March Madness 2024

[XUBison]

She has been awful regarding this, along with a few other things this year and is only further digging her own grave. She also said the feedback she got was to continue to play tough non-conference games. That makes zero sense---the Big 12 and MW had horrible non-conference sos for the most part, and got a ton of their crap teams in.

You can prove a freaking point, without yelling and screaming and I'm not a fan of the political stance she has taken on this.

What are the “few other things”? My only sense has been that she is universally esteemed by BE membership. I don’t think she’s anywhere near having dug her own grave, but maybe I missed something?

[XUBison]

"We have to abide by the committee's process," she said, according to college basketball broadcaster John Fanta. "Are we working behind the scenes to try to better understand what the committee is looking for? Yes, that is happening. But I don't think screaming at the top of my lungs is going to get us more teams."

Probably better for her to stop commenting than keep saying stuff like this. Somehow she keeps getting worse at this. She has done a ton for this conference to this point but someone said on twitter, maybe its time for a "wartime consigliere".

I agree there’s a lot of weak sauce in these public statements. I also think there’s not much to say about a few of our (kind of crappy) teams not making it in a year with wacky, unprecedented bid thievery. A little fire and gusto might have at least been cathartic for us fans though, and I suppose it would have sent a message that the BE is going to fight, when necessary. I do also suspect, however, that the BE presidents are steering the BE response and are satisfied with it thus far.

[Xville]

What are the “few other things”? My only sense has been that she is universally esteemed by BE membership. I don’t think she’s anywhere near having dug her own grave, but maybe I missed something?

She's simply a horrible marketer of the conference. You have one of the biggest media companies in the world that is supposed to be your partner, and she has done about zero with it. I appreciate her service over the last decade, but this is a whole new world, and with no football to fall back on, you have to think outside of the box and actually do something to promote your league.

I firmly doubt that a stronger commissioner would have allowed what Cooley did, but even if that were allowed, a stronger commissioner would have taken that Divine Providence doc and done something with it to promote the league.

[xubrew]

She's simply a horrible marketer of the conference. You have one of the biggest media companies in the world that is supposed to be your partner, and she has done about zero with it. I appreciate her service over the last decade, but this is a whole new world, and with no football to fall back on, you have to think outside of the box and actually do something to promote your league.

I firmly doubt that a stronger commissioner would have allowed what Cooley did, but even if that were allowed, a stronger commissioner would have taken that Divine Providence doc and done something with it to promote the league.

What Cooley did?? As in...change jobs?? Okay, name one example in the entire history of college athletics where a conference commissioner inserted themselves into something like that. Do you even know what a commissioner actually does??

[Xville]

What Cooley did?? As in...change jobs?? Okay, name one example in the entire history of college athletics where a conference commissioner inserted themselves into something like that. Do you even know what a commissioner actually does??

That's not something that would ever be made public.

[xubrew]

That's not something that would ever be made public.

Okay, sure, but public or not when has it ever happened? When has a conference commissioner ever had any influence at all over any hiring decisions, firing decisions, or really any personnel decisions of any kind, that any institution has ever made?

I'm not trying to defend Val Ackerman. I'm just saying that if you're going to be critical of her, then at least stick to the things that are within the parameters of what she actually does.

[Xville]

Okay, sure, but public or not when has it ever happened? When has a conference commissioner ever had any influence at all over any hiring decisions, firing decisions, or really any personnel decisions of any kind, that any institution has ever made?

I'm not trying to defend Val Ackerman. I'm just saying that if you're going to be critical of her, then at least stick to the things that are within the parameters of what she actually does.

Harbaugh.

Let me ask ya---do you think the Big East University Presidents (the commissioner's bosses, right?) other than Gtown of course were pleased that Cooley changed jobs within the conference? It's a really bad look.

[GoMuskies]

Was she going to threaten to kick Georgetown out of the league if they hired Cooley?

[xubrew]

Harbaugh.

Let me ask ya---do you think the Big East University Presidents (the commissioner's bosses, right?) other than Gtown of course were pleased that Cooley changed jobs within the conference? It's a really bad look.

So it was Tony Petitti wanting Harbaugh gone after he'd just won a national title, and not the Chargers wanting to hire him for $16 million a year, that ultimately forced him out. Had Harbaugh wanted to stay at Michigan he wouldn't have been able to because Petitti would not have allowed it.

This is all quite fascinating.

[Xville]

So it Tony Petitti wanting Harbaugh gone after he'd just won a national title, and not the Chargers wanting to hire him for $16 million a year, that ultimately forced him out. Had Harbaugh wanted to stay at Michigan he wouldn't have been able to because Petitti would not have allowed it.

This is all quite fascinating.

You asked if there were any personnel decisions a commissioner had ever made. He made a personnel decision when he suspended Harbaugh during the season.