Marquette a mid-major? Thanks LA Times...

[HoopDreams]

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/varsitytimesinsider/2008/08/working-copy-14.html

Nice to see we get respect from the West coast...just terrible.

Things could be on the verge of changing though. The 6-foot-1 floor general recently returned from a trip to San Diego and he's been contacted by mid-major programs Marquette and George Washington. It will be interesting to see if, and when, other schools jump on the bandwagon because Wheeler is finally healthy and seemingly ready to focus on the future.

[ChicosBailBonds]

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/varsitytimesinsider/2008/08/working-copy-14.html

Nice to see we get respect from the West coast...just terrible.

Things could be on the verge of changing though. The 6-foot-1 floor general recently returned from a trip to San Diego and he's been contacted by mid-major programs Marquette and George Washington. It will be interesting to see if, and when, other schools jump on the bandwagon because Wheeler is finally healthy and seemingly ready to focus on the future.

The LA Times....I need say no more.

[Mayor McCheese]

Did Bill Plaschke write this?  He does such fine work on Around the Horn 

I remember when he was arguing with everyone that LA was the best sports town.  Last I checked you lack a professional football team.  Don't care how good the Lakers, USC, UCLA, Dodgers(really?) are.  If you don't have a team in the most popular league in the United States, you aren't even in the top 5.

[wildbill sb]

The LA Times....I need say no more.

Actually, MU is well-defended in the comments that are posted subsequently to the LAT article.

wildbill sb

[Eye]

I guess we all know what Billy Packer is up to these days.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Actually, MU is well-defended in the comments that are posted subsequently to the LAT article.

wildbill sb

Yes, meaning the readers had to clean up the inaccuracies again for the LA Times. Something that we locals have had to deal with for a long time unfortunately.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Did Bill Plaschke write this?  He does such fine work on Around the Horn 

I remember when he was arguing with everyone that LA was the best sports town.  Last I checked you lack a professional football team.  Don't care how good the Lakers, USC, UCLA, Dodgers(really?) are.  If you don't have a team in the most popular league in the United States, you aren't even in the top 5.

Well, I don't think that's accurate.  The Lakers a lot of people care about.  Dodgers, Angels, USC all do very very well at the gate (Dodgers and Angels will draw 3 million easily again).  People definitely care.  UCLA football is a problem because of the stadium.

The city has always demanded excellence and usually treated to it, so they are definitely not ones to put up with losing.  Let me put it this way, no way fans out here would tolerate how bad the Cubs have been for half a century (nor would New York fans tolerate it).  This is a show me town in that regard.

Plaschke, who I can't stand, might have been talking about the success as a sports town.

USC's football titles.  UCLA's basketball titles (and first school to 100 national championships).  Lakers all time winningest NBA team.  Ducks Stanley Cup Champs last year.  Dodgers arguably the 3rd best franchise in MLB history.  Angels on a tear this last decade. 

As for football, this is also a town that absolutely does not believe in tax supported stadiums (they believe in taxing every other lunatic project, but stadiums isn't one of them).  And as a result, no football team.  And rest assured, a lot of folks are just fine with that.  Go 2 hours south to SD for the Chargers or watch a ton of games each week because of no blackouts.


By the way, here's Plaschke at the Olympics eating something interesting. 

http://thevikingage.com/2008/08/14/bill-plaschke-eats-a-penis/

[Mayor McCheese]

Don't get me wrong, I understand the success of the teams in LA.  It is just hard to put them up there as the best sports town when they lack what most Americans care about the most in sports, and that is a professional football team.  The NBA has lost a lot of value lately (lets face it, not many people keep up on the NBA, although that could just be in Milwaukee because the Bucks are an embarrassment).  NHL?  doesn't count in 85% of Americans eyes.  UCLA and USC are very accomplished, and the Angels and Dodgers are too, although not as of lately for the Dodgers.

Its just the principle of not even having a team in what is covered 365 days of the year here in the States, I don't care how successful your other teams are, you aren't going in the top 3, possibly the top 5.

[RedWebster]

(Dodgers and Angels will draw 3 million easily again).  Let me put it this way, no way fans out here would tolerate how bad the Cubs have been for half a century (nor would New York fans tolerate it).  This is a show me town in that regard.

The Cubs have not been in the World Series since 1945, but they have not been "bad" for half a century. They won division titles in 1984, 1989, 2003 and 2007 (and likely again this year) and made the playoffs as a wild card in 1998. The Angels are a johnny-come-lately to success in baseball and play in the atrocious AL West. And since their WS title in 1988, the Cubs have outperformed the storied Dodgers.

Apparently the fabulous LA fans have "tolerated" poor play.

[ecompt]

If you're just talking professional sports, LA comes nowhere near New York. Eight million people went to Yankees and Mets games this year, Giants and Jets draw 78,000 every week, there are three hockey teams and two NBA teams, and all do reasonably well at the box office. There is certainly an East Coast bias in the media; I think the LA Times is an example of West Coast bias. Sorry, LA Times, but NO one in the Easternmost 2,500 miles of this country gives a crap about the Pac-10.

[bma725]

And since their WS title in 1988, the Cubs have outperformed the storied Dodgers.

Not really.  Since 1989, the Dodgers(1622) have more wins than the Cubs(1544).  The Dodgers have 4 losing seasons, the Cubs have 11 losing seasons.  Doesn't exactly sound like outperforming the Dodgers.  Yes, the Cubs have made the playoffs one more time, but that comes from playing in a historically weaker divisions throughout that period. 

[79Warrior]

If you're just talking professional sports, LA comes nowhere near New York. Eight million people went to Yankees and Mets games this year, Giants and Jets draw 78,000 every week, there are three hockey teams and two NBA teams, and all do reasonably well at the box office. There is certainly an East Coast bias in the media; I think the LA Times is an example of West Coast bias. Sorry, LA Times, but NO one in the Easternmost 2,500 miles of this country gives a crap about the Pac-10.

I did not realize the Knicks were a profesional team. The make the Clipppers look good. We have an NBA team, the Lakers, who have won probably more championships than all your hockey and basketball teams put together. Do the Islanders still play hockey? They still are looking for Al Arbor and Bill Torey.

as far as the Pac 10, USC is as good a football program as there is in the country. The reason you don't care about the PAc 10 is because NY has absolutly Zero credible college football presence. Yeah, Rutgers and Cuse play, but they are true mid majors on the gridiron.

[ChicosBailBonds]

The Cubs have not been in the World Series since 1945, but they have not been "bad" for half a century. They won division titles in 1984, 1989, 2003 and 2007 (and likely again this year) and made the playoffs as a wild card in 1998. The Angels are a johnny-come-lately to success in baseball and play in the atrocious AL West. And since their WS title in 1988, the Cubs have outperformed the storied Dodgers.

Apparently the fabulous LA fans have "tolerated" poor play.

Actually they didn't, when the Angels sucked they didn't support them.  Look, I'm not saying LA is a great sports town, certainly not from an allegiance standpoint.  I was only pointing out that this town is a very high "SHOW ME" town.  Whether it's music business, movie business, television business, etc....if you aren't producing at a VERY high level, there are a million other things to do here.  Other towns will support their teams no matter what which is an interesting paradigm.  In my opinion it tells the management of your teams that they don't have to do anything to get better.  That's not how it works out here.  If you don't put a top level product out on the field, the people will go find another top level product to support.  The people fire salvos at management constantly to put winners on the field.

The Clippers never got it.  UCLA football rarely does.  The Angels finally got it.  The Dodgers currently don't get it which is why they are under constant assault from the media here for their owner.

[ecompt]

come on, 79, you don't really want to go there. NY has two baseball teams who have more championships (28) than all your LA teams combined. The Knicks suck, but they have won two championships and been to the Finals six times. The Clippers will never make it anywhere near a Finals. The Islanders of the 1980s were the greatest hockey team ever assembled, winning 19 series in a row. (Of course, when you misspell both Al Arbour and Bill Torrey, both Hall of Famers, you're simply showing your ignorance). The Giants have won three Super Bowls, the Jets one. People don't care about college football in NY because it is totally insignificant.

[RedWebster]

Actually they didn't, when the Angels sucked they didn't support them.  Look, I'm not saying LA is a great sports town, certainly not from an allegiance standpoint.  I was only pointing out that this town is a very high "SHOW ME" town.  Whether it's music business, movie business, television business, etc....if you aren't producing at a VERY high level, there are a million other things to do here.  Other towns will support their teams no matter what which is an interesting paradigm.  In my opinion it tells the management of your teams that they don't have to do anything to get better.  That's not how it works out here.  If you don't put a top level product out on the field, the people will go find another top level product to support.  The people fire salvos at management constantly to put winners on the field.

The Clippers never got it.  UCLA football rarely does.  The Angels finally got it.  The Dodgers currently don't get it which is why they are under constant assault from the media here for their owner.

You paint Cub fans with the brush of blind loyalty. The reality is the Cubs drew very few fans before 1984...not coincidentally that was the year they won their first title of any kind since 1945 and from then on there has been somewhat consistent results...1984, 1989, 1998, 2003, 2007, 2008.

Let's face it, when you win a championship (or a division), there is an attendance bounce. The only significant stretch of years that the Cubs did not win in the last 25 years is between 1989 and 1998...I think you'll find the Cubs averaged less than 30K for many of those down years.

Cub fans are not blind loyalists...it's a stereotype. Just as the stereotype of the Red Sox as "losers" was misguided before their 2004 Title.

[ChicosBailBonds]

come on, 79, you don't really want to go there. NY has two baseball teams who have more championships (28) than all your LA teams combined. The Knicks suck, but they have won two championships and been to the Finals six times. The Clippers will never make it anywhere near a Finals. The Islanders of the 1980s were the greatest hockey team ever assembled, winning 19 series in a row. (Of course, when you misspell both Al Arbour and Bill Torrey, both Hall of Famers, you're simply showing your ignorance). The Giants have won three Super Bowls, the Jets one. People don't care about college football in NY because it is totally insignificant.

All very true, but with a large *

The west coast didn't even have baseball, hockey, football teams until 50 years after the New York teams got started.  So using total titles has to be viewed in that context.  The Ducks, for example, have been around for about 15 years.  The Angels less then 50.  The Dodgers have been in LA for exactly 50.  The Kings came about in the 1960's.

And college football is not insignificant...by default in New York it is because they don't have any teams.

[79Warrior]

come on, 79, you don't really want to go there. NY has two baseball teams who have more championships (28) than all your LA teams combined. The Knicks suck, but they have won two championships and been to the Finals six times. The Clippers will never make it anywhere near a Finals. The Islanders of the 1980s were the greatest hockey team ever assembled, winning 19 series in a row. (Of course, when you misspell both Al Arbour and Bill Torrey, both Hall of Famers, you're simply showing your ignorance). The Giants have won three Super Bowls, the Jets one. People don't care about college football in NY because it is totally insignificant.

I am ignorant, I hope that makes you feel better.  Calling College Football totally insignificant is quite a generalization. I suspect it is that way to you because NY has no college football team worth watching.  If you could look beyond your NY bias, College Football is enormously popular and a down right way of life in many parts of the country.

[ecompt]

you're right, 79, so is NASCAR. To each his own. NY is strictly a pro sports town.

[Final Four or Bust]

While it is difficult to compete with the history of NY, I can say that I have lived here about one year and in that time I have been to the Stanley Cup Finals, NBA Finals, Rose Bowl, NCAA Tournament, and numerous other regular season sporting events (and I already have my tix the upcoming USC-Ohio State game).  Needless to say, there are plenty of pretty good and exciting sporting events in the area.  For me, I prefer college sports to pro sports, so it has been ideal.

[ecompt]

chicos, I don't think it's just a NY thing. I think it's true of many of the major East Coast cities. Philly, Washington, Boston are also pro towns and there are hundreds of colleges in those cities. It's not until you get into ACC territory that college football really matters. I do realize the timeframe of West Coast pro sports is limited.

[ErickJD08]

LA sucks.  They don't have a football team which huge.  I don't think you can claim to be the best sports town without an NFL team.  I don't consider the Ducks an LA team.  Much like the Angels.  And LA got the Dodgers not too long ago.  LA sucks.  done

[ecompt]

I'm sorry, 79, I didn't mean to call you ignorant. It's just that I used to cover those Islander teams for the NY Daily News and I have a soft spot for them. They don't get the respect they deserve for doing something no NHL team will ever do again.

[ChicosBailBonds]

chicos, I don't think it's just a NY thing. I think it's true of many of the major East Coast cities. Philly, Washington, Boston are also pro towns and there are hundreds of colleges in those cities. It's not until you get into ACC territory that college football really matters. I do realize the timeframe of West Coast pro sports is limited.

I agree, the east coast is pro sports driven.  Totally concur

[Phi Iota Gamma 84]

Superbar?????????

[rocky_warrior]

Superbar?????????

Uhhh...sorry...just read this thread - and yes.  Superbar material.