Michael Wilbon on Maryland: I’m not excited to see Maryland come to Iowa or Minnesota

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BleedGopher

BleedGopher

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Wilbon is pretty negative on Maryland's move to the Big Ten, and of course uses the Gophers a few times to demonstrate his points:

“And when I’m sitting in Chicago, I’m not excited to see Maryland come to Iowa or Minnesota, and I know people here wouldn’t be excited about that [matchup]. This had better be a windfall, as you said. Because if it’s not, it just destroys the tradition and the history of rivalries, and the competition, and just says, ‘Okay, let’s pimp ourselves out, we’re going to go for the money.’ ”

Wilbon further agreed with Sheehan that preserving the passion around the Maryland basketball program could be even harder in the future.

“Look, the Big Ten in basketball is more often than not lately really, really good,” Wilbon said. “Maryland’s not gonna come into the Big Ten next year and just sort of crack the top few teams in the Big Ten. They’re not, because they’re not good enough to do that. … And so you’re asking some difficult things of your basketball program.

“I think Maryland fans, from an emotional standpoint, are getting the worst of this,” he said. “If you’re in a Big Ten city, you get interrupted, and you’ve got to see Rutgers or Maryland in the middle of your Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State run. But if you’re here, in College Park, you get a slate of road games that includes Minnesota, Iowa, Northwestern, Purdue. Really? That means something to you? I live here, and these are my schools, and I’m not sure I want to go [to Comcast Center] to watch them play, because the setting seems wrong. It seems out of context, even as a Big Ten alum. So it’s just a downer all the way around, and it better be a financial boom."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...1/michael-wilbon-on-maryland-and-the-big-ten/

Go Gophers!!
 

You always see these types of complaints leading up to a conference realignment. In 2 or 3 years no one will care. Just look at Penn State and Nebraska joining the conference.
 

Fun to read the Comments of Bleed's link... (2 examples below) 25 at link so far...

"I've been going to Maryland games for over 60 years, primarily football. Basketball is secondary. The move is great for Football. I much rather see Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan, Mich State, Wisconsin, Nebraska at Byrd rather than Duke, Wake, NC, NC State, etc. The only exciting ACC teams are Florida State and possibly Clemson and Miami. Maryland has never belonged in the ACC in football. We've always been outcasts."

"First and foremost I think Wilbon is a preening windbag and he lives in AZ not MD. However, I am willing to stipulate that he is right and has made some very educated statements about Maryland and the BIG 10. It is a money grab of the highest order. We have Debbie Yow to thank for the debt she created by adding multiple non-revenue sports under her tenure to reach Title IX goals. Enjoy Debbie Yow NC State, she is a doosie. "
 

I absolutely hate the addition of Rutgers and Maryland to the conference. Jim Delaney is an idiot, and it was all because of money and football. (Those two football teams aren't even good!) It's going to hurt our conference from a basketball a ton, and volleyball standpoint as well, as neither team will be able to really compete in either sport. Neither team will experience much success in football either.

Conference Size- I don't see any reason besides money why we'd want to make it a 14 team conference. That doesn't feel like a conference to me, but more like a league. 12 teams is a perfect size for a conference in this modern day, and enough where we can be familiar with all opponents. The two new additions are taking games away from the Gophers which could've been played against better known rivals that we've had a known history with.

Programming- Who wants to flip on Big Ten Network and see Rutgers vs Maryland? I'm not interested in seeing either team play any other big ten team either. I sure as heck don't want to turn on other shows like the Journey for instance and be watching segments on Maryland and Rutgers.

Region- Who wants to teams from the east coast, not to mention New York in our conference? It doesn't even fit in regionally with the Modest Midwest feel of the B1G right now.

*At the very least, if they absolutely had to add 2 teams to the conference, it should've been Notre Dame/Iowa State instead. I could picture a gopher rivalry with them much better than when I view conference games with Rutgers/Maryland as a complete joke.
 



GameDay said:
I absolutely hate the addition of Rutgers and Maryland to the conference. Jim Delaney is an idiot, and it was all because of money and football. (Those two football teams aren't even good!) It's going to hurt our conference from a basketball a ton, and volleyball standpoint as well, as neither team will be able to really compete in either sport. Neither team will experience much success in football either.

Conference Size- I don't see any reason besides money why we'd want to make it a 14 team conference. That doesn't feel like a conference to me, but more like a league. 12 teams is a perfect size for a conference in this modern day, and enough where we can be familiar with all opponents. The two new additions are taking games away from the Gophers which could've been played against better known rivals that we've had a known history with.

Programming- Who wants to flip on Big Ten Network and see Rutgers vs Maryland? I'm not interested in seeing either team play any other big ten team either. I sure as heck don't want to turn on other shows like the Journey for instance and be watching segments on Maryland and Rutgers.

Region- Who wants to teams from the east coast, not to mention New York in our conference? It doesn't even fit in regionally with the Modest Midwest feel of the B1G right now.

*At the very least, if they absolutely had to add 2 teams to the conference, it should've been Notre Dame/Iowa State instead. I could picture a gopher rivalry with them much better than when I view conference games with Rutgers/Maryland as a complete joke.
Click to expand...

The Big Ten should have grabbed Missouri when Missouri was openly campaigning to come to the Big Ten. Kansas City and St. Louis are good markets to be in. Notre Dame would have been the other obvious choice, but Notre Dame never wanted anything to do with the Big Ten.

Those two schools would have elevated the conference in basketball and football.
 

MadtownGopher said:
You always see these types of complaints leading up to a conference realignment. In 2 or 3 years no one will care. Just look at Penn State and Nebraska joining the conference.
Click to expand...

You mean the one school that lost their academic accreditation and the other one that had that little assault problem?:rolleyes:

Should have added ND and Mizzou to get to 12 and stay there. I realize ND wasn't interested....but.
 

Why is "Its all about money" necessarily a bad thing? It isn't like we added MD and lost Wisc or IA from our schedule. We added revenue and TV sets which raise all boats.

The "blah, blah, blah" that Wilbon is spewing was spewed when the NCAA went to 64 teams, when Football added the wild card, when baseball added playoff games, expanded team, blah, blah, blah. It was said when PSU came into the Big Ten and will be said again and again.

Look people...if you are confused about what allows us to have sports teams and enjoy our fandom...it is money. If we want to compete...it is more money. Complaining about money in college sports is like yelling at a baby for crapping its diaper...its what is.
 

GameDay said:
I absolutely hate the addition of Rutgers and Maryland to the conference. Jim Delaney is an idiot, and it was all because of money and football. (Those two football teams aren't even good!) It's going to hurt our conference from a basketball a ton, and volleyball standpoint as well, as neither team will be able to really compete in either sport. Neither team will experience much success in football either.

Conference Size- I don't see any reason besides money why we'd want to make it a 14 team conference. That doesn't feel like a conference to me, but more like a league. 12 teams is a perfect size for a conference in this modern day, and enough where we can be familiar with all opponents. The two new additions are taking games away from the Gophers which could've been played against better known rivals that we've had a known history with.

Programming- Who wants to flip on Big Ten Network and see Rutgers vs Maryland? I'm not interested in seeing either team play any other big ten team either. I sure as heck don't want to turn on other shows like the Journey for instance and be watching segments on Maryland and Rutgers.

Region- Who wants to teams from the east coast, not to mention New York in our conference? It doesn't even fit in regionally with the Modest Midwest feel of the B1G right now.

*At the very least, if they absolutely had to add 2 teams to the conference, it should've been Notre Dame/Iowa State instead. I could picture a gopher rivalry with them much better than when I view conference games with Rutgers/Maryland as a complete joke.
Click to expand...

It's Delany.
 



GopherinPhilly said:
Why is "Its all about money" necessarily a bad thing? It isn't like we added MD and lost Wisc or IA from our schedule. We added revenue and TV sets which raise all boats.

The "blah, blah, blah" that Wilbon is spewing was spewed when the NCAA went to 64 teams, when Football added the wild card, when baseball added playoff games, expanded team, blah, blah, blah. It was said when PSU came into the Big Ten and will be said again and again.

Look people...if you are confused about what allows us to have sports teams and enjoy our fandom...it is money. If we want to compete...it is more money. Complaining about money in college sports is like yelling at a baby for crapping its diaper...its what is.
Click to expand...

Agreed. Plus, having Maryland and Rutgers in the conference will only help our NE pipeline in basketball.
 

GopherinPhilly said:
Why is "Its all about money" necessarily a bad thing? It isn't like we added MD and lost Wisc or IA from our schedule. We added revenue and TV sets which raise all boats.

The "blah, blah, blah" that Wilbon is spewing was spewed when the NCAA went to 64 teams, when Football added the wild card, when baseball added playoff games, expanded team, blah, blah, blah. It was said when PSU came into the Big Ten and will be said again and again.

Look people...if you are confused about what allows us to have sports teams and enjoy our fandom...it is money. If we want to compete...it is more money. Complaining about money in college sports is like yelling at a baby for crapping its diaper...its what is.
Click to expand...

No. Money can be a problem. More money is not always good. Even George Will openly admits Karl Marx was right when Marx said capitalism, left unchecked, will erode all traditions, institutions, etc. in the quest for the next dollar, which Will sees as a problem.
 

Gopherguy0723 said:
No. Money can be a problem. More money is not always good. Even George Will openly admits Karl Marx was right when Marx said capitalism, left unchecked, will erode all traditions, institutions, etc. in the quest for the next dollar, which Will sees as a problem.
Click to expand...

Love how you were deeply offended by the global warming post yesterday, but today you decide to derail a conference expansion thread by bringing up capitalism v. socialism.
 

Complaining about this realignment won't do any good. What's done is done. A few people whining "I don't want to play Maryland" won't make a lick of difference.

We didn't lose in this realignment, we gained. Our rivalries were preserved and we have the chance to make some new ones. I think it's interesting to see something different.

Of course, I'm not in the "change is absolutely evil" crowd.
 



We should add 2 more teams to get to 16. That would mean we could have 4 divisions. We could have live TV coverage of Delany coming up with 4 new division names. Could be sold as a horror flick.:rolleyes:
 

MadtownGopher said:
Love how you were deeply offended by the global warming post yesterday, but today you decide to derail a conference expansion thread by bringing up capitalism v. socialism.
Click to expand...

I love how you cannot see the distinction. I never said capitalism is bad, I simply noted it can be a problem. Read closer next time. I also didn't turn this into a political debate. If you'll notice, I said a prominent conservative and an enemy of conservatives agree on something.

I also didn't denigrate anybody.

False equivalency rears its ugly head once again.
 

station19 said:
We should add 2 more teams to get to 16. That would mean we could have 4 divisions. We could have live TV coverage of Delany coming up with 4 new division names. Could be sold as a horror flick.:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Do you think Big Ten could eventually become so big and unmanageable that it ends up splitting into multiple conferences? This scenario honestly wouldn't shock me if it happened in the coming decades.
 

For the hundreds of thousands of B1G alums living on the east coast, this is an awesome move and we are really looking forward to it. It was a very wise move by Delaney, in an era where the conferences are steadily consolidating, to make sure the B1G stays ahead of the curve. How would you like to be Iowa State, for example, sitting there at the mercy of a couple schools in your conference and possibly being without a home when the next realignment dust settles?

Not to mention, Maryland is going to make the conference better and more exciting in basketball. You don't see it right now, but they are going to be really good in a year or two. Recruiting class this year in particular is loaded, and the DC area is one of the top recruiting grounds in the country. I think Rutgers has similar potential.
 

WanderingGopher said:
For the hundreds of thousands of B1G alums living on the east coast, this is an awesome move and we are really looking forward to it. It was a very wise move by Delaney, in an era where the conferences are steadily consolidating, to make sure the B1G stays ahead of the curve. How would you like to be Iowa State, for example, sitting there at the mercy of a couple schools in your conference and possibly being without a home when the next realignment dust settles?

Not to mention, Maryland is going to make the conference better and more exciting in basketball. You don't see it right now, but they are going to be really good in a year or two. Recruiting class this year in particular is loaded, and the DC area is one of the top recruiting grounds in the country. I think Rutgers has similar potential.
Click to expand...

While you make some valid points, it's pretty hard to compare the future of the Big Ten Conference with an individual school such as Iowa State.
 

station19 said:
We should add 2 more teams to get to 16. That would mean we could have 4 divisions. We could have live TV coverage of Delany coming up with 4 new division names. Could be sold as a horror flick.:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

He would probably go with Leaders, Legends, Lakes, and Northeast.
 

Happy to have Maryland and Rutgers join the conference and hope Delany adds 2 more schools before all is said and done.
 

scools12 said:
Happy to have Maryland and Rutgers join the conference and hope Delany adds 2 more schools before all is said and done.
Click to expand...

Well if we're going to expand, then the most logical spot now is south or west. Getting into California, Texas, and Florida would be the way to go, as much as I think it's a bad idea to expand.
 



MadtownGopher said:
Love how you were deeply offended by the global warming post yesterday, but today you decide to derail a conference expansion thread by bringing up capitalism v. socialism.
Click to expand...

I know right, but it's only offensive if the opinion comes from the right
 

I don't know about the men, but if Pam Borton is still here next season (and the Terps are on the schedule), I am looking forward to booing both coaches when the Maryland women come to town.
 

What a whiner, since when is Maryland the center of the universe? Over 1 billion people from China couldn't care less about Maryland. Besides the center of the universe is Cawker City, Kansas where the world's largest ball of twine is located.....
 

I understand Wilbon's point in that I hate the fact the move out of the WCHA to the B1G has split up the natural/regional rivalries in hockey. The money and revenue for the B1G may improve, but the depth of passion for Minnesota hockey at a D1 level has been lost. Wilbon seems to make a good point about the natural rivalries being obliterated all in the quest for making more money. Frankly, I don't get excited about seeing the Terps in the Barn. It is similar to having Penn State show up. It's a game, but it hardly feels like a rivalry.
 

tinyarch said:
I understand Wilbon's point in that I hate the fact the move out of the WCHA to the B1G has split up the natural/regional rivalries in hockey. The money and revenue for the B1G may improve, but the depth of passion for Minnesota hockey at a D1 level has been lost. Wilbon seems to make a good point about the natural rivalries being obliterated all in the quest for making more money. Frankly, I don't get excited about seeing the Terps in the Barn. It is similar to having Penn State show up. It's a game, but it hardly feels like a rivalry.
Click to expand...

Hockey is a great example where potential growth does not outweigh what was destroyed.
 

Hockey is pretty low in the list of priorities to consider when making decisions about the future of the conference. Plus, you were pretty naive if you thought the Big Ten would never put together it's own hockey conference.
 

Gopherguy0723 said:
Hockey is a great example where potential growth does not outweigh what was destroyed.
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We will see. I am generally one of those cantenkerous guys who doesn't like to see hockey change. Ever. But I might still get sold on B1G hockey. If we lost the WCHA for the six-team B1G we are seeing this year, then I agree with you. If, on the other hand, this causes several other B1G schools to get hockey (it is a lot easier to justify the initial capital investment in hockey if you have a major conference that will instantly take you in in a revenue sport rather than having to play as an independent trying to earn an invitation to a crap conference hoping that one day you will be good enough that a major conference takes you in), then it will bring college hockey to new markets and grow the sport. That would be a good outcome long term for the game.
 

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