This is a fascinating situation to me. And, quite frankly, I’m surprised this type of situation doesn’t happen more.
You know, for the sake of “Bleacher Fan has suffered enough” I am ruling in favor of him. Bleacher Fan wins! Finally! No more six debate losing streak!!
Pop quiz… which happened more recently? Bleacher Fan winning a court room debate or the Chicago Cubs winning a World Series? (Kidding of course!)
To the verdict explanation.
I’m on record as saying I am a fan of Milwaukee Brewers left fielder Ryan Braun. I’m a huge fan. If I’m starting a team, I want his bat in my lineup. But, his comments have soured me. He basically threw him teammates under the proverbial bus. Yes, the Brewers pitching rotation has struggled, sans Yovani Gallardo, as Sports Geek pointed out. However, he could have taken up his concerns with them behind closed doors. That, Sports Geek, is what a real leader does. There is no need to air the dirty laundry out in the media, even though the media and the fans love it.
Second, he indirectly put his general manager, Doug Melvin, on the hot seat in public – and that’s a no-no. In any other profession, Braun would have been fired or suspended. He definitely would have gotten more than an “I’m ticked off” comment from the boss in the press, though I admit it is hard to compare baseball to everyday life. Let’s face it, not everyone makes millions of dollars.
It’s Braun’s job to perform out on the field. It’s Braun’s job to continue to put up the numbers he has been. If he wants upgrades, I’m sure Melvin will be glad to talk to him PRIVATELY in that comfy office he probably has. It is admittedly going to be hard for the Brewers to go out and get someone the stature of Toronto Blue Jays starter Roy Halladay. Heck, the only big bargaining chips the Brewers have are first baseman Prince Fielder and Braun. Nonetheless, be a TRUE leader and handle it behind closed doors.
There is nothing wrong with some good ole fashioned folksy wisdom from time to time!
Don’t air someone else’s dirty laundry
People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones
When you point at someone else, there are three fingers pointing back at you
Do not attempt to remove the speck from your brother’s eye until you have removed the plank from your own (even the Bible has something to say on this topic!)
Each of those sayings illuminates one simple point – nobody is perfect, so be careful what you do in public. Your actions can be criticized just as easily as you have provided criticism. Perhaps Milwaukee Brewers left fielder Ryan Braun could learn something from these lessons…
Last week Braun publicly voiced his concerns regarding the performance of his team and for the future of the Brewers organization.
In response, Brewers general manager Doug Melvin chided Braun, saying, “It was inappropriate for him to say what he said.” Melvin also stated that Braun’s comments were irresponsible, and he criticized Braun for “get[ting] on his teammates like that.”
I think Melvin is 100 percent correct in his comments. Braun was way out of line for publicly criticizing both his teammates and the organization.
Braun actually comes across as arrogant and overly critical. He attacked his own teammates, and the organization, all in the interest of trying to appear as if he actually cared about his team. The problem is that statements like those ALWAYS do more harm than good. Like the old saying goes – “You catch more flies with honey” (there’s that folksy wisdom again).
The only thing that Braun actually succeeded in doing with those statements was to embarrass himself, his team, and the Brewers organization.
Instead of garnering support to make the situation better, he alienated himself from everyone, and came across as if he believes he is the only one on the team doing anything right. He basically said, ‘the REST of my team stinks.’ That’s how his teammates likely interpreted it, anyway.
Does that mean that Braun should sit idly by and not voice concerns he may have about his organization? Absolutely not. But there is an appropriate time and place to have those conversations, and during a post-game press conference is not the time or the place!
For a team to be successful, the members at EVERY level of the organization must understand the role they play. Imagine if Melvin had walked up to Braun, while he was at bat in a game, and suggested that he take a swing or two for Braun, because Melvin thought that would, ‘make the ball club better.’ It would be a DISASTER! Melvin’s role does not involve running down fly balls in left field, just as Braun’s role does not involve providing input in personnel decisions. If Braun was concerned about something in the organization, he should have privately taken that conversation up with the appropriate people.
Let this example serve as a warning to any player out there who thinks they are more important than the team, “Don’t bite the hand that feeds you” (folksy wisdom will never lead you astray)!
Read the debate intro and Bleacher Fan’s argument that players should do the playing, and GMs should do the GMing.
What defines a good team leader in sports? That’s a complex answer, but a component of the answer is the ability and willingness to say what needs to be said WHEN it needs to be said. That is precisely what Milwaukee Brewers left fielder Ryan Braun did last week when he demanded his general manager, Doug Melvin, make a trade to improve the team’s pitching… especially when the current pitching netted their team a 2-5 record going into the All-Star break.
But, this case is bigger than just Braun and Melvin. It is about baseball as a whole and the communication from the clubhouse to the front office and vice versa.
There has always been a bizarre communication system in baseball, especially as it relates to the press. Managers often do not hear the comments of their players, and players often do not hear what their manager tells the press. For example, the manager of a team may tell the press before a game that an everyday player is not in the starting lineup that day, but the player learns the news when the clubhouse manager tapes the game’s starting lineup to the wall. Harsh? Maybe. But, that’s the reality of professional baseball communication. How many opportunities does a player have to communicate directly with the GM to relay their opinions? Not many. And when that communication does happen, I’m sure the GM does not ask the player’s opinions about how the club is doing.
Braun, like many players, feels compelled to stick up for his team and push the front office for improvement. He is fully within his right to do that. In fact he SHOULD do it. Many baseball “leaders” are too passive and unwilling to light a fire under their teammates or members of the organization. Braun, like most leaders, wants to win. A good leader pushes the right buttons because they are aggravated. They know better is possible, and they’ll do whatever it takes to achieve it.
And, most importantly for Braun in this particular case, he was right. The Brewers pitching stinks. Starter Yovani Gallardo is the only Brewers starter with an ERA below four. Fourth and fifth starters Dave Bush and Manny Parra have ERAs over 5.5 and 6.5 respectively. After watching the masterful CC Sabathia come to Milwaukee and post a sub-two ERA in his first four starts last June, Braun knows what good pitching looks like. It is fair, and completely within his right to publically acknowledge that and put some pressure on the general manager of the team to make improve the club. It is a right not exclusive to Braun, but open to all hard-working leaders in baseball.
Melvin, like many GMs, likely feels uncomfortable. General managers are always on the hot seat. In Melvin’s case more than others because he bet the farm – literally – to acquire Sabathia last season. While it did help the Brewers get to the playoffs, it did not help them once they got there. Now Melvin has fewer arrows in the quiver to trade, and has created a very difficult situation for himself and is defensive.
Good players, regardless of what sport they are in, have leverage. The team wants their best player to be happy and content. Some good players are also leaders that use their leverage to push those around them, regardless of rank or position, to get better. Melvin should be applauding his player for having the guts to stand up and fight for his team, to push to explore what he knows is possible. Braun is showing loyalty and Melvin is deserting a good player. A good GM always publically backs a player showing leadership, unless ego is more important than wins.
Now that the Major League Baseball All-Star festivities are over, it is time to concentrate on the second half of the season. Teams are jockeying for position as they chase that elusive division title or wild card berth. Before we look ahead, The Sports Debates will take a quick look back at something that happened last week. Something that may, or may not, affect the rest of the season.
Earlier this month, Milwaukee Brewers left field slugger, and one of Loyal Homer’s boys, Ryan Braun, started a mini-firestorm when he openly called out the Brewers starting rotation and publicly called on Brewers general manager Doug Melvin to “make the ball club better.” Melvin responded by saying he was “ticked off” about Braun’s comments.
Braun made his colorful comments after losing three out of four games to the division rival Chicago Cubs. The Brewers are currently right in the thick of things in the National League Central only 2.5 games back of the leading division leading St. Louis Cardinals. I do not want to focus specifically on the Braun-Melvin situation though. And, I really do not want to focus on the fact that Braun specifically called out his pitching staff. Often times, a player will say things like that in the media. It happens, folks.
The issue at hand is whether or not a player ever has the right to openly call on a general manager to make a trade to improve the club. That is where the debate lies!
Sports Geek will argue that a player does have a right to call out his general manager and ask them publicly to make a move that will improve the ball club. After all, he just wants to win, right?
Bleacher Fan will argue that the player has no right to call out his boss publicly in a situation like that.
This should be an interesting debate, so I am publicly asking you to present your case!
In reading these arguments, I’ve come to a realization – Dale Earnhardt Jr. is neither a NASCAR driver nor is he a member of Hendrick Motorsports… at least not primarily. First and foremost, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is a brand.
How that brand came to be is a story all its own. He was blessed with the good fortune to share a name with one of the greatest and most beloved racecar drivers in the history of NASCAR. It’s the equivalent of a soft drink that boasts the name “Coca-Cola” or being a politician with the last name Kennedy. Some people are just born with an advantage.
Dale Jr., son of “The Intimidator,” was a recognizable name before he ever stepped on the gas pedal at a motorway.
When he won the Pepsi 400 on July 7, 2001 – a race that doubled as both the first Cup race at Daytona AND Junior’s first win since his father’s tragic death on that same track earlier that year – his celebrity status was cemented. Just as the sporting world grieved with Dale Jr. when his father died, they cheered for him as the checkered flag waved in a moment of glory and honor for the whole Earnhardt family. He was THE quintessential fan favorite!
Since then, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has had many financial successes. He was named the 11th highest earning athlete of 2008 in Sports Illustrated’s Fortunate 50, for example. But, his success on the track has been elusive. As Sports Geek points out, Junior has yet to win a championship, has had only three victories in the past four seasons, and has not won a race in the last year and a half. Despite those shortcomings, the Dale Earnhardt Jr. brand still races right along!
But, is that enough to warrant Dale Jr.’s continued participation in a sport once ruled by his father? Loyal Homer seems to think so, arguing that sunny days are on the horizon for Junior. Despite a slow start with new crew chief Lance McGrew, Loyal Homer feels confident that Dale Jr. is just a few modifications away from restoring the honor of the Earnhardt name.
I’m not that confident. No matter how much money the Earnhardt brand can generate today, it HAS to be backed up by performance. A name can only carry a brand so far. Eventually, people will turn away from the ‘fashionable’ #88, for a more ‘fashionable’ winner, such as #14 or #24. Imagine if LeBron James or Kobe Bryant suddenly could not shoot better than 20%, and only averaged 8 points per game. You would eventually see a lot less #23’s and #24’s walking around!
Regarding his previous successes, I don’t think that should earn him a bye, either. He has been paid previous money for previous success. If you or I consistently failed to perform in our occupations, we would not be given any forgiveness because of our previous success. NASCAR racing is (or at least should be) no different.
People love a famous face, but they love a winner even more. While Earnhardt Jr. can claim marketing prowess today, he still operates in a pay-for-performance league. If he does not perform, the money will go away, and I just don’t see him performing up to the bar set by his far more successful teammates Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, and Mark Martin.
As such, it is my recommendation to the Hendrick Motorsports team to cut their ties with a sinking ship now. Sometimes the wisest investment is knowing when to cut your losses! Dale Jr. has not demonstrated an ability to compete at the same level his father once did, and should not be racing in NASCAR anymore!
Taking the checkered flag for this debate… Sports Geek!!!!!
It’s not popular to say, but I feel I’m stating the obvious – Dale Earnhardt Jr. does not deserve a high profile ride in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup series for one reason – he is not a very good driver.
Car owner Rick Hendrick was recently quoted as saying, “This is the most pressure I’ve felt in racing,” when referring to the pressure to turn Junior into a winner.
And, that’s the point right there – turn Junior into a winner. Why is everyone so eager to turn him into a winner? Because he’s not a winner. He must be transformed into one… and that simply isn’t happening.
Consider Junior’s history with his now former crew chief Tony Eury Jr. (Hendrick finally fired him at the end of May). That tandem was responsible for three consecutive finishes of 27th or worse, including an embarrassing 40th place finish at NASCAR’s biggest “home game” of the year, the Coca-Cola 600.
Here’s the truth – in a sport where everything has a sponsor’s logo slapped on it (this comment is brought to you by Mountain Dew, by the way), a team cannot afford to suck, or worse, look as if they do not care. That’s a quick way to lose respect and sponsorship money (in that order). Hendrick did the right thing in jettisoning Eury Jr., but that simply is not enough. NASCAR has to realize that Junior just is not a good race car driver, and they cannot afford for the most popular driver in the series to not be up to the standard of driving set by the rest of the field.
Good race car drivers are competitive – even when they don’t have the best car – regardless of series. Look at the 2009 Formula One season and Ferrari driver Felipe Massa for evidence of that. Even though Ferrari has struggled mightily this year – as much as a second and a half off the pace per race to start the year (which is an eternity of F1) – Massa has willed an inferior car to fifth in points and his first podium finish (third) of the year last weekend at the German Grand Prix. There are countless other examples, but the point is clear – good race car drivers find a way to be competitive even when they’re chasing the car all day… or all season. Junior simply hasn’t done that.
Perhaps you’re thinking that he just isn’t a very good driver in Sprint Cup cars. Wrong. The only time he’s ventured out of his comfort zone he raced Chevrolet Corvette’s in Grand-Am and the American Le Mans (ALMS) sports car racing series. He raced in the 24 Hours of Daytona with his dad in 2001 and raced at Sonoma (a NASCAR track, mind you) in 2004 in the ‘Vette. While the sister car to Junior’s car won the entire 24-Hour racing event (a BIG deal), the Earnhardt Corvette CR-5 suffered many “spins” – you can guess who the culprit was. In his defense, though, driving out of the pits can be tricky. In case you missed it, here’s what Junior did to the Corvette (and the wall) in WARM UPS before the ALMS race at Sonoma. He got out safely, but proved his skill is overmatched in a true racing car.
Here are the facts – he’s never won a championship. He’s only had one season with more than three wins. He’s had only three victories in the last four and half years. Of his 18 career wins – in a career spanning 10 seasons – seven of his wins have been on restrictor plate tracks, where speed and ability often take a back seat to luck and friends.
Bottom line, Dale Junior is likable and marketable – but not a good race car driver. It’s the classic case of young potential never becoming real talent, and Dale Jr.’s drive should go to someone who actually has a chance to compete week in and week out. It’s not tenable to have the star of a sport be a failure. The unfortunate fact is that his failure is a big reason the sport’s audience is dwindling. Until NASCAR finds a way to minimize Earhardt’s influence, they’ll continue to watch ticket sales fall as quickly as the doors swings atop Junior’s pit box.
With the struggles of Dale Earnhardt, Jr. this year in NASCAR, there is bound to be talk about his credentials and whether or not he is qualified to drive for Hendrick Motorsports, obviously the premiere racing team in NASCAR. After all, he has no wins this year, while only getting one win last year. Meanwhile, his teammates (Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, and Mark Martin) have combined to win seven races this year. Junior currently sits 21st in points after 19 races with virtually no chance of making the Chase for the Sprint Cup. (For those of you who don’t know, the Chase involves the top twelve drivers in the point standings after the first 26 races.)
The question Bleacher Fan is posing is going to be a little disturbing to fans in the deep South, the heart of NASCAR country, and quite possibly the heart of Dale Earnhardt Nation (both Senior and Junior). But, fear not NASCAR fans! Junior is NOT going anywhere – and he shouldn’t be.
It’s hard to argue the fact that Junior has struggled, especially since NASCAR went to the Car of Tomorrow (COT) full time last year. One win in the past year and a half is definitely an underachievement, and I think he’d be the first one to say that.
Earlier this year, the owner of the #88 car, Rick Hendrick, decided to replace Junior’s crew chief (Junior’s cousin Tony Eury, Jr.) with Lance McGrew. When a change like that is made in the middle of the season it usually means that “the towel is being thrown in” and the organization/team is looking toward the future. That’s what I think is happening in this case… in part. Junior hasn’t placed in the top 10 in the seven races since McGrew took over, and realistically, this is not a shock. They are working on car set-ups and working on establishing a better communication system, something that was admittedly lacking with Eury, Jr. With this change, I think the 2009 season was basically conceded to the field. Yes, occasionally a change works for the better right away, but for every Jim Tracy (who has worked wonders with the Colorado Rockies since being hired in May as a replacement for Clint Hurdle), there is an A.J. Hinch (hired by the Arizona Diamondbacks to replace Bob Melvin back in May and someone who has not worked miracles).
Let’s face it. NASCAR needs Dale Earnhardt, Jr., preferably, to be successful. It’s no secret that NASCAR’s ratings are suffering and that attendance has dropped at most of the tracks. Junior is by far the most popular driver in the Cup series. Go to any race and you will see #88 flags flying everywhere and you will see thousands of fans wearing National Guard or AMP Energy paraphernalia. You might even see old #8 Budweiser souvenirs scattered amongst the throngs of fans. He’s important to NASCAR.
Give Dale some time to make adjustments. Numerous other drivers are struggling worse than he is (see Kevin Harvick, who actually is so frustrated with his performance that he wants out of his contract). While he has the target on his chest because of who his father was, he’s a proven winner in Sprint Cup and he’ll be back. He has the resources and the financial backing to make a charge!
In all fields of work – as in all aspects of life – children often hero-worship their parents. Many times that childhood adoration can even foster a desire to “follow in their footsteps.”
Think about some of the names of those who attained success by following the paths forged by their parents…
Dale Jr. began his racing career in the late 1990’s, and had some early successes, which include winning the 1998 and 1999 NASCAR Nationwide/Busch Series Championships.
Those championships were 10 years ago, though. When you consider Dale Jr.’s performances in more recent times, his resume doesn’t quite hold a candle to Dale Sr.’s.
His best Sprint Cup Series finish was third, back in 2003, and he has only finished in the top 10 once in the last five years. He hasn’t won a race in over a year, and he hasn’t even seen the top 20 in the current standings.
So, the question I am posing to Sports Geek and Loyal Homer today is…
Does Dale Earnhardt Jr. deserve to stay in NASCAR racing?
Loyal Homer will argue that Dale Jr. does deserve to stay in NASCAR racing. Every athlete can hit a dry-spell, but he can still compete with the best of them.
Sports Geek, on the other hand, will argue that Dale Jr. has no business being in NASCAR anymore. Despite some early successes, he has given no evidence that he will ever be able to consistently compete with the big boys of racing, and is living more off of his father’s name than his own successes.
Well, nothing brings out passion like a nice college football debate, and this debate is no different. Even before the first argument was published, folks were all “atwitter” about whether this was a valid debate topic. When reviewing the Big East’s record from recent seasons, it’s obviously a debate topic.
This is a difficult verdict, because the debaters concentrated on one year, 2008, by which to judge the Big East’s contribution to the BCS and college football. This approach further reinforces the “what have you done for me lately” mentality that plagues American sports culture, and college football fandom. So, for this verdict, I’ll acknowledge recent history, then add in some historical context.
Bleacher Fan brought up last year’s bowl season, claiming that the Big East was impressive because 75 percent of their football schools (six) made bowl games. I completely reject this as a valid metric for two reasons. First, there are 34 – 34!!! – bowl games on the docket for the 2009-2010 season. That means 68 teams need to be “eligible” for bowl games. Plus, even Conference USA had 50 percent of their teams bowl eligible. It is not a stretch to discern that many of the teams who played in bowl games year were not deserving. Second, the ACC had 10 bowl teams last year, and many of the Big East defenders who have commented here and on our Twitter timeline are claiming that the Big East is not as bad as the ACC. However, “they suck, so we can suck to” is not a valid argument.
Last season did not yield many quality non-conference wins for the Big East, either. The only true quality win by anyone in the Big East was South Florida’s win over then-ranked #11 Kansas. A good win. But, compare that to the other top teams in the conference:
Cincinnati: The conference champ lost to ACC winner Virginia Tech and #5 ranked Oklahoma, their only two opportunities for quality non-conference wins all season.
Pittsburgh: Opened their season with a non-conference loss to Bowling Green and needed four overtimes to defeat a 3-9 Notre Dame team.
West Virginia: Their only quality non-conference opportunities were Colorado and East Carolina… both of which they lost.
Rutgers: Another Big East bowl eligible team lost to Fresno State, North Carolina (their only quality non-conference opportunities) and even lost to Navy.
Contrast that mess with what a non-automatic BCS bid conference like the Mountain West did. Their champ, Utah, defeated an Oregon State team that the week prior beat #1 in the country Southern Cal, and defeated Alabama – handily – in a BCS bowl game. Ouch to the Big East. Not a good recent record for the conference to make a stand.
But, it can’t all be about 2008… though it’s hard to deny that the Big East is not just following a trend.
Some history. How has the Big East done through the history of the BCS (read: quality non-conference games). Here’s the list since the inception of the BCS in 1998:
1998 Conference Champ: Syracuse (8-3) loses to Florida 31-10 in the Orange Bowl. 0-1
1999 Conference Champ: Virginia Tech (now ACC) (11-0) loses to Florida State 46-29 in the Fiesta Bowl. 0-2
2000 Conference Champ: Miami (now ACC) (10-1) beats Florida 37-20 in the Sugar Bowl. 1-2
2001 Conference Champ: Miami (now ACC) (11-0) beat Nebraska 37-14 in the Rose Bowl. 2-2
2002 Conference Champ: Miami (now ACC) (12-0) loses to Ohio State 31-24 in the Fiesta Bowl. 2-3
2003 Conference Champ: Miami (now ACC) (10-2) beats Florida State 16-14 in the Orange Bowl. 3-3
2004 Conference Champ: Pittsburgh (8-3) loses to Utah 35-7 in the Fiesta Bowl. 3-4
2005 Conference Champ: West Virginia (10-1) beat Georgia 38-35 in the Sugar Bowl. 4-4
2006 Conference Champ: Louisville (11-1) beats Wake Forest 24-13 in the Orange Bowl. 5-4
2007 Conference Champ: West Virginia (10-2) beats Oklahoma 48-28 in the Fiesta Bowl. 6-4
2008 Conference Champ: Cincinnati (11-3) loses to Virginia Tech 20-7 in the Orange Bowl. 6-5
One national championship is pretty good. But, the Big East has never – NEVER – received an at-large BCS bid for one of their teams. To contrast, the Big 10 (seven), SEC (five), Big 12 (four), Independent (three), Pac-10 (two), WAC (two), and Mountain West (two) have all received them. The only other conference with an at-large goose egg is the ACC.
And the overall 6-5 historical record is average, and far below average when considering that three of those wins (including the championship) belong to a program that is no longer in the conference.
The resume is unimpressive from the Big East, both recent history and a deeper dive into the BCS. Is it enough to jettison the conference from the ranks of the BCS automatic qualifiers? Yes. So I must award the victory to…
LOYAL HOMER!!!!!
While Bleacher Fan offered many, many excuses for the Big East, Loyal Homer had one valid point that stood out: Attendance figures are dwindling for Big East football programs. Though a small but steady slide is apparent, recent performances, combined with a poor history against the best competition in college football, has not won fans back. Attendance is important because it translates to the strength –and willingness to travel – in the diehard fan base. Additionally, losing the heart and soul of Big East football tradition to the ACC has completely reversed expectations for Big East football. When Connecticut does well (starting last season 5-0) the collective national voice is “surprised.” There is no team that is expected to dominate year in and year out – a respect requisite in college football.
When the BCS charter expires in 2014, the committee must take a long look at whether the Big East belongs among the ranks of the automatic bids. According to the arguments presented here, they don’t.
Let me clear the air right now with a very definitive statement – The Big East is one of the six best conferences in college football.
First, a note to Loyal Homer: One team does not a conference make! As an SEC fan, you should have known better than to argue otherwise. The SEC is not considered a conference favorite because of just one team. Instead, the success of LSU, Florida, and a cheating Alabama have propelled the SEC into the recent limelight.
To place the worth of the entire Big East on the shoulders of their preseason favorite, who just didn’t live up to expectations last season, is a misguided argument (although West Virginia still finished the season at 9-4 and ranked in the top 25 – not exactly a disappointment).
By your standards, I guess you would also argue that the SEC should not be allowed an automatic BCS bid. Their top preseason team last year, the Georgia Bulldogs, was ranked number one in the nation, but did not live up to expectations. Instead, they finished outside of the top 10 with a meager 10-3 record, only one game better than the “pitiful” Mountaineers (who, by the way, had a new head coach and lost star running back Steve Slaton).
The question today is not about the preseason favorite within the Big East. It is about whether or not the Big East is still one of college football’s top SIX conferences, and whether or not it still deserves an automatic BCS bid every year.
Sports Geek, in raising the question, brings up several interesting points, and claims they point to a “fall from grace” for the Big East. Those points include the departures of Miami, Virginia Tech, and Boston College to the ACC, only to be replaced by the University of South Florida, Cincinnati, and Louisville.
With all due respect to our esteemed judge for this debate… Sports Geek could not be more wrong.
To begin, it is laughable to say that the Big East misses Miami right now! Consider that ‘The U’ (since leaving the Big East) has not finished better than 7-6 since 2005, actually posted a losing record in 2007, and lost to the only top 25 team they played last year (a blow-out against the Florida Gators). That is not exactly a boast-worthy performance, and I’m sure the ACC isn’t hanging any Hurricane performances on their refrigerator right now.
As for the Big East’s replacements, let’s consider what they’ve done which actually ADDS to the Big East’s credibility:
South Florida –In 2008, they defeated #13 Kansas, and were undefeated in inter-conference play. They finished the season at 8-5, which is a better record than Miami and is just slightly less impressive than the results of Boston College (9-5) and Virginia Tech (10-4).
Louisville –In 2006, Louisville finished the season ranked in the top 10 with a record of 12-1, their only loss coming by way of a then-undefeated Rutgers, also a Big East team.
Cincinnati –Finished in the top 25 in 2007 AND 2008, posting records of 10-3 and 11-3 respectively.
I would consider each of those performances upgrades over Miami!
As for the rest of the Big East, here are some other points to consider:
Bowl Eligibility – Out of the eight teams in the conference, six of them were bowl eligible in 2008! That’s 75% of the conference! No other BCS-conference can make that statement, as the Pac-10 (50% made bowl appearances), Big XII (58%), Big Ten (63%), SEC (67%), and ACC (67%) all had much lower participation rates!
Bowl Performances – The Big East turned in a very impressive bowl record of 4-2 last year! That’s a greater win percentage than the ACC (2-6), the Big Ten (1-6), and the Big XII (4-3). In fact, only the Pac-10 (5-0) and SEC (6-2) turned in better bowl performances than the Big East last year.
The fact remains that the Big East produced a greater percentage of winning records than any other conference in college football, and performed better than all but two conferences in bowl play.
Based on those statements, a non-BCS conference in college football cannot argue they are more deserving of an automatic BCS bid than the Big East.
On the other hand, perhaps the ACC should be a little worried!!!
And we're back... Should college coaches look into criminal and juvenile records when recruiting? The verdict says YES! http://bit.ly/dZ5LF310 months ago
Posted by Loyal Homer 
