It all must seem so surreal for Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese.
Over the last few months he has seen the best of the Big East, with Miami playing for a football national championship and Syracuse winning the basketball title, both happening as Tranghese was serving as the Bowl Championship Series head honcho.
Now Tranghese finds himself trying to stave off the most intricate robbery since Danny Ocean cleaned out the Bellagio as the ACC invites Miami, Syracuse and Boston College to abandon the Big East.
While the jockeying for position goes on, NCAA president Myles Brand stays conspicuously quiet. Where’s the Brand who speaks of integrity and the importance of education for athletes? Isn’t he turning his back while the Big East is looted of three of its top football programs?
The truth: This is all about money.
Surprise, surprise.
Even when Miami won a football national title in 2002, its athletic department claimed a nearly $2 million loss. Compare that to the nearly $10 million payout ACC teams received last year. Add that to the millions an ACC title game would likely bring in, and it’s easy to see why the invitation is appealing.
But if Miami, Syracuse and Boston College move, the Big East will be crippled.
Tranghese isn’t giving up, but he and the Big East’s other athletic directors are outnumbered soldiers defending the Alamo. They’ve got no chance to win. The ACC predates the Big East by 26 years and has had a lot longer to learn how to play dirty.
Shame on the NCAA for not stepping in.
ORANGE YA HAPPY? Syracuse basketball coach Jim Boeheim has been the one outspoken opponent of moving to the ACC. Think it has anything to do with the possibility of playing Duke, Maryland, North Carolina and Wake Forest every year?
DOCTOR, DOCTOR: The Twins were the perfect antidote for that 72-hour White Sox fever running late last week. Mr. Morpheus, I’ll take the blue pill because the reality of the Sox is way too much.
PICK ONE: Lloyd McClendon, Mike Hargrove or Jerry Manuel.
BORN TOO LATE: Don’t get it twisted. Tim Duncan is the NBA’s best player, but most fans don’t realize it because he’s got more substance than style. Duncan is averaging 23 points, 14 rebounds and more than 2 blocks in the playoffs.
And Duncan took it to Shaquille O’Neal in beating the Lakers. Timmy took the post regularly, and when Shaq adjusted, Duncan rained in 17-foot jumpers. He can do it all, inside or out.
Duncan was just born 20 years too late for his game to be completely appreciated.
BIG BOYS DON’T CRY: After losing to the Spurs, it was “Cry Me a River” in the Lakers’ locker room. Hey Kobe and Derek, do yourselves a favor and “Butch up!”
REMEMBER THIS? Where are the experts who said Cade McNown was “the most pro-ready” of all the quarterbacks in the 1999 draft? Well, McNown’s out of football. Meanwhile, Tim Couch, Donovan McNabb, Duante Culpepper, Aaron Brooks and even Shaun King have helped their teams make the playoffs.
McNown wasn’t even able to outlast putrid Akili Smith. I guess the NFL just wasn’t ready for Cade. Good luck getting into the Playboy Mansion now, tough guy!
JUST IN CASE: With McNown cut by the 49ers, Rex Grossman might want to consider turning in his No. 8 jersey. It still has the stench of failure all over it.
ON THE PROWL: Michael Jordan is exploring his options after being fired by the Washington Wizards. By the time that this guy actually participates in the car pool for the kids, they’ll be old enough to drive themselves to school.
BETTER NBA AFRO: Ben Wallace now or Artis Gillmore then?
MY TRUTH
Greed is Good! All ACC President John Swofford needs to do now is slick back his hair and he will have completed his transformation into Gordon Gekko.
