UNH 2020 Off-Season Thread: That Rinky-Shrinky Thang And Other Lively Banter :D

[Chuck Murray]

Well, at least we have these fantastic facilities now.

Shame how the on-field product has soured (both fronts), and fans are finding other things to do ...

[d.gerry]

Well, at least we have these fantastic facilities now.

Shame how the on-field product has soured (both fronts), and fans are finding other things to do ...

Time for the administration to take a hard look at the man on top. What has UNH done during his tenure besides a slow and steady downhill slide. The guy has done nada, zip, zero! Time for a change at the top. Dick stuck around about five years too long, but given his contributions to the program I'm willing to let that one slide (no pun intended) however, what has Marty really done to elevate UNH athletics profile or performance? I have no clue who you could bring in to get some fresh perspective, but its overdue. What's the university's love affair with this guy? Is it because they come from an academic background with no interest or passion for athletics? Something has to change or the years of mediocrity will grind on. #cancelmarty

[Scott]

Time for the administration to take a hard look at the man on top. What has UNH done during his tenure besides a slow and steady downhill slide. The guy has done nada, zip, zero! Time for a change at the top. Dick stuck around about five years too long, but given his contributions to the program I'm willing to let that one slide (no pun intended) however, what has Marty really done to elevate UNH athletics profile or performance? I have no clue who you could bring in to get some fresh perspective, but its overdue. What's the university's love affair with this guy? Is it because they come from an academic background with no interest or passion for athletics? Something has to change or the years of mediocrity will grind on. #cancelmarty

When UNH brought in new President James Dean from UNC, I had some (distant) hope that we would see some changes in the Athletic administration. However I think President Dean has chosen to take a somewhat "hands-off" approach to athletics, which is somewhat disappointing. This seemingly endless pandemic hasn't helped as colleges across the country all have had to shift priorities.

I don't dislike Marty. I just don't think that he's a "hockey guy", pretty self-evident in his mismanagement of the Women's hockey coaching fiasco from a years ago and for letting Men's Hockey wither on the vine for far too long a time period. I was hoping that given the current state of affairs that he would just "call it a career" and announce his retirement. But...it's wishful thinking at this point. I don't think we'll see any changes until until some semblence of normacy returns to all of our lives. Sigh........

[d.gerry]

I was hoping that given the current state of affairs that he would just "call it a career" and announce his retirement. But...it's wishful thinking at this point. I don't think we'll see any changes until until some semblence of normacy returns to all of our lives. Sigh........

Given the fact Marty makes a cool $250,000 (base salary), I'm sure UNH would love it if he'd retire too. But, making that kind of money, why would you? How can you not dislike a guy who's driven the hockey program into the ground, is fine with mediocre football, and well let's not even mention the basketball team. But hey, the soccer program is on the upswing! Probably the next team to have a 10 year run into the tourney with nothing at the end to show for it all.

[Chuck Murray]

Given the fact Marty makes a cool $250,000 (base salary), I'm sure UNH would love it if he'd retire too. But, making that kind of money, why would you? How can you not dislike a guy who's driven the hockey program into the ground, is fine with mediocre football, and well let's not even mention the basketball team. But hey, the soccer program is on the upswing! Probably the next team to have a 10 year run into the tourney with nothing at the end to show for it all.

Hey, I'm a soccer guy almost as much as I'm a hockey guy. Marty's better half has a big soccer background as a player and coach - not particularly successful BTW but worth mentioning - and their kids played soccer locally. So it's not a big surprise that soccer has gotten probably more than its share of love from the UNH AD's office. But it's just a crying shame that Hockey - which has always been the school's flagship program - has been taken for granted in the first half of BS35+infinity's regime, and just plain neglected in the second half of his time at the U. From needlessly burning Coach McCloskey on some hyped-up PC crusade, to letting Coach Umile call the shots on his way out. Ceding the state's hockey market to goon hockey in ManchVegas. Even now, descending further into radio silence as another season withers on the vine.

I'd say, don't get me started, but I think I'm already there ... :-(

[ListenToThis]

Chuck -- curious, you must live on the Seacoast, yes? Have you ever met Marty? It seems your obsession has only grown for him through the years, but you never mention actually speaking to him or any coaches you relentlessly criticize - A lot of talk and nooo walk... Sorry to say it buddy, but you remind me of my daughter at 15 when she was wildly obsessed with Justin Bieber and would get in constant battles with other online trolls, each having NO idea who the other is... all over a popular singer with cute hair. I have to believe at this point you either get some sort of sexual gratification from this anger and obsession, and/or, you are so disappointed in your own life's path, likely gave up on a dream you had many years ago, and instead of looking in the mirror at your own sad eyes, you refocus all your open time to something that really seems silly to care so much about. It's disturbing you know so much about this man's life... up to what his wife does and her role in the community? Feels very stalkerish bud if I do say so myself. I have never met Marty personally, but Coach Cyd made a wonderful impact on my daughter her during her time coaching at Portsmouth High School. Coach Cyd is beloved by anyone I've ever talked to, and she is honestly a great coach (a player myself back in the day). I don't think any of this will really mean anything to you -- fact vs. your fun little twisted fiction clearly isn't present. But with all sincerity -- from me and a few coworkers who have seen this thread go on for a bit -- get yourself a new hobby. This is a sad look, even from just a screen-to-screen view, and I can only imagine how much sadder your reality is. There are plenty of other things to be obsessed with, no? Maybe join a group that does good? You clearly have a lot of time on your hands, as you have been able to track someone else's life and entire career? Be obsessed with a non-profit sports org that helps kids get off the streets and on the field/court/rink. Be obsessed with rescuing animals. Be obsessed with bettering your own life. It's sad man. When the AD does retire, what are you going to even do with yourself? Might want to start planning a new twisted hobby . Cheers mate.

[Chuck Murray]

Chuck -- curious, you must live on the Seacoast, yes? Have you ever met Marty? It seems your obsession has only grown for him through the years, but you never mention actually speaking to him or any coaches you relentlessly criticize - A lot of talk and nooo walk... Sorry to say it buddy, but you remind me of my daughter at 15 when she was wildly obsessed with Justin Bieber and would get in constant battles with other online trolls, each having NO idea who the other is... all over a popular singer with cute hair. I have to believe at this point you either get some sort of sexual gratification from this anger and obsession, and/or, you are so disappointed in your own life's path, likely gave up on a dream you had many years ago, and instead of looking in the mirror at your own sad eyes, you refocus all your open time to something that really seems silly to care so much about. It's disturbing you know so much about this man's life... up to what his wife does and her role in the community? Feels very stalkerish bud if I do say so myself. I have never met Marty personally, but Coach Cyd made a wonderful impact on my daughter her during her time coaching at Portsmouth High School. Coach Cyd is beloved by anyone I've ever talked to, and she is honestly a great coach (a player myself back in the day). I don't think any of this will really mean anything to you -- fact vs. your fun little twisted fiction clearly isn't present. But with all sincerity -- from me and a few coworkers who have seen this thread go on for a bit -- get yourself a new hobby. This is a sad look, even from just a screen-to-screen view, and I can only imagine how much sadder your reality is. There are plenty of other things to be obsessed with, no? Maybe join a group that does good? You clearly have a lot of time on your hands, as you have been able to track someone else's life and entire career? Be obsessed with a non-profit sports org that helps kids get off the streets and on the field/court/rink. Be obsessed with rescuing animals. Be obsessed with bettering your own life. It's sad man. When the AD does retire, what are you going to even do with yourself? Might want to start planning a new twisted hobby . Cheers mate.

Wow - a single line in a single post provoked this. Amazing. And ironic too, how a first-time poster comes on here with this deep psycho-analysis and says my (very brief) comments were "stalkerish". Talk about a look-in-the-mirror moment ...

First, I'm glad your daughter enjoyed her time with PHS Girls Soccer. Good for her.

Second, I've met many (even worked for a couple of) local AD's up and down the Seacoast, with the former group including the late, great Rus Wilson (PHS). What a tragic loss that will prove to be for the entire PHS athletics program. So although I've never wandered past coaching at this level - which I still do, and I still also play BTW - I have a pretty good idea what a very competent and effective AD looks like. Including Rus, I can think of at least three guys in the area who could walk into the UNH job and surpass what the incumbent AD has done. Remind me again - exactly what it is that he's accomplished??

Third, I've been coaching in the area for almost 20 years now. Funny thing is, when coaches get together, coaches talk. Let's just say, I know a lot of folks who've coached against Coach Cyd, and one or two who coached with her. Reviews were mixed at best. The consensus was, she was a pretty good coach for the D-2 level, but struggled once PHS went D-1. I believe she eventually left PHS, and retuned to D-2 ORHS in the last year or two? No shame in that whatsoever. Good, yes. Great, no. If she was great for your kid, that's fantastic. I'll never rain on that parade. Coaching IS my "hobby" and has been for a long time now. And there is no better praise a coach can receive than that from a player and/or her family.

Fourth, I only know of their kids' involvement in the sport since it was mentioned in one or two pieces the local media have written in the past for Marty or Cyd (oh, and I know the writers too). I may well have coached against them (or even your daughter) at some point? As someone who's coached well over a thousand games, that generates a lot of potential touch points, and I can assure you, my only focus has been on coaching my own players. I guess my (brief) point earlier was that the Scaranos have a lot of ties to soccer, so seeing UNH Soccer getting some love in recent years isn't all that surprising. It certainly wasn't meant as a dig at UNH Soccer. I've coached kids who were recruited by UNH, but went to play elsewhere.

But you managed to take that into a whole different direction, with a whole lot of misguided assumptions, which could have easily been discovered (and avoided) by you in advance.

I'd rather have not responded to this at all, just to be clear. I'd much prefer to keep my two main hobbies separated, thank you. But with the tenor and content of your response, you left me pretty much no choice. So now I'll give you a choice ...

* if you take your originating post down, I'll do the same with this response;
* if you leave yours up, I'll regrettably have to leave this one up as well

Remember, you were the one who started this ...

[wildcatdc]

Doesn’t strike me that ListenToThis is terribly worried about you leaving your post up, nor should he be.

[Chuck Murray]

Doesn’t strike me that ListenToThis is terribly worried about you leaving your post up, nor should he be.

Doesn't particularly bother me either if he leaves it up, 'dc. LTT's epic fail at an attempted psychoanalysis (or whatever s/he was trying to do?) only serves to knock my botched Stanley Cup predictions down a notch as now only the second funniest-by-accident posts on this thread.

[Scott]

I have never met Marty personally

Nor have you met Chuck. Obsess much??

You take internet stalking to a whole new level, bud

Maybe "post #2" from someone who's been lurking around here for the past six and a half years may actually impress us.

[Chuck Murray]

Nor have you met Chuck. Obsess much??

You take internet stalking to a whole new level, bud

Maybe "post #2" from someone who's been lurking around here for the past six and a half years may actually impress us.

I hadn't even noticed that, Scott - good catch. FWIW, we do welcome anyone to the discussion. However, I'd like to think something more compelling might have come up at some point over the last six or so years to prompt a "lurker" like LTT to post (and there's nothing wrong with "lurking" - posting isn't necessarily everyone's cup of tea - I get that), rather than an initial (and fairly superficial) off-the-cuff comment about the family of the current AD's soccer background (for anyone new to the discussion, see the second sentence of post #440).

+++++++++++++++

Anyway ... it sure would be nice to have some subject matter discussion or debate, but with the radio silence coming from Hockey East AND from the UNH AD's office, at a time when we're all usually getting geared up for the start of another fun season, any naive optimism I may have had left until now is rapidly waning.

To at least interject some hockey content here ... after totally botching this year's Stanley Cup predictions (after last year's success in riding with the Blues), I've resisted the urge to make chicken soup out of the chicken crap of my failed selections these last two rounds. But I am finding myself rooting for the Stars, who forced a Game 6 with last night's OT win, but are still down 3-2 in the series. Joe Pavelski is this year's "Lanny MacDonald" or "Ray Bourque" in that he's spent most of his career with a team (San Jose) that's been strong but never quite gotten there, and this may be his last best chance. He's leading his team in scoring, and is among (if not at the top of) the scoring leaders for this post-season, and just moved to the top of the all-time list of US-born NHL playoff goal scorers, ahead of my all-time favorite BC player Joey Mullen.

Anton Khudobin seems to be doing his own Tim Thomas impersonation in goal for the Stars, taking over from one of my least-favorite goalies (Blob Ben Bishop) and taking Dallas to the SCF after a long career in the minors and as an NHL back-up ... while Dallas interim head coach Rick Bowness may also be a familiar face to long-time B's fans, and has taken the Stars to the SCF after the firing of former UMaine standout Jim Montgomery at midseason. Bowness coached the B's briefly for a season in the early '90's where he got them to the conference finals before getting being hired by the Ottawa Senators for their first season back in the NHL. Before that, Bowness was an AHL/NHL 'tweener as a player, who probably had his best season as a player as a 4th line forward with the '77/'78 Detroit Red Wings, which was a team from their "Dead Wings" era that probably lies closest to my heart, as it was a rare year for them to make the playoffs (and rarer yet to win a round!)!

It's just felt like it's Tampa Bay's season since they got past the B's in surprisingly easy fashion, so I don't expect the Stars to win, but I am rooting for them big-time.

Then it's back to HEA (and UNH) being "back on the clock" to reveal their plans for D-1 hockey ...

[d.gerry]

Maybe "post #2" from someone who's been lurking around here for the past six and a half years may actually impress us.

It took six and a half years to compose the first one, so I wouldn't hold your breath.

[Chuck Murray]

Well, Tampa Bay beat out Toronto in the "Which Team Loaded With Talent Will Win the Cup First?" contest tonight. And from the looks of it, they (TBL) may be ready to set out on a run of Cups in the future. Not good news for the rest of the league, as they seemed a level beyond the reach of everyone else. And now that they've learned how to win the big ones ... watch out.

[Darius]

"It is with sadness that we share with you Bruins Alumni member, Bobby Miller has passed away at the age of 64. Bobby played four seasons with the Bruins from the 1977-1981. He was the youngest member of the 11 players to score 20 goals during the 1977-1978 season."

https://***********/nhlbruinsalumni

[Darius]

Wildcat Century Club:

Rank	Player	Years	GP	G	A	Pts	PPG	GPG	APG
28	Bob Miller	1974-77	65	51	97	148	2.27	0.78	1.5