First off, this post is only a response to Chas’s two posts below entitled “Who tossed the bleeding man into the shark-infested waters?” and “Retro Jersey Notes.” So our readers (like we have any) should read Chas’s two posts (ESPECIALLY “Who tossed the bleeding man into the shark-infested waters?” …it’s a damn good piece) before reading this post.
Now, let me me get to Chas. I agree with the vast majority of what he has to say, but would like to clarify a few points. For instance, I fully agree that the Big East should not try to continue as a mega-conference with different schools playing football and non-football sports. All that I would clarify beyond what Chas said is the reasons why: such a conference would have no identity, would thus continue to get raided by other conferences, and would continue to dilute football profits across less profitable non-football-playing schools like Georgetown or St. Johns.
Let’s continue.
“Lee is worried that Boston College will be poached by the ACC, well the ACC is apparently shooting a little higher.”
The ACC’s arrogance here is outright laughable. Notre Dame wouldn’t join the Big Ten to play football when invited in 1999 — despite the facts that (1) ND sits right in the middle of the Big Ten’s turf, (2) ND matches the Big Ten’s academic standards, (3) ND’s own faculty strongly recommended that the school join the Big Ten, and (4) ND has ancient rivalries with several Big Ten schools (e.g., Purdue, Michigan State, and remember that Notre Dame football was only born when a few guys from Ann Arbor, Michigan, showed up in South Bend to show the locals a new game that was sweeping the country). But Notre Dame is supposed to seriously consider joining the ACC? Right. Whatever.
If Notre Dame EVER plays football in any athletic conference, it will be the Big Ten. But I sincerely doubt that they’ll ever do even that much. The Irish are simply too proud of their independent status.
By the way, remember how the ACC pointed out with pride, when Miami and Virginia Tech joined the league, that it wouldn’t even have to change it’s logo: it would just add two new dots to the map. So tell me, where the hell does Indiana fit on your map? Exactly what about Indiana says “Atlantic Coast?” Can I vacation on Indiana’s Outer Banks? This is the most blatant money grab since… well… the last time that the ACC tried to expand.
“This is not good. While I don’t think Notre Dame is going to the ACC, it could be using it as leverage against the Big 11 to keep the majority of its NBC football money if it would join the Big 11.”
Notre Dame certainly could be doing that. But like I said, I don’t think that Notre Dame really wants to join either the Big Ten or the ACC. I’ve said it hundreds of times before, and I’ll probably say it again: the ACC’s 12th member will probably be Boston College, the Big Ten’s 12th member will probably be either Pitt or (more likely) Syracuse, and Notre Dame will rot in the wilderness by itself.
“It now appears that the last grasping hope for saving my beloved school from eventual college football irrelevance is a complete shake-up/revolution in the BCS system.”
The prospects of the Loyal Big East Football Conference retaining our seat at the BCS banquet are admittedly growing dim. However, I personally think that we could still do it with the help of a few upper-tier Mountain West and MAC schools. Besides, maybe… just maybe… Boston College is so pissed off at the ACC that it won’t bolt after all.
As for the “Retro Jersey Notes” post, I absolutely loved the Sports Illustrated piece on retro college football uniforms. I think that Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Tulane, and especially Miami should return to their retro unis right away.
However, none of these old uniforms are as cool or as unique as Pitt’s old uniforms were. All I’m asking is that our team come out in the old unis for a game or two.
Finally, Columbus just went up another peg in its battle for supremacy with Pittsburgh. It just landed an arena football team. The Buffalo Destroyers will be moving to Columbus this winter.
Hail to Boston College’s Staying Loyal to the Big East This Time and to the ACC’s Having to Settle for Southern Mississippi or Some Other Crap School
