I really thought since Marshall-UCF was a MAC game, ESPN announcers would have talked a little bit about the accomplishments of the conference. Unless I missed something during my potty break, that's two weeks straight the television audience has been left uninformed. Yes, I know the MAC shows that catchy TV commercial, but I don't count that.

I especially disliked the notion that Leftwich can't possibly win the Heisman because of the (implied low) caliber of competition in the MAC. So far this year, how many BCS opponents learned they didn't have cakewalks against Buffalo, Bowling Green, Miami, Northern Illinois, Ohio, Toledo, Central Florida, and Western Michigan? <img border="0" title="" alt="[Confused]" src="confused.gif" /> Not Rutgers, Missouri, North Carolina, Iowa, Wake Forest, Wisconsin, Pitt, Florida, Minnesota, Penn State, or Purdue! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="eek.gif" /> Why didn't the ESPN announcers make this point? Add that to the fact MAC football teams have had a fair share of BCS victories over the past five years!

And don't even me started with the lack of ESPN coverage of MAC basketball.
<img border="0" title="" alt="[Mad]" src="mad-flaming.gif" />

I'm with you on this one, OC. Everytime ESPN does a MAC game you know that there is a put down coming somewhere. It never fails. It seems these announers (BTW...I will say thanks to ESPN for not sticking us with Pam Ward doing play by play!!) prefer not to do their homework but simply pass on the stereotypes about mid-majors...

And, Kirk Herbstriet is the absolute worst MAC basher at ESPN. Everytime he speaks about the MAC it is derogatory. Makes me want to <img border="0" alt="[Puke]" title="" src="graemlins/puke.gif" />

<a href="http://againsttheline.com/artman/publish/article_96.shtml" target="_blank">Weekly MAC Column</a>

Heard Speilman do a few MAC games last year. He is pretty fair, and complamentary about the league. But we do not need announcers to blow sunshine up our a$$es about the confrence. If we win more, the respect will come.

I don't think anyone's asking for the sunshine up the skirt treatment. We all know the reality of our teams' abilities (pretty much). But Dave's right...Herbstreit bashes the MAC every time he talks about them. Shoot, in his online column last year, he SERIOUSLY referred to Toledo as the Mud Hens. The column was quietly pulled after someone emailed ESPN about it. You're right...wins will bring respect. But how many? And why is that number so much higher for the MAC than for other conferences? <img border="0" title="" alt="[Confused]" src="confused.gif" />

I left the UB-UConn game late in the 3rd quarter- my kids were getting restless and I could catch the end of the game on the YES network. I believe <img border="0" alt="[Bang Head]" title="" src="graemlins/banghead.gif" /> this was the first time the Bulls were on television on anything but the local Empire Sports Network.

The stadium looked great. There were nice crowd shots with a relatively big crowd. The announcers were giving their post-game comments with fireworks from the stadium in the background- nice effect.

Then the announcers made a comment about the MID-ATLANTIC CONFERENCE! <img border="0" alt="[Bang Head]" title="" src="graemlins/banghead.gif" />

It's not only UCF Presidents that don't do their homework.

Sorry guys. The head-knocking icon got away from me on the last post. <img border="0" alt="[Bang Head]" title="" src="graemlins/banghead.gif" />

Can't disagree with much that has been said. Herbstreet is the worst..but after all he is a big10 guy, so I guess the attitude towards the MAC should be expected.

However, we can look ourselves in the mirror when it comes to not getting the respect we desire.

Marshall did not compete with VaTech.
UCF blows a quality win @PSU then loses to a not so good ArizSt team.
Miami gets a good win @Chapel Hill but is unable to follow up at home against Iowa..then loses badly @LSU.
Toledo loses to one of the worst teams in the Big10.

Folks our better teams just had to play better in some of these games..and just simply didn't get it done.

Go Herd!

The Minnesota loss is not as damaging as everyone thinks it is. With any luck at all the Gophers will be 7-0 and ranked going into their matchup with MSU. This is not last year's Gopher team! They are far better than NW, Illinois, Purdue, or Indiana and probably about even with Iowa. They will win 8 or 9 games and go to a decent bowl.

Yes thanks ESPN for sparing us Pammy Ward for the UCF/Marshall game! Thank you, thank you very much! Now if your network wasn't so stinkin politically correct in the first place every other conference would be happier too! And awh, so would your TV audience, so would your advertisers, etc., etc.

Yes thanks ESPN for sparing us Pammy Ward for the UCF/Marshall game! Thank you, thank you very much! Now if your network wasn't so stinkin politically correct in the first place every other conference would be happier too! And awh, so would your TV audience, so would your advertisers, etc., etc.