Sunday’s musings
Here’s what the blog host thinks:
> This past week, the nation’s top three volleyball teams — Loyola, Lewis and UC Irvine — all lost. Despite the parity/marketing wishes of the volleyball higher-ups, the MPSF is still the sport’s best league. The Warriors are in first place in the MPSF, a half-game ahead of Irvine, and will remain there for at least another two weeks because they have both a bye next weekend and fewer losses than everybody else in the MPSF. So first place in the MPSF, plus the top three teams in the nation losing … carry the three … according to calculations and logic, the No. 4 Warriors should be ranked No. 1 in tomorrow’s poll.
> UH should make a pitch to participate in a pay-for-play postseason basketball tournament. Sure, UH officials had said they wouldn’t do that. But that was before everyone was glued to a television or computer watching yesterday’s Big West title game. This isn’t about whether the team is deserving or not. It’s about marketing. There’s interest, momentum and marketable characters — elements the program has been trying to build all season. Keep it going.
> Benjy Taylor, of course, deserves to be next year’s coach. When the season started, UH had the negotiating advantage. The power has shifted to Taylor. He won 20-plus games, and that’s not easy, no matter the RPI. He is a pretty good X-and-O coach. And the way he loves his players and the program surely has to translate into strong recruiting. But too often, UH has rushed into trying to reward first-year success. Here’s the compromise: Offer a one-year contract but with a significant pay raise, say, $275,000 a year. In essence, give him the franchise tag. And if it works out next year, give him the multi-year contract.
> What Laura Beeman probably needs more than a personal raise is a raise for the program. Women’s basketball, like all UH sports, was asked to cut expenses by 5 percent. At the end of the regular season, that meant traveling a day before a road game instead of a two-day cushion. UH should restore the 5 percent. Every penny counts.
Great success for the basketball programs. Yes, they need a raise/
Good morning everyone!
Top 3!
Guud Morning Tsaikos…bootiful day.
hooo, absolutely brutal day yesterday for UH sports….but the sun came out today and new goals are to be achieved….
IMUA WARRIORS!
the challenge for championships start today
sorry, but there should be no pay for play tournament for the men. i love this basketball team but there has to be financial sanity here. you want to restore the five per cent pay cut to the wahine because every penny counts, yet blow
$35,000 on a post season tournament. that makes no sense. just give the money to the wahine program.
good mornimg everyone !!
great job to the man and ladys basketball teams !! what a great run you had this seasons and lets hope we are able to keep the coaches in place !!and if this has been just a sample of how the next couple years should be !! cant wait for your next game or next season !!
who would think that basketball would turn out the way it did this season after all the problems and where both team was picked to finished there year!!
sounds sensible ts but that $35,000 could easily make $104,000 if (conservatively) tickets are priced at $16.00 per and 6500 show up. As a business owner I would absolutely take that chance. As ST said the marketing has already been done and these things happen quickly as in probably hosting the first game next week.
I would pay to attend a UH hosted pay-for-play post season tournament. $35,000 might be the gross cost, but the net cost is what matters … nothing but net (sorry). Ticket sales, parking sales, H-zone sales should be counted. Add to that more experience for the players, and the fact (I think) that UH should be able to avoid paying the other teams’ travel expenses. The AD’s background in accounting should make these calculations pretty manageable. A one year contract for Benjy Taylor seems short, but if the contract allows both UH and the coach the option of negotiating a multi-year extension mid-season that would make sense IMO; having to conduct an unnecessary search at the end of next year would be disruptive.
Sorry I don’t believe in pay for play tournaments. Nobody cares about those fake post-season tourneys, the scores aren’t even reported by ESPN.
You want to go to the Big Dance? Win your league. Want the NIT? Schedule real opponents and have a good RIP. 20 wins against bums ain’t nothing, although you gotta credit Benjy for the job he did this year with all the chaos.
Are people forgetting about the NCAA investigation? Is UH’s success this year attributable to Fib’s allegedly cheating heart? Will players still stay if the boom comes down this summer?
Can Benjy recruit? Who else will apply for the hoops opening? Is this way too many questions?
Pay to play……………Hmmmmmmm. If the total cost is 35k. Let’s do it!
If it was marketed right I believe they would be able to have a good turnout. Hawaii fans would want to show their appreciation for what the team and coaches did this season. I wouldn’t price all the tickets @ $16 however. Some higher, a lot more lower, let everyone be able to participate. FAN APPRECIATION TIME!
I think we would come out in the black and simultaneously show that the UH fans are fans that will support a good effort and success.
If we had a akamai AD…. he could ask for a donor to front that 34k….n they would cover the loss…between the 35 k n actual loss…if ne…n if i had 35 k..i would front it.. n start to market like crazy…
See…this is when RB said …they are leaving money on the table…is what he means….surely if Perry n Price were involved…would be a tremendous help…now you go and ask RB for help…maybe sum free ‘public service’ announcements’ plus ask all the other media 4 sum help…surely they will help…even if just reminding the DJ’s 2 just mention the upcoming game…if BJ had all his cards in place…should BE ABLE to fill the SS ….the marketing for this game should be a no-brainer for a marketing ‘man’….sad we have a bean counter at the controls…
NCAA or bust….is his reply….instead of beating the bushes n trying to find a very special doner…his negativism…is always in the forefront…even before they played their first game in…instead of giving encouragement.. and saying…just play ur best…n we see if we can maybe move on…or sumthing to that affect…
No one can deny…they lost in respectable fashion…and accomplished so very much more then was even expected…n with all that was thrown in their faces…plus a negative DOOM N GLOOM AD….n the disrespect for their coach n ‘shibai’ from admin…surely sumone can find 35 k in our community ?
ST makes a great point. It’s not about short term money issues it’s about building momentum for the long term. UH is in this financial position because administrators in the Athletics Department and upper campus have been making decisions based on trying to balance today’s budget at the expense of tomorrow’s budget. They have no idea when to cut their losses in the short term or continue to roll the dice when the table is hitting.
OD…. good one…. should send Mr. ‘DOOM N GLOOM’ BJ 2 Vegas.. n bet no pass…
only he can do it…should come back with a hoot case full of cash huh…he he he
Our moderator, and the Star-Advertiser columnist has got me convinced that Hawaii’s season should go on.
While making a previous comment about the pointlessness of the College Invitational Tournament, I forgot one thing:
This team is good.
They’re not going to mail it in.
They like their coach.
Manroop Clair played 1 minute in Seattle’s loss to New Mexico State in the WAC Tournament final.
I vaguely recall that in Ben Jay’s first year, be put up the money for a tournament at the SSC — I forget which sport but I think it was basketball. I remember thinking at the time that it was a risky and emotional move but showed his support for the teams. Turned out badly and UH lost money ($30-40K sticks in my mind). I wonder what he would do now on this end of his tenure?
“Once burned, twice shy” or “Go for It” in support?
I would to say this before it really happened to all you write and fans of the University of Hawaii sports program. You all fans, supporters and even States of Hawaii. I hope you know this that all the great hard works that now and former coaches from the University of Hawaii. Their leave the program because of the money!. It already happen to June Jones and other and who is next’s in line? Soon it will be nothing to write about Hawaii sports! . They will be no University of Hawaii sports program!. Because nobody goes to the games! But their talk bad about the coaches. Just have to remember this that? Lower then 18,000 don’t really help the University of Hawaii sports program. It’s like all sports and pro sports too. If they can’t make the money their have move it or cut the sports program. It’s will really be sad that it might happen to the University of Hawaii. Just picture that in all you peoples mind! .
Pay to play = $30,000.00
I’ll donate $100.00.
I challenge 299 of you to match it.
300 x $100 = $30,000.00
Come on.
…nuff said
AL 17
I’M IN.
If can make installments, I’m in!
Lets go baseball bows !
Basketball bows too bad we got
a AD in BJ.So typical, no imagination!!!
With all Tourist in Waikiki, you tell me Outrigger
Hotels couldn’t package a couple hundred visitors
to watch American basketball@$20-$30 a ticket.
GOOD ONE RODNEY…. BJ has imagination…just is not right thinking….he has an imagination is NEGATIVE… n not POSITIVE…he should have made an ‘offer’ 2 the teams… instead he made a ‘threat’…
First rule in marketing….’Make on offer…not a threat’…..
I guess their two kinds of people … Positive ones
and then theirs all the rest!!
Lets go Bows !!!!
If UH offered adult tickets for $16 as #7 suggested, I would like to see UH Athletics offer a $10 discount on H Club membership or 2015-2016 MBB season tickets (ticket holders choice). Get the cash now and encourage folks to spend significantly more later.
#16 what the heck are you talking about.
# 16 You need, to go back to English 101.
Quote (Question) of the week from #16. “Just have to remember this that?”
Al,
I’m in.
If there is an opportunity drawing for this event I have a $100 Cal chip burning a hole in my pocket to donate as well as several packages of hamachi from Baja.
Al, I’m in!!
ALOHA from LA!!
MANEO!!!
On ESPN, in regard to the snubbing of the Murray State Racers, you could, literally, see a changing of the guard. After Dick Vitale’s defense of the Ohio Valley regular season champs, Jay Bilas, in a sense, humiliated his colleague, in which at one point, he held up his finger to allow for him to finish the lambasting, as if he was placating a crazy old man.
In Vitale’s prime, he would be the one holding his finger to the ex-Dukie.
Point being, the Na Wahine, on a smaller scale, is Murray State. Long winning streak, then poof. Banished to the NIT.
If Hawaii can secure two home dates(contingent, of course, that they win their first game), I think it would bode well for the next season. It would be better than getting plastered in the first round. (There is very little parity in college women’s basketball.) Hawaii would probably be a #13 seed, and it’s rare that low seeds get past the first round.
I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s NIT pairings, and the prospect of winning 25+ games.
for the UH man there basketball season came to a end yesturday !! it to bad that AD has no vision to have play in the pay-for-play postseason basketball tournament and make some money !! then again why add more job for the AD when you are getting a free check anyways till june or maybe longer !!!
hitman #30
In all fairness to Ben Jay, maybe he learned from history – we lost money when we last had a pay-for-play game and the budget can’t take that kind of hit.
AL is right that, if we are going to have a pay-for-play game, us guys will have to donate money for the Cause and not make the UH/AD put up the $$$.
AL wants us Tsaikos and Bloggers to pony up $$ – at least $100 each. Are you willing to be one of them?
No. but I would be willing to donate towards the training table, summer school, etc. stuff like that.
hatakeman #32
Good for you! Lot of talk on this board about using OPM. You are an exception – willing to put $$ to some cause that helps UHAD.
In all fairness… why is al…doing the work that BJ should be doing.. n asking for $$$$ HERE n elsewhere…?? THAT IS HIS JOB….he is not qualified to be a AD…his SHIBAI ACTION ON THE COURT.. N CHEERING N CLAPPING ETC…DOES NOT EQUATE TO FUNDS,,,WHICH WAS A PRIORITY when he was hired…n still is…
Let’s end the season on a high note. This team got to the finals in a conference tournament where we were underdogs in every game we played– yet we came close to winning that final game looking like the favorite instead of the underdog that didn’t belong. Great job by Benji and the team. Good decision to go out on top rather than take chance of losing games and/or money in a way that spoils what was accomplished.
that all makes too much sense.
so of course, none of it will happen.
Tom. I’ll always donate, but financially, I’m in the $25-50 range. Wish it could be more.
New post: http://hawaiiwarriorworld.com/?p=29052