BTN Signing Day coverage is awful.
They are trying to convince us that the West is closing the gap on the East in recruiting.
But the worst is Gerry Dinardo saying that facilities do not matter in recruiting. He says that helps the current team but does not sway recruits.
Dude is way out of touch with this IMHO.
December 19th, 2018 at 10:20 AM ^
They will never close the gap.
However, Frost will get good classes every year at Nebraska. Wisconsin always Wisconsin’s, as long as they get good running backs and great O linemen.
If Brohm stays for awhile, Purdue will get better classes than usual as well
December 19th, 2018 at 10:25 AM ^
I agree with you but think Purdue is still running 4th at best in that division in terms of overall program momentum.
Future looks brighter at Wisconsin, NW and Nebraska. Iowa's still ahead of them, too.
I think Brohm is a good coach but that contract will be a joke in 3-4 years. He should get while the gettin's good.
December 19th, 2018 at 10:37 AM ^
Good call on Northwestern. Forgot about them. They got that transfer QB too.
December 19th, 2018 at 11:59 AM ^
Brohm has the best replacement folding chairs in the league.
December 19th, 2018 at 10:21 AM ^
59-76-1 career record.
Enough said.
December 19th, 2018 at 10:22 AM ^
Dinardo is a tool.
December 19th, 2018 at 10:24 AM ^
Flipping channels sec and espn which is the same. While on WTKA.
BTN and FS1 have a long way to go.
December 19th, 2018 at 10:25 AM ^
Well they have an audience in those states as well, so......
December 19th, 2018 at 10:27 AM ^
"But the worst is Gerry Dinardo saying that facilities do not matter in recruiting. He says that helps the current team but does not sway recruits."
That's why he's on BTN and no longer coaching
December 19th, 2018 at 10:27 AM ^
I could easily see Frost close the gap at Nebraska after a few years. The other teams though...yeah probably not so much.
West Teams:
NW - 44th
IU - 42nd
IA - 37th
MN - 33rd
WS - 26th
PUR - 24th
NEB - 23rd
East Teams:
UM - 7th
PEN - 12th
OSU - 18th
https://247sports.com/Season/2019-Football/CompositeTeamRankings/
December 19th, 2018 at 10:37 AM ^
Is Rutgers #1?
December 19th, 2018 at 11:07 AM ^
Probably
December 19th, 2018 at 10:29 AM ^
Dianardo is terrible at everything. Their football coverage is pretty crappy outside of Revsine. Their hoops coverage is better at least.
December 19th, 2018 at 10:30 AM ^
It's a show produced by the B1G for B1G fans.
They aren't going to let the talking heads shit all over half the league.
That is mandate #1 and therefore, it greatly reduces the talking head with hawt takez talent pool from which to hire because anyone worth a damn doesn't want to be cut off at the knees while sharing their nuanced and well researched opinions.
Therefore, we get mouth breathers like DiNardo.
December 19th, 2018 at 10:34 AM ^
I get that. Their job is to make the entire B1G feel good about themselves. But when the one guy said that Minn has greatly upgraded their facilities and that Purdue is working on that as well, Dinardo says that kids don't care about that. He said that if a kid wants to go to a school they will practice in a tent.
December 19th, 2018 at 10:37 AM ^
I totally agree. It's why the BTN sucks. Wouldn't be any harm, though, in describing exactly how facilities help in recruiting.
Put some pressure on those schools to spend some of that BTN money on the revenue generating sport, rather than spending it on sports that don't even draw 1,000 fans for home games.
December 19th, 2018 at 10:34 AM ^
They are closing the gap.
December 19th, 2018 at 11:00 AM ^
I agree. In a fact I would guess several of the West teams have/will leapfrog the mid tier East teams.
However, if I worked my ass off I could close my gap with Lebron James on the BBall court. Aside from MAYBE scoring a point every once in a while, the end result would not change.
December 19th, 2018 at 10:37 AM ^
why are you surprised that btn coverage is bad? they’ve always sucked and will always suck
December 19th, 2018 at 10:39 AM ^
Dinardo is an imbecile and he doesn’t like Michigan. It’s a double whammy of bullshit.
December 19th, 2018 at 10:41 AM ^
I knew the BTN would suck after the first game they aired...
December 19th, 2018 at 10:51 AM ^
Facilities are a huge boost for recruiting.
December 19th, 2018 at 10:53 AM ^
The BTN is generally a third-rate local sports network that props up washed-up coaches and bygone stars to tout the party line. If I have to hear one more time about some Nebraska player from the 1970s or bygone Maryland coach as a (dramatic musical flourish) Big Ten Legend...
December 19th, 2018 at 12:35 PM ^
Jess Settles' hoops analyses doesn't move your meter?
December 19th, 2018 at 10:55 AM ^
Are we even streaming on the ticker at the bottom of the screen? I work nights so maybe I’m just too tired and should stop drinking and go to bed.
December 19th, 2018 at 10:59 AM ^
Update: we seem to be represented on the ticker.
December 19th, 2018 at 10:58 AM ^
Who could honestly say anything negative about BTN? Solid reach into the NY/NJ market. Perfect
December 19th, 2018 at 11:00 AM ^
The BIG network is just a really bad channel. They do not even play classic games anymore it seems which was really the only reason I watched it (aside from live sports).
December 19th, 2018 at 11:22 AM ^
Dinardo isn't my favorite, but he isn't way off here. Yes, if you have just awful facilities, it makes a difference, but you get to a certain point where it doesn't make a drastic impact. Oh cool, you have a waterfall. Oh, you have TVs in the lockers. 90+% of major schools have very nice facilities, and it's diminishing returns for the vast majority of those schools when it comes to "better".
So on the list of things that are important to recruits, that is extremely low compared to many other items. It is important to the current players, because it's their daily life and routine, so that's why they continue to get updated. But it isn't a primary thing swaying recruits.
December 19th, 2018 at 11:39 AM ^
What about giving up 62 points?
/asking for a defensive recruit friend.
December 19th, 2018 at 11:33 AM ^
As others have already pointed out, BTN isn't really designed to give objective, independent views on anything. They will provide some facts and statistics, but any commentary isn't going to be hard hitting or ruffle any feathers. The whole Urban Meyer Zach Smith fiasco is a case in point. Almost all the commentary danced around ever calling Meyer out on anything.
And, if you focus on West schools like Purdue and Nebraska, they have been so weak in recruiting lately that by comparison they are doing much better, which in some sense means they are "closing the gap," if by that is meant from being behind by 30-50 spots in national ranking to being behind by 20-35 spots.
December 19th, 2018 at 11:36 AM ^
When I watch BTN it reminds me of the old clips of ESPN in the 90's... Cheesy background and cheap suits... Also the lighting is like a daytime soap opera (not that I know what that looks like)
December 19th, 2018 at 11:55 AM ^
Yeah, the lighting for the studio shows is what gets me. I understand not getting top-notch talent like ESPN or even Fox, but how hard is it to light a set?
December 19th, 2018 at 11:37 AM ^
LSU got good . . . when Gerry Dinardo left it.
Just sayin'
December 19th, 2018 at 11:43 AM ^
DiNardo was 2-8 as an XFL head coach. He's the one guy I can remember who really couldn't win at LSU. Why people listen to him as a voice of reason is beyond me.
December 19th, 2018 at 12:14 PM ^
As it stands, the West will never catch the East in recruiting. The only team over there that can even try to go toe-to-toe with the best of the East is Nebraska and that's dicey even.
December 19th, 2018 at 3:43 PM ^
Dinardo looks like he totally disinterested when going over the recruits tape.