(11-06-2012 03:19 PM)Bearcats#1 Wrote:  

(11-06-2012 02:49 PM)DexterDevil Wrote:  Frank didnt you know you'd be attacked for going against the masses? If you did then i appluad your bravery. I dislike him using nBE football members for a basketball tweet.

I thought you were banned?

I was unbanned, but thanks for your concern.

(11-06-2012 03:23 PM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  

(11-06-2012 02:49 PM)DexterDevil Wrote:  Frank didnt you know you'd be attacked for going against the masses? If you did then i appluad your bravery. I dislike him using nBE football members for a basketball tweet.

Believe me - I have thick skin and been called worse. Every month or so, someone on TexAgs posts some random pessimistic realignment blog post that I wrote about Texas A&M almost 2 years ago (and to be clear, I ended up being completely wrong about what I predicted and followed it up as much in multiple mea culpas thereafter) and then I get a fresh deluge of Aggies visiting with a slew of comments about how wrong I was and calling me all sorts of names. Of course, they freely ignore the other 90% of my blog posts that talked about how valuable Texas A&M was (and still is), but such is life. People remember the slights waaaaaay more than the positive comments, which is human nature. Fortunately, 90% of the commenters on my blog are levelheaded and most of the people on this board are, too, which is rare for the Internet these days (and why I keep writing in both forums). My eyes start burning whenever I accidentally scroll down to the comments sections of an ESPN or CBSSports.com story - those people are the sports equivalents of the mouthbreathing political ideologues.

Most in this thread are just calling Frank out for his hypocritical viewpoint that what the BE guy wrote was petty, but Frank never spoke negatively of other conference commissioners who have continually degraded the big east. If it was anyone else, they would have been called out as well.

Frank seems to convienently pick and choose when he interjects, usually to downgrade the Big East. Most of the time, his opinions have merit, though, this time they are extremely hypocritical.

(11-06-2012 02:31 PM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  

(11-06-2012 01:40 PM)nastar36 Wrote:  I like Frank and enjoy reading his opinions most times. Frank likes to talk a lot about "perception" and "casual fans". He comes here to provide information and 100% believes what he says is true.

But, doesn't Frank write a sports blog? Don't most sports bloggers want to be sports columnist? What's the ultimate job for a sports columnist? Whats the one thing that could prevent reaching that ultimate job? Frank's smart and he is not going to screw himself.

IDK, I could be way off here, but that's the "perception" this "casual fan" gets.

Man, I go away from this thread for awhile and see all of this. As flattered as I am, I'm not that interesting of a topic. Anyway, thanks to my defenders as they understand my intent. If people don't agree with me, then that's perfectly fine. I enjoy a rational debate. The entire reason why I've been on this board for 5 years at this point is that it has, for the most part, been a place where people could agree to disagree and not get sensitive with dissenting viewpoints unlike 99% of other message boards. I hope that this board doesn't devolve into that other 99%.

As for nastar96's comment, I see what you're intimating, but that couldn't be further from the truth. To be honest, I'm a corporate attorney in a great position and wouldn't be able to afford to feed my 3-year old twins trying to make it as a sports columnist even if that's what I wanted to do. My blog is my personal outlet and I've turned down multiple offers to get bought out or paid for it because I just want to write on my own terms with an aim toward being an influencer as opposed to making money off of my writing.

Besides, if you've seen my blogs, I have PLENTY of harsh critiques of ESPN, ranging from the continued existence of Dookie V to that incredibly racist college commercial casting call from a couple of years ago (which was so obnoxiously insensitive that you just had to laugh that something so ignorant could have been greenlighted by Disney). I don't believe ESPN is a saint at all, but do respect their business acumen (NOT journalistic acumen) greatly as an entity that isn't just a large sports network, but the most profitable media organization of *any* type in the US by a massive margin. They are an amazing business case at any level. My belief is that they didn't get there by holding personal grudges. In fact, there are few places as ruthlessly devoted to the objective black-and-white bottom line as the business people in Bristol. I know some people here disagree with that, but we'll just have to agree to disagree.

Frank, thanks for responding. As I said I don't know and was only trying to point out that we all have different perceptions and perspectives. I certainly did not intend for it to come across as an attack on you.

I think we can agree that perception is reality and perceptions can be changed. Isn't that why businesses spend billions to advertise their product?

What if the "power five" commissioners had applauded the big east in getting the best of the rest, the strongest non aq teams to join? To grow from a tiny football league to one with fourteen schools. To publicly state That the "big six" had pulled further away from the have not's. What if ESPN had not put on screen "Big Least" and not talked down the league but, instead pointed out all the true positives and pumped the NBE up?

Would the perception to the casual fan be different?

(11-06-2012 03:39 PM)nastar36 Wrote:  Frank, thanks for responding. As I said I don't know and was only trying to point out that we all have different perceptions and perspectives. I certainly did not intend for it to come across as an attack on you.

I think we can agree that perception is reality and perceptions can be changed. Isn't that why businesses spend billions to advertise their product?

What if the "power five" commissioners had applauded the big east in getting the best of the rest, the strongest non aq teams to join? To grow from a tiny football league to one with fourteen schools. To publicly state That the "big six" had pulled further away from the have not's. What if ESPN had not put on screen "Big Least" and not talked down the league but, instead pointed out all the true positives and pumped the NBE up?

Would the perception to the casual fan be different?

Oh, I didn't interpret what you wrote as being an attack at all.

Perception certainly can be influenced by a mix of media and PR. The most effective ad and PR campaigns, though, typically take what the viewer already organically believes (or is inclined to believe) and then expands upon it. That's the M.O. of these billions of dollars of political ads - they hammer in on the stereotypes that people already have brewing underneath about the candidates and then blow them up out of proportion (e.g. "Romney is really rich and ran a private equity firm, so he's a capitalist pig that doesn't understand the common people" or "Obama wants to expand government, so he's a socialist that wants to punish hard workers).

So, do the "power five" conference commissioners saying that they want to include the Big East help perception? Sure, it's better than getting knocked around, but its effectiveness ultimately relies upon what the Big East can deliver on its own. What do TV networks (not just ESPN) think about what the Big East is worth in comparison to the other leagues? What do fans believe about the Big East today and what can change their perceptions via PR/media versus what has to occur on-the-field? Maybe the difference is that I deal with non-Big East people all of the time and my observation is that their negative opinions about the Big East have little to do with what Lou Holtz is saying on ESPN or its BCS status - they simply look at the Big East's results over the past couple of years and the names involved and just aren't that interested. It's not really that complicated. These are faaaaar from ESPN sheep (in fact, most hate ESPN as much as the average person here).

Perceptions can absolutely be changed. However, I don't think it can happen as quick as a lot of people here believe it to be and/or want it to be. For the Big East's perception to be changed, it needs several seasons in a row like 2006 with multiple highly ranked teams without *any* margin for error. It's just not going to happen right away or even a year from now. I'm not sure why that opinion appears to bother so many people, but if you go outside of this board and into what other fans think about the status of the Big East, I think that you'll find my opinion to be pretty tolerant on the scale of things.

(11-06-2012 04:06 PM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  I'm not sure why that opinion appears to bother so many people, but if you go outside of this board and into what other fans think about the status of the Big East, I think that you'll find my opinion to be pretty tolerant on the scale of things.

Huh?

Its laughable to think that you want others to care about those that carry some of the same elitist views of the Big East conf as you.

Sorry to burst your bubble...but almost everyone in this thread responded almost solely off your initial hypocrite "petty" comment.

Don't see other comments NOT made on this board and those that aren't even about the topic that was initially started by Nick's tweet are even relevant to this discussion.

(11-06-2012 04:15 PM)KnightLight Wrote:  

(11-06-2012 04:06 PM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  I'm not sure why that opinion appears to bother so many people, but if you go outside of this board and into what other fans think about the status of the Big East, I think that you'll find my opinion to be pretty tolerant on the scale of things.

Huh?

Its laughable to think that you want others to care about those that carry some of the same elitist views of the Big East conf as you.

Sorry to burst your bubble...but almost everyone in this thread responded almost solely off your initial hypocrite "petty" comment.

Don't see other comments NOT made on this board and those that aren't even about the topic that was initially started by Nick's tweet are even relevant to this discussion.

He's pointing out how skewed some of the posters on this boards view of reality is. The rest of the sports world is painting a pretty bleak picture for us. In reality they are closer to being correct than some of the rosey views i've seen on these boards.

(11-06-2012 04:06 PM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  Perceptions can absolutely be changed...........if you go outside of this board and into what other fans think about the status of the Big East, I think that you'll find my opinion to be pretty tolerant on the scale of things.

Indeed. As Hitler's propaganda minsiter, Joseph Goebbels once famously stated, "a lie told often enough becomes the truth". The repeated bashing by ESPN and certain "power 5" commissioners have certainly had their effect. The Big East MUST fight fire with fire.....relying soley on winning is not only easier said than done, but takes too long.

You're ok in my book, Frank. Nothing wrong with you that a good "enema" to purge you of establishment bias would not fix.

(11-06-2012 04:06 PM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  

(11-06-2012 03:39 PM)nastar36 Wrote:  Frank, thanks for responding. As I said I don't know and was only trying to point out that we all have different perceptions and perspectives. I certainly did not intend for it to come across as an attack on you.

I think we can agree that perception is reality and perceptions can be changed. Isn't that why businesses spend billions to advertise their product?

What if the "power five" commissioners had applauded the big east in getting the best of the rest, the strongest non aq teams to join? To grow from a tiny football league to one with fourteen schools. To publicly state That the "big six" had pulled further away from the have not's. What if ESPN had not put on screen "Big Least" and not talked down the league but, instead pointed out all the true positives and pumped the NBE up?

Would the perception to the casual fan be different?

Oh, I didn't interpret what you wrote as being an attack at all.

Perception certainly can be influenced by a mix of media and PR. The most effective ad and PR campaigns, though, typically take what the viewer already organically believes (or is inclined to believe) and then expands upon it. That's the M.O. of these billions of dollars of political ads - they hammer in on the stereotypes that people already have brewing underneath about the candidates and then blow them up out of proportion (e.g. "Romney is really rich and ran a private equity firm, so he's a capitalist pig that doesn't understand the common people" or "Obama wants to expand government, so he's a socialist that wants to punish hard workers).

So, do the "power five" conference commissioners saying that they want to include the Big East help perception? Sure, it's better than getting knocked around, but its effectiveness ultimately relies upon what the Big East can deliver on its own. What do TV networks (not just ESPN) think about what the Big East is worth in comparison to the other leagues? What do fans believe about the Big East today and what can change their perceptions via PR/media versus what has to occur on-the-field? Maybe the difference is that I deal with non-Big East people all of the time and my observation is that their negative opinions about the Big East have little to do with what Lou Holtz is saying on ESPN or its BCS status - they simply look at the Big East's results over the past couple of years and the names involved and just aren't that interested. It's not really that complicated. These are faaaaar from ESPN sheep (in fact, most hate ESPN as much as the average person here).

Perceptions can absolutely be changed. However, I don't think it can happen as quick as a lot of people here believe it to be and/or want it to be. For the Big East's perception to be changed, it needs several seasons in a row like 2006 with multiple highly ranked teams without *any* margin for error. It's just not going to happen right away or even a year from now. I'm not sure why that opinion appears to bother so many people, but if you go outside of this board and into what other fans think about the status of the Big East, I think that you'll find my opinion to be pretty tolerant on the scale of things.

The BE has been through many iterations and will soon go through another one again...the logic of your argument doesn't even attempt to acknowledge this fact. The valuation of the BE is supposed to be for next season and beyond. Well guess what the BE of the 90s is not walking through that door next year, the BE of this year is not walking through that door next year. So if you're saying people you talk with are not reassessing their opinions based on facts like a successful network exec is now the commish & not Marinatto then they are just plain bias to the negative to begin with. Which is the feeling of many of BE fans and based on comments is the feeling of Aresco for that matter.