dslyank

OK, I am probably way off base here; but head to head in any sport America East vs Patriot, AMEAST would dominate. As bad as the am east is, it seems to me Patriot is worse. I am not surprised that BU bolted the am east, but CAA or Atlantic 10 would seem more appropriate. Is the Patriot better than my assessment?????? Looking for some expert analysis here? BU may quick;y become the class of the league and I see why the league would want a team in Boston, but I do not see it really enhancing BU's athletics??????????????????

After reading some of your comments, I re-read the hard copy of the front page TU article. While I agree it was NOT a bad article, I still came away with the feeling that Singalais wanted to show naming rights to stadiums are not worth it (maybe it is just my prejudice against Singalais or the BOLD headline IS IT WORTH IT?) . However when his own paper and the research did not bear him out, he softened his approach. Anyhow, I did give him props for bucking his own paper; perhaps I was wrong on both counts.

I was away while most of this transpired, so I am late commenting; but I have two thoughts/questions. I know there has been a lot of speculation on the scholly breakdown/number; anyone have an update or more definitive answer. Second there seems to be several comments about the number of JUCO's being brought in and how that might be a reaction to Brown's "short-term" contract extension. While I see your point, I do not really agree. I feel it is more a response to losing two senior leaders in a year when we'd be hosting the conference tournament and with Logan and Suero would have been 1 or 2 pre-season favorite.

Like usual Singelais writes a totally negative article. Luckily Hearst (CEO of TU and chairman of UA foundation) contradicts Singelais every step of the way. I suppose he has to being the TU has the naming rights and is currently negotiating an extension to the Knickerbocker Arena. I guess you got to give Singelais some props for writing an article that indicates his own firms investment is questionable.

Bingo's pitch looks a lot like they are trying to cash in on the "nano" band wagon. If so, hopefully they are too late. Whatever happened to their law school pitch?

uofalbany thanks for the encouraging evaluation. The team does look like it is finally showing signs of life. I was thinking the rainbows @ the $iena game were a sign of hope; and then we let them back in it and then lose to brook even though we pretty much dominated statistically. And with the fourth qtr collapse @ umbc it is hard to know what to think. UA looks so good; even dominant @ times, but continues to struggle for wins. On the lax power forum, someone commented the "D" seems to tire @ the end. I think the "O" does also. Perhaps because we are so young and maybe short on depth. So perhaps you are right and we are a recruiting class and a year away. Here's hoping they can make a little noise in the am.east tourney anyway.

Tough loss last night. I just can not figure out this team. At times they look awesome: but then they seem to find a way to lose. Both last night and against $iena the "D" looked dominant and aggressive, yet teams continue to find ways to score double digit goals against us every game. The offense at times seem to score at will; but always seem to have long periods of being in a funk? I do not know how we can play 44 minutes of dominating lacrosse @umbc and then give it away in the last 6 minutes, Bob87 says it was because we failed to win a single face off in that span, but that can not be only reason. We lose a lot of face offs period. Last night we dominated the face off battle and ground balls, but again we found a way to lose. Awarding the face off to brook just before it's winning goal was an absolutely horrible call (I still have not watched the second half recorded), but we simply have to find a way to hold them off that last minute. Anyhow, I guess we have to be road warriors for the am.east tourney; and hopefully they can figure it out and put it all together for a couple of wins.

DVR'd the lacrosse game and @ half time Cole commented that construction was moving along "quickly"; BUT then said next years's spring scrimmage would be the last on University Field? You would think yesterday's would be the last? Sort of contradicts himself and leaves little hope of playing one game in the new stadium this year?

From dust we came and from dust we shall depart. I've said for years, no conference (@ least football wise) would even look at us until we had an appropriate stadium. Well, when the dust settles on Bob Ford Field perhaps we will get some looks. But my point is there are numerous other concerns (baseball/softball upgrades, sefcu upgrades; additional scholarships; Brown's, McElroy's, Marr's futures; etc. etc. which need to be addressed. I think we have already been "left in the dust," but perhaps we are digging out now and hopefully the new president will expedite the effort. But as someone else (I think Brutus) said the issues and finances are complicated and it will take time. I think we are finally going in the right direction--digging out of the dust.

A bit perplexed by this signing? (if indeed he has signed?) We lose a couple 6'2"-6'4" ish small forwards/guards and we sign a playmaker (point), who will play behind Mike Black and then have only one year of eligibility. We seem pretty deep @ point with Gibson coming along and Iati, Hooley and Watts all adequate short term.

I've gone back and forth between Not Disaster and disaster. "Not" when I thought just Suero was leaving, and jumping on the doom wagon when I learned Logan was also gone. After a sleepless night (not really) , I am flip flopping again. Being an optimist by nature and a UA athletic supporter (no jokes please) for generations, I simply have to believe we will overcome this set back. The players coming back WILL be healthy and rise to the occasion. The coaching staff WILL scour the country for a couple pieces to compliment the returnees. And the coaches and players WILL come up with a new game plan and we WILL be as successful or more so than before the departures. Beside the season is just too far away to be thinking doom and gloom. Pre-season is about "hope springs eternal". Pretty sappy but there it is. ps Congratulations to Logan on a gutsy and CORRECT choice. I've already said twice that Suero made a bad one, but good luck to him anyhow.

I agree with "state" that the next administration will decide Brown's fate. But I think McElroy's fate and athletics in general rest with a new president. Phillips certainly has been supportive but very conservative and cautious. There has been a lot of talk about partially completed projects, phases of construction that never seem to come to complete fruition, what to do next {sefcu improvements and scoreboard, baseball/softball upgrades, conference affiliations, etc.}; will not be truly answered (if at all) until the next UA president {and what his/her's philosophy is on athletics and academics}.

NOW it is disaster time. I still feel Suero is making a mistake (he is NOWAY ready for the pro's at any level). But I though his loss would not really hurt overall, but with Logan also now out, it is rebuilding time when it should be dancing time! Here's hoping Hooley and Iati can REALLY step up and the bigs can finally reach their potential, because I am not real optimistic about getting any impact recruits @ this time (maybe a role player or two hopefully).

From what I can figure out, if we beat brook next saturday we will host a first round am east game; and if bingo could upset umbc at Vestal, we would be inline for two am east home playoffs. If we lose to brook, we travel no matter what. Can anyone confirm this or correct me if wrong?

I am sticking to my --it is NOT a total disaster theory. But like everyone else I would LOVE to have him back. In that vein does anyone know if he has actually left the university and (2) can't he reconsider up to the point that he (a) hires an agent or ( one day before draft day???

If anyone cares. The lacrosse team blew a five goal fourth period lead and lost in OT to umbc 17-16. umbc scored the last six goals of the game including the winner in OT. Marr in the tu on friday said we are the best team in the league. It looks like he is wrong again. We will be a decided underdog to lcc @ home on Tuesday.

WOW! If true, they just ripped the heart out of a two win team. Dickenson looked liked he had/has a lot of potential. I think he could have become a real force in the ameast. I was impressed with Richards also, but do not remember much about Longoria. What a blow if true.

I am going to go against the trend here and say (my opinion) this move hurts Suero more than it does UA. He is NOT ready for the pro's. He is RAW and for as good as he is, another year of college ball would help him immensely. We all saw the talent last year, but we saw a lot of mistakes and there is much he still needs to learn about the game. If he is leaving for academic reasons (and most believe he is NOT) or if his family is in dire financial need (which I believe they are NOT), than I would be supportive; but otherwise I feel he is making a big mistake. As for my second point, it obviously hurts to lose his scoring, rebounding and slashing drives. But the team will be solid. We have a strong group coming back and "IF" everyone overcomes the injuries of 2010-2012, we are capable of still of being a better team 2012-13 than last year. I think Hooley will contribute much, I think Paige will surprise a lot of people (he can really shoot the rock) and without G we may get to see more of Gueirre and Gibson (who both seem to get better the more they play). Besides Iati equaled G's 21.5 average over his late season run. I am obviously not saying Jacob is another Suero; but I just do not see the doom and gloom some of you are expressing. Besides some have questioned why the staff was out recruiting when we did not have any scholarships. Well now we know.

Upon reflection, I believe the article was commenting how many different am.east teams have made the tournament (4 @ the time of the article {early last year}, now 5 with Hartford going in 2011) and 3 UA, SB and UMBC getting beyond the first round at some year. But as I said the article was over a year ago and perhaps I am not remembering it correctly.

I don't think AE was ever more than the fifh-best league anyway, but formation of Big East pushed us further from the top. The MAAC is now at or near full scholarship, which not only makes them better (Siena has already beaten Hartford and Stony Brook) but also thins the pool of scholarship-level recruits, as does the addition of a few new teams lately. America East may be hurt more by this - top recruits will still go to Princeton or Syracuse, but other players don't see much difference between AE, MAAC, and NEC schools. As for Albany, we actually were even with Bucknell in faceoffs, but groundballs and defense are still a problem - maybe the defense is just slow. Marr used to say if you got athletes you could teach them lax skills, but that doesn't seem to be working in either part now. The Thompsons were supposed to be these tremendous recruits, but I haven't seen results yet. Sometimes watching them trying to get a shot off looks like Suero driving the lane one on four. 72, excellent overall assessment, especially your comparison Suero & Thompsons. As far as only being the fifth best league, I read on inside lacrosse that the am.east is the only league in history to send four different teams to the elite 8 (UA, SB, UMBC and maybe bingo years back? and the only league to send 3 different teams to the final four {UA, SB and UMBC}. I may have this somewhat wrong or remember the article incorrectly (I never researched it); but clearly Inside lacrosse thought very highly of the america east. Anyhow, I guess the league has/will slip in their estimation as other leagues, as you say appear to be catching up.

America East 9-36. Once considered one of the premiere lacrosse leagues. What is the league and UA in particular doing WRONG? All opinions and ideas welcomed.

96, I definitely AM NOT trying to sell anything. I am just trying to figure what's going on. Why the collapse? How or why has Marr lost it? Just trying raise some discussion, and see what others think. Anyhow, thanks for your response. Not much being blogged about lacrosse, when there really is a lot to say/question?

What??????? Nobody talking. It must be worst than I thought, or is everyone away, or no one cares? Also, no stadium news--shouldn't bids be signed by NOW?

I missed the latest loss; just got back from a long weekend in Tampa scouting my namesakes. Men's lacrosse is in deep trouble. 0 and 6 with a really good Bucknell, an improving Bingo and than Hopkins coming up. Marr does not seem to have any answers, unless he is saving them for america east play? But before we scream for his head, consider the following: if he goes, I bet we lose the Thompsons and I bet they end up in Syracuse. Considering they have connections there and considering SU is strong on defense, goal and midfield; but weak offensively. If they ended up there, a national championship next year would not be surprising, and we would really look like schmucks. Marr could also end up on SU's staff. Considering he is not a very hot commodity right now, what better place to try and revive his career than as a top assistant at Syracuse? OK, I know this sounds like a bad conspiracy novel; but I really fear losing him maybe as bad/worst as keeping him. So, when I say we are in "deep" trouble. I mean more than the loses piling up and the last several years of mediocracy.

What lax forum where? Is this just speculation? Under Albany Great Danes 2012 http://network.laxpower.com/laxforum/viewforum.php?f=1 I'd bet it's true. Therefore, having some experience for Huber will benefit the team next year... if he's the chosen one. uofalabany, Thanks for the link. I never knew it was there. A lot of real lacrosse info. Thanks again.