Today's Big East

[King Crimson]

a month ago it was 10 teams in, but now the middling .500 teams are Providence, Seton Hall, and West Virginia....and NOT Georgetown and Notre Dame....you don't hear it as much.

lame ass ESPN opinion making.

Does a .500 Providence get in over a .500 Georgetown as the 8th or 9th team?

[Screw_Michigan]

The answer should be YES the way the Hoyas are playing. But I'm sure Boeheim, Phelps and Billy Packer (if he can find a mic) will be clamoring for the glamour schools to get in. Besides, who cares if you've lost six of seven if you're playing all these tough Basketball Meatgrinder schools?

[Terry in Crapchester]

I can't possibly figure us out this year. We lose 7 in a row, then beat Louisville by 33? WTF is that?

Fortunately, the real meatgrinder part of the schedule is now over. And with West Virginia and Providence as bubble teams coming out of the Big East, we have an opportunity to make a statement, given that we have road games coming up against both.

At this point, I'm looking at USF, Rutgers and St. John's (all at home) as wins, and UConn (on the road) as a loss. The remaining games -- @ Providence, @ West Virginia and Villanova at home on the final Big Monday of the year -- are toss-ups. That translates into a best-case scenario of 19-11, and 10-8 in Big East play; and a worst-case scenario of 16-14, 7-11 in Big East play.

The former scenario should get us into the tournament. In the latter scenario, we probably need to win the Big East tournament to get a bid in the dance, and certainly we need to win at least two games in the Big East tournament to have any chance at all.

The potential X-factor in all of this, though, is that I've heard rumors that Brey has lost the team. If those are true, all bets are off, and this could be a really ugly finish.

[ucantdoitdoggieSTyle2]

No one gives a fuck about Irish hoops, Terry. You have a shit program that is even more embarrassing than your marriage to your rotund n|gger wife. I bet that fat whore makes Charlie Weiss look svelte by comparison. Speaking of which, how does it feel to be less relevant than UConn in football, loser?

Tough times, indeed.

[Terry in Crapchester]

No one gives a fuck about Irish hoops, Terry.

You apparently do, at least enough to respond to my post.

Speaking of which, how does it feel to be less relevant than UConn in football, loser?

We'll see about that next year, won't we?

[MuchoBulls]

If we had any depth, we'd be in the middle of the pack. Going 8 minutes with a FG is going to kill you in this league. I know Coach Heath can turn things around here, but it's been a while since we had a winner here.

G'Town will get in if the rebound because they have the SOS.

[ucantdoitdoggieSTyle2]

You apparently do, at least enough to respond to my post.

Yeah. The Irish hoops program is "in my head" because I devoted one post to its shittiness. Ever. Zyclone rationale much, loser?

Notre Dame will be the first school kicked out of the Big East when it decides to downsize to 12. We brought you in for football and you've just been an embarrassment to the league. I think Rutgers brings more to the table than Notre Dame. Fuck you, your fat n|igger wife, and your shit school.

[War Wagon]

So ucant, how badly will UConn miss Dyson?

I'm going to watch the Big Monday game tonight against Pitt and I'm thinking they might have a problem.

[ucantdoitdoggieSTyle2]

So ucant, how badly will UConn miss Dyson?

I'm going to watch the Big Monday game tonight against Pitt and I'm thinking they might have a problem.

Can you tell I am gripping? :brad: I am melting worse than you in the Jackasses Forum on a Sunday Night. We went from probably winning it all to unlikely. Fuck tonight's game... I am looking big picture here. Losing your best perimeter defender, slasher, and 3 pt shooter (all rolled into 1) is usually not a good thing. Walker is too green and Austrie can't defend. So. Fuck me. At least we have options at the 2, but... fuck. It ain't the same.

[Terry in Crapchester]

You apparently do, at least enough to respond to my post.

Yeah. The Irish hoops program is "in my head" because I devoted one post to its shittiness. Ever. Zyclone rationale much, loser?

Did I say ND basketball was "in your head"? No, idiot. I merely stated that you apparently cared enough about it to respond to my post, which wasn't even directed to you.

Notre Dame will be the first school kicked out of the Big East when it decides to downsize to 12.

$100 says you're full of shit. Are we on?

We brought you in for football

You're either trolling or a bigger idiot than I thought. Everyone knew ND wasn't interested in a football conference. Except you, apparently. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.h ... A962958260

If we had any depth, we'd be in the middle of the pack.

That's been a big problem for us this year as well. Our rotation goes only 7 deep. When we hit the meatgrinder part of the schedule, it caught up with us.

If we had 2 more guys capable of going 12-20 mpg, we'd probably be no worse than 5th in the league. As it stands, it's probably at least a 50/50 chance that we miss the dance.

[ucantdoitdoggieSTyle2]

I merely stated that you apparently cared enough about it to respond to my post, which wasn't even directed to you.

I could give two fucks whom your shit post was directed at. I am just telling you ND basketball is about as relevant as your registration at this site. No one cares.

You're either trolling or a bigger idiot than I thought. Everyone knew ND wasn't interested in a football conference. Except you, apparently.

Who gives a fuck what ND wanted? Everyone knew the independents were going the way of the dinosaur. The Big East figured your shit school would relent eventually... and they didn't. Look where it got them. About as far as your wife gets thrown during the Fat N|gger Toss at the World's Strongest Man Competition. Your football program is a joke. I doubt their record of 9 straight bowl losses will ever be topped. Good thing they played someone from outside the Continental U.S., or else that streak would have reached double digits. Maybe next year they can play Juneau Tech in the Alaskan Pipeline Bowl and celebrate another 7-6 campaign. Time to cut the chord. Good riddance, Notre Dame. Eat shit, n|igger lover.

[Terry in Crapchester]

Good thing they played someone from outside the Continental U.S., or else that streak would have reached double digits.

Dude, you don't really want to run last year's bowl opponent smack, do you?

Just so's you know, your bowl opponent last year was, until about 2-3 years ago, the laughingstock of 1-A. Then they got lucky and hired a great coach who got them winning. Rack them for that, I guess, but if you're going to rely on that opponent to somehow claim bode over ND, then, well, . . .

x infinity.

Say what you will about Hawai'i, but they were one year removed from a BCS bid, and playing a legitimate home game in their bowl game. And ND waxed them. In case you didn't see the game, it wasn't as close as the final score indicated (and ND won by 28). Hawai'i got a touchdown late in garbage time.

Time to cut the chord. Good riddance, Notre Dame.

Not to go all and shit, but cut the "chord"?

And didn't the Big East have a pretty major realignment, oh, a couple of years back? Woulda been the perfect time to get rid of ND, if that's what the Big East wanted.

But the Big East never talked about that. Matter of fact, if'n I recall correctly, it was ND who talked about maybe leaving the Big East back then.

Tell you what, why don't you go to UConn's AD and tell him to start a move to jettison ND from the Big East. He'll laugh at you just about as hard as Mike Garrett would laugh at Schmick for suggesting that USC drop ND from its schedule until ND joins a conference.

And for ND being such a shit school, your nothing football program was more than happy to sign a long-term deal with us. And, if'n I recall correctly, you were more than willing to play your "home" games in the series a good distance away from campus. http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/ ... conn_N.htm. Then again, I suppose you already play your "home" games a good distance away from campus anyway. Spin that, asshat.

And while we're talking about schools, your school is the one that prides itself on how successful its girls' basketball program is. At least our fanbase knows where girls' basketball ranks, in terms of its importance to the athletic department. Check that: in terms of its importance to any real athletic department.

Your compatriots on this board, apparently, are Schmick and Babs. That's some company.

[ucantdoitdoggieSTyle2]

Dude, you don't really want to run last year's bowl opponent smack, do you?

I am pretty sure if you go back and re-read my post, you'll see it was part and parcel of ND's record futility streak in Bowls and also some future Bowl smack. But you just concentrate on that one win.

Not to go all and shit, but cut the "chord"? .

What does kicking your own ass with inaccurate spelling smack in a sports forum have to with the U & L? Yes, kicking your own ass. Merriamwebster.com and Dictionary.com say to fuck off.

Furthermore, if you were going to go Dins on me, you would relate a somewhat amusing long-winded story about someone almost famous. As it stands, you're widely recognized as the most tedious read here. You're a blowhard, yes. But a dull one. Sorry, cunt... half right is still wrong.

Tell you what, why don't you go to UConn's AD and tell him to start a move to jettison ND from the Big East

Sure, I will. Why don't you go tell your AD to check someone's resume before offering them a job? Your shit school is a laughingstock.

And for ND being such a shit school, your nothing football program was more than happy to sign a long-term deal with us. And, if'n I recall correctly, you were more than willing to play your "home" games in the series a good distance away from campus.

That's the price a school has to pay for just going D1A earlier in the decade. This contract is more damning for the school "rich in history" than the one trying to make a name for themselves, wouldn't you say? Face it douche, your program is circling the drain. You currently have a fat fuck for a coach who gets injured on the sidelines during games. He doesn't know his ass from his elbow. You hired a black man in an affirmative action movement and later fired him for being a n|gger. You once hired a coach who never even coached a game at ND for fuck's sake. You're a fucking embarrassment. All the top recruits were sick of getting diddled by some gay fucking priest during Mass so they don't go to your shit school anymore. Your program is on the way down. UConn's is on the way up. Go fuck an alter boy, you sick fuck.

And while we're talking about schools, your school is the one that prides itself on how successful its girls' basketball program is. At least our fanbase knows where girls' basketball ranks, in terms of its importance to the athletic department.

So... UConn must apologize for being more than just a men's basketball school? UConn men's basketball is one of the top 5 programs in the country. There is no debating that. They pump out 1st round picks with amazing frequency. They have two national championships to your shit school's none. In fact, your women's team has BODE over your shit men's program. They have won a national title. You do know that, right? They have more prestige than the men. Perhaps you cunts should put more emphasis on women’s hoops. They’ve at least accomplished something. Your men's program is a fucking joke. I would equate its relevance to intramural badminton at UConn.

[Screw_Michigan]

Face it douche, your program is circling the drain. You currently have a fat fuck for a coach who gets injured on the sidelines during games. He doesn't know his ass from his elbow. You hired a black man in an affirmative action movement and later fired him for being a n|gger. You once hired a coach who never even coached a game at ND for fuck's sake. You're a fucking embarrassment.

:D RACK UCunt.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

That was my reaction when I saw Thabeet's arm damn near get cracked in half like a twig. Pitt are some bad motherfuckers.

[Terry in Crapchester]

And for ND being such a shit school, your nothing football program was more than happy to sign a long-term deal with us. And, if'n I recall correctly, you were more than willing to play your "home" games in the series a good distance away from campus.

That's the price a school has to pay for just going D1A earlier in the decade. This contract is more damning for the school "rich in history" than the one trying to make a name for themselves, wouldn't you say?

Perhaps, until you look at the reasons why ND did it. Apparently, that's yet another thing you don't know.

ND was looking at three games per year vs. Big East schools, as a quid pro quo for membership in the Big East in other sports. Pitt (a traditional rival) gets one on an annual basis. ND was looking at games in the Meadowlands on a semi-regular basis. They had a deal signed with Rutgers, but that fell through when Rutgers insisted on the home games being played in its on-campus stadium (15,000 less capacity than the Meadowlands). Enter UConn, who apparently was only too willing to schedule a game out of state, although I'm not going to look a gift horse in the face in this instance. Third game will be rotated among the remaining Big East teams.

They have two national championships to your shit school's none. In fact, your women's team has BODE over your shit men's program. They have won a national title. You do know that, right? They have more prestige than the men. Perhaps you cunts should put more emphasis on women’s hoops. They’ve at least accomplished something. Your men's program is a fucking joke. I would equate its relevance to intramural badminton at UConn.

ND's men's basketball program ranks eleventh all time in wins*, http://web1.ncaa.org/web_files/stats/m_ ... ingest.pdf ND also has 29 NCAA tournament appearances, which ranks them ninth all-time in that category. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre_Dame ... basketball ND's rankings in those categories, I daresay, suggest a program that's been relatively strong for a rather extended period of time. Yet another thing you apparently didn't know.

In any event, it looks as though you've completely abandoned any attempt to defend your earlier idiotic statement about ND being the first cut among the Big East schools. No shame in admitting you were wrong . . . sort of.

* As of last season. We actually rank tenth in wins right now, we managed to pass Indiana, at least temporarily, this year.

[ucantdoitdoggieSTyle2]

Good riddance Notre Dame... good luck in the NIT. Fucking pathetic. Weren't they ranked in the top 10 to open the season?


I really see no reason to keep this shit school a part of the Big East anymore. They suck in both hoops and football.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

You're gettin' a little big for your britches here, ucan't.

Look, the conference you champion for is the laughing stock of the BCS. In basketball it's a bloated mess full of geographically random teams, almost half of which don't even have a D1 football program. Unless everybody in your conference competes in both revenue sports at the D1 level, your conference will remain an utter joke.

The Big Ten and ACC will get just as many if not more teams into the Dance than the Big East, and will do it with considerably less teams.

Suck on that.

[Terry in Crapchester]

Good riddance Notre Dame... good luck in the NIT.

ND could still make the dance, although they definitely have their work cut out for them.

Win the last two games (both at home). Get to the quarterfinals of the Big East tournament. That will give ND 19-20 wins, depending on seeding for the Big East tourney, and two more wins against RPI Top 50 teams. That should be enough to get in.

Fucking pathetic.

Yet they gave your team all they could handle. On the road, no less.

I really see no reason to keep this shit school a part of the Big East anymore. They suck in both hoops and football.

Lemme see if I've got this straight. You want ND out of the Big East, yet you have no problem with DePaul staying. That about right?

Allrighty, then.

[smackaholic]

That's the price a school has to pay for just going D1A earlier in the decade. This contract is more damning for the school "rich in history" than the one trying to make a name for themselves, wouldn't you say? Face it douche, your program is circling the drain. You currently have a fat fuck for a coach who gets injured on the sidelines during games. He doesn't know his ass from his elbow. You hired a black man in an affirmative action movement and later fired him for being a n|gger. You once hired a coach who never even coached a game at ND for fuck's sake. You're a fucking embarrassment. All the top recruits were sick of getting diddled by some gay fucking priest during Mass so they don't go to your shit school anymore. Your program is on the way down. UConn's is on the way up. Go fuck an alter boy, you sick fuck.

And while we're talking about schools, your school is the one that prides itself on how successful its girls' basketball program is. At least our fanbase knows where girls' basketball ranks, in terms of its importance to the athletic department.

So... UConn must apologize for being more than just a men's basketball school? UConn men's basketball is one of the top 5 programs in the country. There is no debating that. They pump out 1st round picks with amazing frequency. They have two national championships to your shit school's none. In fact, your women's team has BODE over your shit men's program. They have won a national title. You do know that, right? They have more prestige than the men. Perhaps you cunts should put more emphasis on women’s hoops. They’ve at least accomplished something. Your men's program is a fucking joke. I would equate its relevance to intramural badminton at UConn.

Rensellear is about 25 miles away from storrs. Maybe a bit less. It's not like they are traveling to boston to play home games. Pretty weak smack, terry. Almost as weak as the followup girls bball smack coming from a domer.

As Ucunt has already pointed out, the huskie's men's program is now solidly a top 5 program and they are knocking at the door of another title. You can put together an NBA all star team of active huskie alums. So our women's program is number 1 in the universe. Actually, they swap that title back and forth with the vols, but, they hold it this season. Good on them.

Bottom line is, a domer running girls hoop smack against the huskies is a KYOA clinic on an mstool level.

As for ND being run, I doubt it. Of course the bigleast went after them for their football. Bigleast football hadn't even been invented yet and ND was still clinging to a shred of their past glory. Unfortunately, that last shred fell off shortly thereafter.

Will they leave of their own accord?

Possibly.

They just aren't a good fit, geographically speaking. The big ten would be a much better fit and someday, if they ever manage to get the alleged football program back to a 1A level, they might get there. BC made the same mistake. It would be nice to see them come home as well. Actually, it would be nicer to see them just fall off the 1A map all together and end up battling BU and holycross on the court/field.

[smackaholic]

ND's men's basketball program ranks eleventh all time in wins*, http://web1.ncaa.org/web_files/stats/m_ ... ingest.pdf ND also has 29 NCAA tournament appearances, which ranks them ninth all-time in that category. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre_Dame ... basketball ND's rankings in those categories, I daresay, suggest a program that's been relatively strong for a rather extended period of time. Yet another thing you apparently didn't know.

terry, we all know the long storied history of ND football and the respectable history of their bball program.

But, it's all fukking HISTORY

The basketball, mens, anyway is mediocre. The football team pines for the days it was mediocre a few years back. They are full on the suck NOW.

Having a history is nice and in the good times you can site that history with pride. But to do it when your program is in the ICU is kind of embarrassing.

Eject dude.

[smackaholic]

It has been brought to our attention by a mister SECBSH that the term meatgrinder®
has been used without proper authorization and very inappropriately, multiple times in this thread.

meatgrinder® is copyrighted by SEC football. Any use of it, particularly absurd use, without the express written consent of the SEC is in violation of US copyright law.

You have been warned. Any further use will result in legal action.

sin,

SEC legal department,
copyright enforcement office.

[ucantdoitdoggieSTyle2]

You're gettin' a little big for your britches here, ucan't.

Am I? Well... I am glad you're here to debate me on the direction that ND is headed... specifically their shit basketball program, their once glorious football team, and their relevance in the Big East in general. That's what I am debating here. I mean... you can read, so I am going to assume you know what's going on in this thread. Cool?

Look, the conference you champion for is the laughing stock of the BCS. In basketball it's a bloated mess full of geographically random teams, almost half of which don't even have a D1 football program. Unless everybody in your conference competes in both revenue sports at the D1 level, your conference will remain an utter joke.

The conference that I champion? Why are you babbling about the BCS? How many posts of mine can you find about UConn or the Big East in the college football forum? Do you actually think I give two shits about college football? Tell me MGO, what forum are we in right now?

The Big Ten and ACC will get just as many if not more teams into the Dance than the Big East, and will do it with considerably less teams.

Suck on that..

Good to see you remain on topic here. I am pretty sure the only reason I posted in this thread was to put Terry in his place about ND hoops. You want to switch it up? Fine. Let's do this.

You may want to rethink your idiotic prediction about any (especiallly some real shitty one like the Big 11) conference getting as many or more teams in the tournament as the Big East, fuckstain.

The Big East is virtually guaranteed 7 as of today... Pit, UCt, Mrq, Syr, Lou, Vil, and WVr.

Prv and Cin are maybes. All they have to do is win out.
If Cin beats Syr today, their last two games against SoF and SeH should be wins. That gives them 21 wins and 11-7 record in BE. They would be in.
Prv has Rtg and Vil left. If they win out, that gives them 19 wins and an 11-7 conf record, including a win against Pit down the stretch. This would put them in.

Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan all have to play each other. Good luck with all 3 getting in... especially if they don't end up with a winning record in conf. I see your shit conf getting 6 teams... maybe 7 if you're lucky.

I don't care how good Maryland's RPI is, if they don't have a winning record in conf they aren't making it. Same thing with Miami. They will probably win out. Still. Do you really think 18-10 and 8-8 ACC record will get them in? Unlikely. Vir Tech will most likely lose their last 3 games. No fucking way they make it. 17-13, 7-9 conf record, and losing 6 out of last 7 = NIT, Baby!! Just like your shit conf, ACC gets 6 teams in... 7 if they are lucky.

Wanna Sig Bet your prediction? You can have either conference. No way it happens.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

Am I? Well... I am glad you're here to debate me on the direction that ND is headed... specifically their shit basketball program, their once glorious football team, and their relevance in the Big East in general. That's what I am debating here. I mean... you can read, so I am going to assume you know what's going on in this thread. Cool?

The fact ND, and guys like Jay Bilas, are even putting ND and "bubble" in the same sentence is a god damn travesty, and a total slap in the face to some of the good mid major teams that have shown up all year and played good ball, while ND is doing everything it can to mail in its season. Same with Georgetown, but that's another issue.

I actually liked ND to start the season. I like Brey, and I liked the inside/outside game of Harongody/Mcalarney. Hell, as I type this ND just suffered another embarrassing home shellacking. How much more does this team have to get shit on before its off the bubble? Christ almighty, enough is enough. I think you and I both know they're not getting in, but the fact they're still being discussed is just sad. Real sad.

The conference that I champion? Why are you babbling about the BCS? How many posts of mine can you find about UConn or the Big East in the college football forum? Do you actually think I give two shits about college football?

YOU brought the subject up initially, fuckwit.

Remember?

Your program is on the way down. UConn's is on the way up.

So your interest in UCONN football has an on/off switch? It turns on when it's convenient for your argument, apparently.

I also find it laughable you have the gall to call ND a "joke" when your cute little program couldn't muster D1 status until about a decade ago. ND could go through another 20 years of futility and UCONN would still be light years behind them in the relevance department.

Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan all have to play each other. Good luck with all 3 getting in... especially if they don't end up with a winning record in conf. I see your shit conf getting 6 teams... maybe 7 if you're lucky.

I'll change my stance up a bit. As I see it now, the Big Ten has 7 teams in and the Big East 8.

The Big Ten could easily get 7 teams. If the conference winds up getting one less bid than the Big East, even YOUR homering ass will have to be impressed considering the Big Ten is operating with five fewer teams. One less tourney entry with five fewer teams = scoreboard, dipshit. Mathematics out front should've told you.

I don't care how good Maryland's RPI is, if they don't have a winning record in conf they aren't making it. Same thing with Miami. They will probably win out. Still. Do you really think 18-10 and 8-8 ACC record will get them in? Unlikely. Vir Tech will most likely lose their last 3 games. No fucking way they make it. 17-13, 7-9 conf record, and losing 6 out of last 7 = NIT, Baby!! Just like your shit conf, ACC gets 6 teams in... 7 if they are lucky.

If Cincinnati gets in then Maryland deserves to get in. Cincinnati's collection of "quality wins" is a fucking joke. Didn't beat a single good team out of conference, and what's their best conference win? WVU? Woopty fucking doo.

Wanna Sig Bet your prediction? You can have either conference. No way it happens.

No. At this rate I do see the Big East getting one more team in. But I maintain if the Big Ten gets only one less team in, that speaks more for the Big Ten than it does the Big East. Percentage wise, the Big Ten is going to clean up. Not so much the case for the Big Least.

[Terry in Crapchester]

That's the price a school has to pay for just going D1A earlier in the decade. This contract is more damning for the school "rich in history" than the one trying to make a name for themselves, wouldn't you say? Face it douche, your program is circling the drain. You currently have a fat fuck for a coach who gets injured on the sidelines during games. He doesn't know his ass from his elbow. You hired a black man in an affirmative action movement and later fired him for being a n|gger. You once hired a coach who never even coached a game at ND for fuck's sake. You're a fucking embarrassment. All the top recruits were sick of getting diddled by some gay fucking priest during Mass so they don't go to your shit school anymore. Your program is on the way down. UConn's is on the way up. Go fuck an alter boy, you sick fuck.

And while we're talking about schools, your school is the one that prides itself on how successful its girls' basketball program is. At least our fanbase knows where girls' basketball ranks, in terms of its importance to the athletic department.

So... UConn must apologize for being more than just a men's basketball school? UConn men's basketball is one of the top 5 programs in the country. There is no debating that. They pump out 1st round picks with amazing frequency. They have two national championships to your shit school's none. In fact, your women's team has BODE over your shit men's program. They have won a national title. You do know that, right? They have more prestige than the men. Perhaps you cunts should put more emphasis on women’s hoops. They’ve at least accomplished something. Your men's program is a fucking joke. I would equate its relevance to intramural badminton at UConn.

Rensellear is about 25 miles away from storrs. Maybe a bit less. It's not like they are traveling to boston to play home games. Pretty weak smack, terry.

Do you even know what the contract entails?

UConn will be playing their "home" games in this series in East Rutherford and/or Foxboro. Either way, a pretty good distance away from campus, and out of state.

Btw, UConn plays most of their home games at RENTSCHLER (I think that's how you spell it). By contrast, RENSELLAER (again, I think that's how you spell it) is located in Troy, NY, also a decent distance from Storrs. No football stadium there of note, but if ND had wanted to play there, something tells me UConn would have acquiesced.

As for ND being run, I doubt it.

And if you go back to the very beginning of the thread, you'll see that was my entire point, in contrast to ucan't's rather bizarre assertion.

As a matter of fact, we know that the Big East hasn't exactly been, how shall I put this, shy about dropping a program that hasn't lived up to expectations ('sup, Temple football). We also know that the Big East went through a rather significant realignment before the '05-'06 academic year. Had they wanted to dump ND, that would've given them the perfect cover for doing so, wouldn't you agree? Instead, they added DePaul and Marquette, in addition to the necessary football-playing members (Cincinnati, Louisville and USF). DePaul and Marquette, of course, did not have football teams, so they brought nothing to the Big East from the football perspective. Basketball was king at both schools, and of the other Big East schools (even including Cincinnati and Louisville), their most significant basketball rival, historically speaking, was ND. So in contrast to ucan't's assertion, the credible evidence that's out there suggests a conclusion which is the polar opposite: that the Big East wanted ND to remain onboard, and in fact pulled out the stops to make it happen.

Of course the bigleast went after them for their football. Bigleast football hadn't even been invented yet and ND was still clinging to a shred of their past glory. Unfortunately, that last shred fell off shortly thereafter.

ND-Big East negotiations got underway long before the Big East began football (which, btw, was basically little more than a mechanism to protect against Syracuse, BC or Pitt being poached by another conference, but I digress). The only way I see ND being run is if there's a complete split along football/non-football lines, with ND going along with the non-football schools. But I don't see that happening, as it would kill a number of storied rivalries (e.g., Georgetown-Syracuse)

Will they leave of their own accord?

Possibly.

Never say never, of course, but probably not. More on that later.

They just aren't a good fit, geographically speaking.

You could have made that argument, oh, ten years ago or so. But today, the Big East also includes Cincinnati, Louisville, DePaul and Marquette. The former two schools, at least, aren't going anywhere anytime soon. And ND has a much bigger following in the East than does any of these schools. Hell, for that matter, ND probably has a bigger following in the East than all of these other schools put together.

The big ten would be a much better fit and someday, if they ever manage to get the alleged football program back to a 1A level, they might get there.

ND will maintain its independence in football as long as possible. If it becomes necessary to give that up someday, though, I don't see ND ever joining the Big Ten no matter the circumstances. Too much bad blood. ND is to the Big Ten as Penn State is to the Big East, only on a much larger scale and over a much longer period of time.

It's not as though the Big Ten wouldn't like to see it happen, though, even now. Remember, the Big Ten pulled out all the stops to get ND in '99, only to be turned down flat. ND tried to get into the Big Ten in the early part of the 20th century, and was turned down at least twice because it was a Catholic school. Ironic, in light of that, that the Big Ten now wants ND and ND isn't interested. And poetic justice, if you're an ND fan.

terry, we all know the long storied history of ND football and the respectable history of their bball program.

But, it's all fukking HISTORY

The basketball, mens, anyway is mediocre. The football team pines for the days it was mediocre a few years back. They are full on the suck NOW.

Having a history is nice and in the good times you can site that history with pride. But to do it when your program is in the ICU is kind of embarrassing.

You claim to be aware of ND's football history. Yet you also suggest that ND should join the Big Ten, and even go so far as to suggest that the only reason it hasn't happened yet is because ND's football program isn't up to snuff right now. That tells me that you probably don't know as much about ND's football history as you think you do. Just sayin'.

And I'll go out on a limb here and venture a guess that ucan't wasn't aware that ND ranked in the Top 10 all-time in men's baskeball wins and men's basketball NCAA tournament appearances. You probably weren't either, for that matter.

In any event, I was holding up the history against ucan't's assertion that our program was irrelevant. Nevermind that there are any number of other programs in the Big East in much worse shape right now ('sup, DePaul). And for that matter, I wouldn't put either of our programs in the ICU just yet.

Yes, our football program is the suck right now. But it's the suck by our standards. At many other schools, the current run, except possibly for the '07 season, would be a very respectable run. Even with two coaches regarded as failures, and a third as to whom the jury definitely is still out, to put it extremely charitably, we still managed 3 BCS bids since 2000. And we would have had a fourth had the current BCS rules been in effect in the '02 season. The worst decade of football in ND history is better than the best decade of football at many other schools.

As for basketball, that program was in the ICU in the 90's, but no longer. That's the good news. The bad news is that while it's no longer the 90's, it's also no longer the 70's. We haven't been able to get back to that level, and that's a source of frustration for longer-term fans such as myself.

If there's a silver lining to a NIT bid juxtaposed against a season where we were once in the Top 10, it's that, perhaps, we'll come out of this with a new coach. Time to thank the man in the mock turtleneck for his contributions to the program, and begin the search for the coach who can take us to the next level. Brey certainly is not that guy. He's had nine seasons to prove that he is, and he's failed miserably in that regard.

BC made the same mistake. It would be nice to see them come home as well. Actually, it would be nicer to see them just fall off the 1A map all together and end up battling BU and holycross on the court/field.

Finally, a point we agree on.

[ucantdoitdoggieSTyle2]

YOU brought the subject up initially, fuckwit.

Remember?

Sure I do. The subject was broached to show there's no reason for ND to be a part of the Big East. The only fucking reason ND was extended an invite to join the conference was with the hopes that they would give up their desire to play the Coast Guard and the Army Reserves every year and play an actual Big East conference schedule. Guess what, 15 years later and ND is still scheduling games against the Citadel and other top flight military schools just to hold onto their independence. UConn went Div 1-A this decade and are already on par with ND football. That is a fucking embarrassment, don't you think? At this point, I am not sure the Big East even wants ND anymore. The "courting period" has come and gone. Fuck them.

While I make no attempts to follow UConn football, it’s hard not to keep up on “current events” when I have 5 friends who are season ticket holders. I apologize for not exuding more ignorance about subjects that are not near and dear to me. In fact, I think I may have slept at a Holiday Inn Express the day I composed that post. So, it's not really my fault.

With regard to conference arguments, the more I think about it… who really gives a fuck? Good luck extrapolating percentages and determining relative conference strengths. At the end of the day, I will be rooting for one team. My team. If/when UConn gets bounced, my March Madness rooting interests usually shift to whatever underdog is playing on the TV in front of me… I don’t root for the remaining Big East team(s). So there.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

I salivate at the chance of playing UCONN in the tourney...

[ucantdoitdoggieSTyle2]

I don't even know whom you root for... just that it is a Big 11 school.


Ahhh... did some research. Saw your Fuck Wisconsin thread.

One of my best friends went to MSU. They have trimesters instead of semesters, correct?

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

Michigan St. And it's not because I necessarily think they'd win, I'd just love to see the matchup.

[ucantdoitdoggieSTyle2]

See above.



See you at The Dance, sir....

[Terry in Crapchester]

YOU brought the subject up initially, fuckwit.

Remember?

Sure I do. The subject was broached to show there's no reason for ND to be a part of the Big East. The only fucking reason ND was extended an invite to join the conference was with the hopes that they would give up their desire to play the Coast Guard and the Army Reserves every year and play an actual Big East conference schedule. Guess what, 15 years later and ND is still scheduling games against the Citadel and other top flight military schools just to hold onto their independence.

Coupla points here.

First, the negotiation between ND and the Big East began before the Big East even began playing football. At that point, ND playing football in the Big East wouldn't have been part of the discussion in any event.

Second, you didn't just go to SOS smack, did you? Talk about KYOA.

Last year's SOS rankings, using Sagarin, can be found at http://www.usatoday.com/sports/sagarin/fbt08.htm. Stress that last season was the weakest schedule ND had in recent memory. Even then, ND was comparable to or ahead of the majority of the Big East in SOS:

Pitt 25
Syracuse 34
West Virginia 47
ND 50
UConn 53
Cincinnati 60
South Florida 71
Rutgers 73
Louisville 81

The only service academy ND plays regularly is Navy. That's part of ND's "debt of honor" to repay Navy for the Navy establishing a sizeable NROTC Unit at ND during World War II, so that ND could keep its doors open.

Army was a one-off in '06 when the NCAA added a 12th game on short notice. Most teams added a 1-AA school, ND added a cupcake as well, but at least it was a 1-A cupcake which had some tradition as a ND opponent. Btw, you'd have to go back to the 40's (when Army was still a national power, btw) for the last time ND and Army met up in more than two consecutive seasons.

Air Force was a regular on the schedule until '96, but ND has only had two home-and-homes vs. Air Force since then.

Btw, ND has never played a game against a school below the 1-A level. There are only about six other schools that can make that claim. Michigan State is one, since Mgo is in on this thread. Betcha didn't know that.

[smackaholic]

thanks for correcting me on that name. sounds an awful lot like rensel...whatever the fukk it is.

so, I guess I've outed myself as even less a fan than ucunt.

As for the home games in the swamp or foxboro, that is kinda fukked up, but, I guess it all comes down to the size of uhhh, that place in east hartford where Uconn plays. ND doesn't want to give away 30 thousand seats for a game if it doesn't have to.

And I can see why the huskies took the deal. Even though ND is as pathetic as they are and rightfully should have zero mystique left, they still do have some. And Uconn roling them, maybe on TV will be a boost to their program.

I do believe that the "rent", (there, a legit nickname I can spell!!!!) was designed so they could tack another 20K seats give or take a few. Then they'd have a real stadium. I'd rather see them slap up a roof and get some NCAA big dance action, but, don't look like that is gonna happen.

[MuchoBulls]

If Cin beats Syr today, their last two games against SoF and SeH should be wins.

Or not. Cincy will have to make a run in the Big East tournament to have any shot now.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

There are only about six other schools that can make that claim. Michigan State is one, since Mgo is in on this thread.

Which, sadly, comes to an end next season when Montana St rolls into town.

[King Crimson]

looks like 8 teams in the Dance. unless Cincy can 1. get to .500 and 2. win a few tournament games.

ND and G'Town have been disappointments and would get the "benefit of the doubt"/media love at .500 in conference. but, ain't happening.

War Friars and Keno Davis*.....and War Bobby Huggins hair.

*eat your manlove heart out Jon.

[Terry in Crapchester]

looks like 8 teams in the Dance. unless Cincy can 1. get to .500 and 2. win a few tournament games.

If Providence and Cincinnati finish 8-9 in Big East play, and Cincinnati beats DePaul in first round of Big East tournament, 2nd round game between Providence and Cincinnati is probably a de facto play-in game for the Dance, imho.

ND and G'Town have been disappointments and would get the "benefit of the doubt"/media love at .500 in conference. but, ain't happening.

Either of these teams needs at least a serious run in the Big East tournament to make the Dance at this point.

For ND, our best chance comes with a win vs. St. John's, which clinches the #10 spot, and I'd like to see Providence in the #7 spot, in that I think we match up much better against them than we do against West Virginia or Syracuse, the other programs with a shot at the #7 seed. That means a West Virginia win plus a Syracuse loss.

Even if we beat Rutgers (probable) in the first round, and the #7 seed (possible) in the second, I think we have to beat at least the #2 seed (likely either Louisville or the UConn-Pitt loser, we match up best vs. Louisville) to get a serious look by the Selection Committee. Brey, of course, has a less-than-awe-inspiring record in Big East tournament play.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

Maybe I should've taken Ucan't up on that bet. As of today Lunardi has 8 Big Ten teams in, 7 for the Big East. Of course things can change after the conf tournaments...

[Rack Fu]

Maybe I should've taken Ucan't up on that bet. As of today Lunardi has 8 Big Ten teams in, 7 for the Big East. Of course things can change after the conf tournaments...

Lunardi has three of the #1 seeds coming from the Big East. I think they'll get two. Three might be a stretch.

[Terry in Crapchester]

Maybe I should've taken Ucan't up on that bet. As of today Lunardi has 8 Big Ten teams in, 7 for the Big East. Of course things can change after the conf tournaments...

Barring something unexpected happening in the Big East tournament, I think the Big East gets eight teams in.

I'd say that seven teams -- Louisville, Pitt, UConn, Villanova, Marquette, Syracuse and West Virginia -- are in no matter what. Assuming Cincinnati beats DePaul in the first round, the second-round matchup between Cincinnati and Providence looks to me like a de facto play-in game. The winner is probably going, and the loser is probably headed to the NIT.

Either ND, Seton Hall or Georgetown would have to make a serious run during the Big East tournament to get into the NCAA tourney, but I'll stop short of saying that any of these teams would have to win the Big East tourney to make the NCAA field.

The remaining teams (St. John's, South Florida, Rutgers and DePaul) all would have to win the Big East tournament to qualify for the NCAA tournament. Of those teams, only St. John's has a chance to extend its season beyond the Big East tournament without winning the whole thing. 2-3 wins could be enough to get St. John's a NIT bid.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

Barring something unexpected happening

Final Score:

Depaul 67
Cincinnati 57