http://ajerseyguy.com/?p=127

Interview with former BE Commish Mike Tranghese.  States ACC’s last expansion was about hoops, and that the ACC is now the vulnerable one.

Q. Seven years ago when the ACC made its raid into the Big East for more teams, you stood up at the Big East meetings in Florida and said that the ramifications of the move would be felt for years.  With all that has happened, you were basically right, weren’t you?

A. I remember when I said it, Donna (President of the University of Miami) Shalala said that I had over reacted. I remember when a reporter called me about her comment, I said, “I haven’t over reacted. This is just the start.” It had an incredible ripple effect. Interesting enough, I think the ACC has already felt it on the football side. Look at it, the ACC is now the bottom now. They are going to be the next target in football. If I need a school, where are you going? I just don’t think that’s good. I hear people saying we’re going to have four super conferences and that’s great. All that does is create less winners and more losers.

Q. Twenty years ago, you and former ACC commissioner Gene Corrigan talked about having a Big East-ACC football federation, would it have worked?

A.  I would have done it in a heartbeat. But Gene said he couldn’t sell his members on anything but full membership. And I understood that. But if it had been done, the ACC would have its original teams in basketball, the Big East would have its original teams and both would have been pretty successful. And the ACC would have been better in football. The ACC can get better in football; it’s just that the two programs they expected to carry it (Miami and Florida State) just haven’t done it.

Q. What about the ACC expansion plans and the Big East?

A. I’ve read a lot of things about the expansion and what ACC officials have said. I just don’t believe anything I’ve read. You are not going to convince me they took Syracuse and Pitt just for football. It was pure basketball. They were sick of getting beaten up by the Big East so they tried to destroy the Big East. They said that was not their intention, but it has to be your intention. You have to be an idiot not to know what taking Syracuse and Pitt would do to the Big East.

Jilted lover syndrome. The ACC was kind of backed into a corner to expand again with their original puny TV contract.

Interesting that the ACC and BE was thinking about joining forces.

The Big East was kicking the ACC’s butt in basketball?

I’m not saying it was the only factor, but I truly believe that basketball was the driving factor.

Yawn, how long have me and Sem been saying this same thing?

I think the ACC has already felt it on the football side. Look at it, the ACC is now the bottom now. They are going to be the next target in football. If I need a school, where are you going?

Yep.

Oh yeah…smoking gun for sure. No hard feelings at all.

I find it funny that yall keep putting down the conference YOU are in. If the conference sucks in football that means YOU suck in football. If Clemson and FSU are the football powers you claim them to be then all of the sudden the conference doesn’t suck in football. Weird how that works.

I mean us mere basketball schools are irrelevant anyhow so it is only about yall right? That is what I keep hearing, so if the ACC sucks then it must mean Clemson and FSU suck.

Basketball is so stupid.

Just because you are in a conference doesn’t mean you need to lie for it and obscure the truth. The ACC would still suck if the San Francisco Forty Niners were in it.

Nope it doesn’t and just because you want to be in a conference doesn’t mean you should make stuff up about how it will be or how much money you will make.

Does this mean Clemson will never win the ACC in basketball again???  Wait, you’re telling me we’ve only one it once…carry on.

Other breaking news: New BXII numbers are in.  Quoting $50M per school if they went ot a 12 team league….

Is it football season yet?

I heard it was $50 billion. I figure if you are gonna go…go big.

Not quite…hence all the worry about TV contracts still.

I heard latest figures were only 10% of Americans had an I.Q. over 100. The figures decrease if they are football fans and nose dive further if ACC affiliated.

Oh, that explains you then Sem! Thanks.

It is good you are known for uninformed views, this way not very much is expected from you. We are all challenged by your unique point of view.

Wait…are you talking about me or you? Sounds like a portrait of the author.