Yeah, OK Creightonistas, now we see how you really are.

[Norm Peterson]

You remember when Barry Collier was first hired?  Remember how he answered questions in his first press conference about scheduling?  And how, as a major conference school, he said we should try as much as possible to get mid-majors to play here?  At our house?  Rather than at their place?  Like Creighton, for instance?

 

Yeah.  And you remember how the Creighton fans took that comment?  Calling them a mid-major (which refers to their CONFERENCE!) was the worst kind of insult.  OMG.  They hated Barry Collier's guts for that one and never let it die.

 

So, now that they've left the Mighty Mo Valley -- and have now been replaced in the Mo Valley by Loyola-Chicago -- what kind of tune are they singing?

 

A different tune.  Quite a different tune.

 

Kind of tells you really how "mid-major" the valley is....It is too bad they could not get a better program to join.

 

CFAJay  Oct 10, 2013

 

http://bluejayunderground.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=2587&sid=140132441f1c2ecc31ef3d7481aece36

[Tony]

I agree, Norm. But, you are only seeing a small, small fraction of the fan base on your link. I, myself, am glad that Creighton has moved to the Big East (where basketball is the main sport) but will also miss the Valley (where basketball is the main sport). I always enjoyed the basketball played in the Valley. And, yes, I agree, that in terms of the number of elite "athletes", it was below the highest tier conferences. But, in terms of "team" basketball, it was often a pleasure to watch. As was seeing players develop over their four years at their schools. It saddens me to see some CU fans now "mock" the Valley. I am not saying this to be confrontational, but it sounds like stuff Husker fans would say.

(And please, everyone,  I do not want to start a debate about the level of basketball in the Valley.)

[Norm Peterson]

Tony, I have really never cared for this NU-CU "rivalry."  Back before the emergence of the internet message board, you could be a fan of both teams and not feel conflicted.  I grew up a Husker fan but, many years ago, I lived in Omaha and enjoyed following both teams.  Huskers moreso, but I followed both.  And when I moved away from Omaha, I kept my subscription to the OWH and continued to enjoy following both teams.

 

And then this Barry Collier thing happened. 

 

And that was my first introduction into the ugliness of the Nebraska-Creighton basketball rivalry.  (It was also my first introduction to the existence of message board trolls.)  The Creighton fans got their noses bent out of joint over a fairly innocuous comment that Collier made in one of his very first press conferences and they never let it go after that.  And they would swarm the comment section of the OWH following stories about Nebraska losses and rub Husker fans' noses in whatever difficulty we were experiencing.

 

You could try to say that Husker fans did it too, but that wouldn't be accurate for the most part because, while we were struggling against Big 12 teams under Collier, Altman's jays were usually making minced meat of the Mo Valley.

 

Sad part is that it didn't simply infect the basketball community only when they were sitting behind a keyboard.  It spilled over into the game environment.

 

In six years of Barry Collier, we lost every single home game against Creighton.  And every single one of those games, I had Creighton people sitting nearby taunting the Husker crowd with "How's THAT for 'mid-major.'"  It's 5 years later and you're thinking, "Let it go already."

 

So, to now see Creighton fans making comments about the Mo Valley being a "mid-major" (gasp, such an insult, mon dieu!), well, the dissonance is just jarring.  Really?  The same fanbase that nurtured a hatred of Barry Collier for describing the Mo Valley as a mid-major is now calling the Mo Valley a mid-major?  Really?

[Creighton Fan]

Norm, I think you are confused as to why Creighton fans were upset with Collier's comments.

 

It wasn't the "mid-major" line as much as it was that Collier didn't want to play home and homes with Creighton any more that aggravated most CU fans.

[Cousin Mose]

Norm, just so I'm clear here.  You are comparing what an anonymous message board poster has said on a free internet message board about the Valley being a mid-major to what the head coach of an NCAA division one basketball program said about Creighton?  And Creighton fans are the ones who didn't let something go?

[Silverbacked1]

Well Norms nickname is the elephant pit bull, because he hangs on to things and never forgets.

[Tony]

Norm, I have to say also, regarding your second post, that I used to be a fan of both schools (always CU first, though), until I bought my first season tickets to CU in 1982. Then I would see that whenever NU came to Omaha to play, the same type of arrogance from NU fans that you mention about CU fans. Of course, CU fans were very far from packing the arena at that time and many NU fans would show up. But even when Kyle Korver was there, I had an NU fan sitting next to me that just kept telling me that Korver stunk, could not guard the side of a barn, and could never play for NU. But, I also agree with "Creighton Fan" above. I remember being more pissed about Collier wanting to drop the series completely than the "Mid-Major" comment. I do wish NU the best but the rivlary has become pretty ugly.

[royalfan]

Yeah I would be upset if I were a Creighton fan too.  Fact of the matter is Creighton needed that game far more than we did while you were in the Valley. 

[49r]

I wasn't going to bump this derp-a-licious thread earlier, but since you did that today royal, I'll just go ahead and put this startling revelation from DoubleJay in that thread here:

 

I'll be honest. I have a confession.

I get it now. After not understanding for years, I've finally gotten a grasp on it.

What is it? The attitude that fans of the power conference teams have regarding the noncons. They feel that noncon is just filler until the meat of the conference schedule. And, I begrudgingly admit that I now get it.

In the past, I often felt that the multi team event tourneys were largely the highlight of the schedule. Sure, recently there was a Wichita St game to look forward to and I used to look forward to the SIU games when they were good. But other than those games, the rest of the conference schedule was a great big plate of blah. I felt that we were expected to win every other game and paid the price in terms of post season resume when we didn't win them all. Heck, I often felt that if we didn't completely dominate the noncon, our chances at getting to the NCAA tourney revolved entirely around St Louis. 

Now, for maybe the first time ever, I catch myself occasionally wishing that we could hurry up and get the noncon over so that we can start playing conference opponents. Georgetown. Marquette. Villanova. Really, every game other than perhaps Depaul has me pretty excited. Remember when DePaul was the highlight of our noncon schedule? That was only a couple of years ago!!!!

We've come a long way. It is okay to admit it. It doesn't make you ungrateful; there is no need to feel guilty. It just means you appreciate what you have. If that pisses off the other Valley schools, so be it.

[Tony]

I do wish that the Jays do schedule at least one high mid-major team a year. I hope we don't forget how hard it was to try and schedule these games. And, I wouldn't mind playing some of them on there courts. Buck the system of what most majors do.

49r, thanks for posting "one" persons response from a thread above.

[Silverbacked1]

yeah but that " one" person is the biggest...___________(fill in the blank).

He has been kicked off of here for a lot of the crap he wrote, so for him to final say what we thought about him just makes some of us smile.

Nothing more, nothing less.

[royalfan]

I do wish that the Jays do schedule at least one high mid-major team a year. I hope we don't forget how hard it was to try and schedule these games. And, I wouldn't mind playing some of them on there courts. Buck the system of what most majors do.

49r, thanks for posting "one" persons response from a thread above.

 

I would argue that you are in a high mid major conference.  You will play plenty of those games. 

[Tony]

Then my wish and hope have been fulfilled. I can sleep tonight! Thank you, thank you, thank you.

[hhcmatt]

I wasn't going to bump this derp-a-licious thread earlier, but since you did that today royal, I'll just go ahead and put this startling revelation from DoubleJay in that thread here:

 

I'll be honest. I have a confession.

I get it now. After not understanding for years, I've finally gotten a grasp on it.

What is it? The attitude that fans of the power conference teams have regarding the noncons. They feel that noncon is just filler until the meat of the conference schedule. And, I begrudgingly admit that I now get it.

In the past, I often felt that the multi team event tourneys were largely the highlight of the schedule. Sure, recently there was a Wichita St game to look forward to and I used to look forward to the SIU games when they were good. But other than those games, the rest of the conference schedule was a great big plate of blah. I felt that we were expected to win every other game and paid the price in terms of post season resume when we didn't win them all. Heck, I often felt that if we didn't completely dominate the noncon, our chances at getting to the NCAA tourney revolved entirely around St Louis. 

Now, for maybe the first time ever, I catch myself occasionally wishing that we could hurry up and get the noncon over so that we can start playing conference opponents. Georgetown. Marquette. Villanova. Really, every game other than perhaps Depaul has me pretty excited. Remember when DePaul was the highlight of our noncon schedule? That was only a couple of years ago!!!!

We've come a long way. It is okay to admit it. It doesn't make you ungrateful; there is no need to feel guilty. It just means you appreciate what you have. If that pisses off the other Valley schools, so be it.

 

That's some well thought introspection on how one man will change his entire philosophy on how he is a jerk.

[Cousin Mose]

 

I do wish that the Jays do schedule at least one high mid-major team a year. I hope we don't forget how hard it was to try and schedule these games. And, I wouldn't mind playing some of them on there courts. Buck the system of what most majors do.

49r, thanks for posting "one" persons response from a thread above.

 

I would argue that you are in a high mid major conference.  You will play plenty of those games. 

 

 

Out of curiosity, where do you all think the Big East falls now in the pecking order of conferences?  Obviously it will be year to year based on results, etc.  Do you all see the new conference as the fourth best, seventh, etc? 

[Silverbacked1]

I live in Omaha. The offshore heyday is long gone but still decent. Used to be a goldmine. That is why I got into high stakes fantasy sports to have another income stream. Vegas doesn't offer the things I specialize in anyway, so it wouldn't help me to live there. I have started to migrate into large daily fantasy sports action as well. Got creamed early on in baseball but think I figured it out and ended up profitable. Ultimately I am hoping I find that I can just focus on that as the offshore places can be the Wild Wild West to an extent. Been stiffed a lot.

Thanks Royal, I've always wondered about that. You got a big pair of balls on you to have that be your profession, not because I doubt your ability, I just like the certainty of a 9-5.

Well you know it ain't the B1G.... but.

[royalfan]

 

 

I do wish that the Jays do schedule at least one high mid-major team a year. I hope we don't forget how hard it was to try and schedule these games. And, I wouldn't mind playing some of them on there courts. Buck the system of what most majors do.

49r, thanks for posting "one" persons response from a thread above.

 

I would argue that you are in a high mid major conference.  You will play plenty of those games. 

 

 

Out of curiosity, where do you all think the Big East falls now in the pecking order of conferences?  Obviously it will be year to year based on results, etc.  Do you all see the new conference as the fourth best, seventh, etc? 

 

Probably 6th looking at it not for any one year but a general guideline going forward.   With the size of the leagues now, that equates to around 8th in previous seasons.  I never cared for the term mid major though.  Mountain West not the same as the Valley etc.  They should not be lumped in as such.  Big East is closer to a power league than a mid major.  Right ahead of the Mountain West in the long run.  Actually probably quite a ways ahead of them in the long run but I believe lagging behind the other 5 leagues. 

[Tony]

As long as basketball is being played, I"ll be happy. It never bothered me that the Valley was labeled "mid-major." It made no difference to me once the opening buzzer sounded.

[Tony]

Sorry, not to keep chirping, but being mid-major actually made every game meaningful. When your league may only be a one-bid league, there is not much, if any room for mistakes (losses). Your goal had to be to win your conference or tournament. Even winning your conference didn't guarantee a bid if someone else rose up and won the conference tournament. It will seem weird possibly being third, fourth, or fifth in your league and still getting a bid. Being in the major conference that you guys are in, does it sometimes seem like your goal is just to settle for fifth or sixth place, because that could get you a bid? This is a serious question and not a knock against anybody.

[49r]

Sorry, not to keep chirping, but being mid-major actually made every game meaningful. When your league may only be a one-bid league, there is not much, if any room for mistakes (losses). Your goal had to be to win your conference or tournament. Even winning your conference didn't guarantee a bid if someone else rose up and won the conference tournament. It will seem weird possibly being third, fourth, or fifth in your league and still getting a bid. Being in the major conference that you guys are in, does it sometimes seem like your goal is just to settle for fifth or sixth place, because that could get you a bid? This is a serious question and not a knock against anybody.

 

The goal is always to win the league.  Always.  That's never any different.

 

But being realistic, and seeing where we are now and the league at large, a good first step is to qualify for the dance.

 

But winning the league is, was and always will be the goal.

[JayPak]

The goal discussed by coaches at Big East Media Day was to get 5+ teams into the NCAA tournament.  Getting half the league in would put the league squarely in major conference territory.  There's an awareness that this first year's results will go a long way toward shaping perception of the conference.

 

Don't see what's wrong with DJ pointing out (on his home board) that conference play is more important to CU now than MTE's or OOC play.  Guess he struck a nerve.

[hhcmatt]

Don't see what's wrong with DJ pointing out (on his home board) that conference play is more important to CU now than MTE's or OOC play.

 

It's not about right or wrong...it's about a guy who has spent an enormous amount of time and effort to push and defend his point of view completely changing his point of view.  It's not a wonder he found his calling as a lawyer

[SOB]

Quite honestly, for one game at least, Georgetown looked as good as ANY B1G team when they beat MSU last week and they are middle of the pack Big East at best.  I would not have thought of Gtown as a bid team before that game but I sure do now. So you have CU, Nova (locked), X, Gtown (looking likely) in the dance if brackets were being put together today. That's 4 with quite a few games to go.

[Norm Peterson]

Boy, this was not a thread I thought would get resurrected ever. Did you click the wrong thing, SOB?

[hhcmatt]

We didn't bring over any Kyle Korver threads on the board transfer