New theory: The Big 10 needs maryland/Rutgers more than they need it

[Here is a Turtle]

Turtle, it's about the degree and amount of venom spewed. No other school has come within a hundred miles of acting the way your entire crowd has acted during many a basketball game. Forget the obscenities for a minute and reflect on how much you all relished Neal's purposeful take out of Nolan Smith. Laughter, cheering, glee (probably still to this day). That says it all.

For my part, all I have to say to Maryland is... watch out that door doesn't hit ya'll in the rear.

Here is my problem with the whole thing: every single fanbase, Duke's included, have fans that are douches. Every single fanbase has fans that makes comments to other fanbases that would be viewed as vitriolic and mean-spirited. Every single fanbase has fans like that. You can argue percentage of fans or whatever, but at the end, you cannot convince me that there is no fanbase that does not have its issues. I have dealt with fans from other schools every bit as bad if not worse as you would deem ours.

I have relatives who dealt with Penn State and Virginia fans making fun of Maryland about Len Bias' death shortly after he passed, and they hate those schools to this day. I would deem that pretty terrible.

[hudlow]

Here is my problem with the whole thing: every single fanbase, Duke's included, have fans that are douches. Every single fanbase has fans that makes comments to other fanbases that would be viewed as vitriolic and mean-spirited. Every single fanbase has fans like that. You can argue percentage of fans or whatever, but at the end, you cannot convince me that there is no fanbase that does not have its issues. I have dealt with fans from other schools every bit as bad if not worse as you would deem ours.

I have relatives who dealt with Penn State and Virginia fans making fun of Maryland about Len Bias' death shortly after he passed, and they hate those schools to this day. I would deem that pretty terrible.

Take heart, as you leave, that you were the best.

hud

[howardlander]

Define great. Because Maryland is a top school as far as a lot of people are concerned. Is it Duke or Virginia, no. But to say it is not a great academic school when there are schools like FSU in the conference that doesn't even crack the top 100 in a lot of polls is rather disingenuous.

Not great means not great. Here are the US News and Report Rankings for ACC schools (includes ties in the rankings): Maryland is ahead of exactly 4 ACC schools and tied with 3 others. It means Maryland doesn't bring enough academically to the conference to offset the obvious goonery of their fans.

Duke 7
Notre Dame 18
UVA 23
Wake 23
UNC 30
BC 31
Georgia Tech 36
Miami 47
Clemson 62
Syracuse 62
Maryland 62
Pitt 62
Virginia Tech 69
FSU 91
NC State 101
Louisville 161

[OldPhiKap]

If more Md fans we're like Turtle, we would be sorry to see them go. Seriously.

And I hope Turtle still posts.

FWIW, though -- my experience with hostile fans tilts disproportionately towards Md, especially after 2001. By far. Not even close.

Wish that we're not so, but -- there it is.

Perhaps rational fans like Turtle are outweighed by a vehement minority. But since Gary stoked those fires instead of containing it, the whole thing is long past out of hand.

$0.02

[devildeac]

Here is my problem with the whole thing: every single fanbase, Duke's included, have fans that are douches. Every single fanbase has fans that makes comments to other fanbases that would be viewed as vitriolic and mean-spirited. Every single fanbase has fans like that. You can argue percentage of fans or whatever, but at the end, you cannot convince me that there is no fanbase that does not have its issues. I have dealt with fans from other schools every bit as bad if not worse as you would deem ours.

I have relatives who dealt with Penn State and Virginia fans making fun of Maryland about Len Bias' death shortly after he passed, and they hate those schools to this day. I would deem that pretty terrible.

I can't recall any other fan base who had 500 (1000? More?) t-shirts printed and worn in their student section with F**K DUKE on them and displayed them prominently and proudly on espn and then hid behind the "freedom of speech" or "kids will be kids" or "we'll have to talk to our lawyers about that" like Gary and the AD did at the time of its occurrence.

I also can't recall any other fan base who repeatedly chanted "f**k you, JJ" or made sexually derogatory remarks about his sister/s during games either.

I hope Turtle keeps posting here because s/he has taken a lot of crap but has been restrained and civil with the replies.

As for the rest, I'll join in the chorus of "ahhhhhhhhhh, see ya!"

[wilson]

I can't recall any other fan base who had 500 (1000? More?) t-shirts printed and worn in their student section with F**K DUKE on them and displayed them prominently and proudly on espn and then hid behind the "freedom of speech" or "kids will be kids" or "we'll have to talk to our lawyers about that" like Gary and the AD did at the time of its occurrence.

I also can't recall any other fan base who repeatedly chanted "f**k you, JJ" or made sexually derogatory remarks about his sister/s during games either.

I hope Turtle keeps posting here because s/he has taken a lot of crap but has been restrained and civil with the replies.

As for the rest, I'll join in the chorus of "ahhhhhhhhhh, see ya!"

Exactly.
I'm not saying that Maryland is the only school that has fans like that; rather, I'm saying that at no other school does this kind of behavior seem to be as pervasive, endemic, even celebrated as it is at Maryland. And Sweaty Gary et. al.'s excuse-making on behalf of those fans and the entire university is part and parcel of my point.
And yes, in my personal experience, Maryland fans are the only fans who have ever treated me that way in public.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

I don't. Really I don't. They are not a great academic school, they've mostly been bad in football and their basketball program has been inconsistent. Plus it's actually physically dangerous for Duke fans to attend a basketball game there, to the point where Coach K doesn't bring his family. At some level a rivalry stops being good natured and fun and becomes something worse. For me, Maryland is past that point.

Howard

I should have remembered Rule #1 of the webbernetz - there is never ever consensus on anything.

[OldPhiKap]

I should have remembered Rule #1 of the webbernetz - there is never ever consensus on anything.

Is that the consensus view?

[Dr. Rosenrosen]

I should have remembered Rule #1 of the webbernetz - there is never ever consensus on anything.

I thought you were just tossing us an underhanded softball so we could have a little more fun.

[lotusland]

[QUOTE=howardlander;735503]Not great means not great. Here are the US News and Report Rankings for ACC schools (includes ties in the rankings): Maryland is ahead of exactly 4 ACC schools and tied with 3 others. It means Maryland doesn't bring enough academically to the conference to offset the obvious goonery of their fans.

Duke 7
Notre Dame 18
UVA 23
Wake 23
UNC 30
BC 31
Georgia Tech 36
Miami 47
Clemson 62
Syracuse 62
Maryland 62
Pitt 62
Virginia Tech 69
FSU 91
NC State 101
Louisville

interesting I would have expected VPI to be higher.

[sagegrouse]

I can't stand UMd because the fans are among the worst in all of college sports. I am happy the Terps left the ACC -- it solves a problem 'cuz I don't think there is any chance the fans become more tolerable.

At the same time, I would be happy to see the Terps win big in the Big Ten. I am really tired of this league and still remember when the Big Ten lorded it over everyone.

I don't think the two positions are in conflict; moreover, a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds. Besides, this is the Internet.

[devildeac]

I should have remembered Rule #1 of the webbernetz - there is never ever consensus on anything.

I disagree. Sort of. In an agreeable kind of way.

[howardlander]

[QUOTE=lotusland;735529]

Not great means not great. Here are the US News and Report Rankings for ACC schools (includes ties in the rankings): Maryland is ahead of exactly 4 ACC schools and tied with 3 others. It means Maryland doesn't bring enough academically to the conference to offset the obvious goonery of their fans.

Duke 7
Notre Dame 18
UVA 23
Wake 23
UNC 30
BC 31
Georgia Tech 36
Miami 47
Clemson 62
Syracuse 62
Maryland 62
Pitt 62
Virginia Tech 69
FSU 91
NC State 101
Louisville

interesting I would have expected VPI to be higher.

I was actually surprised by how low N.C State is. I can't really vouch for this methodology and rankings. It does seem like some of the engineering schools are a bit low. Maybe a low graduation rate?

Howard

[gocanes0506]

The only reason the Big 10/16 needed Maryland and Rutgers is to add more TVs. The Big 10 did not need any flag ship, top university, or even someone to compete in sports.

Rutgers is a mess right now both in sports and in the media. Rutgers puts them in NJ/NY though. Maryland is Maryland. Not great but pretty good. Maryland brings more spotlight in the DC area supposedly. Maryland will regret the decision. They thought getting discarded by Duke, Carolina, and other top ACC universities was bad. The will only receive the same treatment from OSU, Michigan, etc and they will be the new guy, equaling even less pull in the conference.

[OldPhiKap]

The only reason the Big 10/16 needed Maryland and Rutgers is to add more TVs. The Big 10 did not need any flag ship, top university, or even someone to compete in sports.

Rutgers is a mess right now both in sports and in the media. Rutgers puts them in NJ/NY though. Maryland is Maryland. Not great but pretty good. Maryland brings more spotlight in the DC area supposedly. Maryland will regret the decision. They thought getting discarded by Duke, Carolina, and other top ACC universities was bad. The will only receive the same treatment from OSU, Michigan, etc and they will be the new guy, equaling even less pull in the conference.

Yup. And unless something has changed -- the NY/NJ market does not give a hoot about college sports, let alone Rutgers.

[burnspbesq]

When Maryland loses to Hop in the Big Integer men's lax tournament and then gets left out of the NCAA because it doesn't have enough quality wins ...

When Maryland has to play Louisville in the ACC - Big Integer challenge five years in a row ...

When Maryland women's lax, soccer, and field hockey recruiting drops off because it can no longer promise prospects the advantages of playing in an elite league ...

When Maryland alums burn down Iowa City or West Lafayette because they can't find a place to drink away the pain of yet another bad loss ...

When the best HS basketball players in Baltimore and DC understand "ABM" to mean something other than "anti-ballistic missile" ...

When the WaPo no longer has a Maryland beat writer because nobody cares any more ...

And when Kevin Plank is advised by his lawyers that he's breaching his fiduciary duty to the shareholders of Under Armour by continuing to throw good money after bad ...

Then, and only then, will Terp fans fully understand the scope of their folly.

Elmer Fudd said it best ... "Good widdance to bad wubbish."