Big East Expansion (we're too late)

I liked former President Greiner, he came to UB in 1991 and said what no football? So he fixed it. It's a classic case of do it quick vs do it right vs not doing it at all. At this point its hard to say if doing it quick was the right choice.

I also know soon to be former President Simpson does not know what football is.

These two Presidents have shaped modern UB football, and sadly today I feel modern UB football has been lapped by teams we at one point were better than. 

This rant comes to you as the Big East announces plans to expand to 10 teams and names UCF, Villanova, Temple, TCU and Houston as their targets.

So I bring you 10 ways that Temple and Villanova have lapped us in different yet equally sad manners, and why its all our fault.


Opportunity 1: MAC Momentum over Temple

Temple was a bad MAC team when Buffalo finally found out how to not be that bad MAC team.  We had a jump start of 2 years to seize momentum and control the MAC East.  We won the MAC, but did nothing with the momentum: we lost the star coach, the heir apparent quarterback, changed schemes on offense and defense, lost star recruit Darius Willis. In the meantime Temple has fielded a consistent and improving team and now look dominant in the MAC East.

Opportunity 2: Starting small at the D-1aa level
Villanova went to D-1aa in 1985 in football, built a program and have become a dominant force in the 25 years since they brought back football.  Buffalo went to D-1aa in 1993 and had only 1 winning season in 6 years before making the jump to D-1...I guess we thought we were ready.

Opportunity 3: Keeping the Coach
I don't think Al Golden is a great coach, and I hate his suit and tie on gameday, but he's consistent... Coaching changes have killed great programs (see Michigan, Notre Dame) and add Buffalo to the list, you can't change schemes, go through a coach poaching recruits and the growing pains of a coordinators first run at the head job without losing a lot of games.

Opportunity 4: Holding out for the right deal
As it stands now, Villanova is recruited to the Big East, they do not have to prove themselves in the MAC, or the C-USA they have a chance to start in a BCS conference with a guarantee of getting a piece of a large conference payout in bowl season.  Buffalo however jumping at the MAC conference will never get money from the conference to compete with our geographical rivals: Connecticut, Rutgers, Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan and Michigan State.

Opportunity 5: Recruit locally
I heard an antidote that Temple's recruiting area is a 4 hour radius, going down to Golden's old stomping ground in Virginia, up to the Maryland DC area, all of Pennsylvania, New York City and New England.  Old Buffalo was obsessed with Florida and Texas recruits, however the top 9 UB players of the last 10 years are from Michigan, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut.
in no particular order:

1. Gemara Williams - Oak Park, Michigan
2. Ramon Guzman - Bronx, New York
3. Drew Willy - Randolph, New Jersey
4. Davonte Shannon - Jeannette, Pennsylvania
5. Namaan Rossevelt - Buffalo, New York
6. Trevor Scott - Potsdam, New York
7. James Starks - Niagara Falls, New York
8. Chad Upshaw - Southport, Connecticut
9. Jamey Richard - Weston, Connecticut
10. Domonic Cook - Buffalo, New York

Had we committed to building locally like Temple, we could have even more talented local talent that has been overlooked, on our roster...I cringe that we let Dion Lewis escape our grasp and go to Pitt.

Opportunity 6: Developing other programs
Villanova while not D-1 in football, has an excellent Basketball team, good track and field and has a competing lacrosse team.  Even if their football team struggles, their basketball team makes Nova a desirable athletic department for any conference.  Buffalo has not been able to make traction in basketball, despite recruiting in New York. They do not play the two big New York sports, Lacrosse and Hockey.  We bring nothing to the table to any major conference looking for a well rounded athletic university.

Opportunity 7: Fan Support
Temple while only filling 31% of their stadium has solid local ratings for games in Philadelphia.  Buffalo is a city that can move the TV needle, typically one of the highest rated hockey cities in the nation, even when the Sabres aren't playing.  In over a decade of competing in the division 1, Buffalo has not done enough to prove they are serious to the local fans.  When we show were serious, we can expect local and fervent support, that would be a decent ratings pull for any big conference looking to increase the value of their conference television network.  On top of that Buffalo fans love to travel, bringing a huge group of supporters to all the local games would have the AD's of those schools imagining what money could be made if Buffalo was a major school. However UB has dropped the ball, not supporting the traveling army of Buffalo fans.

Opportunity 8: Recruiting and retaining
Being Division 1 FBS it only makes sense for us to have a better team than Villanova, but I think Villanova is better than both Buffalo and Temple today.  Buffalo cannot continue to be out recruited by Villanova, and we cannot select talented athletes only to let them slip through the cracks and transfer elsewhere.

Opportunity 9: Public Relations
Since joining the MAC, Temple has been the media darling, while Buffalo is still looked at as the joke.  I personally believe it is a conference strategy to increase ratings in Philadelphia, but nevertheless the PR war is a war Buffalo cannot afford to lose:

2007-2010 prediction : Temple picked to finish 6th, 5th, 2nd and 1st in the MAC East,
                                     Buffalo picked to finish 7th, 3rd, 1st and 6th in the MAC East.
 2007-2010 Results:      Temple finished tied for 4th, tied for 2nd, 2nd, and currently in 1st
                                     Buffalo finished tied for 1st, 1st, 5th, and currently in 5th.

On average Temple is predicted to finish 1 spot worst than their actual results, while Buffalo is estimated to finish 1.25 spots worst then they actually do.



Temple has been MAC team to watch I feel for 4 years now.  When Buffalo won, it was a fluke-like Cinderella story.  Temple's story is Snow White, no matter what happens, the Magic Mirror says Temple is the winiest team of all.  Losing the PR battle makes it easy for college football and big conference to over look Buffalo for expansion opportunities.



Opportunity 10: Winning the Big game
Villanova has won big games that get crowds together and alumni feelings generous.  They won a championship game, they have consistently beaten crosstown rival Temple.  Buffalo has 1 big win in their repertoire, a ranked win over Ball State.  All other opportunities, 4 straight vs UConn, 2 vs Rutgers, 2 vs Pitt, 3 vs Syracuse, vs Penn State, 2 vs UCF, and the last 2 games vs Temple, have all been losses, showing the nation that Buffalo is not quite ready for a promotion.

super football day live blog

Mixology 103: The New 7 and 7

This isn't your grandfather's after work drink anymore, kiddies! While reminiscing on post-game Skybar trips circa 2006, I recalled being quite the lover of 7 and 7s. For those who don't know, the drink consists of whiskey, usually Seagrams 7, and 7-up... hence the ever-so-clever name.

Continuing with our season-long idea for how to make those Saturday afternoons(or ESPN MAC Tuesday Nights) in Bull-land warmer, tastier, and sloshier, let's play a little game with the updated 7 and 7... DB style:

-When UB scores a TD, take a shot of Seagrams 7(we won't settle for not making the XP).
-If you're the Designated Driver for the day, in honor of good ol' #7, Davonte Shannon up there,
you can take a shot of 7-Up.
-If your man duffel hasn't been lost in the terminal and Shannon scores, pour yourself a nice mix of 7 and 7:

• 2 oz. Seagrams 7 whiskey
  
• 5 oz. 7-up

My 2010 Buffalo Pregame Mixtape: The C-15

Say what you want about the South, but they know their rap, and they know their football.  Therefore every pregame mixtape should have a heavy dose of dirty south.  The third song is an important anthem, Archie Eversole's "We Ready"

 

See in the south people are slower, simpler, and this song spares no words explifying this:

subject: We
state of mind: Ready

Thats all we need to know.  Proving that sometimes the most profound statements are concise.

Song 3: 'We Ready" by Archie Eversole

 

Qualifications: Only know the words to the Chorus, Dirty South, use of y'all.

"We Ready, We Ready, We Ready, For Y'alll...."

-video after the jump

My 2010 Buffalo Pregame Mixtape: The C-15

Hours before kickoff, the warmups begin, and the music turns on.  The average tailgater is too busy drinking to ever get to the game early, however the music is there.  In today's PC world, the music tends to skew family friendly which really doesn't sit well with me.  I can't get hype on "Dance" by Lee Ann Womack, or Even "Pro's in Area Codes" by Ludacris... Womack is for a Southern Belle's sweet 16 not a football game.  And I have HOES, in Area Codes, censorship is for pussies.

However there are times, when family friendliness, pop culture and awesomeness intersect and create a timeless pregame song, this is one of those moments:

Song 2: In the Air Tonight by Phil Collins

Qualifications: Sing-A-Long Style, In The Hangover, Rated PG, The 80's, Xtreme Drum Solo.

I've been waiting for this moment for all my life

-video after the jump

Player Focus: Jerry Davis

Jerry Davis, (R-So, Fresno, California)

#4, Projected Starting QB.

Pros:

Hunger/Competitiveness

Big Accurate Arm

Mobility

Cons:

Experience

Weapons Available

Size

PRO: Hunger/Competitiveness

UB Mixology 102: The G - Smell

One of the first UB players of the 2000's to make the leap to the NFL, Gemara Williams overcame his lack of NFL size with unlimited and unbridled energy and enthusiasm for the game.  Likewise the second drink of UB is non alcoholic, but makes up for it by providing pure energy and hydration, proving you don't have to be drunk to crazily support your Bulls.  Like the Jamey Richard and the James Starks (coming soon), it is a tailgate classic as you only need your can of monster and a bottle of Gatorade; if your lucky you can just bring the Gatorade and get your friends who are rocking the Jamey Richard to top you off with some monster.  Finally, the electrolytes will prepare you to beat the crowds and sprint to the car to beat stadium traffic, as you will most often be the designated driver.

Recipe after the jump...