The Rest of College Football

[WM Wolverine]

No more Pam Ward on ESPN.

[Hannibal]

But now they have Beth Mowins, so it's a wash.

[Wild Hoss]

Texas and Missouri are roughly equal in population to Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan. I think Texas would have to qualify as the more football rabid state than any of the B10 states by a mile. (just my opinion of course)

They don't have Missouri anymore. Even if they did- and still had Colorado- they have no counter for Illinois' population. Heck Wisconsin is a middle-pack Big Ten state in terms of population, and is as big as either one. Big 12 is way behind the population curve despite the fact the media would like to paint a different picture, and won't close that gap significantly in our lifetimes. There just aren't many people in Oklahoma, Kansas and West Virginia, and there aren't going to be.

I'd put Nebraska's football enthusiasm up against Texas' any day.

[hack]

Tony I'm unclear on what point it is you are making or whether you're just trolling the thread with a view to crapping on the Big Ten in whatever way presents itself at that particular moment. Rose Bowl ratings, SEC superiority, and then enthusiasm and population. In your mind does it point to any conclusion for which there is some evidence on offer?

[whodean]

This is a UM board, you have to expect a bit of B1G homerism, Tony.

[hack]

Precisely. People here aren't familiar with the arguments and counterarguments. They've never seen them before and haven't discussed them over the course of every offseason since internet sports forums were invented. Posters on this board don't know how to offer evidence to support their own points of view, or to spot the agendas behind the incomplete narratives presented so often and explain why the numbers don't jive. What this pathetic lot of insular and irrational flailers really needs is the constant repetition of the same old lines, but presented each time as new and novel injections of perspective from The Outside World.

[lineygoblue]

hmmm... I think Hack just told somebody off ... but first I gotta go grab my dictionary ....

[whodean]

You can borrow my Hack -> English dictionary later, liney! ;->

It seems like Tony was trying to put a bee under some folks bonnets here in the UM forum, where objectivity on this topic isn't guaranteed.

[hack]

It definitely seemed like he was trying to do that. Stirring up shit is a legitimate and accepted activity on a sports forum. I'm just recommending to not do a shitty job at it. Many of the posters here are exceptionally knowledgeable about on- and off-the-field topics and since I've been back as a regular I've learned tons about college football here. Those of you who simply see a bunch of homers in need of perspective are getting less out of it than you could otherwise.

[Wild Hoss]

Yeah, what he said!

I think...

[whodean]

Many of the posters here are exceptionally knowledgeable a...Those of you who simply see a bunch of homers

The two are mutually exclusive? (not that there is necessarily anything wrong with being a homer)

[hack]

This is a UM board, you have to expect a bit of B1G homerism, Tony.

Well then maybe you might want to explain what you mean there. Was it that there's nothing inherently wrong with homerism? Just my impression, but that sounds to me like a way to avoid responding to the actual content of the posts.

[whodean]

I meant that we should expect a certain degree of Big 10 pride here, rational and otherwise.

[Tony G]

It seems like Tony was trying to put a bee under some folks bonnets here in the UM forum, where objectivity on this topic isn't guaranteed.

First off, I am a less than frequent poster on here. Along with that, I conceed that I am nowhere near as invested in the positions here than the regulars.

This forum has some very cool posters who make it worthwhile to read. Some of the form chatter is a bit odd but hey, this is your crib.


There is also a less than objective view on the importance of the B1G, in my opinion. That's cool. It's your home town conference, mine too. In recent years the SEC has gotten more attention and produced more teams that won the mythical National Championship. The reaction to that, and to OSU and MSU, is to proclaim the virtue of U-M's integrity.

I did not come in here with an agenda to disturb the natives and rile things up. When I saw posts that prompted a response I chimed in sometimes. Looking at that now, I would say there is certainly an element of "Are you sure that's what you really mean?" in my posts. Again, this was not an agenda but it appears to have evolved into a position.

[hack]

We most certainly should expect some pride. However should there be any irrational posts, those of you posing as the disinterested and above-the-fray outsiders to this supposed Big Ten pity party should have no trouble explaining how they are irrational and why. I don't see that happening from our resident devil's advocates, valued though they may be for their posts. I see some rather general assertions, like of the importance of a minor bowl to the economy of San Diego, or the qualitative impressions of the difference in rabidity between fans in Texas vs other states. I also see periods of silence after numbers are proffered.