Sam McKewon - It's time for the Big Ten to quit the girl

[knapplc]

You first noticed her as she walked by the lake, kicking through leaves as she wore a blue pea coat and gold scarf. A short brunette with full red cheeks, she smiled at you, and you joined her, and it was the start of it. Walks. Hands held. You had so much in common with her. She was serious about her studies. She could talk on nearly any subject. Sports. Poetry. Art. She favored earth tones – blue, green, brown, gold – and dressed impeccably. Classy beyond her years. You lost track of her each summer, but come fall, that lake, she was your autumn girl.

 

You gave her a ring. She demurred. She smiled. She told you to keep it, for one day, when she might say yes. She bounced around other social circles – more than she was around you, in fact – but she didn't seem completely tied to them. She was seemingly with everyone, but alone with herself. It drove you nuts. Why couldn't she see?

 

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Typical good stuff from Sam.

[StPaulHusker]

I might agree that the B1G should get away from ND for the time being. But never take your eye off of them. Things in CFB changes so dramatically.

[BlueInTheFace]

f#*k ND. Let them go wallow with their new ACC buddies.

[strigori]

I might agree that the B1G should get away from ND for the time being. But never take your eye off of them. Things in CFB changes so dramatically.

Don't be that guy. ND rejected the B1G multiple times, cut the ties and walk away. Don't be Millhouse.

[nic]

I think they may have cut bait awhile ago. If not...its past time.

[Notre Dame Joe]

I might agree that the B1G should get away from ND for the time being. But never take your eye off of them. Things in CFB changes so dramatically.

Don't be that guy. ND rejected the B1G multiple times, cut the ties and walk away. Don't be Millhouse.

 

After years of pushing Lisa away because she had had cuties, pubery hit and the tables turned. But now you gotta make time for Jersey Girls and the other one.

 

Say how come you never hear the expression Maryland Girls?

[nic]

I think ND Joe is referring to when ND was passed over a long long time ago, mostly due to Michigan's objections. Since then, ND has turned down offers twice. Once after Penn State joined, and also in 1999 when they were almost in, but the board of trustees killed the idea. Ironically, if they had joined, I doubt the Big Ten would have been looking to expand again. ND is in the ACC now, but at least ND Joe seems to like hanging out on Big Ten boards. :-)

[Notre Dame Joe]

I think ND Joe is referring to when ND was passed over a long long time ago, mostly due to Michigan's objections. Since then, ND has turned down offers twice. Once after Penn State joined, and also in 1999 when they were almost in, but the board of trustees killed the idea. Ironically, if they had joined, I doubt the Big Ten would have been looking to expand again. ND is in the ACC now, but at least ND Joe seems to like hanging out on Big Ten boards. :-)

 

Ironically I found this place trying to warn Huskers not to get involved with the Big10. Apparently Director Osborne wasn't reading.

[nic]

Really. Why did you care enough to bother? Are you sort of a Husker fan too, or do you just hate the Big Ten?

So do you think Lisa will someday make a comittment and just settle down with the ACC or will her flirtations take her to the highest bidder?

I am not sure where you pulled the Lisa reference from.

[Notre Dame Joe]

Really. Why did you care enough to bother? Are you sort of a Husker fan too, or do you just hate the Big Ten?

So do you think Lisa will someday make a comittment and just settle down with the ACC or will her flirtations take her to the highest bidder?

I am not sure where you pulled the Lisa reference from.

 

I always admired NU because we took on a lot of the same traditions; building a national football programs in the heartland without large urban population, local elite talent, or beachfront property. I didn't think that the programs that run the Big10 would allow for a third team to be a national title contender and I still do not. Maybe NU can carve out her own way and win the ccg with some rwgularity, we'll see.

 

As for ND, all the signs indicate we've survived another attempt to be strong armed into a conference although we had to pay a big price of 5 games this time. I doubt that anyone will be clamoring for full membership after 12 years of playing Wake and NCST in football.

[scarletNcream]

I for one enjoy ND Joe's imput on this Husker board. Don't really see it as a BIG 10 board. It is time to let ND walk way. If the BIG could not get it done when ND was down, what makes them think they can get it done now that they are on the rise? If Michigan kept them out in the past and the rumors are correct that they said no to FSU too, then someone needs to relieve them of some power at the table. To listen to the coaches and AD's of the "East" division, we are back in the division of "poor red headed stepchildren". OH, we still get Wiskey, really, we can't play with the big boys division. Joe is right, there are 2 schools in this conference and they will always get the breaks. Let ND go and if expansion is on the horizon again, go after a school that wants to be in the BIG.

[HSKR]

Notre Dame would have been a good fit for with the BIG in athletics but I'm not sure they would have ever been a good partner academically with the CIC since they have a lot of backwards thinking as an institution in some areas of research. It's probably better off for everyone to part ways and leave it at that.

[nic]

I think they let ND walk away already. I dont think going after schools in the ACC was an attmept to make ND join our conference. I think it was just a TV set grab. I agree ND would have been a good fit even academically from what understand. My sense from the ND fans that I know is that they really don't like the Big Ten and it would be a last resort, but ND Joe would know better than I. I also doubt Michigan had anything to do with not getting FSU, if they were even on the table. But I do think the Big Ten really wanted to expaned again, and soon, to at least 16, based on Delany's latest comments. The ACC schools said no with the GOR. The days of Michigan and OSU owning the Big Ten are long gone. The Big Ten needs different teams to step up more like the SEC, I would think they should strive for that. All Wiscy, MSU, PSU and NU have to do is win it.

[Notre Dame Joe]

I think they let ND walk away already. I dont think going after schools in the ACC was an attmept to make ND join our conference. I think it was just a TV set grab. I agree ND would have been a good fit even academically from what understand. My sense from the ND fans that I know is that they really don't like the Big Ten and it would be a last resort, but ND Joe would know better than I. I also doubt Michigan had anything to do with not getting FSU, if they were even on the table. But I do think the Big Ten really wanted to expaned again, and soon, to at least 16, based on Delany's latest comments. The ACC schools said no with the GOR. The days of Michigan and OSU owning the Big Ten are long gone. The Big Ten needs different teams to step up more like the SEC, I would think they should strive for that. All Wiscy, MSU, PSU and NU have to do is win it.

 

On it's face the Big10 is for big state schools while we belong in a conference with private undergrad focused Us that do a moderate amount of grad research. But the driving appearance issue was that ND in the Big10 would mean we were regionalized and would have an even tougher time recruiting athletes out of Florida. Father Jenkins even said that, it's rare that you see a state U President plucks a quote directly off of the fan message boards.

 

The colmunist is a Husker so he probably has no particular attachment to a series with ND, but UM/MSU/Purdue has always been our September. The antipathy of our fans centers on Michigan, who, fairly or not, is blamed for all of the Big10 friction. That's why the Irish boards were happy to see the UM series end but there's been much more hand wriinging over losing the games vs Purdue and Sparty. In the name of ratings, everywhere schools are trading bus rides to their rivals for plane rides into new tv markets.

 

Ohio doesn't get the same attention for some reason, be ready for moaning about how Michigan blew your chance to get into Florida State and the supposed benefits that would bring. It's very easy to see a verbal flip or a blown call and attribute it to an Eastern or Northern bias.

[strigori]

Really. Why did you care enough to bother? Are you sort of a Husker fan too, or do you just hate the Big Ten?

So do you think Lisa will someday make a comittment and just settle down with the ACC or will her flirtations take her to the highest bidder?

I am not sure where you pulled the Lisa reference from.

From the Millhouse reference I used. The Simpsons. Millhouse is always chasing Lisa, but she wants nothing to do with him. At least that was the case when I stopped watching new ones several years ago.