Reading between the lines, Niether Bilas, nor Raftery were very complimentary of the Big East.
Raftery:
Read: There are only 2 or 3 teams going to the NCAA Tournament this year, including the winner. Drama resulting from the games is replacing the actual high quality games of years past.
Bilas:
The Bold is self-explanatory. Wow, just wow. He said on a much larger forum what we have been saying since July 1. Reading between the lines on the first part of the quote, I hear, "A conjured up conference with mediocre talent and a substandard media partner who is learning as they go..." Say what You will about the American, but at least ESPN has been in the college basketball media business for 30+ years. They know exposure.
Bilas again:
The Big East prior to 2014 was special. 4 of the 6 events/players he mentioned played for teams no longer associated with the Big East (and 3 were UConn!! Bilas be the MAN!!!)
Ticket costs don't necessarily indicate the Big East milking it over the cost to rent the venue. Do you think the A-10 is worthy of being the 3rd highest average ticket for their tournament? I don't. I think the Barclays has more to do with that ranking.
Wonder if the Big East going from 18 teams to 10 has something to do with the price as well.ahh yeah! Totally forgot about that. Garden must be extremely expensive to rent especially after the world-class renovations...
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Nope, its horrendous. But nobody here is pretending its something its not. The Big East has been trumpeting the accomplishments of everyone else who isn't in it all year.seanmc94 said:Do you guys really disagree that the bottom of the AAC is horrible?
I think I'm changing my user name to "Full-throated homer."UConn has had a great run with some great teams. But make no mistake, even accounting for their recent disappointments, Cincy can well compete with UConn's historical success. Only a full throated homer wouldn't acknowledge that.
UConn has had a great run with some great teams. But make no mistake, even accounting for their recent disappointments, Cincy can well compete with UConn's historical success. Only a full throated homer wouldn't acknowledge that.
Yep, cite a guy born in 1938 as a way to counter the notion your success was a long time ago.50 years ago? Every Cincy game the best college hoops player ever sits court side. Ask the Big O if 5 straight Final Fours, 3 straight Finals, and back to back titles beating AP # 1 in the Finals is significant.
At a time when the only way to get in the Tourney was to actually win your conference.
Do you guys really disagree that the bottom of the AAC is horrible?
I find it amusing how so many fans want to skew the facts to fit their narrative.
Success is success whenever it is. And outside ofa few historical periodsmy lifetime...Cincy's had plenty of it.
If experience means being older than I am, you have can have all you want.We'll it works for me in my lifetime. I can't help you have a narrow point of view based on limited experience.
50 years ago? Every Cincy game the best college hoops player ever sits court side. Ask the Big O if 5 straight Final Fours, 3 straight Finals, and back to back titles beating AP # 1 in the Finals is significant.
At a time when the only way to get in the Tourney was to actually win your conference.
champs99and04 said:Bilas is dead on with these comments. It amuses me when I see coaches from other conferences diminishing the value of conference tournaments, and in some cases, pushing to get rid of them. The Big East tournament trumped every other conference tournament by such a considerable degree that it wasn't even worth talking about the other ones. Part of it may be the UConn fan in me, but even in the year 2014, I can vividly recall moments from 5, 10, 15 years go. There's no denying the fact that Madison Square Garden made the tournament special - even fans of other conferences admitted it. Does anybody ever reminisce over something that happened in the ACC or SEC Tournament? Not unless something extraordinary happened. The Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights of the Big East Tournament were three of the true jewels on the sports calender every year.