$$$ Can NU buy a WBB Championship?

[BenEClone]

A recent post at Cyclones Illustrated discussed the disparity in football ticket prices. Taking into account the number of games, ticket prices and number of seats sold, Nebraska was about 20 million dollars ahead of Iowa State. Not all of that money goes into football related items. It supports, in grand style, "non-revenue" sports. NU can hire the best coach money can buy (last time they tried, but, made a mistake) and provide whatever facilities and enhancements are deired. This isn't just a Nebraska issue. The cash disparity among the top football programs and others is significant. Can a University just out spend others and virtually buy a good program?

[ChipperF1]

You Cryclones along I-80 East just don't quit do ya? Now Nebraska's "buying" a championship. Sheesh.

UNL is able to do it because they make a committment to it, and it isn't just football, its the entire athletic program. You pick a target, fund it, and back it to the hilt, and Nebraska doing it, just like every school in the league is.

[BenEClone]

ChipperF1, I would have expected to find you in a better mood. In a rather slow period, I had hoped for some meaningful dialogue. The premise is that in pro and college sports, there is a correlation between budget and on field/court success. It is no accident that, in the Big XII, UT and NU have the largest budgets and the highest consistent showing when all sports are considered. For some reason, NU has consistently fallen short in MBB and WBB. At the heart of my question is were Nee and Sanderford isolated mistakes who shoulder all responsibility or is there another reason which dooms NU to basketball mediocrity? Can the right WBB coach bring the same status to NU WBB that it enjoys in gymnastics, volleyball, stick and ball sports, etc.? As a follow-up, it seems that many schools did not take WBB seriously. That attitude seems to be changing - is it inevitable that the perennial haves (those with big football money) will come to dominate WBB on account of a commitment of superior resources?

[ChipperF1]

"For some reason, NU has consistently fallen short in MBB and WBB. At the heart of my question is were Nee and Sanderford isolated mistakes who shoulder all responsibility or is there another reason which dooms NU to basketball mediocrity?"

Doomed to mediocrity? Thy name is Iowa State (add sport except wrestling here) http://hoopscoop.net/ubb/wink.gif

Seriously. Nebraska's had a great ride in most sports, but much of the basketball failure in the last 10-15 years has been more of a matter of personnel. Resources are there. Institutional committment is there. The people haven't been.

Since you mentioned Danny Neemcompoop and Pale Sanderfraud, I will address them. In the case of Danny Nee, one of the best recruiters you ever saw. His teams, especially is '91-'96 team were stacked high with talent.
Why they failed? You had kids who didn't want to work, and a coach who couldn't get them to work. The common denominator of Danny Nee teams is that those player on average start at a point of development as freshman and stay at that point for four years. There was a wide swath of talent there. About 20 of Danny's Nee Nebraska recruits are in professional basketball and three are in the NBA now.
On the players side. Danny ran a loose ship, and the sailor ran amuck. His team were some of the least disciplined team on the court and off. Many of his players were lazy in the court, lazy in the schoolroom and too busy chasing girls around campus to play ball.

As for Paul? I've bashed him enough in the last 5 months. His failure speaks for itself, and yes, BenE I am in a better mood http://hoopscoop.net/ubb/smile.gif

[Cloneman]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by ChipperF1:
[B] You Cryclones along I-80 East just don't quit do ya? Now Nebraska's "buying" a championship. Sheesh.

What's your problem? Bitter because the Clones have drubbed the mighty "Skurz" about 500 times in row?

As for your mediocrity statement about ISU, how do you consider a program with 6 straight NCAA tourney appearances and consistently ranked in the top 15 "mediocre"? How about our men's program, with back to back Big XII titles? Is that mediocre? Women's gymnastics and track are perenial top 20 programs as well. Also, even if Husker fans hate to admit it, ISU DOMINATED the Big 8 in men's track in the 70's and 80's, with 2 national titles in cross-country (the most recent was 1994). Get over yourself and your jealousy of Fennelly's program.

[ChipperF1]

Jealousy of Bill Fennelly? I find that about as laughable as the phrase "Iowa Governor Jim Ross Lightfoot".

I like Bill Fennelly. Fine coach, great program. He took 5-22 and made it one of the better teams in the league and the country. My problem, if I have one is with some of the Cryclone fans (I know real Cyclone fans, and they don't fit the term "cryclone"). If some of those folks aren't whining about their "lack of attention", they are whining about officiating. It is wonder Des Moines doesn't flood with all that whine that comes from Ames sometimes.

Now about the ISU past? I'm a track fan from way back and liked the Clones. They had a serious track program. Gimme some Danny Harris anyday. They have a solid track program (although the school needs to continue to get behind it and give the material support it is lacking compared to the rest of the Big 12 right now). The wrestling program, while periennally Iowa's second best, is still a top 5 nationally and will always be. The hottest name in the sport right now is an Iowa Stater, and Cael Sanderson's not done, yet (see ya in Athens, kid.)

But Cloneman, if you really want to slap leather on the relative merits past or present of both programs, while the Cyclones would fare decently in some areas, they would be outpaced by what Nebraska's done, from the Huskers number of Academic All-Americans in football (#1 all-time in the sport), to the impressive dominance of womens track (Conference indoor AND outdoor champions 1980-1995, and developed some grand talent along the way). And that just a sample of the reach of Cornhusker athletics.

And oh, by the way...If you really want to slam the Huskers. The term "Skurz" is only used by pubescent suburban males in West Omaha or West Des Moines. The proper term is "Bugeaters" http://hoopscoop.net/ubb/wink.gif