UB Horns Up

How do you figure that Lance Leipold’s wife was from the Midwest and wanted to get back closer to home. Nate Oats didn’t get $7 million a year his first season with Alabama. Second if UB wants to be a big boy school they need a heck of a lot more money than what UB currently offers coaches. UB football got lucky Pete Lembo took $720,000 a season he showed mercy on UB. Pete Lembo with his coaching experience is worth $1 million plus. UB doesn’t understand value they overpay fools like Mark Altnutt, Maurice Linquist and George Halcovage III. Then when they have someone they blink and basically sell the coach. That is telling like it is about UB athletics. St Bonaventure Bonnies Mark Schmidt isn’t going anywhere at $1.8 million a season. Keep telling yourself that UB is on the right path low balling head coaches? For a state flagship school UB is very cheap when UB can’t afford a real basketball coach. I think UB basketball is losing 20 plus games again with George Halcovage III next season regardless who he brings in because he can’t coach. Again I hope I am wrong in my opinion. UB Horns Up! Go Bulls! Let’s Go Buffalo

UB should have paid Nate Oats period to stay with all the success UB Bulls basketball had we could have been the Gonzaga of the MAC. The heck with the $7 million dollar UB performance center that could have come later when the NCAA Tournament units were coming in yearly. Pass the hat and keep Nate Oats at UB is what should have happened and didn’t. Nate Oats wanted to stay in Western New York close to his home town of Michigan. Give Nate Oats a $7 million dollar contract he would have stayed. The Nate Oats situation was different from Bobby Hurley and Lance Leipold that had no intentions of staying in Western New York. Nate Oats really liked Buffalo and UB chose cheap which is why UB Bulls athletics will never be great or mirror anything like St Bonaventure Bonnies basketball with Mark Schmidt. UB Bulls fans valued Nate Oats UB heavy donors and UB the school itself not so much which is really sad. The UB Bulls basketball team is like watching the Buffalo Sabres today they don’t value greatness either everything comes down to a buck. UB donors don’t understand Buffalo fans has to put up with that crap with the Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres the Buffalo fans doesn’t want to give there heart to another Buffalo sports team with the same mindset that is a big part of the reason Buffalo fans stay away from UB Bulls football and basketball games not the only reason but it’s a reason. UB Bulls basketball had a real chance at greatness under Nate Oats and the UB donors and UB the school couldn’t get past doing everything on the cheap with UB athletics coaches salaries. I am the point I don’t even care anymore extend George Halcovage III with another 5 year contract because he will sign cheap. It is just not going to ever happen at UB with UB Athletics because the donors aren’t going all in. You need to spend money to grow the college sports program at UB. UB unfortunately isn’t willing to do that. UB loss is Alabama’s gain. Good luck Coach Nate Oats wish you were still at UB and UB athletics wasn’t so Mickey Mouse in my opinion. UB Horns Up! Go Bulls! Let’s Go Buffalo

Ivy League is FCS but Ivy League matches up with the politics of New York State which controls SUNY which controls UB spending and support money wise. Any school in the SUNY system will never be a Power athletics school because New York State doesn’t want it. UB chance of that ever happening died when UB joined SUNY and Syracuse wisely did not in 1963 and when UB dropped football in 1971 read the two major newspapers at the time in Buffalo. They ripped New York State and SUNY apart for that decision saying that New York State really didn’t believe in Buffalo to come up with a couple hundred thousand dollars in a 90 million dollar budget or whatever it was. That is when we had real journalism now it’s just a bunch of nonsense our only newspaper today is published in Cleveland. So journalism is gone with the exception of a few old social media posters like myself that are old, critical and don’t go by the wolf pack mentality and tell it like it is. It’s never happening and UB alums/fans can fight it all they want and make up fake new names for UB like New York Bulls but the New York State political one party rule is stronger than it has ever been in my 56 years plus living in Buffalo. Ivy League politics matches New York State politics and hence SUNY core values and mission. I am not knocking it I am just speaking what people are thinking but because of wolf pack mentality cancel culture anyone that speaks up independently today. I am saying give up and let New York State run the UB Bulls football program into the ground. Like you are seeing at California-Berkeley Golden Bears football there Power Conference world in sports is over. They can thank the politics of Berkeley for some of that. Too many protesting a tree being removed for the football stadium renovation crazy stuff like that over the years while USC and UCLA were planning there exit strategy from the PAC 12 Conference for the Big Ten Conference. Look the nonsense radical crappola is the end of anything power conferences anything. Protesting is just going to land you broke and with a prison record while the rest of us are looking to make a dollar working. While these idiots are protesting a tree business is being conducted to grow their business same way with individuals. UB is more crazy Cal than USC unfortunately. Again I am not knocking it knock yourself out going to jail while the real world is working earning a living. UB is never going to be a power school. When you have UB alums fighting selling beer at games for years it shows UB institutionally isn’t a power school to grow business in. Enjoy the Ivy League because reality that is where Berkeley, the whole SUNY four centers belong athletically. Or that Division III conference that NYU, Chicago and John Hopkins are in. UB can pat themselves on the back they stopped beer sales at UB Stadium and saved the lite bright video board along with the track at the UB Donors event. Where they can sit in their own bubble patting themselves on the back because they think they are the smartest people in the room. While rest of the real world and major college sports world has moved on. If UB alums/fans can’t see it’s over I don’t know what they are watching. Mark Schmidt at St Bonaventure Bonnies according to on report I saw is making $1.8 million dollars a year. No wonder he stays. Plus the Bonnies pay NIL. When this is some kind of debate at UB donors meetings with NIL and not paying head coaches for their success to maintain them at UB. It says it all it’s over power conference wise for UB join the Ivy Conference or the NYU conference and call it a day. Frankly it’s what the UB President and the people with the real power in SUNY really want anyway. Why fight it good luck in the Ivy League UB, SUNY and New York State’s true desires. If UB got invited to the Ivy League New York State and SUNY officials would be patting themselves on the back. There would be a huge party at UB with the Governor at the time saying this is wonderful, wonderful what college athletics is all about no beer would be served of course we can’t have that at our UB what about the liability? I am telling it like it really is for UB athletics future we aren’t even competitive in men’s basketball anymore in the MAC politics did that UB did that enjoy George Halcovage III who turned UB men’s basketball into a laughing stock in my opinion. UB Horns Up! Go Bulls! Let’s Go Buffalo

My goodness no way UB Bulls can ever run with schools like Alabama. Too even think that was possible was naivety at its finest with UB alums, Danny White and New York Bulls like that was going to make us Alabama total naivety at it’s finest in my opinion. UB Horns Up! Go Bulls! Let’s Go Buffalo

That isn’t unique to just UB. How about he committed because he had a guaranteed offer for a free education and wanted plenty of playing time as a freshman. Before he potentially moves on from Single A UB to potentially Double A St Bonaventure or Triple A Houston or Duke that is the reality today of Division I college basketball. With the goal getting playing time to move up the NIL ladder through the transfer portal with the end goal the Majors the NBA upon graduation. The sad thing is UB use to be Double A level basketball but has since dropped down a level because of there own doing being cheap hiring a head coach George Halcovage is an example you get what you paid for and no NIL because it’s about education at UB. Do I have it all down the UB donors way and belief’s in UB athletics core mission education. The thing is the joke is on UB athletics because UB Bulls men’s basketball have been left behind. UB athletics has joined Canisius and Niagara University as Single A basketball teams today. If you want to go back to Double A basketball status like St Bonaventure Bonnies basketball today the price is $1.3 million dollars a year head coach Mark Schmidt makes almost double what UB football pays Pete Lembo which is a bargain for his coaching experience to get him for $725,000 a season. And the Bonnies NIL is between $1,500 to $2,000 a season for the starting players. That is the bottom minimum level to get to Double A basketball back at UB again. Whatever nonsense UB donors say doesn’t matter we saw how they screwed up the firing and hiring Jim Whitesell new head basketball coach process. It’s a joke George Halcovage still has a job 27 losses what a complete clueless idiot. UB men’s basketball didn’t have one player on the All MAC team’s announced at the MAC tournament in Cleveland how incredibly sad. UB Bulls men didn’t even make it to Cleveland we sucked so bad. Fire George Halcovage I can’t even look at that man on the side lines it’s like pick up street basketball with no head coach at Martin Luther King Park in Buffalo. You would most likely see more basketball talent at Martin Luther King Park than what you see at UB Bulls basketball games it’s a total disgrace. If UB is just about the education why have Division I athletics anymore what is the point. At least in the past you didn’t have the television access you have now in our East Coast Conference days. The whole world is watching potentially on ESPN+ television streaming. UB Bulls basketball is lower than Reggie Witherspoon holy cow there is nothing positive about this UB Bulls men’s basketball season we just flushed the season down the drain and the UB Bulls players didn’t seem to care and it seems neither does the clueless head coach that leads them in my opinion. UB Horns Up! Go Bulls! Let’s Go Buffalo

Good I hope he goes he isn’t that good and too slow foot quickness for the MAC level he belongs in the other MAAC to be honest. I wouldn’t have even offered him a scholarship a dime a dozen player. Look at St Bonaventure guards and look at Sabol he doesn’t belong at the MAC level. Lamonte Bearden even when he was on heavy pot smoking is better than Sabol have some standards UB alums/fans. One of the last games Bearden played before he got booted by Nate Oats was on the road against Ohio Bobcats if memory serves me UB Bulls lost in overtime but Bearden was incredible in that game. Bearden is a much better athlete and defender than Sabol in my opinion. UB Horns Up! Go Bulls! Let’s Go Buffalo

Look I am sure East Coast UB alums want this but I don’t see UMass ever being a rivalry for UB. UB rivals were Ohio Bobcats because they were the first game UB played before joining the MAC and they put a beating on UB football in I believe 1998. The Ohio fans are obnoxious and so were there cheerleaders during that game doing pushups and laughing. Then you add Frank Solich and Ohio being consistently good in the MAC. Marshall is in a league by themselves when it comes to obnoxious fans they are still our rival when we played them postseason and beat them in the Camellia Bowl they fired there head coach after that loss to UB. Temple Owls another obnoxious fan base that got kicked out of the Big East Conference but they were usually always good in the MAC. The problem with UMass is there stadium is worse than ours it holds like 18,000 and few care about football at UMass it’s a hockey and basketball school. Plus UMass football is worse than UB Bulls so there is no rivalry there. UMass problem is there not in Boston. Boston College is the king there in the ACC. UB Bulls would have a better rivalry with Harvard at least there is history and tradition there with Boston sports plus there stadium is better than UMass. I have said this before the perfect place for UB athletics is the Ivy League because it matches up with UB the university as an institution. Support level also matches up athletically for UB. I don’t think of Ivy League as FCS they are in a league of their own just like Buffalo and UB. If UB was offered an invite to the Ivy League I wouldn’t think twice I would accept the invitation because it matches New York State, SUNY and UB politically, culturally and support level wise. UB alums saying no aren’t seeing the realities of New York State and there core values they want for all SUNY schools. The MAC matches Western New York culturally to a degree but not New York State at all and it will always be an issue. Western New York is a blend of Western New York, New York State, Canadian and Midwestern values culturally blended together that is why there will always be a divide between New York State downstate and Western New York. Downstate has some kind of mental block because they can’t see why doesn’t Western New York want to be like us like the rest of Upstate. I am saying because Buffalo has too much historical Canadian and Blue Collar/Midwestern culture to ever change. Your not changing that. I get it New York State tries and tries but it’s not happening because the Canadian and Blue Collar culture is too ingrained in Western New York. That is why Nate Oats was one of the smartest head coaches UB ever had because he didn’t try and fight it like Danny White did as an example. Nate Oats embraced the Blue Collar shirts and hard hats and it was popular in Buffalo along with having major team success. UB still doesn’t see it or really gets it there too busy chasing the tail of SUNY and New York State giving lip service to Western New York. That is why I am saying just get it over with and join the Ivy League that way we don’t have to go through this nonsense anymore with New York State, SUNY and UB. This really deep down is what UB really wants the Ivy League core values and educational missions. I think UB vs Cornell, Harvard, Yale, Columbia and Pennsylvania would be huge games for the UB Bulls. Joining Ivy League means you won’t have to do a thing to upgrade UB Stadium ever again. Which is what New York State, SUNY wants and matches up with there core mission for education. The MAC and any FBS conference goes against NY and SUNY core educational missions. UB can’t join FCS because there is no history there to sell and the markets are small like Albany nobody cares about them athletically. UB’s best bet for long term success and survival of UB athletics is the Ivy League with there major East Coast markets of Boston, New York City and Philadelphia. I have never changed my opinion on that because I see after 30 years as a UB football season season ticket holder the realities of UB, SUNY and New York State. I personally would support UB Bulls in the Ivy League because than we can get back to enjoying football and UB can be competitive with there peers athletically from a budget standpoint in my opinion. UB Horns Up! Go Bulls! Let’s Go Buffalo

I think UB Bulls have been FBS long enough to establish itself since 1999 in Western New York. The UB Bulls football attendance is getting worse yearly because the Buffalo fans hate UB Stadium. UB Stadium once the new Bills stadium opens and the Key Bank Center is renovated is going to look worse. UB Bulls are losing the entertainment money in Buffalo. There are more options for Buffalonians to spend their money than in 1999 Buffalo entertainment wise. You got the Buffalo Bisons season extended into September like the MLB baseball today so that takes some Buffalo fans money and time away. The Buffalo Bills fan is going to have to spend more money on PSL’s that is going to take Buffalo fans money away from UB Bulls potentially. You got Canalside that didn’t exist in 1999 that takes money away potentially from UB Bulls football. So if UB wants to win that battle of the Western New York entertainment dollars they they need to fix UB Stadium. UB Bulls were invited to join the Buffalo Bills in the new Bills stadium UB AD Mark Alnutt and UB the university declined the invitation. Because Orchard Park was off campus and UB wanted the UB students to be able to go to the games on campus. Also Mark Alnutt said UB planned to renovate UB Stadium but no date was given. So UB knows there is a UB Stadium problem but no money is the problem why the Stadium hasn’t been renovated and I question where UB is coming up with $80 million dollars or more to renovate UB Stadium. New York State is reluctant to give towards SUNY athletics facilities so I don’t see how UB is ever raising $80 million dollars plus. Also your getting into UB Stadium is basically not built for FBS football it’s a basic track stadium. With College football playoff access spot for one Group of 5 team UB Stadium needs to be renovated for UB to have any chance at that in the future. Again if it was my call I would knock down UB Stadium and build a new UB Bulls Dome Stadium on a North Dakota Fargo Dome scale size wise for UB Football and UB Basketball teams to play in. With 20,000 to 25,000 seats no more than that for our Buffalo market place. That is a better idea than spending $80 million dollars to renovate a 30 plus year old open air stadium that wasn’t built for football or night games with MACtion to begin with a covered stadium is a must because of the night games in November when it is cold. Since the facility is dome UB can use it year round for campus activities and given UB Alumni Arena back to the UB students for their club sports everyone wins with a Fargo Dome facility and yes build that UB dominates the MAC especially in football. No MAC schools offer a stadium inside where the players can play half there games it would be a huge recruiting advantage for UB like it is for North Dakota. Players are softer today so our the fans build the Fargo Dome and move on from UB Stadium. UB Stadium served UB well for 30 years but UB needs to focus on long term development what is best to sell tickets to UB football games in Buffalo in the future in my opinion. UB Horns Up! Go Bulls! Let’s Go Buffalo

I wanted to add something else. I believe UB Bulls basketball team can win the MAC again. This is UB Bulls basketball job is a winnable coaching job in the MAC. It isn’t like this UB Bulls basketball program never won the MAC before. There is a history of success. UB just needs to fix the coaching problem if that is Turner Battle next season who ever anyone is an upgrade over George Halcovage. George Halcovage has zero personality compared to Pete Lembo. Stop hiring people with zero personality Maurice Linquist was like that too. I don’t think it has anything to do with what is going on at the very high end level of the Power schools. I guess I have a problem that UB Bulls basketball are so bad in MAC basketball that we aren’t even competitive which is shocking. I don’t think the problem is UB in the MAC it’s the head coach. Also you can win at DePaul that Wintrust Arena that the city of Chicago built with some of Navy Pier profits is beautiful that both the Chicago Sky WNBA and DePaul Blue Demons play in. Eventually DePaul Blue Demons will win in the Big East Conference. I personally would take the DePaul job over Creighton Blue Jays job. Because it’s Chicago give me Chicago over Omaha any day and twice on Sunday. DePaul just has to get the right coach in there that knows what they are doing. Same with Canisius Golden Griffins you can win the MAAC there the Griffs basketball team have won the MAAC before. The Griffs need a new head coach and they need to go back to playing home games downtown at Key Bank Center or add seating at the Buffalo Convention Center playing there. But the Griffs need to get out of KAC which isn’t a Division I facility. Economically the Buffalo East Side of the city of Buffalo is very challenged/troubled which unfortunately scares off some Buffalo fans from going to Griffs games at night or day which is unfortunate. I personally never had a problem going to Griffs games or Bisons games on the East Side but unfortunately some Buffalo fans do and they stay away which is unfortunate. But it is what it is but there is no potential at the KAC for Griffs basketball. Griffs basketball playing at KAC is like the Buffalo Bisons playing at War Memorial Stadium. The Buffalo Bisons took off when they opened Pilot Field downtown in 1988 and left the East Side of Buffalo same deal with the Griffs basketball team move them downtown and Griffs basketball attendance would increase in my opinion. UB Horns Up! Go Bulls! Go Griffs! Let’s Go Buffalo

How do you explain St Bonaventure Bonnies winning and they are the smallest school in Division I basketball in enrollment. UB Bulls brought this nonsense on themselves. Firing Jim Whitesell without a coach that wanted to come to Buffalo wasn’t the greatest idea in the world. UB has been very slow to embrace the NIL changes in college basketball and they are presently paying the price for that. We aren’t asking UB to beat a Power 5 school they have trouble just beating any Division I basketball school. The coach presently is huge part of the problem. I don’t see anyone presently on the UB roster that you can really build on. They are already accept the losing. The UB Bulls basketball culture is too far damaged. UB needs to start completely over with UB basketball. Starting with upping the coaching salary to hire a coach that has a clue how to put a roster together and coach. It has nothing to do with NIL and the power schools they have nothing to do with the present sucking of UB Bulls basketball in the MAC in my opinion. UB Horns Up! Go Bulls! Let’s Go Buffalo

The problem is now UB Bulls need Buffalo fans for NIL but unfortunately the UB players always came before giving the Buffalo fans a sports entertainment experience. Funny thing is now the entitlement of the athletes are going NIL and transfer portal that UB bent over backwards for improving their facilities for them at the expense of the UB fans with that dump that we call UB Stadium. It’s all coming home to roost for UB athletics and I think there is panic because they don’t know any other course then what they have been doing since the 1990’s. UB has lost generations of Buffalo fans not improving UB stadium when Buffalo fans were saying the UB stadium entertainment experience is terrible. UB shouldn’t be building that $7 1/2 million dollars performance center it doesn’t really make much of a difference with NIL and transfers portals today. The Buffalo fans are here until they either they move from Buffalo or they pass away. The UB athletes are here 5 years or less. That $7 1/2 million dollars would have bought a great new scoreboard for UB Stadium to greatly improve the Buffalo fans fan experience. UB doesn’t get it sports is about the entertainment experience for the fans especially today more than ever. Why do UB fans think the Buffalo Sabres are getting a new scoreboard? Because you can’t guarantee winning but you can guarantee a good sports entertainment experience for the Buffalo fans. UB has lost decades of fans by let the Buffalo fans eat cake mentality giving over the top stuff to the UB athletes that are just passing through Buffalo for at most 5 years. The Buffalo fans wants are completely ignored by the decision makers at UB who ever that is it really doesn’t matter because they are wrong and now we have a terrible outdated UB Stadium with two crappy UB football and men’s basketball teams. But what do I know? I don’t get how very intelligent smart UB people can’t see what is so obvious. I could put Billy Bob and Bobby Joe in a UB uniform who cares someone will fill out the UB roster but you need to give to the fans that are Buffalo fans for life not 4 or 5 years. Nobody in the UB high places decision making can see that which makes UB come off as a joke and stupid in my opinion. UB Horns Up! Go Bulls! Let’s Go Buffalo

Let me ask UB Bulls fans something that defend George Halcovage and this teams effort. Here is the bottom line do you see the UB Bulls basketball winning the MAC and going to the NCAA tournament? If the answer is no maybe 10 to 15 wins next season? Ok if that is the answer then what the hell is the point of going forward with head coach George Halcovage for another season? How do you sell tickets for that crap. Hey Bob UB Bulls really try hard last game. It’s ridiculous UB Bulls have become Canisius University and Niagara University with low standards. This is the New York State flagship university and they are rolling out crap and aren’t going to change a thing because of money. Sorry that isn’t big time or a New York Public Powerhouse that is Canisius and Niagara. The same programs many of you thought you were superior to you have become as a basketball program. There is no way George Halcovage should be brought back under any circumstance he needs to be fired. I don’t care if the UB janitor takes over the men’s basketball team next season. There is zero, zero chance of ever winning anything big with George Halcovage. At least with the UB Janitor as the 2024-25 UB Basketball head coach I have hope for UB Bulls basketball because the UB Janitor maybe can coach George Halcovage I know can’t coach in my opinion. UB Horns Up! Go Bulls! Let’s Go Buffalo

UB Bulls will find a payday game to help the bottom line if I had to guess which is fine in my opinion. UB Horns Up! Go Bulls! Let’s Go Buffalo

Wow you are a dreamer hope springs eternal. UMass football needs a lot of investment to get where UB Bulls are now. UMass football is like UB Bulls in 1999. Eventually UMass football will get there but a lot more investment needs to be made to the UMass football program. That doesn’t mean UMass football can’t pull the upset just that it is going to take a while in the MAC. UB Bulls have one MAC championship in football since 1999 in my opinion. UB Horns Up! Go Bulls! Let’s Go Buffalo

I don’t think UConn Huskies basketball is joining the MAC ever. I could see UConn just dropping FBS football over joining the MAC in basketball. UConn the Big East Conference is their home. The Big East Conference is part of the Power schools. Connecticut Huskies and the State of Connecticut are all Connecticut fans have left of big time anything. After the state of Connecticut foolishly let the Hartford Whalers walk almost three decades ago. Hartford was Oakland before Oakland. I have lived 56 plus years and I have to say the state of Connecticut and the city of Oakland have the most corrupt and morally bankrupt government in America. Yes Chicago is bad but they aren’t crazy to let teams that bring in money out the door. After the palms are greased both the Chicago Bears and Chicago White Sox will get what they want out of Chicago. Oakland is a disgrace 3 teams in 10 years is reckless. The State of Connecticut Governor Rowland ended up in jail. This isn’t Republican vs Democrats this just flat out reckless and corruption. The Oakland mayor and common council should be removed from ever holding public office she is flat out lying. She keeps talking so close where is the money? Oh yeah oh she is a liar. I would bet the ranch they have back room deals on the Oakland Coliseum land they benefit from in some way financially sick. It has nothing to do about sports and my heart goes out to those fool A’s fans trying to save the Oakland Athletics they are gone. They are all gone because your Oakland public officials didn’t show the Oakland Athletics the money. You get what you vote for Oakland Athletics fans let it be a life lesson and move from Oakland because it’s going to get real bad once people realize all the spin off comes from being a big league city. Connecticut is stuck with UConn Huskies if they downgrade to the MAC the Connecticut fans will go nuts there. Political leaders of Connecticut want no part of that after bumbling the Hartford Whalers and the Hartford Whalers arena negotiations. Negotiating with the New England Patriots owner Bob Kraft was using Connecticut to get what he got out of Massachusetts. So no chance UConn Huskies join the MAC for political reasons will never happen in my opinion. UB Horns Up! Go Bulls! Let’s Go Buffalo