It will be a successful 1st year in the NBE if my team...

[MUSeashells&Balloons]

Look its important to me in that it provides an auto bid and it is THE elite College basketball tournament in the country outside of the NCAA. I am going this year! I love it and I think it is one of the best parts of our conference. But is it more valuable than success in the NCAA tournament of course not, I would definitely rather be national champions than BET champions, but obviously I would prefer to be both.

I am honestly so confused by the devaluing of the regular season, it is so important, if its not why don't we just play basketball in this conference for one 5 day tournament?

The answer is obvious because the regular season matters it shows how well you can perform year round not just on one weekend and that is why your seeding is based of the regular season mostly.

I love the BET, I wouldn't ever want to get rid of it, but we cannot become so delirious that we devalue the regular season it is just as important, if not more!

[FriarJ]

Couple points

I can see where you are getting the feeling of devaluing the regular season, not the case but I can see that. I'm devaluing the regular season championship in regards to the BET champion.

In no way did I ever say or insinuate that a NC is not many times more important than a BE Championship. I'm not sure why the discussion has to be a tit for tat or even bringing the NCAA tournament into this discussion.

The regular season is of course very important in setting up a school for an NCAA bid and high seed, you have no argument from me there.

This all started with a comment about not caring about the Big East Tournament. That thought is so completely foreign to any old school Big East fan that I felt compelled to discuss it because the commissioner and the Presidents of the 5 original members hold the BET in a higher regard than many realize.

Like I said earlier if the fans of the Midwest schools don't feel the same way and these are fans including yourself that actually attend the damn thing then the BE I know is gone. MU lack of success in it aside, I can't imagine not feeling it was priority number one before the NCAA tournament has started and PC fans above all would have plenty of reason to try to minimize it's importance based upon our lack of success winning it.

I guess it really does come down to the fact that almost each and every school in the conference had NY kids on their roster and they grew up dreaming of winning it, many of the schools also have many alumni living in the city as well. I guess we will see if we as a conference can continue to make it 2nd only in importance and prestige to the NCAA tournament. It has been for the better part of 30 years now and I hope it can continue with the reconstituted league.

I will give you a perfect example of what I am referring to. I have a friend who is a massive college basketball junkie living in Seattle who is a Washington grad and fan. Despite that each and every year he travels to the BE Tournament even though he has no dog in the hunt. To him it was the place to be for excitement and quality of play in any conference tournament. He tried the others and he said they don't even come close. I don't want to lose that.

[MUSeashells&Balloons]

Couple points

I can see where you are getting the feeling of devaluing the regular season, not the case but I can see that. I'm devaluing the regular season championship in regards to the BET champion.

In no way did I ever say or insinuate that a NC is not many times more important than a BE Championship. I'm not sure why the discussion has to be a tit for tat or even bringing the NCAA tournament into this discussion.

The regular season is of course very important in setting up a school for an NCAA bid and high seed, you have no argument from me there.

This all started with a comment about not caring about the Big East Tournament. That thought is so completely foreign to any old school Big East fan that I felt compelled to discuss it because the commissioner and the Presidents of the 5 original members hold the BET in a higher regard than many realize.

Like I said earlier if the fans of the Midwest schools don't feel the same way and these are fans including yourself that actually attend the damn thing then the BE I know is gone. MU lack of success in it aside, I can't imagine not feeling it was priority number one before the NCAA tournament has started and PC fans above all would have plenty of reason to try to minimize it's importance based upon our lack of success winning it.

I guess it really does come down to the fact that almost each and every school in the conference had NY kids on their roster and they grew up dreaming of winning it, many of the schools also have many alumni living in the city as well. I guess we will see if we as a conference can continue to make it 2nd only in importance and prestige to the NCAA tournament. It has been for the better part of 30 years now and I hope it can continue with the reconstituted league.

I will give you a perfect example of what I am referring to. I have a friend who is a massive college basketball junkie living in Seattle who is a Washington grad and fan. Despite that each and every year he travels to the BE Tournament even though he has no dog in the hunt. To him it was the place to be for excitement and quality of play in any conference tournament. He tried the others and he said they don't even come close. I don't want to lose that.

Ok well then I guess we agree with the exception of the BE regular season champion because if you value the regular season then you value the BE regular season champion, I don't see anyway around that. But I do agree that what makes the BE the BE is the tourney and its storied past.

[DumpsterFireA10]

I've never been a fan of conference tournaments, but they're a necessary evil.

Good luck to everybody.

[FriarJ]

Couple points

I can see where you are getting the feeling of devaluing the regular season, not the case but I can see that. I'm devaluing the regular season championship in regards to the BET champion.

In no way did I ever say or insinuate that a NC is not many times more important than a BE Championship. I'm not sure why the discussion has to be a tit for tat or even bringing the NCAA tournament into this discussion.

The regular season is of course very important in setting up a school for an NCAA bid and high seed, you have no argument from me there.

This all started with a comment about not caring about the Big East Tournament. That thought is so completely foreign to any old school Big East fan that I felt compelled to discuss it because the commissioner and the Presidents of the 5 original members hold the BET in a higher regard than many realize.

Like I said earlier if the fans of the Midwest schools don't feel the same way and these are fans including yourself that actually attend the damn thing then the BE I know is gone. MU lack of success in it aside, I can't imagine not feeling it was priority number one before the NCAA tournament has started and PC fans above all would have plenty of reason to try to minimize it's importance based upon our lack of success winning it.

I guess it really does come down to the fact that almost each and every school in the conference had NY kids on their roster and they grew up dreaming of winning it, many of the schools also have many alumni living in the city as well. I guess we will see if we as a conference can continue to make it 2nd only in importance and prestige to the NCAA tournament. It has been for the better part of 30 years now and I hope it can continue with the reconstituted league.

I will give you a perfect example of what I am referring to. I have a friend who is a massive college basketball junkie living in Seattle who is a Washington grad and fan. Despite that each and every year he travels to the BE Tournament even though he has no dog in the hunt. To him it was the place to be for excitement and quality of play in any conference tournament. He tried the others and he said they don't even come close. I don't want to lose that.

Ok well then I guess we agree with the exception of the BE regular season champion because if you value the regular season then you value the BE regular season champion, I don't see anyway around that. But I do agree that what makes the BE the BE is the tourney and its storied past.

Just so I'm clear finishing first in the BE is a great accomplishment but I would rather win the BET any day of the week and twice on Sunday.

[TheHall]

Hey MUSeashells&Balloons I like how you are offering another insight to this question, because like FriarJ said it is COMPLETELY foreign to us die hard BE fans. I mean that honestly and respectfully. On one angel it really isn't about the die fans "devaluing" the regular season because damn near every sport "prioritizes" the playoffs over the regular season and the BET is the conference playoffs. It's win or go home for the championship. I see the reg season more as an important stepping stone to having a great season ie...don't play on the first day of the BET, finish above .500 in the BE, make the NCAA, win the regular season title, play in the finals of the BET, win the BET, Make the sweet 16, etc.

I also think you might be wrong when you spoke about Iverson earlier. He definitely would have said that about th BET. On many occasions later in life Iverson has mentioned how much it still hurts losing to Ray Allen & Uconn in the finals of the BET.

Everything FriarJ siad about the importance of the BET is true, whether it remains true has a lot to do with the future of the BE as "specal" conference which it has been since its inception. Tell me this, if most of us East Coasters said we don't really care if Marquette beats Wisconsin when they play? It's just another game, don't worry just as long as you keep winning 20+ games/year.

[MUBoxer]

Hey MUSeashells&Balloons I like how you are offering another insight to this question, because like FriarJ said it is COMPLETELY foreign to us die hard BE fans. I mean that honestly and respectfully. On one angel it really isn't about the die fans "devaluing" the regular season because damn near every sport "prioritizes" the playoffs over the regular season and the BET is the conference playoffs. It's win or go home for the championship. I see the reg season more as an important stepping stone to having a great season ie...don't play on the first day of the BET, finish above .500 in the BE, make the NCAA, win the regular season title, play in the finals of the BET, win the BET, Make the sweet 16, etc.

I also think you might be wrong when you spoke about Iverson earlier. He definitely would have said that about th BET. On many occasions later in life Iverson has mentioned how much it still hurts losing to Ray Allen & Uconn in the finals of the BET.

Everything FriarJ siad about the importance of the BET is true, whether it remains true has a lot to do with the future of the BE as "specal" conference which it has been since its inception. Tell me this, if most of us East Coasters said we don't really care if Marquette beats Wisconsin when they play? It's just another game, don't worry just as long as you keep winning 20+ games/year.

I'd understand if you guys didn't care if we beat WI. It's been ranked as one of the more under rated basketball rivalries. Though after everybody said they'd like to have the conference do well against other bcs leagues I'd be confused but understand. I mean I for care if Xavier beats cinci other than it boosts the rep of the conference as a whole. Though I'm sure ill get backlash for that statement so ill be bracing myself.

[TheHall]

I'd understand if you guys didn't care if we beat WI. It's been ranked as one of the more under rated basketball rivalries. Though after everybody said they'd like to have the conference do well against other bcs leagues I'd be confused but understand. I mean I for care if Xavier beats cinci other than it boosts the rep of the conference as a whole. Though I'm sure ill get backlash for that statement so ill be bracing myself.

Then we are no different actually. I do understand why fans not from the East Coast may not "see" the BET the way we all do. But just like quette fans about beating Wisconsin, just because others don't get it doesn't make what others say true about it. It really means they just don't get it. But I get it, I loved the way you guys have been handing it to Bo lately

[MUBoxer]

I'd understand if you guys didn't care if we beat WI. It's been ranked as one of the more under rated basketball rivalries. Though after everybody said they'd like to have the conference do well against other bcs leagues I'd be confused but understand. I mean I for care if Xavier beats cinci other than it boosts the rep of the conference as a whole. Though I'm sure ill get backlash for that statement so ill be bracing myself.

Then we are no different actually. I do understand why fans not from the East Coast may not "see" the BET the way we all do. But just like quette fans about beating Wisconsin, just because others don't get it doesn't make what others say true about it. It really means they just don't get it. But I get it, I loved the way you guys have been handing it to Bo lately

That's what I took away from your post.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvD9TawMqCY

[MUSeashells&Balloons]

Hey MUSeashells&Balloons I like how you are offering another insight to this question, because like FriarJ said it is COMPLETELY foreign to us die hard BE fans. I mean that honestly and respectfully. On one angel it really isn't about the die fans "devaluing" the regular season because damn near every sport "prioritizes" the playoffs over the regular season and the BET is the conference playoffs. It's win or go home for the championship. I see the reg season more as an important stepping stone to having a great season ie...don't play on the first day of the BET, finish above .500 in the BE, make the NCAA, win the regular season title, play in the finals of the BET, win the BET, Make the sweet 16, etc.

I also think you might be wrong when you spoke about Iverson earlier. He definitely would have said that about th BET. On many occasions later in life Iverson has mentioned how much it still hurts losing to Ray Allen & Uconn in the finals of the BET.

Everything FriarJ siad about the importance of the BET is true, whether it remains true has a lot to do with the future of the BE as "specal" conference which it has been since its inception. Tell me this, if most of us East Coasters said we don't really care if Marquette beats Wisconsin when they play? It's just another game, don't worry just as long as you keep winning 20+ games/year.

Thanks Hall! I have enjoyed having you on the site since you came on you always have a lot to add.

First I have made no comments about Iverson I think maybe you are confusing/combining me and MUBoxer

For better or worse I simply value a BET champion and a BE regular season champion equally.

Also not exactly sure what your asking about with the MU-UW game. But sometimes Im not sure I care that much its really not that important of a game to me. Its a non-confrence game and is frequently one of the better ones we play but it ranks low on the list of rivalries in my book. Though not quite as low as our 36-0 series "rivalry" with UW-M.

So please east coasters don't bother caring about our UW game!! I care far more about our games with you guys than UW!