I haven't lived in El Paso since the early 80's but I was born and raised there. I have followed the Miners as the "home" team since the '66 championship. I don't listen to local radio and find the current controversy simultaneously sad and amusing. No doubt we Miner fans want what every fan wants: the feeling of pride and vicarious sense of accomplishment when our team wins- especially against noted opponents. The move to Conference USA was for me a demotion of sorts because we were competing against teams that are regional also-rans; commuter schools in their respective regions. Houston, UAB, UCF,etc. were not the same brands as the old WAC alignment, although that conference, too, changed over time.
The current devolution of C-USA (I call it Conference YOUSUCKAGAIN) which includes the likes of Old Dominion and Incarnate Word, is but another chop off the chairlegs of conference respectability. Schools that sound like a whiskey distillery and a nunnery respectively don't conjure images of athletic competence let alone dominance.
Tim Floyd's blowup is in part a chapter in this saga. Not longer after Floyd's first season as UTEP's head coach, he stated publicly that he longed for the atmosphere of the 80's when student attendance was greater and Miner wins were more numerous. But as Thomas Wolfe wrote decades ago -- you can't go home again. That was Floyd's first mistake.
His yearning for the days of yore when The Bear was in charge says something about his need to take nostalgic refuge after his career meltdown at USC. Which was probably more traumatising to him than his abject failure as head coach of the post Jordan Bulls where he took a leave of absence during a particularly bad stretch. It might also reveal his deep attachment to Haskins not only as his mentor on the court, but also their bond in an almost father and son way. His return to El Paso was in a way his homecoming to where it all began.
The crticism that Kaplowitz has lodged at Floyd does not appear to me to be unduly harsh, though I do think that the Conference alignment issues have played a big part in the way Floyd and Co. have been able to recruit and keep players. I think Floyd and Stull tried to overcome the relative media anonymity of Utep by taking the team to tournaments like Battle for Atlantis. But they soon abandonded that tack and instead appear to want to schedule opponents that lead to wins. Also the whole RPI issue probably makes it hard for Utep to schedule opponents of standing.
Tim Floyd wants to go to the NCAA. But the days of snagging talented players who are marginal students and keeping them down on the farm are over. Unless he makes close bonds with players there would be nothing to keep them in El Paso.
Bob Stull is probably content to have teams that are sufficiently competitive to avoid making hard decisions as long as they are NCAA compliant. We fans will have to satisfy ourselves eith the status quo and cross our fingers for the odd breakout season.
The current devolution of C-USA (I call it Conference YOUSUCKAGAIN) which includes the likes of Old Dominion and Incarnate Word, is but another chop off the chairlegs of conference respectability. Schools that sound like a whiskey distillery and a nunnery respectively don't conjure images of athletic competence let alone dominance.
Tim Floyd's blowup is in part a chapter in this saga. Not longer after Floyd's first season as UTEP's head coach, he stated publicly that he longed for the atmosphere of the 80's when student attendance was greater and Miner wins were more numerous. But as Thomas Wolfe wrote decades ago -- you can't go home again. That was Floyd's first mistake.
His yearning for the days of yore when The Bear was in charge says something about his need to take nostalgic refuge after his career meltdown at USC. Which was probably more traumatising to him than his abject failure as head coach of the post Jordan Bulls where he took a leave of absence during a particularly bad stretch. It might also reveal his deep attachment to Haskins not only as his mentor on the court, but also their bond in an almost father and son way. His return to El Paso was in a way his homecoming to where it all began.
The crticism that Kaplowitz has lodged at Floyd does not appear to me to be unduly harsh, though I do think that the Conference alignment issues have played a big part in the way Floyd and Co. have been able to recruit and keep players. I think Floyd and Stull tried to overcome the relative media anonymity of Utep by taking the team to tournaments like Battle for Atlantis. But they soon abandonded that tack and instead appear to want to schedule opponents that lead to wins. Also the whole RPI issue probably makes it hard for Utep to schedule opponents of standing.
Tim Floyd wants to go to the NCAA. But the days of snagging talented players who are marginal students and keeping them down on the farm are over. Unless he makes close bonds with players there would be nothing to keep them in El Paso.
Bob Stull is probably content to have teams that are sufficiently competitive to avoid making hard decisions as long as they are NCAA compliant. We fans will have to satisfy ourselves eith the status quo and cross our fingers for the odd breakout season.
