Randy Kindred article in Pantagraph

[2bradleyfans]

apparently Randy thinks that Bradley's wins in the CBI are suspect.

I think one can be entitled to the opinion that the CBI is not fully ligit. I'm fine with that, it is a brand new tournament that is competing with some better competition and more tradition.

However to say our victories are suspect is a cheap shot.

http://pantagraph.com/articles/2008/03/28/usports/doc47ec271e695f7779733769.txt

[VeveJones007]

I'm not trying to be funny or anything, and maybe I just skimmed the article too quickly, but where did he talk about the wins being suspect? It seemed like a fair article to me.

I thought the point about 6-6 college football teams getting into bowl games was about as good a comparison as any I've heard for the CBI.

[2bradleyfans]

I'm not trying to be funny or anything, and maybe I just skimmed the article too quickly, but where did he talk about the wins being suspect? It seemed like a fair article to me.

I thought the point about 6-6 college football teams getting into bowl games was about as good a comparison as any I've heard for the CBI.

7th paragraph,

"these victories, no matter how suspect,"

[Fyrebyrd]

i just read it, i dont think he really called the wins suspect...i think he was saying other people are calling them that.

[Gargoyles]

i enjoyed the article and thought it was very balanced and thought out.

[tornado]

I think Kindred cites the arguments against the CBI just for the purpose of refuting them...I think the article is positive and not negative toward the post season play.

He cites how it benefits BU to still be playing...
"Monday, Crouch will put the jersey on for the fourth time since that somber afternoon in St. Louis. He is guaranteed a fifth time as well"

and this
"In what many consider a joke of a tournament, Bradley is getting the last laugh"

"the bottom line is indisputable: Bradley is the only Missouri Valley team still playing, and these victories, no matter how suspect, will reap benefits for Les and his program."

"it allows Les to go to recruits and boast of three consecutive 20-win seasons"

" Les will be able to sit in living rooms and tell prospects/parents his teams have won postseason games in three consecutive seasons"

"...beats the heck out of packing up the jerseys at 17-15....Bradley will walk away a winner."

[Dubl R 1]

I'm not sure how to interpret this article. In one paragraph he seems to be defending the CBI against some peoples thoughts that it's a joke, but then he kind of gives the impression that he feels that BU is getting unjust benefits from it. Kind of like the attitude that BU can say they got 20 wins, got post season victories and maybe a championship, but nobody will the be the wiser that those came in a meaningless tourney, unless they look it up.

Honestly, the NIT is just as meaningless, and/or just as benificial, however you want to look at it, as the CBI is. What does it really mean to win the NIT anymore? The NIT and the CBI both give teams the opportunity to keep playing for themselves, the school, and the fans and both provide valuable practice, playing time for returning players. You play to win, and play the best you can so nobody can defame you or your school, and like JL says, there is a championship to be won, it might as well be BU, but to suggest that a possible CBI Championship from BU might draw snickers from the folks in Bloomington Normal because ISU was in the NIT instead of the "meaningless" CBI is the real joke.

I watch a ton of college basketball and watched the majority of the NIT last year, and honestly I'm having a tough time remembering who won the NIT last year, in fact I can't recall who did win. Now I can tell you immediately who won the NCAA for the better part of the last 20 years, the NIT though, nope. So really, how much prestige, or how beneficial is it to win the NIT vs CBI, other than the valuable playing time, and personal reasons for the coaches, players, and fans of the schools involved. These 2 tourneys maybe more similar than a lot of people think.

Meaningless college bowl games are a whole other beast I won't go into.

[tornado]

honestly I'm having a tough time remembering who won the NIT last year...

Hey, we could have a trivia contest and I doubt many people will recall.

2007 Post-season NIT....Championship game - West Virginia 78 - Clemson 73
2006 Post-season NIT....Championship game - South Carolina 76 - Michigan 64
2005 Post-season NIT....Championship game - South Carolina 60 - St. Joe's 57


Tulsa has won it in 2001 and 1981
Bradley has won it in 1982, 1964, 1960, 1957.
Bradley has finished as runnerup in 1959, 1950

[it's boogie time]

When was the last time that the Pantagraph had an article on Bradley?

Just the fact that Randy Kindred wrote an article about all of this makes me think that this was a good idea to play in this tournament. If it was so trivial, there would be no reason to write about it and point out the flaws.

[shaunguth]

"the bottom line is indisputable: Bradley is the only Missouri Valley team still playing, and these victories, no matter how suspect, will reap benefits for Les and his program."

Not to mention that on April 2 there will only be eight teams in the country still playing basketball and just one of them will have a home game!

[ph]

I still think the opportunity to play in Madison Square Garden is the biggest redeeming factor of the NIT, plus the NIT has a much better national TV coverage than the CBI.

It is really too bad that ISU is the only NIT #2 seed not to play in MSG this year. (Not trying to make fun, really. It would be much better for the MVC to have teams playing in all 3 toruney's.)

[it's boogie time]

If the roles were reversed, I'd be making fun of the CBI too, but I'd also be pissed that ISU was playing Tulsa with potential recruits in the house.

That was great to see one of our future players having a good time at the last CBI home game. Hopefully, our other signees will be able to make the trip to Peoria or even Tulsa (it looks like Ft Worth isn't too far from Tulsa) since I assume their season's are over.

[Dallas Brave]

I think he is making a strong case for the benefits of playing in tournament rather than sitting at home if you don't go to the NCAA or NIT. His reasoning validates the business opportunity the Gazelle Group identified ... that there is room for another post-season tournament in addition to the NCAA and NIT tournaments. If schools benefit from playing in the CBI, then the tournament will continue to be played each year. I think we can agree that schools benefit from playing in it given what we are witnessing first-hand.

[BU ICEMAN]

Perhaps like the phrase goes, "Any press is good press"

[Double D]

Perhaps like the phrase goes, "Any press is good press"

I agree.

My stance on the football bowl games has always been: "to each his own." Who cares what a radio or newspaper man thinks.

In football, if a group wants to organize a bowl game, people want to travel there to see their team play, and players and coaches are excited about the opportunity...good for them!

The worst WE have to do is turn the channel if we don't want to watch it on ESPN2, so what.

The same goes for hoops. I think we have all learned that the CBI has been a really fun deal for everyone involved, ESPECIALLY OUR SENIORS! If someone doesn't like it, my question to them would be: "What is it to you? We're not braggin' about it we're just having one heck of a good time!"