(12-05-2010 06:40 PM)SO#1 Wrote: Bill,
UConn would be scary if they have a consistence reliable passing game. They don’t have one ever since DanO gone.
"heavy handed, power-hungry talk" and "the football schools should act on their Mr. Big-Time tough guy talk"
terms that are used by your opponent when they want to portrait you in a negative light. This would give him the right or license to exercise his indignation and does his rants.
He (like most non-football fan) thinks the Big East or the Catholic version would be fine without football schools but also understood their basketball TV contract wouldn’t be nearly as high, but hey would still be wanted or as attractive to ESPN. So in anger, he challenges football schools to go ahead and split. The Catholic version will do okay. Whatever group that stay behind will get to keep the “Big East” name right that why the expansion to 8-8 non-football and football because there are enough members from any one of the group to keep the Big East conference alive. A name brand took long time to develop.
I don’t think Calhoun’s comment were made as threatens, unfortunately his reputation of being a bully by local media, but McNamara may view it that way, what I think the Calhoun’s comment, the size of division I basketball schools (350 schools or close to that) are bloated with a very difference philosophy mission would lead to 125-130 top division I basketball school break away and associate among themselves. You have to remember that they are responsible for the billion dollars TV contract with CBS but share equally with 350 or so other schools. You look at the BCS model where the 80% or 90% of the money keep by those that responsible for their worth. It is parallel to the bloated size of the Big East’s basketball, now at 16 but soon to be 17 or 18. Jacobs is our local version that looks out for the best interest of the whole university. Unfortunately McNamara roots for a university that doesn’t sponsor football. As for the meaning of Calhoun’s comment maybe coaches’ talk among themselves or rumor from those that know.
SO#1, always enjoy your posts. Thank you for continuing the conversation.
Totally agree about the passing game. They couldn't move the ball in the 2nd half. Looked tired. But they got just enough of a passing game in the last minute & a half when they most needed it to pull this thing out.
No one has to put Calhoun in a negative light. He does a good job of that all by himself.
I really didn't read the article as one expressing McNamara's indignation. Frankly I'm frustrated with eastern football/all sports schools. I imagine that McNamara feels the same way although I may be wrong about him since I don't really know his work. They haven't been able to get together on an all sports conference in 30 years & they always have someone else to blame. I'm tired of the tough guy talk too & would like to see us as a bunch finally get something done. As a UConn fan I think I can see this from both sides because for a long time we were on the outside looking in. Now we are on the inside & it doesn't look a whole lot better.
I have no idea who McNamara roots for. If he's anything like Jacobs, then he's just as willing to take shots at the local school as he is willing to take their side. I think all of these guys try to write in a way that will keep local fans interested. One of my favorite Courant sports writers was the late Alan Greenberg. Unfortunately he didn't last long as the Courant's feature sports writer because he was too critical. (I would rather say too intelligent.) I think almost all of thes eguys come to understand that if you want to keep your job, you better at least give the appearance that you care about the local school & are with them most of the time. You can criticize them as Jacobs does from time to time, but you'd better know where the line is.
While the tournament is bloated with too many schools & conferences, it's been a successful formula. The very David vs Goliath nature of it is what makes it so appealing. With all the tough talk, I can't really see them messing with it & I don't know that they'd make more money by cutting the number of postential teams down to 1/3 of the current number. The very fact that the Ivy League champ gets in is the excuse that the big conferences use to get 6 or 8 of their own conference members into the tourney. Take away the Ivy champ & the other mid majors & what would be the reason to include so many teams from the top conferences? You've already proven who are the top teams in each of the conferences be a regular season schedule & a conference tournament, so why do you need to do that all over again?
Not only do lesser football schools like Memphis & non-football schools like Villanova, Georgetown, & Marquette make it to the Final Four from hybrid conferences as those 4 have done in recent years, but mid majors like Butler & George Mason get there as well. We also have examples of schools like Xavier, Davidson, Southern Illinois, Kent State, UAB, Nevada, UW-Milwaukee, Wichita State, UNLV, Seton Hall, & Gonzaga all making it to the Elite 8 just since 2000.
That's the magic of this tournament. That's what Calhoun has forgotten from his days at Northeastern & his early years at UConn. That's why I can't see the tournament format changing any time soon. If they change it, the majors will be shooting themselves in the foot. They need the mid majors to keep everyone involved. That's the charm of this thing.
