The Everlasting Craptastical Mystery Thread

[Hoopaloop]

Bluebloodness? Really? I used to help a friend of mine from the engineering school with his English papers. Who wrote yours?

English was never my strong point.  I wrote my own.  I probably should have put "bluebloodness" in quotes as it is a made up word.  

The point remains, matching money doesn't matter.  MU is not IU.  MU is not UK.  MU is not KU.  MU is not UCLA.  MU is not Duke.  MU is not UNC.  For Kevin O'Neill MU was not Tennessee.  For Rick Majerus, MU was not the asst coaching job for the Milwaukee Bucks.

For Buzz Williams, MU > UNO but maybe not > SMU.   If Buzz leaves, it is on Buzz and no one else.  He has a great thing going on at Marquette.  MU took a lot of $hit giving Buzz the head coaching position.  MU stuck their necks out for this guy.  He has quit one job already.  Is he going to quit another in less than five years?  

[Warriors4ever]

I have to admit, I never expected the statement, We want to be more like Northwestern, to ever be posted on a basketball message board.

[SaintPaulWarrior]

Bigfoot just walked through my parking lot.

You saw the Samsquanch?????????????????

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9j5e8NUrkys

[Hoopaloop]

And where, exactly, have these super-rich alum been the past three decades?
Did they just recently decide they care about winning?
Or did they recently learn that they're super rich?

No denying the wealth that SMU and their alumni have.  More than likely pouring money into a basketball program at the CUSA level is a hard sell.  When SMU agreed to come to the Big East they would have to sell that to the Big East that they are committed to winning and committed to the resources behind it.  Much easier to get big boosters to support their school in the Big East than CUSA.  There is also the scared straight consequences if you don't.  SMU could get obliterated in the Big East if they don't pony (pun) up.  It's a national stage.  CUSA is not.  For the sake of the school being competitive, they may have people not stepping into that role.  Whether it is Buzz, Seth or someone else, they are going to make a big commitment as a result of the Big East invitation.

[hairy worthen]

Have fun reading this exercise in futility.


http://ponyfans.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=60597

See what you started.

[Avenue Commons]

That is the plan. If we get Williams, it is NOT JUST ABOUT BASKETBALL.  For almost 20 years, SMU has been investing in improving the academics, the facilities, and student life on campus.  All the old buildings were renovated and new buildings were built.

We started with FB. We overpaid to hire a coach who had coached his team to the Sugar Bowl. 5 years later, we managed to get out from under our CUSA/MWC fate.  Next up is our BB program.  If we get Williams, it will cost a fortune but it is part of the overall plan for the school.

In 10 years, SMU wants to be more like Vandy, Wake Forrest, Northwestern and BC, To do that, we need to offer BCS level programs in FB and BB.  

I'm sure I speak for most of us when I say good luck. Marquette made a committment post-Mike Deane that it was going to do everything it could to have an Elite basketball program again. MU's plan was two fold: 1) get the best coach possible and 2) have the best facilities.

We had Crean and then Buzz. We play in an NBA facility and have one of the best practice facilities in college basketball.

We are in year 9 or 10 (?) of our plan and after spending a lot of time in the Top 10 of the polls, making back to back Sweet 16s among a 7-year tourney run, being an attendance leader, and putting multiple players in the NBA, we feel good. We're on our way.

We know what a well executed plan in athletics can do for a university. Good luck to SMU.

[Hoopaloop]

I have to admit, I never expected the statement, We want to be more like Northwestern, to ever be posted on a basketball message board.

Consider who posted it.  No way anyone in the athletic department did.  The BOT and the AD might have some concerns about some of the kids that have been brought in, but that doesn't mean MU wants to be Northwestern.  That is extreme talk.

[TJ]

I have to go into a meeting at 3 this afternoon.  I'm afraid when I get back I'll be so far behind I'll never be able to catch up.

[Warriors4ever]

I was referring to the post about SMU trying to be like Northwestern and Vanderbilt.

[PonyFanz]

My guess is a little of all three. It's not known as a bball school. Trying to reclimb the football ladder (not that June Jones or whoever is the coach there is one to do it) and stop the 'death penalty' stigma.

Personally, I think this whole thing is stupid for a multitude of reasons.

Because MU is not a football school, it is hard for your alums to understand that SMU cannot allow itself to fall out of the BCS level again.  While we are excited about joining the Big East and are looking forward to joining with our new partners (who are a great bunch of schools), we all understand that it might not work long term.  

If the Big East breaks up, SMU wants to be able to offer other conferences three things: 1) the Dallas/FW TV market, 2) a viable FB program, and 3) a viable basketball .  Without the last two, we cannot offer the first.  If we cannot offer the first, it is off to CUSA/MWC/WAC again and we didn't like that very much.

[T-Bone]

You saw the Samsquanch?????????????????

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9j5e8NUrkys

Bet SMU14-25 are a lot like Bubbles. 
If I got a pet, I'd call it Steve French.

[jficke13]

Because MU is not a football school, it is hard for your alums to understand that SMU cannot allow itself to fall out of the BCS level again.  While we are excited about joining the Big East and are looking forward to joining with our new partners (who are a great bunch of schools), we all understand that it might not work long term.  

If the Big East breaks up, SMU wants to be able to offer other conferences three things: 1) the Dallas/FW TV market, 2) a viable FB program, and 3) a viable basketball .  Without the last two, we cannot offer the first.  If we cannot offer the first, it is off to CUSA/MWC/WAC again and we didn't like that very much.

BBall is irrelevant to redistricting. Kansas has no bargaining power in redistricting so basketball is meaningless for that scene.

[TJ]

Because MU is not a football school, it is hard for your alums to understand that SMU cannot allow itself to fall out of the BCS level again.  While we are excited about joining the Big East and are looking forward to joining with our new partners (who are a great bunch of schools), we all understand that it might not work long term.  

If the Big East breaks up, SMU wants to be able to offer other conferences three things: 1) the Dallas/FW TV market, 2) a viable FB program, and 3) a viable basketball .  Without the last two, we cannot offer the first.  If we cannot offer the first, it is off to CUSA/MWC/WAC again and we didn't like that very much.

We understand it.  No need to have college football to understand why you would want to be in one of the top conferences.  And I truly hope you succeed.  All this craziness notwithstanding, having a strong SMU doesn't hurt MU in any way and can only improve the standing of the Big East.

[Lennys Tap]

English was never my strong point.  I wrote my own.  I probably should have put "bluebloodness" in quotes as it is a made up word.  

The point remains, matching money doesn't matter.  MU is not IU.  MU is not UK.  MU is not KU.  MU is not UCLA.  MU is not Duke.  MU is not UNC.  For Kevin O'Neill MU was not Tennessee.  For Rick Majerus, MU was not the asst coaching job for the Milwaukee Bucks.

For Buzz Williams, MU > UNO but maybe not > SMU.   If Buzz leaves, it is on Buzz and no one else.  He has a great thing going on at Marquette.  MU took a lot of $hit giving Buzz the head coaching position.  MU stuck their necks out for this guy.  He has quit one job already.  Is he going to quit another in less than five years?  

OK. MU sucks, but Buzz Williams should kiss the feet of the MU administrators for hiring him. The AD, President and BOT are wonderful and any disagreements are all Buzz's fault. And Buzz is a quitter. But you're a big fan of his. Right.

[TJ]

BBall is irrelevant to redistricting. Kansas has no bargaining power in redistricting so basketball is meaningless for that scene.

You can't be so bad in basketball that the conference reconsiders adding your football.  I think that's what he is saying.

[MileHigh]

SMU20 who are you?  Even your own message board doesn't necessarily like you.

[PonyFanz]

I was referring to the post about SMU trying to be like Northwestern and Vanderbilt.

Having learned out lesson in the Death Penalty era, we don't really expect to compete for national championships in Football again.  

We need to be more like Vandy (in the SEC) and less like Tulane (in the CUSA/MWC).  If that means taking a few beatings on the field/court, so be it.  

It is impossible to draw fans in Dallas to see UAB, Tulsa, Tulane, and Rice play.  It just is.

[TJ]

SMU20 who are you?  Even your own message board doesn't necessarily like you.

How do they feel about SMU17 and SMU18?

[Skatastrophy]

OK. MU sucks, but Buzz Williams should kiss the feet of the MU administrators for hiring him. The AD, President and BOT are wonderful and any disagreements are all Buzz's fault. And Buzz is a quitter. But you're a big fan of his. Right.

[SaintPaulWarrior]

Bet SMU14-25 are a lot like Bubbles. 
If I got a pet, I'd call it Steve French.

If you love something, set it free.

[Aughnanure]

See what you started.

Yeahahhhhh, sorry about that.

[PonyFanz]

BBall is irrelevant to redistricting. Kansas has no bargaining power in redistricting so basketball is meaningless for that scene.

While Kansas would probably have landed in a BCS level conference somewhere, Iowa State, K-State and Tech were terrified that OSU/OU/UT were going to bolt for the Pac 12 or SEC.  If that had happend, all three could have been up ship creek.   With horrible TV markets, the other conferences were not lining up to add them to their TV package.

Frankly, we understand that we were lucky to get into the BE for football. In return for our FB program, we promised to step up our BB program and we plan to keep our promise.  

[Skatastrophy]

While Kansas would probably have landed in a BCS level conference somewhere, Iowa State, K-State and Tech were terrified that OSU/OU/UT were going to bolt for the Pac 12 or SEC.  If that had happend, all three could have been up ship creek.   With horrible TV markets, the other conferences were not lining up to add them to their TV package.

Frankly, we understand that we were lucky to get into the BE for football. In return for our FB program, we promised to step up our BB program and we plan to keep our promise. 

Well, if you guys end up with our coach at least you'll have a bball rivalry game your first year in conference

[mu03eng]

I want to know who is floating the academics are an issue rumor?  I know for a fact the NCAA was in auditing MU's student athlete academic policy and support programs and they were recommended as a model for our universities.  So how is Buzz monkeying with academics?

If there is any truth to the friction I'm starting to really think this is the BOT and LW overreacting to the combination of off court issues, feeling Buzz is getting too big, and the issues popping up at UConn and Syracuse.  To me once again the BOT moves the wrong amount and in the wrong direction.

Just adding some rampant speculation to this otherwise sane thread

[T-Bone]

Frankly, we understand that we were lucky to get into the BE for football. In return for our FB program, we promised to step up our BB program and we plan to keep our promise.  

Here's the thing that gets me with this:  In much the same way the BigEast prevents athletes transferring intraconference, wouldn't they consider the same about coaches and other staff?
If that's the case, then no worries for us.

If not, then Larry and Pilarz have to be freaking out about what the BigEast negotiated with SMU (and possibly others).  Assuming any of this is actually happening.  

/gets torch
//seeks BigEast-foot
///burns the BigEast-foot
////realizes BigEast-foot was just an animal.  Just like me.
/////sheds a tear

Anyone want to photoshop Moe (3 Stooges) hair onto Fr. Pilarz?