What I like about Basketball

[ABYUFAN]

The WCC is garbage and it makes us play down to said garbage. Last season our best games were against top competition on big stages. But then conference play begins. 400 spectator gyms and volleyball schools don't excite us fans or the players one bit. But, yes, it's true the season goes on no matter the losses. Pretty much each season comes down to Gonzaga and St. Mary's.

I don't get this perspective. We have a great, spectacular arena to play in. Why do some of our fans really need to care about the size of the other arenas in our conference? I get why Ute fans make a big deal about this, they subscribe to the argument that they are now “cool” because they hang out with “cool” people, but can’t we as fans not worry about whether those we associate with are considered to be “cool” or not (not that they aren’t cool, I, for one, consider the schools and locations that we traded the MWC for to join the WCC to be an upgrade.)
I've had the opportunity to attend a few games here in California in the "400 spectator gyms" and could not disagree more with your assessment of the player's so-called "lack of desire." These schools that we play are all on beautiful campuses, and in nice locations. They have excited student bodies, and the tuition to attend these schools seems like it is often 10 times what it costs to go to BYU, so it's not like BYU is slumming it in these venues. Stated another way, I’ve attended games in the Huntsman Center. The gyms in the WCC are all nicer than the Huntsman Center, they just hold less fans.

So what if there are 4,000 spectators, we get all the huge crowds that we want at home, My perspective is that the team seems to enjoy going around the gyms of the team they are visiting and high fiving those of us who have come to see them play here. I think that they like going on a road trip and hearing a bunch of BYU fans equal the number of home fans.


PS I too like football better

[rblack]

I agree. I really like that aspect. What I dislike is that I don't find it anywhere near as fun or exciting as football.

I enjoy football. I love basketball. Strangely enough, I don't watch either on the pro level.

[rblack]

I agree. I really like that aspect. What I dislike is that I don't find it anywhere near as fun or exciting as football.

I am a huge basketball fan as well as football, but at the moment I find the excitement level lacking for me personally in both sports since the move to Independence in football and the WCC in basketball. Outside of Gonzaga, there isn't one conference opponent that I get very excited to watch in person. Back in the MWC days the games against UNLV, San Diego St., and New Mexico were some epic battles in the MC. Don't get me wrong, I love cheering for the Cougars in both sports, but for me it's not the same as it once was

Unfortunately you're right. The WCC has been a great place to land, but it's less exciting in terms of overall opponents.

Agreed. However, when we were in the MWC, we could never see BYU play because of the stupid TV contract. At the time, I was living in New York and my only option was KSL radio online. At least now, we get to watch them play if we can't actually go to the games.

[Wolverine]

I agree. I really like that aspect. What I dislike is that I don't find it anywhere near as fun or exciting as football.

I am a huge basketball fan as well as football, but at the moment I find the excitement level lacking for me personally in both sports since the move to Independence in football and the WCC in basketball. Outside of Gonzaga, there isn't one conference opponent that I get very excited to watch in person. Back in the MWC days the games against UNLV, San Diego St., and New Mexico were some epic battles in the MC. Don't get me wrong, I love cheering for the Cougars in both sports, but for me it's not the same as it once was

Unfortunately you're right. The WCC has been a great place to land, but it's less exciting in terms of overall opponents.

Agreed. However, when we were in the MWC, we could never see BYU play because of the stupid TV contract. At the time, I was living in New York and my only option was KSL radio online. At least now, we get to watch them play if we can't actually go to the games.

This is definitely a positive aspect of the move to Independence and the WCC. Rarely is it when a game isn't televised.

[mizzoucoug]

The WCC is garbage and it makes us play down to said garbage. Last season our best games were against top competition on big stages. But then conference play begins. 400 spectator gyms and volleyball schools don't excite us fans or the players one bit. But, yes, it's true the season goes on no matter the losses. Pretty much each season comes down to Gonzaga and St. Mary's.

I don't get this perspective. We have a great, spectacular arena to play in. Why do some of our fans really need to care about the size of the other arenas in our conference? I get why Ute fans make a big deal about this, they subscribe to the argument that they are now “cool” because they hang out with “cool” people, but can’t we as fans not worry about whether those we associate with are considered to be “cool” or not (not that they aren’t cool, I, for one, consider the schools and locations that we traded the MWC for to join the WCC to be an upgrade.)
I've had the opportunity to attend a few games here in California in the "400 spectator gyms" and could not disagree more with your assessment of the player's so-called "lack of desire." These schools that we play are all on beautiful campuses, and in nice locations. They have excited student bodies, and the tuition to attend these schools seems like it is often 10 times what it costs to go to BYU, so it's not like BYU is slumming it in these venues. Stated another way, I’ve attended games in the Huntsman Center. The gyms in the WCC are all nicer than the Huntsman Center, they just hold less fans.

So what if there are 4,000 spectators, we get all the huge crowds that we want at home, My perspective is that the team seems to enjoy going around the gyms of the team they are visiting and high fiving those of us who have come to see them play here. I think that they like going on a road trip and hearing a bunch of BYU fans equal the number of home fans.


PS I too like football better

Because players like playing on massive stages. Fans like massive stages. They want their team in the spotlight. The bigger the better. And the WCC doesn't offer any marquee matchups outside of Gonzaga and SMU. I don't get why this perspective is so hard to understand. I understand yours after all. I just don't agree with it.
Is this actually a difficult concept to grasp?

[ABYUFAN]

The WCC is garbage and it makes us play down to said garbage. Last season our best games were against top competition on big stages. But then conference play begins. 400 spectator gyms and volleyball schools don't excite us fans or the players one bit. But, yes, it's true the season goes on no matter the losses. Pretty much each season comes down to Gonzaga and St. Mary's.

I don't get this perspective. We have a great, spectacular arena to play in. Why do some of our fans really need to care about the size of the other arenas in our conference? I get why Ute fans make a big deal about this, they subscribe to the argument that they are now “cool” because they hang out with “cool” people, but can’t we as fans not worry about whether those we associate with are considered to be “cool” or not (not that they aren’t cool, I, for one, consider the schools and locations that we traded the MWC for to join the WCC to be an upgrade.)
I've had the opportunity to attend a few games here in California in the "400 spectator gyms" and could not disagree more with your assessment of the player's so-called "lack of desire." These schools that we play are all on beautiful campuses, and in nice locations. They have excited student bodies, and the tuition to attend these schools seems like it is often 10 times what it costs to go to BYU, so it's not like BYU is slumming it in these venues. Stated another way, I’ve attended games in the Huntsman Center. The gyms in the WCC are all nicer than the Huntsman Center, they just hold less fans.

So what if there are 4,000 spectators, we get all the huge crowds that we want at home, My perspective is that the team seems to enjoy going around the gyms of the team they are visiting and high fiving those of us who have come to see them play here. I think that they like going on a road trip and hearing a bunch of BYU fans equal the number of home fans.


PS I too like football better

Because players like playing on massive stages. Fans like massive stages. They want their team in the spotlight. The bigger the better. And the WCC doesn't offer any marquee matchups outside of Gonzaga and SMU. I don't get why this perspective is so hard to understand. I understand yours after all. I just don't agree with it.
Is this actually a difficult concept to grasp?

The MWC was not and will never be "the big time"

We get more money and more TV time in the WCC than the MWC

Our players like playing in front of friendly fans on the road

Being in the WCC has never cost us an NCAA bid – as a matter of fact, some may claim that we’ve been given BETTER seeds in the NCAA being in the WCC than we got while playing in the WCC

Our two options are (and have always been) MWC or WCC

Your post started out that the WCC is "Garbage." I don't get that perspective. It is not garbage. You may not agree that these are great schools, or that their students are great people, but your perspective that the WCC is "garbage" is something that I simply cannot understand. The WCC is clearly and has, within all relevant times, been our best option. If the WCC is garbage, then the MWC has to be considered nuclear waste, because our current situation is unequivocally better than what it was.

[Cougarbib]

I think some fans have forgotten that the MWC changed, especially in football. Utah gone. TCU gone. BYU gone. BSU seemingly weaker. I can see where fans that only like basketball might say, so what. TCU does not matter to basketball fans.

Football has changed. Independence is better, if for no other reason than TV. I get that UNLV, SDSU,and New Mexico were big games. Gonzaga, SMC, and USF are not quite on a par. But TV is better and we still play Utah and USU. Been getting some nice out of conference games.

As long as TV stays as good as it is now, we are better off than we would be in The MWC. And it would be sweet to schedule some old rivals once in a while.

I chuckled when Gunk, the guy who wears basketball shorts to football fames in November, bemoaned football for being the reason basketball suffered a perceived demotion to the WCC. It is time that basketball fans and all minor sports fans put their resentment of football aside. Football subsidizes all other sports including basketball. Coattails. Been riding them. Football is why we have the sports expansion of BYU TV and why we have expanded ESPN coverage. If football did not have the cachet to go independent, you would still be wed to KSL radio to enjoy many of the games you now see on TV.

I really enjoy basketball. But it is little brother.

[BYULV]

I think some fans have forgotten that the MWC changed, especially in football. Utah gone. TCU gone. BYU gone. BSU seemingly weaker. I can see where fans that only like basketball might say, so what. TCU does not matter to basketball fans.

Football has changed. Independence is better, if for no other reason than TV. I get that UNLV, SDSU,and New Mexico were big games. Gonzaga, SMC, and USF are not quite on a par. But TV is better and we still play Utah and USU. Been getting some nice out of conference games.

As long as TV stays as good as it is now, we are better off than we would be in The MWC. And it would be sweet to schedule some old rivals once in a while.

I chuckled when Gunk, the guy who wears basketball shorts to football fames in November, bemoaned football for being the reason basketball suffered a perceived demotion to the WCC. It is time that basketball fans and all minor sports fans put their resentment of football aside. Football subsidizes all other sports including basketball. Coattails. Been riding them. Football is why we have the sports expansion of BYU TV and why we have expanded ESPN coverage. If football did not have the cachet to go independent, you would still be wed to KSL radio to enjoy many of the games you now see on TV.

I really enjoy basketball. But it is little brother.

I don't have hard data at my fingertips, but I don't think football subsidizes basketball at BYU. I could believe all other sports get subsidized by football and there are a lot of schools where I'm sure even BBall gets subsidized by football.

[KYCoug]

I like both but there are some things I don't care much for.

In Football I do not like the power conferences that make all the rules. Clearly even with the 4 team playoff it ends up being a beauty contest where teams from the bit 5 conferences toot their horns and try to say they are deserving. A team may loose early in the season and learn from their mistakes and by the end of the year be the best, most dominate team, yet not get the consideration they deserve because of an early bad game. So you may not have the 4 best teams playing the best football at the end of the year.

In basketball there are more opportunities to get to the Big Dance, but the seeding is again all controlled by the same big power conferences. Big time basketball schools like Duke, Kansas and Kentucky maybe a few others always get preferential seedings. The tourney wears teams out and those seedings do make a big difference.

Regardless I'll always be a big Cougar fan and it doesn't matter their record they will always have my support!

Go Cougs!!!!

L Hatton
Louisville, KY

[Gunk]

Bball does not get subsidized by football. Probably the only sport at BYU that doesn't.

If a school like SMC or USF have the funds to run quality programs without football, what makes anyone think BYU wouldn't be able to muster the funds.

I know football and its die-hard fans love to throw their weight around at BYU (my wife has all sorts of stories as a female athlete at BYU) but bball can stand on its own legs just fine - sponsorships, tv contracts, attendance, advertising dollars, boosters, etc. - it's all there for basketball.

Nice try, Bib.

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