WolverBean

May 7th, 2012 at 10:48 AM ^

The thing about Delaney is, if you look at what he's actually done, in terms of the BTN, conference realignment, and now fighting to keep the B1G from getting hosed by the site selection process for the "playoffs" we'll soon see, the job he's done has been nothing short of spectacular. And yet, every time he opens his mouth, he says something you want to smack him for. And he's gotten the little things, like the division names, so, SO wrong that it's sometimes hard to remember how much of the really big things he's gotten right.

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 1959

HopeInHoke

May 7th, 2012 at 11:05 AM ^

Agree.

Nebraska joining and stabalizing the conference during conference armagaddeon is much more important than legends/leaders. 

BTN is much more important than off-putting comments.

All the big issues I think he has handled extremely well.  When it comes down to it that matters much more than sillier annoyances like the names of divisions.

As for the Big East... still effed... they got destroyed by reallignment and being basketball focused with many smaller schools- not sure anyone can change that.  They can only hope the BCS gives them an auto-bid and that school like UConn don't also bolt in coming years.

Joined: 04/24/2012

MGoPoints: 135

weasel3216

May 7th, 2012 at 10:45 AM ^

now when the Big East loses its automatic bid into the BCS he won't be forced to answer questions.  That is of course as long as the BCS is still in place.  

Joined: 08/09/2009

MGoPoints: 3502

LSAClassOf2000

May 7th, 2012 at 12:05 PM ^

"John helped build the Big East into what it is today, and played a critical role in our successful expansion efforts, and for all of that we thank him." - USF President Judy Genshaft

Except, of course, the "successful expansion efforts" came at the expense of flagship members of the conference bolting, even suing to get out. In exchange, the fans in the Big East conference will need to be satisfied with the vaunted San Diego State vs. Central Florida rivalry. They may be stable monetarily for the moment, and they may even get a substantial deal which makes them the 3:30 PM game on ESPN3 every other week, but it is officially second-world as a football conference now.

I don't know if Marinatto could have managed the change in a different way which would have mitigated the damage, but I would wonder what I was being thanked for, if I were him - geographic focus and what remained of a credible perception were sacrificed to right the ship in this case. If UConn goes to the ACC at some point, as people discuss now and again, then I would pity the commissioner that has to recover from that.

Joined: 01/07/2011

MGoPoints: 130501

mGrowOld

May 7th, 2012 at 12:29 PM ^

In the news today the former Big East commisioner, John Marinatto, abruptly resigned when he discovered that the Big East actually had no teams left in it.  "My bad" said Marinatto when asked about the accidental dissolving of the conference.  "I could've sworn we had the SWAC or the MEAC or something coming in just before the last six or seven teams left to join the Big26.  I guess I must've mis-timed that one!" Marinatto added.  "I thought maybe nobody would notice but when the BCS asked me who'd fill their their auto-bid hotel rooms I knew the jig was up".

Joined: 10/04/2010

MGoPoints: 211740

FrankMurphy

May 7th, 2012 at 1:10 PM ^

Delany is basically the reason why the Big Ten is sitting on a pile of money and is the most stable conference in all of college sports. He created a TV model that other conferences are now emulating. There are about a dozen big-time schools who would kill for an invite to the Big Ten.

Given all that he's done for the conference, I'm willing to put up with some of the more annoying aspects of his tenure (division names, standing in the way of a college football playoff, etc).  

Joined: 08/19/2008

MGoPoints: 31822