Per Blaudschun....new BE commish to be named Tuesday

[uconnric]

It does indeed sound like a solid choice.

But, so that I'm ahead of the curve, when the realities of the Big East's situation fail to go away with a UConn Law grad as commissioner (because they will not go away even if the contract comes in with the optimistic numbers that were leaked), will we be able to discuss the limitations here? or will it just be on to the next scapegoat?

You're actually a little behind the curve with that. We're already are aware of the challenges the new commissioner faces.

 

[ZooCougar]

It does indeed sound like a solid choice.

But, so that I'm ahead of the curve, when the realities of the Big East's situation fail to go away with a UConn Law grad as commissioner (because they will not go away even if the contract comes in with the optimistic numbers that were leaked), will we be able to discuss the limitations here? or will it just be on to the next scapegoat?

If you're incompetent, that doesn't mean that you can't be a scapegoat too.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

It does indeed sound like a solid choice.

But, so that I'm ahead of the curve, when the realities of the Big East's situation fail to go away with a UConn Law grad as commissioner (because they will not go away even if the contract comes in with the optimistic numbers that were leaked), will we be able to discuss the limitations here? or will it just be on to the next scapegoat?

Did Forte hack your BY account?

 

[uconnell]

Can we PLEASE move the BE headquarters in New York!

 

[Carl Spackler]

It does indeed sound like a solid choice.

But, so that I'm ahead of the curve, when the realities of the Big East's situation fail to go away with a UConn Law grad as commissioner (because they will not go away even if the contract comes in with the optimistic numbers that were leaked), will we be able to discuss the limitations here? or will it just be on to the next scapegoat?

Spoken like a Yale law grad.

 

[businesslawyer]

If you're incompetent, that doesn't mean that you can't be a scapegoat too.

Being a cautious lawyer, I get accused (rightfully) of using too many sentences with multiple negatives. Welcome to my world! I'm not even sure what that means. .

 

[businesslawyer]

Did Forte hack your BY account?

I am not suggesting we sit around moaning all day, or declare our position hopeless. I just think the very frequent opinion that everything would be o.k. for us if we just had competent conference leadership belies the complexity and disadvantages of the conference.

But it is what it is. Let's play ball.

 

[freescooter]

Being a cautious lawyer, I get accused (rightfully) of using too many sentences with multiple negatives. Welcome to my world! I'm not even sure what that means. .

The Big East situation may be unsalvagable. Given the range of disparate interests among the members, football only, basketball only, football and basketball, large public universities, small urban schools, national universities, regional ones, it is distinctly possible that the Big East has another "re-alignment" within 5 years. Even with a brilliant commissioner that is at least a moderate possibility. But that doesn't mean that some former Commissioners were not inept. In other words, it is possible that the Big East is unmanagable, and it is possible that the last guy was incapable at the same time.

My view is that today is a day to be hopeful. It is possible that a strong and competent commissioner will pull this mess together and make it work. I prefer to give him the benefit of the doubt until he does something to indicate he cannot do that.

 

[ZooCougar]

Being a cautious lawyer, I get accused (rightfully) of using too many sentences with multiple negatives. Welcome to my world! I'm not even sure what that means. .

The reason why we enjoy this statet of affairs is bad leadership. Decisions were made to put us where we are. This is not just the "rub of the green" we were dealt miserable hand in life sort of thing.

 

[businesslawyer]

The Big East situation may be unsalvagable. Given the range of disparate interests among the members, football only, basketball only, football and basketball, large public universities, small urban schools, national universities, regional ones, it is distinctly possible that the Big East has another "re-alignment" within 5 years. Even with a brilliant commissioner that is at least a moderate possibility. But that doesn't mean that some former Commissioners were not inept. In other words, it is possible that the Big East is unmanagable, and it is possible that the last guy was incapable at the same time.

My view is that today is a day to be hopeful. It is possible that a strong and competent commissioner will pull this mess together and make it work. I prefer to give him the benefit of the doubt until he does something to indicate he cannot do that.

I understand what Wisky meant. I just thought the sentence was funny, especially as it reads like something I would have written.

It is a day to be hopeful and I hope that everything works out well for both UConn (primarily) and its conference mates.

 

[junglehusky]

Can we PLEASE move the BE headquarters in New York!

Or Stamford? (I bet Rutgers would hate that)

 

[ZooCougar]

I understand what Wisky meant. I just thought the sentence was funny, especially as it reads like something I would have written.

It is a day to be hopeful and I hope that everything works out well for both UConn (primarily) and its conference mates.

I think I am having some sort of mental block, because I can't think of a way to say what I said without the double negative.

I do feel more hopeful today. But as the Big East remains a means to fill out our schedule. I can't really envision any sort of pride in this confederation.

 

[The Funster]

If true, it is a bold move by a conference that has been maddeningly tame. I'd be curious to see if his ESPN ties lead to a legit offer from ESPN. Then I'd be curious to see how ESPN promotes the NBE. Wheels within wheels but at least it sounds like we'll have a commish who really knows his way around the broadcasting game.

 

[businesslawyer]

It seems clear to me. Just because you suck at your job, does not mean that you are exempt from blame.

The reason why we enjoy this state of affairs is bad leadership. Decisions were made to put us where we are. This is not just the "rub of the green" we were dealt miserable hand in life sort of thing.

Nah. We voluntarily, with no one making us, joined a basketball conference with a majority of members who did not play big time football. So did Pitt. Later, WVU and Rutgers joined a conference where power was shared between schools that played football and schools that didn't. And they joined voluntarily. You don't go to the opera and then complain that the opera isn't a comedic play. And, we are in a part of the country that walked away from big time football when the Ivies and Service Academies deemphasized football.

The problems stem almost entirely from those two factors. There is very little, if any, evidence that UConn or its peers were at any point prior to the last go around dissatisfied with its Providence based leadership. And, I'm not at all convinced that they were nearly as upset with the last Commissioner even now as they were needing a scapegoat to deal with fan pressure that wanted to personalize the realities of the situation.

But it's all been said before, and feel free to go on and tell me why I'm wrong but I have no interest continuing a dialogue on it, because I know I'm not convincing anyone who isn't already convinced.

 

[huskymedic]

If true, it is a bold move by a conference that has been maddeningly tame. I'd be curious to see if his ESPN ties lead to a legit offer from ESPN. Then I'd be curious to see how ESPN promotes the NBE. Wheels within wheels but at least it sounds like we'll have a commish who really knows his way around the broadcasting game.

What I found funny is that ESPN (so far) has failed to "report" that Aresco used to work for ESPN (hell - he was General Counsel). Not nary a mention.

Mike Aresco new Big East commish
Updated: August 14, 2012, 10:43 AM ET
ESPN.com news services

The Big East will hire CBS Sports executive vice president Mike Aresco as its new commissioner, sources confirmed to ESPN on Tuesday.

Aresco, who has been with CBS Sports since 1996, is expected to be introduced at a news conference in New York on Wednesday.

Aresco has been a vice president in charge of programming for CBS since 1996. He's handled the network's contract negotiations with the NCAA for the rights to the men's basketball tournament. He also negotiated CBS's 15-year deal with the Southeastern Conference.

Former commissioner John Marinatto resigned in May amid pressure from Big East presidents. Joseph Bailey III, a former chief executive with the Miami Dolphins, has been the interim commissioner but said he didn't want the job permanently.

Marinatto left after less than three years on the job and a wave of departures by high-profile schools. Pittsburgh and Syracuse made plans to leave for the ACC in September, and West Virginia bolted for the Big 12 the following month. The Big East regrouped by adding Central Florida, Houston, Memphis, SMU and Temple for all sports and Boise State, San Diego State and Navy for football only.

The website ajerseyguy.com, run by former Boston Globe reporter Mark Blaudschun, first reported the Big East has picked Aresco.

ESPN's Joe Schad, ESPN.com's Dana O'Neil and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

 

[CL82]

I am not suggesting we sit around moaning all day, or declare our position hopeless. I just think the very frequent opinion that everything would be o.k. for us if we just had competent conference leadership belies the complexity and disadvantages of the conference.

But it is what it is. Let's play ball.

Everyone faces challenges every day. No one believes this potential hire is a panacea, however, the fact that an intelligent hire was made, one with a relevant background and education, is a gratifying step forward.

 

[ZooCougar]

Don't want to rehash either. But we voluntarily made some bad decisions. In UConn's case, some of those decisions were the only ones it could make. It wasn't like we could have joined a different conference and still make the football upgrade worthwhile.

I just think that if Tranghese and Marinatto were competent executives then they wouldn't have been blindsided so much, wouldn'ti have paid to get a school back that we kicked out less then a decade ago. we could go on and on. It's not just that we have small fanbases and stadiums.

and if they weren't in fact blindsided, then feigning ignorance just made them look even more incompetent and pathetic.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Here's my stance again about it all - the past 33 years in a nutshell.

The Big East conference, was formed to play basketball...in 1979. UConn got the invite to play round ball. A myriad of factors in the late 1970s and early 1980s led to a complete restructuring of the intercollegiate sports landscape in the 1980s from coast to coast, in both athletic divisions of competitions hierarchy, and in athletic conferences within those new divisions.

Our own 50 year or so athletic history, was scrapped. Over two dozen long time independant division 1-A football programs went into conferences between 1985-1991. Big East leadership, at the time, was riding a huge wave of success in basketball, and realized that if they wanted to keep programs like Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Boston College in their conference, a football conference would be formed, because those schools were looking elsewhere. THe original 16 team all sports superconference, failed to form in 1990, because the Big East decided to start playing football.

From 1991-2009, leadership in the big east conference, (presidents/AD's/league office) put the economics of basketball, ahead of football, as the driving economic factor for decision making in intercollegiate athletics. John Marinatto came on board and was the first to demonstrate an understanding that things needed to change, by going after TCU - which was clearly a football move, above basketball. At the same time that the conference could have been stabilized, Villanova leadership completely botched up the football upgrade, which IMO, would have stabilized the conference, I wrote about, and how the conference would be gone if they did NOT upgrade - boy did I get on for that position......Villanova came to the table finally with their plan to upgrade in spring 2011 - if you want to call it a plan....and by then, it was too late for the conference by september 2011, and it splintered, the worst backstabbing spit in your faces kind of way. (Villanova gets Temple in hoops now because of it- how's that a karma pill to swallow?

Big east leadership (all the presidents/AD's and conference offices) - finally realized by late fall of 2011, that football is the economic driver, not basketball, and with that problem finally righted, we're in good shape. The timing of the sports broadcasting market, and the expiring contracts of the big east, pretty much are what make the future of the conference possible, without the timing of that? who knows where we'd be right now, probably forming our own conference.

Maybe I'm jsut full of hot air, and a homer, but I believe that the UConn president (Herbst's) public statements in October 2011 about clearly recognizing the need that UConn has to find a place for our athletic department's needs that suits us best....was a major contributor to all those basketball schools and conference office, finally getting that things needed to change for Big East basketball to live on.

And I've said from day 1, that I wanted out of the Big EAst conference since we made the decision to upgrade in 1997, based on the fact that priorities were upside down, it wasn't until late 2011, that I became convinced that priorites had changed,and the ACC is never a place I've wanted to go. I'd rather have the headaches of being independant.

With a Big East conference with it's priorities right, the Big East, is exactly where I want to be.

 

[ZooCougar]

Here's my stance again about it all - the past 33 years in a nutshell.

.

That's awfully big nut.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Whats' the real ironic thing, and issue as to why the new ACC is basically the old Big East - is because the ACC is clearly now the major conference in teh college landscape, that has basketball above football in the decision making processes.

They're going to have all the same problems the Big East had for the next 15-20 years, that the big east had the last 15-20 years because of it.

 

[Carl Spackler]

That's awfully big nut.

That's what she said. I think it's pretty small by my standards.

 

[freescooter]

You know, bl, the Big East as originally created was really meant to be "just" a basketball conference. That was the basic plan. It didn't expand to encompass other sports until later. The league was created in 1979, but women's basketball didn't compete until 1982, Big East baseball came into existence in 1985, soccer around the same time. Around that point the NCAA began encouraging teams to compete in conferences for all sports and simultaneoulsy, encouraging the elimination of single sport conferences. So when UConn for example, joined the Big East it really did do so as a basketball league. Rutgers and Pitt not quite so much, but at that point, again the NCAA was trying to encourage leagues, BC, Syracuse were looking for football partners. What made sense in 1980 or 1991, though might not make as much or any sense in 2012. Indeed, I think one could argue pretty strongly that it does not, given that BC, Syracuse,Pitt, Miami, West virginia and Virginia Tech, all members of the original big East football conference, have left for different conferences. UConn, Rutgers and probably most of the others would do the same thing if they could.

 

[ZooCougar]

Whats' the real ironic thing, and issue as to why the new ACC is basically the old Big East - is because the ACC is clearly now the major conference in teh college landscape, that has basketball above football in the decision making processes.

They're going to have all the same problems the Big East had for the next 15-20 years, that the big east had the last 15-20 years because of it.

It's not irony. The old members got invited to a better country club with better management. This is a big part of why I don't totally buy the argument that the Big East was predestined for mediocrity. The Big East deliberately made decisions that turned out to be bad one. Good commissioners are there to keep the Presidents from stepping in it strategically. Presidents are good at running schools, not conferences. Commissioners run conferences and they execute the will of the Presidents, but good commissioners excel because they can tell Presidents what their will ought to be. They can also find value where few others could not. Jim Delaney used to be Commish of one of the really small conferences, (maybe the Ohio Valley Conference?). He came up with an idea to get the members to play basketball at midnight in order to get on TV. This gimmick was actually a big hit for a time, the students even showed up to the games in pajamas.

Other than some creative scheduling that was based on predicting who the best teams might be, you never saw Tranghese and Marinatto use any sort of football officiating. Sure, they attracted USF, Louisville, Cincy and others but that was a total no brainer. These guys were all about the afterthought. What's worse is that Marinatto wasn't the one who pushed for TCU, Pitt had to twist his arm! Good grief.

 

[freescooter]

It's not irony. The old members got invited to a better country club with better management. This is a big part of why I don't totally buy the argument that the Big East was predestined for mediocrity. The Big East deliberately made decisions that turned out to be bad one. Good commissioners are there to keep the Presidents from stepping in it strategically. Presidents are good at running schools, not conferences. Commissioners run conferences and they execute the will of the Presidents, but good commissioners excel because they can tell Presidents what their will ought to be. They can also find value where few others could. Jim Delaney used to be Commish of one of the really small conferences, (maybe the Ohio Valley Conference?). He came up with an idea to get the members to play basketball at midnight in order to get on TV. This gimmick was actually a big hit for a time, the students even showed up to the games in pajamas.

Other than some creative scheduling that was based on predicting who the best teams might be, you never saw Tranghese and Marinatto use any sort of football officiating. Sure, they attracted USF, Louisville, Cincy and others but that was a total no brainer. These guys were all about the afterthought. What's worse is that Marinatto wasn't the one who pushed for TCU, Pitt had to twist his arm! Good grief.

That is the best description of the difference between a good commissioner and one who isn't good that I have ever seen.

 

[Carl Spackler]

It's not irony. The old members got invited to a better country club with better management. This is a big part of why I don't totally buy the argument that the Big East was predestined for mediocrity. The Big East deliberately made decisions that turned out to be bad one. Good commissioners are there to keep the Presidents from stepping in it strategically. Presidents are good at running schools, not conferences. Commissioners run conferences and they execute the will of the Presidents, but good commissioners excel because they can tell Presidents what their will ought to be. They can also find value where few others could. Jim Delaney used to be Commish of one of the really small conferences, (maybe the Ohio Valley Conference?). He came up with an idea to get the members to play basketball at midnight in order to get on TV. This gimmick was actually a big hit for a time, the students even showed up to the games in pajamas.

Other than some creative scheduling that was based on predicting who the best teams might be, you never saw Tranghese and Marinatto use any sort of football officiating. Sure, they attracted USF, Louisville, Cincy and others but that was a total no brainer. These guys were all about the afterthought. What's worse is that Marinatto wasn't the one who pushed for TCU, Pitt had to twist his arm! Good grief.

I agree. I can't speak for sure about it, but I'd go as far to say, that the conference leadership for many, many years, seemed to allow for the football conference programs to be scheduled at the whim of ESPN, and didn't really care who, when or where the football games were played. It sure seemed like ESPN, did most of the consideration, for scheduling, especially when it came to things like Wednesday night games.

One of the funniest moments of P's first few months on the job, IMO, was when the 2011 schedule came out. He stood at the podium and said he was going down the list, into the conference schedule and then saw Pittsburgh....on a Wednesday night. He looked up and said "Wednesday night?" with that bushy eyebrow raised look he's got - and then shrugged and moved on. A football coach through and through, no time to worry about why that wednesday night game was there, just move on to the next task and deal with it.

But he took one look at the schedule and was like "WTF?"