It's just not the same

[UC Billy]

For the past 20 years I have always, and still will, taken the Big East Tourney time off to watch all the games. It has been a ritual of which I go for an early breakfast, then a run and the the BE Tourney at noon time. Wow its all gone with the ACC and Big 12 taking over the spotlight on ESPN. It will never be the same but in life sometimes changes need to be made but I am going to miss this former GREAT TOURNEY

I hope the AAC can create the same excitement but with the first round on ESPNU its just hard to get up for this tourney.

Go Huskies !!!!!

 

[8893]

9:00 start time for our first game is killing me. Thank God I'm not attending the tournament. I can't imagine being remotely sober in Memphis by that time.

Bummed that it's too late for my kids to watch it with me.

 

[Marat]

9:00 start time for our first game is killing me. Thank God I'm not attending the tournament. I can't imagine being remotely sober in Memphis by that time.

Bummed that it's too late for my kids to watch it with me.

The 9pm printed start time will actually be 9:30pm - so yeah, even later. On the plus side of it being late, I get to watch it without distractions at home. I actually like it being a late game tonight.

And by the way, the BET also had these late start times - so how's that different?

 

[8893]

And by the way, the BET also had these late start times - so how's that different?

I wasn't commenting on it being different than the BET. Just that I'm not crazy about the late start time. I never like the 9:00 (or later) games because it's often hard for me to stay awake, but that's just me.

 

[CAHUSKY]

For the past 20 years I have always, and still will, taken the Big East Tourney time off to watch all the games. It has been a ritual of which I go for an early breakfast, then a run and the the BE Tourney at noon time. Wow its all gone with the ACC and Big 12 taking over the spotlight on ESPN. It will never be the same but in life sometimes changes need to be made but I am going to miss this former GREAT TOURNEY

I hope the AAC can create the same excitement but with the first round on ESPNU its just hard to get up for this tourney.

Go Huskies !!!!!

Does the television channel really effect your ability to get up for a postseason Uconn basketball game against a top 20 team? I get it, you're mourning the loss of the BET but were still playing in a great tournament on national television and are headed to the ncaa tourney next week. All is not lost

 

[UC Billy]

Your correct in that its still Uconn Basketball but the BE was something very special. I remember the days of picking up Amtrak in New London and boarding the Big East train of which had a dedicated cab just for people attending the games.
Its not the Garden !!!!

 

[Danzz]

Does the television channel really effect your ability to get up for a postseason Uconn basketball game against a top 20 team? I get it, you're mourning the loss of the BET but were still playing in a great tournament on national television and are headed to the ncaa tourney next week. All is not lost

Competition aside (which will be very good), there is just something missing. Maybe it is MSG, playing teams with which we have no history, the Memphis tourney site or withdrawal from not playing past traditional rivals. UConn getting snubbed by the ACC and the UConn fans desire not to be in the AAC at all has a lot to do with it. It is difficult for UConn fans to buy in to the AAC when we all want to be somewhere else.
I'll watch the games and will be thrilled with every UConn victory. All is not lost but there is something we can't find.

 

[caw]

Yep.

I have fully transitioned to being a hater. I want upsets in almost every game.

Today's 12 o'clock games: Go SHU, La Salle, Maryland, Indiana.

 

[diggerfoot]

..... All is not lost but there is something we can't find.

That's one of the best phrasings of our situation I've read.

 

[mauconnfan]

9:00 start time for our first game is killing me. Thank God I'm not attending the tournament. I can't imagine being remotely sober in Memphis by that time.

Bummed that it's too late for my kids to watch it with me.

Glad I'm not in Memphis…….agree 8893 no shot of remembering anything about the game if I was there. I would have to read the BY to know exactly what happened……..heck it's tough enough going home sober enough during tourney time, March Madness for a 9pm (actually 9:30) game……...

 

[WestHartHusk]

I feel like I should be standing on a platform in New Haven waiting for a train that would slowly fill with UConn fans hitting the city for the night.

I feel like I should be mean-mugging some Cuse idiots in the corner of the bar playing ski-ball.

I feel like I should be condescendingly smirking at Pitt fans.

I feel like I should have just won a bet with my friends for spotting the first Seton Hall fan.

I feel like, win or lose, I should be thinking about how good that pizza and pretzel are going to taste when it is midnight and I am drunk.

Instead - I am watching my team play a road game in Tennessee in a conference I could not care less about. Yup, this week sucks...intensely.

For those not lamenting the loss, I can only assume you didn't go to NYC for the tournament.

 

[dtrumpet]

no kidding, I'm lamenting it and never was able to go. What I miss is the familiarity, and the history of it; when you could watch the BET games remembering the time Kevin Freeman and Ben Gordon really lit it up, or when JC got tossed, or rising up from the days of the dreaded 8/9 game, just so many tremendous games and teams.
Maybe it will be the same eventually, I keep hoping, because those days were great indeed.

 

[UofMemphis]

Damn, hold a funeral or something.

 

[WestHartHusk]

Damn, hold a funeral or something.

I don't expect you to understand. Conversely, don't expect us to care about the tournament because it happens to be in your building.

 

[UofMemphis]

^ I could bring you girls some midol and a gallon of ice cream...

Man up!

 

[nelsonmuntz]

The BET tickets used to be so in demand that there were counterfeit tickets everywhere. The Taliek 3 point shot against Pitt year, a couple of my friends had scalped counterfeits and couldn't get in that day. I was planning on scalping too, but didn't want to take the chance of getting ripped off so we watched from a bar about 5 blocks from MSG that was packed with UConn fans. When the ball went to Taliek and everyone realized he had to shoot it, the whole bar went "noooooo, YES!!!" in unison.

This year's AAC tournament will be the best tournament the conference has. Next year, Louisville is gone, so it is just SMU, Memphis, Cincinnati and us. I assume Temple will be better, but everyone else will still suck, as will Tulane, Tulsa and ECU. How long is Larry Brown going to hang around this?

We are in the wrong league. They need us, and we need them.

 

[WestHartHusk]

Muntz...I have really come around on Big East Olympic sports. The top end of the AAC may be better most years, but I just don't care about it. I mean, Cinci was largely an afterthought and now is our "big rival". Screw it...let's get out.

 

[UofMemphis]

Muntz...I have really come around on Big East Olympic sports. The top end of the AAC may be better most years, but I just don't care about it. I mean, Cinci was largely an afterthought and now is our "big rival". Screw it...let's get out.

 

[caw]

Damn, hold a funeral or something.

I guess you can't understand if you were never part of it, but the BET in NYC was one of the greatest yearly events I've been to.

 

[WestHartHusk]

You stepped up, we stepped down, deal with it.

We appreciate the info you provide about your team and town, but if you can't deal with that reality then you should not visit here as often.

 

[huskyjawz]

I feel like I should be standing on a platform in New Haven waiting for a train that would slowly fill with UConn fans hitting the city for the night.

I feel like I should be mean-mugging some Cuse idiots in the corner of the bar playing ski-ball.

I feel like I should be condescendingly smirking at Pitt fans.

I feel like I should have just won a bet with my friends for spotting the first Seton Hall fan.

I feel like, win or lose, I should be thinking about how good that pizza and pretzel are going to taste when it is midnight and I am drunk.

Instead - I am watching my team play a road game in Tennessee in a conference I could not care less about. Yup, this week sucks...intensely.

For those not lamenting the loss, I can only assume you didn't go to NYC for the tournament.

Yeah,

I have to laugh when I read people lamenting not being able to take off from work and sit home and watch the tourney on TV all day.

If you didn't go to the Garden, you don't even know what you are missing.

 

[storrsroars]

Some 2nd day afternoon sessions at MSG during the BET weren't packed. But nothing like what's going on now.

In reference to another thread from today - I think a BCU home game outdraws this tourney thus far.

 

[UC Billy]

The AAC Tourney on ESPNU with the Big East Tourney on Fox Sports.

What a shame !!!!

 

[tcf15]

Adam Zagoria ‏@AdamZagoria
Theoretically if Seton Hall and Providence both win, the Big East semis would have no Georgetown, Nova or St. John's. Not a huge draw.

 

[WestHartHusk]

It is becoming clear the only people attending this thing will be the home school fans. Since that is the case, there is simply no reason we shouldn't host the tournament here since "centrality" is an irrelevant factor.