[EpicFailGuy]

The Fordham players do their conditioning in the South Bronx. The goal is to be faster than a speeding bullet.

SLU is running the Ferguson 500.

 

[Bona84]

The Fordham players do their conditioning in the South Bronx. The goal is to be faster than a speeding bullet.

I just hope my train makes it safely through there twice a day.

 

[ace93]

I just hope my train makes it safely through there twice a day.

Yes, it is so dangerous. Be careful out there.

 

[AlienAiden]

Here is a quick playoff baseball tidbit that relates to the A10.......

The Royals and GM Dayton Moore (George Mason alum) will now play the Angels and GM Jerry DiPoto (VCU alum).

 

[AlienAiden]

25 college hoops teams to watch

VCU is clear Atlantic 10 favorite
Deep Rams have all the pieces -- including on offense -- to make NCAA run

VCU
Can Shaka Smart and the ultra-deep Rams, who appear to be much improved on

http://insider.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/11612006/2014-15-college-basketball-preview-virginia-commonwealth-rams

 

[Bill Russell]

25 college hoops teams to watch

VCU is clear Atlantic 10 favorite
Deep Rams have all the pieces -- including on offense -- to make NCAA run

VCU
Can Shaka Smart and the ultra-deep Rams, who appear to be much improved on

http://insider.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/11612006/2014-15-college-basketball-preview-virginia-commonwealth-rams

This is great press for VCU, but does anyone at ESPN or in the college hoops media do any original work anymore? I feel like we read that exact article from five different outlets every preseason. "Shaka Smart..." "Talent..." "Havoc..." "Seals training..." yada, yada, yada.

 

[sjhawk13]

Another perspective, possibly, is feeling a little embarrassed to keep getting all this light shed on a program that hasn't lived up to expectations since the one time they exceeded them a number of years ago.

It's not my view, but it's one I think can, and does, exist.

 

[Billesq]

This is great press for VCU, but does anyone at ESPN or in the college hoops media do any original work anymore? I feel like we read that exact article from five different outlets every preseason. "Shaka Smart..." "Talent..." "Havoc..." "Seals training..." yada, yada, yada.

More outlets bad quality... It is the reality of the press these days. People/advertisers pay by website click. So it is only the headline that matters. Content is secondary in all things, not just sports. Journalism is in the schitz these days. Couple that with bloggers masquerading as journalists and journalists essentially just being blogs and well you get crap.

 

[AlienAiden]

I will keep it in the VCU thread from now on. I do want every single team's articles posted in this because I love to hear about each one of the A10's teams. I absolutely admit that VCU is getting tons of blogger press but as it gets closer every team will get some.

 

[AlienAiden]

Another perspective, possibly, is feeling a little embarrassed to keep getting all this light shed on a program that hasn't lived up to expectations since the one time they exceeded them a number of years ago.

It's not my view, but it's one I think can, and does, exist.

It is mentioned and not forgotten in the article (and by me).

Last season, that optimism evaporated when the fifth-seeded Rams blew their NCAA tourney opener against Stephen F. Austin, allowing a game-tying four-point play with 3.6 seconds left before losing in overtime. The season before, Michigan blitzed the Rams in the round of 32.

 

[Billesq]

Another perspective, possibly, is feeling a little embarrassed to keep getting all this light shed on a program that hasn't lived up to expectations since the one time they exceeded them a number of years ago.

It's not my view, but it's one I think can, and does, exist.

Eh... VCU is a commodity casual fans eat it up and that is good for the league, while sometimes annoying to us conference mates i don't think the exposure hurts anyone.

As far as expectations I think VCU has met them, they are routinely a top 25 team, which while short of titles is what most people consider a good team.

Sides as much as i think the attention is obnoxious, for the most part VCU fans are cordial. Also the fact that they havn't won the A10 conf or tourney it is only a good thing. Add those to facts with multiple tourney bids for the conference and now well you just have a good team in a good conference.... people associate the A10 as a good conference unlike the Horizon when Butler ran roughshod on them. Now when A10 schools get in the bubble/ recruiting trail we have a brand name that lay people have heard of. As in Oh... The A10, VCU is in that one it is a good conference always sends a few teams to the dance.... XYZ school must be good. I say we ride this havoc pony.

 

[gmufan]

Not to mention, this vaunted "depth" everyone keeps talking about might be not all that "deep" after all.

VCU has exactly zero bigs who have proven they're capable of being effective while playing starter's minutes.

And while their recruits come with lots of stars next to their names, 5 of their 13 players have yet to participate in a single college game and 4 more are entering their second year of eligibility.

Shaka obviously gets a huge benefit of the doubt because he's charismatic and the media loves him, but nearly half of players on VCU's roster haven't even proven they can play D-I college basketball yet.

That doesn't seem all that "deep" to me just yet. I guess I'm just not following along with the established narrative.

 

[AlienAiden]

Eh... VCU is a commodity casual fans eat it up and that is good for the league, while sometimes annoying to us conference mates i don't think the exposure hurts anyone.

As far as expectations I think VCU has met them, they are routinely a top 25 team, which while short of titles is what most people consider a good team.

Sides as much as i think the attention is obnoxious, for the most part VCU fans are cordial. Also the fact that they havn't won the A10 conf or tourney it is only a good thing. Add those to facts with multiple tourney bids for the conference and now well you just have a good team in a good conference.... people associate the A10 as a good conference unlike the Horizon when Butler ran roughshod on them. Now when A10 schools get in the bubble/ recruiting trail we have a brand name that lay people have heard of. As in Oh... The A10, VCU is in that one it is a good conference always sends a few teams to the dance.... XYZ school must be good. I say we ride this havoc pony.

I will say that I have the utmost respect for the teams in the A10 and as you say....VCU has not won anything league related yet. As a huge VCU fan that is my hope. I hope VCU can win the regular season and A0 tournament. I know that is not going to be easy any year so although I enjoy the press coverage I know that there is work to be done against top notch league competition.

 

[UMass87]

gmufan - your jealousy of VCU is unbecoming.

 

[Bill Russell]

Perhaps I didn't word my post properly. The last thing I'm doing is criticizing VCU, which has been the best add to the league since Xavier. Keep doing your thing. It's these lazy, bullshit sports journalists that bother me. Every single year, it's the same articles, same tone, etc.--just insert new player names.

 

[sjhawk13]

To be clear, the press is fine, but it seems like every year we hear 'this is the year' only until the next year becomes 'the year.'

I don't mind VCU's coverage at all. I'm more appalled by the rehashing of the same article by every sports 'news' site.

Like every school, I wait until my eyes tell me what I see with VCU. The perspective I brought up would be from the mind of a VCU fan, not one of an opposing school.

It's not that it's good or bad press, it's just that it's the same damn press over and over and over again, year after year.

EDIT: Bill's resummary of his words echo what I just wrote.

 

[A10La Salle55]

Alright, can we stop talking about the depth of VCU and Dayton or even UMass. VCU going to be fine. The better they are the better the league is. Dayton has question marks and UMass has a few as well but both could still be pretty good. We been over all these schools a million times. Move on.


Lets change the discussion. Taking a look at the midpack going into next season. What are people's feelings about URI, La Salle, SJU, and Richmond. Throw the Bonnies on that list as well. If anyone going to really surprise us its going to be one or two of these schools IMO.

 

[sjhawk13]

My issue with this article in particular is the fact that they say "every year we say this, but this year we mean it" which is EXACTLY what they wrote last year, and the year before...

(and not just about VCU--this happens with a number of programs which, for whatever reason, get a never ending benefit of the doubt)

 

[gmufan]

gmufan - your jealousy of VCU is unbecoming.

Why single me out? I'm not the only one poking holes in this "journalism."

 

[A10La Salle55]

My issue with this article in particular is the fact that they say "every year we say this, but this year we mean it" which is EXACTLY what they wrote last year, and the year before...

(and not just about VCU--this happens with a number of programs which, for whatever reason, get a never ending benefit of the doubt)

AKA Kansas this year. The team lost so much has no leadership and never met expectations last year with Embiid and Wiggins. Talk about a team getting the benefit of the doubt just because of Bill Self.