Hollis: Pursuit for major hoops event in Texas called off

Submitted by Cold War on

Michigan State athletic director Mark Hollis has ceased his pursuit of a major event to open the 2013-14 college basketball season and entertain U.S. troops in Texas.

“It’s off,” Hollis said today after emailing officials at the other seven schools that were going to participate with MSU in the event at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas — site of the 2014 Final Four.

The idea was for four games going on four courts at once, starting 15 minutes apart, to replicate the feel of a March Madness day of action. The goal was to create excitement in the area in advance of the Final Four, while entertaining about 30,000 troops from 12 area bases on Veterans Day weekend.

The biggest issue was the inability to find a TV network willing to broadcast four games at once on different channels...

 

http://www.freep.com/article/20121227/SPORTS07/121227057/michigan-state-mark-hollis-texas-veterans-day?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|FRONTPAGE|s

Wolverine Devotee

December 27th, 2012 at 9:48 PM ^

That is the dumbest idea ever. The players would get confused with the whistles from different games, people listening to games on the radio or web would be confused with random cheering. 

Shouldn't be surprised though since state needs to do ridiculous things for people outside the state of Michigan to realize they exist. 

bacon1431

December 27th, 2012 at 10:01 PM ^

But it still doesn't really present a huge problem. I think it'd present a bigger problem for the spectators than the players. Fans would be farther away and surrounded by other fans so it'd be more difficult for them to decipher where the whistle came from. For the players, they're closer to the officials. JMO from participating/attending tournaments and camps a few times. Always found it harder to find the noise from the crowd than it was on the court. 

Tater

December 28th, 2012 at 8:50 AM ^

How often are AAU tournaments held at Cowboys' Stadium and nationally televised?  TV was right on this idea: it's not worthwhile.  If the TV rumor is correct, though, it definitely exposes Mark Hollis as someone who doesn't actually want to "entertain the troops" unless he gets a lot of money and publicity for it.  

A Nonymous

December 28th, 2012 at 9:15 AM ^

Hollis has been an innovative AD. Cold War, Basketbowl, Aircraft game, etc. MSU will never be on M's level financially but he has been able to make them one of the top 20 valued athletic programs. Not bad for a school with a dumpy football stadium and a lackluster fanbase.

To accuse him of exploiting our troops for fame and money is a little disrespectful.

He's done several derpy things like bringing in the Situation, Gerard Butler or tweeting Burke. Honoring Veterans Day and our troops is nothing to hate him for.

MGoSoftball

December 28th, 2012 at 8:52 PM ^

Oh I get it, You are related to him.  I respect your post but Hollis is an ass.

I cannot think of one AD who: 1) Tweets about a rival's player 2) Says "Why not us?" in a press conference when referring to their rival 3) Has a press conference to talk about himself.

The guy is a walking, talking disaster.  I contend that Hollis is a major reason moo u is not a national player in athletics.  I would rather see George Perles as AD.  At least he is a stand up kinda guy.

Lionsfan

December 27th, 2012 at 10:04 PM ^

MSU may need a lot of outside events, but most of those events have been pretty cool. Let's not forget without Mark Hollis, there's no Cold War. No Cold War, no Big Chill, probably no Heritage Classic, and that means no Winter Classic either.

Kinda sucks nobody wants to pick this up, seemed like a cool idea

CRex

December 27th, 2012 at 10:06 PM ^

Each ref crew is issued a whistle with a different pitch.  Give the teams whistles in advance as well so they can practice and learn which pitch to focus on.  For extra safety, ensure none of the four make the standard whistle sound so one court isn't messing up the other three due to ingrained reflexes.  

Bosch

December 28th, 2012 at 12:02 AM ^

the whistles won't be as much of an issue as you might think.  I both reffed and played intramural basketball at Michigan's IM building.  I realize that it seems silly to compare IM basketball to NCAA D-I, but the example is relevant in this particular case and is also one that many of you might be able to weigh in on.  Whistles from adjacent courts were never an issue and, as those of us who frequented the IM building fondly remember, the courts in the IM building are basically on top of each other.

jbr12

December 28th, 2012 at 11:41 AM ^

Simultaneous games happen all of the time... I think if High Schoolers can figure it out all summer long at camps and AAU, then college guys can figure it out too. I'm sure they would have bleachers between each court that would block a lot of sounds. I was excited for this to happen. Maybe next year

Bosch

December 28th, 2012 at 10:28 PM ^

I didn't say I thought it was cool.....  I implied that I understood why MSU fans thought it was cool.  When our band did their Wizard of Oz halftime show in 2010 and then their Willy Wonka spoof this past season, the Michigan fans approved.  This wasn't much different.  Take off your maize goggles and try to look at this from the viewpoint of someone who can be objective.

energyblue1

December 27th, 2012 at 10:04 PM ^

None of us have any love of msu but the above statements are absurd.  Hollis did have the game with unc on a carrier and that was really cool.  They also worked to have the outdoor game with Michigan and other events as well.

The idea was better then it could have ever been executed.....The reallity is the fact that tv networks weren't willing to bite, how could they produce 4 games on the same location at the same time......the logistics would be impossible across 4 channels..  and then the other part....such a major event would have to sell tickets for the schools to go, and guarrantee so much tv revenue for 8 teams.............with no single game getting the floor and tv time to it'self.  Thus that would drag ratings for such and event.

Good idea on paper cause it sounds cool....just no way to realistically pull it off........

B-Nut-GoBlue

December 28th, 2012 at 2:56 PM ^

People really don't like this idea?! Well how about this rebuttle, "The kids would love it". In fact, I'm sure they actually would, but in this instance it's not what the kids would like but "business" as usual.

Edit (added later):  I also "like" that a nice way to treat our Nation's security forces/personnel is rejected because of television conflicts.  What a crock of sh*t.  I mean, I know why it won't got through -actually, I don't, there a many a mature and feasible ways to get around this and make it a reality- and know that this would be too big of an event to actually put together because of grown men not making enough money but this is an event that should happen.

Flamebait? go **** yourself.

Blazefire

December 27th, 2012 at 11:02 PM ^

WHy are people putting this idea down? It would've been a cool event! Major college hoops played like AAU? That's awesome. Never a dull moment.

I can understand why they couldn't find a network for it, though. In competing with themselves, their advertisers would pitch a fit.

Stike A Pose

December 27th, 2012 at 11:26 PM ^

Yeah, I don't understand all the hate either besides it being an idea of a Sparty.  A Final Four type event at the begining of the season on Veteran's Day for 30,000 troops seems like a pretty solid idea to me.  The only "stupid" part of the idea was trying to find one network to air all four games.  As the article stated, the networks didn't want to tie up all their channels.  They would basically be competing with themselves. 

evenyoubrutus

December 27th, 2012 at 11:15 PM ^

It is pretty obvious how much MSU loves America since they always want to play basketball for the troops. It is a good thing they don't do this for recruiting and publicity.

WolverineHistorian

December 28th, 2012 at 12:49 AM ^

Whatever Hollis wants to continue with these constant gimmick games, I say go for it. Because MSU never seems to win these special games. In order to have the record for largest regular season attendance, they lost to Kentucky at Ford Field in front of 70,000+. They lost to North Carolina on the aircraft carrier. They lost to UConn at the air base in Germany. They should have lost the Cold War but managed a tie in the final minute.

Hollis keeps scheduling these games and MSU keeps losing them. I like it.

HAIL-YEA

December 28th, 2012 at 6:58 AM ^

/ ncaa touney type event. Multiple games in the same building is something that is never done on the college level. . It's an original thought and Hollis deserves credit for a cool idea but if I was a player it would annoying. There is no way you could fully concentrate if youre bringing the ball up and the crowd is going nuts over a monster dunk on the other court.

RedGreene

December 28th, 2012 at 7:32 AM ^

Hollis has decided to stop pursuing this event in order to promote his next brilliant idea... Disaster In The Desert... a 4 team tounament in Iraq for the Iraqi troops.  When asked if this would be dangerous for the participants, Hollis replied, "yes, but not as dangerous as playing in Detroit."  So far Hollis has had a hard time finding 3 other teams that are willing to be part of the tournament.  Michigan AD David Brandon, golfing buddy of Mark Hollis, has turned down many requests to be one of the four teams.  Brandon only had this to say about Hollis and his Disaster in the Desert tournament, "Mark is one fucked up, crazy son-of-a-bitch!"  

Cold War

December 28th, 2012 at 8:49 AM ^

Why couldn't the coverage be on one channel? ESPN wouldn't have to tie up four. Just move between, stay up on the closest games.

B-Nut-GoBlue

December 28th, 2012 at 5:48 PM ^

Becasue that would be too original and creative an idea (and to the naysayers, an idea that would probably actually work) so therefore the Mothership would never go for something like that.

I think it'd be a neat an interesting concept.  Again, stagger the games 15-20 minutes apart; if a blowout ensues, stay away from that one and if all games are nailbiters go back n'forth.

WMU81

December 28th, 2012 at 10:37 AM ^

I hate Bball games at football stadiums..My spartan friend went to the title game when they got whooped and said he wished the would have stayed at home because of the view.. To far away...

 

Brodie

December 28th, 2012 at 2:02 PM ^

Remember when this was the kind of site where people complimented rival players, coaches or athletic directors without being negbanged to death?