davidlee Posted January 24, 2010 Share Posted January 24, 2010 http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/billiken-...ay-in-the-a-10/ I need to address this in a longer post about SLU and the A-10. But in short, here’s the league SLU should be in: SLU, Marquette, DePaul, Dayton, Xavier, Notre Dame, Georgetown, Villanova, St. Joseph’s, Seton Hall, St. John’s, Providence. 12 schools, all Catholic, I think four Jesuit, six in the Midwest, six in the East, all but Notre Dame in big cities. It’s the eight basketball-only playing teams from the Big East and fouir teams from the A-10. Here’s the reality: SLU is in the A-10. SLU isn’t leaving the A-10 any time soon. Fr. Biondi likes the A-10. Case pretty much closed.(emphasis added) @billikenbill - Thanks, but I’ll point to Doug Harris at the Dayton Daily News. He does a fine job. He’s got the advantage that Dayton hoops is the big thing in town. — Tom Timmermann 12:57 pm January 24th, 2010 I know a lot of people like to ***** about the Post but I think Tom does a good job covering the Bills. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill_Ken R Posted January 24, 2010 Share Posted January 24, 2010 I agree that for the most part Tom does a very good job; I especially appreciate the blog which gives a lot of little news and tidbits. I remember when the Post Dispatch was among the best papers in the country. Big city daily papers are in big trouble. I used to get the Post every day of my life or I didn't think things were right with the world. Now, I almost never buy a Post. I am sure the resources are stretched at the paper so sometimes Tom has assignments other than things Billiken that do not make it possible to cover every little thing. But I appreciate his work and get it all online. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SluSignGuy Posted January 25, 2010 Share Posted January 25, 2010 Everyone who years ago bitched to Tom's boss about coverage before the blog, I hope you all have emailed his boss again praising Timmerman's blog. He used to get a lot of grumbles from here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AB34 Posted January 25, 2010 Share Posted January 25, 2010 Completely agree Tom does a fantastic job. I looked forward more to his blog posts than the game write-ups. Great information. Drop him a line let him know. I did a while back and he responded. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slu72 Posted January 25, 2010 Share Posted January 25, 2010 Here’s the reality: SLU is in the A-10. SLU isn’t leaving the A-10 any time soon. Fr. Biondi likes the A-10. Case pretty much closed.(emphasis added) @billikenbill - Thanks, but I’ll point to Doug Harris at the Dayton Daily News. He does a fine job. He’s got the advantage that Dayton hoops is the big thing in town. — Tom Timmermann 12:57 pm January 24th, 2010 I know a lot of people like to ***** about the Post but I think Tom does a good job covering the Bills. That is the reality until something better presents itself. Biondi likes us being aligned with schools that have a better than avg academic rep. Not saying the A-10 is Ivy League or Stanford or Vanderbilt, but he doesn't want us lumped with second tier state schools. In no way is that a knock on those schools, they do good work and provide good educations, but simply don't have the reps of the A-10 schools. It's time RM stop knocking SLU's affiliation and just coach the team. Hell, he's gotten national pub on this issue (CNN-SI, USA Today, etc.). It's a distraction we don't need at this time. And as for a break up in the BE, it's not coming any time soon unless the BE wants to add more FB schools. To do that they'd have to raid other conferences and hope schools like Memphis, UCF, Temple would jump at the opportunity. BE is a BB conference first and foremost, FB's an after thought unlike other BCS conferences where it's king of the hill. If the cost issue is really that big a deal to SLU, then Biondi ought to be pushing May to see what interest there might be at other MWest schools like DU, X, Butler, Creighton et al to form a new conference. My guess would be not too much. The major issue with the A-10 really is the TV contact, it sucks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clock_Tower Posted January 25, 2010 Share Posted January 25, 2010 That is the reality until something better presents itself. Biondi likes us being aligned with schools that have a better than avg academic rep. Not saying the A-10 is Ivy League or Stanford or Vanderbilt, but he doesn't want us lumped with second tier state schools. In no way is that a knock on those schools, they do good work and provide good educations, but simply don't have the reps of the A-10 schools. It's time RM stop knocking SLU's affiliation and just coach the team. Hell, he's gotten national pub on this issue (CNN-SI, USA Today, etc.). It's a distraction we don't need at this time. And as for a break up in the BE, it's not coming any time soon unless the BE wants to add more FB schools. To do that they'd have to raid other conferences and hope schools like Memphis, UCF, Temple would jump at the opportunity. BE is a BB conference first and foremost, FB's an after thought unlike other BCS conferences where it's king of the hill. If the cost issue is really that big a deal to SLU, then Biondi ought to be pushing May to see what interest there might be at other MWest schools like DU, X, Butler, Creighton et al to form a new conference. My guess would be not too much. The major issue with the A-10 really is the TV contact, it sucks. My hope is that RM is running his mouth as part of a planned and orchestrated "trial balloon" to see start a somewhat public dialogue and/or jump start private discussions being held by May along with some other schools so that we are not "flat-footed" and end up scrambling for the next conference. My current opinion, though, knowing how SLU is never proactive (only reactive - and slow to react as well) and knowing how RM likes to ramble, is that RM is simply running his mouth again with no purpose. At the same time, maybe this can have the same effect as if it was a calculated planned event. While we all want to stay in a conference with UD and X (assuming the Papal conference does not materialize), UD and X have far less travel problems than we do and have been members of the A10 since the Great Midwest folded and we (SLU) ran off Marquette, DePaul and Cincy -- which did not want X and UD. While X and UD like the addition of SLU and UNCC, both could live without us. X and UD are more concerned and interested in Temple and St. Joes regaining their past form. Just like SLU, their schools look East for future students, media coverage and to satisfy alumni. Looking West to St. Louis, as well, is good but playing in small town Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Missouri does not really interest them either. I would think UD and X would prefer to stay in the A10 v. a resurrection of the MCC confernce. Adding Butler and some Valley schools to the reincarnated MCC would be needed to make the conference more attractive. At the same time, our 2 annual opponents (MO State and SIUC) which would seem more logical from SLU's perspective are probably not at the top of the list of Valley schools that UD and X would even consider. Schools like Bradley and Evansville would certainly be closer and possibly more attractive to UD and X. For example: UD and X are approximately 350-400 miles from SLU (6 hour bus ride). Going to Carbondale would be a little less miles but going to Springfield Missouri would be another 3 to 4 hours. 10 hour bus rides and flying into Springfield, MO is not real attractive. Unlike St. Louis, I doubt there any X or UD alumni in Springfield and/or many MO State alumni in Cincy/Dayton. Same with Carbondale. Add in the fact that both are state schools with football and I just don't see why UD and X would want to come West and not East. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slu72 fan Posted January 25, 2010 Share Posted January 25, 2010 RM has done a fantastic job of getting the team to a level where we can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. That's the frustrating part about all of this garbage. ITS SO CLOSE, YOU FINALLY TASTE IT. Unfortunately, he hasn't learned that he's an employee of the University. He has a responsibility to publicly support the University's policies and decisions. Some, he may not agree with that, but sorry, that's the way it works. Especially, for someone in the public as much as RM. He can't win a pissing match with the Good Father. Frankly, that's all that this is. It's damn upsetting and frustrating given how close the team is to being that Top 50 Program the Good Father has been wanting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slufanskip Posted January 25, 2010 Share Posted January 25, 2010 Unfortunately, he hasn't learned that he's an employee of the University. He has a responsibility to publicly support the University's policies and decisions. Some, he may not agree with that, but sorry, that's the way it works. Especially, for someone in the public as much as RM. No he doesn't. How far does that go? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adramos77 Posted January 25, 2010 Share Posted January 25, 2010 No he doesn't. How far does that go? I agree with skip to a certain extent, but sometimes a HC needs to know his place in the hierarchy of a University and that has nothing to do with his pay grade. Now a guy like Barry Alvarez or Mike Belotti who were head coaches/administrators - those guys had a lot of pull at UW-Madison and UO, respectively. Majerus, although a wise sage, should know his role by now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billikenfan05 Posted January 25, 2010 Share Posted January 25, 2010 RM has done a fantastic job of getting the team to a level where we can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. That's the frustrating part about all of this garbage. ITS SO CLOSE, YOU FINALLY TASTE IT. Unfortunately, he hasn't learned that he's an employee of the University. He has a responsibility to publicly support the University's policies and decisions. Some, he may not agree with that, but sorry, that's the way it works. Especially, for someone in the public as much as RM. He can't win a pissing match with the Good Father. Frankly, that's all that this is. It's damn upsetting and frustrating given how close the team is to being that Top 50 Program the Good Father has been wanting. Majerus said he explained to the campaign that he could not endorse a candidate as coach of the Utah team. But he was told it was OK to endorse Graham as Rick Majerus the private person ... "So if I am ever on a road trip and happen to get in a bar fight, remember I did not get in the bar fight as University of Utah basketball coach, but as Rick Majerus the private person." [salt Lake Tribune 9/25/1996] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimbofive Posted January 25, 2010 Share Posted January 25, 2010 Majerus said he explained to the campaign that he could not endorse a candidate as coach of the Utah team. But he was told it was OK to endorse Graham as Rick Majerus the private person ... "So if I am ever on a road trip and happen to get in a bar fight, remember I did not get in the bar fight as University of Utah basketball coach, but as Rick Majerus the private person." [salt Lake Tribune 9/25/1996] Brilliant! So now we got a Huge Guy theory and a Serial Crusher theory... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slu72 fan Posted January 25, 2010 Share Posted January 25, 2010 No he doesn't. How far does that go?It goes really far when you are to many the face of the program (company). If RM pulled this kind of stuff with many companies, he'd be on the carpet and told to cool it. While I have no personal knowledge, I suspect that's happened, and he's persisted. Every employer, even the Good Father, has the right to demand some public loyalty or at the very minimum "no comment". RM, please cool it, you've given us hope. Please don't kick us in the teeth now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b.hayes Posted January 26, 2010 Share Posted January 26, 2010 Brilliant! So now we got a Huge Guy theory and a Serial Crusher theory... +1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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