Big East Website

[TedBaxter]

http://www.bigeast.org/

[JohnnyRev]

I like it - especially with Val Ackerman in the middle. (But since I'm a priest I only thought I noticed that. Whatever IWB has seems to be catching.)

[IWB]

Classic post Johnny Rev!

Are you back in the Res or still at rehab facility?

[JohnnyRev]

Jim, I'm now mobile enough to go back to the Res, but there's no Physical Therapy (PT) available to me at Marquette (my own therapist is on vacation and the PT school seems to be in summer semi-hibernation). It looks like I'll be staying at Camillus for therapy to get stronger and more flexible till either I don't need PT anymore or it's only twice a week, for which I can commute from the Res to Camillus. It won't be long now.

I only miss not being in a position on campus where I would not be able to look in on open gym and not be able to watch the new guys playing with current players (presumably Davante will be rejoining them soon) and former players. Last summer when I was not able to watch open gym I would have thought that Joe Chapman was the hottest player on the floor (ironic in view of his losing his starting spot to the Amigos).

[TheSultan]

http://www.bigeast.org/



BTW, this should have been operational today. Big mistake.

[Nukem2]

BTW, this should have been operational today. Big mistake.No staff yet and ,Val obviously is not a techie.... :)

[TheSultan]

No staff yet and ,Val obviously is not a techie.... :)


Not that difficult to outsource. Especially when you are trying to make a big splash on your first day of existence.

[The Reptile]

It's a technical issue, it's a content issue. I'm sure that all of the content that goes up needs to be vetted and with a limited staff at the moment who is going to approve of the content? Besides, what are you looking for - a reason to be a Big East fan? I doubt anything that they post is going to change hearts and minds in one day.

[Nukem2]

Not that difficult to outsource. Especially when you are trying to make a big splash on your first day of existence.
See Reptile's post....

[TheSultan]

It's a technical issue, it's a content issue. I'm sure that all of the content that goes up needs to be vetted and with a limited staff at the moment who is going to approve of the content? Besides, what are you looking for - a reason to be a Big East fan? I doubt anything that they post is going to change hearts and minds in one day.


When the web is your primary means of communication in this day and age, you find a way to get it done.

Look, I've been banging on those who have been critical of how this has unfurled...but I think this was a screw up. You don't need to have the entire thing operational, but you should have more content then this.

[MUBasketball]

When the web is your primary means of communication in this day and age, you find a way to get it done.

Look, I've been banging on those who have been critical of how this has unfurled...but I think this was a screw up. You don't need to have the entire thing operational, but you should have more content then this.

Sultan, my man! Glad to see you're finally agreeing with me on this whole topic!

People thought not having a commissioner up until a few days ago wasn't a big deal. Well, it kinda was, and this is an example of why. There's no staff right now to handle these types of things. The American is fully staffed from the old Big East and they rolled things out today seamlessly.

Is not having an operational website that big of a deal? No. But to me, just makes the whole new conference seem very "mom and pop" and disorganized without having things up and running on Day 1. That's why having a staff in place earlier was important, to handle all these things ahead of time.

[ValiantSailor]

People thought not having a commissioner up until a few days ago wasn't a big deal. Well, it kinda was,....

If anyone is talking about this on August 1, THEN it will be a big deal.

BTW, I'm seeing lots of postings on FB that carry the BE logo. Somebody is working.

VS

[MUBasketball]

I'm sure they'll get up to speed quickly. I'm happy with the Val hire, and I would assume she'll hire a great staff given how well connected & respected she is.

[TheSultan]

Sultan, my man! Glad to see you're finally agreeing with me on this whole topic!

People thought not having a commissioner up until a few days ago wasn't a big deal. Well, it kinda was, and this is an example of why. There's no staff right now to handle these types of things. The American is fully staffed from the old Big East and they rolled things out today seamlessly.

Is not having an operational website that big of a deal? No. But to me, just makes the whole new conference seem very "mom and pop" and disorganized without having things up and running on Day 1. That's why having a staff in place earlier was important, to handle all these things ahead of time.


I don't agree with you on the "whole topic."

I think they should have an operational web-site. As someone who does this stuff for a living, I think it is a big oversight and one they could have gotten done...at least with something more substantive than a simple landing page. For instance, conference profile...school profiles...Ackerman bio. Simple stuff. Some of this could have been in the works for months. Hire an outside firm to do the graphics...split up the substance work among the various PIOs...and appoint a point person.

[ziggysfryboy]

whoa, whoa, whoa...Sultan is critical of someone in higher ed administration? It's gotta be Canada day! :p

[MUfan12]

whoa, whoa, whoa...Sultan is critical of someone in higher ed administration? It's gotta be Canada day! :p

This was pretty good... eh?

[Phantom Warrior]

Question: During July, who is going to bother to go to the Big East web site for substance?

Answer: Fans of MU, GTown, Nova, St. John's Providence, Seton Hall, Xavier, Butler, and Creighton. (DePaul doesn't have any fans.) No one else gives a flying carpet.

Follow-up Questions: During July (early August as well for that matter) who is going to bother to visit the SEC website? The ACC website? The Big 11/12/13/14 website?

Follow-up Answer: No one besides fans of schools in the respective conferences.

Concluding Question: How important is the conference website at this juncture?

Concluding Answer: On a 1-10 scale, maybe a 2.

Now, if the website is not operational with substance at least a couple of weeks prior to the first fall athletic event, whole different deal.

[TheSultan]

Phantom I am sorry but that is false. All sorts of media outlets made a big deal of the start of all sorts of reallignment.

Conference USA makes a big deal out of welcoming new members including descriptions of all new schools. Ditto A10....and AAC. Big East has nothing but a landing page.

Very poor effort. I was actually at a presentation a couple weeks ago by Craig Pintens, MU Law School alum and director of marketing for Oregon athletics, who pretty much said that they made sure the web and all social media outlets are current and informational before any news goes live. He is 100% correct.

[TheSultan]

whoa, whoa, whoa...Sultan is critical of someone in higher ed administration? It's gotta be Canada day! :p


I've been critical in the past....the Jodi O'Brien debacle for one.

[Mucrisco]

I have to agree. I thought there would be more content. They should have been ready to go with a working website on the first day. Aren't there at least fall sports schedules to put out? How about some links and info about the schools? How does this compare to the AAC's website?

[Phantom Warrior]

If a tree falls in the forest, and no one is there to see it fall or hear it fall, does it matter that it fell?

That's how I feel about the Big East website at this juncture. Is anyone on this site planning to visit the ACC, SEC, Pac 12, etc. websites? Has anyone on this site bothered going to any of those conference websites in the past, especially during the summer? I doubt it.

For that matter, how many of us used to visit the old Big East website in July? Probably very few, if any.

Could the new site have already included the fall schedules? Of course. Information about each of the schools? Absolutely. But the only people who would take the time to go to the website are fans of the 10 conference schools, and they can wait three our four weeks without any harm being done if it's not up now.

The real problem/issue is that no one had the foresight to be proactive and get it done, which is probably a condemnation of the 10 presidents for not taking care of business. But with a commissioner now in place, especially one as experienced, intelligent, creative, organized, and energetic as Ackerman, it should not be long until there is a reasonable amount of substance on the site.

The presidents now need to back off and let her, the new staff, and the athletic directors do their jobs.

[MUMac]

I have stayed silent on this, as I tend to feel it is a bigger issue in the moment than it is or will be in a month or so.

That said, I am sure the Presidents and AD's could have outsourced the webdesign to a firm to get something up and running for 7-1. I do see that date as a big kick off date. That said, the lack of it at this time will be a blip in the radar once it is up and running.

[Goose85]

It just looks minor league to have your official start date and publish a website that doesn't have anything.

How hard would it have been to have a bio for each school, listing of the sports the conference supports, dates for the conference championships, a link to Big East records, recent champions, a map of where schools are located, conference schedules that supposedly are done for fall sports, etc.

It doesn't matter how many people look at it on July 1, if you want to be considered a big time conference, want to look like you do things professionally, want to demonstrate to potential sponsors that your organization is top shelf and not minor league, then everything you do must look major league.

[Mucrisco]

Yes. It looks minor league. I have looked at other conference sites, even during the summer. I'm look for information, such as scheduling, results, stats, conference tournament sites...

[Nukem2]

Yes. It looks minor league. I have looked at other conference sites, even during the summer. I'm look for information, such as scheduling, results, stats, conference tournament sites...Problem right now is that there might be too much mis-information with a rushed website. Lets give it some time.

[MUMac]

There seems to be an awful lot of hand wringing over the perceived missteps of the Big East. Lest not forget, it was mid December when the "Catholic 7" announced they were leaving the Big East. It was early March when it was agreed upon that the departure would happen this year and the new conference would get the Big East name. That was 7 1/2 months from start to finish. 3 1/2 months since the terms were agreed upon with the former Big East Conference.

I guess the glass half full crowd can cast aspersions on the delays of the Presidents and the new Big East. I, though, really am amazed at how much they have done in such a short period of time. Has a conference ever been established this quickly? It's not like there are dozens of blueprints to follow. There was significant time and resources in negotiating the departure; then negotiating the 3 new additions; tying up MSG for the Conference Tournament; securing TV rights with Fox Sports; interviewing and getting the right candidate for the Commissioner ...

I really think they have done a great deal in a very tight window. Most thought the league would start next year. The 7 Presidents and Athletic Directors, for the most part, got it done 12 months earlier.

Yeah, the web site is not fully functioning. I guess that can be reason for derision. As I stated earlier, I do not subscribe to that. I applaud what has been accomplished.

[Mucrisco]

You can applaud how far the league has come and still be critical that the website isn't up. Most have said that it's not a big deal. However, you can have the opinion that it should have been done. Things like Websites, Facebook, and Twitter are so important today. I can only imagine a new restaurant or bar opening up, and the website was still under construction. I'd immediately think, "Well, that place isn't lasting too long."

[TheSultan]

If a tree falls in the forest, and no one is there to see it fall or hear it fall, does it matter that it fell?

That's how I feel about the Big East website at this juncture. Is anyone on this site planning to visit the ACC, SEC, Pac 12, etc. websites? Has anyone on this site bothered going to any of those conference websites in the past, especially during the summer? I doubt it.

For that matter, how many of us used to visit the old Big East website in July? Probably very few, if any.



I think you have the misperception that nobody would visit the site. I think that is false given the importance of the 7/1 date.

[Goose85]

I am a glass half full guy, but I worry about the perception of this new league. That is why I just don't see why they release the website before they have content on the website. Just a little information provided on the site would have looked better.

[Mucrisco]

BTW, you only have to attend the informational meeting about recruiting at our AAU club to realize the importance of websites, social media, and youtube.

[TheSultan]

I am a glass half full guy, but I worry about the perception of this new league. That is why I just don't see why they release the website before they have content on the website. Just a little information provided on the site would have looked better.


That is all I am saying. I am certainly not saying that they should have had to ready to go with all the bells and whistles.

[MUMac]

You can applaud how far the league has come and still be critical that the website isn't up. Most have said that it's not a big deal. However, you can have the opinion that it should have been done. Things like Websites, Facebook, and Twitter are so important today. I can only imagine a new restaurant or bar opening up, and the website was still under construction. I'd immediately think, "Well, that place isn't lasting too long."

I honestly haven't seen many, if any, posts applauding how far the league has come. The consternation about the little things or other issues is all that makes these boards. I get it, people prefer to complain.

As I said, in a month, this will all be forgotten.

[IWB]

Of course they could make the same mistake UConn did.

UConn changed their website to show the all new AAC. They left out UCF and had three teams that are not in the conference yet (ECU, Navy & Tulsa).

[unclejohn]

I am a glass half full guy, but I worry about the perception of this new league. That is why I just don't see why they release the website before they have content on the website. Just a little information provided on the site would have looked better.

This is really much ado about nothing. They got the conference website up on July 1 because that is when the conference becomes official. There is not much else to see or much to say at this point. It is not going to hurt anybody's image, because everyone who is at all interested in looking knows what the situation is, and nobody should be surprised. But honestly, does anyone think some college player is going to decide not to go to a Big East school because the conference did not have a full webpage up on Day 1 the same week as the Fourth of July? Come on. Nobody but people like us are even looking.