The Holy Land of Hoops

I've read and heard a LOT of chatter the last week regarding the BE and Madison Sq. Garden with most of it coming from ESPN and their analysts. Many on this board (me included) felt that the BE was often purposely shunned at every turn by ESPN and it's analysts last year. They made a lot of back-handed compliments, and alluded that the Big East was over. This week is the first time I've heard of the BE spoken highly about in the present tense. It was not grouped with the AAC and the A10 or other mid-majors but rather with the ACC, Big 12 and Big 10. Hearing the commissioner of the B1G talk glowingly about getting the chance to play their tournament at MSG--even if it meant doing so a week early--tells you all you need to know about the importance of Manhattan for league exposure. Every league is falling over themselves trying to figure out a way to get their tournament to MSG somehow. Jay Bilas stating publicly that "whoever owns MSG, owns the best conference tourney in the country."

We have some great assets. Basketball-only messaging seems to be resonating on the recruiting trail. Our tourney is locked into MSG for another dozen years minimum. We have some excellent young coaches that appear to be content with where they are and should be around for a long time. Teams are competing at a high level and most are trending up. If the BE were a stock, these are all clear buying metrics.

I agree, the tone has been much more positive from ESPN this year. There were a lot of Georgetown references during the Nova and Louisville games last night which i appreciated.

Ultimately, you'd hope that Fox Sports eats away at their market position enough where it doesn't really matter/they lose conference tie-in content.

hoyahooligan wrote:I agree, the tone has been much more positive from ESPN this year. There were a lot of Georgetown references during the Nova and Louisville games last night which i appreciated.

I don't think you realize how much more successful the Big East has been on the floor this year. Last year 31 losses overall OOC. This year so far only 17. It's a whole heck of a lot easier to be positive when the play on the floor warrants positive coverage. I guarantee you ESPN (and others) wouldn't be looking at the Big East anywhere near as favorably if the play on the floor was like last year again.

ESPN has no choice. It has the games in which the Big East is crushing it against their favorite sons. I mean just look at what we are doing to the ACC for example. Butler beats #5UNC, Providence beats Florida State and Notre Dame, St. John's beats Syracuse in the Dome, and Marquette beats Georgia Tech. The only win the ACC has is by Boston College which is the team that no one cares about at all - even in Boston. Same goes for the Big Ten, SEC, etc. We have the Garden until 2026 under the current contract and I have very little doubt that we will be there many years thereafter. While everyone else settles for Brooklyn and playing a week earlier, we are prime time on 7th and 34th every year.

GumbyDamnit! wrote:I've read and heard a LOT of chatter the last week regarding the BE and Madison Sq. Garden with most of it coming from ESPN and their analysts. Many on this board (me included) felt that the BE was often purposely shunned at every turn by ESPN and it's analysts last year. They made a lot of back-handed compliments, and alluded that the Big East was over. This week is the first time I've heard of the BE spoken highly about in the present tense. It was not grouped with the AAC and the A10 or other mid-majors but rather with the ACC, Big 12 and Big 10. Hearing the commissioner of the B1G talk glowingly about getting the chance to play their tournament at MSG--even if it meant doing so a week early--tells you all you need to know about the importance of Manhattan for league exposure. Every league is falling over themselves trying to figure out a way to get their tournament to MSG somehow. Jay Bilas stating publicly that "whoever owns MSG, owns the best conference tourney in the country."

We have some great assets. Basketball-only messaging seems to be resonating on the recruiting trail. Our tourney is locked into MSG for another dozen years minimum. We have some excellent young coaches that appear to be content with where they are and should be around for a long time. Teams are competing at a high level and most are trending up. If the BE were a stock, these are all clear buying metrics.

I couldn't agree more with every word you wrote.

The Fox deal is an extraordinary asset; we were at the right place at the right time.

MSG is an extraordinary asset. I agree with you about the importance of having a NY presence - we have 4: St. John's, Seton Hall, BE Tournament in MSG, and league offices hq'd there.

The basketball-only message is working. I expect recruiting to get stronger across the board as we move forward.

One of the most important assets we have is time. The length of the Fox deal and MSG deal allows us time to cement the brand.

Virtually every team in this conference has experience in making deep tournament runs. It is more likely than not that we'll continue to produce them, notwithstanding what happened last year.

stever20 wrote:

hoyahooligan wrote:I agree, the tone has been much more positive from ESPN this year. There were a lot of Georgetown references during the Nova and Louisville games last night which i appreciated.

I don't think you realize how much more successful the Big East has been on the floor this year. Last year 31 losses overall OOC. This year so far only 17. It's a whole heck of a lot easier to be positive when the play on the floor warrants positive coverage. I guarantee you ESPN (and others) wouldn't be looking at the Big East anywhere near as favorably if the play on the floor was like last year again.

Well duh! no one said otherwise, but there was no way to know whether ESPN would sing our praises even if deserved. It's nice to see they aren't being biased against the BE like many feared they would be. It seemed like last year they went out of their way to say negative things, while this year they're well not going out of their way, but giving us the coverage our strong start deserves, which is more than most of us expected them to give us.

hoyahooligan wrote:

stever20 wrote:

hoyahooligan wrote:I agree, the tone has been much more positive from ESPN this year. There were a lot of Georgetown references during the Nova and Louisville games last night which i appreciated.

I don't think you realize how much more successful the Big East has been on the floor this year. Last year 31 losses overall OOC. This year so far only 17. It's a whole heck of a lot easier to be positive when the play on the floor warrants positive coverage. I guarantee you ESPN (and others) wouldn't be looking at the Big East anywhere near as favorably if the play on the floor was like last year again.

Well duh! no one said otherwise, but there was no way to know whether ESPN would sing our praises even if deserved. It's nice to see they aren't being biased against the BE like many feared they would be. It seemed like last year they went out of their way to say negative things, while this year they're well not going out of their way, but giving us the coverage our strong start deserves, which is more than most of us expected them to give us.

Last year it was EASY to say negative things. 31 OOC losses in a 10 team conference isn't good at all. ESPN was hardly the only media company saying negative things. Also, the fact that November was so bad for us(what was it 14 losses just in 1 week)- it poisoned the entire season. We were like a swimmer who got off the blocks a half second late in a 50 meter race. We never caught up. I would say the coverage we got both last year and this year has been fair.

hoyahooligan wrote:

stever20 wrote:

hoyahooligan wrote:I agree, the tone has been much more positive from ESPN this year. There were a lot of Georgetown references during the Nova and Louisville games last night which i appreciated.

I don't think you realize how much more successful the Big East has been on the floor this year. Last year 31 losses overall OOC. This year so far only 17. It's a whole heck of a lot easier to be positive when the play on the floor warrants positive coverage. I guarantee you ESPN (and others) wouldn't be looking at the Big East anywhere near as favorably if the play on the floor was like last year again.

Well duh! no one said otherwise, but there was no way to know whether ESPN would sing our praises even if deserved. It's nice to see they aren't being biased against the BE like many feared they would be. It seemed like last year they went out of their way to say negative things, while this year they're well not going out of their way, but giving us the coverage our strong start deserves, which is more than most of us expected them to give us.

Which is the point. And the point is refreshing.

However, the B1G is Not our friend-they are Cassius...ready to stab the BE in the back.
The BET @ MSG is not a lock. MSG Co. has opt out clauses in our contract. Both the B1G and the ACC would love to run the BE out of MSG, by 2026 - if not sooner.

MSG Co. and Fox Sports are businesses , not our friends. Both now have business relationships with the BE and the B1G. They will follow the biggest dollar.

The B1G "friendship" gestures of the Gavitt Games, nice talk, and politically correct media shows, merely mask Delany's B1G campaign to "own" NY and the garden.

The Gavitt Games, hoops/hockey double-header, football at Yankee Stadium, are all familiarization tools, so folks in the NE and NY get used to seeing B1G teams, get comfortable with them in the area, and develop a sense of normalcy. Typical military style moves. (Operation Handclasp - Hand out "carrots" and humanitarian supplies, repair/build a school or community center. Gain trust.). Delany will move to undermine the BE with subtlety, stealth, all the while smiling and holding out an olive branch. He will also be praying the BE fails to meet our contractual obligations with MSG and pressuring MSG Co. so the B1G can take our spot permanently.

MSG doesn't care which conference is in the venue as long as they make máximum bucks. Fox will televise whichever Tourney is at MSG, as they have the contract with both leagues. As a 14 member league the B1G offers more content for both companies.

The B1G Timeline -

2014 - They have opened a permanent office in NYC.
2014 - They now have a contract with MSG Co covering 3-4 years of activities (2016-2019) in NY, including inside and outside advertising signage with MSG. Possibly other rights and access?
2015-19 - Gavitt Games - 4 B1G sites/4 BE sites.
2016-19 - Hoops/Hockey DH at MSG/other
2016-19 - B1G football @ Yankee Stadium
2018 - B1G Basketball Tourney @ MSG (on a rotating basis)

The B1G is not visiting...they are moving in. Be prepared Big East, be prepared. The worst thing the BE can do is to stand pat, thinking we have a great hand of cards...Action is required - action with the best interests of the Big East as the sole motivating factor.