RIP Marquette 2025-2026 Men's Basketball Season

[Zog from Margo]

I think we're just using the word "expectation" slightly differently. I'm using it in an aspirational sense ... what the yearly outcome should be. He's using it in a predictive sense, i.e. what past performance should tell us about future outcomes.
I don't necessarily think either of us are wrong; just looking at it from different angles.

I agree. I think any year MU doesn't make the tournament should be considered a down year and a failure to meet expectations. I also agree with AE that this season was so abysmal that it should count as two down years and put Shaka on a warm seat next season.

[Galway Eagle]

Ok Genius. Warriors at MU means more than a silly mascot. It stands for a long legacy, traditional some very good teams, a national title. Not just a mascot. The PC stuff ruined that Perhaps that was what the donor wanted to establish again. If you think mascots are silly or useless, then advocate schools get rid of them. Good luck with that. At MU it should be Warriors, not because some PC nuts wanted it differently.

So it's just a mascot that you place undue significance upon over the name of the university you attended.

Also while I appreciate being referred to as a genius, I think anyone with an average IQ can spot an illogical pathos argument like yours from a mile away.

[Galway Eagle]

I agree. I think any year MU doesn't make the tournament should be considered a down year and a failure to meet expectations. I also agree with AE that this season was so abysmal that it should count as two down years and put Shaka on a warm seat next season.

But if we went to say 10/12 tournaments, and in one of the missed years an injury derailed it would we call that not meeting expectations or would we say we met expectations?

[Pakuni]

Not sure where I said bad seasons are my expectation, but no this year did not meet expectations.

OK, "down" season, if we're going to split hairs. Down season vs bad season is a distinction without difference to me.
Presumably if you expect down seasons, why is this past season not acceptable? Or are their degrees of down seasons?

To be clear, I accept that a bad season can happen occasionally. But we shouldn't set that as an expectation.

[Hards Alumni]

Compromise: Change the nickname back to Warriors and replace the old mascot with Joan of Arc. She was a warrior and by far the coolest building on campus is named after her.

I'm sure the suggestion has crossed the desk of the President hundreds of times.

They're not switching to anything war related.  Get used to the Golden Eagles, it isn't a big deal.  Mascots are for kids.

[Scoop Snoop]

So it's just a mascot that you place undue significance upon over the name of the university you attended.

Also while I appreciate being referred to as a genius, I think anyone with an average IQ can spot an illogical pathos argument like yours from a mile away.

I can think of an example of a team not living up to its mascot's rep. The Providence Friars, if they lived up to the name of the Dominicans, would be unbeatable. I went to Fenwick HS in Oak Park Il, and I can tell you that the 20th century Dominicans had just as fierce of a reputation as the Dominicans from the Spanish Inquisition. Sadistic bastards! 

[Galway Eagle]

OK, "down" season, if we're going to split hairs.
Presumably if you expect down seasons, why is this past season not acceptable? Or are their degrees of down seasons?

To be clear, I accept that a bad season can happen occasionally. But we shouldn't set that as an expectation.

it's hard to argue that 2018, 2016, 2014 or go back further to 2005 aren't a lesser degree of bad seasons. They're entertaining, competitive years, albeit frustrating and below the single year expectations but the difference between those year and sneaking in as an 11 seed in 2011 isn't that large. That to me is expectations of a down year for MUBB with the understanding that down years occasionally happen. To the point earlier, each year at Marquette should begin with the expectation of making the tournament big in hindsight, I would expect after a decade about 80% of the years to have achieved that.

[jfp61]

12-20 in three bid league.

[Galway Eagle]

I can think of an example of a team not living up to its mascot's rep. The Providence Friars, if they lived up to the name of the Dominicans, would be unbeatable. I went to Fenwick HS in Oak Park Il, and I can tell you that the 20th century Dominicans had just as fierce of a reputation as the Dominicans from the Spanish Inquisition. Sadistic bastards! 

Found the guy secretly rooting for Bryce Hopkins

[The Sultan]

So we are at a disadvantage when it comes to resources when competing for the best talent.

Ya think???

[The Sultan]

Ok Genius. Warriors at MU means more than a silly mascot. It stands for a long legacy, traditional some very good teams, a national title. Not just a mascot. The PC stuff ruined that Perhaps that was what the donor wanted to establish again. If you think mascots are silly or useless, then advocate schools get rid of them. Good luck with that. At MU it should be Warriors, not because some PC nuts wanted it differently.

Imagine getting so triggered over something so silly.

[MU82]

That is an assumption, not a given.

There are no "givens."

Even bluebloods have no "givens." What were the "givens" for Kentucky and Indiana this season?

The only given, eeyore69, is that your takes will keep getting more and more clueless. It's actually pretty entertaining. The large-type font is a nice touch. Well done!