Are we even allowed to the next round!!!????

[D-West & PO-Z]

Hell yeah Chris Mack, basically telling the media to EAT IT!!!!

LOVE CHRIS MACK AND THIS TEAM!!!!!

[XUFan09]

Did he say something or are you just talking about the absolute DOMINATION of this game?

[D-West & PO-Z]

Did he say something or are you just talking about the absolute DOMINATION of this game?

No.

She asked is this the pace you want to play moving forward he answered

I dont know if we are even allowed to the next round, everybody had BYU moving on, are we allowed on?

That was paraphrasing but pretty close.

[Juice]

No.

She asked is this the pace you want to play moving forward he answered

I dont know if we are even allowed to the next round, everybody had BYU moving on, are we allowed on?

That was paraphrasing but pretty close.

Here's a good vine of it

https://vine.co/v/OYzlEuH9I0H

[D-West & PO-Z]

Here's a good vine of it

https://vine.co/v/OYzlEuH9I0H

AWESOME! I loved it!

[X-Fan]

Hell yeah Chris Mack, basically telling the media to EAT IT!!!!

LOVE CHRIS MACK AND THIS TEAM!!!!!

Freaking LOVED it! That's MY coach!

[Masterofreality]

That was just as good as the answer to the Minneapolis Sports Writer a few years ago when he was asking CMack about being at a "mid-major" school, and CMack went OFF.

[DC Muskie]

Whomever put this together is a freaking genius.

[paulxu]

I don't get any sound on that vine.

[LadyMuskie]

Up in the left hand corner hit the speaker.

[Xavgrad08]

Loved that quote by Mack. I hope national media members keep picking against us and I hope we can keep proving them wrong.

[bjf123]

Loved that quote by Mack. I hope national media members keep picking against us and I hope we can keep proving them wrong.

Bet that quote gets exactly zero air time on ESPN.


Golf is a relatively simple game, played by reasonably intelligent people, stupidly.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Xville]

Efff espn, eff gotdweeb, eff bilas just because, and eff Iowa state for effing up my bracket

[paulxu]

Up in the left hand corner hit the speaker.

Txs.

[markchal]

I said this on the other thread, but I wasn't a huge fan of it. It's fine, just think it's unnecessary. We aren't fighting for attention in the A-10 anymore. People can pick against us, that's no great injustice. Gottlieb and SVP were annoying, but Mack's statements make me think the locker room is paying more attention to these hacks than they should. Our actions on the court speak for themselves and people will eventually learn what we do in march.

[Masterofreality]

I said this on the other thread, but I wasn't a huge fan of it. It's fine, just think it's unnecessary. We aren't fighting for attention in the A-10 anymore. People can pick against us, that's no great injustice. Gottlieb and SVP were annoying, but Mack's statements make me think the locker room is paying more attention to these hacks than they should. Our actions on the court speak for themselves and people will eventually learn what we do in march.

Paying more attention to the hacks than we should? Jeezuz, Mark. I respect your opinion. But we just won an NCAA Tournament game by 17 points! Whatever it takes to put a chip on the shoulder, go ahead and do it. It obviously worked.

[xavierj]

Paying more attention to the hacks than we should? Jeezuz, Mark. I respect your opinion. But we just won an NCAA Tournament game by 17 points! Whatever it takes to put a chip on the shoulder, go ahead and do it. It obviously worked.

It was by 19. Largest margin of victory in the NCAA tourney for Xavier ever.

[D-West & PO-Z]

Yeah it doesnt take a whole lot of paying attention to realize most people were picking BYU against us then switched to Ole Miss. I loved it.

[DC Muskie]

Yeah it doesnt take a whole lot of paying attention to realize most people were picking BYU against us then switched to Ole Miss. I loved it.

Especially when you consider the increased amount of "talking heads" and channels to see and hear this stuff. The three no named guys on FS1, our own freaking network said Ole Miss could win.

Of course they "could" win. What exactly are you doing on television and being asked your opinion about a game if you simply sit there and say, "Yeah sure they could win."

Thanks, no name commentator on a network no one watches. I wonder why.

[xufan2434]

I don't think it's an issue with Mack and the guys listening to the media. It's just fueling the fire. Let em have it. And I disagree. I think the Big East is out for respect and blood because clearly they're not getting the respect they deserve. Looking good so far. Want Providence to crush Dayton so bad today. Also liked this a lot from Andy Katz:

"@ESPNAndyKatz: If there is one given this season it's this: every time I pick against @CoachChrisMack and @XUAthletics the Musketeers win. Go X!"

[DC Muskie]

"@ESPNAndyKatz: If there is one given this season it's this: every time I pick against @CoachChrisMack and @XUAthletics the Musketeers win. Go X!"

Drew Margary from Deadspin said the other day he has a tough time picking Xavier because they tend to disappoint every other year.

I'm like "What?"

So you have this mix of people who don't pay attention to college basketball until March comes around and they fill out their bracket, which is just an exercise to predict upsets so they can tell other people, "Hey I picked Georgia State to beat Baylor!" Which is awesome, I get that. The only horse bet I ever won was War Emblem when he almost won the Triple Crown. Aren't I awesome?!

Anyway, on the other hand you have people like Andy Katz, who covers this freaking sport and still can't get behind the idea that we have for like the last decade been better in the tournament. Which goes into his thinking that he still can't pick us to beat Confederates and Mormons. Then after we win, he reminds himself of what a freaking moron he is.

Whatever. I agree with the idea to let them have it.

[GoMuskies]

Drew Margary from Deadspin said the other day he has a tough time picking Xavier because they tend to disappoint every other year.


It was more like every other game in January and February. Drew really needs to keep up. March has certainly been a new month!

[Masterofreality]

I don't think it's an issue with Mack and the guys listening to the media. It's just fueling the fire. Let em have it. And I disagree. I think the Big East is out for respect and blood because clearly they're not getting the respect they deserve. Looking good so far. Want Providence to crush Dayton so bad today. Also liked this a lot from Andy Katz:

"@ESPNAndyKatz: If there is one given this season it's this: every time I pick against @CoachChrisMack and @XUAthletics the Musketeers win. Go X!"

We're not the only one. Villanova, no less, played the disrespect card last night after the game.

[THRILLHOUSE]

Drew Margary from Deadspin said the other day he has a tough time picking Xavier because they tend to disappoint every other year.

I'm like "What?"


And with that logic, shouldn't he have picked X to win some games since last year was the disappointment?

[XUFan09]

I said this on the other thread, but I wasn't a huge fan of it. It's fine, just think it's unnecessary. We aren't fighting for attention in the A-10 anymore. People can pick against us, that's no great injustice. Gottlieb and SVP were annoying, but Mack's statements make me think the locker room is paying more attention to these hacks than they should. Our actions on the court speak for themselves and people will eventually learn what we do in march.

No, we aren't fighting for attention in the A10 anymore. Now we're fighting for attention in the Big East. I don't think a lot of fans realize how much the "new" Big East still needs to win the perception game, probably because we see how good the conference is this year and we were so excited to join it. After last year's lackluster performance, which coincided with a great year from the A10, many people even consider the conference mid-major! If you talk to casual basketball fans about the Big East, way too often the first thing they mention is how many good programs the conference lost, as if it's gutted like the AAC. TV pundits share that mentality and are in good part responsible for creating it. The Big East needs to change the narrative in March, and yesterday was big in that regard. If coaches are calling out the "experts" at the same time, good. It's challenging them to take notice, and a couple notable names (Katz and Rothstein) actually took the time to acknowledge their error.

Apparently:

Villanova was the most beatable 1 seed.
Georgetown was highly overseeded and Eastern Washington was an upset favorite.
Texas was going to upset Butler
BYU was going to the Sweet 16, and then when they lost, Ole Miss was going to beat Xavier, who was also heavily overseeded.

We absolutely have to demand respect. Perception is king in college hoops, both in terms of TV money and in terms of recruiting.

[D-West & PO-Z]

No, we aren't fighting for attention in the A10 anymore. Now we're fighting for attention in the Big East. I don't think a lot of fans realize how much the "new" Big East still needs to win the perception game, probably because we see how good the conference is this year and we were so excited to join it. After last year's lackluster performance, which coincided with a great year from the A10, many people even consider the conference mid-major! If you talk to casual basketball fans about the Big East, way too often the first thing they mention is how many good programs the conference lost, as if it's gutted like the AAC. TV pundits share that mentality and are in good part responsible for creating it. The Big East needs to change the narrative in March, and yesterday was big in that regard. If coaches are calling out the "experts" at the same time, good. It's challenging them to take notice, and a couple notable names (Katz and Rothstein) actually took the time to acknowledge their error.

Apparently:

Villanova was the most beatable 1 seed.
Georgetown was highly overseeded and Eastern Washington was an upset favorite.
Texas was going to upset Butler
BYU was going to the Sweet 16, and then when they lost, Ole Miss was going to beat Xavier, who was also heavily overseeded.

We absolutely have to demand respect. Perception is king in college hoops, both in terms of TV money and in terms of recruiting.

What did Rothstein say to acknowledge he was wrong?

[LA Muskie]

I said this on the other thread, but I wasn't a huge fan of it. It's fine, just think it's unnecessary. We aren't fighting for attention in the A-10 anymore. People can pick against us, that's no great injustice. Gottlieb and SVP were annoying, but Mack's statements make me think the locker room is paying more attention to these hacks than they should. Our actions on the court speak for themselves and people will eventually learn what we do in march.
I loved it. He's standing up for his players and he's standing up for his program.

[DC Muskie]

If you watched the halftime coaches interview of the Butler/Texas game, you would have sworn Texas was this incredibly successful basketball program who have been to the Final Four a couple of times recently.

They were so big and strong, how could Butler, compete?

[XUFan09]

What did Rothstein say to acknowledge he was wrong?

His response was more indirect, just praising Xavier. I can't remember exactly what he said. Katz was more straightforward, basically saying, "I was a fool."

[GoMuskies]

If you watched the halftime coaches interview of the Butler/Texas game, you would have sworn Texas was this incredibly successful basketball program who have been to the Final Four a couple of times recently.

They were so big and strong, how could Butler, compete?

Butler was a 2 point underdog. Other than Xavier, that was the only line I managed to take advantage of yesterday.

Come to think of it, the Big East was 4-0 against the spread yesterday. That's damn impressive.

[XUFan09]

Butler was a 2 point underdog. Other than Xavier, that was the only line I managed to take advantage of yesterday.

Come to think of it, the Big East was 4-0 against the spread yesterday. That's damn impressive.

Villanova, Butler, and Xavier were the only teams in the tournament yesterday to beat the spread by double digits. If Georgetown hadn't blown away the lead in the closing minutes, it might have been all four Big East teams.

[Masterofreality]

How much did our RPI go up from winning yesterday?

Oh,.......wait......

[D-West & PO-Z]

How much did our RPI go up from winning yesterday?

Oh,.......wait......

Not enough. Mack says F the RPI, F it!

[XUFan09]

We are at least 21st in Kenpom now!

[D-West & PO-Z]

We are at least 21st in Kenpom now!

Mack says F Kenpom! We should be number 1! Haters!

[Mel Cooley XU'81]

Keep the Boulder on the Shoulder!

[paulxu]

I firmly believe Nuts is behind this latest start up venture.

That said, if we get 4 or more teams in the S16, we should take advantage of it. I'm thinking of sending one to Bilass.

http://dicksbymail.com/

[Perma Fro]

I firmly believe Nuts is behind this latest start up venture.

That said, if we get 4 or more teams in the S16, we should take advantage of it. I'm thinking of sending one to Bilass.

http://dicksbymail.com/

The fine print is the best:
"About Us
This site was created to put a smile on peoples faces. It's not meant to be a threat or a way to bully. If you are sending this with the intent to ruin someones day, then maybe its you who needs to eat a bag of dicks"

[markchal]

No, we aren't fighting for attention in the A10 anymore. Now we're fighting for attention in the Big East. I don't think a lot of fans realize how much the "new" Big East still needs to win the perception game, probably because we see how good the conference is this year and we were so excited to join it.

Those are two vastly different fights. We don't need to fight for respect, take a look at our seed. We were obviously given respect. And, the ONLY way we will win the perception game is on the floor, and we totally killed it there. I'd prefer Mack take the high road and simply praise the seniors and let our play speak for itself, rather than mocking people who picked against us.

But, like someone else said, if that's what it takes to fire up the locker room and get them to play like that, totally fine with it. Whatever it takes to make performances like that happen again, I can support.

[XUFan09]

Those are two vastly different fights. We don't need to fight for respect, take a look at our seed. We were obviously given respect. And, the ONLY way we will win the perception game is on the floor, and we totally killed it there. I'd prefer Mack take the high road and simply praise the seniors and let our play speak for itself, rather than mocking people who picked against us.

But, like someone else said, if that's what it takes to fire up the locker room and get them to play like that, totally fine with it. Whatever it takes to make performances like that happen again, I can support.

We were given respect by the Selection Committee, which is noteworthy, but the respect of the media and the casual fan is important to for what I already said, TV money and recruiting. Of course, that's won on the court too, but so much is how things are perceived. Say Xavier beats Georgia State but then gets soundly defeated by Arizona. Okay, they did a good job on the court in the eyes of most Xavier fans, but how will that be perceived nationwide?

Did a good team from a good program put together a Sweet 16 run to cap off a successful season after receiving a worthy seed, just falling short of one of the elite teams in the country?

-or-

Did an overseeded team get a tired Ole Miss team and catch a break with a 14-seed upset to pave an easy path for the Sweet 16, only to show that they didn't truly belong when they actually faced a good, well-rested team?

That's two very different interpretations of the exact same outcome. Xavier would have done all they could to "prove it on the court," but if they don't do some good in the media game while winning the real games, its impact on public perception would be weakened.

If you want a good example of successfully winning the media game while also winning the real games, look no further than the 2008 team. No one talks about how Xavier got 7-seed West Virginia instead of 2-seed Duke en route to their Elite Eight season. Why? Because Miller, Burrell, et. al., did a great job establishing themselves as a great team that just happened to be from a mid-major conference, rather than a scrappy mid-major punching above their weight and catching a break here and there.

[D-West & PO-Z]

Those are two vastly different fights. We don't need to fight for respect, take a look at our seed. We were obviously given respect. And, the ONLY way we will win the perception game is on the floor, and we totally killed it there. I'd prefer Mack take the high road and simply praise the seniors and let our play speak for itself, rather than mocking people who picked against us.

But, like someone else said, if that's what it takes to fire up the locker room and get them to play like that, totally fine with it. Whatever it takes to make performances like that happen again, I can support.

The bolded part is defintely FALSE. Having the respect of the media and talking heads and not them constantly talking down or bad about us is a huge part of the perception.

Look at Gonzaga, they have only been to the Sweet 16 twice in the last 13 years and only to the Elite 8 once ever, 16 years ago. I almost guarantee the general public would not know that they have had that limited success in the tournament. The media hypes Gonzaga hard. Regular season success obviously has something to do with that but they seem to get a pass on dominating their conference while XU got bashed for dominating a weaker league for a time.

Only getting results in the tournament is usually enough if they talking heads on ESPN and other networks, that high school kids are watching, are bashing our conference or team.

[paulxu]

and only to the Elite 8 once ever, 16 years ago.

Perfect example of perception. With the face time they get, the casual fan would think they've been there every other year.

[XUFan09]

Dang, I forgot about Gonzaga! That's an even better example of winning the perception game than the 2008 Xavier team, because the Zags won the perception game despite not winning that many actual games.

[MADXSTER]

Gonzaga, outside of Arizona, is the only basketball team on the west coast. The west coast media has to talk about someone. There really haven't been any consistent teams. Think about it, USC, UCLA, Utah maybe, Oregon maybe, Washington, Washington St, Arizona St, really no basketball power houses.

Miller fell into a great opportunity because no one else out west really recruits or coaches well. So the media talks about Arizona and Gonzaga. Gotta talk about somebody.

[LadyMuskie]

The bolded part is defintely FALSE. Having the respect of the media and talking heads and not them constantly talking down or bad about us is a huge part of the perception.

Look at Gonzaga, they have only been to the Sweet 16 twice in the last 13 years and only to the Elite 8 once ever, 16 years ago. I almost guarantee the general public would not know that they have had that limited success in the tournament. The media hypes Gonzaga hard. Regular season success obviously has something to do with that but they seem to get a pass on dominating their conference while XU got bashed for dominating a weaker league for a time.

Only getting results in the tournament is usually enough if they talking heads on ESPN and other networks, that high school kids are watching, are bashing our conference or team.

Completely agree.

Gonzaga gets an obscene amount of love for the amount of success the program has had. I don't know if it's because they're ranked during the regular season or what, but it's annoying. I do think having a coach stick around helps. It gives the perception that the program is a destination rather than a stepping stone.

[MADXSTER]

Completely agree.

Gonzaga gets an obscene amount of love for the amount of success the program has had. I don't know if it's because they're ranked during the regular season or what, but it's annoying. I do think having a coach stick around helps. It gives the perception that the program is a destination rather than a stepping stone.

That's what I think Xavier needs. A coach who is identified with a winning program. Say what you will but huggins had that with UC. Dean Smith with NC and had the same asst coach for 30 years. Few with the Zags. It's great that Xavier has come through with good coaches but its time to have one stick around long term for the programs sake.

[D-West & PO-Z]

That's what I think Xavier needs. A coach who is identified with a winning program. Say what you will but huggins had that with UC. Dean Smith with NC and had the same asst coach for 30 years. Few with the Zags. It's great that Xavier has come through with good coaches but its time to have one stick around long term for the programs sake.

As long as we dont want to chase them out mid season every year! (sorry, I know, couldnt resist,).......and I am Joking!

[D-West & PO-Z]

Gonzaga, outside of Arizona, is the only basketball team on the west coast. The west coast media has to talk about someone. There really haven't been any consistent teams. Think about it, USC, UCLA, Utah maybe, Oregon maybe, Washington, Washington St, Arizona St, really no basketball power houses.

Miller fell into a great opportunity because no one else out west really recruits or coaches well. So the media talks about Arizona and Gonzaga. Gotta talk about somebody.

Yeah I am not saying anything about whether the media should or shouldn't be talking about them but commenting on how having commented on them all the time and pimping them most people would assume Gonzaga has done a lot more in their basketball history than they actually have.

[MADXSTER]

Yeah I am not saying anything about whether the media should or shouldn't be talking about them but commenting on how having commented on them all the time and pimping them most people would assume Gonzaga has done a lot more in their basketball history than they actually have.

I agree completely. It is borderline ridiculous

[xu82]

The bolded part is defintely FALSE. Having the respect of the media and talking heads and not them constantly talking down or bad about us is a huge part of the perception.

Look at Gonzaga, they have only been to the Sweet 16 twice in the last 13 years and only to the Elite 8 once ever, 16 years ago. I almost guarantee the general public would not know that they have had that limited success in the tournament. The media hypes Gonzaga hard. Regular season success obviously has something to do with that but they seem to get a pass on dominating their conference while XU got bashed for dominating a weaker league for a time.

Only getting results in the tournament is usually enough if they talking heads on ESPN and other networks, that high school kids are watching, are bashing our conference or team.

I admit that this shocked me. I guess I got hoodwinked like the rest of the country by the people telling the tale they want heard. Retaining a coach must be part of the sweet fairytale. What other schools are out there with no hype who have produced more? They are famous for being "pretty OK".

[GoMuskies]

They are famous for being "pretty OK".

Not really. They've been fantastic in the regular season, which is long. Thus, the hype lasts a long time. Then they've had their struggles in March, which is over in a flash.

[xu82]

Not really. They've been fantastic in the regular season, which is long. Thus, the hype lasts a long time. Then they've had their struggles in March, which is over in a flash.

Can't argue with strong regular seasons (and I'm too lazy to look up years worth of SOS), but we're talking 13 years of flashes. I do like the program, but I was shocked by lack of post season success. I have them in my Final Four without knowing they'd barely sniffed that territory.

[LadyMuskie]

Not really. They've been fantastic in the regular season, which is long. Thus, the hype lasts a long time. Then they've had their struggles in March, which is over in a flash.

I think this is probably right. Playing well all season and thus being ranked year in and year out is very helpful.

[GoMuskies]

I think they'll walk to the Elite Eight this year. They definitely benefit from the craziness in Louisville yesterday. If they can't get that far this year, their coach just isn't capable of getting there, I guess.

[Masterofreality]

Completely agree.

Gonzaga gets an obscene amount of love for the amount of success the program has had. I don't know if it's because they're ranked during the regular season or what, but it's annoying. I do think having a coach stick around helps. It gives the perception that the program is a destination rather than a stepping stone.

Here's why Gonzaga gets a lot of love.....because they fit neatly in a time slot where ESPN or ESPN 2 needs content. It gives them an obscene amount of exposure. ESPN can't get too many PAC 12 games because Fox has them locked up, so Gonzaga is the team of choice. Despite them beating us twice...once the year of the brawl, they have been way overplayed for a long time and the fact that they play in a weak league and that the PAC 12 doesn't produce many noteworthy teams, makes a real void in the programming availability. The Zags just fit right in.

[American X]

And Gonzaga has white guys, some with goofy hair. Almost as good as a Mormon!

[xu82]

And Gonzaga has white guys, some with goofy hair. Almost as good as a Mormon!

But, they may get laid on occassion without suspension, so it's really not almost as good.

[bjf123]

But, they may get laid on occassion without suspension, so it's really not almost as good.

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/03/20/4036a12ae686919348ed4288549449ed.jpg


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[Bulldawg]

Loved that quote by Mack. I hope national media members keep picking against us and I hope we can keep proving them wrong.

Both times Butler made their Final Four runs they were picked to lose every game. You keep doing you Xavier.

[Nigel Tufnel]

Both times Butler made their Final Four runs they were picked to lose every game. You keep doing you Xavier.

God, I admire you.

[Bulldawg]

God, I admire you.

No need to be sarcastic, was just stating that the media commonly picks against teams and they then go out and play great, Expecting a Sweet 16 birth for y'all tomorrow.

[Nigel Tufnel]

No need to be sarcastic, was just stating that the media commonly picks against teams and they then go out and play great, Expecting a Sweet 16 birth for y'all tomorrow.

Mea culpa. It's all good.

[Masterofreality]

And Gonzaga has white guys, some with goofy hair. Almost as good as a Mormon!

They're sort of fun to watch, but really mostly aggravating.

I'm sick of ESPN playing up the "epic rivalry" between St. Mary's, a school that goes to the tournament every other year, is currently on probation and has only made it 7 times in its history, and Gonzaga. The WCC is a weak ass league, period and Gonzaga basically has a walk over for 2 1/2 months every year.

Child Please.

[LadyMuskie]

Here's why Gonzaga gets a lot of love.....because they fit neatly in a time slot where ESPN or ESPN 2 needs content. It gives them an obscene amount of exposure. ESPN can't get too many PAC 12 games because Fox has them locked up, so Gonzaga is the team of choice. Despite them beating us twice...once the year of the brawl, they have been way overplayed for a long time and the fact that they play in a weak league and that the PAC 12 doesn't produce many noteworthy teams, makes a real void in the programming availability. The Zags just fit right in.

But if they were losing those games, I don't think the love would continue. Sure, having the national tv exposure helps a lot- but if they started losing in the regular season like they have in the tourney, I don't think the level of love would be nearly the same.

[Masterofreality]

But if they were losing those games, I don't think the love would continue. Sure, having the national tv exposure helps a lot- but if they started losing in the regular season like they have in the tourney, I don't think the level of love would be nearly the same.

Not so sure about that...at least for a few years. The "aura" would hang around for a while. ESPN still needs 10-11 o'clock Eastern window content and Gonzaga fills it.

[Juice]

Here is why ESPN sucks off Gonzaga:
1) There is no one else on the west coast worth a damn besides Arizona who is in the Pac 12-Fox network
2) They used to be underdogs so now people still assume they are
3) The name Gonzaga is quirky and "cool"

[LadyMuskie]

This may have been mentioned in another thread but did anyone see what Mack said about playing Georgia State in the pregame press conference? He got asked about Georgia State being the media darling of the tournament and he said something along the lines of (and I'm totally paraphrasing) "We're not going to worry about them being loved by the media. If we do our job on Saturday, the media can find someone else to fall in love with."

:flex:

[xu82]

This may have been mentioned in another thread but did anyone see what Mack said about playing Georgia State in the pregame press conference? He got asked about Georgia State being the media darling of the tournament and he said something along the lines of (and I'm totally paraphrasing) "We're not going to worry about them being loved by the media. If we do our job on Saturday, the media can find someone else to fall in love with."

:flex:

The next team we play?

[LadyMuskie]

The next team we play?

No doubt!