Ok, it's now in vogue to hate George Welsh again. This quote should earn him,
from Duke and UNC fans, the burning hatred we usually reserve only for
each other:
''I'm not hung up on traditional rivalries to a great degree because I saw what happened at Penn State. All of a sudden they're not playing Pitt except on occasion. They dropped
Syracuse. The Big Ten was the best move for them, so whatever's best for the conference, the 12 teams, that's what we ought to do.Â
And if Duke doesn't play North Carolina every year, so what? You've got other rivalries."
Yeah, well maybe the master of the late-season swoon does, but on Tobacco
Road we know full well what traditional rivalries mean. We discussed
yesterday the possible repercussions of Terry Holland going to Minnesota and how
it might have affected expansion. Pretty clearly, this
is coming down to football vs. basketball - and everything else. Â
Welsh goes on to explain that UVa has a budget deficit and so it'd be nice if
the ACC would throw itself onto the pyre to save UVa. "We're running a deficit right now for the first time," he says. "We're in the red. I read where Michigan's in the red by a million dollars. Now, how else are you going to generate revenue?''
Gee, George, that's a tough one...maybe....a LEGITIMATE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
PLAYOFF SYSTEM??
With all due respect to UVa, and George Welsh, Maryland had a far more grave
situation, post-Bias, and the athletic department is required to operate in the
black by state law. Despite the basketball program being decimated, and
most other sports melting down, including football, Maryland has managed
to recover fairly well. Perhaps UVa wouldn't be in a crunch had they either
planned better or not seen basketball collapse. And as far as playoffs and such
go, perhaps Welsh should learn how not to choke at the end of the season,
because if he's still coach if/when it happens, the last four games of the
season will almost always keep him out of such a game.
As for only playing UNC on an irregular basis, you can take our rivals away
from us when you pry our cold, dead fingers off their necks. We'd rather lose to
UNC for ten years than give up one game for Rutgers or Syracuse. Call us
crazy, but that's just how we feel.
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