Welcome back the Friday Feedback, which will be holding a bake sale at the VFW from 2-5 p.m. today. The Big 12 is for real this time and with that comes road trips that aren’t as affordable to cities that aren’t as accessible as they were in the Big East. I understand your plight, but let’s not be naive: In newspapers, that will matter. I’ve been lucky enough to work at two places that would go to the moon to cover the game and I remain confident that won’t change. It is going to be different and require a different consciousness, though. But, again, that’s not what I’m worried about these days.
The Big East is what I know. There are people in the Big 12, SEC, ACC and Big Ten that I know. There are places in different leagues that I’ve been fortunate enough to travel to through the years. But all my best memories in this job seem to funnel back to the Big East and the cities I’ve traveled to and have gotten to know because I cover a team in the Big East. I’m just crushed about losing the Big East Tournament. It’s my favorite. It’s the best thing ever. I won’t argue this. I’m devastated by realizing I’m covering it one more time. I remember an endless list of great games and plays and players and coaches.
I remember the national anthem and the pregame buzz in the two championship games WVU played. I remember WVU beating Boston College in 2005 and the fans chanting “ACC” again and again … and I wonder what awaits the Mountaineers. I remember Allan Ray pushing Mike Gansey in the back and the crowd gasping when they realized one of the best games they’d ever seen would be decided at the foul line by a shaky free-throw shooter. I remember Da’Sean Butler and exactly what he said after his game-winners in 2010 and I remember Wellington Smith throwing the ball as high and as far as he could when WVU won the title. I remember people crying when “Country Roads” played inside The Mecca. All gone now. It kills me. Goof on the Big East all you want, but you’re losing a huge, huge thing. You’ll be fine on the basketball side. You won’t be the same.
The football will be better, but there are so many memories there, too. Too many to recount, as is the case on the basketball side, but that’s not my point. I think I’m good at what I do, but I’ve honestly measured success a little differently. I always wanted to look back and say I did a good job because I knew that I enjoyed what I did. The Big East guaranteed me that satisfaction. The Big East offers New York City, Chicago, Tampa, Louisville, Cincinnati, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and New Jersey. These are destinations and I got to go there every year. For work.
There are beautiful campuses at Notre Dame and Marquette and Georgetown and Villanova. There are fantastic basketball venues at Louisville and Pitt and classic old school ones on campus at Villanova and UConn. There are fun football stadiums at Cincinnati and Louisville. I’ve always enjoyed those times. The game and the story mattered, but, again, it’s about more than the games.
I remember going to an Irish Pub in New York with Mike Cherry after the Big East Tournament games in 2005 and trying to figure out what was happening. I remember ridiculous train rides with Justin Jackson whenever we were in Newark for a game in New Jersey or in New York. I remember the crazy blizzard at the Carrier Dome in 2006 and walking to the arena with Dave Hickman, who was bloodied when a plow rolled by and kicked up a cinder that smacked him in the forehead. I remember New Year’s Eve in Milwaukee last year and the guy next to me at the bar who was inconsolable after finding out out his girlfriend was cheating on him with his best friend … Beth.
I remember rolling with Bob Hertzel and hitting old haunts in New Jersey. I remember meeting the gang of street toughs Jack Bogaczyk once belonged to in Covington, Ky., right outside Cincinnati. I remember Jim Laise ruining an outfit when he squeezed a bottle of barbeque sauce too hard and made it explode. I remember the various things Colin and I got into in our two seasons. I remember my beard and my Billy Mays costume for Halloween in Ybor City in 2009. I even remember the many meals I ate alone or the museums or galleries I went to because I’d rather do that than stay in my hotel room. I guess my point is I remember something about every trip and I can tell you where to go to eat a good meal or to be entertained, and now I realize those days are numbered.
New experiences await, and that’s exciting because I can’t wait to get into Texas, but there was nothing wrong with the old ones, the ones I could rely on and look forward to every year. Hate to see it end, really hate to see it end the way we are right now, but this is where we are right now and it’s sad on a bunch of different levels.
As for this weekend, the Kicking Nikki’s get things going when they play host to Georgetown in the women’s soccer Big East semifinals. The men’s basketball season begins tonight with an exhibition against Northern Kentucky. Tomorrow, it’s WVU v. Louisville: Once more with feeling. Live game blog and Texts From Game Day are included. Sunday afternoon Marlon LeBlanc leads his men’s soccer team into the Big East quarterfinals against No. 11 St. John’s.
Onto the Feedback. As always, comments appear as posted. In other words, have a backup plan.
JP said:
If that game proved anything, it’s that Rutgers is still Rutgers.
Remember when Rutgers was chopping wood and turning the corner 2006? Since the win against No. 3 Louisville pushed the Scarlet Knights to 9-0 that season, the team is 36-27 overall and 15-20 in the Big East.
Bill said:
Rutgers: turning the corner since 1896.
… that, too.
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