MBB: Old Dominion Athletic Conference

[hasanova]

As for media coverage and community support, it's sad.  Even for tournament games last year, the number of outside fans was limited.  The same can be said for huge ODAC tournament games in other sports, big conference games, etc.  I think Justafan explained the reasons fairly well.  There's too much news and too many other schools around the area to provide adequate coverage of Wesleyan sports.

When you've got an NCAA champion in your area, that alone should be enough to warrant more coverage, or one would think.  Sadly, though, I think the above statement is applicable to any ODAC school (not knowing enough about how other DIII conferences are treated by their local and regional media).  R-M used to get fairly decent press when they were DII, but now we exist in the shadow of UR/VCU, and to an extent, VUU.  Most of the ODAC is in the shadow of UVA and VT.  Guilford is another matter.

Though sometimes the RT-D (Richmond Times-Dispatch), will break out a really good article on the DIII schools in Virginia.

Guilford, in addition to being in the long shadow of the ACC's "Tobacco Road" Big Four, has to compete with the Southern Conference (Elon, Appalachian, UNC-G), the Big South (High Point), the MEAC (NC A&T), the CIAA (WSSU), the USASAC (Greensboro), minor league baseball (Warthogs and Grasshoppers) and minor league soccer (Dynamo and Twisters).  Don't even get me started on the NFL's Panthers, the NBA's Bobcats and NASCAR's Lowes Motor Speedway.  lol  We're lucky if we get 50 words for a home basketball game, although it has improved some with winning and a ranking.

[justafan02]

Having said all that, Thank Goodness for D3Hoops.com

[Jacketlawyer]

Having said all that, Thank Goodness for D3Hoops.com

You know, I think I meant to say that!  Thanks for concluding my thought for me!!

[hasanova]

Having said all that, Thank Goodness for D3Hoops.com

You know, I think I meant to say that!  Thanks for concluding my thought for me!!

Amen!  I know I'm "old", but I remember the days of not knowing who won a late Saturday night game until you read Monday's newspaper!

[jdubyadubya]

C'mon, you aren't old. You are old if you remember getting congratulatory telegrams for winning the big games.

[hasanova]

C'mon, you aren't old. You are old if you remember getting congratulatory telegrams for winning the big games.

I've only read about the telegrams, but I do remember many times wondering, for example, if the Braves beat the Dodgers in LA on Saturday night and having to wait until Monday morning to find out because it was too late for the Sunday edition of the paper.  You know as well as I do that we haven't always been instantly wired to every piece of information as we are now.  lol

When I was a Junior at Guilford, we were playing for the NAIA basketball championship against Maryland- Eastern Shore at the Kemper Arena in Kansas City.  It was spring break, so I'd found out we won the earlier games by calling a classmate who lived in Greensboro who could listen on the radio.  When I found out we were in the championship game on Saturday night, some friends of mine and I drove from Mount Airy to the Guilford campus so we could pick up the radio broadcast on my car radio.  There were about 100 cars in parking lots around the campus that night doing the same thing.  When we won, we TP'ed the trees that night on the main entrance.  The rest of the student body returned from spring break either Sunday night or Monday morning to join the celebration.  lol

[jdubyadubya]

That's hilarious

[hasanova]

That's hilarious

I thought you'd like that.    By the way, the car I was in while listening on the radio is the same 1968 Chevy Nova I own today.   It was an exciting, back and forth 99-96 game, so I'm sure my steering wheel and volume control button took some punishment that night.  I remember rolling down the windows so I could still hear and pacing a little outside my car.  lol

[narch]

Guilford, in addition to being in the long shadow of the ACC's "Tobacco Road" Big Four, has to compete with the Southern Conference (Elon, Appalachian, UNC-G), the Big South (High Point), the MEAC (NC A&T), the CIAA (WSSU), the USASAC (Greensboro), minor league baseball (Warthogs and Grasshoppers) and minor league soccer (Dynamo and Twisters).  Don't even get me started on the NFL's Panthers, the NBA's Bobcats and NASCAR's Lowes Motor Speedway.  lol  We're lucky if we get 50 words for a home basketball game, although it has improved some with winning and a ranking.

'nova - guilford is getting plenty of press coverage right now...what are you complaining about

[emufan]

Speaking of headlines, the following is off of ESPN.com front page  (I know it isn't bball, but it is ODAC)

Players charged with assaulting Palestinian students
Associated Press


GREENSBORO, N.C. -- The parents of three Guilford College football players charged with ethnic intimidation defended their sons Friday, nearly a week after an on-campus fight between the players and three Palestinian students.

[Jacketlawyer]

Speaking of headlines, the following is off of ESPN.com front page  (I know it isn't bball, but it is ODAC)

Players charged with assaulting Palestinian students
Associated Press


GREENSBORO, N.C. -- The parents of three Guilford College football players charged with ethnic intimidation defended their sons Friday, nearly a week after an on-campus fight between the players and three Palestinian students.

(sigh). . . . not good.

But I'll withhold an opinion until after all the facts come in.  No sense jumping to conclusions like many did with the Duke lacrosse mess.

[hasanova]

Guilford, in addition to being in the long shadow of the ACC's "Tobacco Road" Big Four, has to compete with the Southern Conference (Elon, Appalachian, UNC-G), the Big South (High Point), the MEAC (NC A&T), the CIAA (WSSU), the USASAC (Greensboro), minor league baseball (Warthogs and Grasshoppers) and minor league soccer (Dynamo and Twisters).  Don't even get me started on the NFL's Panthers, the NBA's Bobcats and NASCAR's Lowes Motor Speedway.  lol  We're lucky if we get 50 words for a home basketball game, although it has improved some with winning and a ranking.

'nova - guilford is getting plenty of press coverage right now...what are you complaining about

Sadly, not the type of coverage I want.

[hasanova]

Speaking of headlines, the following is off of ESPN.com front page  (I know it isn't bball, but it is ODAC)

Players charged with assaulting Palestinian students
Associated Press


GREENSBORO, N.C. -- The parents of three Guilford College football players charged with ethnic intimidation defended their sons Friday, nearly a week after an on-campus fight between the players and three Palestinian students.

Yeah, we've been talking about this for a couple of days on the ODAC football board. 

[sludge]

(sigh). . . . not good.

But I'll withhold an opinion until after all the facts come in.  No sense jumping to conclusions like many did with the Duke lacrosse mess.

I agree with you completely on that, Jacketlawyer.  My understanding is that in this case there were numerous witnesses, including some who were uninvolved, not on either side, who have good credibility and can help the administration (and the police) determine whether this was a stupid fight or something worse.

My heart goes out to the people affected.  May all of them find peace.

[yj424]

Jacketlawyer, I have a strong gut feeling that our Yellow Jackets are going to turn their season around now. We just might come away with a couple of victories this weekend and turn the corner and gain more confidence for the final haul. This team certainly has the potential!