HLTW!

There was a logic to it as flawed as it might be.

The change that needs to happen the most is at the very top with Sands and Babcock. I just don’t see Babcock getting rid of Young for MBB or Szefc for baseball with so much invested in football. I also don’t want him making any new hires either. I just want a new AD who clean up and modernize the athletic department.

I thought the Nationals should have traded him the last year of his contract and got some prospects in return. It was evident that he wasn’t going to sign with the Nationals in the offseason. They learned with Soto, Turner and others, though by that point a rebuild was evident. I had a conversation with Ray Knight about it at the time. He looked at me cross eyed with the suggestion of trading Harper the last year of his contract. Mind you, it was evident that the Nationals weren’t going to make the postseason that year as well.

Risk is exactly the right way to describe it. I believe that didn’t cover is that the risk aversion can be overcome with financial compensation. That’s how it is in any market. So the more nuanced question is what is the premium we would have had to pay to get these experienced coaches for Pry and did we have the financial resources to pay it. I don’t know and assume no, but I wouldn’t assume no or few experienced would come to work for Pry and at Virginia Tech. Money, as we all know talks, makes the difference. ** Edited by HLTW! at 9/13/2024, 12:29:17 PM

With these additional costs with the extra scholarships, all the more important to get the out of state athletes eligible for in-state tuition to help offset these new costs. We know the state of North Carolina has already done this. This could make the difference competitively or possibly keeping some sports that may otherwise be cut. Any insight where we stand Commonwealth-wise on this front? It would appear that we, both VT and UVA, have had a good relations with legislators in Richmond to have brought the NIL in-house to the athletic departments.

I’m not a basketball person, so I’m only giving my layman observations and possible solutions. What do you think we should do this offseason from strategic to tactical actions? I just want us to do well in any sport, but most especially in football, MBB and a few of the other major ones.

Top priorities: 1. Raise NIL funds 2. Reshape the roster with transfers with said NIL funding 3. Recruit / replace one of the coaches with more recruiting chops? 4. Recruit / replace one of the coaches with more defensive focus? 5. Ideally combine 3 and 4. How do we move the program forward as it’s stalled. We’re not moving on from MY this offseason and likely even after next with similar results. I also don’t think this is all on MY, probably making the best with the ingredients he has but is partly, maybe even largely, responsible for the ingredients. Whit Babcock has to assume responsibility as well. ** Edited by HLTW! at 3/13/2024, 2:30:15 PM

While I respect your perspective and opinion, I disagree with it. Your entire business is focused on young adults 18-22 year olds, yet we talk and speculate about them on all sorts of matters - including you. Key thing, they are adults as they are age 18. But if you want to use the word kids, well heck, you’re a kid to me as you’re still in your 20’s. Don’t much care for you lecturing me or any of us on this board as you sit back with benefit of the insider information that the rest of us don’t have. Since we don’t have it, we’ll speculate. I haven’t posted anything on his departure as I’m used to losing players for various reasons. However, I don’t like your tone or engagement in your post. It comes across very condescending to me. Again, you have the benefit of certain knowledge that the rest of us don’t. If you don’t want to share your information, I get it and the speculation will eventually die down and go away. The other option is you share and end it, but I’m certain you can’t. I’ve been on this board long enough to have seen speculation on all sorts of stuff about players on this board, including those at TSL.

** Edited by HLTW! at 9/11/2023, 5:15:13 PM

He’s stoked about joining the ACC. Won’t stop sending texts and talking smack about they’ll give the Hokies a beat down. Quite annoying about it. But the larger point is that SMU is so desperate to be relevant again and took the BIG XII smug hard, they see themselves as belonging. Having gone to one of their games, it was awful. No one there and I actually fell asleep in the second half, well all the beers in the suite might have contributed. They want to leverage this for recruiting, alumni engagement, greater attendance…back to relevancy.

Not sure why people think it would bring the Texas market, much less the Dallas one. It’s another small private school and we have too many of them in the ACC already.

My sons lives in Austin and I visit often for work and to see him. While it had its issues, the City has made improvements in the past few years. A lot more needs to be done for sure. Aside from that, as a destination for games it’s a boat load of fun as there is so much to do - great bar locations, restaurants, and other activities. I was there for the VT softball games this past weekend and had a blast. I never felt unsafe.

Team natties. We have zero! In general though, I agree with your sentiment. Ruts is the one that bothers me the most.

My son played travel with him a number of years. Great kid and family. Super happy he picked us! He has an older sister at VT, an Alpha Phi I believe.

My son played travel with him a number of years. Great kid and family. Super happy he picked us! He has an older sister at VT, an Alpha Phi I believe.