So the Big East hired Paul Tagliabue as a consultant on the expansion process. Anyone know who Tagliabue recommended for Big East expansion from outside the league?

Also, anyone know if ESPN is pushing for any of the candidates over the others, and if so, which candidate?

That is the $64,000 question!

(01-28-2011 11:38 PM)CougarRed Wrote:  So the Big East hired Paul Tagliabue as a consultant on the expansion process. Anyone know who Tagliabue recommended for Big East expansion from outside the league?

Also, anyone know if ESPN is pushing for any of the candidates over the others, and if so, which candidate?

I thought Paul Tagliabue was hired to be a consultant with the Big East Television network. I think he is an alum at Georgetown and probably has enough money from being commissioner of the NFL but he did this as a favor to the Big East (although I think he is still getting paid). He has a lot of connections in the TV realm because of his time as NFL commissioner so he knows a lot about setting up a network and negotiating with cable companies.
I was not aware of him working on expansion but I suppose its possible, especially from someone as knowledgable about the business side of things.

(01-28-2011 11:38 PM)CougarRed Wrote:  So the Big East hired Paul Tagliabue as a consultant on the expansion process. Anyone know who Tagliabue recommended for Big East expansion from outside the league?

Also, anyone know if ESPN is pushing for any of the candidates over the others, and if so, which candidate?

I doubt Tags has a horse in the race.....

However, ESPN has some writers who have been practically a UCF infomercial. I am sure if the BE selects anyone but UCF.....those writers will be tearing us apart.

Just better hope, USF can sway enough schools to vote for Houston. Ha ha!

(01-28-2011 11:55 PM)tj_2009 Wrote:  I thought Paul Tagliabue was hired to be a consultant with the Big East Television network.

I'm sure he was. But the issues of expansion and TV are joined at the hip, no?

I'd be shocked if Tagliabue was asked to consult on TV issues without regard to the impact certain expansion candidates would have.

(01-29-2011 12:41 AM)The Brown Bull Wrote:  However, ESPN has some writers who have been practically a UCF infomercial.

Unless the writers are analyzing the ratings impact of the various candidates, how does the old saying go?

"The views expressed by the author are not necessarily those shared by management."

Personally, I think all this "USF is blocking us" spin might well be the UCF athletic department managing the expectations of the Knight fan base so the fans will blame USF and not the UCF administration come March/April if UCF is not the 10th Big East team.

Tagliabue has a huge say in who gets invited because he advises the Big East presidents on who has the most valuable markets. Also the writers pumping up UCF, no one cares what they think. They were ripping us before UCF they'll rip us if we don't get UCF, they'll rip us if we do get UCF their opinion is unimportant.

(01-29-2011 04:50 AM)CougarRed Wrote:  

(01-29-2011 12:41 AM)The Brown Bull Wrote:  However, ESPN has some writers who have been practically a UCF infomercial.

Unless the writers are analyzing the ratings impact of the various candidates, how does the old saying go?

"The views expressed by the author are not necessarily those shared by management."

Personally, I think all this "USF is blocking us" spin might well be the UCF athletic department managing the expectations of the Knight fan base so the fans will blame USF and not the UCF administration come March/April if UCF is not the 10th Big East team.

I think so too. The word is that Villanova is heavily leaning towards accepting the football invite, and all indications are that Marinatto's "We aren't waiting for Nova" talk is just to hurry them up. I think what you're seeing coming out of Orlando (Adelson is a former Orlando Sentinel writer) is their attempt to temper expectations and get ahead of the narrative so that when the Big East announces Villanova, they can reference these glowing articles in attacking the Big East and calling them stupid for not taking that shining Florida bastion of football and basketball as Adelson tried to portray.

(01-29-2011 06:07 AM)CatsClaw Wrote:  Tagliabue has a huge say in who gets invited because he advises the Big East presidents on who has the most valuable markets. Also the writers pumping up UCF, no one cares what they think. They were ripping us before UCF they'll rip us if we don't get UCF, they'll rip us if we do get UCF their opinion is unimportant.

This +1

It's nice to have ESPN writing some nice articles about UCF, it doesn't hurt for exposure..but I don't think it really has any relevance to expansion.

I think Tags is objective. His opinion won't be swayed by ESPN. He will tell the BE exactly what he thinks would be best for them.

Correct Tags will be point blank and that will be what will lead the presidents to move forward on whether to expand and if so, who?

Let's hope for ECU sakes the rumors of Tag's BEN and cable companies in NC and VA willing to sign up are true.

(01-29-2011 10:33 PM)ECUgradstudent Wrote:  Let's hope for ECU sakes the rumors of Tag's BEN and cable companies in NC and VA willing to sign up are true.

Yeah, that'll tip the scales.

(01-29-2011 10:42 PM)Knightsweat Wrote:  

(01-29-2011 10:33 PM)ECUgradstudent Wrote:  Let's hope for ECU sakes the rumors of Tag's BEN and cable companies in NC and VA willing to sign up are true.

Yeah, that'll tip the scales.

It is not that far fetched. This is what Tags said in his NY Times interview. Just because a school resides in a big market doesn't mean they own the market. Tags seems to be very objective.

“You have to eventually tie your television to people actually watching and not just to television subscribers added up and totaled.”

Here is the link.

http://thequad.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04...r-big-ten/

(01-29-2011 11:23 PM)Raleighwood Pirate Wrote:  

(01-29-2011 10:42 PM)Knightsweat Wrote:  

(01-29-2011 10:33 PM)ECUgradstudent Wrote:  Let's hope for ECU sakes the rumors of Tag's BEN and cable companies in NC and VA willing to sign up are true.

Yeah, that'll tip the scales.

It is not that far fetched. This is what Tags said in his NY Times interview. Just because a school resides in a big market doesn't mean they own the market. Tags seems to be very objective.

“You have to eventually tie your television to people actually watching and not just to television subscribers added up and totaled.”

Here is the link.

http://thequad.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04...r-big-ten/

Yep, I like that quote “You have to eventually tie your television to people actually watching and not just to television subscribers added up and totaled.” While the article is old, I am sure they are still working with the same theory.

With the advent of the digital age, all of that information is instantly available to each network. Your cable box, etc all are in direct communication with the home network, giving them an instant tally of who is watching what - and for how long...