Attendance: 4,304

[bgsufalcon24]

Anybody who knows anything about the Mid-American conference knows that EMU is the bastard child of the MAC. They've never been good at any sport of significance, especially football. Honestly, if for some reason they got dumped from the MAC it would be addition by subtraction for this conference.

What do you mean by "any sport of significance"?

Try telling one of the ladies on the swimming and diving team that her sport is insignificant. Or gymnastics. I'd love to be there when you tell Stephanie Swiger that volleyball is insignificant. Maybe the members of the men's golf team while they've got access to their bag and 14 clubs to choose from. Are baseball or softball insignificant?

FACT:
In 2006-07, Eastern Michigan University won 8 MAC titles.

FACT:
EMU is also the only MAC school to have won at least one conference championship per year since 1980.

Best to know something about the subject of which you are speaking.

Is it your goal in life to go after me today. This is the 2nd thread now, what's up your butt?

So your point is that EMU dominates all the non-revenue sports. Big whup. Half of those sports don't even have all the MAC teams competing, like men's soccer, golf, track and field, etc, so your "8 MAC titles" claim is highly diluted. If there were more than 6 teams in the MAC in men's soccer maybe then winning the conference would mean something. That's like saying you've won the CHA in hockey, not a terribly great accomplishment.

Now as for the rest of your claims. I am actually a distance runner, ran cross country for four years in high school. So I know what its like to play a sport that isn't exactly appreciated. But the bottom line is, even if your men's soccer team/cross country team/track and field team does well, nobody will care outside of the team members and the parents, and maybe the friends of the players. That's not just me being mean, that's just the way it is. Maybe my experiences have hardened my opinion to some degree because quite frankly, I wish that these "lesser" sports had a lot more support. I actually went to see our cross country teams run back in September out at the golf course. It's really amazing what they are able to do, but nobody notices.

Now some sports, like volleyball, have become big events here in BG and at other MAC schools. Volleyball is a pretty big deal here, the team is good and they are drawing crowds, so no, I don't think I would ever tell Stephanie Swiger that her sport is insignifcant, because its not. As far as I know, EMU isn't a contender in MAC volleyball, Ohio, Kent, and Miami are the contenders other than BG. Volleyball was not a sport I labeled or meant to label under the insignificant category. Gymnastics, however, would be.

But would I tell the golf team that their sport is insignificant? Or the cross country team? Yup. Because they are. Who watches golf anyway? Whenever we have over a thousand or so fans at a home golf match or cross country meet I will be proved wrong.

On a sidenote - I hope our men's soccer team gets cut. I will NEVER forgive them for barging in on our flag football league game at Perry Fieldhouse without warning last January. IMO, they are a waste of money and a bunch of creeps.

[bgsufalcon24]

While I watched this game on TV it was the first thing I pointed out to my son. It looked terrible when they panned up into the stands (pass, kick off etc). They tried awful hard to focus the camera on the confines of the field at all times.

It reflects badly on all MAC teams IMO

Well, I don't know about that. Anybody who knows anything about the Mid-American conference knows that EMU is the bastard child of the MAC. They've never been good at any sport of significance, especially football. Honestly, if for some reason they got dumped from the MAC it would be addition by subtraction for this conference.

The only downside to us is that with Temple's inclusion, we'd be moved back to the west.

East big fellow...

Tell that to Fred Cofield and the 1990-91 EMU men's basketball team (26-7, 13-3 MAC) that won the MAC and beat Miss. State and Penn State on the way to a sweet 16 apperance in the NCAA Tourney.

Tell that to 1994-95 EMU men's basketball team (25-6, 14-4 MAC) that won the MAC and upset Duke in the first round of the NCAA Tourney.

Tell that to Earl Boykins and 1997-98 EMU men's basketball team (20-10, 13-5 MAC) that won the MAC Tourney and almost upset Michigan State in the first round of the NCAA Tourney.

Good points Rollo. My bad, I take it back. Their men's basketball program has been pretty good.

[kdog27]

I will NEVER forgive them for barging in on our flag football league game at Perry Fieldhouse without warning last January. IMO, they are a waste of money and a bunch of creeps.

Aww, I prefer golfertk14 over this guy.

[BGFalconfromCincy]

On a sidenote - I hope our men's soccer team gets cut. I will NEVER forgive them for barging in on our flag football league game at Perry Fieldhouse without warning last January. IMO, they are a waste of money and a bunch of creeps.

and there we go with this again, I must ask what about the women's soccer team, you want them cut, I remember you mentioning them in your rant about this subject, may be them going to their 4th MAC title game in 5 years changed your opinion of them

[falconfan1999]

While I watched this game on TV it was the first thing I pointed out to my son. It looked terrible when they panned up into the stands (pass, kick off etc). They tried awful hard to focus the camera on the confines of the field at all times.

It reflects badly on all MAC teams IMO

Well, I don't know about that. Anybody who knows anything about the Mid-American conference knows that EMU is the bastard child of the MAC. They've never been good at any sport of significance, especially football. Honestly, if for some reason they got dumped from the MAC it would be addition by subtraction for this conference.

The only downside to us is that with Temple's inclusion, we'd be moved back to the west.

East big fellow...

Tell that to Fred Cofield and the 1990-91 EMU men's basketball team (26-7, 13-3 MAC) that won the MAC and beat Miss. State and Penn State on the way to a sweet 16 apperance in the NCAA Tourney.

Tell that to 1994-95 EMU men's basketball team (25-6, 14-4 MAC) that won the MAC and upset Duke in the first round of the NCAA Tourney.

Tell that to Earl Boykins and 1997-98 EMU men's basketball team (20-10, 13-5 MAC) that won the MAC Tourney and almost upset Michigan State in the first round of the NCAA Tourney.

you beat me to it! I was attending EMU when Charlie Batch, Earl Boykins, Lionel Dalton, LJ Shelton, Barry Stokes and some other great players were there.

one year, they averaged around 24,000, I believe. Don't sell them short based off some down football years. The basketball team will be back! And don't forget, the Iceman, George Gervin is an EMU guy!

[bgmaggot00]

Back in 2004, we needed EMU to beat NIU on the last week of the year to win the west. Some of the band guys went up and posted pics of the empty Rynearson that day. 4,251 was the announced total. So EMU has actually had a worse crowd than last night.

Hey, that was me! Yeah, the attendance at the game last night, and the one I went to in '04, was in the hundreds. That's just sad to see. This is a notable example of the difference in actual attendance, and paid attendance.

[Schadenfreude]

[On a sidenote - I hope our men's soccer team gets cut. I will NEVER forgive them for barging in on our flag football league game at Perry Fieldhouse without warning last January. IMO, they are a waste of money and a bunch of creeps.

Okay. this line from bgsufalcon24 says all you need to know about him.

And I am not one of these people who think the world starts and stops with football and basketball. I love our women basketballers. I love seeing what our soccer teams are up to. And I'm happy for our volleyballers (even if I'm unlikely to pay to watch).

But, look. I don't care if Eastern Michigan the next 20 MAC titles in swimming, track and field and Yatzee. It doesn't make 'em an asset to the MAC. Excelling in sports virtually no one will pay to watch does not help the MAC.

Soccer, done right, is spectator sport. Volleyball could be.

But track and field? Swimming? This isn't Europe or Australia.

Also, I'm aware that Eastern Michigan had a couple of good basketball runs.

But that kind of "You should have seen us back in the day" thing?

Please. Detroit can say that. Oakland can say that. Cleveland State can say that. Duquesne can say that. St. Bonaventure can say that. And on and on. What EMU has done in hoops since 1975 is really not that big a deal.

Western Kentucky could have brought ten times that basketball tradition to the MAC, and we appear to have taken a pass because their academic profile ... resembled that of Eastern Michigan.

As a I-A conference, football is important to the MAC. Eastern Michigan is terrible at it. And, considering their location, it's an almost hopeless situation in that sport.

Eastern Michigan came into the MAC in 1975 with three other schools: Central Michigan, Ball State and Northern Illinois.

CMU, BSU and NIU were good adds.

EMU? Not so much.

They'd be great in the Gateway and the Horizon. They aren't great in the MAC.

If these nonspectator sports are important, perhaps its time to add Indiana/Purdue-Fort Wayne. They have a nationally-ranked men's volleyball team.

[hammb]

My joke about the dance team notwithstanding, I'm with you Schad. Eastern doesn't bring much to the conference in the most important sport. What it does bring is just negative attention.

They've had basketball success in the past, but not recently.

I personally don't care what they win in the low profile sports. Like it or not Basketball, Football, Baseball, and Softball are really the only sports that matter in the grand scheme (Hockey as well in BG). Touting your MAC championships of tiddlywinks is irrelevant. Maybe EMU needs to drop those lesser sports and actually make a commitment to the important sports.

[bgsufalcon24]

[On a sidenote - I hope our men's soccer team gets cut. I will NEVER forgive them for barging in on our flag football league game at Perry Fieldhouse without warning last January. IMO, they are a waste of money and a bunch of creeps.

Okay. this line from bgsufalcon24 says all you need to know about him.

And I am not one of these people who think the world starts and stops with football and basketball. I love our women basketballers. I love seeing what our soccer teams are up to. And I'm happy for our volleyballers (even if I'm unlikely to pay to watch).

But, look. I don't care if Eastern Michigan the next 20 MAC titles in swimming, track and field and Yatzee. It doesn't make 'em an asset to the MAC. Excelling in sports virtually no one will pay to watch does not help the MAC.

Soccer, done right, is spectator sport. Volleyball could be.

But track and field? Swimming? This isn't Europe or Australia.

Also, I'm aware that Eastern Michigan had a couple of good basketball runs.

But that kind of "You should have seen us back in the day" thing?

Please. Detroit can say that. Oakland can say that. Cleveland State can say that. Duquesne can say that. St. Bonaventure can say that. And on and on. What EMU has done in hoops since 1975 is really not that big a deal.

Western Kentucky could have brought ten times that basketball tradition to the MAC, and we appear to have taken a pass because their academic profile ... resembled that of Eastern Michigan.

As a I-A conference, football is important to the MAC. Eastern Michigan is terrible at it. And, considering their location, it's an almost hopeless situation in that sport.

Eastern Michigan came into the MAC in 1975 with three other schools: Central Michigan, Ball State and Northern Illinois.

CMU, BSU and NIU were good adds.

EMU? Not so much.

They'd be great in the Gateway and the Horizon. They aren't great in the MAC.

If these nonspectator sports are important, perhaps its time to add Indiana/Purdue-Fort Wayne. They have a nationally-ranked men's volleyball team.

Hammb, what I find hilarious is that despite the opening to your post here, we agree that EMU is giving the MAC very negative press with their craptastic performance in the #1 sport.

Amazing how this world works sometimes...

[falconfan1999]

So based off some of this logic, many of you would be willing to trade in all of our sports for good attendance at football and basketball games? Trade in our national championship in hockey for a few more trips to the Motor City Bowl?

I'm not so sure I agree.... I think it's important to have a well rounded athletic department. I would like BGSU to be competitive in all sports, not just football. I think it's important to have a good baseball team and a good hockey team.

EMU, won something like 19 consectutive MAC championships in Swimming and Diving, won at least 13 outdoor track championships in a row, 6 cross country championships and about that many indoor track championships. They've had a sweet sixteen appearance in mens hoops, about 10 Olympic athletes (in recent memory), at least two guys in the NBA recently, currently have about 6 guys in the NFL, players like Chris Hoiles, Bob Welch and future star Brian Bixler in MLB. To get down on them for having poor attendance and a recently bad mens hoops team just isn't fair. Admitedly, their football program has been bad, really bad more often than not, but so has Northwestern and I haven't heard many people discuss kicking them out of the Big 10.

For the record, I completely agree that they really need to reinvest in their athletic programs. I think this years team is heading in the right direction, but need more than a few great players to contend for the MAC West.

[h2oville rocket]

Eastern doesn't bring much to the conference in the most important sport.

They're almost always very good in the most important sport and about the only one that the U.S. dominates on the world stage, track and field. I understand your point but think its very sad that people feel that way. Befoe BG decided to cut men's track they had more track and field tradition than they had in any revenue sport (still do). Olympians, top ranked NCAA teams, conference championships- I have never understood how people can't get excited about the most elemental sport. When I see a 5'11" Swedish guy high jump 7'8" and compare that to a couple of 300 pounders pushing each other around, well...I'll take the high jump every time. OK, return to the EMU bashing.

[jacojdm]

Eastern doesn't bring much to the conference in the most important sport.

They're almost always very good in the most important sport and about the only one that the U.S. dominates on the world stage, track and field. I understand your point but think its very sad that people feel that way. Befoe BG decided to cut men's track they had more track and field tradition than they had in any revenue sport (still do). Olympians, top ranked NCAA teams, conference championships- I have never understood how people can't get excited about the most elemental sport. When I see a 5'11" Swedish guy high jump 7'8" and compare that to a couple of 300 pounders pushing each other around, well...I'll take the high jump every time. OK, return to the EMU bashing.

Track and Field is the most athletic of all athletic events or sports. You can teach a kid the technique required to tackle. You can teach a kid to catch a ball. You can't teach speed.

[kdog27]

Eastern doesn't bring much to the conference in the most important sport.

They're almost always very good in the most important sport and about the only one that the U.S. dominates on the world stage, track and field. I understand your point but think its very sad that people feel that way. Befoe BG decided to cut men's track they had more track and field tradition than they had in any revenue sport (still do). Olympians, top ranked NCAA teams, conference championships- I have never understood how people can't get excited about the most elemental sport. When I see a 5'11" Swedish guy high jump 7'8" and compare that to a couple of 300 pounders pushing each other around, well...I'll take the high jump every time. OK, return to the EMU bashing.

I agree with you 100%. To say the other sports don't mean anything or to make fun of them is completely ignorant. They might not mean anything to you but do not speak for everyone. Every year I like college football less and less. Every game takes nearly four hours and you need special cable packages to watch some games. It won't be long now that you have to pay extra for just about every game.

I would love to see them play some track & field or swimming and yes you can enjoy these sports live. Open yourself up a little bit, there are sports besides football and basketball that are entertaining.

[Schadenfreude]

So based off some of this logic, many of you would be willing to trade in all of our sports for good attendance at football and basketball games? Trade in our national championship in hockey for a few more trips to the Motor City Bowl?

Uuuuuuuuuuugggggggggghhhhhhhhhhh....... no. But I can see it's easier to attack a straw man than the arguments actually put forward in this thread.

Hockey is very important at Bowling Green. It's one of our most important sports traditions. Obviously.

But what Bowling Green does in hockey has no bearing at all on our value to the MAC, since it isn't a MAC sport.

Or, put another way, hockey has almost as much bearing on our value ot the MAC as the running, swinning and shot-putting they do in Ypsilanti has on Eastern Michigan's value to the MAC.

[Dr. Reality]

While some of you are knocking the nonrevenue sports, take into consideration that at the high-school level, track and field (for both boys and girls) is the second most popular sport in the country. It is 3rd for boys behind football and basketball, and baseball pales by comparison. It's the second most popular sport for girls, and indoor track and field for high schoolers is the fastest growing sport in the country. --- And, of course, any coach worth his salt will tell you that track and football go together. The most physically fit athletes in the world are those who compete seriously in track and field. Over 84 per cent of those blue chipper recruits for Div I football scholarship were track stars in high school. They SURE AS HELL WEREN'T BASEBALL PLAYHERS. According to a recent publication by sports physiologist, the least physically fit professional athletes are baseball players. What the hell would you expectr w hen t he ball is in the pitcher's hand for 96 per cent of the time ---- while hero Jim Leylands stands around in the dug-out smoking cigarretts Disgusting!!!!!!!