CBS' Gary Parrish ripping on the Valley...let's give him some feedback

[valleyclimber]

Was just on CBS sportsline and read the most idiotic article by Gary Parrish. It was titled "The Valley is getting too big for it's britches".

Parrish basically does a slash and burn article on the Valley saying the MVC will NEVER be as good as the BCS conferences. He goes on to say that it's no longer fun to root for the little engine that could conference.

I HAD to send him a response because that was easily one of the most irresponsilbe pieces of sports "journalism" that I've read in a LONG time.

Valley fans go check out the VERY degrading article, then go to the response area and give MR. Parrish a piece of your mind.

Really makes you want to say to him that he can take his BCS hard on and stick it!!!

Keep on rockin' Valley!! :valley:

[barkeep1967]

Parrish is alot like Kevin Slaten.

He writes these articles to get a response. He will then rip on your comments to make himself fell better. By sending him an email you are justifying what he is doing. Ignore him and he will go away. Paarish is the biggest piece of garbage out there IMO.

[shocker3]

I was really surprised and disappointed by this article. Gary has written a lot of good things about the Valley. For most of the year, he has also had 4 or more Valley teams in the dance in his bracket projections (he currently has SIU, CU and MOST in and BU on the bubble). He is also one of those guys that has said that he won't use the term "mid-major" when talking about the Valley.

He is in St. Louis covering the Valley tourney, someone there must have eaten his favorite doughnut or something.

At any rate, I sent him an email making a case for the conference (15-12 against BCS teams, BU and MOST case for making the dance etc).

:valley:

[Ace Dad]

I read the article.

The guy is "right on."

I have said for awhile that we have tended to drink too much Kool-Aid.

We need to be less concerned about being viewed as good as BCS conferences and simply beat the non-conference teams we play.

[dawg]

I read the article.

The guy is "right on."

I have said for awhile that we have tended to drink too much Kool-Aid.

We need to be less concerned about being viewed as good as BCS conferences and simply beat the non-conference teams we play.

It wasn't really the points he was making -- to a degree we all know this stuff and we know as a league that we have to just keep getting better. It was the tone of the article -- its like someone pissed in his cereal this morning. Hinson is pretty annoying though .... who knows?

[MVC 4 Life]

The thing I do not like about the article is that he contradicts himself so much in it. He comes out and says that the second place team in the Pac-10 is basically a MVC team. What? So you are saying that a good MVC team would finish second in the pac-10 and also saying that are second place team has more talent than the Pac-10's second place team. How is this helping his argument again? Remember he is the one that picked this argument also.

Secondly, these people forget that it does not come down to individual match ups in most sports. They are team games. Just because one team has more talent on it does not mean that it is a better team. Look at the USA basketball team. That is a perfect example. They play together for 3 or 4 months and have all the talent in the world, but they can not beat teams that have been playing together for years, like many mid-major and MVC teams.

Now do I think we are as good as the ACC. NOWAY, but who is? Nobody

[MVC Fan]

That article is a load of crap. Same regurgitated garbage as every other talking head/pundit/'expert'. And I still refuse to buy this 'too big for their britches' garbage. This league has every right to talk about its good points, as much as any other league.

So as soon as the MVC passes the Big 12 again in the RPI, then that means his point about it being worse than the other 6 leagues based off the RPI is off, right? Which would mean the article written yesterday is already out of date, because the MVC is 6th again.

Everything he writes is based on the old 'athleticism, star players, big names' rehash as any other article like this. Not enough time to go through all the compost in there (nice selective choosing of Duke & Arizona's resumes to try to show their leagues' superiority...both are extreme examples, just like picking Indiana St.'s big wins would be an extreme example of the MVC's strength at the bottom). His bragging up of Texas Tech & K-State alone is enough to make that article worthless.

It is true the league suffered some down the stretch as WSU & UNI went under to a degree in the new yr, but that's exactly what it was-2 of the top 6 teams, both NCAA tourney-calibur, went into funks, one very injury related, the other just ??? Happens to the 'big boys', too...the ACC & Big 10 have had 3-bid seasons, too, and they have/had more teams and more home games to fatten up the schedules than the MVC.

File this article under CS. Chickens--t.

[MVC Fan]

Parrish is alot like Kevin Slaten.

He writes these articles to get a response. He will then rip on your comments to make himself fell better. By sending him an email you are justifying what he is doing. Ignore him and he will go away. Paarish is the biggest piece of garbage out there IMO.

Seems to be a theme w/CBSportsline's college basketball writers. Doyel was the same way. Occasionally he'll come up w/some insight, but most of it is borderline tabloid-quality.

[MVC 4 Life]

Seems to be a theme w/CBSportsline's college basketball writers. Doyel was the same way. Occasionally he'll come up w/some insight, but most of it is borderline tabloid-quality.


The problem is that it sells. :no:

[IndyTreeFan]

I read the article.

The guy is "right on."

I have said for awhile that we have tended to drink too much Kool-Aid.

We need to be less concerned about being viewed as good as BCS conferences and simply beat the non-conference teams we play.

Don't we already do a pretty good job of taking care of business outside the conference? I said earlier this year that the powers that be would use our league's parity against us. We cleaned up in the non-conference season, and once we started beating each other it's a sign that we're really weak. When that happens in the SEC, it's power. When it's us, we're weak...

:valley:

[valleyclimber]

Acedad, I don't see how you can say that Mr. Parrish is "right on" when he is espousing the idea of rooting against any non-BCS team that would dare to tread on the turf of the BCS realm.

Parrish is basically alienating all non-BCS fcollege b-ball fan bases by saying that their teams will be loved and cheered for as long as they don't PROVE that they can consistently compete and win against BCS schools. Why does it have to be that way? What gives BCS schools the god-given right to have unconditional fan support over non-BCS teams (when the "little engine" school crashes the party).

I've never figured that out. When the NCAA created the BCS schools did that automatically annoint ONLY those schools as "America's teams" and the ones that "deserve" to be rooted for. Mr. Parrish's article is completely worthless and he might as well jump into bed with Billy Packer and Digger Phelps. College b-ball is becoming pretty darn sad if we are indeed moving toward this idea that it's politically correct to ONLY root for the big boys.

Do most fans want to see NCAA b-ball become like football? With f-ball it's the BCS schools and NO ONE else matters. Acedad, I can see your point about the Valley drinking some Kool-Aid this season, but with winning records against the top 25 and the BCS schools plus a #5 conference RPI (that's not just handed to anyone), IMO some MVC kool-aid drinking IS justified.

Just think Parrish is doing his best to alienate all the non-BCS fan bases by telling us that when our schools DO demonstrate their quality, they should be shunned because the BCS schools "deserve" everyone's support. That's just nuts!!!!!!!!!!!

Keep on rockin' Valley!! :braves: :jays: :bulldogs: :aces: :redbirds: :sycamores: :bears: :panthers: :salukis: :shockers: :valley: :clap:

[txsaluki05]

I honestly don't see anything wrong with his article. I don't like it when he said that MSU couldn't finish third in the Big 12, but otherwise it really wasn't too bad. SIU and CU just need to make E8 runs this year, that should help right the media ship.

[bcrawf]

What's he going to say when SIU wins today and gets a two seed...

[barkeep1967]

Parrish was the first national pundit to have SIU ranked. He has been saying they are getting close to a 2 seed for a couple weeks now. This just is what he is. Trying to write something that gets people to fill his inbox with stuff he can make fun off and make himself feel better.

[Mikovio]

I don't fully agree with what Parrish has to say but I appreciate his tact in saying it.

So he thinks the Valley doesn't 'know its place.' That's nothing new, as many out there feel we're a threat to upset the power balance in college basketball. Many who speak out of fear and arrogance. But it would seem his opinion is more honest and balanced than most, so I don't mind it.....

:valley:

[HollywoodBrave]

The fans here are becoming way too arrogant. Luckily the players haven't, but the fans of the Valley need to gain some perspective. Let's make a Final Four sometime, before everyone keeps beating their chest. If SIU and Creighton don't make it out of the first weekend, all the positive stuff is out the window.

[MinnesotaDawg]

What I don't understand about this article is the assertion that the MVC is getting "too big for its britches." He doesn't produce any evidence for the claim that the league has an inflated sense of self importance except for:

1) Barry H's puffing up of the conference. Well, duh, he's doing the same thing that Gary Williams did re:ACC strength last year, or what any coach of a bubble team does, regardless of league. You've gotta give him a pass on this one - lord knows that the national media do for BCS conference bubble teams.

2) He even says that Doug Elgin, MVC commissioner, is reasonable in his assessment of the league's strength.

3) He says something about "talking points," but I don't get it. Yes, there's a level of league cohesion that comes from being the underdogs for a long time as a league. As other national media have pointed out, no league roots for their mates in non-conference issues like the MVC. So what?

4) Really, his argument can be better phrased as a criticism of national media coverage, rather than the league itself. It's a classic cycle for sports journalism, cinderella story - some coverage - backlash story. Parrish has been a part of all of these. The MVC couldn't control when they got no coverage - why are they culpable when they get too much?

5) The "top to bottom quality" argument is being blown out of proportion here and elsewhere. As a simple measure of schedule strength, RPI says that there are no MVC teams in the bottom 60% or so of D1 bb schools (ISU is around 140 I think, out of 336). There are some truly awful teams in all BCS leagues (Minnesota/PSU/NU in the B11, Colorado/Nebraska/ISU in the B12, Cincy/USF in the Big East, Oregon State in the Pac10, etc.) While no one can argue that there are weaker teams in the MVC, the bottom of the MVC is quite good. I'd take IllSt, IndSt and Evansville in a tri-meet between the bottom of the Big 10 and Big 12, for example.

:valley:

[IndyTreeFan]

The fans here are becoming way too arrogant. Luckily the players haven't, but the fans of the Valley need to gain some perspective. Let's make a Final Four sometime, before everyone keeps beating their chest. If SIU and Creighton don't make it out of the first weekend, all the positive stuff is out the window.

I think you're right, HB. But to say that "we just need to worry about beating people out of conference,' - we already do that, but to no avail. We get into the conference, and the same parity and power that is trumpeted in the BCS leagues is used against us. Obviously, they say, Missouri State beat Wisconsin, ISU beat Butler, and Wichita State won all those December road games, only because the MVC has figured out how to game the system. It's an argument we will never win, until we've put teams in the Final Four more than once. I don't know if that will ever happen before the BCS leagues break up D-I basketball.

That said, your last statement is 100% on the money. If our teams in the Dance go out on the first weekend, we all need to shut up...

:bounceblue: :valley: :bounceblue: :valley: :bounceblue:

[HollywoodBrave]

IndyTree,

I want Sweet Sixteens and Final Fours more than most, and I bleed Valley basketball, but I am sure hoping we get a good draw. The conference is strong, but you and I both know darn well that we need to go almost undefeated in OOC to get any respect.

I really think one of the reasons the CAA is consistently getting at large consideration now, is because they went to the 12 team league, which allows for a clear separation of the top and the bottom of the league.

Isn't it strange that the Pac-10 rarely gets more than 4 bids, but the ACC (with 12 teams) is looking at 7? I would welcome adding two basketball programs to the league if we could do it.

[BearsCountry]

We need a Final Four or Elite Eight team this year.

[Bradleyfan]

Was just on CBS sportsline and read the most idiotic article by Gary Parrish. It was titled "The Valley is getting too big for it's britches".

Parrish basically does a slash and burn article on the Valley saying the MVC will NEVER be as good as the BCS conferences. He goes on to say that it's no longer fun to root for the little engine that could conference.

I HAD to send him a response because that was easily one of the most irresponsilbe pieces of sports "journalism" that I've read in a LONG time.

Valley fans go check out the VERY degrading article, then go to the response area and give MR. Parrish a piece of your mind.

Really makes you want to say to him that he can take his BCS hard on and stick it!!!

Keep on rockin' Valley!! :valley:

I will read what he wrote, but as another poster said, he usually backs the Valley up.

[Bradleyfan]

Parrish is alot like Kevin Slaten.

He writes these articles to get a response. He will then rip on your comments to make himself fell better. By sending him an email you are justifying what he is doing. Ignore him and he will go away. Paarish is the biggest piece of garbage out there IMO.

Good point. I was just about ready to e-mail him too.

[MSNSaluki]

You guys have been blowing Parrish since the preseason when he had Wichita State, Creighton and SIU 13/14/15 in his preseason poll and then you were giving him reacharounds everytime he said something nice about the Valley since but he writes one article that you nitpick to death and now he's a douchebag?

[dawg]

reacharounds LOL

[WSUbballer]

You guys have been blowing Parrish since the preseason when he had Wichita State, Creighton and SIU 13/14/15 in his preseason poll and then you were giving him reacharounds everytime he said something nice about the Valley since but he writes one article that you nitpick to death and now he's a douchebag?
I see your point, but to be fair, why is Parrish now doing a complete 180? Sounds like typical bandwagon journalism to me. Write about what's hot and then trash on what's not.

[Bradleyfan]

You guys have been blowing Parrish since the preseason when he had Wichita State, Creighton and SIU 13/14/15 in his preseason poll and then you were giving him reacharounds everytime he said something nice about the Valley since but he writes one article that you nitpick to death and now he's a douchebag?

I agree. Wichita St deserved that #13 ranking at first, especially after they started out 9-0. Now of course, forget it! Creighton deserved their #14 ranking at first since most people expected them to cruise through their non-conference slate. That didn't happen. Only after today does Creighton deserve to be ranked, but barely if that.

Only SIU has lived up to their preseason expectations, and a win today would have given them a top 10 ranking. As it is, they might fall back to, you guessed it, #15 when the new rankings come out tomorrow. But that's still a terrific showing for a team that has had a great year.

I can see why Parrish wrote what he did. If Creighton has a 10-1 non-conference record, and Wichita St finishes amongst the top 3 of the Valley, then we may have the makings of a historic year. As it is, we still have a good shot for three bids, and a couple of Sweet Sixteen runs. Considering where we have come from, that ain't too shabby!

:braves: :valley:

[MSNSaluki]

I see your point, but to be fair, why is Parrish now doing a complete 180? Sounds like typical bandwagon journalism to me. Write about what's hot and then trash on what's not.

Why would he blow the Valley from afar all year long then piss on us when he comes to St. Louis? Makes no sense.

So, I believe the article isn't quite as critical as some think it is.

[WSUbballer]

Why would he blow the Valley from afar all year long then piss on us when he comes to St. Louis? Makes no sense.

So, I believe the article isn't quite as critical as some think it is.

That's exactly the point. It doesn't make sense. Parrish is just a poser IMO.

[JVShocker]

Uhhh, just win and this all goes away.

Schedule a tough non-conf (which WSU did) and win.

Make the NCAA Tourney (which SIU and Creighton will do). Win.

Send two teams to the Sweet 16 (again) and the Valley looks okey-dokey. It's that time of year when we all (try) and root for the other Valley schools. :jays: :salukis: :valley:

[MVC Fan]

I see your point, but to be fair, why is Parrish now doing a complete 180? Sounds like typical bandwagon journalism to me. Write about what's hot and then trash on what's not.

Agree 100%, as well as w/Mikovio. It always happens w/the 'cute' Cinderella stories...as soon as they start showing they may stick around for awhile, then the backlash starts because the don't want anyone else to threaten their circle of 'bigger/stronger/faster' teams.

It could be that maybe he wrote that article because MSU looked so bad the last 15 min. of the Creighton game. But he could show up at any random ACC game and write the same article, too! Virginia, VT, UNC, etc., all of those teams have games where they look awesome and games where they look pitiful. To pretend that the BCS leagues can't and don't do the same thing is flat-out ignorance.

[shocker3]

Parrish still has the Bears in his tourney bracket, barely, for now.:valley: