Polito wrote:Polito "swoop in"
apologies, in and out of the country these weeks...but I absolutely need to chime in considering I gave this program the business in the offseason, and they deserved the knocks with the garbage losses, they have completely turned on the jets and equally deserve MAJOR kudos for taking care of business and winning this league - congrats to Speedy the staff and every player on this team for a well-earned regular season crown!!
This team is really firing - seeing the kind of team I have fully expected and wanted to see from Speedy from day 1. THIS is the way HU hoops
should be performing with it's typical level of talent on a yearly basis. CofC peaking as well. I'm not quite counting out Towson fully... the two best teams overall are clear, but who knows in these whacky conf tourney's, believe they will be very motivated to prove themselves.
Going to be a heckuva CAAT for the top group.
HU has achieved 50% of the goal. Now it's time to get nasty and go finish the job. ROLL PRIDE!
To prove that "giving the business" and handing out "knocks" are not only one way, but should be given when they're deserved in any direction, I come here with receipts!
I don't like to air dirty laundry like this but I think in this particular case it's called for and it might be the only way you'll learn your lesson for next time.
So, FDF board, here's just a sampling of what I spared you, that I had to put up with for you through a myriad of texts this season rather than it being posted here:
Dec 11: "3rd to 4th place team, no dance. Mark this text."
Dec 29: "This team isn't going anywhere. It's one player with no D and no player development."
Dec 30: "Speedy has no clue what to do. I love the dude, he's a legend but he is not ready to be a head coach & lead his team to the promised land like Charleston's staff."
Dec 30: "C of C is going to school Speedy. HU only has a chance because they have great player in AE. That's it."
Dec 30: "I don't need an entire season anymore. It's the same movie."
Dec 31: "Look you are holding on to hope. I won't knock it. This team isn't dancing and you and everyone knows it. They are one player, not a team."
Dec 31: Everybody on the board knows this team is failing and Speedy and staff have majorly disappointed. Everybody knows they aren't dancing. I called it early."
Jan 14: "I was unfortunately right on the money with my predictions after six games. It's worked out pretty much as predicted."
Jan 14: HU isn't very good, plays sloppy and undisciplined, doesn't play D, doesn't have enough options outside of AE and they still haven't developed a post."
Jan 14: "C of C is very impressive, 2nd year staff. Jealous."
Jan 14: "You see a league champ?" (in Hofstra?)
Jan 14: "This team isn't good and has already been exposed."
Jan 14: "AE can't handle the rock like I said from the beginning."
Jan 14: "Speedy has not impressed."
Jan 14: "Speedy has been super disappointing. Not impressed at all."
Jan 14: "What about CofC makes you think they're beatable by HU?"
Jan 16: "I don't like being right about this but the first conf team with half a pulse and HU folds like a cheap suit." (after losing at Towson)
Jan 16: "This team isn't good and Speedy isn't ready to be a head coach."
Jan 16: "They're in for an even ruder awakening against the W and C of C."
Jan 16: "Huge red flag about Speedy and his staff. They play decent a couple of games, then bomb, usually against real teams."
Jan 19: "This is who they are. They are up and down, win and lose - they have zero consistency - that's not a champion."
Jan 19: "How many years are you going to pretend like January doesn't matter? The season is over [soon]. These are the games that DO matter."
Jan 19: "Just look at Charleston's roster. They are going to wipe the floor with HU, esp at home. Much better, much deeper, much bigger, and better coaching staff."
Jan 27: "I see a bad outcome, but like you say, gotta play the games, so I fully hope HU shocks and shows they're ready to be top dog. I just hope it''s not an embarrassing buttkicking." (a day before HU won at Charleston)
Jan 28: "Speedy hasn't done anything he promised so far."
Jan 28: "His teams don't play hard-nosed D, they have no balance, they are inconsistent."
It took me all season, or really, it took Hofstra to make him believe it, but finally, Polito has been talked in off the ledge and there is something we can agree on here:
Feb 8: "Love what I'm seeing but you know it all doesn't matter if you don't cut nets."
Feb 8: "They are on a very good track but they have to DANCE to validate. You know that."
As I've been trying to tell you (maybe now you see it with HU clinching the top seed), it's unrealistic to expect a team with a bunch of key, new pieces to immediately gel and win on a consistent basis against a very tough OOC schedule. Gelling takes time, especially against a tough schedule. We know this! You know this, which is why I kept telling you (often to no avail) to be patient all season and let them play the games before you bury their entire season in November and December, or even in January. We also knew the CAA schedule, and knew that with a few exceptions, that would be much easier in conference play, which again, is why I said, what??? Say it with me now... Let. Them. Play. The. Games. First!
I think I need to use this post to do something official and hereby transfer my Hofstra Kappa Sigma pledge name of Buzzard to you since like a buzzard, you like to swoop in and enjoy the spoils after the work is already done. I think the name is more fitting for you now. But hey, always good to have as many as we can have back on board for March. Just don't break those hopping back onto the bandwagon as bad as Estrada (who CAN handle the rock well) broke some defenders' ankles this season.
Hope you didn't take the above too seriously, it's meant in fun. In all seriousness, I get where you're coming from - and you're right, even this regular season title doesn't mean that much if it's not validated like it was three years ago. But you also don't win every year you're the one seed. Sometimes you reach the final as a 1 seed or otherwise and come up just a bit short (like they have twice). We routinely see that across the nation every March. You can only put yourself in the best possible position to do that as often as you can. Three 1 seeds in five years, four 1 seeds in eight years says Hofstra has done that very well. A second CAAT title - if they can it this year - out of those four 1 seeds? I'd be fine with that. Not much much more you could ask over that stretch (which all includes Speedy by the way, either as an assistant or as a head coach). This team looks completely focused and ready to cut the nets in a little over a week. Hopefully, they will, maybe they won't. But perhaps if they need just a little extra motivation to keep proving people wrong, they can read your texts.
- kudos for following my jock for an entire season, I can think of a couple of posters on this board who likely love it and have the same hard on for me - how you and I are in the same fraternity is beyond me 
