Big East at Crossroads?

[muwarrior69]

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/11750375/big-east-conference-basketball-crossroads-entering-second-season

[mu-rara]

I won't really argue, but it has that ESPN coat of oil all over it.

edited. OK. I read it more carefully.  It is a POS.

[Groin_pull]

Ummmmm, it's a little early in the game to be at the crossroads. Of course, ESPN would love nothing more.

[Dawson Rental]

Someone beat the Big East to Wikipedia to set the narrative.  In Wikipedia, there are articles "about the former league that played from 1979-2013", for "its successor football-playing league, see American Athletic Conference", and for "the current league of the same name".  The article about the "current league of the same name" shows all schools joining in 2013 or later.

Technically, I guess that the "Catholic Seven" formally left and formed a new league.  But I doubt that this is what they had in mind when they negotiated for the Big East name.  I would guess that this interpretation getting out there is a result of the "new" Big East getting a slow start with its web presence.

[Windyplayer]

I think Marquette is responsible for some heavy lifting as well given our string of success over the last decade and beyond. I think way too much emphasis is placed on the "old guard."

[JakeBarnes]

I expected this to be a Myron Medcalf article talking about how much he knows about the Big East because he lived in Milwaukee.

[Galway Eagle]

I think Marquette is responsible for some heavy lifting as well given our string of success over the last decade and beyond. I think way too much emphasis is placed on the "old guard."

Agreed the four best shots at keeping this conference relevant are MU GU VU and XU. By far the most successful, consistent, top teams in recent years.

[Dawson Rental]

It's interesting that the article excludes Marquette from the "programs that straddle both the past and present Big East" while at the same time mentioning Louisville has a program relied on "to carry the league's banner."  Didn't Marquette and Louisville both join in 2005?

[bradley center bat]

What another bad article put out by ESPN.  

[Galway Eagle]

It's interesting that the article excludes Marquette from the "programs that straddle both the past and present Big East" while at the same time mentioning Louisville has a program relied on "to carry the league's banner."  Didn't Marquette and Louisville both join in 2005?

In all fairness we've been good but they've been great. 

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Agreed the four best shots at keeping this conference relevant are MU GU VU and XU. By far the most successful, consistent, top teams in recent years.

Agreed but I think the real key is for one of the sleeping giants to wake up. SJU, Seton Hall, or Depaul are former greats in huge basketball markets. One of them taking off would be the greatest thing that could happen to the BEast. Ideally, it would be St. John's.

[mu_hilltopper]

Meh .. I doubt ESPN still has their panties in a bunch after losing the 5th best conference in the country.

[swoopem]

Agreed but I think the real key is for one of the sleeping giants to wake up. SJU, Seton Hall, or Depaul are former greats in huge basketball markets. One of them taking off would be the greatest thing that could happen to the BEast. Ideally, it would be St. John's.

Or Brad Stevens going back to Butler. But you're right, 4 teams can't carry the conference. It seems like Providence could get comfortable being the 5th best team and then as you pointed out St. Johns needs to get their act together.

[Daniel]

This article is much ado about nothing. We will see what happens over the next few years: which teams get hot, which recruit well, which get into the tourney and do well.  The nucleus is there for a great basketball conference. 

[Coleman]

Someone beat the Big East to Wikipedia to set the narrative.  In Wikipedia, there are articles "about the former league that played from 1979-2013", for "its successor football-playing league, see American Athletic Conference", and for "the current league of the same name".  The article about the "current league of the same name" shows all schools joining in 2013 or later.

Technically, I guess that the "Catholic Seven" formally left and formed a new league.  But I doubt that this is what they had in mind when they negotiated for the Big East name.  I would guess that this interpretation getting out there is a result of the "new" Big East getting a slow start with its web presence.

That is technially correct. Legally speaking, the AAC is the actually successor to the Big East. They sold us the name. 99.9% of the population does not know the difference or care, but we are technically a new conference.

[GGGG]

Someone beat the Big East to Wikipedia to set the narrative.  In Wikipedia, there are articles "about the former league that played from 1979-2013", for "its successor football-playing league, see American Athletic Conference", and for "the current league of the same name".  The article about the "current league of the same name" shows all schools joining in 2013 or later.

That is actually what occurred. 

[GGGG]

God am I tired of the "blame ESPN" approach to everything.  You see it with PSU fans and Sandusky...you see it with FSU fans and Winston...and here.

That article is 100% fair.

[Nukem2]

God am I tired of the "blame ESPN" approach to everything.  You see it with PSU fans and Sandusky...you see it with FSU fans and Winston...and here.

That article is 100% fair.

Yep.  Performance will be the ultimate test.  Need to win NC games, get tourney bids and wins.  Hopefully, th good recruiting for the 2014 and 2015 classes will help getting there.

[mu03eng]

God am I tired of the "blame ESPN" approach to everything.  You see it with PSU fans and Sandusky...you see it with FSU fans and Winston...and here.

I don't find the article particularly heinous, but ESPN has an agenda in everything it does.  I think a lot of fanbases go too far with it or overhype it but ESPN has a slant to everything it does.

It is not a media organization, it is an entertainment organization.  They own the SEC network and have a vested interest in it's success.....plug in the hype machine.  ESPN is a competitor to the Big Ten Network, hence a bias against the Big Ten.  Same goes with the Big East.  Etc.  The revenue dollars color the coverage.

They are financially invested in hyping some things and down playing others.  I don't think it's huge by any stretch of the imagine but to dismiss it as not a thing is disingenuous.

[Aughnanure]

God am I tired of the "blame ESPN" approach to everything.  You see it with PSU fans and Sandusky...you see it with FSU fans and Winston...and here.

That article is 100% fair.

Calling anything "at the crossroads" after a single year is not "100% fair".

[GGGG]

Calling anything "at the crossroads" after a single year is not "100% fair".

Whatever.  It's a word.  I don't think it is a terribly inaccurate one either. 

That being said, there really is no evidence to suggest it was used in a negative way on purpose.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Well, if Bert didn't crap the bed last year the conference would have had a higher profile.  Same for G'town.  Neither one did.  Articles are there to get people to talk, the Big Ten has been crapped on for football the last decade plus.  Don't lose sleep over this article, play better and it takes care of itself.

[bradley center bat]

God am I tired of the "blame ESPN" approach to everything.  You see it with PSU fans and Sandusky...you see it with FSU fans and Winston...and here.

That article is 100% fair.

but there was no point in what Dana was saying. Yes, the sky is blue. I thought Val did a great job in her speech. Her job is different in what Mike had to deal with.

[Atticus]

I was under the impression that many of you were "boycotting" espn. It's interesting that so many of their articles are linked here while almost none from foxsports are linked. Strange.

[Mr. Nielsen]

It only takes one person to post it. I do like CBSSportline.