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Shockerfever and I exchanged a PM or two last night about the subject. He thought that I might have a few valid points and encouraged me to post them here. I really didn't want to, but I guess it can't hurt, so against my better judgement, here would be my take.
First and foremost, I am not a fan of college baseball, so who wins or loses in the Valley means little or nothing to me. I used to own tickets to the CWS and attended regularlly until the games bored me too much. The last three or so years, I bought my tickets, used my parking pass and gave away my tickets. I spent much more time taking in the carnival outside the stadium, watching braless hot chicks, that, in my day, I dream I once had a shot, and also drinking beer in the various beer tents (The tent outside of King Kong Burger ws my favorite!). That was much more fun than watching games in which I had no vested interest. With the move to the new ballpark, my opposition to spending money on the park, and the increase in ticket prices, I did not renew this year. Besides, in a year or two, I'll know where the braless hot chicks and cold beer are, so I won't need to spend the money just for a parking pass and the thrill of giving away quality duckets to ungrateful friends and clients!!!
With that explaination, here is my thoughts on why the Valley is doing what they are doing. It has little or nothing to do with fairness. It has little or nothing to do with screwing over Wichita State, or a vendetta against Gene or your so-called seating Nazi's. In my opinion, and take it for what it's worth, it has everything to do with the Valley trying to build and market the game of college baseball. Currently, there is no need to build or market college baseball in Wichita. However, there is potential, and I use the term loosly, to build and market the game in other Valley cities. Currently, the best candidates for expanding the following in baseball exist in Omaha and Springfield. Another city would be Normal, Il.
That said, building the game requires those teams, along with Wichita State, to be competitive, year in and year out. Winning in any sport, builds a fanbase. Giving those teams an opportunity to win, and also, exposing the game to more people, would require that the tournament be located in that city. I can say this with no uncertain terms, Creighton baseball received more press during the recent tournament than they did the last three years, total. This had little to do with recent success and everything to do with the tournament being held here. I was kind of shocked when my neighbor's kid told me he went to most of the games (He also told me about the screaming Mimi's from Springfield
) . This may, or may not, help build the sport locally, but at least they are trying.
The same can probably be said in Springfield. The Valley offices probably feel they have a great opportunity to build baseball there. And building the product is probably much more important that the few thousand dollars the Valley might make by keeping the tournament in Wichita. It also trumps the few thousand dollars the Valley might lose holding the tournament in other markets. Face it, if Wichita State bids $50,000, that really isn't that much money after expenses and everything else. It is also chickenfeed compared to what the Valley makes each day at Arch Madness. The Valley probably also sees long term gains by building the sport, even a little bit, in other markets. In fact, if you get a mere 100 more people that will travel to the tournament from two or three other cities, in five years, you just paid off those short-term losses.
On another note, Wichita State fans pine for the Valley to be more competitive. The status Quo isn't doing it. What you have is a one trick pony, Wichita State and everybody else. This has relegated the league to one-bid status. This kills Wichita State! Because like in basketball and just about every other sport, while there may be one dominant team, every few years, another team will get hot and knock the frontrunner off. With Wichita State this year, an overall weak Valley killed WSU's RPI and a hot Creighton team knocked you guys out of the NCAA's. The one bid league killed you guys. Now if you can build the sport in three other cities, you might get a serious comitment to baseball and the Valley does have the opportunity to be a multiple bid league every year. The potential for multiple bids is more important, and has a larger economic impact, than simply cashing Wichita State's check every summer.
Do I think Wichita State fans would or should like the fact that the league is trying to rotate this thing, heck no! But they should be happy that the league is at least giving a little effort. And if including Dallas Baptist and moving the tourney around, in time, helps sell the program to more fans in more cities, and if doing such makes the conference more competitive and results in more than one bid, it is a good thing for Wichita State. Had the Valley been more competitive this year, had all other teams had an RPI a mere 10 points higher, with the same exact record, and same exact finish in the MVC tourney, Wichita State would probably still be playing ball. As it is, you guys had a crappy RPI and no resume. That has little to do with anything other than you played a bunch of Valley teams with low RPI's.
As I said, I don't expect you guys to like it, if I were a fan and used to attending the tourney every year, I'd be pissed. But I don't think it's a vendetta or an anti-Wichita State agenda. It also has little to do with the money. In my opinion, it has everything to do with trying to expand a sport the NCAA has deemed a target for building. It doesn't need to be built in Wichita, it does elsewhere.
Just my long-winded $.02. Go easy on me.
First and foremost, I am not a fan of college baseball, so who wins or loses in the Valley means little or nothing to me. I used to own tickets to the CWS and attended regularlly until the games bored me too much. The last three or so years, I bought my tickets, used my parking pass and gave away my tickets. I spent much more time taking in the carnival outside the stadium, watching braless hot chicks, that, in my day, I dream I once had a shot, and also drinking beer in the various beer tents (The tent outside of King Kong Burger ws my favorite!). That was much more fun than watching games in which I had no vested interest. With the move to the new ballpark, my opposition to spending money on the park, and the increase in ticket prices, I did not renew this year. Besides, in a year or two, I'll know where the braless hot chicks and cold beer are, so I won't need to spend the money just for a parking pass and the thrill of giving away quality duckets to ungrateful friends and clients!!!
With that explaination, here is my thoughts on why the Valley is doing what they are doing. It has little or nothing to do with fairness. It has little or nothing to do with screwing over Wichita State, or a vendetta against Gene or your so-called seating Nazi's. In my opinion, and take it for what it's worth, it has everything to do with the Valley trying to build and market the game of college baseball. Currently, there is no need to build or market college baseball in Wichita. However, there is potential, and I use the term loosly, to build and market the game in other Valley cities. Currently, the best candidates for expanding the following in baseball exist in Omaha and Springfield. Another city would be Normal, Il.
That said, building the game requires those teams, along with Wichita State, to be competitive, year in and year out. Winning in any sport, builds a fanbase. Giving those teams an opportunity to win, and also, exposing the game to more people, would require that the tournament be located in that city. I can say this with no uncertain terms, Creighton baseball received more press during the recent tournament than they did the last three years, total. This had little to do with recent success and everything to do with the tournament being held here. I was kind of shocked when my neighbor's kid told me he went to most of the games (He also told me about the screaming Mimi's from Springfield
) . This may, or may not, help build the sport locally, but at least they are trying.The same can probably be said in Springfield. The Valley offices probably feel they have a great opportunity to build baseball there. And building the product is probably much more important that the few thousand dollars the Valley might make by keeping the tournament in Wichita. It also trumps the few thousand dollars the Valley might lose holding the tournament in other markets. Face it, if Wichita State bids $50,000, that really isn't that much money after expenses and everything else. It is also chickenfeed compared to what the Valley makes each day at Arch Madness. The Valley probably also sees long term gains by building the sport, even a little bit, in other markets. In fact, if you get a mere 100 more people that will travel to the tournament from two or three other cities, in five years, you just paid off those short-term losses.
On another note, Wichita State fans pine for the Valley to be more competitive. The status Quo isn't doing it. What you have is a one trick pony, Wichita State and everybody else. This has relegated the league to one-bid status. This kills Wichita State! Because like in basketball and just about every other sport, while there may be one dominant team, every few years, another team will get hot and knock the frontrunner off. With Wichita State this year, an overall weak Valley killed WSU's RPI and a hot Creighton team knocked you guys out of the NCAA's. The one bid league killed you guys. Now if you can build the sport in three other cities, you might get a serious comitment to baseball and the Valley does have the opportunity to be a multiple bid league every year. The potential for multiple bids is more important, and has a larger economic impact, than simply cashing Wichita State's check every summer.
Do I think Wichita State fans would or should like the fact that the league is trying to rotate this thing, heck no! But they should be happy that the league is at least giving a little effort. And if including Dallas Baptist and moving the tourney around, in time, helps sell the program to more fans in more cities, and if doing such makes the conference more competitive and results in more than one bid, it is a good thing for Wichita State. Had the Valley been more competitive this year, had all other teams had an RPI a mere 10 points higher, with the same exact record, and same exact finish in the MVC tourney, Wichita State would probably still be playing ball. As it is, you guys had a crappy RPI and no resume. That has little to do with anything other than you played a bunch of Valley teams with low RPI's.
As I said, I don't expect you guys to like it, if I were a fan and used to attending the tourney every year, I'd be pissed. But I don't think it's a vendetta or an anti-Wichita State agenda. It also has little to do with the money. In my opinion, it has everything to do with trying to expand a sport the NCAA has deemed a target for building. It doesn't need to be built in Wichita, it does elsewhere.
Just my long-winded $.02. Go easy on me.
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