Maryland Takes Ball and Goes Home...

[JDawg]

The Big10 is probably better with respect to basketball but to say its athletically better than the SEC on the whole is laughable. Big10 teams have strong tradition but it isn't in the same stratosphere for football these days.

Which conference has more national championships in the last 10 years? 20?

These were the two posts quoted leading up to that. I thought the national championships post was about basketball only and I responded like that. If I misinterpreted you, my bad.

The conferences (and college bball/football in general) don't have nearly the same set-up or focus as they used to. Comparing things to ten or twenty years ago is apples and oranges.

 

[Skydog Deac]

I missed several pages of this thread- not sure if this has been posted, but Pat Forde rips Maryland a new one in this article.


http://sports.yahoo.com/news/ncaab--maryland--rutgers-cash-in-on-their-incompetence-with-move-to-big-ten-19541709.html


Congratulations, Maryland. You have succeeded in turning a financial mess of an athletic department into a swank new home. Two largely underachieving, financially irresponsible athletic programs are parlaying their geographic proximity to major metropolitan areas into membership in the Big Ten. They've done very little on the field of competition to deserve it. But that's not what drives conference affiliation these days.

Forde should turn his direction to Delaney. Amazing that the B10 network has become more important than anything else. I understood Nebraska, it made sense, and could be argued rationally. This is just blatant. If Delaney felt Michigan would not make the B10 network money, he would figure out a way to dismiss them. I will forever more root against every B10 team in everything.

 

[3 minute rule]

Weather this is the right, or wrong thing for Maryland to do, it wont be figured out for a long time in the future. I am personally going to miss being in the ACC because I have been a lifetime fan, and I live in NC, so I get to see my Terps play a lot.
Once I get past the nostalgia, I am okay with the move as I do think it is the right thing long term, based not only on the athletic money, but also on the research partnerships and money it will bring. This really will end up being a boon for Maryland, and I can see why other members of the ACC would be put off by how it transpired.
As for our financial mess, you can pin it almost entirely on Debbie Yow, who ramped up non revenue sports to the point that they were unsustainable, kept the books looking good by prematurely using the monies from the naming rights to Comcast among other things. When I say she walked out on a mess of her own making, it's an understatement.
The funny thing is the crowd in Raleigh hasn't figured her out yet, but believe me, she will screw them in the end, like no one can imagine.

 

[Deacfreak07]

These were the two posts quoted leading up to that. I thought the national championships post was about basketball only and I responded like that. If I misinterpreted you, my bad.

The conferences (and college bball/football in general) don't have nearly the same set-up or focus as they used to. Comparing things to ten or twenty years ago is apples and oranges.

National championships matter a hell of a lot. It's why you play the game. It's the reason the SEC is king. It's not just football. The Big 10 may be dominant in Volleyball, Gymnastics, Fencing, and such but other than that not so much.

 

[Skydog Deac]

National championships matter a hell of a lot. It's why you play the game. It's the reason the SEC is king. It's not just football. The Big 10 may be dominant in Volleyball, Gymnastics, Fencing, and such but other than that not so much.

Exactly. It's why Georgia is rated above Oregon in the BCS, although one could argue that Georgia's schedule is no tougher than Oregon's this year. SEC perception, based on a string of championships, is why they are where they are and why Oregon is where it is.

 

[Deacfreak07]

Exactly. It's why Georgia is rated above Oregon in the BCS, although one could argue that Georgia's schedule is no tougher than Oregon's this year. SEC perception, based on a string of championships, is why they are where they are and why Oregon is where it is.

Isn't it awesome the as soon as UMD gets added to the B1G (aka the king of losing National Championships), championships don't matter. It's about dat TV monies. Give me meaningless exhibition games on the B1G network all day! That's a good slogan: "The B1G: Championships Don't Matter, It's About TV"

 

[JDawg]

National championships matter a hell of a lot. It's why you play the game. It's the reason the SEC is king. It's not just football. The Big 10 may be dominant in Volleyball, Gymnastics, Fencing, and such but other than that not so much.

The SEC isn't king because they win a bunch of national championships, they're king because they have multiple national championship contenders every year. And I do agree that national championships matter. You're not exactly refuting my point that things from ten and twenty years in the past are pretty irrelevant at this time.

The Big Ten is plenty good in football and basketball.

And fun fact- if Ohio State wasn't on probation they'd probably be in the national championship this year instead of Alabama/Georgia with a hypothetical win over Michigan and then Nebraska in the championship game.

 

[Deacfreak07]

The SEC isn't king because they win a bunch of national championships, they're king because they have multiple national championship contenders every year. And I do agree that national championships matter. You're not exactly refuting my point that things from ten and twenty years in the past are pretty irrelevant at this time.

The Big Ten is plenty good in football and basketball.

And fun fact- if Ohio State wasn't on probation they'd probably be in the national championship this year instead of Alabama/Georgia with a hypothetical win over Michigan and then Nebraska in the championship game.

Fun fact, they are on probation. See how well they keep that streak around when they are covered by the media for being in the national championship picture. Ask all the other teams how that's worked out.

You said that the B1G is the best conference academically and athletically. That claim is not true. It is the best conference financially. It has the best conference TV network. It is among the best conferences athletically and academically, but so is the ACC, partner.

 

[JDawg]

Besides, we were talking about basketball championships. They're a crapshoot, that's why people love march madness. Its clearly different than football.

 

[Deacfreak07]

Besides, we were talking about basketball championships. They're a crapshoot, that's why people love march madness. Its clearly different than football.

We aren't talking about it. You said that the B1G is the best conference athletically.

 

[JDawg]

Fun fact, they are on probation. See how well they keep that streak around when they are covered by the media for being in the national championship picture. Ask all the other teams how that's worked out.

Right, its a hypothetical. Thats how hypotheticals work. But don't think Michigan, Penn State, etc aren't giving Ohio State their all just because they're on probation. They hate each other (and will be easy to hate once we join)

You said that the B1G is the best conference academically and athletically. That claim is not true. It is the best conference financially. It has the best conference TV network. It is among the best conferences athletically and academically, but so is the ACC, partner.

It seems that you choose to not include the finances when ranking conferences while I do.

 

[HeavyPetter]

I missed several pages of this thread- not sure if this has been posted, but Pat Forde rips Maryland a new one in this article.


http://sports.yahoo.com/news/ncaab--maryland--rutgers-cash-in-on-their-incompetence-with-move-to-big-ten-19541709.html

Congratulations, Maryland. You have succeeded in turning a financial mess of an athletic department into a swank new home. Two largely underachieving, financially irresponsible athletic programs are parlaying their geographic proximity to major metropolitan areas into membership in the Big Ten. They've done very little on the field of competition to deserve it. But that's not what drives conference affiliation these days.

If The ACC agrees to an exit fee of a penny less than $50 million, I'll be pissed.

Next up, you can count on Maryland asking the ACC to negotiate a smaller buyout than the $50 million the league voted on way back in September. And the ACC will probably oblige, for reasons that make no sense to anyone. This is College Sports, Inc., economics at work – where every buyout is just a number on paper and not a commitment.

 

[JDawg]

These were the two posts quoted leading up to that. I thought the national championships post was about basketball only and I responded like that. If I misinterpreted you, my bad.

The conferences (and college bball/football in general) don't have nearly the same set-up or focus as they used to. Comparing things to ten or twenty years ago is apples and oranges.

We aren't talking about it.

Look up to my above quote.

 

[HeavyPetter]

Wow, Maryland will never play in a BCS bowl again. Ever.

 

[JDawg]

ha! I found it.

We aren't talking about it. You said that the B1G is the best conference athletically.

no I didn't

More money, more stability, the best athletic conference, increased academic opportunities (that I'm not as clear on, but I'm very excited about).

And collegiate sports haven't been regional. Boston to Miami is a great example. Hell I wouldn't consider Maryland in the same geographic region as any ACC school except UVA and VT.

There's clearly a difference.

And you're entitled to disagree with my opinion that the Big Ten is the best athletic conference. But I've had this opinion for a long time and to act like I just suddenly started having this opinion when we accepted the move isn't correct (to other people, not necessarily you- didn't keep track of who floated that).

 

[Deacfreak07]

Here is the kicker to Maryland's financial stability. It hinges on cable TV markets, but the home entertainment arena is moving to streaming web-based content. If/when that happens, and the ACC seems to be betting heavy on that horse, the BTN's leg up will not be as long as it currently is. The cable bubble will burst sooner rather than later. When that does, we are back to square one with expansion.

 

[Deacfreak07]

And you're entitled to disagree with my opinion that the Big Ten is the best athletic conference.

In what way is the B1G the best athletic conference?

 

[JDawg]

Here is the kicker to Maryland's financial stability. It hinges on cable TV markets, but the home entertainment arena is moving to streaming web-based content. If/when that happens, and the ACC seems to be betting heavy on that horse, the BTN's leg up will not be as long as it currently is. The cable bubble will burst sooner rather than later. When that does, we are back to square one with expansion.

We were streaming yesterdays news conference on the Big Ten Network's mobile app.

 

[HeavyPetter]

In what way is the B1G the best athletic conference?

It's the best athletic conference in the Midwest.

 

[JDawg]

In what way is the B1G the best athletic conference?

An athletic conference is a group of schools that compete against each other on a regular basis. In the Big Ten, they work together with the CIC membership and academics improves as well. So that's a factor as well as athletic successes.

I'm sure TownieDeac's dad could speak to its effects better than I could.