Should I Start Caring/Watching Again?

BamaMoon, I have not been able to get into watching the Tide play basketball this year either. I am not sure if its them losing a couple of games they should have lost or the inconsistent play. Last night, I knew they were on but instead of watching, I played Candyland with my grandkids while their parents went to a high school basketball game. As a high school principal, last night was a rare night off.

I have been down on Alabama basketball for a while now. I was almost all season last year, despite the hype of Sexton and the ncaa run. BUT, I've decided to shake off this poor attitude and get on board and be positive. I watched a good bit of the Tennessee game. There was a lot of positives that came out of that game. The team looked more together, more cohesive, more aggressive, and confident. It should have paid off with a huge road win but the refs and our free throw shooting wouldn't let it be. But then they followed it up with that performance last night against a good Ole Miss team. If they can keep up this style of play, then this is a legit tournament team. You see Auburn and Mississippi State stumbling a bit. Kentucky is Kentucky, and Tennessee is a final 4 contender, sure. But this Alabama team is good enough to finish this season clearly on the positive side of the bubble and make a nice run in the postseason. And that's the thing about basketball. Those early non-conference head scratching loses don't matter anymore if you can go on a run in your conference. We've got wins over Arizona, Kentucky, and Ole Miss. Should have beat Tennessee on the road.

Get back on board. It's going to be a roller coaster ride because that's what college basketball is, and we're not Duke or Kentucky. But I really think it's going to be fun in the end. Let's go get a win over Baylol and really get a good run started to finish the season.

alabama mike1 said:

BamaMoon, I have not been able to get into watching the Tide play basketball this year either. I am not sure if its them losing a couple of games they should have lost or the inconsistent play. Last night, I knew they were on but instead of watching, I played Candyland with my grandkids while their parents went to a high school basketball game. As a high school principal, last night was a rare night off.

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I always care but I don't always watch.

I've watched a lot of games since CAJ arrived including the 2nd half of the Saturday's 10rC game (I was working earlier) and it really disturbs me that Bama is such a poor free throw shooting team. Not just this year but seems for many years running. Had we hit only 50% of our FT's in the 2nd half of the 10rC game we'd have knocked them out of the #1 spot they currently own. Poor FT shooting cost us the aTm game as well. That "Hail Mary" shot at with time expiring wouldn't have been a thing had we hit more FT's.

I'll continue to care and keep watching. I'm also gonna try to take in a game or two if I can swing it with my schedule.


Roll Tide.

Yes, but just know that you are have your heart broken again and again.

rtr

I haven't watched a full game this season, and haven't been in attendance at a game in 2-3 years now.

They just don't put a consistent team on the court, regardless of who the coach or the players are. It's endemic to the SEC as a whole. There is usually one, standout team, and everyone else. Many would say the same about football, but winning on the road is the biggest hurdle for almost every single SEC team. Kentucky can usually go on the road and win. Tennessee is showing they can this season. Everyone else, great at home, terrible on the road. Just look at Auburn. Look at the Mississippi schools.

Roll Tide, but I fully expect a loss to Baylor this weekend. I believe they will finish right at .500 in SEC play, not get an invite to the big dance. They are 3-3 as of right now, which the guys on JOX this morning debated was accurate to how they will finish, or indicative of a slowish start. I say, it's exactly how they will finish. Steal one on the road, lose one at home they shouldn't, but basically, draw a line between home games, wins, and road games, losses.

I can only offer my philosophy.

Losing sucks but I will always watch.......win, lose, or draw....because I never stop supporting my team!

This thread is depressing. Pretty much a good example of the frustration people who care about the basketball program feel when they go to a game, or tune in last night. The first thought is um.. why is no one here? We have a top 20 conference foe in our house, and just took the number 1 team in the nation to the final second on their home court. The players come out and then see that there is still a lack of interest. Glad Coleman is getting downsized just for this reason. I guess they took out their frustration on OM in the pregame scuffle as well as the beat down. Our net ranking is 46, 1-3 vs Quadrant 1 teams, and 6-0 (!!) against quadrant 2 teams, which could move up to quad 1 teams if they continue to win games. We are definitely in the picture to make the tournament, and our schedule is favorable down the stretch. Petty is playing like we all hoped for when he signed with us the past few games, and it's energizing everyone else. We are a fun basketball team to watch right now.

I wish I could offer something on the attendance, but I can't. I've been to a few basketball games over the years, but not since the glory days of the Gottfried era. It's just impossible to make it for a mid-week game living this far away. As my kids get older, if they are interested in basketball, I'm planning to take them to games on the weekends. I loved going to the games I went to.

RammaJamma10 said:

This thread is depressing. Pretty much a good example of the frustration people who care about the basketball program feel when they go to a game, or tune in last night. The first thought is um.. why is no one here? We have a top 20 conference foe in our house, and just took the number 1 team in the nation to the final second on their home court. The players come out and then see that there is still a lack of interest. Glad Coleman is getting downsized just for this reason. I guess they took out their frustration on OM in the pregame scuffle as well as the beat down. Our net ranking is 46, 1-3 vs Quadrant 1 teams, and 6-0 (!!) against quadrant 2 teams, which could move up to quad 1 teams if they continue to win games. We are definitely in the picture to make the tournament, and our schedule is favorable down the stretch. Petty is playing like we all hoped for when he signed with us the past few games, and it's energizing everyone else. We are a fun basketball team to watch right now.

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As I mentioned in the game thread, an 8 pm tip is not easy for people outside of Tuscaloosa. I went to the Penn State game, which was an 8 pm tip, too. I didn't get back to Prattville until midnight. How can people that work 8-5 and/or have a family be expected to do that on a Tuesday night?

BamaMoon said:

I thought last year we'd be a much better team with CS, but in some ways I believe he hurt us as much as he helped us in terms of players developing around him. After watching the first couple of games with Kira running point, I thought we might actually be a better team this year if the players that didn't develop last year, started to show some progress. Maybe that is happening and will now pay off.

As for not watching, the older I get the harder it is for me to watch basketball in general. I almost refuse to watch it live because I can't stand how slow it moves with all the fouls and free throw shooting. When I watch Bama play, I usually record the game and start watching about 30 minutes to an hour into the game so I can just fast forward through commericials and free throws.

I was being a little tongue in cheek about "caring" because I always pay attention to who wins and I want Bama to win, but I've just not watched as much this year.

Basketball meant the world to me as a kid, especially during the 80's when I was in HS and college. Even played at the college NAIA level, but it's just hard to watch today IMO.

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The officiating is absolutely atrocious and is a drag on the enjoyment of the games, but I'm doing to do my best to get past it.

dayhiker said:

Maybe. I haven't really read anything about it. There's gutting it, and then there's GUTTING it. I don't have a clue what's planned.

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Think it's going to be a complete gutting. Link

dayhiker said:

That'll be awesome.

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Yep. Wish it was happening sooner, but that appears to be set in stone now.