comment about jim phillips

[NorthwesternIsAllClass]

say what we want about jim phillips but the athletics dept has a well-rounded, competitive program in every sport we offer*

there are no weak ones. women's tennis? still going strong. field hockey? big ten reg season champ i believe. women's basketball? we can play with psu and purdue and are poised for the next step in 2014-15. softball? still solid. volleyball? we can beat anybody in the big ten. women's golf? made the ncaas last yr. fencing and lacrosse? do you need to ask?

you know the story with the men's programs. the programs that were struggling a few yrs ago, tennis and baseball, are improving. tennis is top 30 now. baseball is getting a new stadium and still producing MLB draftees.

although football lost 7 straight and basketball had a poor nonconf record, those programs are hardly embarrassments. i really think this is a golden age of NU sports becaue every program is competitive. in the past we had some strong programs and some lousy, but top to bottom phillips has hired and retained the right coaches and kudos to him.



*excluding perhaps women's soccer where i think we're on the upswing
after the hazing scandal. the current coach has been on the job only 2 years i think and he doesnt have all of his own recruits yet.

 

[ToledoCat]

Not that I am relevant... but as said - say what we want. I will have resentment over the Shon Morris departure, parking pass screw ups, and that Jim calls alot of attention to himself.

Despite that - the positives listed above are many and valid...with some breaks NU athletics can become something special. Competitive teams that don't sacrifice the academics. The student fan base can play a role by uping their enthusiam. I hope Jim manages through the unionizing theatrics and take the program to its highest level yet.

I'm glad that the prospects are promising in so many sports.

 

[NorthwesternIsAllClass]

shon was too honorable for jim. jim wanted a money guy, a guy who would step on the throats of old people in purple seats to make them cough up more dough. shon is better off without that crap anyway.

parking pass screwups will be forgotten in 50 years but the bowl win over miss state could be the start of a string.

and yeah jim's refusal to wear sports coats or any coat and his grandstanding behind the end zone and his "no good" signal vs. michigan... i get what you mean.

but what will we remember in 25, 50 years? i will remember the lacrosse titles, winning 10 games in football, hopefully our first men's basketball ncaa appearance...