I don't mean to slight Weber State in any of this. They are a nice school with a fine athletic tradition. But they are a DIAA program from Ogden, Utah. People wonder if the southern ACC schools register with the casual Boston fan. Can you imagine the head scratching that will go on when they hear we are playing Weber State?
But let me put aside any slights to Weber for a moment and address the reason this is a missed opportunity.
1. The DIAA game should always be strategicly placed in the schedule. We are opening with Weber on Labor Day weekend. I predict 25,000 for the game. If we had placed Weber on Parents Weekend, we could have approached a sellout.
2. It throws out the "good for New England" game. When BC first started adding DIAA teams back to the schedule, Gene spun the games as good for New England. Most cynics saw through it, but there were some legitimate benefits. The regional schools always brought decent crowds and BC was able to get a safe win and provide a nice pay day to a fellow New England university. As Northeastern showed, all DIAA schools need money. Instead of benefiting UNH or Maine or some other New England school we are paying a Utah program to be our patsy.
3. We put a damper on any buzz related to Herzy's first home game. This game could be Herzy's return to football. It should be on national TV. Now we will probably be lucky to get an ESPN 360 feed. I know you can't build a schedule based on contingencies. But ESPN, BC and the ACC should have done more to arrange for a good opponent for Herzy's sake.
I understand that Gene was under time constraints. I understand that playing another FBS school would have made the schedule unnecessarily difficult. But there had to be a better resolution than Weber on Labor Day weekend. It is too bad we didn't find one.
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41 comments:
Way to shoot for the stars, Gene.
This is not good.
Another boring game for a program that yearns for something more than an easy win. The ACC needs credibility. This ain't it.
At least it'll give us something to complain about when the stadium is half-full.
Weber State.
My Lord.
This is... umm ... interesting?
I would have preferred beating the f*ck out of boise state.
Obviously Weber State doesn't really get the blood pumping, but its hard to argue with it until we know what the other options were. This might have been the best option....right?...right?....*sigh*
The big question is do they pronounce it like 'webber' or 'weeber?'
I appreciate the strategy of the easier games first on the sked - and it has worked well for us in letting the kids get game experience settle in, get a good win or two before the big boys on the sked arrive but wow, this choice makes me go sleepy.
I can't wait to see the last minute ticket promotions to get some butts in the seats for this one. They'll have to throw a huge pre-game thing for Herzy, maybe have him walk on water or something.
ATL is right on point here.
If hypothetically I had the chance to go away labor day weekend to the Cape or a lake or anything like that, I'm not sure I'd feel at all guilty.
(and I'm among the most passionate of BC fans)
I'd rather them not do Herzlich promotions, I'll just feel bad for the kid.
From the wiki page, rolling my eyes:
In addition to the NCAA teams, Weber State University has a number of other sports, including a nationally ranked men's ice hockey team.
Also enjoyable:
The Weber State Rodeo Women's team won the 2006 College National Finals Rodeo sponsored by the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association.
This. Is. Stupid.
Nothing new to add that hasn't already been said, but just want to reiterate that the choice is met with puzzlement and disappointment.
Oh goddamnit. Great job, Gene.
can't find weber st's complete 2010 sked, but they also have Texas Tech next year - maybe they feel they'll have a better squad? Or they just like punishment.
The past 10 years they've played one D-1 team a year usually, and get trounced, except 2002, when they played New Mexico somewhat close.
Last year, though, they played Wyoming close (though they are an annual patsy for Boise St) and Colo St was a 1-point loss, but Colo St stunk last year, losing their finale to Wyoming.
In short, they shouldn't be very competitive with us.
My mother always told me that if you can't say something nice, don't say anything. I'm not saying anything.
Booooo, booooo, booo
bad choice.
I checked the recent record of Weber State and I see they have never even travelled west of Colorado in the last 8 season for a football game.
Which is why everyone says "WTF" when it comes to Weber State football. Best thing we have going is that most poeple recognize that Weber State sometimes makes noise in the NCAA hoops tourney.
But is it really a worse choice than Hofstra or Northeastern? No one complained about those chumps.
Weber State is a also a much better team than those two chumps . . . which makes this a bad choice. In other words, this might be a GAME. If Gene was intent on getting a patsy, get a REAL patsy (UNH?) for Pete's sake.
Here are some results from the past fews years for OOC play against DI schools for Weber State
2009
v Wyoming L 22-29
v Colorado State L 23-24
2008
v Hawaii L 17-36
v (17) Utah L 21-37
2007
v (24) Boise State L 7-56
Don't think I've heard Weber State mentioned since the days of harold arceneaux.
I honestly don't see one positive reason to play this game and I hope Gene does one of those mailbag deals this year so he can explain himself
With this selection, the best case scenario for giving Herzlich a fitting tribute is too either wait until the ACC Home opener or for Senior Day. If we are ranked by then or at least our foe is ranked, we might even be able to get Gameday back to do a follow up. Although given that it would be back to back years and people were a little annoyed with ESPN coming this year, we and/or our foe might have to be decently ranked to pull it off.
gotta go with the 5-12 upset here and take utah st led by harold arceneaux. those teams were amazing come tourney-time. L-O-C-K for the sweet 16.
This matchup is starting to make me nervous. As everyone knows Webers wobble but they don't fall down.
What a disappointment Gene.
Give us a break.
What a disappointment - you missed a great opportunity. Spin it any which way you want. It stinks!
in the great BC tradition, think of it as charity. I bet Weber State is as stoked as ever to play us.
I guess I should change my name to BlockHEAD.
I said: "gotta go with the 5-12 upset here and take utah st led by harold arceneaux. those teams were amazing come tourney-time. L-O-C-K for the sweet 16."
Harold went to Weber State which is, of course, what were are talking about...duh..
And, when Harold played it was the 3-14 game, not 5-12
and, Weber State and Harold never got to the Sweet 16..
and, Harold never played in the NCAA tourney again..
as I said, just call me BLOCKHEAD
"But there had to be a better resolution than Weber on Labor Day weekend."
Do you have any evidence for this at all, ATL? Just because you wish there were doesn't mean there had to be.
Mod34b,
You really think UNH is a patsy? They are significantly better than Weber State. They would give BC a good game similar to UMass in '04
hopefully this boosts our exposure and helps with recruiting kids throughout the state of Weber.
Or maybe Gene thinks Mormon athletes are untapped recruiting resource.
In Gene I trust.
the truth is, if it is going to be herzy's first game back we could be playing simmons or bryn mawr and people would still show up for the game...or at least, that might be what gene is thinking.
we were never going to replace hofstra with a DI school. i understand why we'd want to see a regional opponent, but failing that why not take an unknown team and put them on the only weekend other than parents' weekend where we are more or less guaranteed to get a solid crowd?
How about Smith or Swarthmore?
the state of weber. ha. we should've just completed the trifecta and played harvard. line lin up at qb and watch him run around us, like usual. heck, have them pay us to play them--their endowment is #1 in the latest AP poll.
gdf must be thinking that the acc schedule is so tough that we don't need another one ooc. now that's funny.
To add insult to farce, check out GDF's quote, below.
Turn's out GDF did not even look for an opponent and simply said yes when Weber St. called him!!!
"DeFilippo had been in the scramble mode to find an opponent . . . 'They (Weber) contacted us and said they would be interested in a one time deal and we think that will work out,'' said DeFilippo. 'We still have to sign the contract, but everything looks good.'"
So Boyd, you ask:
"But there had to be a better resolution than Weber on Labor Day weekend."
Do you have any evidence for this at all, ATL? Just because you wish there were doesn't mean there had to be.
Well if GDF does not even bother lookings, odds are good that there must have been something better.
I guess UConn is not an option. Given that we now have Weber State, I guess , I would prefer UConn. Delaware would've been a better choice too. (although, Delaware can be very tough, so it does not fit the patsy model if BC wants to play a FCS team)
I wonder who UConn is picking to replace their Northeastern game. Apparently, no slection has yet been made, but I did see the following:
"The Huskies must scramble to fill the date, never an easy thing to do on short notice since most teams fill out their future schedules years in advance. Edsall said Tuesday that athletic director Jeff Hathaway will be making initial phone calls right away to find a replacement, which he expects will be another FCS team."
"Only one FBS team currently has an open date for next season, but New Mexico State needs a game on Sept. 4. UConn will likely replace Northeastern with another Colonial Athletic Association team — Delaware and Villanova are among those with open dates and no FBS opponents lined up as of yet."
there's no reason not to play a patsy if you are going to play a IAA team...a win does nothing and a loss kills you (michigan vs. appalachian state)
Stop with the UConn already. After never that should happen.(Jeez, Mod, what's your jones with UConn about?). What was needed was an early game with a prestige, non-patsy program. This patsy thing can't help BC football. If we want to be taken seriously we need a Michigan early, or a Tennessee, or some such school with a pedigree that's beatable early--yes, it's a crap shoot, but if we're ever going to get any true respect we need to put up bigtime in the first few weeks and kick this habit of soft games with no names. As much as I hate to say it--even ND has figured that out. UConn? Hell, I'd rather see us get our butts kicked by Alabama and learn something than play Huskies in any circumstance unless we were playing them for the National Championship or a BCS Bowl game. Period. They have nothing for us on the plus side.
Weber State is another Gene being Gene pick. No pain, no gain...again. It pads our stats and makes us look weak, but helps us with dowdy alums who like a win with their game cocktail.
Lost opportunity is right.
mmason --
you've got me confused with someone else. I was never for UConn, and, like you, prefer the Big Name, if we could. There is no jonesing for UConn here.
But given that no Big Name came calling for our "Hofstra spot" and we are about to get stuck with Weber State (mega groan), I think it would be better for BC football to play UConn as a "one off" rahter than a "one off" with Weber State (mega groan). Who would Hersy rather tear into: a Huskie or a Weblet?
But I'd rather see a whole long list of teams before we settled upon UConn, but there just is no such list for this 'last minute' cancellation. and of course we are bloggers with no say any way! Plus we would get some TV coverage for Uconn, not so for Weber St.
It does seem that GDF did not even try to get a good game. Weber State had to call him. I think we can hope that our AD is more proactice than that. And that's the shame of it all.
mod-
Where in that article does it say that Gene did not call anyone else or try to set up a game? I see that Weber called him, but that does not mean that he was not already on the phone all week contacting other programs (and getting turned down).
BCdoubleeagle --
Yes, you are right there are no explicit words saying GDF did not work the phones. However, I think a fair inference can be drawn that Gene was not putting a BC-worthy effort into this.
If you made a list of available schools, # zillion would be Weber State. (for some, # zillion +1 is UConn)
Settling for the bottom of the barrell upon receiving a call from a team at the bottom of the barrell suggests, strongly, that very little effort was put into this by GDF and his staff. It does not portray a proactive AD doing his best.
I keep imagining GDF as a George Costanza figure when George 'worked' for the Yankees. And I can imagine, like George, Gene saying when told he has to do some work to find a worthy opponent, "Gene is not happy. Gene does not like this. Gene is very upset."
Sure, I could be completely wrong, but a George-like GDF effort is the impression I get when GDF makes a big point of dumbly saying "hey they called us first!"
Enlighten us GDF, please!
Love the Costanza reference, "Can't Stand Ya".
I, too, envision GDF asleep, under his desk with an alarm set so he can wake up for lunch and then sweating profusely after eating his Kung Pao chicken.
He loves BC, I'm sure, as George loves the Yankees, but he makes the classic Costanza moves, those that involve the least amount of effort and imagination.
George Bush doesn't care about Weber State!
(And neither do we)
At least we can be assured a Uconn game is never gonna happen if it didn't in these circumstances.
Erik, huh? Geo. Bush???
1st see: West, Kanye
2nd see: Katrina, Hurricane
Then See: College Gameday, Chestnut Hill, 2005
Erik, I don't know what the bleep you are talking about.
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