Messages

106

YSU Penguin Athletics / Re: Grace Takes 8th in Shot Put at U.S. Olympic Trials

« on: July 05, 2016, 09:34:39 AM »

Wow, excellent showing.  YSU should be very proud of its track and field program, its a consistently good program that is under the radar.

107

YSU Penguin Athletics / Re: Looks like Slocum will be back!

« on: April 06, 2016, 09:34:03 AM »

Are you kidding?  I don't EVER want a 1AA in basketball, this would completely destroy the tournament.  You already have a 1AA in basketball...it's called Division 2.  I'll take college basketball just as it is.  It's YSU who needs to re-evaluate how they operate their basketball program...not a restructuring of college basketball that is needed.  Northern Iowa would much rather go to the Round of 32 or the Sweet 16 than win a 1AA Basketball Championship.

And I was not comparing YSU to Villanova in basketball but we both do play 1AA Football.   

108

YSU Penguin Athletics / Re: Looks like Slocum will be back!

« on: April 05, 2016, 09:43:29 AM »

Wow, what an amazing game last night...one for the ages.  But at YSU we are content with a losing men's basketball team...with an occasionally mediocre team to keep our spirits high.

109

YSU Penguin Athletics / Re: Looks like Slocum will be back!

« on: April 01, 2016, 04:38:04 PM »

I cannot believe this is happening...I keep thinking it's a dream and I'll wake up.  Once again, the university and Strollo show how much they care about YSU men's basketball.  Is the Youngstown area media going to write any editorials about this?   

110

YSU Penguin Athletics / Re: The Gators

« on: March 31, 2016, 02:43:53 PM »

I'm sure once EGCC gets a men's basketball team they could give the YSU men's basketball team a game

111

YSU Penguin Athletics / Re: Article by Scalzo

« on: March 09, 2016, 09:04:35 AM »

I can only dream one day we will be in the MAC, where we belong.  Fan interest in all sports would be so much greater in the MAC.  Plus we could travel to away games so easy.

112

YSU Penguin Athletics / Re: YSU vs Notre Dame

« on: December 21, 2015, 09:51:44 AM »

Another embarrassing team to represent Youngstown.  The Vindicator doesn't even send reporters to the away games.  I hope Strollo is proud of this product.

113

YSU Penguin Athletics / Message to North Dakota State fans who want to tailgate at YSU!

« on: November 11, 2015, 12:27:19 PM »

Anyone coming in from Fargo who wants to tailgate, be CERTAIN to stop by the "fun tent" for food, drinks & the "special".......WE DO A "SHOTSKI" one hour before kickoff (around 1pm, around 1:30pm many at the tent then go to the game so come early).  The red & white tent is in the larger tailgate lot next to 5th Avenue with lettering that says basically: ORIGINAL YSU TAILGATE CREW."  YSU FAN (aka Babe) wants to return the good time he had in Fargo.

114

YSU Penguin Athletics / Re: 7-4 and we're in!!

« on: October 27, 2015, 12:00:36 PM »

Different coach...same old story.  Shame on me for believing it would be any different.  But I'll still be at both home games, tailgating and having a great time, would never even think of missing them.  But I'm very disappointed.

115

YSU Penguin Athletics / Vindicator YSU beat writer

« on: October 08, 2015, 10:44:27 AM »

Now that Joe Scalzo has left The Vindicator, does anyone know if the paper plans on replacing him with another YSU "beat writer?"  There has been nothing new written in the paper in a few weeks and last weeks article appeared to be from the South Dakota newspaper.

116

YSU Penguin Athletics / Re: Basketball to play at Purdue

« on: June 23, 2015, 09:14:17 AM »

Perhaps Slocum and the administration have finally heard our "cries from the desert" regarding such poor scheduling in the past.  This schedule actually has potential.  Besides Toledo, who else are we playing at home?

117

YSU Penguin Athletics / Re: State of men’s basketball

« on: March 31, 2015, 07:59:47 PM »

1AA Fan, I disagree with what you are saying about the Covelli Centre.  First of all, once chair-back seats are put in Beeghly, the capacity will go down to probably 5,500-5,800 (educated guess).  The Covelli Centre can hold 6,000 for basketball, which includes lodges and has the potential to earn the Covelli Centre/YSU even more money; Secondly, the Covelli Centre is doing a tremendous job, bringing in national acts and has only gained in popularity over the years vs. losing it's flair.  People are obviously attending events at the Covelli, as it has earned a lot of money for the city; Third, the Covelli Centre and downtown is very safe, if people are afraid to go downtown then they mind as well never leave their house or just stay in suburbia.  YSU was supposed to play one big game at the Covelli Centre every year (the 2012 game was against Hiram but there were big plans for the future but I guess it fizzled - read Warren Tribune article below:
http://www.tribtoday.com/page/content.detail/id/577752/YSU-to-play-Hiram-in-first-event-at-Covelli-Centre.html?nav=5024

118

YSU Penguin Athletics / Re: State of men’s basketball

« on: March 31, 2015, 01:44:07 PM »

gbs20, I'm all for playing at the Covelli Centre if it's feasible.  You're right, many urban universities play at off campus arenas.  If YSU produced winners and had a solid home schedule, fans would come out in droves, including students.   

119

YSU Penguin Athletics / State of men’s basketball

« on: March 31, 2015, 12:06:58 PM »

I’ve never been a conspiracy junkie, but I’m convincing myself that the YSU Athletic Administration purposely makes men’s basketball the red-headed stepchild to the football team.  If, for example, men’s basketball became a fairly regular NCAA Tournament participant and did some damage in the tournament, YSU would become much more known nationally in basketball than by winning 1AA football championships (no matter what AD Strollo stated in the recent Warren Tribune article) and I don’t think the YSU Athletic Administration wants this to happen.   
 
1.  The coach of a division 1 basketball team earns only $137,000 (far, far less then what he should be earning in the Horizon League) while the coach of a Division 1AA football team earns approximately $250,000.  I absolutely love college football and go to most every YSU game, but I’m sorry, this is an embarrassing difference, no matter how important YSU football is to the community.  Such a difference in salary alone makes the YSU basketball coach a 2nd class citizen in the pecking order.  In other words, Slocum knows his place.
2.  Who makes the schedule, is it strictly Slocum?  Does AD Strollo have any input?  It’s impossible to create interest in a program and recruit players when your out-of-conference home schedule is pathetic.  I keep hearing how YSU "doesn’t have the money" to invest in basketball, therefore, be aggressive and play numerous “big-money” games (see Oakland/Oral Roberts schedule for example) to make money.  Use the money you earn from these games to upgrade an-outdated Beeghly Center (taking out the embarrassing bleachers and putting in permanent/retractable red chair back seats would be a start or use these games to help pay upgraded salaries).  Fan interest will increase by leaps and bounds.     

The citizens of Youngstown who have to live through this mediocrity year-after-year are getting shortchanged.  There should not be such a disparity between Stambaugh Stadium and an outdated Beeghly Center.  I don’t buy into this notion that men’s hoops cannot be successful and believe that men’s basketball should be able to financially take care of itself (and even other sports at YSU) and be a major money-maker. 


 
   

120

YSU Penguin Athletics / YSU football & basketball OOC schedules

« on: March 27, 2015, 04:42:17 PM »

I think we all agree that YSU’s out of conference schedules for both football and basketball leave a lot to be desired.  Here is my question for this board:  in both football and basketball why do similar-sized universities as YSU schedule aggressive away-games against superior competition and make good money in the process whereas YSU chooses to schedule home opposition that is of no interest to YSU fans.  To me it comes down to the leadership of the athletic department.  Does AD Strollo have any say in the football and basketball scheduling?  It would be great to have an athletic director with balls whose philosophy is for his coaches to schedule challenging out of conference games, where playing nationally ranked teams in basketball, for example, is the norm and not the exception.

Football:  The last two years YSU played 12 games (this year it’s back to eleven).  I understand YSU needs home games for financial reasons and while I want to schedule as many exciting home games as possible I would rather have YSU develop an “attitude” and play an exciting road game if it’s prudent financially.  For example:  “okay Akron, Kent, and Toledo, you won’t play a home/away series with us then we’ll play you at your place and beat you;” or play two BCS teams like other MVC teams do; or play a “destination game” so fans can travel with the team, such as Memphis (in Memphis), SMU (in Dallas), or Tulane (New Orleans).  I think fans would be much more excited for these types of games.

Basketball:  There are schools out there that will play anyone at anytime (Oral Roberts and Oakland for example).  True, you’ll play most of these games on the road and you’ll lose most of them but they will toughen you up and in the long run you’ll become better and perhaps YSU will eventually recruit better athletes because of a tougher schedule.  I assume that YSU earns between $60,000 - $100,000+ by playing elite teams.  Wouldn’t we rather see YSU be aggressive and play this type of schedule vs. what we have been subjected to the past number of years?  Why won’t Slocum/Strollo play more of these big-money games?  YSU scheduled only one BCS conference team this year, Texas A&M, and earned $85,000 in the process.  The Vindicator did a cute story on the one big “money game” against Texas A&M and what this means to the program.   Playing the likes of Texas A&M should be the norm, not the exception, read the story here:  http://www.vindy.com/news/2014/dec/11/ncaa-basketball-money-games-pay-off-for-/

Comments?