…and the ACC continues to be disrespected
* This article is about the 2012-2013 ACC- Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Notre Dame and Louisville are considered to be a part of the Big East Conference
Has anybody else noticed how unbelievably often the ACC is disrespected these days? From the endless message board rumors of our imminent demise, to the cheap shots about our football, it’s like we can’t catch a break about anything. ESPN pundits and national news sportscasters are too busy mouthing-off their own unfounded opinions that they fail to notice that we still have top-tier academics and the best overall athletic programs in the nation. Our football is improving and our basketball might just be “back.” But, why say something good when you can hop on the bandwagon and put us down? I get it. We’re not the “flavor of the month. We’ll “never get better.” Our “sub-par TV deal reflects our sub-par product.” But is this actually what people would think if they did the research themselves instead of listening to ESPN? The Worldwide Leader is notorious for creating news. They pick a league, and make sure everyone thinks that it’s the best. For years, it’s been the Big East in basketball. Has the Big East been “bad” in basketball? Absolutely not. Has it been deserving of its one million bids that it seems to get every year? Not really, since most Big East teams flame out in the first few rounds. The ACC has the most NCAA basketball titles of any BCS conference in the past decade. Down or not, that says something.
But now the Big East is dead, so ESPN has hitched their train to the next big thing- The Big 10. I’ve already gone on record on this site many different times with my distaste for the Big 10. I believe I’ve even gone as far to say that if my school joined the Big 10 that I’d never watch college athletics again. It’s not necessarily the specific schools, it’s just that I can’t stand the complete arrogance that surrounds the conference. Are their academics bad? No. Are they better than ours? No. Is their football bad? Sure, it absolutely was this year. (But ESPN insists that the ACC was worse because they just can’t bear to say that we’re actually improving). I can accept those things. People make up their minds and won’t change them no matter what you say. But there’s one thing I just won’t accept- the absolutely unwarranted hype around Big 10 basketball this season.
Does the Big 10 have quality teams? Absolutely, even if their style of play is incredibly boring and hard to watch. Are they deserving of 7 bids and such high rankings, compared to the ACC’s four? I can’t say the word “no” enough. The snubs of Maryland and Virginia, two absolutely quality tournament-level teams, have been discussed enough and the specifics don’t need to be mentioned here. But to say that the Big 10 is just head and shoulders above everyone else is unbelievable. This is, the same Big 10 that the ACC tied in the ACC-Big 10 Challenge this year, isn’t it? This is, the same Big 10 that the ACC holds a winning 8-6 record against this season, with wins against “top teams” like Ohio State, Michigan State, Wisconsin and Minnesota, isn’t it? ESPN can spit out all of the statistics that they want to- RPI, BPI…you name it. But it doesn’t matter if Ohio State ranks ahead of the ACC in every single category imaginable. If they still lose head-to-head they STILL LOSE. That’s the problem with the media. They like to over-analyze things when it’s really much simpler. Have certain ACC teams been down in recent years? Sure. But UNC and Duke both won multiple titles in the most recent decade. That’s four more than the Big 10. It doesn’t matter what your rebounding differential is, or what your pace is if you can’t replicate it on the floor each night. UNC averaged 7 made 3-pointers going into their regular season finale against Duke. So “statistically,” the Tar Heels shouldn’t have lost because with 7 3’s instead of 1 they would have won the game. But they didn’t, they got blown out. Statistics don’t matter during the game, the actual play is the only thing that does.
The most recent ESPN Magazine issue was a Big 10 love-fest. It states that certainly, “everyone” agrees that Trey Burke is the best point guard in the nation. Have these people watched Shane Larkin? My guess is that the only reason they think Burke is better is because he plays in the Big 10. Is Burke a bad point guard? Certainly not. I’m all about giving credit where credit is due. He’s in the top-3 this year no question. But I’m also about seeking the truth when bias gets in the way. I love the ACC. And I’m not delusional enough to think that we were the best conference this season in basketball, we probably weren’t. But I know one thing for certain- we deserved more bids than we got and we deserve more respect than we receive. That’s not a statistical matter, it’s just pure fact.
The Confidential 
100% agree.
Apparently, ESPN is playing to the audience, and the biggest one is the Big Ten.
The one thing ACC fans who feel slighted can do – boycott all Big Ten sports.
Agree with above article….but believe that there are a few misrepresentations of media and ESPN…and I do not necessarily like either. Sometimes building a straw man in media is a means of gathering eyeballs and attention. History demonstrates the superiority of ACC BBall…and also confirms that the B1G has not won an NCAA BBall NC in quite a while and when they have they are few and far between. But the eyeballs who really care about college bball happen to be strung out from Boston to Florida and primarily along or near the east coast. Point is, if you want to gain ratings and have people watch and comment, discuss something that numerous households are going to disagree with…and don’t forget which conference has the largest number of households..it isnt the B1G. Also if you are ESPN and going to have to renegotiate with the ACC because of # of eyeballs, its improving football, its usually very good bball, and its new entries: Notre Dame, Louisville, Pitt, and ‘Cuse…trying to downplay its goodness may not be a poor strategy…if not that good, why pay a lot for it.
For the first time in history, a team that won the ACC conference and then won its tournament has not been seeded #1…Miami got screwed…but a #2 seed in the EAST isnt a bad way to go…I am still trying to figure out how ‘Cuse came out only as a #4.
But hey, Notre Dame, Pitt and ‘Cuse will be playing in ACC this coming season…and that is 3 more NCAA dance teams…add Louisville a year later and soon everyone will be back on the ACC is BBALL best. Fact is, aside from Miami, Duke, NC, NCState the other teams did not schedule good teams out of conference…and apparently as Bilas said yesterday, “it is not who you beat it is who you lost to”…
A closing remark…I believe that the ACC is doing a disservice by not undertaking better PR. I know that with Maryland still hanging around there probably isnt a lot being said about the positive steps the conference is undertaking..and with all the BS from anti-ACC posters; Delany having many scared, and realignment not settling down, the #1 target remains the ACC….and that could be deflected if the conference could/would say more about what its good points and endeavors are moving forward.
Over the last 10 years in the tournament the Big 10 is 76-54 (58% win percentage). The ACC is 82-49 (62%). In that time the ACC has three national championships and the Big 10 has zero. To be fair, the SEC and Big East also have three. But yes, the Big 10 is definitely the best basketball conference ever, and don’t let the facts convince you any differently.
I agree that we are being disrespected. I also believe that it is more than just ESPN behind the scene. Lets face it fellow ACC fans, college revenue sports has turned into a multi-billion dollar industry and the competition (Big-12 & B1G) are out for our markets and products. i.e. schools. There is already a concerted effort by WVU to crack the ACC along fault lines and their fans have caught on to the purpose. As for the rest of the Big-12, they seem to realize that its either Big-12 or ACC and they are also driving the hype that we are doomed. Swofford needs to get people involved in battling the social media hype that we are in trouble. Spending money advertising the conference wouldn’t hurt either. Also, get the coaches, ADs & Presidents to stop making idiotic comments about the state of the ACC. See FSU AD Stepman speech last month as an example of what I am talking about. Also, the ACC needs to reach out to the fanbase. Its like politics, if the fans aren’t happy, the alumni will start to get unhappy. You know where this is headed.