Freshman (Tony Romano)

[DILLIGAF]

He's more likely to get better defensively playing for Schafer than he is playing major junior.

That is an excellent point. He would likely become better defensively better playing for schafer.  I wasn't pointing out what he should do, but what I believe he is likely to do.  He is like the bantam who has the huge slapshot who only practices the huge slapshot and never works on the deficiencies in his game.  He has very good hands. The deficiency in his game is playing away from the puck.  His russian coach has done him a great disservice in not teaching him how to play without the puck and the idea that you give up the puck to a teammate who is in a better position than you to get it back when in a better position.  Watch him closely.  You get his best game when he has the puck, not when he doesn't.  The majority of the game is played without the puck and Tony doesn't play without the puck well. How successful has he been lately?  His hands and his speed worked early.  It hasn't recently. Could it be his shoulder injury?  Possibly.  Could it be that he and the rest of the team haven't progressed thoughout the season and the other teams have?  More likely.  Can you honestly say that he has improved?  Can you honestly say the team has improved?  I see the same mistakes that were made in November being made now.  Why is that?

Someone else questioned if I have a personal vendetta against him.  I do not.  Is honest opinion not welcome here?  Has be been annointed the savior of Big Red hockey and untouchable and I missed it?

I haven't written anything here that I wouldn't say to him personally and couldn't back up with video.

[KeithK]

[quote DILLIGAF]Someone else questioned if I have a personal vendetta against him.  I do not.  Is honest opinion not welcome here?[/quote]
Your opinion is very much welcome and appreciated.  Just continue to explain and back up your comments like you have here.  Some folks may disagree with you but that's fine.

[evilnaturedrobot]

I questioned your motives because of the absurd assertions that you've been making. He only practices his offensive skills?  Have you been sitting in on practices recently?  

Have I seen a progression?  Well he certainly isn't trying to deke his way out of the defensive zone anymore, and he has gotten stronger and more willing to go into corners.  He's never going to be a player that lays opposing players out, that's ok, not every player on the team has to do that.

Lost in all this is the fact that he adds an element that this team has lacked over the last few years: explosive speed and upper echelon offensive skill.  

Does he have deficiencies?  Yes.  Is he a better player with the puck than without it? Yes.  Has he still managed to have a very successful freshman year? Yes.  

No one's anointing him anything, you're the only person that's making big sweeping statements about him.

I take exception to the idea that you know how hard he practices, or what his motives are.  You're just making this up.  You've noticed some deficiencies in his game and extrapolated that into a personality defect, and that is completely unfair.

Opinions are always welcome, but making statements like: he'll most likely leave for the Q, or: he doesn't practice hard, without any actual evidence is a pretty useless and an unfair thing to do.  You can't just make wild incinuations about a player and not expect someone to call you out on it.

[Al DeFlorio]

[quote DILLIGAF]It is for this reason that he [Romano]will move on as soon as Cornell is out of the playoffs.[/quote]
I believe it is the way you phrase this--with such emphatic certitude--that is turning off your readers here.  You don't say:  I think he will move on; or, it wouldn't surprise me if he moved on.  Either of these would not be unreasonable and therefore accepted by regulars here.  

I infer from your comment above stating that you would "say this to him personally" that in fact you don't know him and haven't discussed this matter with him at all.  So I believe you are out of line to make such definitive statements with apparently nothing to inform them.  You may turn out to be right, but that could also be true of any wild-ass conjecture someone might choose to post irresponsibly on the internet.

[Trotsky]

[quote DILLIGAF]With Romano, his game isn't suited to the college game.  He plays a very selfish game.  He doesn't want to play defense, He doesn't care about defense, he doesn't utilize his line-mates.  It is all about him scoring goals.  Assists are not even in his lexicon.  His game is very well suited for major junior hockey, not college.  It is for this reason that he will move on as soon as Cornell is out of the playoffs.[/quote]I've seen most of this year's games either in person or on video.  I couldn't disagree with you more.  Romano is neither more nor less advanced in total positional play at this point than Vinnie Auger or, going back further, Kent Manderville or Trent Andison was at the comparable point in their respective careers.  Every finesse player hits a wall where his pure talent isn't enough to carry himself and his team, and he needs to become a cog in a wheel.  This is nothing new.  Watch Brandan Wong playing for Q this weekend.  Everything you are saying about Romano could as easily be said about him.


I love Romano's talent.  He'll learn to fit into a team offense and defense, and he'll be a great addition to the squad.  As we get more explosive offensive players, we are going to see a painful D learning curve for many of them, because of the nature of the Junior A development path.  They learned to showboat to get noticed by the scouts.  Now they learn the way the game is really played.  Same story, going on 80 years of hockey now.

[plrd78]

[quote Trotsky][quote DILLIGAF]With Romano, his game isn't suited to the college game.  He plays a very selfish game.  He doesn't want to play defense, He doesn't care about defense, he doesn't utilize his line-mates.  It is all about him scoring goals.  Assists are not even in his lexicon.  His game is very well suited for major junior hockey, not college.  It is for this reason that he will move on as soon as Cornell is out of the playoffs.[/quote]I've seen most of this year's games either in person or on video.  I couldn't disagree with you more.  Romano is neither more nor less advanced in total positional play at this point than Vinnie Auger or, going back further, Kent Manderville or Trent Andison was at the comparable point in their respective careers.  Every finesse player hits a wall where his pure talent isn't enough to carry himself and his team, and he needs to become a cog in a wheel.  This is nothing new.  Watch Brandan Wong playing for Q this weekend.  Everything you are saying about Romano could as easily be said about him.


I love Romano's talent.  He'll learn to fit into a team offense and defense, and he'll be a great addition to the squad.  As we get more explosive offensive players, we are going to see a painful D learning curve for many of them, because of the nature of the Junior A development path.  They learned to showboat to get noticed by the scouts.  Now they learn the way the game is really played.  Same story, going on 80 years of hockey now.[/quote]

In response: to dilligaf, do you have a clue what you are stating. First Major Jr. produces more NHL caliber players then the NCAA almost 5 to 1.  Posts like yours are a joke and can not be taken serious. The Coaching staff must like Romano's play or else he would not play as much as he does. Do you know him and have you discussed his future with him. Are you his agent. I think you should can it. You can hide behind this site but face to face I believe your a coward.

[Josh '99]

[quote plrd78]In response: to dilligaf, do you have a clue what you are stating. First Major Jr. produces more NHL caliber players then the NCAA almost 5 to 1.  Posts like yours are a joke and can not be taken serious.[/quote]How does pointing out that Major Junior produces more NHL caliber players than the NCAA disprove DILLIGAF's point?

[DILLIGAF]

plrd78 way to go on the personal attack.

I am not the one trying to be tough online like you toughguy.  What are you calling me out?  A Coward?  Would you teach me a lesson? You are a clown.  

I stated objective opinions about Romano. I didn't represent them as anything other than my own and I didn't even personally attack him.  I have made an educated opinion that he will not complete his 4 years at Cornell.  Time will prove how accurate that prediction actually is, but it in no way maligned you or even Tony Ramono.  

Maybe you need to put down the Big Red Kool-Ade and take an objective look at what I wrote.  You are holding on way too tight to be objective or even rational.

[Beeeej]

[quote Josh '99][quote plrd78]In response: to dilligaf, do you have a clue what you are stating. First Major Jr. produces more NHL caliber players then the NCAA almost 5 to 1.  Posts like yours are a joke and can not be taken serious.[/quote]How does pointing out that Major Junior produces more NHL caliber players than the NCAA disprove DILLIGAF's point?[/quote]

I think it was plrd78's masterful use of punctuation, sentence structure, complete non-sequiturs, and incomprehensibility that were supposed to disprove DILLIGAF's point.

Man, I'm getting curmudgeonly.  Is it Friday yet?

[Trotsky]

[quote Beeeej]Man, I'm getting curmudgeonly.[/quote]

"Getting"?  ::whistle::

[ebilmes]

I absolutely cannot see Romano leaving Cornell after his freshman year. All this crap about Schafer stifling Romano's talent, his teammates not passing him the puck, Tony not playing defense, etc., is ridiculous. Look for a healthier Romano to come back next year and top the offensive accomplishments he made this season.

Let's get excited for this weekend and argue about this after the season is over.

Let's Go Red!

[KeithK]

I don't think the speculation about Romano is at all ridiculous given what we know of him, even if it may be unlikely.  I do think we should table this as ebilmes suggest and focus on the playoffs.  Hopefully we can delay these discussions until sometime in mid April :-D.

[Dpperk29]

[quote DILLIGAF]plrd78 way to go on the personal attack.

I am not the one trying to be tough online like you toughguy.  What are you calling me out?  A Coward?  Would you teach me a lesson? You are a clown.  

I stated objective opinions about Romano. I didn't represent them as anything other than my own and I didn't even personally attack him.  I have made an educated opinion that he will not complete his 4 years at Cornell.  Time will prove how accurate that prediction actually is, but it in no way maligned you or even Tony Ramono.  

Maybe you need to put down the Big Red Kool-Ade and take an objective look at what I wrote.  You are holding on way too tight to be objective or even rational.[/quote]

isn't bye week infighting so much fun? just rememeber... see attachment (disclaimer: I know it's wrong, get over it)

[ftyuv]

[quote Dpperk29][quote DILLIGAF]plrd78 way to go on the personal attack.

I am not the one trying to be tough online like you toughguy.  What are you calling me out?  A Coward?  Would you teach me a lesson? You are a clown.  

I stated objective opinions about Romano. I didn't represent them as anything other than my own and I didn't even personally attack him.  I have made an educated opinion that he will not complete his 4 years at Cornell.  Time will prove how accurate that prediction actually is, but it in no way maligned you or even Tony Ramono.  

Maybe you need to put down the Big Red Kool-Ade and take an objective look at what I wrote.  You are holding on way too tight to be objective or even rational.[/quote]

isn't bye week infighting so much fun? just rememeber... see attachment (disclaimer: I know it's wrong, get over it)[/quote]

OMG STOP TROLLING, TROLLSY McTROSALOT!!  CL4RKSON SUX0RS N0000B!

Happy ByeWeek, everyone

[French Rage]

[quote KeithK]I don't think the speculation about Romano is at all ridiculous given what we know of him, even if it may be unlikely.  I do think we should table this as ebilmes suggest and focus on the playoffs.  Hopefully we can delay these discussions until sometime in mid April :-D.[/quote]

Yeah, this is more of a mid-July argument.