NCAA screw job

[jackmd]

Re: NCAA screw job

Since we are into technicalities, I am yoteforever, not yotemeal.

Secondly, when you make the statement that it is an obvious fact USD fans hate to be criticized, or however you put it, I would caution you about (2) things. #1, be careful not to lump all fans into the same category. That was a negative comment regarding USD, and I feel uncalled for. Many USD fans were at the arena cheering on SDSU, myself one of them. #2, you have a number of fans on here who don't take criticism well either. I have made it known I am a USD fan first, but I like to think I was classy in my debates or arguments (most times) and it rubs me wrong when someone says all USD fans are this or that. You are wrong on that.

Lastly, your comment about IS instead of WAS is appropriate. I expect your program to have continued success.

My whole point in my post was to say I have come to get to know many of you on here through debate or oration, and you are far to classy a group to lower yourself into saying the NCAA screwed you, or the refs screwed you. That's all.

I understand your points but you've largely misinterpreted what I said and that's because you didn't have as much invested in this game as some of us. If you can't recognize that we got the raw end of the deal on the seeding, location and officiating its because you aren't a Jackrabbit fan. For you to suggest that I somehow don't recognize the great accomplishments of this team or the way that they handled themselves is once again because you are not a Jackrabbit fan.

Facts our facts. The NCAA took advantage of our first year of eligibility status and stuck us with a lower seed and with the worst possible geographic location. Do they owe SDSU anything? Heck no but I'm sure as hell going to use a forum that is supported by SDSU fans to make my feelings with respect to this issue known. If you can't understand the reasons for that I'm okay with it. I understand the reasons for it and it has everything to do with standing up for a program that deserved better.

I never said we should have won, I just said I thought we had the better team and that the circumstances certainly contributed to the better team losing.

[minnesotarabbit]

Re: NCAA screw job

1 blown call (phantom call on Young) might not affect the outcome of the game, but 9 or 10 touch fouls in the 1st half definitely made the Jacks change the way they played defense for the rest of the game.

[SturgisJeff]

Re: NCAA screw job

I for one am not discounting the great season the Jacks had and all the accomplishments that they had. I just cannot wait till next year to see what they can do. Thank you for your post yote', I believe you are sincere and maybe we can "Jackatize" you to our side. But that said these ladies had so much more in them to go farther and succeed even more. No there was not one play that did them in. There were more than a few. Could they have maintained momentum in the first half before all the fouls, maybe, probably, We'll never know because the momentum was killed by the refs, sick of hearing about it, but true. They were on their way to opening a big lead that maybe baylor could not have come back from. Sure the threes weren't dropping at the time but with the building lead and the ladies getting more confidence from the lead maybe they would have. the inside shot was there in the first until the fouls. Who knows.

[JackJD]

Re: NCAA screw job

yoteforever: apologies for incorrectly listing 'yotemeal' (which is one of my favorite message board names).

Second, I agree on your second point. In fact, I went back and edited that out of my post. I was attempting to show a little irony -- we all tend to lump fans -- and within minutes of posting, I thought I didn't quite hit the mark so I deleted that from my post. You must have read my post before the edits. It sounds like we have basic agreement on the point.

Last, I tend to agree with your overall point about those who are criticizing the refs. I understand some people having that opinion but I tend to subscribe to the theory that, with rare exceptions, refs do not cause teams to lose games. My closing line in the prior post was I had nothing to blast you on, yoteforever (you suggested some may "blast away").

Since we are into technicalities, I am yoteforever, not yotemeal.

Secondly, when you make the statement that it is an obvious fact USD fans hate to be criticized, or however you put it, I would caution you about (2) things. #1, be careful not to lump all fans into the same category. That was a negative comment regarding USD, and I feel uncalled for. Many USD fans were at the arena cheering on SDSU, myself one of them. #2, you have a number of fans on here who don't take criticism well either. I have made it known I am a USD fan first, but I like to think I was classy in my debates or arguments (most times) and it rubs me wrong when someone says all USD fans are this or that. You are wrong on that.

Lastly, your comment about IS instead of WAS is appropriate. I expect your program to have continued success.

My whole point in my post was to say I have come to get to know many of you on here through debate or oration, and you are far to classy a group to lower yourself into saying the NCAA screwed you, or the refs screwed you. That's all.

[yoteforever]

Re: NCAA screw job

I for one am not discounting the great season the Jacks had and all the accomplishments that they had. I just cannot wait till next year to see what they can do. Thank you for your post yote', I believe you are sincere and maybe we can "Jackatize" you to our side. But that said these ladies had so much more in them to go farther and succeed even more. No there was not one play that did them in. There were more than a few. Could they have maintained momentum in the first half before all the fouls, maybe, probably, We'll never know because the momentum was killed by the refs, sick of hearing about it, but true. They were on their way to opening a big lead that maybe baylor could not have come back from. Sure the threes weren't dropping at the time but with the building lead and the ladies getting more confidence from the lead maybe they would have. the inside shot was there in the first until the fouls. Who knows.

Jeff,

Thanks for the post. I am sincere in what I say about all athletics, and on here, my mission is to find some common ground between Udot and SDSU. I will tell you I will never totally be JACKATIZED (as you put it), but I do cheer for you except when we play each other. There are great fans on both sides, also some real butts on both sides.

I say let's make all of our fans great and have healthy dialogue, debate, and general BS about each others school.

I long for the following chants: HATE STATE...SCREW THE U

My gosh, that's awesome. It is only bad when it deteriorates.

What a season your ladies had.

[yoteforever]

Re: NCAA screw job

yoteforever: apologies for incorrectly listing 'yotemeal' (which is one of my favorite message board names).

Second, I agree on your second point. In fact, I went back and edited that out of my post. I was attempting to show a little irony -- we all tend to lump fans -- and within minutes of posting, I thought I didn't quite hit the mark so I deleted that from my post. You must have read my post before the edits. It sounds like we have basic agreement on the point.

Last, I tend to agree with your overall point about those who are criticizing the refs. I understand some people having that opinion but I tend to subscribe to the theory that, with rare exceptions, refs do not cause teams to lose games. My closing line in the prior post was I had nothing to blast you on, yoteforever (you suggested some may "blast away").

You're a class act. Have a great weekend

[jackmd]

Re: NCAA screw job

Call a spade a spade and see where that gets you. IMO we were the better team on the court that night, we deserved better than a 7 seed and there really wasn't a worse location the NCAA could have placed us. The officiating was poor and biased in favor of Baylor. I don't think that was intentional, it just happened that way.

None of those things alone or even in combination make one bit of difference now but that doesn't mean they aren't worth dicussing. If you wanted a different title for the thread because you find the "srew job" part offensive I appreciate that. Let me just say I took that quote from someone else in attendance who happens to be a much more prominent figure in the NCAA ranks than some Jackrabbit fan like myself.

Did anyone read the quotes in the USA Today from the Utah head coach regarding the disrespect shown to mid-majors, South Dakota State in particular? I'm a little disappointed that some of our fans aren't willing to discuss these issues. It isn't just "whining" or "bitching". Perhaps it's perceived this way and I just can't recognize it.

Anyways, I think our program deserved a little better treatment than we got and I hope the NCAA hears that. I don't have any influence at that level but the person who spoke these words to me does.

Good luck to Louisville, they look pretty tough to beat against Baylor and Maryland.

[ivandrago]

Re: NCAA screw job

Seriously, why is everyone so convinced we got screwed in location, seed, etc.???

Lubbock is over 350 miles from Waco, which is roughly the distance from Brookings to Rapid. I guess we could have flipped with Texas, and been a 6 seed in Columbus. That way we could have played Ohio State on the Buckeyes' home floor in round two.

And Ohio State was at full strength. We played a Baylor team that was missing their best player, an all-American. And with the coach Mulkey situation, they were ripe for the picking.

I can understand if people wanted us to be a 6 seed. I think 5 would have been a tad high for us, but understandable. We could have easily ended up with a 2nd round game against Cal in L.A., or against UNC in Chattanooga (which isn't much farther than Waco-to-Lubbock), or we could have played Georgia in the first round in nearby Duluth.

We all wanted the Jacks to win, and I was as heartbroken as the rest of us watching that Baylor game. But in the end we played in one of the *four closest* locations in the tournament to Brookings, and had every chance to win.

We are in our first year of tournament eligibility, and didn't beat anyone with a single-digit seed. We got a decent draw, and lost a game we should have won. Not because of seeding, or location...because we missed some shots we normally make.

[zooropa]

Re: NCAA screw job

didn't beat anyone with a single-digit seed

Utah: #9

[Cowbell]

Re: NCAA screw job

I think ivandrago's post is well-balanced. Going back to childhood, it takes awhile for new kids on the block to be accepted. Gotta stay the course. One great season won't cut it. In a few years I hope other coaches echo the famous words of Dennis Green, "They are who we thought they were."

[jackmd]

Re: NCAA screw job

I think ivandrago's post is well-balanced. Going back to childhood, it takes awhile for new kids on the block to be accepted. Gotta stay the course. One great season won't cut it. In a few years I hope other coaches echo the famous words of Dennis Green, "They are who we thought they were."

Yeah, I don't buy that. The players that put in the effort this year to be who they were deserve the respect. I'll stand up for them even if I'm the only one. The mid-majors in general didn't get the respect they deserved and we are the prime example. What good does it do Jenn, Staci, Ashley and Morgan to hold the program to a level of expectation that may or may not be honored? What good does it do those of us who took the time to follow the team to Texas this year?

I'm a little sick and tired of the passive approach. The same approach lead to a lot of people being opposed to the move to DI. The "we aren't good enough" approach crap in my opinion. Again, I'm not sure where many of you were or what your stance was when the move up was declared but I was on board (and on this board) and vocal about it. I'm not backing of my stance about the circumstances in Lubbock.

[Cowbell]

Re: NCAA screw job

Dr., I think you are making some big leaps in logic here. To go from what ivandrago said to equating it with those who doubted the move to DI is a bit of a stretch. Did we prove that we belonged in the Big Dance - yup. Did we win a game - yup. No matter what bracket we were in there were going to see big dogs looming. And this was the year to take down Baylor and get a sweet 16 birth. Came up short for whatever reason. Turn page.

[Chains]

Re: NCAA screw job

Yeah, I don't buy that. The players that put in the effort this year to be who they were deserve the respect. I'll stand up for them even if I'm the only one. The mid-majors in general didn't get the respect they deserved and we are the prime example. What good does it do Jenn, Staci, Ashley and Morgan to hold the program to a level of expectation that may or may not be honored? What good does it do those of us who took the time to follow the team to Texas this year?

I'm a little sick and tired of the passive approach. The same approach lead to a lot of people being opposed to the move to DI. The "we aren't good enough" approach crap in my opinion. Again, I'm not sure where many of you were or what your stance was when the move up was declared but I was on board (and on this board) and vocal about it. I'm not backing of my stance about the circumstances in Lubbock.

I am with you MD. The lady Jacks were slighted from the get - go. In every publication I read the feeling was that the Jack women should have been a higher seed than a (7). Every interview I heard from any Coach supported the Lady Jacks & should have been a higher seed. Of the 16 first round host sites the Jacks and Depaul were the only two teams sent to a host site with the other 3 teams being from the host state. I have watched the Baylor game three times and still can't figure out three or four critical calls that significantly hurt the Jacks. Would have other sites been more difficult? Any Closer? Makes no difference! Slighted is still slighted.

But we move on and forward. Congrats to Jenn again. What a great bunch of women.

GBGBGJ

[filbert]

Re: NCAA screw job

My attitude is still that you win respect through big wins . . . wins in the Tournament, wins against Top 10 teams during the season, that kind of thing.

There's plenty of respect for SDSU in women's basketball (I'll be wearing SDSU gear going to the Women's Final Four games, and will be kinda keeping track of the number of WBB fans who notice/say something, just for fun). But at some point you need to take the respect you do have and do something with it.

I know there are years when the Tennessee fans were complaining bitterly about their seed, the site they're sent to, the bracket they were in, the bad call that went against them, etc., etc. so I guess I've heard all of it before. And this is coming from freakin' Tennessee fans, after all!

The best revenge is coming out and doing it again next year, but this time when we get a shot at a top 10 team next season (like we did with Maryland last season) we've got to take them down, and when we get a shot at a Baylor in a tournament game (should we be so fortunate as to make the field again next year) then finish the deal there, too.

Bad calls, bad seeds, bad sites are pretty much the norm in women's basketball from what I've seen ***, watching it as closely as I have the past five years since Snookums turned me into a Lady Vols fan (at least when they're not playing the Rabbits). Maybe that's why I'm a lot more sanguine about it than some other posters here.

But rave on, those who feel the need, rave on!

***Well, unless you're UConn, that is . . .

[jackmd]

Re: NCAA screw job

Dr., I think you are making some big leaps in logic here. To go from what ivandrago said to equating it with those who doubted the move to DI is a bit of a stretch. Did we prove that we belonged in the Big Dance - yup. Did we win a game - yup. No matter what bracket we were in there were going to see big dogs looming. And this was the year to take down Baylor and get a sweet 16 birth. Came up short for whatever reason. Turn page.

Didn't mean to make it seem like I'm making a big leap and I'm not trying to be a jerk even though it seems as if I'm being a jerk. When that game ended I just couldn't believe this season was over. I sat with 2 SDSU hall of famers, one a former women's basketball player, and all we could think is that something wasn't right with the way that game went. I'm not sure how it looked or felt on the tv or radio but I walked out of there not certain what to think.

Now, I had my 7 year old daughter with me and never once did I curse the officiating or belittle the effort of the opponent. As we walked out of that beautiful arena I kept reminding my daughter that sometimes losing can teach you more than winning. Shortly after the game I received 2 phone calls from previous athletes at SDSU, both were intense and unhappy about the course of that game and both referred to the circumstances leading to the seed and the location.

So, I guess I'm not fully understanding why its hard to understand my need to express my frustration with the circumstances in Lubbock. It only further encourages my ongoing support of the Jackrabbits.

Do I take offense when others call me a whiner? Sure I do. Call me what you must call me but always remember that I'm going to be cheering or whining or whatever you want to call it for the Jackrabbits.