a year later and low and behold the lungs look a lot better. So, if someone tells me that a 20 year old who has an asymptomatic case of COVID with literally no or very mild symptoms is gonna have all jacked up lungs 20 years from now from it, well I think that might elicit a large eye roll.
Meanwhile, look at the rates of suicide and E.D visits for mental health concerns for young people over the past year. They have skyrocketed. Turns out shuttering young people away for nearly a year and shoving them in front of a screen for all outside communication and education isn't great for a person's mental health. Who would have figured that?

COVID isn't killing young people, what is killing them at a much higher rate, is mental health/suicide resulting from social isolation and stress from dealing with COVID.
 
Pretty obvious that one of more of our players has COVID at this point. SLU is completely validated in leaving town. Hardt and Mooney look like buffoons and our season is on the brink.

If we return, we will have missed so many games that we pretty much have to win the A-10 tourney and even that is presuming, that we do return and then don't have yet another COVID pause.

Other than that, Happy Wednesday folks. The gift of a Chris Mooney led program is the truly the gift that keeps on giving.
 
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT