Michigan Game Postponed

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#51      

BRucks

BRucks
BRucks
OrangeAndBlueBlooded said:
Just announced that the Michigan game will not be played on Thursday.
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This is getting silly. At this point they are going to waltz into the top seed in the B10 tourney while dodging some very losable games if the makeup games don't happen. Meanwhile, we have missed the #13 and 14 teams in the standings (Mich. St. & Nebraska) due to covid. The conference needs to force them make those games up even if it means playing every night for a week. :mad:
 
#53      

Deleted member 746963

D
Guest
Deleted member 746963
BRucks said:
This is getting silly. At this point they are going to waltz into the top seed in the B10 tourney while dodging some very losable games if the makeup games don't happen. Meanwhile, we have missed the #13 and 14 teams in the standings (Mich. St. & Nebraska) due to covid. The conference needs to force them make those games up even if it means playing every night for a week. :mad:
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Not sure how you did not foresee these situations during a pandemic as we watched MLB, college football and the NFL go through the same.. I feel blessed and thankful for every game I watch this year. We are lucky there even is a season and this is a part of the deal. These kids are sacrificing like not other college players in the past to make this season happen.

That said, I have a feeling we will see many teams knowing they are making the NCAA tournament maybe even skip their conference tournament if those happen happen at all. You think a team like Baylor wants to risk exposure at the conference tourney knocking them out of the NCAA if the catch Covid?? Will be interesting to see how it plays out.
 
#54      

Fr8trn16

F
Fr8trn16
sacraig said:
I fully support keeping them isolated until the health issues are resolved. But it's going to make it hard for any team to catch them if they don't play any games and just sit there with one loss. Even tougher that a number of the games they are canceling are against the teams with an actual shot to knock them off.
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That's the point! That's why they're canceling against us. Because they have enough players to play the game! Just not the ones they want to play with!
 
#55      

grue2

G
grue2
VAIllini35 said:
Fighter of the Nightman said:
Seriously. In a normal year, with fans, I think the conference tournament is one of the most underrated parts of the season, and I actually get a little annoyed with older fans talking about how they hate how it was added. ...
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VAIllini35 said:
Seriously? A tab bit offensive.
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Why is stating facts offensive?
1) FoN gets annoyed by people stating they don't like the tournament, or that the tournament winner gets the automatic bid (as if the season winner won't get an invite anyhow).
2) Only the older fans remember before there was a conference tournament.

Personally, I'd like to see the full double round robin reinstated. This may require jettisoning one or more teams from the conference. A more practical alternative may be to choose 3 days late in the season for games and not schedule the opponents until later. The opponents will be chosen to ensure that the top N teams all played each other home and away. These games will likely be top 20 pairings and get national TV (income). It should also eliminate most of the schedule imbalances at the top. The tournament conference seedings will be fairer.
 
#56      

Fighter of the Nightman

Fighter of the Nightman
Chicago, IL
Fighter of the Nightman
billybaroo said:
How old do you have to be to be older? Asking for a friend.

Agree the tourney is great.
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Lol, well my dad is 59 and I would say he "doesn't really get it." I suppose that's understandable when you didn't grow up with it, and to be honest I really didn't get how cool it can be until I attended. I moved to Chicago for my MBA in August of 2019, and I have seriously had this BTT circled since the day I got accepted into the program. :( Oh well, I am confident that we will see plenty of good Illini teams playing in BTTs at the United Center in front of a sea of orange over the next several years!
 
#57      

RML

R
RML
How about this for a revised conference tournament format to provide more matchups between teams close in the standings: Essentially a four team tournament for the top 4 (with a day rest between games) and a 10 team tournament for the rest (games every day) with the winners of each bracket optionally playing each other at the end:

Day 1

1 v. 4, 2 v. 3, 11 v. 14, 12 v. 13

Day 2

5 v. winner of 11/14, 8 v. 9, 10 v. winner 12/13, 6 v 7

Day 3

winner of 1/4 v. winner of 2/3, loser of 1/4 v. loser of 2/3 (optional consolation game) winner of 5/11/14 v. winner of 8/9, winner of 6/7 w. winner of 10/12/13

Day 4

Winner of 5/8/9/11/14 v. winner of 6/7/10/13/14

Day 5 (optional)

winner of 1/2/3/4 v. winner of 5-14
 
#58      

Hair Like Keene

H
Hair Like Keene
If they are able to play(and they are) the game needs to be played. Inconveniences are not a legitimate reason. It’s tough, but there is no time for them to get a few practices in. Deal with it. The big ten needs to step in on this.
 
#61      

altgeld88

altgeld88
Arlington, Virginia
altgeld88
Fighter of the Nightman said:
Seriously. In a normal year, with fans, I think the conference tournament is one of the most underrated parts of the season, and I actually get a little annoyed with older fans talking about how they hate how it was added.
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FOTN, my wonderful younger brother: speaking as one of those older fans who cherished the 18-game round robin for ~20-25 seasons from the time I could watch Big Ten hoops as a little kid until the BTT started in '98(?), I'll defend the cranky elderly here before I yell at you to get off my lawn and then shuffle back to my Barcalounger to watch Lawrence Welk reruns .;)

Back in the day, many of us really loved that 18-game grind and what it took to become league champion. Those games in February and early March were do-or-die b/c there was no reprieve to get into the tourney (even when it expanded to 64 teams in the mid-'80s.) It really took consistency and tenacity to emerge at or near the top of the conference in early March.

As for the BTT, we've all seen seasons when, e.g., our Illini have ground it out with (say) Wisconsin, taking the league title, and then go to the BTT and lose (to Wisconsin) in the final. And vice versa. So what does the tourney really mean? Nothing to the team that actually won the regular season title, or really the top five in the league. They're perhaps at best trying to move up a seed in the NCAA tourney. Lots, to those who blew the midterms during the semester and are gunning for an A on the final in order to get to The Dance.

Yes, it can be exciting. I still recall fondly that second BTT in '99 when we absolutely blew chunks during the league season and yet had that marvelous run to the tournament title game until we ran out of gas at halftime against MSU. Wonderful sign of the promise that would materialize the following couple years. But really, I still find it superfluous.

But... call me a hypocrite. When I was at UIUC I really enjoyed watching the ACC tourney in March at the bars. I found it exciting, 'cause I hadn't really been exposed to it in high school. However, I've never been able to muster a great deal of love for the BTT. Frankly, I can't get interested in a single postseason tournament in any conference.

One man's opinion. I suspect I have company among my Geritol-chugging peers. Now please bring me my pipe, slippers, and a warm glass of milk. I need a nap before the Wisconsin game.
 
#62      

altgeld88

altgeld88
Arlington, Virginia
altgeld88
MaineIllini said:
It was a blast to watch big #22 Red Kerr in Huff Gym.
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I'm with you. I'm glad they had replaced the peach baskets from the prior season with nets, and finally moved the games indoors from Illini Field where the female coeds danced around the Maypole every spring. Big improvements, both of which stuck.

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#63      

The Dave

The Dave
CA
The Dave
VAIllini35 said:
It's called "The OSU Gambit" ;)
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I gotta say, this bugs me too. Not playing games because of Covid? I'm cool with that. Not playing games once you're cleared of that? Not cool at all. I'm sure they're saying "player safety, conditioning, etc" but I don't buy that. They can stay in shape. Maybe not game shape, but not they're not out of shape where "injury is likely".

I did NOT like OSU ducking us in football. That being said, I think it was pretty clear OSU was the best team in the BT East (they did beat Indiana) so I didn't have a problem with them getting in to the conference championship game.

If Michigan somehow skates through the season playing 5 less games (or whatever) than everyone else AND ducking both Illinois and Wisconsin, I don't feel they should be the regular season champs. That's just BS. If they go in and win the BT Tourney? Well, then they deserve that title because they'll have earned it.
 
#64      

Deleted member 11228

D
Guest
Deleted member 11228
The Dave said:
I gotta say, this bugs me too. Not playing games because of Covid? I'm cool with that. Not playing games once you're cleared of that? Not cool at all. I'm sure they're saying "player safety, conditioning, etc" but I don't buy that. They can stay in shape. Maybe not game shape, but not they're not out of shape where "injury is likely".

I did NOT like OSU ducking us in football. That being said, I think it was pretty clear OSU was the best team in the BT East (they did beat Indiana) so I didn't have a problem with them getting in to the conference championship game.

If Michigan somehow skates through the season playing 5 less games (or whatever) than everyone else AND ducking both Illinois and Wisconsin, I don't feel they should be the regular season champs. That's just BS. If they go in and win the BT Tourney? Well, then they deserve that title because they'll have earned it.
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:ROFLMAO:
 
#65      

Erictheorange

E
Erictheorange
Didn’t I hear that PSU went from doing push-ups individually in their apartments to playing games right after they were cleared. I thought that was why they struggled so bad their first couple games back. I my mind the standard has already been set and the B10 should not give them extra time up time.
 
#66      

ILLINI76

ILLINI76
Springfiled, IL.
ILLINI76
Michigan last 4 games are at Ohio St, at Indiana, home to Iowa and at Michigan St.
 
#67      

altgeld88

altgeld88
Arlington, Virginia
altgeld88
I'd like to ditch the useless non-con games and play a 26-game league schedule with no tournament. Each team would have six more conference games than currently exist, and out of those 42 total games you'd have more marquee matchups than exist in the current BTT, and those regular season games would have greater significance. I'm skeptical that a marginal profit case exists for the BTT compared with that extra-6-game schedule in terms of net gate receipts and TV revenue. In addition, the media would love it as the drama in the regular season would ebb and flow, building through January and February to a much greater extent than it does now.

Have Kevin Warren's people take a meeting with my people. We'll blue-sky it. 😁
 
#68      

illini80

illini80
Forgottonia
illini80
Fr8trn16 said:
That's the point! That's why they're canceling against us. Because they have enough players to play the game! Just not the ones they want to play with!
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From what I can find they have had no positive cases in the BB program since August. It’s a decision to give them the best chance to win when they do play imo. I’m not sure who is calling the shots. The players petitioned to be able to practice this week and were denied.
 
#69      

illiniu

I
illiniu
billybaroo said:
Never?! Though we came close in 2008 as a 10 seed. My wife and I hopped in the car after our semi-final win and drove 10 hours overnight to see the beloved in the final. Unfortunately the team looked like they had about as much sleep as we did. Made for some good memories though. :)
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And the 1998-99 team as an 11 seed lost to MSU in the final. That team ran out of steam, too, after a valliant effort. One of the best 14-18 teams I've ever watched! Check out the roster. Harbinger. Lon, we hardly knew ye.
 
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#70      

RedRocksIllini

RedRocksIllini
Morrison, CO
RedRocksIllini
Fighter of the Nightman said:
Lol, well my dad is 59 and I would say he "doesn't really get it." I suppose that's understandable when you didn't grow up with it, and to be honest I really didn't get how cool it can be until I attended. I moved to Chicago for my MBA in August of 2019, and I have seriously had this BTT circled since the day I got accepted into the program. :( Oh well, I am confident that we will see plenty of good Illini teams playing in BTTs at the United Center in front of a sea of orange over the next several years!
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I'm 59 and thoroughly love the BTT. Now, if someone could be so kind as to help me find the "silence" button on my cell phone, that would be just dandy.
 
#71      

Oldskoolkoach

O
Oldskoolkoach
Someone help me out so I don't have to find the right Google search string.

Does UM have internal covid issues? I thought they were cancelling because the state of Michigan had reccomended it, yet MSU is still playing.
 
#72      

illinitiger

I
illinitiger
sacraig said:
I fully support keeping them isolated until the health issues are resolved. But it's going to make it hard for any team to catch them if they don't play any games and just sit there with one loss. Even tougher that a number of the games they are canceling are against the teams with an actual shot to knock them off.
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And they will retain their #4 rank forever.
 
#73      

illini80

illini80
Forgottonia
illini80
Oldskoolkoach said:
Someone help me out so I don't have to find the right Google search string.

Does UM have internal covid issues? I thought they were cancelling because the state of Michigan had reccomended it, yet MSU is still playing.
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No issues in the BB program. UM is making their own decisions. Initially it was related to a case of the highly contagious B117 strain within the athletic dept. They shut down everything and quarantined everyone. I’ve seen nothing about whether there was any spread to others.
 
#74      

Oldskoolkoach

O
Oldskoolkoach
illini80 said:
No issues in the BB program. UM is making their own decisions. Initially it was related to a case of the highly contagious B117 strain within the athletic dept. They shut down everything and quarantined everyone. I’ve seen nothing about whether there was any spread to others.
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Ok, thanks for clarifying. MSU has no worries about it then I suppose. Of course Michigan is a medical school, so they would probably be more apt to take more precautions.
 
#75      

ChiefKingfisher

C
ChiefKingfisher
Honestly I'm wondering how the NCAA tournamant is even gonna happen. What are they gonna do when teams inevitably get COVID cases mid-tournamant? Just automatically disqualify them?
 
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