If this is how the chats are going to be about basketball so early into the season, lets just stop writing new posts and read the ones about football. When you get to Crowtons name, input Cleveland. Sheesh!!

One game against the third ranked team in the nation (with potential to win the big dance) and people are starting to complain. Who cares if the point spread was 6 or 36. It was the first game. They may also lose to Stanford, but that doesn't mean we need a change in coaching. What if they end up winning everything else. How stupid will the criticisms look against Cleveland then?!

It is as if people don't have anything better to do or think. Either that or there are still some frustrations flowing from the footballs season.

Since Barney brought up the Ainge era of the early '80s, let me ask this...When have we had a national powerhouse team? Even the teams during the Ainge era weren't spectacular on a national level. They looked awesome in conference. They looked good in tournaments. But were they a powerhouse team like Georgetown, UNC, Virginia, etc.? No, they were a talented team that learned to play like a team, and they did it with determination and spirit. Yeah some went on to play pro and european ball, but many others since then have also. Ainge is the only one that made a big name for himself since college.

Well, we apparently have the same kinds of talent on this years team plus we have a coach that can do something with them (look how he turned the 1-25 team around with most of the same players). They will develop their talent more, and hopefully they will learn the skill of team play. If they do, who is to say that we won't see a possible sweat sixteen or higher. Anything is possible but it is a lot harder when you don't have the support behind you. Lets stop the early criticizing and try early support for a change.

Wow. Look at this. The same people that are trashing our football team are now here trashing our basketball team.

I hope you noticed we lost to Stanford by only 9 points. Yes, loss is still a loss, and I don't know what the game was like, but this is a sign that we played better. Don't forget that Stanford was going no. 1 for a long time last season. I'm sure we'll see them ranked again, perhaps even before Christmas.

If you haven't noticed, both yesterday and today Young had impressive numbers. You watch him turn into leader.

Tongue 'n cheek --- Cleveland says his team has "no fire." He said most his players "lacked composure." I just heard it on the radio. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT! Smuck coach. Shame on him. He blames his players. He should blame himself. He should resign tomorrow. Crap coach. The coach-up-north wouldn't do that. He'd take the blame. Get rid of Cleveland. He has embarrassed our university. BYU should win nearly every game and never have a rebuilding year. The former pizza-loving-coach-up-north did it year-in and year-out. Cleveland has shown that he stinks, or he doesn't eat enough pizza, I don't know which one. Look, I know about coaching --- I know because I coach the teacher's quorum team and last year we won region. Yeah, I taught those young men how to win. If we ever lost, which we never did, it was my fault. That's being a coach.

Whine, whine, whine. :o

I am excited about these guys. I can see potential and see that they'll be good. Some of you will say, "I'm sick of potential." I say, give Ainge the ball. He's our future at point. He'll learn. Just play him. Play all those young guys. I'll be there Saturday cheering them on. And I'll listen to Coach Clevelands honest assessment and appreciate that he's telling it how it is. He has nothing to prove to me. I think he is outstanding and represents BYU well.

I want to tell everybody on this part of the forum -- let's not turn this into what football forum became -- "Fire Coach" tribune. This might not be an easy season for the team since we lost basically our starting line and got freshmen to attempt to replace them.

But let's have a good discussion on basketball. We will not win NCAA any time soon, but I feel we could at least compete for the MWC title. If we take it, I will be happy. If you can't tolerate anything but the national titles every year, you have no reason to be called BYU fan. Go ahead and proclaim yourself a Stanford or UConn or USC fan or whatever.

And don't bash Cleveland. Inability to recruit the likes of Anthony is not his fault.

As usual, Plasibone is right on the mark --- the very point of my ridiculous "Tongue n' cheek."

We need to get behind this young team and help them grow in confidence. They have talent. If you can make it to the Marriott Center Saturday night, come out to the game and cheer them on.

Yes. Everybody come if you can, even if our beginning record is 0-3 (are we still playing tomorrow?)

One of the very few nice things the commentators said about us in the most recent broadcast is that everybody is scared to play in Provo since very few teems in this nation can boast 63 out of 64 wins at home. And notice, we played both small and big teams. Our fans are great and I hope to see as good support this season. Cleveland and the boys need it.