Grotesque and contemptuous antics from the Williams bench.. unsurprising, though.

For those who are interested, I'll be organizing a candlelight vigil for the poor, 5th base, and directionless student-athletes (if you can even call them that) of Western Massachusetts. More to come.

CC.

Quote from: stlawus on September 08, 2025, 10:02:34 PM"is boring, and if I had to guess, is more reflective of the contempt that builds against successful programs."

Notice how no other program has had this cloud surrounding them over the years? Not Messiah, not Tufts, not St. Olaf, not Conn.  Programs with many more titles and silverware have never had this sort of reaction.  If being a successful program breeds contempt then we would have seen this with Messiah and Tufts.  Don't you find it just a bit curious that we haven't?


"I urge you to try and visit Latin America or Europe in your lifetime to watch a game in person. You will see passion, aggression, and heightened emotions (much of what the U.S. is missing) -- and this is what soccer is all about"

This is not Latin America or Europe.  This is division 3 college soccer.  In Latin America it's not uncommon to need a police escort to enter an opposing team's stadium to watch a game. Forgive me for not wanting that kind of passion in division 3 college soccer. College soccer is unique to the US.  We are not developing professional players in this medium.  This is very much a student athlete driven enterprise.

Ignoring the fact that you're a professional Amherst hater (Accusing Amherst of pulling a hotel fire alarm 45 mins away from campus in 2022 was insanity, but I understand your frustration as we beat SLU every time), i'll humor you.

a) Conn was literally accused of unsportsmanlike behavior in the NCAA's literally 2 seasons ago (celebrating in front of opposing fans after a pen win)

b) I can't speak to Tufts/Messiah as their success was before my time

c) Amazing job ignoring the other continent I mentioned and reducing Latin America to a lawless place of police escorts. You also don't need to be a professional player to show passion, and being passionate about the sport you love as a student-athlete doesn't detract from your experience; it enhances it.

Quote from: SimpleCoach on September 07, 2025, 09:20:12 AM

Quote from: josemourinho on September 06, 2025, 09:41:03 PMWhat gets lost in the discourse is the fact that most, if not all, of the behavior that Amherst gets criticized for is harmless.

Harmless?  Sure.  But its also perceived as disrespectful, unsportsmanlike, and contemptuous.

SC.

Circling back to this comment in light of the recent posts. For the record, I don't condone Jose's name-calling, and I think that anyone who has been around the Amherst Men's Soccer program knows that it's certainly not part of the ethos we subscribe to. I will say, however, that 'perceived' is an incredibly telling word choice in the response of 'SimpleCoach'. If you had played a high level of soccer, you would understand that almost every team, ever, engages in some degree of 'unsportsmanlike' conduct. Does this excuse this behavior? No, of course not. But I think it's also okay to understand that it's part of the game. There's a pretty rigid disciplinary code in soccer that defines what's accepted and what's not; If Amherst were as 'unsportsmanlike' and 'contemptuous' as you and others describe them, they wouldn't be able to field a team due to yellows, reds, and suspensions -- that is evidently not the case. The 'Amtics' narrative -- where Amherst is the only/prime perpetrator of deplorable behavior -- is boring, and if I had to guess, is more reflective of the contempt that builds against successful programs.

For 'SimpleCoach' and alike, I do not blame you for your lack of first-hand exposure to elite soccer environments (speaking strictly from a playing perspective here), and I urge you to try and visit Latin America or Europe in your lifetime to watch a game in person. You will see passion, aggression, and heightened emotions (much of what the U.S. is missing) -- and this is what soccer is all about. This is why we care. And this is why programs such as Amherst are a hotbed for radical love and care towards one another. Sometimes emotions spill over, and the agonistic spirit (I can provide you some light reading if you want to get up to speed, @PaulNewman) takes over -- this is a part of competition, and is definitely not unique to Amherst and/or soccer. If you think that heightened emotions, physicality, and aggression cross the line of acceptable morality, I invite you to enjoy a less physical, more sophisticated activity, such as croquet, polo, or yachting.

This debacle has obviously unearthed some 'Amhate' and provided everyone the justification and impetus to satiate their Amherst-hating craving; I think it would be better to redirect the conversation back to the remarkable performance this young Amherst team put up against Conn on the weekend. Beating a national contender this early in the season is difficult, and to do so resoundingly (I could not remember the last time Amherst-Conn was decided by more than one goal), speaks to the maturity and grit of a team that is not even close to its final form.

I, for one, am excited for another season of Amherst Soccer, but given recent history, completely understand why the other 407 teams may not be.

CC.

Quote from: SimpleCoach on September 07, 2025, 09:20:12 AM

Quote from: josemourinho on September 06, 2025, 09:41:03 PMWhat gets lost in the discourse is the fact that most, if not all, of the behavior that Amherst gets criticized for is harmless.

Harmless?  Sure.  But its also perceived as disrespectful, unsportsmanlike, and contemptuous.

SC.

CC.

Quote from: Camelparent on November 13, 2024, 05:15:05 PMAny snubs?

Laurens Ten Cate is an obvious snub - the AMH-spiracy continues..