Ross Fulton (the author of the post at Eleven Warriors) is actually a Michigan Grad; I graduated with him in 2004. I find his posts to be reasonable and well thought out; that's the Michigan difference.
One of the main reason ND remains stubborn with regards to independence is merchandise revenue. Standing alone, ND's television contract cannot rival BTN revenues. On the other hand, all of ND's revenue generated from merchandise sales, use of their logo on games, etc... adds up. If they joined BIG, that pie is split 13 ways instead of 1.
Excellent original post. What Spartan fans often do not realize is that non-alumni fans (especially local fans) have a natural tendency to root for teams (both professional and local) that have tradition, that win, and that have/had likeable players/coaches. Michigan football certainly qualifies, and so does......gasp, MSU basketball. I would venture to say that a majority of the "Walmart Wolverine" fans without University affiliation also tend to root for MSU during basketball season. Without a degree from a specific University, what is a real driver of loyalty? For the casual fan (without some of the specific experiences laid out above that have created loyalty i.e. a hospital stay, family tradition, etc...) loyalty can be a dynamic thing. And frankly, for the sports fan without a true affiliation, I fail to see the problem with this. I find MSU football fans/graduates mock many of the same fans that support their very own basketball program each winter. Both schools have a fair share of fans that fit this definition of allegiance; to mock this portion of the fanbase is ridiculous. Any school/program should WANT this type of fan; after all, you can only graduate so many people in a given year.
Per a quick visit to the BTN website, the heading on the Icon page suggests the list wil be compiled of the "Top 50 Student-Athletes in Big 10 History". Looks like this eliminates Bo and Yost from consideration. Red's still a possibility as he obviously played for the University.
Not sure on how the BTN is defining icons (i.e. players/coaches/teams), but any true list should certainly include the Fab Five (collectively). Not sure any one player deserves the recognition, but as a unit, they defined (from their attitude to apparel) a generation.
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One of the main reason ND remains stubborn with regards to independence is merchandise revenue. Standing alone, ND's television contract cannot rival BTN revenues. On the other hand, all of ND's revenue generated from merchandise sales, use of their logo on games, etc... adds up. If they joined BIG, that pie is split 13 ways instead of 1.
Excellent original post. What Spartan fans often do not realize is that non-alumni fans (especially local fans) have a natural tendency to root for teams (both professional and local) that have tradition, that win, and that have/had likeable players/coaches. Michigan football certainly qualifies, and so does......gasp, MSU basketball. I would venture to say that a majority of the "Walmart Wolverine" fans without University affiliation also tend to root for MSU during basketball season. Without a degree from a specific University, what is a real driver of loyalty? For the casual fan (without some of the specific experiences laid out above that have created loyalty i.e. a hospital stay, family tradition, etc...) loyalty can be a dynamic thing. And frankly, for the sports fan without a true affiliation, I fail to see the problem with this. I find MSU football fans/graduates mock many of the same fans that support their very own basketball program each winter. Both schools have a fair share of fans that fit this definition of allegiance; to mock this portion of the fanbase is ridiculous. Any school/program should WANT this type of fan; after all, you can only graduate so many people in a given year.
Per a quick visit to the BTN website, the heading on the Icon page suggests the list wil be compiled of the "Top 50 Student-Athletes in Big 10 History". Looks like this eliminates Bo and Yost from consideration. Red's still a possibility as he obviously played for the University.
Not sure on how the BTN is defining icons (i.e. players/coaches/teams), but any true list should certainly include the Fab Five (collectively). Not sure any one player deserves the recognition, but as a unit, they defined (from their attitude to apparel) a generation.