Future of the Border War: A Fan's Take
by Warden11 on May 17, 2010 6:00 AM CDT
in Kansas Jayhawk Football
Email
PrintLew Perkins made a few waves last week when discussing the future of the Big 12, especially with this quote in the KC Star:
"If a school — I’m not even talking about Missouri — if a school in our conference doesn’t want to participate in our conference, it would be difficult to continue having an athletic relationship."
Honestly, I'm sick of hearing about re-alignments, superconferences, the Big 10, and tv markets this offseason. Yes, college sports are changing and the change that's coming could be the most dramatic change fans have seen in college sports. Money drives this world and it is driving almost every conversation this spring. The one thing money does not drive is the fan. Rivalries, celebrations, and success are what drives the fan. According to Webster Online a fan is "an enthusiastic devotee, usually as a spectator".
So, Lew if you're listening- I'm sure you're aware of this but want to know what drives the Kansas fan?
This:
And this from our new head coach:
Here are our top priorities: recruit, beat Missouri, recruit, win the North, recruit, win the Big 12
And finally this:
via blogs.pitch.com
We don't need the history rehashed here. The teams disagree on the record against each other in football. Do a quick Google search for Kansas/Missouri rivalry and you can read quotes for days about the hatred of each other. Do I really believe there's a chance that Lew Perkins will even attempt to put an end to this if Missouri does end up in the Big 10? No, I don't there is a chance of it happening.
What I do think is possible and something I am 100% against is moving the basketball game off campus to Kansas City. When the football game was moved to Arrowhead Stadium, many people were not happy with the decision. Nobody likes to lose a home game, especially one against the biggest rival. Today, I think most people would say the move has worked out perfectly. The stadium is full and the games have been terrific. What works for football doesn't always work for basketball. Don't take this game away from the Phog. As much as I hate to say it, don't take it away from Columbia.
To steal a comment from the original fanshot about Lew's quote, here's TIGRPRIDE:
i think what really gets me is that today where every place you go in America you encounter the same strip malls, suburbs, franchise restaurants, etc., local culture gets drowned out.
We don't need this game in Kansas City away from the students in the shiny Sprint Center. Keep this game on campus. Keep the students in mind. Remember we are dealing with college athletics.
The Rivalry
As far as the rivalry losing some its fire after a move by Missouri, I just don't see it happening. Mix together some bitterness about them leaving the conference, the strength of the conference on the line, bowl implications for football, the history of the two states and there are still plenty of things left to build up a game between the two schools. During basketball season, strength of conference is part of the seeding for the tournament and for pride of fanbases, beating Missouri will just be another data point to show the strength of the Big 12 in hoops. Do we even need to get into the Big 10's reputation as a football conference? In preparing for this post, I asked for a little help from the RockMNation guys and here's a really good point made by Bill C. about whether the rivalry would lose steam because the teams are no longer fighting for a conference title:
As for whether the rivalry would fade a bit without conference title implications ... let's face it: conference title implications are quite rare in this rivalry, especially in football. Hell, it is relatively rare that Mizzou and Kansas are even good at the same time. Most of the time over the years, the MU-KU football game has been about winning bragging rights or getting bowl eligibility, and little more. The football rivalry wouldn't be hurt at all. Basketball, on the other hand, could be in for a couple years of really fun MU-KU games here, as both programs could be very good.
23 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Honestly, I’m sick of hearing about re-alignments, superconferences, the Big 10, and tv markets this offseason.
Here Here.
Not sure I agree with you though about the Spring Center angle. I like games on campus too, but if Arrowhead Border Wars have been such a success, why wouldn’t the same thought apply to the Sprint Center? Neutral site, Kansas City, surrounded by PandL to get your swerve on after beating Mizzou. Sounds like a win win to me.
Shit happens when you win championships
This
Any chance that gets held up at the Sprint Center? I just think the student sections fit basketball better and by moving to the Sprint Center, you’re taking that away from the students.
Glad I came, just wish I hadn't stayed so long.
People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball. I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.
It'd be better
If its a once a year deal (if they aren’t in the big 12) that means you are going to have BOTH student sections at the game, with only one shot at each other per year. With both student sections, alumni, etc packing that place, it’d be pretty loud and intense.
Shit happens when you win championships
by Andrew Clark on May 17, 2010 10:25 AM CDT up reply actions
attendance
Sprint Center configured for basketball holds 18,555. Allen Fieldhouse holds 16,300. Sure, it’s a little more, but nowhere near the improvement Arrowhead makes over Memorial (Memorial is roughly 45,000, Arrowhead roughly 85,000).
Not to mention the history of the building and setting, and the fact that we already have a good chance of playing them at the Sprint Center in the Big 12 tourney.
Arrowhead was done to bring a little more oomph to the game- neither team had been consistently successful in a while, so they turned to a gimmick. We’re always good in basketball, so to take the game to the Sprint Center would hurt us more than it would help, and I don’t think even MU has a problem selling out for this game. So basically you’re taking a gamble with almost-guaranteed revenue that would normally go straight to us, and dividing it for the hope of a few extra tickets.
It’s not a terrible idea, but I just don’t see the need for it.
by mikedrawjayhawk on May 17, 2010 9:05 AM CDT up reply actions
Uhh
Not to mention the history of the building and setting, and the fact that we already have a good chance of playing them at the Sprint Center in the Big 12 tourney.
Your missing my point. That if MU jumps to the Big 10 I would be fine with playing them at the Sprint Center. Thus if they are in another conference, we wouldn’t play them in the Big 12 conference.
I don’t want to move the games if MU is still in the Big 12, that’d be stupid since we play them twice. But if they are in the Big 10, I think the Spring Center could be fun.
Shit happens when you win championships
by Andrew Clark on May 17, 2010 10:23 AM CDT up reply actions
whoops
You got me- disregard the Big 12 tourney part.
Actually them being in the Big 10 would make me want to play them @ Allen Fieldhouse even more- why give them any chance of a fair fight at the Sprint Center? Let’s just pile it on them at home.
by mikedrawjayhawk on May 18, 2010 9:52 AM CDT up reply actions
It'd be noice to see them in person every year though
And I don’t think any of us want to go to Columbia, get batteries thrown at us, etc
Shit happens when you win championships
by Andrew Clark on May 18, 2010 11:48 AM CDT up reply actions
Nothing new to talk about...
I’m sick of talking expansion and it seems like that’s all you can read about anymore. I don’t want to put any thought into basketball (because we should be thinking football right now). So football wise, there is nothing to really talk about. We’re in that dead zone. The coaches are out recruiting right now. I know they’ve offered some more players these past couple of weeks but have no clue on where we truly stand with them. Also, with Greene’s butt being kicked off the team we should have 1 more scholarship to offer. So I guess that’s a plus. :)
And really....
we shouldn’t even talk about recruiting until February. Because until the ink is dry, it don’t mean a damn thing.
There simply is no substitute for experience.
Not totally true
but you do have a valid point. If we had about 10 commitments right now the chances for all of them to be stolen from us is slim to none. So therefore we could talk and brag about our recruiting class. But you’re right, as the football world knows, you don’t have that recruit locked up until he officially signs.
I know
I’m just super bored at work (slow day here as well) and need some RCT yansayin?
I too am sick of expansion talk. Maybe I’ll cook up a post or two on other Jayhawk related athletic topics of conversation and debate
Shit happens when you win championships
by Andrew Clark on May 17, 2010 2:17 PM CDT up reply actions
I'm on the road for business till Wednesday...
I’ll see if I can’t come up with a few topics when I return
53 Conference Championships!! and now 6 IN A ROW!!! Holy Hell...Good Luck with That!!
Your job should be to entertain us...
tell your boss you’ll have to put this trip on hold indefinitely. ;)
by MitchumMan on May 17, 2010 3:22 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
I made a post
So leave traveling Denver alone!
Shit happens when you win championships
by Andrew Clark on May 17, 2010 3:23 PM CDT up reply actions
can you get another one ready for the morning...
thanks… :)
53 Conference Championships!! and now 6 IN A ROW!!! Holy Hell...Good Luck with That!!
I do what I wunt
Shit happens when you win championships
by Andrew Clark on May 17, 2010 4:13 PM CDT up reply actions
If it has to happen
I wouldn’t mind a three year rotation for the basketball game:
Year 1: Sprint Center
Year 2: Lawrence
Year 3: Columbia
Or whatever order could be figured out. Perhaps a similar rotation could be set up for football. If you put both football and basketball at a neutral site every year, IMO, the rivalry stops being about current students, and focuses mostly on alumni, who can afford the travel/ticket/parking costs involved in attending events like that.
If only alumni are getting to those games, they just won’t be as important for that current generation of Jayhawks, and that might not change as they get older.
I’m sure KU Athletics sees an uptick in donations every time we beat Misery in football or hoops. I wonder if the potential increased payout from the Sprint Center would be enough to overcome the costs of a less-interested fanbase in that competition.
You can never have too much talent.
by KennyGregoryRockThaCradle on May 17, 2010 4:55 PM CDT reply actions
Very good point.
If you put both football and basketball at a neutral site every year, IMO, the rivalry stops being about current students, and focuses mostly on alumni, who can afford the travel/ticket/parking costs involved in attending events like that.
If only alumni are getting to those games, they just won’t be as important for that current generation of Jayhawks, and that might not change as they get older.
Glad I came, just wish I hadn't stayed so long.
People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball. I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.
I stopped taking this post serious exactly here
“many people were not happy with the decision. Nobody likes to lose a home game, especially one against the biggest rival. Today, I think most people would say the move has worked out perfectly. The stadium is full and the games have been terrific.”
Still hate the Arrowhead move. Being at home in ’07 may very well have made the difference for us and perhaps last year as well.
Money is good but in only three years the move to Arrowhead has potentially cost us a chance at a national title in ’07 and a bowl game in ’09.
I don’t know if we would have won those games at home or not, but now I guess we’ll never friggin’ know.
I also haven’t been able to afford to go to the game for the last 2 years. Shelling out for the extra game on top of the season ticket package really sucks.
I support Lew on most subjects and I’m glad he’s our AD, but he can take his Arrowhead game and cram it where the sun don’t shine. There’s nothing more fun than the celebration after beating Mizzou right here on our home turf.
Like I said- most people.
It definitely has some downsides playing away from campus.
Glad I came, just wish I hadn't stayed so long.
People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball. I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
