I visited the Syracuse fan message board and found some really respectful comments on the Big East Tourney this year, Madison Square Garden, and the classic Providence vs Creighton final on Saturday night. I'm leaving out those that were really critical about the ACCT and Greensboro.

The last 5 minutes of the PC-CU game was mistake-free hard-nosed rugby-scrum electric old-school Big East basketball... the crowd sounded like a hornets nest throughout and at times the noise on TV was deafening. McDermott hitting 35 footers with under 2 minutes left. Must have been 5 loose ball pig piles in the 2nd half with no fouls called-- just let em play-- fantastic action.

I know I'm thrilled to have PC with Creighton, Xavier and Butler; and I know SU is happy about joining the ACC. Good luck going forward.

Anyway, here's a sample from the SU board:

- "I'm enjoying this Providence game."

- "For what its worth, the attendance looks pretty good for this game."

- "This game has been fantastic."

- "McDermott misses... for stretches I forget the kid is human. Unreal."

- "Fun game to watch! There's nothing like a prime time championship game at MSG! This is something I can't see the ACC replicating."

- "Also, even with providence vs creighton, the Garden blows Greensboro out of the water in terms of atmosphere. We gave this up for what? Some would say we are a hoop school trying to be a football school. Yup, I get it. But it sucks. We gave up a lot to get a lot."

- "Wow... a God Shammgod sighting. Didn't realize he was a Providence assistant. He cut down the last piece of the net before Cooley."

- "2014: Big East Tourny > ACC Tourney. And not because the Orange lost. No juice in Greensboro, you can feel it through the TV. That [the ACC Tourney] was painful to watch - in so many ways."

- "I know your position well, for me, I put it on out of curiosity all week. Couldn't turn it off. Granted, I was rooting for our old friends who did well, and maybe I still felt as if I was going the next session or night or whatever, but you could feel NYC in the speed and urgency."

- "Agree--that game was so enjoyable to watch--most fun game I watched all weekend. Just a plethora of reasons to root for Providence last night--underdog, original Big East team, a Creighton loss helping SU, Cooley being a great guy, and the coaching job in general that Cooley has done with this team after losing a couple of key guys. And no one even mentioned Gus and Raf doing the game---how great were they?! Classic Gus when McDermott hit those 2 threes during the late comeback, and he might have lost it had he hit that 3rd one "from Omaha". And a couple people mentioned the electricity at MSG---totally agree--- you really could feel it through the TV. And have to admit, was a bit surprised after reading all negative posts about the new BET and the attendance. But it was quite obvious the Garden was rockin'! The Mecca is still the Mecca, with or without the Orange!"

Also,
I got a chance to watch a lot of the Requiem show... wow, like going down memory lane to my high school years... definite spirit of camaraderie back in the 80's with the 9 of us (something that thankfully has returned with the 10 of us currently in 2014 with Creighton, XU and Butler)... love Ed Pinckney... Pearl was great... I remember his half court shot to beat BC... I remember that Carrier Dome floor that killed players' knees, wasn't wood, more like a hard rubbery surface with little give... Gavitt of course was fantastic... nice shots of Ernie D at the beginning... also remember that the 3 Final Four teams in 85 each beat an ACC school in the regional final game... plus BC had led Memphis State most of their Sweet 16 game, so 4 teams were possible... Massimino was a genius... also, most Big East fans didn't consider the Villanova win over the Hoyas to be that much of a shock, because every BE game was a battle...

There was plenty of juice yesterday for Duke-UVA.


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The ACC court was hideous, and before anyone says anything about the stupid Big Ten tourney logo, I know.

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First time at the BET and it was great (other than Creighton losing in the finals). Went to most of the games, almost all of them were close and exciting. MSG was loud and it was a great atmosphere to watch a game. Love being in NYC and MSG!

(03-17-2014 06:00 AM)Hokie4Skins Wrote:  There was plenty of juice yesterday for Duke-UVA.


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With a #1 seed on the line and one of the better ACC championship games, but it still wasn't as electric.

Early Sunday afternoon games by nature, just aren't.

Cheers,
Neil

(03-17-2014 10:40 AM)omniorange Wrote:  

(03-17-2014 06:00 AM)Hokie4Skins Wrote:  There was plenty of juice yesterday for Duke-UVA.


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With a #1 seed on the line and one of the better ACC championship games, but it still wasn't as electric.

Early Sunday afternoon games by nature, just aren't.

Cheers,
Neil

I heard the ACC is going to a Saturday Primetime Final.

I tried to catch some of the Big East tourney... I will admit, in years past I walked into a bar and it was on several TVs around the joint. This year I had to ask them to turn it on. FS1 is a HUGE problem and I don't see it being fixed any time soon. Most places just put on all the ESPN's and figure it has what people want to see.

The Garden is very misleading -- well placed mics and dark seating bowls make the building look and sound better on television -- the Garden lighting is designed to mimic a theater style, where it highlights the performance space (court), while leaving patrons darker and makes for a real big time feel - instead of new buildings where the roof is full of lights and the seating bowls are all lit up too.

That said, the Garden seats 20,057 for basketball, and the Big East's most attended session was only 15,290. A near 25% decline in finals attendance, and up to 42% decline in other sessions. The good thing is most people on TV couldn't tell because of the lighting in the Garden - so it didn't hurt the imagery of the BET. The only major problem is nobody saw the broadcasts, as BET ratings were pathetic on FS1, a mere fraction of what they'd been in past years.

Speaking of MSG, here's Forbes Article about how MSG tickets for the NCAAs are up over 60% more than any other regional site:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jesselawrenc...t-tickets/

Of course, as an Orange fan, my favorite part was this:

For 2014, the market has priced up the Eastern regionals higher than any regional round since we’ve been tracking the market. At an average price of $499, the Eastern regionals have such a high price point not because of who could be playing, but because where it will be played. 2014 marks the first time since 1961 that NCAA tournament tickets are available for sale at the venue many call ‘The Mecca of Basketball’, Madison Square Garden. While there’s a tremendous amount of anticipation for those games, since the brackets where finalized, prices have actually dropped 27%. Almost all of that can be attributed to Syracuse being placed in the South bracket as opposed to the East.

Still, even without SU, $499 average ticket price should tell everyone something about the worth MSG itself brings, regardless of game participants.

Cheers,
Neil

it is no secret that the NCAA has been giving cuse the east region far more often than they should. I am however very surprised that we didn't get it this year.

(03-17-2014 06:47 AM)DexterDevil Wrote:  The ACC court was hideous, and before anyone says anything about the stupid Big Ten tourney logo, I know.

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Northeast teams + MSG = Magic

It's unreal, and no conference tourney anywhere else can compete with the lights and passion of the city, ACC and B1G land included.

(03-17-2014 10:47 AM)TexanMark Wrote:  

(03-17-2014 10:40 AM)omniorange Wrote:  

(03-17-2014 06:00 AM)Hokie4Skins Wrote:  There was plenty of juice yesterday for Duke-UVA.


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With a #1 seed on the line and one of the better ACC championship games, but it still wasn't as electric.

Early Sunday afternoon games by nature, just aren't.

Cheers,
Neil

I heard the ACC is going to a Saturday Primetime Final.

MSG???

(03-17-2014 12:47 PM)omniorange Wrote:  Still, even without SU, $499 average ticket price should tell everyone something about the worth MSG itself brings, regardless of game participants.

Cheers,
Neil

I paid less for my Final Four tickets but I will be in the 2nd level at Jerry World.

(03-17-2014 04:54 PM)nzmorange Wrote:  

(03-17-2014 06:47 AM)DexterDevil Wrote:  The ACC court was hideous, and before anyone says anything about the stupid Big Ten tourney logo, I know.

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Northeast teams + MSG = Magic

It's unreal, and no conference tourney anywhere else can compete with the lights and passion of the city, ACC and B1G land included.

Not when it comes to TV ratings apparently.

(03-17-2014 01:15 AM)billyjack Wrote:  I visited the Syracuse fan message board and found some really respectful comments on the Big East Tourney this year, Madison Square Garden, and the classic Providence vs Creighton final on Saturday night. I'm leaving out those that were really critical about the ACCT and Greensboro.

The last 5 minutes of the PC-CU game was mistake-free hard-nosed rugby-scrum electric old-school Big East basketball... the crowd sounded like a hornets nest throughout and at times the noise on TV was deafening. McDermott hitting 35 footers with under 2 minutes left. Must have been 5 loose ball pig piles in the 2nd half with no fouls called-- just let em play-- fantastic action.

I know I'm thrilled to have PC with Creighton, Xavier and Butler; and I know SU is happy about joining the ACC. Good luck going forward.

Anyway, here's a sample from the SU board:

- "I'm enjoying this Providence game."

- "For what its worth, the attendance looks pretty good for this game."

- "This game has been fantastic."

- "McDermott misses... for stretches I forget the kid is human. Unreal."

- "Fun game to watch! There's nothing like a prime time championship game at MSG! This is something I can't see the ACC replicating."

- "Also, even with providence vs creighton, the Garden blows Greensboro out of the water in terms of atmosphere. We gave this up for what? Some would say we are a hoop school trying to be a football school. Yup, I get it. But it sucks. We gave up a lot to get a lot."

- "Wow... a God Shammgod sighting. Didn't realize he was a Providence assistant. He cut down the last piece of the net before Cooley."

- "2014: Big East Tourny > ACC Tourney. And not because the Orange lost. No juice in Greensboro, you can feel it through the TV. That [the ACC Tourney] was painful to watch - in so many ways."

- "I know your position well, for me, I put it on out of curiosity all week. Couldn't turn it off. Granted, I was rooting for our old friends who did well, and maybe I still felt as if I was going the next session or night or whatever, but you could feel NYC in the speed and urgency."

- "Agree--that game was so enjoyable to watch--most fun game I watched all weekend. Just a plethora of reasons to root for Providence last night--underdog, original Big East team, a Creighton loss helping SU, Cooley being a great guy, and the coaching job in general that Cooley has done with this team after losing a couple of key guys. And no one even mentioned Gus and Raf doing the game---how great were they?! Classic Gus when McDermott hit those 2 threes during the late comeback, and he might have lost it had he hit that 3rd one "from Omaha". And a couple people mentioned the electricity at MSG---totally agree--- you really could feel it through the TV. And have to admit, was a bit surprised after reading all negative posts about the new BET and the attendance. But it was quite obvious the Garden was rockin'! The Mecca is still the Mecca, with or without the Orange!"

Also,
I got a chance to watch a lot of the Requiem show... wow, like going down memory lane to my high school years... definite spirit of camaraderie back in the 80's with the 9 of us (something that thankfully has returned with the 10 of us currently in 2014 with Creighton, XU and Butler)... love Ed Pinckney... Pearl was great... I remember his half court shot to beat BC... I remember that Carrier Dome floor that killed players' knees, wasn't wood, more like a hard rubbery surface with little give... Gavitt of course was fantastic... nice shots of Ernie D at the beginning... also remember that the 3 Final Four teams in 85 each beat an ACC school in the regional final game... plus BC had led Memphis State most of their Sweet 16 game, so 4 teams were possible... Massimino was a genius... also, most Big East fans didn't consider the Villanova win over the Hoyas to be that much of a shock, because every BE game was a battle...

What a shame! That bunch sure does whine a lot.
While I feel for the Syracuse fan's loss of something they really cared for, they just need to grow up and move on, because Syracuse is just not in control anymore, or, they might think about moving back to the Big East.

(03-18-2014 06:35 AM)Hokie4Skins Wrote:  

(03-17-2014 04:54 PM)nzmorange Wrote:  

(03-17-2014 06:47 AM)DexterDevil Wrote:  The ACC court was hideous, and before anyone says anything about the stupid Big Ten tourney logo, I know.

Posted from my mobile device using the CSNbbs App

Northeast teams + MSG = Magic

It's unreal, and no conference tourney anywhere else can compete with the lights and passion of the city, ACC and B1G land included.

Not when it comes to TV ratings apparently.

I'm talking about game experience. FS1 + Almost every major team losing as soon as possible = Ratings Disaster, I agree.

Hopefully FS1 will figure itself out, and the BIG EAST will have better luck next year.

(03-18-2014 07:20 AM)XLance Wrote:  What a shame! That bunch sure does whine a lot.
While I feel for the Syracuse fan's loss of something they really cared for, they just need to grow up and move on, because Syracuse is just not in control anymore, or, they might think about moving back to the Big East.

to be fair XLance, you whine a lot too whenever someone brings it up. Can't invite 6 new members (actually 7) in ten years, and 8 in 25 and expect everything to be the same as it was 30 years ago.

Lance did you watch the show?

(03-17-2014 06:47 AM)DexterDevil Wrote:  The ACC court was hideous, and before anyone says anything about the stupid Big Ten tourney logo, I know.

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Who sponsored the Big Ten tourney...Luck Charms or the B1G LGBT club?

(03-17-2014 12:28 PM)IceJus10 Wrote:  The Garden is very misleading -- well placed mics and dark seating bowls make the building look and sound better on television -- the Garden lighting is designed to mimic a theater style, where it highlights the performance space (court), while leaving patrons darker and makes for a real big time feel - instead of new buildings where the roof is full of lights and the seating bowls are all lit up too.

That said, the Garden seats 20,057 for basketball, and the Big East's most attended session was only 15,290. A near 25% decline in finals attendance, and up to 42% decline in other sessions. The good thing is most people on TV couldn't tell because of the lighting in the Garden - so it didn't hurt the imagery of the BET. The only major problem is nobody saw the broadcasts, as BET ratings were pathetic on FS1, a mere fraction of what they'd been in past years.

Actually, there were more bodies in the seats for the first couple days of the tourney as compared with a couple of years ago. I was surprised how full the building was for DP-GT and SH-Butler. While the BE sold more tickets in the past, the atmosphere for the first couple days was better this year. However, the crowd was smaller than in the past on Friday and Saturday nights. The crowd was very good and it is hard to believe that the building was only 3/4 full. There were a significant number of people in the 4th deck end zones and the third deck was filled but for the sections closest to the corners.

I suspect that barring a banner year from SJU or maybe SH, this year will become the new norm. Its tough for smaller schools to fill the building. MU and GT had down years and there numbers at the tourney were down. But, Creighton brought a significant number of fans, which will certainly drop as their team falls in the standings next year. It would be nice if more than 2 fans from DePaul would show up. Geez, they even won a game this year.