Spratt

[dforde]

Well, eight of the next 10 games are at home so if there was ever a time for us to get hot, this is it. Do folks really think that Eno is significantly that much better than Spratt?

[JimmySprattFather]

No rood, this is not someones idea of a joke, I am Jimmy Spratt's dad, and I have never been more proud to say so. Why would I list my username as JimmySprattFather if I was not his father? I am a man who would never hide behind a username to post on a forum. While I respect your right to criticize my son's performance, I just have a hard time understanding the concept of a "forum". What I mean by this, is that in the pre-technological days of computers and forum posts, we did things on more of a face-to-face basis. Using a computer and a username does not seem like a professional way to attack another individual. While this may be the sign of the times, I do not have to agree that this is the best way. With that being said, I welcome the opportunity to professionally discuss your concerns of my son's play on a face-to-face basis. I was at LSSU last weekend and based on your posts, you were there also. Since there were only a handful of BG fans at the week-end series, I would have thought that you would have sought me out to discuss the games. Anytime you want to professionally discuss the play of my son, I welcome the opportunity. We could discuss exactly what a "bad' or "soft" goal is, and maybe touch on defensive zone play, quality shots, quality scoring chances, how out shooting the opposition from outside the face-off circles and not "down deep" means you should win more games, etc.. Send me a message and we can meet, professionally, face-to-face, and like real men.

P.S. This offer also goes out to DWhite21, Falconboy, and anyone who knows and loves the game of hockey.

[jpfalcon09]

No rood, this is not someones idea of a joke, I am Jimmy Spratt's dad, and I have never been more proud to say so. Why would I list my username as JimmySprattFather if I was not his father? I am a man who would never hide behind a username to post on a forum. While I respect your right to criticize my son's performance, I just have a hard time understanding the concept of a "forum". What I mean by this, is that in the pre-technological days of computers and forum posts, we did things on more of a face-to-face basis. Using a computer and a username does not seem like a professional way to attack another individual. While this may be the sign of the times, I do not have to agree that this is the best way. With that being said, I welcome the opportunity to professionally discuss your concerns of my son's play on a face-to-face basis. I was at LSSU last weekend and based on your posts, you were there also. Since there were only a handful of BG fans at the week-end series, I would have thought that you would have sought me out to discuss the games. Anytime you want to professionally discuss the play of my son, I welcome the opportunity. We could discuss exactly what a "bad' or "soft" goal is, and maybe touch on defensive zone play, quality shots, quality scoring chances, how out shooting the opposition from outside the face-off circles and not "down deep" means you should win more games, etc.. Send me a message and we can meet, professionally, face-to-face, and like real men.

P.S. This offer also goes out to DWhite21, Falconboy, and anyone who knows and loves the game of hockey.

Welcome to the boards, Mr. Spratt. I've had numerous occasions to talk to your son and I came away very impressed. You are your wife did a tremendous job raising him. As a former player, it's always nice to talk to someone who shares the love for the game, and it helps that he and I play the same position.

As I said in my earlier post, it's so hard to pick on one player and pin most of the blame on him. Hockey is a team game, more so than any of the other sports, because everyone shares an equal load in each and every game. I don't want to sound like an elitist because I played, that's not my goal here. There's just things that you pick up on the ice and see that contribute to how a game turns out.

Being a goalie is not the equivalent to a pitcher in baseball or a quarterback in football. In these positions, the player has the option to control the game (more so in baseball) to his/her liking. In hockey, a goalie is at the mercy of his team's decisions and overall play. He has no control over when he wants to face a shot, or where he faces it from. Trust me, there are games where you wish that was an option, but you just gotta play through it.

If you're a novice fan, or even if you know the game, it's important to watch the systems that each team plays, and how everything flows around that. When teams break down, mistakes happen, assignments are missed and goals happen. Always watch for that when viewing a game.

It's quick to blame a goalie for letting a shot past him, but analyze why the puck went in. Did someone lose their man? Was there a turnover? This is how 95% of goals are scored, I assure you. Like I said earlier, a goalie knows if he lets in a weak goal, no one needs to remind him about it.

[rood]

And what, exactly, would be accomplished by talking face to face about the play of your son? As his father you are going to back him up and defend his play. I don't blame you, I'd do the same thing for my daughter. We all lack objectivity when it comes to our children. The best we can hope for is to agree to disagree.

To be fair I thought Jimmy did a great job on Friday night and the offense badly let him down. Had that shot in the second period trickled in and not stopped dead on the goal line it could have changed the whole game. Alas.

But on Saturday they fought back from a 3 goal deficit to take the lead and Jimmy gave up the tying goal on a rebound that he probably should have held onto.

If you don't like what people are saying about your son perhaps you shouldn't read the posts instead of calling someone's hockey knowledge or their manhood into question. Especially if you don't really know the gender of the person involved. As far as discussing things "professionally" I don't get paid to go to games so I'm not sure how that applies.

[JimmySprattFather]

Thanks jpfalcon09, I also am a former player and goaltender. You sound as if you have some real insight into the game. Having a son who plays at the D-1 college level is an honor. As a father and as a fan there are two ways to view his play, I can only say as a father, how very proud I am of the way he plays and conducts himself. If I try to discuss the other aspects of his game, his technical performance, on a forum, I put myself in an awkward position, one that you can not hope to win. So lets just say that I leave the technical evaluations to a higher professional organization who is continually monitoring his game and development.

[freddiethefalconBG]

Gulp...
well the season is still early, and some good things have been said in this thread, however; I do not believe we have mediocre players. Sure we dont have as many top tier guys as some the other top teams, but as a whole BGSU has not done crapola in years to get that many when compared to a BC, Miami, Uor M etc... and the more of those players you have the more likely...the more likely you are to succeed. I am confident that this group is the best group BG has had in a long time. Spratt is a good goalie, good enough that we should not be where we are right now.
We are where we are right now because of coaching...ie the gulp at the start.
Scott is a a great guy, I like the coaching tactics, but he is just not getting the production he should be getting out of this group, and that is funnel.
I am now believing we need to change our coaching staff in its entirity, sure we have produced tons of great coaches, but i think its time we look outside and beyond former BG players for our own coaching needs.
I had faith, still do, but I dont see how it can get done now, when it could have been with this group of players, its got to be the coaching.

MACMAN

You finally see what myself and the rest of my teamattes were talking about. I am extremely happy that you finally can see and understand it. Do you all realize now that we were not just making things up.?

Pooch has to go. He is a bad head coach. He might be a good asistant coach but he is definately not a head coach. they should have got rid of him years ago. the only reason they had a decent year last year was Rierden. The school really screwed up by letting Rierden get away. he was the best thing that could have happened to this program.

Hopefully they will get rid of Scott this year and bring in a real head coach.

[DWhite21]

Sorry, Mr. Spratt, but I'm going to have to turn down your offer to meet face to face. The conversation wouldn't be too productive and we both know where we stand when it comes to how we feel about Jimmy's goaltending. If I were you, I wouldn't expect people who aren't impressed with your son to come up and talk with you about about it at games either. I don't know where that logic comes from.

At the same time I understand your allegiance to your son and your reasoning for wanting to defend him. I've actually met him briefly on one occasion and he def. seemed like a nice kid.

[JimmySprattFather]

Thank you DWhite21 and rood for your quick responses. I have never posted on a forum like this before and it has been fun today. You have proven to me what I, and a majority of other people have been saying for a long time. Other than the use of a forum for standard information, individuals who use them to criticize and make their "little" opinions are cowards who hide behind a computer and a "goofy" screen name. Of course you would never give your "little" opinions out from behind a computer screen. As for meeting anyone like you face-to-face to discuss my son and his hockey is completely absurd, not illogical. But by making the offer and having you decline in such a quick manner proves my point. Thank you, you have been a perfect lab rat in my experiment.

[rood]

Do you feel better now?

By the way my "goofy" screen name is, in fact, my real name.

[DWhite21]

Thank you DWhite21 and rood for your quick responses. I have never posted on a forum like this before and it has been fun today. You have proven to me what I, and a majority of other people have been saying for a long time. Other than the use of a forum for standard information, individuals who use them to criticize and make their "little" opinions are cowards who hide behind a computer and a "goofy" screen name. Of course you would never give your "little" opinions out from behind a computer screen. As for meeting anyone like you face-to-face to discuss my son and his hockey is completely absurd, not illogical. But by making the offer and having you decline in such a quick manner proves my point. Thank you, you have been a perfect lab rat in my experiment.

Wow. If I were you I'd save your son the embarrassment and give it up. I'm a coward for avoiding a situation that would probably end in you trying to knock me out? It's pretty obvious that you're a hothead if you come onto forums like this and the first thing you do is call people out the way that you have. Sorry, I don't think your son is a good goalie. Just agree to disagree.

[JimmySprattFather]

DWhite21 you just don't get it. Read my post carefully and you will see that I am trying to save you and the others who post on forums criticizing college athletes from embarassment. Anyway, I am done with this posting stuff, as it goes against what I am all about. And by the way, I am not a hothead, as a matter of fact, I have never laid my hands on anyone in anger and never plan to.

PEACE and GO FALCONS

P.S. rood, how can I feel better when I never felt bad? Just making my point like you do. I appoligize for calling your name "goofy" it wasn't capitalized so I didn't realize it was your proper name.
Also, PEACE and GO FALCONS

[bgsufalcon24]

Gulp...
well the season is still early, and some good things have been said in this thread, however; I do not believe we have mediocre players. Sure we dont have as many top tier guys as some the other top teams, but as a whole BGSU has not done crapola in years to get that many when compared to a BC, Miami, Uor M etc... and the more of those players you have the more likely...the more likely you are to succeed. I am confident that this group is the best group BG has had in a long time. Spratt is a good goalie, good enough that we should not be where we are right now.
We are where we are right now because of coaching...ie the gulp at the start.
Scott is a a great guy, I like the coaching tactics, but he is just not getting the production he should be getting out of this group, and that is funnel.
I am now believing we need to change our coaching staff in its entirity, sure we have produced tons of great coaches, but i think its time we look outside and beyond former BG players for our own coaching needs.
I had faith, still do, but I dont see how it can get done now, when it could have been with this group of players, its got to be the coaching.

WHOA! Wait a damn minute! MACMAN says we need a coaching change??? Where's Bigdog?!!

I think the Scott Paluch era might be coming to an end folks...

[rood]

WHOA! Wait a damn minute! MACMAN says we need a coaching change??? Where's Bigdog?!!

I think the Scott Paluch era might be coming to an end folks...

I hate to say it but I am starting to agree. Paluch seems like a nice guy and he played when I was at school so I've always been pulling for him to succeed. Whether he's a good coach or a bad coach is open to debate but the cold hard facts are that this team is not succeeding under his direction. Time for some proven leadership. Wayne Wilson, anyone?

[Ineedbotox]

I don't blame Mr. Spratt for posting here. Everybody freaks out when the band, or Paluch are criticized. Yet they have no problem picking on Spratt & even had the audacity to claim a father shouldn't hang out around his son's team so much. Don't blame the guy at all.

[jontends]

Atleast Mr. Spratt has put his name up on this forum! If you think he would knock you out, you are wrong, he is a nice man. But he definately could knock you out and probably should! All of you other guys that post on this board and say, "I played hockey, so I know what I am talking about!" Well, you never played division I hockey. So your opinion means nothing. And outshooting a team every night means nothing if you can't score. Jimmy has a GAA of under 3, so we only need to score 3 goals to win a game, that's it. So Pooch's idea of shooting the puck from the blueline everytime may not be the best way to win hockey games.

Jimmy Spratt is a good goalie, and he has played his heart out for BGSU hockey over his four years there. Be grateful and keep your mouth shut.