BU 2011-2012 Season: The bar is low, boys!

[collegefan06]

Re: BU 2011-2012 Season: The bar is low, boys!

Last night's game was an embarrassment for BU.

BU was unprepared.
BU took Holy Cross lightly.
The concentration level was as low as their opinions of themselves, and their own abilities is high.

Is there one player on the Holy Cross roster that BU would have recruited? ONE? No.
How many players from Holy Cross could have made the BU roster, as non-scholarship walk-ons? Probably very few.

We have seen a BU team that come prepared and motivitated to play against UNH and Denver. We could say the same for Millan.
They were unprepared, from the start, to match the intensity and effort at PC and against Holy Cross.
It is a good team/bad team situation. The more respect they give the opposition, the better they play.

Jack Parker can hammer them after the game, like last night. But what is he and his staff doing before the games, and during the games, to get them going? Especially against the so-called "lesser opponents."

Don't worry, it's just the "bad egg" players like Vinnie and Victor, oh, and Glass, and the leadership of the classes of 09 and 10. They are almost gone and the character guys that play every game hard just like Jack teaches will be here soon. Hang in there, now that we are into 2011 and signs guys don't care and aren't ready to play have appeared all we have to do is get these next 4 classes graduated and we'll be okay again.

Jack's been doing it almost 40 years. He knows the game better then all of us combined do. He's a legend. By 2015 it will be all better just in time for his next contract. All we need is patience. It's the playes. They were good when he recruited them but unfortunately they changed over that summer before coming to BU....

Hang in there Terrier fans it will get better soon, its just those guys that don't care but they'll be, maybe some by Christmas when he blames one or two for being the bad eggs....

I'm so tired of all this.

 

[Boston22]

Re: BU 2011-2012 Season: The bar is low, boys!

Parker's quotes always sound like the team has a restraining order on him during the game.

My sentiments exactly. He always complains (after a loss) that his team was horrible for long portions of the game. Then why don't you do something about it?!?

If I ever saw a quote from this guy taking any kind of blame whatsoever, I think I'd go into cardiac arrest.

This crap was old a long time ago. Now, I just don't know what the hell to call it.

 

[Boston22]

Re: BU 2011-2012 Season: The bar is low, boys!

In his dancing, did he ever take some of the blame? Or say the coaching staff needs to take some of the blame? Just curious.

Anyway, duh on the locker room stuff, hokydad already let everyone know about that!!!

Did hokydad say something about it on this thread or another one? I couldn't find it going back to page 7. Thanks.

 

[Bomber]

Re: BU 2011-2012 Season: The bar is low, boys!

Shaugnessy called it "one of the greatest upsets in local sports history." (Today's column.) Wonderful.

 

[Jacques Joubert]

Re: BU 2011-2012 Season: The bar is low, boys!

We are used to it in Atlantic Hockey. Anytime we win an OOC game, blame is thrown and excuses are in abundance. An occasional insult to the fans is just part of the deal.

The problem with written words is that they're often misinterpreted. I wasn't attempting to slight Atlantic Hockey or the Holy Cross Team and alumni. Holy Cross played a hard clean game and deserved the win. My statement was more of an indictment of the current state of BU Hockey, as in, "They didn't beat a good team". Apologies for any confusion.

What's next?????

Please roll your eyes in advance if the following happens:

Reports of a "drinking party" and resulting suspensions come out this week.

Some guys may even be getting kicked off the team.

Sigh...

There was a time when playing an ECAC team or 1/2 of HE teams meant an "easy win" for BU. This is clearly no longer the case.

Whatever the case...the team doesn't seem to be listening to anyone behind the bench.

 

[Stories]

Re: BU 2011-2012 Season: The bar is low, boys!

While I haven't been able to watch the games, one thing seems apparent on the score sheet--this team is extremely top heavy. There's almost not (scoring) contribution from the bottom-6 guys or d-men outside of Clendening.

Maybe there's a balance issue here?

 

[Friend_of_BU_Hockey]

Re: BU 2011-2012 Season: The bar is low, boys!

While I haven't been able to watch the games, one thing seems apparent on the score sheet--this team is extremely top heavy. There's almost not (scoring) contribution from the bottom-6 guys or d-men outside of Clendening.

Maybe there's a balance issue here?

I noticed that as well, but I don't think it's a (lack of) balance issue. Other teams have been very successful in seasons where they've overly relied on a small group of players for the vast majority of their offensive production. A well-balanced team, IMO, is one where the role(s) for each player is/are well-defined. I think one problem w/ this BU team right now is that certain players who are supposed to play specific roles on the team aren't fulfilling those roles - thus, not adding the value on the ice that they should.

When your shutdown d-men can't shut down opponents, when your top PKs allow the opponent to go 3-4 on the PP, when your puck-moving d-men make bad decisions w/ the puck that result in turnovers, when your centers can't win key faceoffs, etc., those issues - when happening concurrently - lead to troublesome results.

 

[reBlur]

Re: BU 2011-2012 Season: The bar is low, boys!

We have transcripts from Parker and Chiasson up on the blog. We had an exclusive interview with Chiasson, so make sure to check that transcript out.

 

[Harry Cleverly]

Re: BU 2011-2012 Season: The bar is low, boys!

Shaugnessy called it "one of the greatest upsets in local sports history." (Today's column.) Wonderful.

Holy Cross grad Shaughnessy would write something like that.
When Holy Cross beat Minnesota in the NCAA tournament, THAT was one of the greatest upsets in local sports history.

This game was more like David beating Goliath, because David came more than ready to play and Goliath overlooked him early in a long season.
Congratulations to David. No excuses for Goliath. But these things happen a lot more frequently than Shaughnessy would let on.

 

[bantam75]

Re: BU 2011-2012 Season: The bar is low, boys!

OK, so I just ruined my day by reading a couple of pages post HC debacle and realize one thing that's a positive. There seems to be an ever-increasing majority of the posters that have HAD IT WITH PARKER.

I've been on that band wagon now since before the 2009 NC. I gave it a rest that season and half of the next before resuming my "Parker has to go" rant. So i am glads to see that more and more of you have come over to this viewpoint.

I don't think I can continue the rant for "Four More Years". But for the folks out there that have the pleasure covering the team in the media, your job could get easier, because instead of actually doing interviews after horrible losses like Satruday night, you can just take out the audio clips and answers from all of the other interviews that Parker has done the past 4-5 years because the answers NEVER change. We could nominate almost anyone from this thread to do mock interviews with that "Cutout" Parker placard I saw in DC during the NC in 2009 and have someone throw their voice as if they are Jackie with the pat answers. Sort of like the old Mr. Bill routines on SNL in the old days. In our case, "the hands" and background voice are Parker that throw Mr. Bill under the bus each week after another devastating loss with some pat answer for why the players blew it again.

Now that Hotdog and Jesus have graduated, we need some comic relief during the season or its going to be a VERY depressing and frustrating fall, winter and early spring. More mind-numbing losses to UML, UMASS and Providence and near-misses against BC and maybe a couple of big-wins against some other national contenders, but another early season end come March.

I'll stop babbling on and one because I might have to go draw a hot bath and look for the razor blades.

 

[bantam75]

Re: BU 2011-2012 Season: The bar is low, boys!

Congratulations to David. No excuses for Goliath. But these things happen a lot more frequently than Shaughnessy would let on.

Especially when it involves BU Hockey of late. Let's not forget they were crushed by Brown last year. If we're lucky it will only be one shocking loss a season. Remember: FOUR MORE YEARS!!!

 

[SteveF]

We have transcripts from Parker and Chiasson up on the blog. We had an exclusive interview with Chiasson, so make sure to check that transcript out.

Chiasson needs a map to get out of cliche purgatory. How can everyone get in the same boat if they aren't allowed off the bus? No wonder there is discord in the locker room

 

[ericredaxe]

Re: BU 2011-2012 Season: The bar is low, boys!

Chiasson needs a map to get out of cliche purgatory. How can everyone get in the same boat if they aren't allowed off the bus? No wonder there is discord in the locker room

we gotta play em one day at a time...

I'm just happy to be here, and good lord willing, things will work out.

 

[defkit]

Re: BU 2011-2012 Season: The bar is low, boys!

OK, so I just ruined my day by reading a couple of pages post HC debacle and realize one thing that's a positive. There seems to be an ever-increasing majority of the posters that have HAD IT WITH PARKER.

LOL...I was having the same exact thought.

I have always stressed that my current desire for him to step down does not mean I don't have a great deal of respect for Jack and all he has done for BU Hockey. There is not shortage of incredible moments that make me think fondly of his coaching - everything from the 1990 upset of Michigan State to the stunning win againt Michigan in 1997. However, the reality is that since 1997, the volume of such memories has dropped significantly. Sure, 2009 was a magical season. But other than the occasional exciting Beanpot win, what else has there been. Or put another way, how many times since 1997 has BU won a big game where they were the underdog? As I've said all along, I truly feel that Jack just cannot relate to this generation of young hockey players. His grandkids are closer in age to them than his kids (I think....).

IF (and I stress IF) BU fails to make the NCAA's for the third year in a row, if we hear nothing from Parker about calling it quits, then the respect I have for him will start fading, as I will feel that it has become more about him than BU Hockey. BU Hockey is about excellence, and despite what everyone in the media still says, there hasn't been too much of it since 1997, at least in terms of wins on the national scene. The arena is no longer an excuse. We still get good recruits by most objective measures. I truly am concerned at how long that will keep up without more success on the ice.

If I read in tomorrow's paper that Jack was going to retire at the end of this eason, and David Quinn was going to be the new head coach, I would be more elated than I can put into words.

I am not a Parker hater. I am just a BU Hockey lover, and I am worried that what I love is slowly fading away.

 

[buoldtimer]

Re: BU 2011-2012 Season: The bar is low, boys!

If I read in tomorrow's paper that Jack was going to retire at the end of this eason, and David Quinn was going to be the new head coach, I would be more elated than I can put into words.

The caliber of play by the defensemen has deteriorated markedly since Quinn's departure. It was evident in the performance of the defensemen who stayed on after he left (Shattenkirk, Cohen, Gryba, Warsofsky). If you watch Nicastro and Escobedo, it's obvious that they do not know how to play D1 level defense. The same may apply to Clendening.

 

[Jacques Joubert]

Re: BU 2011-2012 Season: The bar is low, boys!

I am not a Parker hater. I am just a BU Hockey lover, and I am worried that what I love is slowly fading away.

Spot on! Why not bring in Mike Sullivan or Quinn or someone now? They clearly need help and the next coach better not be in the current set of assistants...

So tired of seeing this team get out worked and out coached is all. It's not the losses it's that they aren't competing.

If this team doesn't qualify for the NCAAs this year my new strategy will be to wait and see how the team is doing and THEN get season tickets.

BU Hockey: No longer a tough ticket.

 

[Bomber]

Re: BU 2011-2012 Season: The bar is low, boys!

As I've said all along, I truly feel that Jack just cannot relate to this generation of young hockey players. His grandkids are closer in age to them than his kids (I think....).

The truly eye opening moment for me was that inverview he gave to Joe Amorosino last year. He basically came out and SAID he can't relate to/doesn't like today's players. I had an algebra teacher my Freshman year of high school who basically hated teenagers. Miserable semester. And our power play sucked and we had zero locker room chemistry.

BU Hockey: Positive Passion

 

[bantam75]

Re: BU 2011-2012 Season: The bar is low, boys!

LOL...I was having the same exact thought.

If I read in tomorrow's paper that Jack was going to retire at the end of this season, and David Quinn was going to be the new head coach, I would be more elated than I can put into words.

I am not a Parker hater. I am just a BU Hockey lover, and I am worried that what I love is slowly fading away.

That's scarey to think that someone is thinking like me and saying same thing about the dearth of BIG wins (other than 2009 NC game). Watching BC and UND with the swagger this team had from 1990 to 1998 is really causing deep psychological trauma and the need to consume massive amounts of alcohol and drugs weekend they play.

The thing about Quinn is that the longer Parker goes, the more Quinn is going to move to the NHL and never look back. There is not another former BU player turned coach as good as Quinn now. Of course that may change, but when?

In the meantime, we all suffer the pain, but i will NEVER stop rooting for BU ... EVER. 45 years and counting. God, we could be Red Sox fans ... wait a minute ... DOH!!!

Thank god for the Patriots, Bruins, Celtics and Red Sox over the past 10 years. Could you imagine if the pro-teams had not won anything over the last 10 years?? The BC Globe would be pounding away about all those BC NCs and the annual march to the NCAAs ... no wait a minute ... they do that anyways ... DOH!!!

There is always a "dump Jack" petition to get us doing something productive

 

[quiddlet]

Re: BU 2011-2012 Season: The bar is low, boys!

He basically came out and SAID he can't relate to/doesn't like today's players.

Then maybe, just maybe, he shouldn't be coaching them.

 

[Harry Cleverly]

Re: BU 2011-2012 Season: The bar is low, boys!

Jack Parker will go when Jack Parker decides it is time for him to go. Make no mistake about that. He will stay as long as he wants to stay.

The students aren't going to drive him out. Nor are the fans.

We are four games into the season. As season that will be coached by Jack Parker, whom, I believe has at least three more years on his contract (he has until 2015 or '16 in his current deal).

He's not going anywhere. At least he isn't anytime soon. (BTW - he's 18 years younger than Joe Paterno.)

I think we would see a change of assistants before we see Parker go ... unless HE believes he can't be effective anymore and chooses to leave.

It is not too long ago to point to 2009, when BU won everything in front of them.
Our frustration is that the Terriers have been inconsistent, do not always seem motivated, and the people at the wrong end of Comm. Ave. have generally been better since the start of the 2000s.

At worst, BU has still been the second most successful Hockey East team over the past decade or so. Who has been the most successful is the bigger issue ... especially those of us that remember back to the late 60s, early 70s thru the 90s when we always had hockey to lord over our neighbors.

Maybe Mike Sullivan or David Quinn would be preferable to a lot of BU fans.
But that is a moot point as long as Jack Parker considers it a moot point.