Mornin Mates...
Today's Topic = Ignorance Is Bliss
Bobby Hurley has been told his whole life that he couldn't do something but has always succeeded in proving the critics wrong and we all know there is absolutely no hope when it comes to ASU basketball...none...period...end of story...mediocre history in sport...too much else going on in the Valley...poor attendance at games...no booster support...not many recruits nearby...you name it and it's not there...
So, welcome to the ASU basketball wasteland, Bobby...you'll find out in short order that you made a tragic mistake taking the head coaching job since Sun Devil basketball is beyond Mission Impossible...even Tom Cruise in a make believe movie couldn't pull it off...
C'mon...talking about going to Final Fours and winning championships...what are you and the Sun Devil athletic administration smoking these days in Tempe...this is just plain crazy and foolish talk...what do you think this is...the Sun Devil football program under Todd Graham...
Now that we've all had a good laugh, even the Arizona Star down here in Tucson is saying in today's newspaper that "Hurley has the fire to spark Sun Devils to new heights"...you know something is very wrong when that paper is saying those sorts of things about the Sun Devils...
Even Greg Hansen says that RA went 4 for 4 with this hiring...1) he was able to maintain fiscal sanity by getting Bobby for what Herb made...2) he didn't waste any money by paying a search firm to find his man...3) he didn't get a retread like Ben Howland...4) ASU hired a recognizable name who is 180 degrees different in appearance to Sendek...Jeff Capel would've delivered yawns while Hurley delivers excitement and hope...
I couldn't agree more with Hansen this morning which seldom happens, as you know...perhaps, it wasn't a "home-run" hire the way a Shaka Smart or Gregg Marshall hire would've been perceived but those things never would've happened...
Hansen goes on to point out that it's clear president Crow runs all things ASU since he ran the press conference introducing Bobby Hurley the other day..."if Crow's hands on approach leads to a better rivalry, which ultimately forces Arizona to keep pace then I'm all for it...but I think AU president Ann Weaver Hart has a better approach" which is to defer all things athletic to the Wildcats AD...
Spring Game...I drove up to ASU on Friday to attend the Caldwell tailgate and watch some of the spring game...the tailgate honoring Bryan Caldwell was very well attended and it brought back a lot of memories for me since Bryan had helped anchor one of the best ASU defenses ever in the early 1980s...a USC player at the time said, after a loss to the Sun Devils in SDS in 1982, that the defense came out of every part of the field imaginable, as they seemed to be dropping out of helicopters into our backfield at times (or something to that effect)...
Bryan Caldwell...5-6-60 to 1-3-15...great person and great family man and great Sun Devil...RIP...
I didn't watch much of the spring game but did watch a replay of it and it was about what I expected...I agree with CTG in that this has the potential to be his best team at ASU but there are some concerns that have been talked about here throughout the spring...
I have no doubt that the running back and offensive line positions will be good and solid and maybe exceptional in the Fall but the absence of Strong and Smith may be felt and the TE position needs to be upgraded, which hopefully will happen when some of the new recruits show up in several months...
At QB, Berco has all the tools but still makes some bad decisions at times and it's anyone's guess how much running he will do compared to what TK did in his three years at ASU, but the potential is there for a very explosive type offense...just hope it is consistent, without a lot of turnovers, as well...
Defensively, this has the makings of some big things as we have potential stars at just about every position and lots of depth at most positions, with Devil-Backer still a bit of concern since Durant is not there...
Special teams you couldn't tell much, if anything, about how that may play out this coming season but both our punter and placekicker are good...
This team definitely can make a run at another 10 win or better season and will be in the hunt for a PAC championship, if I don't miss my guess...
Baseball...the Devils pulled another close one out against the Cats last night which makes something like 5 walk-off wins so far this season...that takes fortitude especially since the Devils aren't loaded with major league talent like some teams in the past...the Devils have produced 125 big league players which is only second to USC at 128 and is why the Sun Devils have an elite program...can't wait to see how Tracy Smith does with recruiting in the coming years...
Final Four Fund...I wonder if the ASU brain trust will start something like this type of fund to begin building the resources that Hurley will need in order to truly elevate the basketball program at the school...when PAC basketball analyst Kevin O'Neill was asked about the Hurley hire and whether he can do big things at ASU, he said that he probably could as long as he gets the commitment from the school to make basketball a priority, which is something that they have never done before, for "elevation" doesn't come cheaply...I may pick up some tickets along with many other fans but it will take a lot more than that to turn things around at ASU...we have the right guy now so let's hope RA and his staff get the financial and administrative building blocks in place to really levitate the program...
When it comes to having the necessary resources to win championships, ignorance is not bliss...
Have a great day...
G'day Mates...Championships or Bust...Go Devils!!!
Today's Topic = Ignorance Is Bliss
Bobby Hurley has been told his whole life that he couldn't do something but has always succeeded in proving the critics wrong and we all know there is absolutely no hope when it comes to ASU basketball...none...period...end of story...mediocre history in sport...too much else going on in the Valley...poor attendance at games...no booster support...not many recruits nearby...you name it and it's not there...
So, welcome to the ASU basketball wasteland, Bobby...you'll find out in short order that you made a tragic mistake taking the head coaching job since Sun Devil basketball is beyond Mission Impossible...even Tom Cruise in a make believe movie couldn't pull it off...
C'mon...talking about going to Final Fours and winning championships...what are you and the Sun Devil athletic administration smoking these days in Tempe...this is just plain crazy and foolish talk...what do you think this is...the Sun Devil football program under Todd Graham...
Now that we've all had a good laugh, even the Arizona Star down here in Tucson is saying in today's newspaper that "Hurley has the fire to spark Sun Devils to new heights"...you know something is very wrong when that paper is saying those sorts of things about the Sun Devils...
Even Greg Hansen says that RA went 4 for 4 with this hiring...1) he was able to maintain fiscal sanity by getting Bobby for what Herb made...2) he didn't waste any money by paying a search firm to find his man...3) he didn't get a retread like Ben Howland...4) ASU hired a recognizable name who is 180 degrees different in appearance to Sendek...Jeff Capel would've delivered yawns while Hurley delivers excitement and hope...
I couldn't agree more with Hansen this morning which seldom happens, as you know...perhaps, it wasn't a "home-run" hire the way a Shaka Smart or Gregg Marshall hire would've been perceived but those things never would've happened...
Hansen goes on to point out that it's clear president Crow runs all things ASU since he ran the press conference introducing Bobby Hurley the other day..."if Crow's hands on approach leads to a better rivalry, which ultimately forces Arizona to keep pace then I'm all for it...but I think AU president Ann Weaver Hart has a better approach" which is to defer all things athletic to the Wildcats AD...
Spring Game...I drove up to ASU on Friday to attend the Caldwell tailgate and watch some of the spring game...the tailgate honoring Bryan Caldwell was very well attended and it brought back a lot of memories for me since Bryan had helped anchor one of the best ASU defenses ever in the early 1980s...a USC player at the time said, after a loss to the Sun Devils in SDS in 1982, that the defense came out of every part of the field imaginable, as they seemed to be dropping out of helicopters into our backfield at times (or something to that effect)...
Bryan Caldwell...5-6-60 to 1-3-15...great person and great family man and great Sun Devil...RIP...
I didn't watch much of the spring game but did watch a replay of it and it was about what I expected...I agree with CTG in that this has the potential to be his best team at ASU but there are some concerns that have been talked about here throughout the spring...
I have no doubt that the running back and offensive line positions will be good and solid and maybe exceptional in the Fall but the absence of Strong and Smith may be felt and the TE position needs to be upgraded, which hopefully will happen when some of the new recruits show up in several months...
At QB, Berco has all the tools but still makes some bad decisions at times and it's anyone's guess how much running he will do compared to what TK did in his three years at ASU, but the potential is there for a very explosive type offense...just hope it is consistent, without a lot of turnovers, as well...
Defensively, this has the makings of some big things as we have potential stars at just about every position and lots of depth at most positions, with Devil-Backer still a bit of concern since Durant is not there...
Special teams you couldn't tell much, if anything, about how that may play out this coming season but both our punter and placekicker are good...
This team definitely can make a run at another 10 win or better season and will be in the hunt for a PAC championship, if I don't miss my guess...
Baseball...the Devils pulled another close one out against the Cats last night which makes something like 5 walk-off wins so far this season...that takes fortitude especially since the Devils aren't loaded with major league talent like some teams in the past...the Devils have produced 125 big league players which is only second to USC at 128 and is why the Sun Devils have an elite program...can't wait to see how Tracy Smith does with recruiting in the coming years...
Final Four Fund...I wonder if the ASU brain trust will start something like this type of fund to begin building the resources that Hurley will need in order to truly elevate the basketball program at the school...when PAC basketball analyst Kevin O'Neill was asked about the Hurley hire and whether he can do big things at ASU, he said that he probably could as long as he gets the commitment from the school to make basketball a priority, which is something that they have never done before, for "elevation" doesn't come cheaply...I may pick up some tickets along with many other fans but it will take a lot more than that to turn things around at ASU...we have the right guy now so let's hope RA and his staff get the financial and administrative building blocks in place to really levitate the program...
When it comes to having the necessary resources to win championships, ignorance is not bliss...
Have a great day...
G'day Mates...Championships or Bust...Go Devils!!!
