The idea to move the Big Ten Tournament to the east coast isn’t as dumb as the idea that to make Big Ten freshmen ineligible.
No way; not even close.
However, it’s an idea similarly doomed to fail. At least the concept of sending the Big Ten Tournament to Washington D.C. and New York City is explicable- it’s a marketing ploy to create new revenue streams. It’s just an extension of the maneuver to add Maryland and Rutgers. All sense of tradition is lost.
It’s about trying to turn on television sets in the New York City and Washington D.C. markets and..well, that’s all it’s about.
The Big Ten wants to get their core promotional vehicle, the Big Ten Network, into the accounts of more cable subscribers in the #1 and #9 television markets. It wants to reach more consumers and grab more ad dollars in two very densely populated metropolitan areas.
It’s about money, pure and simple, and that’s not news and that’s not un-American. However, please drop the “amateurism” charade and corporatespeak. The Big East has tradition at Madison Square Garden; the Big Ten does not.
This is as much about amateurism as that $11 billion contract the NCAA has with CBS and Turner for the NCAA Tournament.
Tonight the Big Ten Tournament begins in Chicago for the 9th time in the event’s 18 year history. Next year it moves to Indianapolis, where it has been played the other 9 times.
Then it goes to Washington D.C. for 2017 and New York City for 2018. Moving it to the eastern seaboard means that a large majority of two key groups, students and media, will not attend.
It’s not news that journalism is dying and being replaced by “media.” (that’s a whole ‘nother essay) It’s not news that media outlets are cutting back on travel costs at every opportunity. When the media have to fly instead of drive to the location and spend more time and money on hotels than they normally would it eliminates the opportunities for many media to attend.
Ditto for students.
It’s not news that most students have no money, and instead have debt.
When the media and the students are forced to withdraw from an event the event loses atmosphere and cachet. Students bring the passion and energy.
Rutgers fans and Maryland fans will not replace the fan bases of the Midwestern teams. Local media in D.C. and NYC will not pay as much attention to the Big Ten Tournament as the media who cover these teams everyday all season long will. You can’t replace that.
Overall, New York and D.C. just won’t care as much about Big Ten basketball as conference commissioner Jim Delaney seems to think they will. There’s just way too much to do in both “the capital of the world” and our nation’s capital.
This B1G experiment will be a B1G failure.
Delaney’s decision to do this, when combined with the “no freshmen should play” idea he reportedly kicked around seems a bit Roger Goodellian. Both men seem to be going a little too far trying to re-innovate and re-engineer.
You’ve got B1G salaries, you’ve got B1G powerful leagues, you’ve got television networks that act as your vehicle for message control. You’ve made it. You’re at the top of the food chain; so leave the product alone.
Goodell is trying too hard with certain ideas: eliminating the extra point, phasing out kickoffs, ramming the NFL product down London’s throat.
Mr. Delaney had it right the first time; when he picked the original home for the Big Ten Tournament. Chicago is where the league and the league’s megaphone (BTN) is located.
It’s where the most alumni are centered. Chicago is the de facto capital of the Midwest and the Big Ten Tournament is a Midwestern tournament because the Big Ten is a midwestern league.
Chicago is where it belongs, first and foremost, but the BTT works well in Indianapolis too. A Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis does provide the excitement of an atmosphere where the event is one of the main focal points in town. When it’s in the circle city, there’s a buzz that comes from knowing it’s the biggest game in town.
When it’s in Chicago, on the other hand, it’s another big fish in a much bigger pond. Now watch what happens when it moves to NYC/DC. It’ll become a small fish.
So while the Big Ten Tournament works well in Indy, it works best in the Windy City.
And it only works in the Midwest. Period.
-Our latest bracketology, Illinois is in the “first four out.”
-Our Big Ten Tournament predictions and preview.
-And here’s what Illinois has to do in the Big Ten Tournament to get in the big dance.
Paul M. Banks owns, operates and writes The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with Fox Sports Digital. You can read Banks’ feature stories and op-eds in the Chicago Tribune RedEye newspaper and hear his regular guest spots on numerous sports talk radio stations all across the country.
Follow him on Twitter (@paulmbanks)