MaineRoad's Blog
Posted Friday, March 09, 2012 03:07 PM
The ACC Tourney (which was either the first of its kind, or the first with any staying power; I can’t recall) was born of a different age. There was one bid up for grabs, and 3-4 of the top teams in the country would collide over a three-day period to see how effectively the officials could steer the title to appropriate school from North Carolina. This was generally done in some smoke- and hillbilly-filled dump, and it was all good. The ACC had the added benefit of the regional drivability factor (or “RDF”). Although the tournament tended to be located in the Triangle, more or less, fans of teams that were not permitted to win were also within fairly easy driving distance; and, when a Maryland, South Carolina or Virginia was in the mix, there was real demand for their ticket allocations – generally behind pillars, or in the concession areas, when they were located within the building at all. It was all good. Also, before the Heels had 21,000 seats, and TV broadcast all of the games, the Tournament gave toothless rubes from Wilmington to Asheville a chance to come see UNC in person. It remained all good. Then it all went sideways.
After the NCAA’s expanded, every team not named Clemson or Wake Forest (Wake being a team that was permitted to win every fourth season, which sometimes caused confusion among the offici... [More]
Posted Thursday, March 08, 2012 03:25 PM
The ACC Tourney (which was either the first of its kind, or the first with any staying power; I can't recall) was born of a different age. There was one bid up for grabs, and 3-4 of the top teams in the country would collide over a three-day period to see how effectively the officials could steer the title to appropriate school from North Carolina. This was generally done in some smoke- and hillbilly-filled dump, and it was all good. The ACC had the added benefit of the regional drivability factor (or "RDF"). Although the tournament tended to be located in the Triangle, more or less, fans of teams that were not permitted to win were also within fairly easy driving distance; and, when a Maryland, South Carolina or Virginia was in the mix, there was real demand for their ticket allocations - generally behind pillars, or in the concession areas, when they were located within the building at all. It was all good. Also, before the Heels had 21,000 seats, and TV broadcast all of the games, the Tournament gave toothless rubes from Wilmington to Asheville a chance to come see UNC in person. It remained all good. Then it all went sideways.
After the NCAA's expanded, every team not named Clemson or Wake Forest (Wake being a team that was permitted to win every f... [More]
Posted Tuesday, March 08, 2011 11:52 AM
Isn't college basketball fun when teams are actually playing for something? I had to laugh this weekend when announcers were trying to give us reasons to care about games that essentially meant nothing: "Bragging rights;" "A first-round bye in the conference tournament;" "Making a statement to the Committee" ".49 tacos at Taco Bell;" whatever. You CFB playoff types, take note. The Big East just completed it's three-month exhibition season. And here comes it's month-long tournament.
How long has it been that every posession ends in a foul? Has the athleticism just reached a point where there's just contact on every play - at least every drive? I wonder if they need to take a look at having more no-calls where the only thing the defender did was play basketball. Getting rid of the Fake Duke Charge would be a nice step in the right direction too. You never see kids from Iona, Utah State or UAB trying to draw fake charges.
They sure picked a great year to expand the Tournament. I think Toledo is still on a few "last four out" lists. I mean, seriously, are there really people who aren't alums of these schools who want to see Michigan State, Illinois, BC, and OK State in the Tourney? Really. I know the Valley was way down this year, but give me a 23-7 mid-major conference champ over a 17-13 major conference chump any ... [More]
Posted Thursday, February 17, 2011 04:13 PM
If so, can someone explain to me why SJU spent millions to turn it's old high school gym into a new high school gym with a nicer scoreboard? Why not just move the major games to the Palestra? I would ask the same two questions of LaSalle fans, except there aren't any.
Temple likes to play in the Hood. I get that. Nova fans are a bunch of collars-up queers who are better off out in that crypt of theirs on the Main Line anyway. But LaSalle and St. Joe's have no excuse.
It's worth your life to try and get to LaSalle (don't get lost ), and Gola Arena might be the most ridiculous gym that any team in a conference anyone has ever heard of plays in. [true story: my first time in the place, which was then called Hayman Hall, I peed right next to a first-team all-american (Michael Brooks) because the men's room was also LaSalle's locker room]. My high school gym seat about 700 fewer than the Hawks new (old) gym; and, the last time I checked, my high school was not in the A-10 (lots of whte guys; we wouldn't stand a chance ).
Anyway, thet Palestra is the best place on Earth to watch a college basetball game. Is there some reason why we can't get a few more teams to play games in there? There's only so much Penn/Yale you can take.
End of rant.