Dan Wetzel: Big Ten selling out tradition

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Sadly, these dolts are gonna institute some asinine division setup which everyone is
gonna hate, and we're gonna go through ten years of BS before the next wave of people
in control come to their senses and restore order.

My question is, why go through the ten years of BS?

Idiots.
 


When it comes to the divisional split, the only thing I'm confident in is, that it will be screwed up. We'll know in a couple of weeks.
 

This is good. Anything that takes away from UM and OSU is good. Those two have been dominating the big ten for too long. I say let's make Minnesota-Iowa or Michigan State-Penn State bigger games on the last saturday of league play.
 

Last I checked there are now 12 teams in the big ten. I find it completely ridiculous that they are screwing up the division split based on only 2 teams out of the twelve
 

For all we know Michigan is at the beginning of a 20-year tailspin into mediocrity. Not likely, but possible (but who would have ever thought Michigan basketball would be the joke it's been for the past 15 years). Keep the divisions geographical.
 



Word said:
For all we know Michigan is at the beginning of a 20-year tailspin into mediocrity. Not likely, but possible (but who would have ever thought Michigan basketball would be the joke it's been for the past 15 years). Keep the divisions geographical.
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Who would have thought 50 years ago that the Gophers would tailspin into mediocrity?
 

Gophfan22 said:
Last I checked there are now 12 teams in the big ten. I find it completely ridiculous that they are screwing up the division split based on only 2 teams out of the twelve
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My sentiments exactly. The way they are going about it, we might as well call it the "Michigan Division" and the "Ohio State Division."
 

eker0016 said:
My sentiments exactly. The way they are going about it, we might as well call it the "Michigan Division" and the "Ohio State Division."
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Yeah, it's ridiculous. and worrisome.

If Ohio State and Michigan are split into separate divisions, common sense says that Minnesota should end up with the division with Michigan, in order to preserve the Lil' Brown Jug rivalry. But I have a nasty feeling the Big Ten is gonna stick us with Ohio State. And if we're stuck with Ohio State the chances of playing for the conference title go from pretty good to man, that's a steep hill to climb.

So, Big Ten, don't be stupid, keep Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin together. And keep Michigan and Ohio State as the last game of the year.

And do us a favor and put Ohio State in the other division. Thanks.
 

Ohio State/Michigan isn't my tradition. It's part of Big Ten tradition, sure. But the article makes it seem as if it should be of supreme importance. I'm far more interested in the Minnesota/Iowa game that weekend. If they put them in opposite divisions, they still can play the last week of the season. The odds aren't that high that they will both win their divisions in any given year. This isn't the days of the Big 2 and the Little 8. But these two schools just assume they would win their divisions each year, so they would meet the following week most years.

I don't want an unnatural Rube Goldberg setup designed to create a certain outcome.
 



Word said:
For all we know Michigan is at the beginning of a 20-year tailspin into mediocrity. Not likely, but possible (but who would have ever thought Michigan basketball would be the joke it's been for the past 15 years). Keep the divisions geographical.
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Competative balance is just Commisioner speak for marketing the Big Four(MI, OSU, NE AND PSU) in regards to tv match ups and Big 10 Campionship game.

Keep in mind any division/schedule they come up with will be for two to six years only, as in adding 2-4 teams or adding a ninth conference game. Why not give this a four year trial. Four games each division team and two games(1 home 1 away) against opposite division teams.

Does anyone really think MI will become a top ten team in the near future and who knows about PSU. For the present time OSU, MI & PSU vs. NE, IOWA and WISCONSIN is very balanced and works GEOGRAPHICALY.

Play 5 in division games and 3 games against other division-each team every other year. Forget protected rivalry games vs other division. This way the Little Brown Jug game would be every other year-not quite as good but still a rivalry.

I would rather play all opposite division teams every other year than say play MI every year and Purdue once every 6-8 years.

Why is this so difficult?
 

It really bothers me when professional publications don't know how contractions work.

"It’s meaning is everything."
 

This is where it would be nice to have a strong AD. My opinion of Maturi is he's a pushover. Nice guy, but a pushover. Maturi isn't the kind of guy to put pressure on someone. He's the kind of guy who can easily be pressured himself.

I can literally see Maturi in a room with other BT ADs and presidents along with Delaney. He's in the corner, agreeing with every comment made, nodding constantly like a bobblehead, where his need to be included in the "group" trumps whatever impact a decision has on our program.

We need to keep our rival games (Mich, Iowa, Wisconsin) intact as well as be in a division that keeps us from having a brutal schedule year-in, year-out and be as geographically aligned as possible. Those should be Maturi's priorities. I can understand hitting on all 3 priorities would be difficult but somehow I get the sense he's just along for the ride and not fighting like others would for all 3.

I'm expecting the worst.

FWIW, my ideal scenario (and I know it's not going to happen) would be for the divisions to be aligned geographically with our division consisting of Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin, Northwestern, and Illinois as well as getting a protected game with Michigan.

What I expect is for us to get shipped out east with no protected games against 2 of our 3 rivals.
 

Pewterschmidt said:
We need to keep our rival games (Mich, Iowa, Wisconsin) intact as well as be in a division that keeps us from having a brutal schedule year-in, year-out and be as geographically aligned as possible.
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I hate to break it to you, but we have been playing football for more than a decade without Michigan as a protected rival. Since it's already not protected, I have a hard time believing it is a priority for realignment.
 

Deep down, here's the only divisional alignment I think Gopher football fans will be happy with:

Illinois
Indiana
Michigan State
Minnesota
Northwestern
Purdue

Iowa
Michigan
Nebraska
Ohio State
Penn State
Wisconsin

I hope some of you won't need to be be talked off a ledge after the alignment is announced. Whatever they decide, give it a chance. Bottom line is whoever's in their division, the Gophers will have to earn a divisional championship just like everyone else. If you don't like the alignment because it's too tough, do something about it. Buck up & get better.

If I'm a Gopher fan, I'd take any alignment that has (A) Iowa, Wisconsin & the Gophers together and (B) the Gophers in the opposite division of OSU. I think both of those things are very likely. Can't wait for the announcement. It will be an exciting day for the Big Ten.
 

Maturi has said he will do what is best for the Big Ten. That is not encouraging. His job is to persue the interests of the University of Minnesota. The Big Ten is not a team. It is an association of friendly enemies. You reach decisions by each seeking their own interests, and then seeing what solution can be passed which satisfies the members needs. Every other school will be seeking their own interest, if we are passive, their interests will be served, but ours will not.

It's like the guy who always lets everyone else cut in front of him, always lets everyone else have the last piece of the pie, never gets the girl because his friend is interested in her too. If you shouldn't be the 600 pound gorilla, you shouldn't be the wallflower either.
 

SelectionSunday said:
Deep down, here's the only divisional alignment I think Gopher football fans will be happy with:

Illinois
Indiana
Michigan State
Minnesota
Northwestern
Purdue

Iowa
Michigan
Nebraska
Ohio State
Penn State
Wisconsin

I hope some of you won't need to be be talked off a ledge after the alignment is announced. Whatever they decide, give it a chance. Bottom line is whoever's in their division, the Gophers will have to earn a divisional championship just like everyone else. If you don't like the alignment because it's too tough, do something about it. Buck up & get better.

If I'm a Gopher fan, I'd take any alignment that has (A) Iowa, Wisconsin & the Gophers together and (B) the Gophers in the opposite division of OSU. I think both of those things are very likely. Can't wait for the announcement. It will be an exciting day for the Big Ten.
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I think this is a disingenuouos statement coming from someone who is usually level-headed. Just as disingenuous as Delaney saying this is about competitive balance. If you've read this board at all for the past months, it is obvious the consensus is a geographical alignment. There are myriad logical reasons for it. There are almost no logical reasons for the alternate ideas coming out other than money.

I don't care if you are a Gopher football fan, but at least come here and show some respect. There are losers populating every board; the majority here are as reasonable as any other team's.
 

Pewterschmidt said:
This is where it would be nice to have a strong AD. My opinion of Maturi is he's a pushover. Nice guy, but a pushover. Maturi isn't the kind of guy to put pressure on someone. He's the kind of guy who can easily be pressured himself.

I can literally see Maturi in a room with other BT ADs and presidents along with Delaney. He's in the corner, agreeing with every comment made, nodding constantly like a bobblehead, where his need to be included in the "group" trumps whatever impact a decision has on our program.

We need to keep our rival games (Mich, Iowa, Wisconsin) intact as well as be in a division that keeps us from having a brutal schedule year-in, year-out and be as geographically aligned as possible. Those should be Maturi's priorities. I can understand hitting on all 3 priorities would be difficult but somehow I get the sense he's just along for the ride and not fighting like others would for all 3.

I'm expecting the worst.

FWIW, my ideal scenario (and I know it's not going to happen) would be for the divisions to be aligned geographically with our division consisting of Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin, Northwestern, and Illinois as well as getting a protected game with Michigan.

What I expect is for us to get shipped out east with no protected games against 2 of our 3 rivals.
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While I don't disagree with any of this about Maturi, where are the other AD's? They are obviously going along with it as well. Basing these decisions on two teams, especially when one is utterly terrible right now and no guarantee to get better, is ludicrous. Maturit isn't alone in accepting this idiocy.

I guess we'll be happy being the ACC from now on. Talk about tradition!
 

RodentRampage said:
Maturi has said he will do what is best for the Big Ten. That is not encouraging. His job is to persue the interests of the University of Minnesota.
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With the way money is handled in the BT, what is best for the league probably is what is best for the U.
 

ruralgopher said:
With the way money is handled in the BT, what is best for the league probably is what is best for the U.
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But is what is best for the conference REALLY what is best for the conference? Or I should say is what we are TOLD is best for the conference really best for the conference? Probably not. We're going to be told by some that this or that is for the good of the conference, but it will reflect their own interests. If you're willing to roll over, you'll get rolled.
 

What is best for the conference is keeping the reputation of being the elite conference for academic and athletic excellence. The academics will continue to take care of themselves through the CIC, the athletics will stay elite as long as the conference continues to compete with the other conferences on a financial basis. The U needs $, the Big Ten's television and bowl contracts deliver lots of $ to the U, regardless of our performance. It isn't rolling over to put yourself in a good financial position in today's world of college athletics. If the last 6 months have told us anything it is that the rich hold the power. (not that we didn't know that already)
 

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