I just emailed Jeff Goodman about his reference to Tulsa as a Mid Major in his story about their hire of Frank Haith.

Subject: Tulsa isnt "Mid Major"; They play w/ UCONN in AAC

Jeff,

Your reference to Tulsa as Mid Major is dated. They no longer play in CUSA. Haith will be coaching against Kevin Ollie, Mick Cronin, Larry Brown, Kelvin Sampson, Josh Pastner, Fran Dunphy, etc.
That's not a Mid Major conference.

And here was his response...


ESPN -- GMail <goodmanespn@gmail.com> Fri, Apr 18, 2014 at 8:47 AM
To: <-------@gmail.com>
They have yet to play a game in that league.

Still a mid-major -- for now.

Jeff Goodman

Sent from my iPhone

The "for Now" tells me that he thinks the AAC is a major basketball conference. Tulsa won't be a mid-major as of July 1st.

(04-18-2014 08:12 AM)SteveUCF19 Wrote:  The "for Now" tells me that he thinks the AAC is a major basketball conference. Tulsa won't be a mid-major as of July 1st.

I was surprised he answered so quickly.. or at all.

I still find his reporting of that story misleading, given that he knows Haith will never coach a day in CUSA. It's still a little tomfoolery, meant to slightly muddy perception.

(04-18-2014 08:12 AM)SteveUCF19 Wrote:  The "for Now" tells me that he thinks the AAC is a major basketball conference. Tulsa won't be a mid-major as of July 1st.

Still not appropriate to give them that label at this point. They are joining a major conference and showing commitment to being a major with that hire.

Goodman is a classic douche, who likes to make things up (like the Calhoun to BC story). I wouldn't pay any attention to anything he "reports."

Nice job calling him out. Media members don't make the news, they are supposed to report it...accurately.

He is obviously defensive in his response, because when laid out with facts, he tries to explain it away with some technicality. Haith is obviously joining an American conference basketball program...and was hired as such. Using the presence of UConn in the conference is perfect, if the media doesn't accept the American as a major conference, they will have to call UConn a mid-major...which obviously would make them look foolish.

This is what I think Goodman is saying --- One year does not 'make' a conference --- the AAC still has to earn it's long term creds as a major year in and out *conference* in basketball. Until then, just like in mid-major conferences, some of the associated will continue to be thought of as mid-major programs and others as majors. Certainly the AAC had a great basketball season in Year 1 --- but it's the next years that will 'establish' the AAC's reputation.

Goodman is a complete jerk.

(04-18-2014 08:36 AM)TIGERCITY Wrote:  This is what I think Goodman is saying --- One year does not 'make' a conference --- the AAC still has to earn it's long term creds as a major year in and out *conference* in basketball. Until then, just like in mid-major conferences, some of the associated will continue to be thought of as mid-major programs and others as majors. Certainly the AAC had a great basketball season in Year 1 --- but it's the next years that will 'establish' the AAC's reputation.

Agree.

Moreover, the AAC might be referred to as a "tweeter" because the top of the conference is made up of power programs, but the rest of the conference is made up of teams all with RPI rankings below 150 and many below 200. The situation will only get worse with the change in membership. It's hard to call a conference like this a power conference. It has some power programs for sure, but the league as a whole is not a power conference.

(04-18-2014 08:36 AM)TIGERCITY Wrote:  This is what I think Goodman is saying --- One year does not 'make' a conference --- the AAC still has to earn it's long term creds as a major year in and out *conference* in basketball. Until then, just like in mid-major conferences, some of the associated will continue to be thought of as mid-major programs and others as majors. Certainly the AAC had a great basketball season in Year 1 --- but it's the next years that will 'establish' the AAC's reputation.

Except that's complete BS...UConn, Memphis, Temple, Cincinnati...a Top 25 SMU...its a major conference. Media members (mostly) have high opinions of themselves and their opinions...and think of fans as being losers and peons. Its not about the "1 year"....its about who is in the conference. Tulsa doesnt have to be a big time basketball program to be considered a major, just as Rutgers, etc.. didn't in the past.

(04-18-2014 08:46 AM)Melky Cabrera Wrote:  It's hard to call a conference like this a power conference. It has some power programs for sure, but the league as a whole is not a power conference.

That's not what he said. Goodman said that he was referring to CUSA as the mid-major; not the AAC. (he just didn't want to acknowledge Tulsa was in the AAC yet)

Your NBE agenda smells, Melky.

(04-18-2014 08:36 AM)TIGERCITY Wrote:  This is what I think Goodman is saying --- One year does not 'make' a conference --- the AAC still has to earn it's long term creds as a major year in and out *conference* in basketball. Until then, just like in mid-major conferences, some of the associated will continue to be thought of as mid-major programs and others as majors. Certainly the AAC had a great basketball season in Year 1 --- but it's the next years that will 'establish' the AAC's reputation.

When was the last time a Mid-Major won a national championship?

(04-18-2014 08:51 AM)SteveUCF19 Wrote:  

(04-18-2014 08:36 AM)TIGERCITY Wrote:  This is what I think Goodman is saying --- One year does not 'make' a conference --- the AAC still has to earn it's long term creds as a major year in and out *conference* in basketball. Until then, just like in mid-major conferences, some of the associated will continue to be thought of as mid-major programs and others as majors. Certainly the AAC had a great basketball season in Year 1 --- but it's the next years that will 'establish' the AAC's reputation.

When was the last time a Mid-Major won a national championship?

Or finished with 5 programs (half the conference) in the Top 25.

I guess the ACC isn't a major football conference. Its only one year. The national championship doesn't mean anything.

(04-18-2014 08:48 AM)HP-TBDPITL Wrote:  

(04-18-2014 08:36 AM)TIGERCITY Wrote:  This is what I think Goodman is saying --- One year does not 'make' a conference --- the AAC still has to earn it's long term creds as a major year in and out *conference* in basketball. Until then, just like in mid-major conferences, some of the associated will continue to be thought of as mid-major programs and others as majors. Certainly the AAC had a great basketball season in Year 1 --- but it's the next years that will 'establish' the AAC's reputation.

Except that's complete BS...UConn, Memphis, Temple, Cincinnati...a Top 25 SMU...its a major conference. Media members (mostly) have high opinions of themselves and their opinions...and think of fans as being losers and peons. Its not about the "1 year"....its about who is in the conference. Tulsa doesnt have to be a big time basketball program to be considered a major, just as Rutgers, etc.. didn't in the past.

The AAC 'schools' you mentioned - UConn, Temple et al - aren't going to be referred to by the term mid-major because of their long history. But the conference as a whole still has to establish itself before any 'conference shine' will touch it's other members - at least from the media point of view IMO. For example, Ole Miss in the SEC would never be referred to as a power school in basketball but never be referred to as a mid-major due to their SEC membership --- same for the Rutgers you mentioned above and the Big East. I think that's where Goodman is coming from --

(04-18-2014 08:51 AM)SteveUCF19 Wrote:  

(04-18-2014 08:36 AM)TIGERCITY Wrote:  This is what I think Goodman is saying --- One year does not 'make' a conference --- the AAC still has to earn it's long term creds as a major year in and out *conference* in basketball. Until then, just like in mid-major conferences, some of the associated will continue to be thought of as mid-major programs and others as majors. Certainly the AAC had a great basketball season in Year 1 --- but it's the next years that will 'establish' the AAC's reputation.

When was the last time a Mid-Major won a national championship?

Re=read the post -- that wasn't what was said or even implied.

(04-18-2014 08:57 AM)TIGERCITY Wrote:  

(04-18-2014 08:48 AM)HP-TBDPITL Wrote:  

(04-18-2014 08:36 AM)TIGERCITY Wrote:  This is what I think Goodman is saying --- One year does not 'make' a conference --- the AAC still has to earn it's long term creds as a major year in and out *conference* in basketball. Until then, just like in mid-major conferences, some of the associated will continue to be thought of as mid-major programs and others as majors. Certainly the AAC had a great basketball season in Year 1 --- but it's the next years that will 'establish' the AAC's reputation.

Except that's complete BS...UConn, Memphis, Temple, Cincinnati...a Top 25 SMU...its a major conference. Media members (mostly) have high opinions of themselves and their opinions...and think of fans as being losers and peons. Its not about the "1 year"....its about who is in the conference. Tulsa doesnt have to be a big time basketball program to be considered a major, just as Rutgers, etc.. didn't in the past.

The AAC 'schools' you mentioned - UConn, Temple et al - aren't going to be referred to by the term mid-major because of their long history. But the conference as a whole still has to establish itself before any 'conference shine' will touch it's other members - at least from the media point of view IMO. For example, Ole Miss in the SEC would never be referred to as a power school in basketball but never be referred to as a mid-major due to their SEC membership --- same for the Rutgers you mentioned above and the Big East. I think that's where Goodman is coming from --

Goodman clearly inferred the AAC is a major conference.

Every conference has tiers that are always in flux. We have just welcomed in 3 new coaches who will only shake things up within those tiers.

the ones coming from CUSA you can't really look at their RPI ratings this year.
this year-
Houston at 17-16 138 last year 19-13 192 So Houston was 2.5 games worse than last year but finished 54 spots higher in RPI. Not having to play the dregs of CUSA is huge. (Oh, and Melky, that just shows that the rest this year wasn't all under 150). Not to mention Tulsa coming in this year with rpi of 79, and got a coach from SEC.

Tulane and ECU coming in 224/223 will see their RPI's go up just by not having to play teams like 301 Rice, 308 UTSA, 275 Marshall, and 271 Florida Atlantic.

Next years key for AAC will be can someone from Temple, Houston, I'd put Tulsa in there, Tulane, ECU, UCF, USF crack the top 4 of UConn, Memphis, Cincy, SMU. If the AAC can get that 5th team- that really makes things even better.

(04-18-2014 08:59 AM)BigEastHomer Wrote:  

(04-18-2014 08:57 AM)TIGERCITY Wrote:  

(04-18-2014 08:48 AM)HP-TBDPITL Wrote:  

(04-18-2014 08:36 AM)TIGERCITY Wrote:  This is what I think Goodman is saying --- One year does not 'make' a conference --- the AAC still has to earn it's long term creds as a major year in and out *conference* in basketball. Until then, just like in mid-major conferences, some of the associated will continue to be thought of as mid-major programs and others as majors. Certainly the AAC had a great basketball season in Year 1 --- but it's the next years that will 'establish' the AAC's reputation.

Except that's complete BS...UConn, Memphis, Temple, Cincinnati...a Top 25 SMU...its a major conference. Media members (mostly) have high opinions of themselves and their opinions...and think of fans as being losers and peons. Its not about the "1 year"....its about who is in the conference. Tulsa doesnt have to be a big time basketball program to be considered a major, just as Rutgers, etc.. didn't in the past.

The AAC 'schools' you mentioned - UConn, Temple et al - aren't going to be referred to by the term mid-major because of their long history. But the conference as a whole still has to establish itself before any 'conference shine' will touch it's other members - at least from the media point of view IMO. For example, Ole Miss in the SEC would never be referred to as a power school in basketball but never be referred to as a mid-major due to their SEC membership --- same for the Rutgers you mentioned above and the Big East. I think that's where Goodman is coming from --

Goodman clearly said he considered the AAC a major conference.

Well if he said that the AAC is a mid-major conference than I don't have a clue what he means. That's a world of difference from saying Tulsa is considered mid-major *at this point* --

(04-18-2014 08:59 AM)BigEastHomer Wrote:  

(04-18-2014 08:57 AM)TIGERCITY Wrote:  

(04-18-2014 08:48 AM)HP-TBDPITL Wrote:  

(04-18-2014 08:36 AM)TIGERCITY Wrote:  This is what I think Goodman is saying --- One year does not 'make' a conference --- the AAC still has to earn it's long term creds as a major year in and out *conference* in basketball. Until then, just like in mid-major conferences, some of the associated will continue to be thought of as mid-major programs and others as majors. Certainly the AAC had a great basketball season in Year 1 --- but it's the next years that will 'establish' the AAC's reputation.

Except that's complete BS...UConn, Memphis, Temple, Cincinnati...a Top 25 SMU...its a major conference. Media members (mostly) have high opinions of themselves and their opinions...and think of fans as being losers and peons. Its not about the "1 year"....its about who is in the conference. Tulsa doesnt have to be a big time basketball program to be considered a major, just as Rutgers, etc.. didn't in the past.

The AAC 'schools' you mentioned - UConn, Temple et al - aren't going to be referred to by the term mid-major because of their long history. But the conference as a whole still has to establish itself before any 'conference shine' will touch it's other members - at least from the media point of view IMO. For example, Ole Miss in the SEC would never be referred to as a power school in basketball but never be referred to as a mid-major due to their SEC membership --- same for the Rutgers you mentioned above and the Big East. I think that's where Goodman is coming from --

Goodman clearly inferred the AAC is a major conference.

Do you need to change screen names now?