In the ongoing discussion over live blogging events and exclusive broadcast rights brought on by Brian Bennett of the Louisville Courier-Journal being ejected from the press box for blogging the action of an NCAA Super Regional Baseball game, the one thing that has been made unclear to me is who demanded the enforcement?
Due to the NCAA's broadcasting agreement with ESPN, bloggers are not permitted to update their sites with in-game coverage from the baseball press box. In-game updates include providing readers with the score, inning of the game, roster moves, etc. The policy was enacted at a baseball game, but applies to all NCAA championship events.
[Emphasis added.]
That's an interesting bit. Regular season NCAA basketball and football games are under broadcasting agreements by the various conferences. The Bowl Game broadcasts are also outside of the NCAA contracts. So, for example, beat writers from the Syracuse Post-Standard weren't violating the agreement with the NCAA and ESPN when they liveblogged the action from Syracuse basketball games and the Big East Tournament (whether it was a violation of the ESPN-Big East broadcast would be a different issue).
Another NCAA "championship" event was the NIT. The NIT broadcast contract was with ESPN and took place only three months ago. Once more the Syracuse beat writers liveblogged 'CuseNIT games with impunity and without repercussions.
An ESPN spokesman, Mike Humes, said: "To be honest, we didn't ask for it. They didn't consult us." Bearby, the N.C.A.A. lawyer, said the N.C.A.A. initiated the action because "the entertainment event or sporting event has the ability to limit access to who gets that firsthand account."
So, yes, it was all the NCAA that decided to enforce the contract terms for the first time, and without being requested by the potentially injured party -- the broadcast rights holders.
That makes NCAA, not "arcane," as Josh Centor described his employers' actions, but more like bullies. Selectively acting to toss reporters from the press box for violating a clause in the broadcast contract (by construing it in a possibly overbroad manner) that the potentially injured party did not even request enforced.
Conference meetings always produce a lot of talk, but little action. What makes the talk interesting is the curiosity over who started the conversation. Take this little bit of gossip from the Big East basketball coaches.
At the Big East meetings last week, one coach proposed a rule that would allow members to recruit prospects who are released from their letters of intent by a fellow league member in the event of a coaching change. It's becoming more common for players to be released under those circumstances, and the coach argued it would be better if that talent remained in the league. The proposal did not gain strong support.
The Big East has one of the tightest restrictions on transfers and poaching within the conference. Essentially, once a player signs with a Big East school, that player can never go to another Big East school to play that sport. Period. Not even as a walk-on paying his/her own way. It stems from the earliest days of the league when it was a basketball only league and most of the schools were in such close proximity and constantly battling over the same recruits. Hard feelings, bitter relations, and nasty accusations among the schools and coaches over players. There was a good reason why they instituted the rule
That the coaches in the conference would reject such a minor exception -- coach leaving, the school formally releasing the player from his letter of intent and the kid never even setting foot on the campus as a student -- is a little surprising. Still, old habits die hard.
The fun part is speculating on which Big East coach made the proposal. My guess: Seton Hall, Bobby Gonzalez. He's been fighting for a slew of recruits in just his first year, and has just missed on a few blue-chippers. He would have the most to gain from this. When you consider that the coaches likely to be on the hot seat next year -- Norm Roberts, St. John's and Tim Welsh, Providence -- are competing directly against him. Not to mention that Jay Wright at Villanova spent the past year contending with rumors that he was heading to the Sixers or a bigger job.
It would also explain why the proposal met with little interest. Gonzalez's, um, intense nature, tends to grate on a lot of people -- especially fellow coaches.
Syracuse Coach Jim Boeheim turns 63 in November. It will be his 32nd season as the Orange coach. There are no signs that Boeheim is planning to retire. This spring, however, there has been some wondering about who will be the person to succeed Boeheim when he calls it a day.
The obvious choice has been Syracuse assistant and former player/team captain, Mike Hopkins. Since joining the coaching staff in 1995, he has been an excellent recruiter. He has been credited with recruiting Gerry McNamara, Hakim Warrick, Demetris Nichols, Paul Harris and Jonny Flynn. Hopkins turned down head coaching opportunities in the last few seasons, as the 37-year-old coach has become one of the hotter assistants in the Northeast.
Syracuse and Boeheim, apparently, have decided that the whispering on the recruiting trail as to how much longer he will be coaching is getting louder. They also don't want to risk Hopkins getting too good of an opportunity that has him leaving. ESPN.com and the Syracuse Post-Standard are reporting that Mike Hopkins, indeed will be named -- and it will be put in writing -- the successor to Boeheim when he does step down.
The source said there was still no formal contract between the university and Hopkins, but that the two parties have "agreed to agree."
"It's just a matter of getting everyone together," the source said.
Such a contract really has little meaning, except to try and stop the negative recruiting and project an image of stability that will continue at Syracuse. Since there is no time frame, other than when Boeheim chooses to retire, the contract is lacking a defined time frame.
According to the NCAA, if it wasn't for the "squad size adjustments" to the APR results this year, 43.6% of the Division 1 basketball programs would be under the Academic Progrees Rate (APR) this year (PDF, page 5). The Big East is a team worse than that average as 8 of the 16 basketball programs are under the 925 minimum score. The rankings are still incomplete as the APR is to be based on a rolling 4-year rankings, and this is only year three. Teams that are right around 900 are not penalized as there are "squad sized adjustments" to the figures. The NCAA expects that teams around 900 will reach the 925 floor by next year.
Villanova 993
Notre Dame 977
Georgetown 970
Syracuse 948
Rutgers 943
Providence 938
UConn 934
Marquette 927
Seton Hall 921*
Louisville 920*
WVU 915*
St. John's 909*
Pitt 907*
USF 898*
DePaul 893*
Cinci 838**
Cincinnati was penalized one scholarship for not even being close to the confidence level of the APR. Cinci apparently anticipated this, as they have not used all 13 of their allotted scholarships. While the blame will fall largely on former coach Bob Huggins, Cinci was really hurt by the firing of Huggins and the subsequent quitting and transfers of players afterwards.
"I had a baby Thursday evening at 7:34," Goodwin said. "She's healthy, I'm healthy. We're both doing great. I plan on returning back to Syracuse in the fall to continue my senior year and play basketball for Syracuse University. I will be taking online classes this summer, and in August she's going to be with family while I attend school."
When Goodwin finally told her coaches that she was pregnant, they made her sit out, but that came with just one game left in the season. There are apparently no rules about such things as whether or not a pregnant woman can compete in NCAA sports. And there are apparently no rules about whether a player can lose her scholarship if she has to miss playing time because she's pregnant.
If you're interested in the intersection of pregnancy and basketball, I highly recommend the documentary The Heart of the Game.
[UPDATE: We mistakenly believed that Syracuse was a lock for the NCAA Tournament. We apologize for jumping the gun on proclaiming them in the tournament.] Conference:Big East Record: 22-6, 10-6 in conference RPI: 51 How They Got In:At-largeThey didn't Seed: TBD
Mascot: Orange. Quite an up-and-down history for the Syracuse Mascot. Originally it was the Saltine Warrior, "an Indian figure named Big Chief Bill Orange." It was apparently started as part of a hoax in the school paper, but it stuck. The Saltine Warrior was retired in 1978 after protests by Native Americans. The school tried to go with a gladiator, but was never accepted. Eventually Otto the Orange went from unofficial to official mascot. The school dropped "Orangemen" in favor of "Orange" in the name of gender neutrality.
Big Wins: Knocking off #10 Georgetown was the game that convinced most that they were in the NCAA -- or at least deserving of being on the right side of the bubble.
Notable Loss: It's still baffling to figure out how they could lose to St. John's. but they did. Player You Should Know: Senior Forward Demetris Nichols was one of the best players in the Big East this year able to knock down threes and drive inside. He averages 19 points and over 5 rebounds per game. If he has a good game, it opens things up for the rest of the team as opposing defenses have to key in on him.
Outlook: The Orange played better in the last few weeks, but they are especially susceptible to teams that can speed up the pace. Going faster means that the Orange don't have as much time to set their inside players, and Eric Devendorf tends to get caught up in accelerating the pace and starts turning the ball over. They might get a game win in the Tournament, but it's hard to envision them making it to the Sweet 16. Not the worst thing considering the new Nike unis they are wearing will be receiving ongoing abuse.
Georgetown 62 Villanova 52 57 Okay, so obviously I meant to say that Villanova would come out slowly and sluggishly and finish with a strong effort before falling to Georgetown. Not come out strong and fade down the stretch. Just a simple typo. No coach ever will admit it is good to lose, especially in a conference tournament. Still, I think this is not the worst thing for Villanova to be going home early. They are solidly in the NCAA Tournament, but they need a little rest. Scottie Reynolds has been outstanding in the past couple weeks, but he is only a freshman and has to be a little worn down by the full season. The team is a little banged up, which only put more pressure on Reynolds and Sumpter to play lots of minutes and do everything. Nardi needs a little time to get healthy.
Georgetown came out hot and then coasted the rest of the way. They shouldn't be too bothered that Villanova got this close by the end. The Hoyas didn't surrender their double digit lead until there was 1:27 left in the game. Georgetown is still doing well and positioning itself for a #2 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Notre Dame 89 Syracuse 83 The Orange couldn't hit free throws again. Terrence Roberts was a monster on the boards with 20, but was 0-6 on free throws. Roberts wasn't the only one missing, as they shot 16-29 on FTs, but it is glaring. Syracuse is going to find itself as a #9 seed or so in the NCAA Tournament.
Notre Dame was in a fight for most of the first half, but really forced the tempo to a pace they were more comfortable with. The Irish finally made me look good with a prediction as they attacked the zone and had the balanced offense with Harangody inside, Colin Falls from outside, and Russell Carter driving.
The Big East daytime games look like great fun. A rubber match and a revenge factor are involved.
#9 Villanova vs. #1 Georgetown, 12 pm The teams split two games this season with each winning on the road. Even if Villanova hadn't played yesterday, there is a decided advantage to Georgetown because the status of Villanova senior guard Mike Nardi is questionable with a strained calf and a sprained ankle in his left leg. He only played 5 minutes in the DePaul game yesterday. On top of that, his replacement freshman Reggie Redding rolled his ankle in the game and was limping quite a bit. That's some serious depth deficiency for the Wildcats against one of the most patient teams on offense and defense. Oh, and all five 'Nova starters played 30+ minutes yesterday. Prediction: Villanova gives a valiant first half effort, and may even hold a slim halftime lead. The second half, though, the fatigue and lack of depth will catch up to the Wildcats. Georgetown will make Villanova work for every basket and keep them moving on the defensive end. Georgetown pulls away in the second half. #5 Syracuse vs. #4 Notre Dame, 2 pm All eyes on Syracuse again. Mainly because they'll be wearing the road version of their new Nike unis. The two teams played once this season with the Irish running Syracuse off their own court. The 103-91 score was only that close thanks to a late Orange run to get it respectable for a while. It was a huge win for Notre Dame as they proved they could win a big road conference game with that win. Both teams have played well in the final month and both have won 7 of their last 9 games. Prediction: Syracuse's Demetris Nichols will be the best player on the court, but Notre Dame has more balance and consistency, with their inside and outside players. The overall consistency and choice of options -- whether its Falls on the perimeter or Luke Harangody and Rob Kurz battling inside -- makes me want to favor the Irish. As long as Russell Carter and the other guards for ND also remember to penetrate and attack the 2-3 zone and the basket they will have the advantage over Syracuse.
I wasn't surprised by the outcomes, but I had the way they won reversed in my preview.
Villanova 75 DePaul 67. The Wildcats didn't shoot particularly well from the field. But what they did exceptionally well was make their free throws. Boy did they make their free throws. Villanova, the best FT shooting team in the Big East, was 33-38 from the line. It was 61-57, Villanova with a little over 2 minutes left. They never made another field goal, but were 14-18 from the line in that period as DePaul kept fouling and Villanova kept making FTs. Freshman guard Scottie Reynolds scored 29 points with 13 coming at the line. Curtis Sumpter had 25 as well.
For DePaul, they stayed close throughout the game but just couldn't get the game tied. Wilson Chandler and Sammy Mejia had about their normal games and there was matching production from Draelon Burns. The three combined for 56 points. The problem was that the other 6 players provided 11 points on 4-14 shooting.
Syracuse 78 UConn 65. UConn had a 2-point lead at the half. They played a very good first half, but couldn't get separation as Eric Devendorf for Syracuse kept the Orange in the game in the first half. In the second half, Demetris Nichols took over and scored 28 points. Syracuse went on a 19-6 run when the score was tied at 40 to bust the game open. UConn was the UConn team they have been all season. Unable to handle adversity and fading. UConn Coach Jim Calhoun got a technical late in the second half and I'm really not sure whether he was lashing out at the officiating or his own team after the game.
"When bad things happen to you by incompetent people, and they do happen to you at times, and as that built we became a little more frustrated," Calhoun said.
I'm assuming he was blaming the refs, but it really applied to the way his own team has played this season.
Syracuse struggled making free throws -- 13-25 -- or the game would have been a bigger blowout by the end of the game. Luckily for Syracuse, UConn struggled shooting -- period. Under 35% shooting in the game.
This is not the kind of picture of the new Nike uni in action, that I would think would encourage sales. No wonder all the pictures they have made available, featured the models wearing them standing perfectly still.
Demetris Nichols looks like his shorts have deployed as a parachute while taking a shot. Not sure if that's the look intended, that the billowing shorts will slowly lower him to the ground. That or the plan is to make the players look like the bad comic book characters of Rob Liefeld.
In the ongoing discussion over live blogging events and exclusive broadcast rights brought on by Brian Bennett of the Louisville Courier-Journal being ejected from the press box for blogging the action of an NCAA Super Regional Baseball game, the one thing that has been made unclear to me is who demanded the enforcement?
Conference meetings always produce a lot of talk, but little action. What makes the talk interesting is the curiosity over who started the conversation. Take this little bit of 
Syracuse Coach Jim Boeheim turns 63 in November. It will be his 32nd season as the Orange coach. There are no signs that Boeheim is planning to retire. This spring, however, there has been some wondering about who will be the person to succeed Boeheim when he calls it a day. 
According to the NCAA, if it wasn't for the "squad size adjustments" to the APR results this year, 
Lisa Leslie is sitting out the WNBA season because she's pregnant. But that didn't stop Syracuse forward 
[UPDATE: We mistakenly believed that Syracuse was a lock for the NCAA Tournament. We apologize for jumping the gun on proclaiming them in the tournament. ]
Georgetown 62 Villanova 
The Big East daytime games look like great fun. A rubber match and a revenge factor are involved.
I wasn't surprised by the outcomes, but I had the way they won reversed in my 
This is not the kind of picture of the new Nike uni in action, that I would think would encourage sales. No wonder all the pictures they have made available, featured the models wearing them standing perfectly still.
