SIAP - Regarding WCC Expansion

My goodness... I swear you see shadows behind every corner, don't you?

GoZags wrote:SH, You'll have to let me know where I've "misrepresented things a bit".

OK, if I must, from your previous post: "Please show me where Gonzaga has "officially" said they don't want Seattle. Few has expressed his opinion about the negative impact on RPI -- but that's about it."

You admit the latest WCC expansion vote was 8-0 against. That vote has been publicly affirmed by the conference. So... yes, that counts as Gonzaga officially saying they don't want Seattle in the WCC. It also counts as Portland, USF, SCU, etc. etc. saying the same thing.

Is Gonzaga's president going to issue a press release sh!tting all over Seattle U and why it should never join the WCC? No. If that's what you mean by "officially" saying it, it's never going to happen. The unanimous vote says it all.

GoZags wrote:So, unless I'm mistaken -- and you're saying that the entire league is kowtowing to Gonzaga's feelings (vs the position of the other WCC members), then it's much more than just "Gonzaga's blessing" that's keeping Seattle U. out. And that's the premise of the post I reacted to. This league is much more than the premise of "whatever Gonzaga wants, Gonzaga gets". (1) You, of all people, should know this.

I never said any such thing. PurpleGeezer did, but not me. Again with the shadows...

Having said that, if you don't think Gonzaga's voice and vote carries more weight on basketball matters than, say, Pepperdine's, you're very wrong. The WCC restructured its entire conference tournament format for Gonzaga, making life much more difficult on the bottom-half finishers and adding an entire day of expenses. (And this happened before the cash cow of Las Vegas.)

GoZags wrote:It's interesting to see much of the Seattle media talking about how Gonzaga is keeping Seattle U. from the WCC. It's the WCC that's keeping Seattle U. from the WCC.

Yes, but Gonzaga is part of the WCC and is easily its most visible member in the Seattle market. As far as I know, Gonzaga has yet to face Seattle U since they returned to D1 (as opposed to Portland, who has played them every year). Gonzaga hasn't particularly played nice with their Jesuit brothers in Seattle since they transitioned to D1, so it can't be all that shocking that media in Seattle has questions what Gonzaga's role is in Seattle U not being accepted to the WCC.

If Gonzaga was one of eight votes against (and they were), you can't turn around and say that it's the WCC that's keeping them out. Gonzaga played a role in it - 1/8 of a role, sure, but a role nonetheless. And as the conference's highest-profile team, especially in Seattle, well... getting credit when things are good and getting blamed when things are "bad" is part of the territory.

Heavy is the head that wears the crown or something or other...

Glad to see we agree.

Of course Gonzaga (and the other 7 members) were against the addition. And I agree, on matters of hoops, GU carries more weight than some other WCC members. But I reject the premise (as do you) that Gonzaga, and solely Gonzaga -- is the reason Seattle U. isn't part of the WCC.

That's a business decision (you've pointed out the reasons/rationale in your first post on this thread -- the one that said I'd "misrepresented things a bit").

But again, on this it appears we agree.

Here's one guy who thinks GU might be a stumbling block to WCC entry.

When Seattle U applied to be re-admitted into the WCC they were told the league was not interested in expanding at that time. Their were two stumbling blocks. One was the all important RPI ratings. A new basketball program is prone to having a low RPI which can hurt a conference at tournament time. Seattle U. put together an RPI in their first season back that would have ranked them fourth in the WCC. So RPI going forward shouldn't be much a of a problem.

The second stumbling block is Gonzaga. Keep in mind that these are two in state Jesuit Universities that have had a long history of working together on a very friendly basis. The emergence of basketball at Seattle U. threatens Gonzaga to a certain extent. The Redhawks will play all their games in Key Arena which is a big draw for recruits. The Key seats over 17,000 while the new McCarthy Center on the Gonzaga campus seats only 6000.

Seattle U sits right in the middle of a basketball recruiting hotbed that the Zags have dipped into liberaly to help build their championship program. The Zag's even play a game or two each year in Seattle against a national caliber opponent. The addition of Seattle U. means competition for the same type of players the Zags are going after in the area. It also means competition for fans and dollars coming out of the Puget Sound area.

We all know the history between UW head man Lorenzo Romar and Mark Few. The Gonzaga coach recently said he would rather marry Big Foot than play Washington every season on neutral court in Seattle. He went on to say if the Gonzaga/UW series were ever to be re-established the series would have to start in Spokane first since UW ended the series in the first place.

If there is a guy out there that Mark Few dislikes more than Lorenzo Romar it is new SU Coach Cameron Dollar. That just happens to be one of the things that made Dollar the perfect choice for the job at Seattle U.. Publically Dollar says that Gonzaga will be on future Seattle U. schedules. Few is mum on the subject. Chances are the two teams won't meet unless Seattle U. rejoins the WCC or unless Mark Few gets engaged to Big Foot.

http://www.uwdawgpound.com/2009/11/13/1155687/bob-condotta-will-be-covering

Purplegeezer wrote:Here's one guy who thinks GU might be a stumbling block to WCC entry.

The Gonzaga coach recently said he would rather marry Big Foot than play Washington every season on neutral court in Seattle. He went on to say if the Gonzaga/UW series were ever to be re-established the series would have to start in Spokane first since UW ended the series in the first place.

If there is a guy out there that Mark Few dislikes more than Lorenzo Romar it is new SU Coach Cameron Dollar. That just happens to be one of the things that made Dollar the perfect choice for the job at Seattle U.. Publically Dollar says that Gonzaga will be on future Seattle U. schedules. Few is mum on the subject. Chances are the two teams won't meet unless Seattle U. rejoins the WCC or unless Mark Few gets engaged to Big Foot.

http://www.uwdawgpound.com/2009/11/13/1155687/bob-condotta-will-be-covering

The back story to Few's comment vis a vis having Big Foot's baby is this: When UW came up with the 3 year KeyArena proposal -- it wasn't communicated to Gonzaga through normal channels. It (the proposal) was "announced" (i.e. leaked) on Seattle radio station KJR by noted Husky Honk Dave "Softy" Mahler.

When the press queried Few (and AD Roth) they had no idea that this UW/GU proposal existed -- they hadn't seen it, as it hadn't been received by Gonzaga. When asked about the three year proposal to play every game in Seattle -- Few replied that there was a better chance of him having Big Foot's baby. Perhaps not the greatest (or diplomatic) statement ever -- but again -- the question pretty much caught him by surprise.