What I was a kid I relied on a lot of sports clichés to help me navigate through these often complex and difficult waters. I think that the clichés exist as a way of being polite and coming off as more knowledgeable than you actually are.

However, over time, as I grew into an adult, I began to detest all of these sports clichés as I found them to frame discussions in entirely dishonest fashions.

Here's an example:
I absolutely hate it when and the announcer says during a competitive game, "It's just a shame that somebody has to lose this game."

No, it's not! It's beautiful that someone's going to lose a good game. In fact, the drama that comes along with that consequence is precisely why we watch.

Sports without consequence is an exhibition. That is why I don't watch things like All-Star games or preseason football or anything of that nature. That is also why I love playoffs even when my teams come up short, just as my beloved Bucs did last week against the Cubs.

That said, I will admit that when I was watching the conclusion of the Wake Forest Boston College 3-0 snoozefest, I couldn't help but think to myself, "It is just a shame that one of these teams has to win this game."

The truth is neither team deserved to win that game. They both played horribly. Watching the Wake coach, Clauson dance up and down the sidelines like he had just won the Showcase Showdown after his team somehow prevailed primarily because, for some godforsaken reason, Boston College was too inept and disorganized to run multiple plays inside the 5 yard line in 44 seconds was simultaneously funny and sad.

I saw a statistic on Saturday that said the ACC was 3-10 versus other P5 leagues this year. It is also now 3–4 against the American. And yet we have the audacity to question whether or not ESPN pumps us up enough?

Say what?! Is that a joke?

Why don't we start winning some actual games and then we'll worry about the PR ramifications? Whining about being covered poorly in the media whenever your league is performing so poorly is borderline absurd.

I think it has become a cliché to whine about ESPN and their coverage of the ACC. That has allowed too many of us to avoid taking a long, hard look in the mirror.

The primary entity letting down the ACC is its membership, not it's media partners. ESPN is far from alone in pointing out our shortcomings. Frankly, it is impossible to argue with them on that front.

It is not every day but I find myself aligned with that goofy Clemson fan and the perpetually whining and almost always dishonest Florida State fans. However, in this instance, I can't help but to agree with them. The ACC needs to step up its game. The girls for everyone from top to bottom, even Florida State which struggled with both of those horrible football teams I referenced earlier in this thread.

Clemson may make this year's College Football Playoff. They look like a far from finished product as well but they also look like the clear class of this terrible league in 2015. If the Tigers are left at the altar, their critics are going to point to the league's overall performance - which has been an unmitigated disaster and embarrassment. Unfortunately, those critics will not be wrong.

OK, commence with the tomatoes.

(10-12-2015 09:36 AM)Dr. Isaly von Yinzer Wrote:  What I was a kid I relied on a lot of sports clichés to help me navigate through these often complex and difficult waters. I think that the clichés exist as a way of being polite and coming off as more knowledgeable than you actually are.

However, over time, as I grew into an adult, I began to detest all of these sports clichés as I found them to frame discussions in entirely dishonest fashions.

Here's an example:
I absolutely hate it when and the announcer says during a competitive game, "It's just a shame that somebody has to lose this game."

No, it's not! It's beautiful that someone's going to lose a good game. In fact, the drama that comes along with that consequence is precisely why we watch.

Sports without consequence is an exhibition. That is why I don't watch things like All-Star games or preseason football or anything of that nature. That is also why I love playoffs even when my teams come up short, just as my beloved Bucs did last week against the Cubs.

That said, I will admit that when I was watching the conclusion of the Wake Forest Boston College 3-0 snoozefest, I couldn't help but think to myself, "It is just a shame that one of these teams has to win this game."

The truth is neither team deserved to win that game. They both played horribly. Watching the Wake coach, Clauson dance up and down the sidelines like he had just won the Showcase Showdown after his team somehow prevailed primarily because, for some godforsaken reason, Boston College was too inept and disorganized to run multiple plays inside the 5 yard line in 44 seconds was simultaneously funny and sad.

I saw a statistic on Saturday that said the ACC was 3-10 versus other P5 leagues this year. It is also now 3–4 against the American. And yet we have the audacity to question whether or not ESPN pumps us up enough?

Say what?! Is that a joke?

Why don't we start winning some actual games and then we'll worry about the PR ramifications? Whining about being covered poorly in the media whenever your league is performing so poorly is borderline absurd.

I think it has become a cliché to whine about ESPN and their coverage of the ACC. That has allowed too many of us to avoid taking a long, hard look in the mirror.

The primary entity letting down the ACC is its membership, not it's media partners. ESPN is far from alone in pointing out our shortcomings. Frankly, it is impossible to argue with them on that front.

It is not every day but I find myself aligned with that goofy Clemson fan and the perpetually whining and almost always dishonest Florida State fans. However, in this instance, I can't help but to agree with them. The ACC needs to step up its game. That goes for everyone from top to bottom, even Florida State which struggled with both of those horrible football teams I referenced earlier in this thread.

Clemson may make this year's College Football Playoff. They look like a far from finished product as well but they also look like the clear class of this terrible league in 2015. If the Tigers are left at the altar, their critics are going to point to the league's overall performance - which has been an unmitigated disaster and embarrassment. Unfortunately, those critics will not be wrong.

It's mostly poor coaching. Not all the time, but at critical times.

Some teams are simply not prepared to play, like the VT defense giving up 169 rushing to the ECU QB or the Louisville offense throwing an interception on the first play of the game against Auburn.

Sometimes coaches make absolutely bone-head play calls like calling a run up the middle with no timeouts and only down by 3; the WORST that should happen is overtime, but alas, no...

The ACC continues to produce plenty of NFL-caliber players, but doesn't seem to know what to do with them. When a team hires a real coach (e.g. FSU, Clemson, maybe Pitt now) they immediately start winning. (NOTE: Prior to this weekend I thought BC's Addazio might be in that group; he was so much better than Spaziani that I just assumed he was "good").

(10-12-2015 10:32 AM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  It's mostly poor coaching. Not all the time, but at critical times.

Some teams are simply not prepared to play, like the VT defense giving up 169 rushing to the ECU QB or the Louisville offense throwing an interception on the first play of the game against Auburn.

Sometimes coaches make absolutely bone-head play calls like calling a run up the middle with no timeouts and only down by 3; the WORST that should happen is overtime, but alas, no...

The ACC continues to produce plenty of NFL-caliber players, but doesn't seem to know what to do with them. When a team hires a real coach (e.g. FSU, Clemson, maybe Pitt now) they immediately start winning. (NOTE: Prior to this weekend I thought BC's Addazio might be in that group; he was so much better than Spaziani that I just assumed he was "good").

That's true everywhere Mark, just look at Michigan.

Let's be fair here. Yes, bad coaching causes a lot of problems, however, you cannot win with chokers on a team either. Actually the bad coaches are usually high school coaches, who do not teach how football works. I was forunate that I had coaches that made you understand both offense and defense. They also made you know what every positions responsibilities were. When players know this they are coached properly. But no coaching no matter how good can cure the dumb@ss! So bad football teams are usually the result off both poor coachng and inferior players.

(10-12-2015 10:32 AM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  It's mostly poor coaching. Not all the time, but at critical times.

Some teams are simply not prepared to play, like the VT defense giving up 169 rushing to the ECU QB or the Louisville offense throwing an interception on the first play of the game against Auburn.

Sometimes coaches make absolutely bone-head play calls like calling a run up the middle with no timeouts and only down by 3; the WORST that should happen is overtime, but alas, no...

The ACC continues to produce plenty of NFL-caliber players, but doesn't seem to know what to do with them. When a team hires a real coach (e.g. FSU, Clemson, maybe Pitt now) they immediately start winning. (NOTE: Prior to this weekend I thought BC's Addazio might be in that group; he was so much better than Spaziani that I just assumed he was "good").

The guy was atrocious as OC at UF. He was NOT a good HC at Temple (squandered what Golden "built"). I thought BC made an AWFUL hire and that they'd be GARBAGE. But they haven't been. They've "competed" well (yet are far from a good team). But would we still be saying that without their UF transfer QB last year? Their offense wasn't even that good with him, and he set the ACC QB rushing record, didn't he? Now they have NO offense, and I'm beginning to wonder if he isn't - like you said - another bad coach whose only redeeming quality is being better than a completely inept coach.

(10-12-2015 12:11 PM)Marge Schott Wrote:  

(10-12-2015 10:32 AM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  It's mostly poor coaching. Not all the time, but at critical times.

Some teams are simply not prepared to play, like the VT defense giving up 169 rushing to the ECU QB or the Louisville offense throwing an interception on the first play of the game against Auburn.

Sometimes coaches make absolutely bone-head play calls like calling a run up the middle with no timeouts and only down by 3; the WORST that should happen is overtime, but alas, no...

The ACC continues to produce plenty of NFL-caliber players, but doesn't seem to know what to do with them. When a team hires a real coach (e.g. FSU, Clemson, maybe Pitt now) they immediately start winning. (NOTE: Prior to this weekend I thought BC's Addazio might be in that group; he was so much better than Spaziani that I just assumed he was "good").

The guy was atrocious as OC at UF. He was NOT a good HC at Temple (squandered what Golden "built"). I thought BC made an AWFUL hire and that they'd be GARBAGE. But they haven't been. They've "competed" well (yet are far from a good team). But would we still be saying that without their UF transfer QB last year? Their offense wasn't even that good with him, and he set the ACC QB rushing record, didn't he? Now they have NO offense, and I'm beginning to wonder if he isn't - like you said - another bad coach whose only redeeming quality is being better than a completely inept coach.

The DC is doing something right. It's hard to be that good on defense when your offense is so inept.

No doubt. Their DC seems to be good. But they've usually been good on D. With Keuchly and that one LB/DE that had bone cancer (forget his name, Herzlich?). But to my point, I'm less and less sure Addazio is a good coach and a good coach for BC's future.

I don't think the ACC is any worse than the other P5 conferences....

The PAC 12 already has Oregon and USC out of the mix...it's hope is Utah

The Big 10 is horrible...a good portion of that conference sucks bad.

The Big XII is just TCU and Baylor

Even the SEC East sucks

I don't think the AAC is that bad either. Temple, Memphis, and Houston are all undefeated....East Carolina is a decent football Program....theyve been upsetting people for years

Basically the ACC needs a few more teams to step up. Louisville and Miami have good potential

^No arguments here.