How are you feeling right now about the team and program?

Natty

Natty

Co-Founder
Elite Member
Insider
Joined
Feb 12, 2009
Posts
6,395
Likes
16,574
Pulse check on the fan base real quick, how are you all dealing with this?

Honestly, if I'm being real, I don't even enjoy the games anymore. I just sadly, but truthfully, lack confidence in our staff to make us a good team, so it just feels like I only come to the games these days to work (film them for VCURamNation.com). I think Ed did a nice job in the offseason with all the stuff around the program (bringing back Ryan, painting the Stu, etc), but he can't unfortunately make us a winner (without a staff change), so while we're in the position we're in, I feel like my apathy toward VCU basketball is just going to grow and I'll just pull back from it more and more.

How bout y'all? Any old heads got some advice for how to get through a boring decade of VCU basketball?

UPDATE, JANUARY 17, 2023: I'm having much more fun at these games. The offense has looked the best a VCU offense has looked in some time and the Nick Kern backdoor cut, David Shriver bombing threes and the two bigs playing great ball have turned things around. The fun is BACK, BABY!

UPDATE, JANUARY 26, 2023: This is the best I've seen a VCU team play in a very long time. The Rams have figured it out. EXTEND MIKE RHOADES!!!
 
Last edited:
I took my son to dinner and got him settled in for bed before realizing the game was tonight. First time I've forgotten when a game started. Usually I'd watch every game, even the bad OOC Christmas-time games against terrible teams while traveling. I've felt, for some time, that we're regressing. At the beginning of the season I got mad even though I felt this way last year, but a few games ago I accepted it. Now tonight's loss didn't really sting at all. I'm disappointed, but I somewhat expected us losing a buy game.

I think you got it right, I'm feeling apathetic - which for a fanbase is the worst outcome.
 
Apathy has 100% set in. I won’t avoid games, but I’m not going to go out of my way or move my schedule around to watch like I have always done in the past. If an assistant staffing change doesn’t happen this off-season….well…
 
Natty said:
Pulse check on the fan base real quick, how are you all dealing with this?

Honestly, if I'm being real, I don't even enjoy the games anymore. I just sadly, but truthfully, lack confidence in our staff to make us a good team, so it just feels like I only comes to the games these days to work (film them for VCURamNation.com). I think Ed did a nice job in the offseason with all the stuff around the program (bringing back Ryan, painting the Stu, etc), but he can't unfortunately make us a winner (without a staff change), so while we're in the position we're in, I feel like my apathy toward VCU basketball is just going to grow and I'll just pull back from it more and more.

How bout y'all? Any old heads got some advice for how to get through a boring decade of VCU basketball?
Click to expand...
Pre-Capel era stuff. Dark ages. I enjoyed Kendrick so I will just enjoy Ace I guess.
 
I have no idea wtf to think right now.... but as I stated in the game thread... normally after games I like to hang around & chat with former players, other rowdy rams, alums... etc. Even after tough hard fought losses.... tonight, I just wanted to GTFO as soon as the game was over.
 
I said this earlier

This is the most negative I’ve ever felt about the direction of the program. I’ve never said that ever. Any of the years I’ve been a fan. There’s no direction in what we’re doing. I feel like we shove square pegs in circle holes. We recruit one way and clearly it doesn’t work and strike out on many targets. If you are a potential recruit watching this what are you thinking? This is damaging our program. We have a world class facility for basketball. We’re building a whole athletic village. Fans are ours barely want to show up now because of these performances. THIS IS NOT OK.
 
Feel like the program is at a major crossroads at what it wants to be and where it is going. I don’t think the leadership is seeing the reality that the program is facing and is assuming they can continue to live off the WW and Shaka era success.
 
The worst part is that they managed to create a serious local buzz around the program. They had the students back in the building and the Stu was rocking on night 1.

All that goodwill tossed out the window a month into the season.
 
LazyStegosaurus said:
You and Natty are usually pretty plugged in. Do you guys have a glimmer of hope that something will change in the off season? Crazy to be talking about that 10 games in, but here we are…
Click to expand...
Nope. I feel like he might get one more year BUT some of my friends who are big donors and have ties to the program are not too happy. Some of them have been big time Rhoades defenders but right now they seem to be pretty down on things. Things meaning the direction and that includes Rhoades.
 
AlienAiden said:
Nope. I feel like he might get one more year BUT some of my friends who are big donors and inserts in the program are not too happy. Some of them have been big time Rhoades defenders but right now they seem to be pretty down on things.
Click to expand...
Does the school even have the money to fire him given Ed gave another extension last year?
 
VCU games used to be so fun. Tre, Bri, JeQuan. Going to the games. Seeing them at the restaurant after games.

Nothing is fun anymore. Not the game. Not the pregame. Not the postgame. Not the message board.

It wouldn’t matter that much for the gameday experience, but there was no food for the game today. The corner where Buzz and Neds was… closed down. The concourse concessions, there weren’t even potato chips to go with your mediocre sandwich. Nothing about what we do is professional.
 
Natty said:
Pulse check on the fan base real quick, how are you all dealing with this?

Honestly, if I'm being real, I don't even enjoy the games anymore. I just sadly, but truthfully, lack confidence in our staff to make us a good team, so it just feels like I only comes to the games these days to work (film them for VCURamNation.com). I think Ed did a nice job in the offseason with all the stuff around the program (bringing back Ryan, painting the Stu, etc), but he can't unfortunately make us a winner (without a staff change), so while we're in the position we're in, I feel like my apathy toward VCU basketball is just going to grow and I'll just pull back from it more and more.

How bout y'all? Any old heads got some advice for how to get through a boring decade of VCU basketball?
Click to expand...
There's a culture problem within the program. It's not just that we're losing games--the effort is inconsistent, the team is not a likeable team (trash talking, complaining to refs, seeming disinterested at time). That's my biggest gripe--I just don't see things that will change it. The way the players conduct themselves on the court comes down to coach.

I also don't think the coach as "nice" as he appears. Just because VCU is his dream job doesn't mean he's nice. He's not engaging/insightful i don't find him overly involved in the community I'm not saying he's a bad person --but this argument gets old. There's also been some moves within the basketball support staff in the past 2 years that weren't handled in a nice fashion.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top