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Post by hurtinturkey on Sept 15, 2014 8:36:15 GMT -5
It wasn't an either/or offer of Holy Cross and/or BC. Gavitt wanted both to join the new conference. The president of Holy Cross, Fr. Brooks refused the offer from PC's Gavitt to be a founding member of the conference. Which turned into one of the biggest administration mistakes ever made in college basketball!
Had the three following events not happened, Iona's basketball history could have been a lot different. 1) had the Big East formation been delayed by two more years 2) V delayed his own departure 2 years and 3) Ruland not have left early. These together with the Springer-Burtt recruiting class would have been a lot of fun to watch and forced possible entry into the conference! Dare to Dream!
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Post by iona05 on Sept 15, 2014 9:05:42 GMT -5
Hard to imagine a Carnesecca beef or fear over Iona outrecruiting SJU would have cost us entry. Must have been more than that. Couldn't have been facilities as our facilities at the time were on par with SJU, SHU, etc. and those were in the days before MSG and BBA were the home courts of those teams.
Also our president at the time was a big MBB advocate, so would imagine that he would've done everything possible to help us gain entry.
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Post by Super on Sept 15, 2014 9:44:33 GMT -5
Hard to imagine a Carnesecca beef or fear over Iona outrecruiting SJU would have cost us entry. Must have been more than that. Couldn't have been facilities as our facilities at the time were on par with SJU, SHU, etc. and those were in the days before MSG and BBA were the home courts of those teams. Also our president at the time was a big MBB advocate, so would imagine that he would've done everything possible to help us gain entry. Louie hated losing to Jimmy V and also losing the back pages of the papers to him. SJU definitely had the "rights" to MSG going back to the Lapchick days. |
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Post by ic59 on Sept 15, 2014 10:53:46 GMT -5
IMO, facilities played a BIG part. While Mulcahy was on a par with SJU and SHU's on campus gyms, they had access to MSG and the Meadowlands, and we had the WCC.
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Post by iona05 on Sept 15, 2014 11:00:18 GMT -5
You would know best, but from everything you hear the Big East was an on-campus facility only league for the first few years of its existence. Seems like big arenas didn't come into the mix until the conference exploded and outgrew the on-campus sites. If this were the case I would imagine that this wouldn't have weighed too heavily into our entrance credentials back in the early days.
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Post by hawaii bill on Sept 15, 2014 11:03:42 GMT -5
Never underestimate the insecurity and fear that goes along with turf battles. Still going on today
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Post by oldtimer on Sept 15, 2014 11:37:02 GMT -5
Anyone know why we weren't invited to the big east when it first formed in the 80s? Seems like we would've been a logical choice at that time given our success in the late 70s/early 80s.[/quote]iona05, To fully answer that question, one must have had a understanding of college basketballs history and structure at that time...It can not be looked back upon without preferably having lived with its headlines.... College basketball was controlled by no more then 50 of the biggest and historically established basketball powers...They were the forerunners...It was an age that the emergence of lesser schools began their interloping rise.....The powers fought and gave up control reluctantly...Smaller schools started to be competitive and occasionally upset the powers resulting eventually into todays 350 plus teams along with improve facilities and ambition. IONA was one of those schools...Any entry into the controlling group was fought with distain...There was no way they would give, nor were we were ready for acceptance, or to make the leap both financially, fan base, and facility wise....Some of that uppity attitude still remains... There were of course many other factors, but money, headlines and fan base and power were the driving force.....Human nature with its strong emotions did the rest..  |
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Post by iona05 on Sept 15, 2014 11:57:14 GMT -5
Thanks OT. Seems like a logical explanation. Money and fan reach not up to par with others. Makes sense.
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Post by oldtimer on Sept 16, 2014 13:06:38 GMT -5
In the late 1800's basketball was first played...It was a game needing much refinement...It was slow with scores rarely reaching the teens...At times they went a half without a score as they were allowed to hold the ball for indefinite periods of time................It was not very popular as there was little action and long periods of inaction...It plodded along until 1937 when a rule change gave new attention...It changed the game and really was its renewed birth...
There have been over 70 rule changes since that time with primary concern being to speed it up to increasing American desire...It is now played to the far corners of the earth, and challenges Soccer as the worlds sport...
Here are some important rule changes...
1. 1937 The most important.....eliminating the center jump after a basket...
2. 1948 Coaches are allowed to speak to players during time outs...
3. 1972 Freshman allowed to play with varsity...
4. 1978 Dunking is re-allowed...
5. 1985 3 point shot is instituted...
I have been along for most of the journey...As I aged and became handicapped it has filled the boredom void, and continued the storage of memories...
I look forward to the coming season with great anticipation........
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