Irish fan on why UConn belongs in the ACC

[Yawkey Way]

First-hand knowledge.

But you can find accounts of it online. With those accounts, you can also find quotes from reps at nearly all the Big East schools expressing similar sentiments about Boston College.

What collective sentiments in this "... , as if you got 6 BE schools in a room they couldn't even agree on the color of the drapes in that room.

 

[Fishy]

What collective sentiments in this "... , as if you got 6 BE schools in a room they couldn't even agree on the color of the drapes in that room.

You're thick, son.

You can go.

 

[UConnJim]

Miami was an unhappy camper in the BE... and for a long time, they had toyed with leaving the BE. BC and Syracuse were 2 schools that year after year tried to convince Miami to stay... and for a time it worked. But Miami sports were losing money. Their football team played in a Pro sports town ( like BC in this respect ), and even when they were good they struggled to fill their stadium, especially competing with the Dolphins for buzz ( the Fish were good back then ). Miami basketball stunk. Here they were however in a BE league run by basketball people out of Providence, R.I.. So they decided they had had it, and they decided to leave the BE for the ACC. The first 2 schools they contacted to tell of their leaving was BC and Syracuse. Once it was clear that Miami had made their decision and they could no longer be persuaded to stay, both BC and Syracuse decided to approach the ACC... all 3 together. But when this got back to Jim Boeheim up at Syracuse, he did not want to go, and told his AD this. Syracuse became conflicted between the football intersts there and the basketball interests there.. into this void came Virginia and politics got involved there in Virginia, and the ACC agreed to take Miami then VT, with the others now on the clock for their invites.. and the dominos fell, and everyone was claiming they were staying but were looking to move. Heck even the lawsuit in Connecticut had Plaintiffs that were seeking damages that were negotiating with Swofford the timing on their entry, not the question of " if ". So there was a lot of maneuvering where schools were saying one thing, while trying to position themselves strategically.. as everyone with half a brain coould tell that once the people in Providence lost their Miami football program to the ACC, the BE was finished as a viable football league. EVERY school saw what everyone here did. So NO school official was dumb enough to be totally blindsided that schools would not be leaving in short order, nor accepting feigned loyalty under these circumstances was something one could take to the bank.

I think most unbiased observers would say both Big East basketball and Big East football were equal to or greater than the ACC AFTER Miami, VT, and BC left.

Honestly, Miami football has not been relevant SINCE they left the Big East. No BCS bowl games, no Top 10 end of season rankings, 3 end of season Top 25 rankings, no conference championships, 2-5 in bowl games, the Shapiro scandal, FIU brawl, ... Miami would have held the Big Easy together?

 

[Sea Goat]

ationquote="Yawkey Way, post: 936079, member: 4458"]Court Documents and sworn testimony in Blumental lawsuit showed that former Uconn AD Lew Perkins contacted ACC Commish Swofford personally on behalf of Uconn after Miami left to determine Swofford's interest in Uconn to the ACC. Swofford told Perkins that Uconn was not a primary candidate. Blumenthal himself may have not known of this until after the lawsuit was launched. But Perkins was long gone once the depos and testimony began, as he left for the B12 out to Kansas. Swofford is mad to this day, as he was sued personally by the lawsuit that came out of Connecticut.. and he's well aware of Uconn's first contact by its school to determine the ACC's interest. So Uconn was doing one thing while feigning fidelity to the BE as well. All the schools were, just at different stages thats all, and mostly done by the chronolocical order of the college football pecking order.[/quote]


Once you admit there was more to BC's lobbying against UConn than Blumenthal's suit, we'll have an adult conversation. (I think Blumenthal is a schmuck and I would like to dump it all at his feet.) But BC didn't like UConn eclipsing them in the NE sports market. It happened anyways. I am now gratified to see some UNC boards suggesting a trade UConn for BC now. Won't happen, but it is rich.

 

[Yawkey Way]

If that's where you've set the bar for success, no problem.

No, you misunderstand, thinking that my comments were meant as a gauge of " success" when it was a reply to your claim tha"that BC has not been terribly good on the field in the ACC" since joining. I replied with the 3, in 2 sports, in a relatively short time and stated " not too shabby" ( not as a barometer of " success ")

 

[Fishy]

No, you misunderstand, thinking that my comments were meant as a gauge of " success" when it was a reply to your claim tha"that BC has not been terribly good on the field in the ACC" since joining. I replied with the 3, in 2 sports, in a relatively short time and stated " not too shabby" ( not as a barometer of " success ")

Fair enough.

From the outside, (coaches fired, etc.), it looks like a rough decade.

 

[btstimpy]

If the intent is to compare the bad faith underhandedness of BC and Pitt, then yes, the two are comparable. I have no reason to believe Syracuse, which on more than one occasion stuck with it, was the catalyst for turning down the deal.

If you tell me the C7 was backchanneling with Fox at the same time, I'd believe that, too.

In summary, the timing for these defections was about as bad as can be foe the BE. I don't really blame any school for leaving, all had reasons Miami, VT, WVU, RU, SU, Pitt, UL at the time. What gives BC special distinction around here is that if the BE only lost Miami and VT it would have been fine.

Remember, Cuse stayed to rebuild, BC committed to rebuilding and exited the backdoor afterwards. Unlike in 2011with Pitt/Cuse/UL/WVU, no one else was leaving at that time. Now, add in the efforts to keep UConn out and ask why anyone around here gives a flip about what anyone from BC has to say about anything? It's a completely devoid organization.

Essentially the vast majority of the original BE football conference except for Temple has ended up in the ACC. WVU and Rutgers went other places, and UConn added football later. Both UConn and Temple are now in the AAC. Nothing new to anyone here. Many here suggest that the ACC has the old BE politics coming our way. Maybe so. We have enough of our own too. A 16 team league will have more than a 9 team league.

The bad blood that went on in 2003 was in large part because the ACC screwed up and made the whole thing a spectacle that was drawn out for months in the media. The ACC has learned its lesson, and doesn't repeat that mistake. Hopefully a lot of this can be put behind and BC and UConn can get along at some point. I'd like to see UConn join the ACC, and I'm not opposed to Temple honestly. I like Philly. Many of my ACC brethren are opposed though regarding Temple. There are better football options out there, but not in Philly.

 

[MSNDfan]

I think most unbiased observers would say both Big East basketball and Big East football were equal to or greater than the ACC AFTER Miami, VT, and BC left.

Honestly, Miami football has not been relevant SINCE they left the Big East. No BCS bowl games, no Top 10 end of season rankings, 3 end of season Top 25 rankings, no conference championships, 2-5 in bowl games, the Shapiro scandal, FIU brawl, ... Miami would have held the Big Easy together?

Miami's drop off matters nothing. Without Miami, BE football was always on the precipice of destruction, because any other member would be itching to flee the second any other BCS conference offered.

 

[Yawkey Way]

Have you noticed that you're on a conference realignment message board on a UConn website?

Yes. Have you noticed that there has been at least 2 dozen schools fans represented on this thread topic on realignment that have made comments and observations re. this thread topic since the thread topic started. You have some problem with this ?

 

[Yawkey Way]

I think most unbiased observers would say both Big East basketball and Big East football were equal to or greater than the ACC AFTER Miami, VT, and BC left.

quote]

Not the network people however. They certainly thought the ACC had more current and future value, than the remaining BE schools, and if the BE basketball schools were enamored of the BE football schools they would not have split off from them either, imo.

 

[Yawkey Way]

ationquote="Yawkey Way,


. I am now gratified to see some UNC boards suggesting a trade UConn for BC now. Won't happen, but it is rich.

I never thought I see the day come however that Uconn fans would value what UNC Tar Heel fans say and do. But there it is. ( haha!) Next up, valuing what the Dookies think on expansion and the ACC ? BC fans would replace NC State down there in the Carolinas with Villanova if they could. But so what ? Thats not real world stuff either.

 

[NotreDameJoe]

The BE FB schools had the following issues with ND:

1. Consistently voting with the C7 to prevent more FB focused decisions like who to add, TV rights and whether to split.

2. Not playing BE FB schools more regularly. This has always been understated. The BE would have loved to have the ACC's arrangement.

3. Bumping BE from higher profile bowl games. As it stands, I don't recall this actually happening because ND was way down, but it was always a concern.

4. For some, not me, not saving the BE by joining. The feeling is ND could have stopped teams from leaving or enticed a few better programs to join. This is silly because every other sentence out of ND says they will remain indy in FB at all costs. You're a fool if you think otherwise.

5. For pulling sending it's other sports to the ACC. No one actually cared about this or ND's other sports. It was more a sense of being had. (See #4).

All those saying the ND/ACC relationship is a rerun of the BE are correct. If the ACC understands ND is out for ND, then it will be fine.

That list is all correct. The problem with your last comment is that people don't stick with their beliefs in times of trouble. They'll quietly change to what suits them. And I'll hear "ND could have made the ACC the most powerful conference in the lower 48 but chose to remain independent. Damn those back stabbing mackerel snapping anarchists!"

 

[NotreDameJoe]

and I haven't read all 100 posts today. cliff notes please?

Just tell me who's naked pictures BC has stored away in the Eagle's arse that got them an ACC invite.

 

[Yawkey Way]

Some school will be coming out of the AAC and into the ACC in the next expansion by the ACC, whenever that is. I think Uconn is in the drivers seat right now too for that next spot ( and it won't matter a wit to the ACC what either BC , Syracuse, ND think on the matter either, imo

 

[Yawkey Way]

and I haven't read all 100 posts today. cliff notes please?

Just tell me who's naked pictures BC has stored away in the Eagle's arse that got them an ACC invite.

a certain former ND LB'er perhaps ? ( hey Joe, you launched the 1st hand grenade, you know .. haha !)

 

[NotreDameJoe]

Essentially the vast majority of the original BE football conference except for Temple has ended up in the ACC. WVU and Rutgers went other places, and UConn added football later. Both UConn and Temple are now in the AAC. Nothing new to anyone here. Many here suggest that the ACC has the old BE politics coming our way. Maybe so. We have enough of our own too. A 16 team league will have more than a 9 team league.

The bad blood that went on in 2003 was in large part because the ACC screwed up and made the whole thing a spectacle that was drawn out for months in the media. The ACC has learned its lesson, and doesn't repeat that mistake. Hopefully a lot of this can be put behind and BC and UConn can get along at some point. I'd like to see UConn join the ACC, and I'm not opposed to Temple honestly. I like Philly. Many of my ACC brethren are opposed though regarding Temple. There are better football options out there, but not in Philly.

This reminds me. Last year it was, just 12 months ago, the WVU folks proclaimed that UVA was "signed, sealed, delivered" to the OTHER GUYS. I thought it wasn't true ONLY on the grounds that East Coasters don't really take the Midwest seriously and the powers that be would never wait for orders from Chicago. It's supposed to be the other way around.

edit: thanks Stimpy.

 

[btstimpy]

This reminds me. Last year it was, just 12 months ago, the WVU folks proclaimed that UVA was "signed, sealed, delivered" to the ACC. I thought it wasn't true ONLY on the grounds that East Coasters don't really take the Midwest seriously and the powers that be would never wait for orders from Chicago. It's supposed to be the other way around.

I think you mean the Big Ten. Yes the WVU mafia had us with all of our paperwork turned in, and the Big Ten was just waiting on a partner school. It drove me crazy because I knew personally from the UVA AD's lips that it was complete nonsense. They have finally stopped. The Dude is now tweeting that UVA has told the Big Ten that UVA is not interested regardless of the outcome of the Maryland lawsuit. He finally might have his story correct.

 

[MSNDfan]

This reminds me. Last year it was, just 12 months ago, the WVU folks proclaimed that UVA was "signed, sealed, delivered" to the OTHER GUYS. I thought it wasn't true ONLY on the grounds that East Coasters don't really take the Midwest seriously and the powers that be would never wait for orders from Chicago. It's supposed to be the other way around.

edit: thanks Stimpy.

And all that talk, the part from the OTHER GUYS, was to show how mighty ND had no power and would be forced to beg the OTHER GUYS once Virginia and North Carolina went to the OTHER GUYS.

 

[NotreDameJoe]

And all that talk, the part from the OTHER GUYS, was to show how mighty ND had no power and would be forced to beg the OTHER GUYS once Virginia and North Carolina went to the OTHER GUYS.

Or else, we could only schedule the other other guys because all the BCS conferences were going to boycott ND.

 

[Stray_Dog]

My goodness, if you think that JC's relationship with the school is not strained, then I don't know what to say. If you believe that JC is happy that his school has assigned him to a desk job ( albeit drawing a salary ) and that he's not out there courtside Coaching at Uconn still, then thats that, and you've convinced yourself that things are just peachy between JC and the School.

Pass the doche to the right!!!

 

[Sea Goat]

and I haven't read all 100 posts today. cliff notes please?

Just tell me who's naked pictures BC has stored away in the Eagle's arse that got them an ACC invite.

I declare a cease fire for a moment to tell ND fans I saw an ND star women' BB player, Natalie Achonwa give an interview to ESPN at the WNBA draft held in CT. Muffet McGraw brought her and McBride to the draft. They were both drafted in the first round. Even though Achonwa who having ACL surgery this week was considered good enough to draft 9th overall - very impressive. She was poised and articulate. She is a fine ambassador for your school.

 

[Fishy]

I view JC's relationship with Uconn to be very strained in their parting. I think he had bigtime" trouble " with his former employer and for quite awhile, until the school and he finally had to sever their relationship. Heck, he'd stll be at Uconn if he had his way, as we all should be able to agree that he misses coaching. How do we know this ? Because he said he misses coaching thats why. So " yes " I do think JC had " trouble with the school " and the school for their part certainly had " trouble " in his off the court stuff as well. Otherwise, they'd have kept him on board, and let him go out on his terms in retirement, not theirs, and not on a time frame they essentially dictated to him... ye

There isn't a shred of truth here.

 

[Hoophound]

Can you just ban this guy? He's annoying and the name "Yawkey" makes me puke in my mouth when I see it because of him.

 

[btstimpy]

Right Samcro ask stimpy why in comparison to the B1G the ACC's stadiums appear empty? Maybe no one cares?Remember most of the ACC schools play second fiddle to SEC in there own footprint!!

I don't know. 4 states have ACC overlap with SEC. Both Miami and FSU kicked Florida's arse and do so often. Louisville kicked Kentucky's arse. Lately Clemson's had issues with South Carolina, but the last 25 years of head to head is dominated by Clemson. Georgia Tech has a problem. They are second fiddle to Georgia in Georgia, but that's the only one.

I saw tons of empty seats in Happy Valley the past couple of years, and I saw one Illinois game on TV this year and was shocked at the empty seats. As for empty ACC stadiums, you must have watched a Maryland game in College Park.

 

[btstimpy]

Stimp - what's gotten into you? Maryland stinks academically? Fess up - did your prom date leave you for a Terrapin?

I don't think they are even ranked in the top 60. Yes. Stinks. In the ACC, they are in the bottom 5 out of 15.

 

[btstimpy]

Say's the ND fan!! lol...SU was NEVER a RIVAL of PSU!! 2 wins in 24 games makes a hot rival? Only SU fans want to believe that malarky! No PSU fan really thinks of SU as anything other than a whipping boy! Man you guys will go to any length to push an ACC agenda here!?!

Nicky, 2 and 22 is actually the Rutgers series record with Penn State. Syracuse's series record with Penn State is 23-41-5 in favor of Penn State, and from 1950 to 1970 it was 11-10 in favor of Syracuse.

2-22 is a whipping boy situation. Yes, but not anything to do with Syracuse. The UVA Penn State series record of 3-5 in favor of Penn State looks better than 2-22, and we're not even rivals.

 

[NotreDameJoe]

I dunno about undergrad but Maryland's grad schools are respected everywhere. Bias, my sister went there for math.

 

[SAMCRO]

bstimpy, I get the feeling that if the ACC had invited Boise St you'd be here talking up the attributes of the potato and the importance of starchy carbohydrates in giving ACC schools a competitive advantage, that their addition provides a gateway to the west and northwest opening recruiting pipelines in California, and that it's a top 300 nursing school.

 

[Pat125]

I dunno about undergrad but Maryland's grad schools are respected everywhere. Bias, my sister went there for math.

The graduate math program has consistently been in the top 25 since I've been there (1986). And despite Maryland being an AAU school, my experience in the program had been great. None of the horror stories we are told to expect with research institutions.

For undergrad Btstimpy selectively and arbitrarily uses USNWR. The ACC is a very good academic conference. And even if Maryland is in the bottom five, that's pretty darn good.

 

[NickyNewark]

I don't know. 4 states have ACC overlap with SEC. Both Miami and FSU kicked Florida's arse and do so often. Louisville kicked Kentucky's arse. Lately Clemson's had issues with South Carolina, but the last 25 years of head to head is dominated by Clemson. Georgia Tech has a problem. They are second fiddle to Georgia in Georgia, but that's the only one.

I saw tons of empty seats in Happy Valley the past couple of years, and I saw one Illinois game on TV this year and was shocked at the empty seats. As for empty ACC stadiums, you must have watched a Maryland game in College Park.

tons of empty seats in Happy Valley? You must be using a magnifying glass if 90+G fannies is "empty" to you!?! Even AFTER the scandal! The only states the ACC may own are NC/Va.....not even Fla with 2 programs do they "own".You are nothing if not delusionally consistent.