I'm sorry. In post 54, your post and 81's are lumped together.

It was 81 that said he admired Hodge for doing the interview. But my points still stand.

It's his job. I would admire Hodge if he asked questions that got Noland to be more revealing about, and I'll give him props for asking short questions that were usually direct and getting the interview before the summer, but the interview did nothing to make one forget this was the newspaper that wrote a story about the first gave ever at the new ballpark and somehow forgot to mention in the piece that the yard wasn't finished.

(04-18-2012 06:41 PM)PittsburghBucs Wrote:  I'm sorry. In post 54, your post and 81's are lumped together.

It was 81 that said he admired Hodge for doing the interview. But my points still stand.

It's his job. I would admire Hodge if he asked questions that got Noland to be more revealing about, and I'll give him props for asking short questions that were usually direct and getting the interview before the summer, but the interview did nothing to make one forget this was the newspaper that wrote a story about the first gave ever at the new ballpark and somehow forgot to mention in the piece that the yard wasn't finished.

My bad. I got carried away from just having an article in the Press discussing Buc athletics! I do hope he follows up with the right questions.

I don't mean to jump down your throat, 81. You're good.

So you appriciate Hodge doing the piece instead of admire. Hey, I appriciate Hodge doing the interview, too.

It is, in fact, my sincerest hope that this would begin a series in the Press- Kelly Hodge interviews local sports figures like this. Perhaps once a month, he could do a series like I spoke of above.

Now, Noland revealed enough for Hodge to get a passing, though not outstanding, grade for the interview. Examples include Noland revealing there have been talks about bringing a hockey team to town- but even that is where the interview comes short. You have to ask follow up questions on that.

We're not talking about University High's girls basketball team moving a forward to center. We're talking about the possibility of a professional sports franchise coming to town. That's about as big as it gets around here, and Hodge just went on to the next question on his list and printed filler about Noland's jump shot instead.

But here's where the Press can save face. In addition to a monthly interview series, let me see a story in the future about these talks. Let me know what league is looking at Johnson City- the ECHL? The CHL? Are the New York Islanders considering moving here? Who are the talks with?

But I have a feeling the next big story they'll break is when the Arby's Classic puts out a press release next fall revealing the teams that will participate.

Hell, I scooped 'em in BLEACHER REPORT on the CIT bid last year!

(04-18-2012 08:59 AM)Buccaneerlover Wrote:  BuccTigger - You really don't get it do you. The fairgrounds? Seriously? The formula isn't that hard to figure out. Large downtown football stadium = New Year's Eve Bowl game that turns the slowest tourism week of the year into the busiest. Downtown arena = 17,113 bodies downtown in the slowest months of the year on 41 extra dates plus playoff games and road game viewing parties. People pour out of LP Field and Bridgestone Arena and into the bars, restaurants, hotels and whatever else is in downtown Nashville. Attendance at Grizzlies games are bad because up until the last two years the Grizzlies STUNK! The Tigers are fine with attendance, and their move to the Big East will certainly not hurt.

Uh, I get that you don't know geography. The large downtown stadium, i.e. the Liberty Bowl, is at the fairgrounds, it isn't down town. What...... you don't want to stimulate business in the middle of Memphis only the absolute (west) side of town? The Liberty Bowl and the old Mid-south Coliseum are located at the fairgrounds complex. This location is 2.69 miles from campus and much closer to the money/ticket holders in Memphis. These people live on the east side, Germantown, Collierville, Cordova, some of these locations take up to an hour in traffic to get to the Forum which is "downtown" on the west side next to the river. The traffic is always bad because you can only travel on the east side of the Forum, because the river is in the way, so there is only so much you can do. It is a little better since the Forum isn't actually next to the river like the Pyramid. They built the Pyramid and the Forum downtown in an effort to revitalize an area that had deteriorated to a very low point. I mean when I was in Memphis in the early 80s, Beale Street was empty and two blocks from there were prostitutes and drug dealers. They shouldn't have been so desperate and the University should have made sure that arenas were close to campus and closer to the people buying tickets. The basketball arena should have been built on top of the Mid-south Coliseum near the Liberty Bowl and the area should have been developed into a sports complex, with, here it comes, woo hoo, businesses around the area. It would have helped "revitalize" the south side of the fairgrounds which is one of the worst areas in Memphis. The reason they chose to "revitalize" downtown instead of orange mound is because the real estate owners around orange mound were poor and the real estate owners down town were millionaires.

So there you go buckwheat, you need to save your attacking of someone, to when and if you know what you are talking about (maps are wonderful things).

Take it to the Memphis board.

Please.

(04-18-2012 08:09 PM)PittsburghBucs Wrote:  Take it to the Memphis board.

Please.

I was just responding to, first a reference to Memphis' arenas, and 2nd to an attack.

Oh, I think you need to take your Pittsburgh references to ...... uh..... Pittsburgh.

Not really, I was a Pirate fan growing up so I don't mind when it is relevant.

Say what ya want Corky, they built FedEx Forum where Fred Smith told them to. He knows the potential of using that arena as a catalyst to drive tourism in and around the downtown sector. Anyone who's been to Nashville in the last 13 years can see what an arena/football stadium can do. With the convention center slated to open in Nashville, it's opened itself to conference tournaments, NCAA Tournaments, possibly the Frozen four in hockey, multiple national conventions that couldn't come here before, which generates more money. U of M had no say so, they said yes sir, Mr. Smith. You build it, we'll play in it. And I don't blame them one bit. If someone did that in Johnson City, they'd be damn foolish not to.
The fairgrounds area is horrible. People would've gone to see the Tigers, the Grizzlies meanwhile would've relocated again.

The thing is, Tigger, that at least my Pittsburgh references have relevance to the situations at ETSU. Otherwise I wouldn't mention them.

I don't generally go on here and post "When is Neil Walker going to get out of his funk? Should Pitt build a football stadium closer to campus?"

I will admit when the Penguins were making their run to the Stanley Cup I was known to brag on Sidney Crosby here, but that was mostly for effect. And I think it was just one thread.

I'm reading about how in the 1980s there were hookers near Beale Street. I'm reading about the Fed Ex Forum and the Pyramid. I'm reading Lover take my line a few years back about Paul Stanton being Erik Lassard (and Mullins Harris) and now putting it to the Memphis AD.

Awhile back some Memphis fans started coming on here basically saying that ETSU shouldn't have football because they thought the Tigers' gridiron program lost too much. Which is a preposterous statement, and frankly the absurdity of it has been displayed now that they've joined the Big East- something that no way no how would have happened without their football program.

But since then, it almost seems like we've had a ton of threads go off into Memphis talk.

I just don't get it.

(04-18-2012 08:38 PM)Buccaneerlover Wrote:  Say what ya want Corky, they built FedEx Forum where Fred Smith told them to. He knows the potential of using that arena as a catalyst to drive tourism in and around the downtown sector. Anyone who's been to Nashville in the last 13 years can see what an arena/football stadium can do. With the convention center slated to open in Nashville, it's opened itself to conference tournaments, NCAA Tournaments, possibly the Frozen four in hockey, multiple national conventions that couldn't come here before, which generates more money. U of M had no say so, they said yes sir, Mr. Smith. You build it, we'll play in it. And I don't blame them one bit. If someone did that in Johnson City, they'd be damn foolish not to.
The fairgrounds area is horrible. People would've gone to see the Tigers, the Grizzlies meanwhile would've relocated again.

1. Fred could care less about tourism in downtown Memphis he doesn't make his money from tourism. If Fred wanted to stimulate tourism he could just build and arena in the middle of the Mississippi river, hey he has the money.

So the entire fairgrounds area is horrible? even the north side on Central Avenue, the street most people travel from the U of M to the stadium?

Homes on Central Ave.
1
2
3
4
Now I realize it is a museum now but lets not forget that the former home of the founder of Piggly Wiggly the Pink Palace.
5

I will agree with you about the south side of the fairgrounds, but not the north side. Like I said the people who decided where to put the Forum and the Pyramid were in the pocket of the land owners downtown, where the Peabody and the like were. I used to play music very near Beale Street often in the early 80s and I would argue that it was WORSE than Orange Mound then, but Orange Mound wasn't within walking distance of the Peabody, etc. You couldn't park your car over night down there (Beale), it would be on blocks the next morning (I know happened to a friend of mine 2X), all about 4 blocks from the Peabody.

So you have a friend who drinks whisky in Memphis, I bet I know a lot more whisky drinkers in Memphis than you do? Back in the day I used to be one.

I don't have time to educate someone who has a buddy who drinks whiskey in Memphis. Or do you want to pick somewhere else I used to live, and educate me? I used to live in Atlanta also, why don't you figure out something about Atlanta to argue about.

I got some stuff to do, see you later Alfalfa.

(04-18-2012 08:51 PM)PittsburghBucs Wrote:  The thing is, Tigger, that at least my Pittsburgh references have relevance to the situations at ETSU. Otherwise I wouldn't mention them.

I don't generally go on here and post "When is Neil Walker going to get out of his funk? Should Pitt build a football stadium closer to campus?"

I will admit when the Penguins were making their run to the Stanley Cup I was known to brag on Sidney Crosby here, but that was mostly for effect. And I think it was just one thread.

I'm reading about how in the 1980s there were hookers near Beale Street. I'm reading about the Fed Ex Forum and the Pyramid. I'm reading Lover take my line a few years back about Paul Stanton being Erik Lassard (and Mullins Harris) and now putting it to the Memphis AD.

Awhile back some Memphis fans started coming on here basically saying that ETSU shouldn't have football because they thought the Tigers' gridiron program lost too much. Which is a preposterous statement, and frankly the absurdity of it has been displayed now that they've joined the Big East- something that no way no how would have happened without their football program.

But since then, it almost seems like we've had a ton of threads go off into Memphis talk.

I just don't get it.

I responded to someone else's post about Memphis' arenas, which I think is somewhat relevant to ETSU, in the sense that they are both TBR schools. Clarifying how they were financed, was the main reason that I commented. I'm not a fan of joint city, university financed arenas. I personally think they suck. The U of M got SCREWED by the city of Memphis in the Pyramid deal. I like the Pyramid well enough, but it was a camel. It was built in a very difficult location for the majority of the population of the mid-south to get to. I don't believe in joint arenas, the Fed Ex Forum is awesome, but it is not a college arena, and doesn't feel like one. Memphis basketball attendance will be OK regardless, when I was in school the attendance was in the top 10. The basketball program has withstood many stupid decisions because of two reasons:
1. the city is a basketball city
2. you can recruit just the city and have a top 25 program

Memphis didn't get to the big east because they had the worst football program in CUSA. True they had to have football to go, but they got to the big east because the big east had to shore up it's basketball programs.

No. They had to shore up their football programs. I'm not saying that Memphis isn't a nice add, but the Big East would still have enough good basketball programs to be a major player.

Memphis doesn't get into the Big East if they don't have football. I don't care if they had won 10 straight NCAA Tournaments. MEMPHIS DOESN'T GET INTO THE BIG EAST UNLESS THEY HAVE A FOOTBALL PROGRAM.

Just like ETSU doesn't stick around the SoCon or get into just about any conference but the Atlantic Sun without a football program.

Look, Tigger, good response. But here's another thing.

The talk on arenas in Memphis really got off what the thread of this subject was, which was the interview Kelly Hodge did with Brian Noland.

And this line of conversation only takes away from the real issues at hand.

I can see your point. But I really do think the politics of Memphis playing in the FedEx Forum are going to be completely different than the politics that will lead to a new basketball facility for ETSU.

On the other hand, WHOA! How 'bout those Pens! Putting up 10 on the Flyers! They might just come back in this series yet!

And the Bucs took two of three from Arizona and without Hanrahan! Tellin' ya, if they can get out of April with some respectability this might be the year they break that horrible streak of losing seasons! But they need another stick or two to be contenders.

Who do you think the Steelers will draft? How about Paul Chryst not having a Blue-Gold Game but instead a controlled scrimmage? Do you think Newt or Paul have a chance in the PA Primary?

How do you like the North Shore Connector? Are you going to the Smokescreen Magazine Covergirl search tomorrow? I love the South Side, but what can be done to get it less rowdy?

See, that's what reading this thread has become to me, and I don't think I'm the only one.

(04-18-2012 09:45 PM)PittsburghBucs Wrote:  No. They had to shore up their football programs. I'm not saying that Memphis isn't a nice add, but the Big East would still have enough good basketball programs to be a major player.

Memphis doesn't get into the Big East if they don't have football. I don't care if they had won 10 straight NCAA Tournaments. MEMPHIS DOESN'T GET INTO THE BIG EAST UNLESS THEY HAVE A FOOTBALL PROGRAM.

Just like ETSU doesn't stick around the SoCon or get into just about any conference but the Atlantic Sun without a football program.

If the big east needed Memphis to shore up their football programs, they they are really in trouble.

I said Memphis had to have football, it is a required sport in the big east.

(04-18-2012 09:54 PM)PittsburghBucs Wrote:  Look, Tigger, good response. But here's another thing.

The talk on arenas in Memphis really got off what the thread of this subject was, which was the interview Kelly Hodge did with Brian Noland.

And this line of conversation only takes away from the real issues at hand.

I can see your point. But I really do think the politics of Memphis playing in the FedEx Forum are going to be completely different than the politics that will lead to a new basketball facility for ETSU.

On the other hand, WHOA! How 'bout those Pens! Putting up 10 on the Flyers! They might just come back in this series yet!

And the Bucs took two of three from Arizona and without Hanrahan! Tellin' ya, if they can get out of April with some respectability this might be the year they break that horrible streak of losing seasons! But they need another stick or two to be contenders.

Who do you think the Steelers will draft? How about Paul Chryst not having a Blue-Gold Game but instead a controlled scrimmage? Do you think Newt or Paul have a chance in the PA Primary?

How do you like the North Shore Connector? Are you going to the Smokescreen Magazine Covergirl search tomorrow? I love the South Side, but what can be done to get it less rowdy?

See, that's what reading this thread has become to me, and I don't think I'm the only one.

I was just responding to an attack with details, facts.

The Big East did need Memphis football more than the basketball program. That's undeniable. They aren't in the BCS without the football program and they need the TV market.

Besides, even with the Tigers lack of success the past three years, they've actually won more games than Syracuse has since 2005.

I respond to attacks with details and facts myself and have been doing it for 11 years on these boards.

(04-18-2012 09:40 PM)BuccTiger Wrote:  

(04-18-2012 08:51 PM)PittsburghBucs Wrote:  The thing is, Tigger, that at least my Pittsburgh references have relevance to the situations at ETSU. Otherwise I wouldn't mention them.

I don't generally go on here and post "When is Neil Walker going to get out of his funk? Should Pitt build a football stadium closer to campus?"

I will admit when the Penguins were making their run to the Stanley Cup I was known to brag on Sidney Crosby here, but that was mostly for effect. And I think it was just one thread.

I'm reading about how in the 1980s there were hookers near Beale Street. I'm reading about the Fed Ex Forum and the Pyramid. I'm reading Lover take my line a few years back about Paul Stanton being Erik Lassard (and Mullins Harris) and now putting it to the Memphis AD.

Awhile back some Memphis fans started coming on here basically saying that ETSU shouldn't have football because they thought the Tigers' gridiron program lost too much. Which is a preposterous statement, and frankly the absurdity of it has been displayed now that they've joined the Big East- something that no way no how would have happened without their football program.

But since then, it almost seems like we've had a ton of threads go off into Memphis talk.

I just don't get it.

I responded to someone else's post about Memphis' arenas, which I think is somewhat relevant to ETSU, in the sense that they are both TBR schools. Clarifying how they were financed, was the main reason that I commented. I'm not a fan of joint city, university financed arenas. I personally think they suck. The U of M got SCREWED by the city of Memphis in the Pyramid deal. I like the Pyramid well enough, but it was a camel. It was built in a very difficult location for the majority of the population of the mid-south to get to. I don't believe in joint arenas, the Fed Ex Forum is awesome, but it is not a college arena, and doesn't feel like one. Memphis basketball attendance will be OK regardless, when I was in school the attendance was in the top 10. The basketball program has withstood many stupid decisions because of two reasons:
1. the city is a basketball city
2. you can recruit just the city and have a top 25 program

Memphis didn't get to the big east because they had the worst football program in CUSA. True they had to have football to go, but they got to the big east because the big east had to shore up it's basketball programs.

That's the key component though. Memphis could have had the best basketball program in world and still not received an invite.

Xavier fans were/are hoping to receive a Big East invite. Never going to happen no matter how much their basketball program wins (and they've been pretty damn good over the last 5-10 years).

What the Memphis case illustrates is that even crappy football allows you to advance.

Football drives the bus.

(04-19-2012 02:54 AM)PittsburghBucs Wrote:  The Big East did need Memphis football more than the basketball program. That's undeniable. They aren't in the BCS without the football program and they need the TV market.

Besides, even with the Tigers lack of success the past three years, they've actually won more games than Syracuse has since 2005.

I respond to attacks with details and facts myself and have been doing it for 11 years on these boards.

The bolded part of the statement is true but your earlier post

Quote:No. They had to shore up their football programs

is crazy, Memphis football sucks. They are a basketball school that happens to have football in large market and a nice bridge to all teams
out west the Big East brought in.

BTW I have both teams with 27 since 2005
Syracuse
2005 1-10
2006 4-8
2007 2-10
2008 3-9
2009 4-8
2010 8-5
2011 5-7

Memphis
2005 7-5
2006 2-10
2007 7-6
2008 6-7
2009 2-10
2010 1-11
2011 2-10

It might be a little thing but just pointing out your "facts" are wrong and people need to be careful
to never take anything you say at face value. Now Marky will probably say that is nitpicking and
the fact they are actually tied since 2005 is not a big deal but the point he was trying to make was.
Maybe, but like I said remember to never trust a thing he says without checking the facts himself, he
has a habit of bending the truth "just a little" to fit his argument.

No son. I have friends who distribute wine and spirits in Memphis. Friends who have lived there for years, that moved out to Hernando to get away from the city. They service the derelects in Memphis. Here's what I do know. I get where you're coming from, I really do. But you don't think the owner of a corporation wouldn't have a vested interest in seeing the city his offices are housed in go through an economic and tourism boom? Yep, makes perfect sense to me. You don't get it, son. And ya never will. You can argue the fairgrounds argument ALL YOU WANT, people who travel in for games, and fans who want to party afterwards don't have anywhere to go pre or postgame out there. 14 years ago had you gone down Lower Broadway in Nashville you would've seen about three-four country bars and a whole bunch of strip clubs, adult novelty stores and places that blood was spilled every night. Nobody went downtown. I hate this reference, but think of the movie Roadhouse, Nashville built structure around it, a stadium, an arena, and ran all the shady crap out of there. Low and behold, downtown Nashville is busy 12 months out of the year, and is cleaned up. Memphis has the potential to do the same, hell they had the potential to do what OK City did with the Hornets, they chose to pout and fingerpoint, and instead have a rundown football stadium that doesn't draw flies, a basketball team that has as much of a chance being the next Depaul as it does Georgetown. We'll always agree to disagree. You think everything is fine in Memphis, meanwhile I live in a place that's growing everyday, has taken a sport that literally NOBODY thought would work here and made it the hottest ticket in town, has the NFL, a mid level bowl game that's one of the more profitable and attractive games to go to for its' fans and teams. I'll say it again, I don't think Johnson City will ever have bowl games or anything like that, but I do believe that they could build an "off campus" arena, one that's built to house concerts, special events, basketball, hockey, tournaments, etc... So let's just agree to disagree, and move on, okay Corky? There's no reason that Johnson City couldn't get their hands on lower division NCAA tournaments, as well as NAIA tournaments to cut their teeth on, and show that they can handle special events.
Back to Noland's comments. The interview was fine. Hodge lobbed a softball out there to try make Noland seem more human, like he's one of the boys.
All we can do is hope that the right people are on the committees and he eventually stops listening to people that have done a few good things, but been a part of alot of other screwups and excuse making.

(04-18-2012 09:27 PM)BuccTiger Wrote:  

(04-18-2012 08:38 PM)Buccaneerlover Wrote:  Say what ya want Corky, they built FedEx Forum where Fred Smith told them to. He knows the potential of using that arena as a catalyst to drive tourism in and around the downtown sector. Anyone who's been to Nashville in the last 13 years can see what an arena/football stadium can do. With the convention center slated to open in Nashville, it's opened itself to conference tournaments, NCAA Tournaments, possibly the Frozen four in hockey, multiple national conventions that couldn't come here before, which generates more money. U of M had no say so, they said yes sir, Mr. Smith. You build it, we'll play in it. And I don't blame them one bit. If someone did that in Johnson City, they'd be damn foolish not to.
The fairgrounds area is horrible. People would've gone to see the Tigers, the Grizzlies meanwhile would've relocated again.

1. Fred could care less about tourism in downtown Memphis he doesn't make his money from tourism. If Fred wanted to stimulate tourism he could just build and arena in the middle of the Mississippi river, hey he has the money.

So the entire fairgrounds area is horrible? even the north side on Central Avenue, the street most people travel from the U of M to the stadium?

Homes on Central Ave.
1
2
3
4
Now I realize it is a museum now but lets not forget that the former home of the founder of Piggly Wiggly the Pink Palace.
5

I will agree with you about the south side of the fairgrounds, but not the north side. Like I said the people who decided where to put the Forum and the Pyramid were in the pocket of the land owners downtown, where the Peabody and the like were. I used to play music very near Beale Street often in the early 80s and I would argue that it was WORSE than Orange Mound then, but Orange Mound wasn't within walking distance of the Peabody, etc. You couldn't park your car over night down there (Beale), it would be on blocks the next morning (I know happened to a friend of mine 2X), all about 4 blocks from the Peabody.

So you have a friend who drinks whisky in Memphis, I bet I know a lot more whisky drinkers in Memphis than you do? Back in the day I used to be one.

I don't have time to educate someone who has a buddy who drinks whiskey in Memphis. Or do you want to pick somewhere else I used to live, and educate me? I used to live in Atlanta also, why don't you figure out something about Atlanta to argue about.

I got some stuff to do, see you later Alfalfa.

(04-18-2012 09:45 PM)PittsburghBucs Wrote:  No. They had to shore up their football programs. I'm not saying that Memphis isn't a nice add, but the Big East would still have enough good basketball programs to be a major player.

Memphis doesn't get into the Big East if they don't have football. I don't care if they had won 10 straight NCAA Tournaments. MEMPHIS DOESN'T GET INTO THE BIG EAST UNLESS THEY HAVE A FOOTBALL PROGRAM.

Just like ETSU doesn't stick around the SoCon or get into just about any conference but the Atlantic Sun without a football program.

Dr. Brian Noland: "The landscape of college athletics is extremely fluid. Much of this is driven by football. The landscape is moving around us and we need to be positioned as an institution to ensure that we secure a position that maximizes our ability to put a spotlight on our programs and to grow ETSU"

According to Michigan-Football.com, which keeps historical football records, Memphis won eight games in 2007.

I do not know what record book Rod is using, but my facts are fine and I don't appriciate the dig.