Villanova (MSG), Fri., Jan. 20, 7p, FS-1

monte said:
All valid points SJUW, although I'm sure that the extension was a joint decision, not just Cragg's. As for attendance, there's a segment of our fan base that are going to buy season tickets and game tickets regardless of how bad we are. I say, to each his own. I don't happen to be one or those people. IMO as long as attendance remains at a certain level, the school will be in no hurry to make a change. Nothing expresses fan displeasure more than empty seats.
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"As for attendance, there's a segment of our fan base that are going to buy season tickets and game tickets regardless of how bad we are."

I guess they like being miserable, there's something called tough love, and even though you don't want to do it, you still do something to force the powers that be to do something. Wouldn't it be worth it to stop going for a few years, maybe they hire an elite coach, then get new season tickets when SJUisrocking nyc once again, I mean 80s style: Top 10 teams, NCAA tourny every year, getting to the F4 a few times.
Wouldn't sacrificing a few years of not going be worth it then? To me it would be, but yeah as Monte said: "to each his own."
 
SJUWillRockNYC said:
"As for attendance, there's a segment of our fan base that are going to buy season tickets and game tickets regardless of how bad we are."

I guess they like being miserable, there's something called tough love, and even though you don't want to do it, you still do something to force the powers that be to do something. Wouldn't it be worth it to stop going for a few years, maybe they hire an elite coach, then get new season tickets when SJUisrocking nyc once again, I mean 80s style: Top 10 teams, NCAA tourny every year, getting to the F4 a few times.
Wouldn't sacrificing a few years of not going be worth it then? To me it would be, but yeah as Monte said: "to each his own."
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Style points to you for putting your screen name in a paragraph without talking in the 3rd person :)
 
Has anyone considered that we may have only scored 49 points against Villanova because our team are San Francisco 49er fans and did it in support of the 49ers against Dallas in today's playoff game? Sorry that's all I got.
 
TonyinFairfield said:
If you want to argue points so be it. But the name calling is really inappropriate. You really lose credibility when you do that. Just sayin’. 💁‍♂️
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I usually don’t resort to name calling but it’s tiring to see all these posters saying what a great job Cragg is doing when he has failed at his most important job as athletic director, putting a winning basketball program on the floor.

He is responsible for three years of lousy OOC scheduling, giving Anderson, who has made no post season tourneys an extension and now a high buy out as well? But there are those who praise him for the great accomplishments with beer at Carnessecca arena and Happy the Hungry Hippo at Halftimes of hoops games? Frustrating.
 
bamafan said:
Has anyone considered that we may have only scored 49 points against Villanova because our team are San Francisco 49er fans and did it in support of the 49ers against Dallas in today's playoff game? Sorry that's all I got.
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A slew of Bloody Mary's at brunch today?
 
Johnny Rapper said:
I usually don’t resort to name calling but it’s tiring to see all these posters saying what a great job Cragg is doing when he has failed at his most important job as athletic director, putting a winning basketball program on the floor.

He is responsible for three years of lousy OOC scheduling, giving Anderson, who has made no post season tourneys an extension and now a high buy out as well? But there are those who praise him for the great accomplishments with beer at Carnessecca arena and Happy the Hungry Hippo at Halftimes of hoops games? Frustrating.
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I’m as much on this site as you are and I don’t see a lot of people praising Cragg. And the examples you cite are good, no doubt. But I haven’t seen one person call them great accomplishments. And yes, it is incredibly frustrating.
 
Johnny Rapper said:
I usually don’t resort to name calling but it’s tiring to see all these posters saying what a great job Cragg is doing when he has failed at his most important job as athletic director, putting a winning basketball program on the floor.

He is responsible for three years of lousy OOC scheduling, giving Anderson, who has made no post season tourneys an extension and now a high buy out as well? But there are those who praise him for the great accomplishments with beer at Carnessecca arena and Happy the Hungry Hippo at Halftimes of hoops games? Frustrating.
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The main reason I praise Cragg is, do you remember the AD's that came before Cragg? Most of them were a joke with no vision who enabled the mom and pop mentality of the school and athletic department. And now look where we ended up. 20+ years of futility, acting like it's still 1985, and still playing in one of the worst on campus arenas of any D1 team.
 
Not saying Cragg isn't good or better than what's come before, but what's really changed with the flagship program with him there? Without the $, does it really matter? Some game day experience at CA isn't really complicated.

Here was the press release from April 2021 when Cragg got an extension...3 months after Shanley in office and 2 weeks before Anderson's extension

So, no success with basketball, attendance is down, no major success in corporate sponsorships etc.

Glad he's here vs. some from past but is he really a game changer or just playing it safe?






redstormsports.com

St. John’s Announces Contract Extension for Mike Cragg - St. John's University Athletics

St. John's University announced on Wednesday that Director of Athletics Mike Cragg has agreed to a new five-year contract to continue leading Red Storm...
redstormsports.com redstormsports.com
 
room112 said:
The main reason I praise Cragg is, do you remember the AD's that came before Cragg? Most of them were a joke with no vision who enabled the mom and pop mentality of the school and athletic department. And now look where we ended up. 20+ years of futility, acting like it's still 1985, and still playing in one of the worst on campus arenas of any D1 team.
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I don’t disagree regarding the past athletic directors of the school. However comparing Cragg to them is like comparing Mullin to Norm Roberts, just different levels of “stunk”. 😎👍

The most important job of the St. John’s AD is to lay the foundation of a successful hoops program. For many already mentioned reasons, Cragg, to put it nicely, without calling him names, has not gotten the job done (happy now Tony ?) and is not just disappointing fans but is costing the University millions of dollars in lost revenue.
 
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Johnny Rapper said:
I don’t disagree regarding the past athletic directors of the school. However comparing Cragg to them is like comparing Mullin to Norm Roberts, just different levels of “stunk”. 😎👍

The most important job of the St. John’s AD is to lay the foundation of a successful hoops program. For many already mentioned reasons, Cragg, to put it nicely, without calling him names, has not gotten the job done (happy now Tony ?) and is not just disappointing fans but is costing the University millions of dollars in lost revenue.
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Can’t resist being snarky, can you.

Trust me, you have zero impact on my happiness. You give yourself way too much credit.
 
Ok, since this thread has devolved to trashing Cragg, I pose this thought. You just replaced Cragg. Now what are the major moves you make in order to revive this program?
 

JohnnyFan said:
Anyone notice the promotional water bottles, scheduled to be given to the "first 2,500 fans", were given on the way out?

Small thing, but.....We are.....
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SJU61982 said:
Based on the apparel people were wearing (Nova paraphernalia vs St. John's paraphernalia), 60/40 at best, and I think that was generous.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Our best shot to get a home cort advantage is to move all of our games to UBS, and do what Seton Hall does at the Rock, and curtain off the upper bowl.

The Garden, IMO, has been our biggest impediment to winning for quite a long time now.
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monte said:
Agreed Tony. I remember when the extension was announced and I was beside myself. I made my feelings known here on the board. Other posters said "well, they may have extended CMA, but there's probably a low buy out". Knowing CMA's agent and their past behavior with both Missouri and Ark, I highly doubted that. Now we're hearing that Cragg's hands are tied because of the large buy out. So, either that's an excuse because the school is not yet ready to let CMA go, or the extension was one hell of a horrible businsss move by the school. Different Pres and AD, same poor business decisions. Who suffers the most because
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gregbodkin said:
Ok, since this thread has devolved to trashing Cragg, I pose this thought. You just replaced Cragg. Now what are the major moves you make in order to revive this program?
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I know firsthand that criticizing Cragg is the third rail here. So I will proceed gently and put on my flak jacket.

Cragg has been here five years. What are the “major moves” he has done to revive the program? And if Anderson is under fire why does it stop at him?
 
Anyone who goes to games on campus and sits through that brutal ( definitely worse this year ) heat and at the same time watch uninspiring basketball will understand that selling beer this year in the Arena should get Cragg a Statue next to Looie
 
Jack Williams said:
Give Mike Repole the keys to the program and throw money at every problem that arises?
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I'd guess Repole has contact with major corporation leaders. Who does Cragg know? I don't see Cragg helping us with NIL's. Here we are in the most powerful city in the USA, and we're trembling at the thought of NIL's. We do everything possible as mid-major and you see the results.
 
SJUWillRockNYC said:
"As for attendance, there's a segment of our fan base that are going to buy season tickets and game tickets regardless of how bad we are."

I guess they like being miserable, there's something called tough love, and even though you don't want to do it, you still do something to force the powers that be to do something. Wouldn't it be worth it to stop going for a few years, maybe they hire an elite coach, then get new season tickets when SJUisrocking nyc once again, I mean 80s style: Top 10 teams, NCAA tourny every year, getting to the F4 a few times.
Wouldn't sacrificing a few years of not going be worth it then? To me it would be, but yeah as Monte said: "to each his own."
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I think for all of us, it begs the question; where does loyalty end and enabling begin?
 
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