Informal Poll

[SRT4driver]

brewtownbrian said:

mcdadenets50 said:

Excuse me? You have officially lost it.

GO PANTHERS!

I'd have to agree. Cheering for Butler...are you crazy?!?!

I don't care how it might "help" our conference...I never cheer for the opponent, especially Butler.

GO PANTHERS!!

Freak always looks at the big picture. I think this time, he just looked a little too big. ;D

[uwmfutbol]

I agree with Freak's logic, but I just can't agree. IMO Butler and UIC are our biggest rivals. That would be like me as a Packer fan rooting against them when they play the Bears for a higher draft pick. I just can't do it.

[brewtownbrian]

I see the logic behind it all, but c'mon...You can't root against the Panthers just because they are having a down season. Wins are not easy to come by and as a Panther fan...I think we should take them whenever we can get them.

Also, I hate to try and measure this, but...how much would having 2 HL teams in the tourney really help the conference as a whole?

I mean, it's happened before and it hasn't catapulted the HL to any great, significant changes. It would take it happening on a consistent basis (5-10 years in a row) for anything significant to happen to the HL.

Just my opinion...

GO PANTHERS!

[reggiewheelerfor3]

Yeah, don't get carried away with a simple response to the question. Of course every UWM fan on this board wants to beat Butler Saturday. People just want Butler to do well in games outside those games against us.
However, I disagree with those who never want to see Butler win another game in the history of their program. They can finish with just three more losses the rest of the season, and I'd be fine with it (preferably three against us...or maybe two against us and one against the conference tourney champ). Having two Horizon teams in the NCAA tourney is NOT a bad thing.

[brewtownbrian]

reggiewheelerfor3 said:

Yeah, don't get carried away with a simple response to the question. Of course every UWM fan on this board wants to beat Butler Saturday. People just want Butler to do well in games outside those games against us.
However, I disagree with those who never want to see Butler win another game in the history of their program. They can finish with just three more losses the rest of the season, and I'd be fine with it (preferably three against us...or maybe two against us and one against the conference tourney champ). Having two Horizon teams in the NCAA tourney is NOT a bad thing.

I'm not getting carried away, but the guy said, "Go Bulldogs" in his post. And you agreed with him Reggie.

I agree that having as many teams in the tourney as possible is a good thing, but it's hardly even a blip on the radar when looking at the future of our conference.

Like I said, it's happened before...having 2 teams in the tourney...and name 1 significant thing that came along with that double-tourney-berth...?

I'm serious, maybe I don't get it, but how does having 2 teams help our conference? Besides all the better teams, better league stuff...how does it actually benefit UWM and the HL?

The only thing I can think of is the Bracketbuster thing. That was good for about 2-3 years though, now they have like 100+ teams where as when it began it was like 22 teams. And even that benefited other mid-major conferences, not just the HL.

It will be a long, long time before the HL gets multiple teams in the tourney on a consistent basis based on the reputation of the conference.

[Deleted]

It will be a long, long time before the HL gets multiple teams in the tourney on a consistent basis based on the reputation of the conference.

Um... two teams in the tourny this year will certainly improve our reputation. If Butler proves that an HL team can spend the entire season in the top 25, then future pollsters will consider other HL teams.

[reggiewheelerfor3]

Brewtown, I agreed with the "Let's hope the dogs stay top 25, and that Loyola beats them in the conference tournament!" part, not beating UWM. I will be wearing black and gold on Saturday, not blue and white.
Having a two-bid league consistently is just another step in making the Horizon a three-bid league, than maybe a four-bid league like the Missouri Valley has become. I think this is a HUGE recruiting tool. Right now, recruits are probably aware that they aren't going to be playing in the NCAA tournament unless their team wins the Horizon League tournament. If we can make this league consistently have two teams in, it makes a team like UWM more appealing. Of course, it makes the other teams in our conference more respectable, too, which can slowly help us grow the strength of our league.
It may be along time until the Horizon can regularly put two teams in the tourney, but why not root for it to happen this year? I'd prefer for it to be UWM and some other team, but is it really a bad thing if it's Butler and Loyola this year? Maybe UWM and Detroit (or whoever) next year, and so on?

[brewtownbrian]

ghostoffreak said:

It will be a long, long time before the HL gets multiple teams in the tourney on a consistent basis based on the reputation of the conference.

Um... two teams in the tourny this year will certainly improve our reputation. If Butler proves that an HL team can spend the entire season in the top 25, then future pollsters will consider other HL teams.

Um...we've had 2 teams in the tourney before and what's the reputation of the HL?

While I agree that having 2 or more teams in the tourney might slightly improve the reputation of the conference...I still don't think reputation will ever be enough to get a HL team an at-large bid. Reputation is too subjective. While one pollster may see the HL as a good league, they'll be 2 others that will disagree. 'Tis the life of a mid-major.

And with the competition and scrutiny to get into the tourney as tough as ever, reputation seems too weak in my opinion.

I still don't think anything significant can come from having 2 teams in the tourney, unless you consider reputation significant....which I don't.

Maybe I should have asked besides reputation...?

But this whole thing is off the subject...ghostoffreak, are you seriously rooting for Butler to beat UWM on Sat. all so the chances of getting 2 HL teams into the tourney goes up .000001%? Or were you just messing around?

[SRT4driver]

Freak may be guilty of letting the "big picture" somewhat blind him when he cheers for other HL teams against us, but most of you are DEFINATELY guilty of totally missing the point and failing to see ANY of the big picture here! When other HL teams play ANY game against ANY non-HL team, it is ALWAYS in UWM's best interest as a team for ALL the other HL teams to win! EVERY SINGLE TIME.
And are you kidding me? "Hard to measure" how getting two HL teams into the dance can be a good thing? Yeah, I guess all those hundreds of thousands and even millions of dollars of NCAA payouts getting split 9 ways would be hard to measure... if they were all in singles.

[dylanrocks]

Seems to me that the fans and administrators from MVC schools, for instance, have done an oustanding job of supporting one another in their efforts to gain respect and heighten the awareness of their league on a national level. Call it collusion if you will. It's effectively what the BCS conferences and their lackeys have been doing for many years now, tossing around labels arbitrarily like they do. I only wish that HL fans could see the merits of enhancing the profile of their league. This season, it's two bids. Next year, it's three. That's how we must think. Remember, every great march starts with a single step.

[brewtownbrian]

srt4driver said:

Freak may be guilty of letting the "big picture" somewhat blind him when he cheers for other HL teams against us, but most of you are DEFINATELY guilty of totally missing the point and failing to see ANY of the big picture here! When other HL teams play ANY game against ANY non-HL team, it is ALWAYS in UWM's best interest as a team for ALL the other HL teams to win! EVERY SINGLE TIME.
And are you kidding me? "Hard to measure" how getting two HL teams into the dance can be a good thing? Yeah, I guess all those hundreds of thousands and even millions of dollars of NCAA payouts getting split 9 ways would be hard to measure... if they were all in singles.

Once again, I agree that the more HL teams in the tourney is good. And I agree that rooting for any HL team vs. another non-conference opponent is the thing to do.

But nowhere in this thread does anyone talk about Butler vs. a non-conference opponent, so I'm not sure why you bring that up.

You are right about the money thing though. Money is measureable, reputation is not.

So far money is the only significant, I repeat, SIGNIFICANT benefit that I've read.

[famouspnthrfan]

Even if we beat Butler...do you think that would be enough to knock them out of consideration for an at large berth??? I think they are all but in already...they have stayed in the top 25 for quite some time now. I can't imagine that losing to us would kill their chances at earning an at large. Not to mention, i don't think anyone will be able to stop Butler this year on their quest for a HL trophy. I could never root AGAINST my team....go panthers

[milwsport]

Getting more HL teams in the tourney is good

Losing to Butler is very bad.

I think you get more teams in they tourney by doing what Butler is doing. Beating quality non conference opponents. Do that (as the CAA did last year) and you will get more than one bid.