CSNbbs

From the UofL board, Mike T was just on the radio in NYC between the afternoon session games. He commented on several topics that's we've been discussing.

Quote:Just listened to Big East Commish Mike T. on New York sports radio giving an interview in between games, here are some of the more interesting highlights:

- there is NO split happening any time soon, we are not breaking off into two 8 team leagues. There was some initial talk but all that went away once the AD's saw the TV $$$ that are suddenly pouring in for men's basketball. A split would mean a lot of that revenue goes away. Mike T. told coaches to stop worrying about the size of the league and just go play ball.

- said he's disgusted with the Seton Hall-Rutgers situation and Bobby Gonzales, he plans to talk to both schools next week about dialing down the animosity.

- said he's also disgusted by how Providence fans are treating Tim Welsh, who he thinks can coach.

- Mike T is still lamenting WVU's loss to Pitt in football, says he's confident that WVU would have beaten Ohio State in the BCS title game in the Superdome.

He also praised Cronin for what he's doing at Cincy and regrets how St. John's cannot get it going in New York right now. Interesting comments about the league's size though, he sounded pretty adamant that the league will stay at 16 for awhile. Which means if we do get a 9th football team, it would have to be a football only membership.

I'm disgusted with Mike Tranghese, so we're even.

I don't believe it. We're splitting in 2010.

the never ending story goes on.

Wow. The same thing we've been hearing for 5 years out of Mike T. I'm almost as blindsided as he was when the ACC raped the league. Shocking.

Everything is great the surge will cure all

I think the split is on life support.

He's able to show them the money now. But if they'd look at the money down the road, and I think they will, they will see how much greater it could be.

Why do I always think of Chip Diller when Tranghese releases one his patented "all is well" statements..???

Guess I just answered my own question....

frogman Wrote:I don't believe it. We're splitting in 2010.

That could be true...but MT wouldn't be allowed to say ANYTHING about it now.

He "has" to put on a rosey picture on how great it is to have a 16 team hybrid conference.

Of course. He's an ad man.

Capital Pirate Wrote:Why do I always think of Chip Diller when Tranghese releases one his patented "all is well" statements..???

Guess I just answered my own question....

You know you want it....

Mike Tranghese is also the one who said that Louisville and Cincinnati were not under consideration for the Big East. Then the ADs and Presidents went over his head and made the move. So his opinion doesn't mean a ton.

Mikey T could be ing losing the whole football side of the conference and he would never know it. Until it happened of course.
CJ

MT is, at best, a politician..... at worst an osterich, with his head in the sand.

It is a business decision. If someone can show the BE football schools they can make MORE money by splitting, we will.

So much good stuff in this thread, I don't know where to begin...

L-yes Wrote:Wow. The same thing we've been hearing for 5 years out of Mike T. I'm almost as blindsided as he was when the ACC raped the league. Shocking.

But, are you as blindsided as he was about losing the Meineke Bowl to Navy?

CatsClaw Wrote:Mike Tranghese is also the one who said that Louisville and Cincinnati were not under consideration for the Big East. Then the ADs and Presidents went over his head and made the move. So his opinion doesn't mean a ton.

You mean the two programs who, along with USF, have a combined seven bowl appearances in three years? Yes, his opinion seems to matter about as much as his leadership

CardinalJim Wrote:Mikey T could be ing losing the whole football side of the conference and he would never know it. Until it happened of course.
CJ

Two "blindsided" comments from the UofL contingent... this doesn't bode well.

army56mike Wrote:MT is, at best, a politician..... at worst an osterich, with his head in the sand.

That's three for blindside, two for weak leadership... I'd say his head is somewhere else, but someone's kids might be reading

bitcruncher Wrote:He's able to show them the money now. But if they'd look at the money down the road, and I think they will, they will see how much greater it could be.

I have a suspicion that ESPN, being based in the northeast, would rather this thing be kept together. I still see plenty of backhanded jabs thrown at the league, courtesy of the Gameday crew. The network seems to be belittling the quality of the football league, with its Friday schedule (FTR, I don't mind Thursday). With the attempt to plant a seed of inadequacy, ESPN feels they can get a quality sports league on the cheap.

I just think that if the football schools do better with the money, it'll have to be with a another network. It'll be interesting to see if the coaches actually do shut up about the league size. I'm betting against it.

...and finally

CollegeCard Wrote:

Capital Pirate Wrote:Why do I always think of Chip Diller when Tranghese releases one his patented "all is well" statements..???

Guess I just answered my own question....

You know you want it....

Always appreciate the Animal House references. Since I'm posting a Kevin Bacon picture reply to a Kevin Bacon quote, does that put me within the six degrees of seperation?

Jose, Your ESPN comments are interesting. I remember when the Hartford Whalers relocated to Raleigh, ESPN went out of it's way to belittle the Hurricanes. I guess a Stanley Cup championship, a Stanley Cup finals loss, & probably winning their division this year, will shut even ESPN up.

Jose_Jalapeno_on_a_Stick Wrote:

bitcruncher Wrote:He's able to show them the money now. But if they'd look at the money down the road, and I think they will, they will see how much greater it could be.

I have a suspicion that ESPN, being based in the northeast, would rather this thing be kept together. I still see plenty of backhanded jabs thrown at the league, courtesy of the Gameday crew. The network seems to be belittling the quality of the football league, with its Friday schedule (FTR, I don't mind Thursday). With the attempt to plant a seed of inadequacy, ESPN feels they can get a quality sports league on the cheap.

I just think that if the football schools do better with the money, it'll have to be with a another network. It'll be interesting to see if the coaches actually do shut up about the league size. I'm betting against it.

ESPN is already prominently involved in the recruiting scandal surrounding Maya Moore, UConn, and Tennessee. ESPN rose to prominance showcasing Big East basketball. There was no BEast football in those days. In the minds of many at ESPN, those days never ended.

I don't think the coaches will shut up either. I also think they'll convince their universities that they are correct in their viewpoint over time. The length of time that takes is the only question...

bitcruncher Wrote:He's able to show them the money now. But if they'd look at the money down the road, and I think they will, they will see how much greater it could be.

I think the football schools are also looking for conference stability, and might be willing to take a drop in revenue for a period of time for that stability and also might realize that CBS is getting back into the college game big time and is looking to take on ABC/ESPN, which means a bidding war might break out to get the better conferences.

I think at first it would be basketball, but a matter of time until CBS looks to upgrade college football coverage. More money and less mouths to feed might get more attractive to the football school imo.