Dana O'Neil unloads on Big East

[MUfan12]

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/9420767/the-new-big-east-remains-state-confusion-college-basketball

[bilsu]

I do not think we ever knew the Big East schedule on June 25th. I also doubt that there are many people that are losing sleep over what she is ranting about.

[GGGG]

None of the major conferences have their basketball schedules out.  Meanwhile the men's and women's soccer schedules have been set.  The idea that nothing is being done is wrong-headed. Remember they have contracted with Dan Beebe's group as well and I am sure they doing a bunch of the behind the scenes work.

Until something that should be done isn't done, then I will worry.   I don't think she knows what she is talking about.

[martyconlonontherun]

I do not think we ever knew the Big East schedule on June 25th. I also doubt that there are many people that are losing sleep over what she is ranting about.

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. The only people who care are media types looking for contact information. When is the last time you went to the BEAST website? As long as everything is ready for the tournament, we are good.


Too bad we don't have such a great website and logo like the new conference.....
http://theamerican.org/index.html
Did they use geocities for it?

[Groin_pull]

Let's see......she works for ESPN, which wants to crush the new Big East. Hmmmmmmmm.

[Ellenson Guerrero]

I really hope Fox is ready to go to war for this conference, because it looks like ESPN's agenda is clear.

But more importantly, we need to win and we need Georgetown, Creighton, Villanova, Providence, and St. John's all to be in the tourney. If we get 6/10 then I think that will silence a lot of the haters.

[GooooMarquette]

I don't think she's trying to crush the Big East, or even being overly critical.

She calls the decision to split "bold" and "gutsy," complimented us on the choice of new schools, and says that ultimately the product will be good, and not "compromised by the competitive mess of football."  All fairly positive.  The main issue she has, and I think it's a reasonable one, is that we still have no commish.  And while she is chiding the school presidents for bumbling along thinking they know how to run a sports conference, she also says that it "is merely a microcosm of the new model of college athletics," as college presidents seem to be running the show elsewhere too.

All in all, I think she says more good things about the conference than bad....

[frozena pizza]

If you cut through the rhetoric, her main issues seem to be that it is taking a long time to appoint a commissioner and basically get organized and that the process hasn't been very transparent, even for the schools involved.  Fair enough, but the important thing is that they find the right leader whether it's Ackerman or someone else.  If they do that, this league is capable of thriving or at the very least surviving for a long time, in which case no one is going to question the process.

[Aughnanure]

Jeez the Catholic jokes are nauseating.

[GGGG]

If you cut through the rhetoric, her main issues seem to be that it is taking a long time to appoint a commissioner and basically get organized and that the process hasn't been very transparent, even for the schools involved.  Fair enough, but the important thing is that they find the right leader whether it's Ackerman or someone else.  If they do that, this league is capable of thriving or at the very least surviving for a long time, in which case one is going to question the process.

100% agreement.

[bradley center bat]

I do not think we ever knew the Big East schedule on June 25th. I also doubt that there are many people that are losing sleep over what she is ranting about.

It wasn't untill late June in who we found out the 9 Big East schools coming to the Bradley Center. Schedule has came out around Labor Day .

[bradley center bat]

None of the major conferences have their basketball schedules out.  Meanwhile the men's and women's soccer schedules have been set. 

Volleyball is out as well.

[warriorchick]

It wasn't untill late June in who we found out the 9 Big East schools coming to the Bradley Center. Schedule has came out around Labor Day .

Are you having a stroke, BC Bat? 

[The Lens]

1) I bet Dana O'Neil is either Catholic or married to a Catholic - jokes seem OK.

2) I bet Dana O'Neil is getting a bunch of phone calls from AD's and Assoc AD's bemoaning the fact that nothing is getting done and the league is one big holding pattern.  Her article sounds like Jersey Guy's blog.  I don't think Dana came up with this slant, I think a bunch of SIDs etc have told her it's on track to be a potential train-wreck.

[bradley center bat]

Are you having a stroke, BC Bat?  

No, why? Opponents and schedule are two different things, if you don't understand.

[Sunbelt15]

If you cut through the rhetoric, her main issues seem to be that it is taking a long time to appoint a commissioner and basically get organized and that the process hasn't been very transparent, even for the schools involved.  Fair enough, but the important thing is that they find the right leader whether it's Ackerman or someone else.  If they do that, this league is capable of thriving or at the very least surviving for a long time, in which case no one is going to question the process.

Sound like she couldn't find the story she wanted from the BE, so she made one.?

[The Equalizer]

2) I bet Dana O'Neil is getting a bunch of phone calls from AD's and Assoc AD's bemoaning the fact that nothing is getting done and the league is one big holding pattern.  Her article sounds like Jersey Guy's blog.  I don't think Dana came up with this slant, I think a bunch of SIDs etc have told her it's on track to be a potential train-wreck.

Exactly.

I'm amused by all those who are citing previous public annoucement dates as "evidence" that there's no story or ESPN is making stuff up becasue they're out to get us.

As if it didn't occur to them that the schools/ADs/teams need time after receiving the schedule to arrange facilities, work through any conflicts, make travel arrangements, arrange class schedules and alternate arragements when travelling, arrange local tv & radio coverage, identifying road practice facilities etc.   

Reporters have sources.  If their stories suggest that the Big East is behind schedule, it is coming from someone within one of the programs.

[GGGG]

1) I bet Dana O'Neil is either Catholic or married to a Catholic - jokes seem OK.

2) I bet Dana O'Neil is getting a bunch of phone calls from AD's and Assoc AD's bemoaning the fact that nothing is getting done and the league is one big holding pattern.  Her article sounds like Jersey Guy's blog.  I don't think Dana came up with this slant, I think a bunch of SIDs etc have told her it's on track to be a potential train-wreck.

Men's and women's soccer, and volleyball schedules are complete and are posted on the MU site.  Conference championship sites have been chosen. 

Again, not exactly sure what isn't getting done that needs to get done.

[Pakuni]

1) I bet Dana O'Neil is either Catholic or married to a Catholic - jokes seem OK.

2) I bet Dana O'Neil is getting a bunch of phone calls from AD's and Assoc AD's bemoaning the fact that nothing is getting done and the league is one big holding pattern.  Her article sounds like Jersey Guy's blog.  I don't think Dana came up with this slant, I think a bunch of SIDs etc have told her it's on track to be a potential train-wreck.

I bet a bunch of ADs are getting pissy because a bunch of academicians (read: Nerds!) have had the gall to set up the conference on their terms rather than turn the keys over to the pros and get out of their way.

[GGGG]

I bet a bunch of ADs are getting pissy because a bunch of academicians (read: Nerds!) have had the gall to set up the conference on their terms rather than turn the keys over to the pros and get out of their way.

Or a bunch of people (athletic directors) that need to get stuff done soon (short-term) getting frustrated with people whose focus are more long-term in nature (presidents).

[Pakuni]

Or a bunch of people (athletic directors) that need to get stuff done soon (short-term) getting frustrated with people whose focus are more long-term in nature (presidents).

Oh, I'm sure there's an element of that to it as well. But it would be naive to think the ADs aren't unhappy that the non-sports guys sending them out of the room when the big decisions are being made.

[GGGG]

Oh, I'm sure there's an element of that to it as well. But it would be naive to think the ADs aren't unhappy that the non-sports guys sending them out of the room when the big decisions are being made.

I guess, but conference presidents hire conference commissioners.  They always do.

[ChicosBailBonds]

I really hope Fox is ready to go to war for this conference, because it looks like ESPN's agenda is clear.

At the Fox Networks conference yesterday that topic was discussed at length.  Last night at dinner it came up often with a certain individual whose name I can't say or be lamented as a name dropper here  , but will just say you will "hear" from him often this year on Big East hoops.

Some of the most compelling research presented was the disdain people have for ESPN as overhyped, too much about them and not the sports itself, etc.  The word deathstar was used often.  You will see Fox push hard to position themselves as the "FUN" alternative and focusing on sport, not on themselves.  Whether they can pull it off will be interesting, but you can already see it in some of their advertising for the network. 

They are the first to admit, however, that they are not here to supplant ESPN.  They will get destroyed if they do.  They want to be one of the options and a legitimate one for sports fans.  Today, you turn on the tube and you go to ESPN by reflex.  Tomorrow, they are fine with you continuing to do so, as long as you click over to FS One next and bring them into the conversation.