BIG 12 made a BIG mistake -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

TRAIN WRECK THAT WAS EXPANSION STAYS IN THE STATION.

So you've got this conference named the BIG 12. At one time, it had 12 members. It seemed logical. Then, due to raiding from other conferences and such...they ended up with ten schools. Someone comes up with the grand idea..."Hey, let's expand back to 12!" The idea gets out. Over two dozen school express an interest to be a part of the expansion. That list is eventually paired down to a dozen or so.

Presentations are made. Money, lots of it...is spent. Schools are ready to give their notices to their current conferences that they don't need to leave the light on for them, to re-design the conference banners and take them off the mailing list. They are looking to leave.

Cincinnati, Memphis, Houston, Connecticut and several other viable athletic/academic institutions got the equivalent of a punch to the belly Monday when the Big 12 decided to stay at ten.  Big 12 expansion would no longer be an active agenda item. All ten schools were unanimous in this thought process. At least, that's what they said...



It is equal to being invited to a party, going shopping for clothes to the party, clearing your schedule for the party and then being told you didn't make the guest list, after all. 

Hey Bearcats...keep your chili at home. Memphis? Sorry, we got ribs already. BYU? Uh...not sure how the whole two or three wives thing might go down in Norman...Houston? Oklahoma might still be smarting over the football loss...no need to shine your shoes. Find something on Hulu...you're aren't going anywhere, boys and girls. 

Let's call this what it is. A money decision. And who are the two money schools in the Big 12? Texas and Oklahoma. So, guys...do we want to take this financial pie and split it 12 ways now instead of 10? Yeah, didn't think so.

No chairs will be added to the musical chairs we currently have in the room. Take your whoopie cushions and disperse in an orderly fashion. 

I'm pretty sure that WVU would have liked to maybe had a few conference games to go to that were within 500 miles or so. Doesn't matter...they're part of the "bobblehead eight" that make up the Big 12...a conference where 2>8 in power. 

Texas A&M got it a few years ago. Up and jumped ship when the SEC pulled up aside and threw out a rope ladder. You don't hear much complaining down in AggieLand these days...Missouri saw the SEC advantage and climbed the wall. Nebraska and Colorado, too. 

Maybe the Big 12 waited too long...one thing is certain...they will still be the weakest of the "Power Five" conferences and they get ready to go into their sixth season without a divisional conference championship in football.

This is about football...oh, yeah...you betcha. Sure...Mick Cronin, Tubby Smith, Geno Auriemma and Jeff Judkins probably would have loved to have had their squads participating in the conference. They were never a part of the bargaining table though. Would UConn WBB have rolled through the Big 12 as easily as they do the AAC? Maybe not as easily...but they still would have rolled. Now, it's returning-time to the dysfunctional AAC and irrelevant West Coast Conferences. Walking back through the door and saying..."Well, that was interesting. Games on!". Head bowed to no one. Spurned at the alter and back in the dating scene. 

What, prey tell Paulie...does all this have to do with Louisville Athletics? 

To start with, the Cards got what now appears to be a great call when the Big 12 decided against them several years back. Away games to Duke and Miami are a haul, for sure....but would you rather have been going to Stillwater or Ames? Next, we're getting a great level of respect from the "old guard" of the ACC. We brought talented teams and travelling fan base. Consequently, the BIG 12 booted ex-Cardinal coaches Howard Schnellenberger and is probably ready to can Charlie Strong. They may not have been that eager to have Louisville in their midst. There is no, or very little...field hockey or lacrosse in the BIG 12. Was Louisville supposed to just throw those two exciting women's sports under the bus? Or ship them out to the MAC or Big East? 

A boorish move that wasn't a move at all, in reality, by the BIG 12. Nothing happened here and no change in the running order. Maybe the ACC could offer to trade Notre Dame for West Virginia to the BIG 12. Now that football is nose-diving in South Bend and the Irish obviously have well-stocked coffers...plus Ames, IA is closer than Miami is from South Bend (and we could get Muffett McGraw off the WBB schedule)...it makes sense.

Forget this independence stuff, Irish. Head to a conference where your football team can make stops in Stillwater, Lubbock and Norman. Cowboys vs. Catholics. Take a chance and land in the "fly-over" states? Nah, never happen. 

Those BIG 12 folks sure love that money. Yes, sir. And, they're gonna keep it. 

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WBB MEDIA DAY TODAY

Jeff Walz is having all the boys and girls over to his place today at noon to discuss UofL WBB. Following that, the media will get a chance to descend upon the squad to ask questions. This could be a pretty fun hour...

We'll have the recap, a few pictures and maybe some great audio for you in the Thursday Cardinal Couple. I gotta see if I can get Arica Carter to serve as my interview intern again this year...

paulie
xxxxx 

BIG EAST Review...Watson on UConn...Memphis to join BIG EAST

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THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

-BIG EAST WBB recap Tuesday/Weds with updated standings.

-David Watson reviews UConn game

-BIG EAST welcomes Memphis.

-Stupidity.

Catching up on a little BIG EAST WBB action from the last couple of days...

-Cincinnati with a mild road win surprise over Providence 60-56. Chisholm with 17 for the Bearcats.

-Notre Dame remained undefeated in BIG EAST play with a 74-55 win over homestanding Syracuse. Peters with 21, McBride added 19.

-St. John's knocking off visiting USF 67-57. Stevens 17 for the Red Storm. Andrell Smith 12, Sasha Bernard 14 and Inga "the Russian Rocket" nine for the Bulls.

-Hoya paranoia continues as Georgetown downs Seton Hall 56-51. Sugar, sugar 23 for G.U. and Crew gets 20 for SHU.

-THE DePaul Blue Demons in a closer than expected win over Villanova 79-73. Anna Martin 24 and Katherine Harry 20 for the Blue Demons.

BIG EAST STANDINGS as of 2/9/12:

Notre Dame  11-0                            Villanova      5-6
UConn          10-1                            Marquette     4-6
Georgetown   8-3                            Syracuse       4-7
St. John's       8-3                            Providence    4-7
West Virginia  7-3                           USF               4-7
Rutgers          6-4                            Cincinnati     3-8
Louisville       6-5                            Pittsburgh     0-10
DePaul           6-5                            Seton Hall     0-11

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(David Watson is a special contributor to CARDINAL COUPLE. Today he shares his thoughts on the UofL
vs. Connecticut game.)

I didn't attend the game Tuesday night and
chose to watch it on TV. I turned the sound

down and listened to the radio feed from Louisville. I must say that Matt Andrews and
A.J. do a very good job on the live call. If
there were any criticisms at all of their broadcast, it would be that A.J. gets so involved in the scrutiny and analysis of particular plays and sequences that Matt has to do "catch up" on the current action. That's not such a bad thing, really.

A.J. knows her stuff when it comes to breaking down a sequence and pointing out what Louisville or the opponent is doing right (or wrong).

The game was tedious in the first half. The Lady Cards shot about as well as I do in the

driveway. Sure, UConn was applying great defense, but I counted five missed layups by the Lady Cards in the first half. There is credence in the Jeff Walz observation that you can't win in the BIG EAST if you miss layups.

It looked like the Huskies were on their way to another 30 point romp at halftime. This was disheartening to me, so I went to the kitchen and built a turkey and cheese sandwich and got a beer. Comfort food in a time of distress.

This, no doubt, inspired the Lady Cards. Maybe Jeff likes a turkey w/ cheese and suds occasionally. Louisville looked like a top four BIG EAST team in the second half. Note to Coach Walz -- while enjoying your turkey and cheese ( I like mayonnaise but it's equally good with a grey mustard ) summon Ms. Hammond off the bench or start her against Syracuse. She had a prolific second half. Eight points, four fouls, two rebounds, an assist, steal and turnover. All in 15 minutes. 

UConn was a bit taken aback, I truly believe, by the UofL fans support and noise for their Lady Cards. They were also probably tired from their Saturday win over Rutgers. Maybe Geno was so worried about the rumors that Memphis was joining the BIG EAST that he was sidetracked and distracted. He was probably anxious to get over and blab on the microphone again. His halftime elocution was -- well -- interesting, to say the least. 

I hope these two teams advance far in the BIG EAST and NCAA Tournament. I do enjoy watching the methodical, precise and workmanlike way UConn breaks down an opponent. I'll send Geno and Walz both turkey and cheese with a bottle of suds if they do well in post-regular season play. I expect a tip. 

( David's deli creations are not going to be featured in any culinary publications anytime soon...but we have to
agree with him. Sometimes, it's all about the turkey and cheese. Was it wheat, rye, multi-grain or white, David?)

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I'll blast those Tigers right out of
the BIG EAST, dad gummit !!

After whining, crying and posturing ever since the Cards left C-USA, the Memphis Tigers have become members of the BIG EAST. WE have mixed feelings and a bit of apathy about this. It's a men's basketball move no matter what the bandwagon says about adding another football team to the conference. We're sure Rick Pitino is nodding wisely about the addition and will remind all that will listen that he was championing the cause. And, they are pretty good in men's hoops.

In football, however...they stink. They have for a long time. If you're looking for an automatic "W" on your future football schedule...add the Tigers.

They're not all that great in women's basketball either. This is puzzling, because a lot of great high school girls basketball talent comes out of that region down there. Hopefully, inclusion in the BIG EAST will help them recruit better.

As far as the other women's sports at UM go, we haven't taken the time, nor have the interest to research it. Their entry into the BIG EAST is still a ways down the road.

We wonder how Libertyland is doing? We tailgated next to it the last time we travelled to Memphis for a football game against the Cards. We've have some great, and very bad times down there. We're sort of glad to be able to have the chance to return there in the future...there are some great rib joints in the area (and in Jackson). We doubt we make it down there for WBB, though...unless they can develop a better program.

Sonja says step it
up in WBB, Tigers!

Welcome, Memphis. Have a seat right over there and we'll tell you when to hit the court, gridiron, diamond or any other sports you've brought along with you. And, bring ribs.

That is, if Louisville is still in the BIG EAST by the time you start playing in it...otherwise, just forward us the ribs.

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Finally, can't help but chuckle about the e-mails we've been getting about some comments on another web site about Cierra Warren, Geno Auriemma and Jeff Walz.

Here's the deal. If you're silly enough to believe the flamers, rumor-mongers, negative nabobs and conspiracy therorists at another board that treats women's sports as a third class citizen...then hang out there. You deserve each other.

Laurel...meet Hardy. Goober...shake hands with Gomer. 

We won't dignify some of the nonsense we're getting e-mails about. What we will tell you is this...

-Jeff Walz is not going to replace Pat Summit at Tennessee.

-Geno Auriemma is not lobbying for Jeff Walz's job here.

-Cierra Warren is gone and the only way she comes back is if she wants to be just a student. She won't play ball here.

Like we said...if you want the facts, we'll provide them to you. One thing we won't do, though, is hold your hand and comfort you after you've been hood-winked, scared and misled at another site and come running to us for comfort and confirmation.

Stupid is as stupid does. Stay stupid. Doesn't bother us in the least. When sites that drool and slobber over a football lineman's every move and step start thinking they're experts in women's college basketball too is when we just laugh and say...

"Buyer, beware." 

We've never run this site as a popularity contest. We're not "Hey...come look at us!" egotistical shout-mouths. We're not ex-cons and shifty characters in the night. WE do this blog because we like it. You want premium content? Take it over somewhere else, because our information is free. You don't like what we cover? Quit clicking, then...dummy!

Let the idiots run amuck out there...we don't play that.
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