Jump to content

Good BE prospective from Marquette fan


davidlee

Recommended Posts

Below is a post I saw on the Marquette Board this morning that I think gives a good perspective of Marquette going to the BE. Especailly, point No. 3 about Notre Dame. I think that this point has not gotten a lot of ink but is of great importance to the future of the BE makeup.

O'Heir

user profile

Post #64 Three Things That Now Need To Happen Reply

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Getting into the Big East is probably the most important developement for Marquette basketball ever. As was pointed out below, we now transcend the coaching carousel. We stand on our own and that is huge. I hope Crean never leaves, but if he does I now feel confident that we can go get a proven coach to take over. The timing of all of this was perfect for Marquette. If it happens in 1999, we would have had to make a hard sales pitch to the A10 just to get them to take us. If that fell through we probably would be making calls to the MVC and the Horizon. I am not trying to disrespect those leagues in any way shape or form, as I know some great basketball is played in them, but they pale in comparison to our current situation.

There are three things that I feel need to happen for us to prosper through the next shake-up in five years.

1. I feel we need to maintain or exceed the level of basketball that we have played at the last two years. Not necesarily match the success (There is a lot of luck in making the Final Four), but the competetive level. This is actually the one I worry about the least.

2. The other basketball only schools in the Big East have to raise their level of play. It is important that, as a group, the basketball only schools are viewed as an asset and not an anchor. We don't want the football schools to dominate and view the basketball only schools as leeches.

3. This is the one that hurts the most. I can barely bring myself to say it. We need Notre Dame football to improve. NBC is not going to tolerate many 37-0 losses at home, with everyone swiching the channel to more competetive games. If NBC pulls the plug on ND, I think they would be in the Big Ten by sun up the next day.

Notre Dame was a huge reason for this 16 team confederation. As usual, they wanted their cake and to eat it to. They want the games with UCONN, Syracuse, Cincy and Louisville, but they also want to be in a conference with schools with similar missions. They are a huge winner in all of this and a big ally in holding it all together. Their agreement to throw bones to Big East football teams in the form of home and home series is a huge bargaining chip even if they never join the conference as a football member. In my opinion, if ND leaves, the conference will split when the 5 year commitment runs out.

Posted on 11/5 7:14 AM | IP: 24.27.196.114

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree. Screw Marquette. Gracious Marquette fans would be disappointed that they are splitting from a natural rival like SLU and would hope that SLU lands on its fit in the A-10. Instead, we hear a bunch of patronizing crap informing us that we shouldn't join the A-10 because we don't have a "travel partner." I wish many years of losing seasons upon Marquette and their no fan support, crappy facilities, haven't won a damn thing in a decade "travel partner."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Actually, I will root for Marquette more in the Big East than I would as another C-USA rival. They will be my favorite Big East team.

I really hope SLU continues to schedule a game with Marquette (hopefully around Christmas so I can go while visiting family). Beats the crappy cupcake games Marquette and UWGB have scheduled this year over the holidays (I hope to see UWM Panthers v. UIC Flamers--the only real game around this year).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

goodness, plenty of venom here.

The vast majority of MU fans are hoping things work out for SLU during this shuffle & surely it will with a fine coach, adminstration and new facility. I think exactly one MU fan brought up the travel partner point you elude to in your post - - hardly representative of the masses. Good luck

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't wish MU or DePaul(still can't figure why they got an invite other than they are in Chicago)bad tidings in the BE. Crean's a great coach and has shown a lot of loyalty to MU (granted some of it paid for)by not looking at Illinois or Kansas jobs. That said, I do sense a patronizing attitude on the part of MU fans toward us. I do hope they are on a home-home basis with us in 2005-06 but doubt they will do it. I expect they will schedule a couple of national power teams (Duke, KY, etc)and fill in the rest with cupcakes for their non conf schedule. Their conference schedule will be a killer so they don't need to worry too much about the RPI of their opponents, hence no reason to take a chance on playing a tough SLU team.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 part petty jealousy

9 parts patronising BS

Shake well pour over ice and you've got a venom cocktail. Garnish with delusions of grandeur.

Good luck to you and all of the Marquette types who don't see SLU as the sweaty little ###### just kicked out of your bed because Maureen O'hara just stopped by from Southbend with pie and punch.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

ND is not a football playing member of ND and I would be shocked beyond belief if they EVER decided to join that house of cards as a full member. They just lost the best football teams in the conference to the ACC and added 3 rag tags from CUSA in Cincy, Louisville, and USF. ND is just having a down year, but IMHO Ty Willingham is one of the brightest young coaches in big time college football and will get them back on top.

AS to MU and De Paul...I agree, screw them!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The main reason I started this post was to point out the comment about how Notre Dame's football success or failure could have a significant impact on the BE in the future; not get into a pi$$ing contest about Marquette.

I don't have anything against Marquette or DePaul and wish them well. I don't really understand why you have to be bitter, but everyone has the right to their own opinoin.

If SLU had the chance to go to the BE I think they would have been glad to go.

Just my thoughts.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

seing the bitterness train filling up. of course i am in the locomotive blowing the freaking whistle. TOOOOOOOT TOOOOOOT!!!!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

david i think you are saying that if notre dame ever does decide to become a member of a football conference, the whole domino game begins again. i totally agree and if the ncaa and bcs had balls, they would have already forced this issue.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This all happened because of the BCS. With Miami and VT in the ACC, they have a lot more football money coming in. A lot more. And that, folks, is what started all this. All the schools are getting a lot more BCS money and they will take a minor hit in the money they make from the NCAA tourny. People have said adding three more teams will hurt ACC basketball? No way, it will just give the bubble teams more wins.

Regardless, as a Charlotte fan, I am glad that we will still be playing each other. I just wish we could figure out how to play you at home.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Why all the ill will towards your Jebby brothers? Although SLU and MU don't have a long and storied rivalry, it has been a nice one that has developed in the past few years. It will be a shame that we won't be in the same conference in the future, but hopefully we can continue w/non-conference games once all these changes take place. That said, I'm kind of confused as to why some Bills fans are upset that MU is leaving. I don't think you would think more than 5 seconds if you were offered the same opportunity to move to a highly prestigious conference that all but guarantees increased money, publicity, etc. I've always considered SLU to be right up there w/UL and UC as our best conference rivals...you've got a good coach and staff that will make good decisions for your team. You'll have sucess in your new conference; don't let our decisions cause bad feelings...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

and i assume that the marquette powers to be worked real hard to have slu included in the deal or better yet, help slu form the conference that everyone knows will eventually happen anyway. that would have been the bold and right thing to do. where i come from loyalty and promises to stick together mean something. i guess north of interstate 80 it doesnt.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Even though we are disappointed, we should not blame Marquette, or DePaul for that matter, for going to the Big East. This poster remembers how hard it was to get Marquette to give up independent status to join us in the old MCC (now the Horizon League) and how good it was to finally be in the same conference with Marquette. Then previously independent and then powerful DePaul was the instigating force behind the formation of the Great Midwest Conference, which included SLU and Marquette. The Great Midwest Conference had potential, but then the de facto merger with the Metro Conference occurred, largely to include Louisville. From that merger was spawned Conference USA with its many factions and interests. (One wonders why Louisville simply did not join the Great Midwest Conference.) Ironically, SLU now finds itself in a similar position as Xavier (MCC) and Dayton (Great Midwest) in the two previous conference shakeups. It is good to have Xavier and Dayton apparently championing our candidacy for the Atlantic 10. We should not burn any bridges with Marquette and DePaul, as some day we may all be together again, and certainly, we want to play them in future nonconference games. Marquette and DePaul have been our friends; they are fellow Catholic schools, and in Marquette's case, a Jesuit brother. It just is hard to lose your four biggest rivals, all in the same day, even if we knew it was coming.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

if marquette and depaul are friends, i would hate to think how bad our enemies might turn on us. friends would have been shoulder to shoulder with father biondi forcing the formation of the new conference of private schools.

that said, since they have proven they are not loyal or friends with only business to look out for, they made a sound business move. good luck yellow eagles.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ultimately, everyone is looking out for #1 first. For decades, I have hoped for the formation of the Papal (Vatican) Conference. But the Catholic schools never seem to be on the same page. If Notre Dame ever wanted to be part of such a conference, I am convinced it would happen. When Marquette, DePaul, and Notre Dame were all independents, they were big rivals that played each other twice a year. Marquette and DePaul are basically along for the ride with Notre Dame. SLU has not played Notre Dame since the 1983-84 season when Digger Phelps became upset with SLU for allegedly holding the ball in a close, low scoring game in South Bend.

In this latest case, the Big East's Catholic schools have access to the Big East's Monday night primetime ESPN time slot, the NCAA's automatic bid, and the venue of Madison Square Garden for the Big East Tournament. As such, those schools are electing to stay in the Big East- for now. Many observers expect the Big East to ultimately splinter. This poster is certainly not a defender of Marquette and DePaul; I am a Billiken forever. But, unfortunately, I don't think the time has yet come for the Papal Conference. But it may come some time, and I just don't think we should burn any bridges now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

in criticizing Marquette and Depaul for leaving. We would have done the same thing in a heartbeat if given the opportunity. How do I know that? Because we have done that twice in the past. We did it to Xavier in the formation of the Great Midwest and Dayton in the formation of CUSA. And don't give me that b.s. about us wanting those schools in, we did no more and no less to get them in than Marquette and Depaul did to get US in the Big East. Thankfully Dayton and Xavier didn't harbor the same ill will towards us that you seemingly feel for Depaul and Marquette. Otherwise we'd be heading to the MVC.

We look like little crybabies when we post anti-Marquette and Depaul stuff. Everybody that posts this stuff should grow.

Now with all that being said, you can rest assured from now on I will be rooting for A-10 teams against CUSA teams. Xavier vs. Cinci. Clearly Xavier. Dayton vs. Marquette. Clearly Dayton. And you'd better believe when Marquette plays Cinci I'll still be calling for Marquette.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...