Motor City Madness ... What a joke

[valpo64]

WOW!  What a great tourney!   The semi-finals featuring the number 4, 6, 9 and 10 seeds.  Whoever the winner is, what a great representative for the HL to the NCAA Tourney.  I can't wait to watch on TV the remaining games to determine the HL Champion!   And what is the combined won/loss record of the semi final teams?  How exciting!

[valpo64]

If there were any tickets left for the semi-final and final game sessions, I'll bet there are all sucked up by now.  Now that's what I call a "final four".  They couldn't have picked a better name than "Motor City Madness".  Will all of the "semi" participant schools get a complimentary high school band to keep that excitement at a fever pitch?

[crusadermoe]

Monsieur LeCrone got the tournament site he wanted (screw the top seeds) and is now getting the tournament he deserves in back-to-back years. 

Youngstown is my new favorite to take it all!  Call it Les Miserables.  LeCrone showing mercy on the have nots and wretches.   Why not go all the way and have the underdog's underdog take it all.  Yes, Milwaukee is the #10 seed, but YSU is a better story  You have a rust belt star from Flint (Cameron Morse) playing in the Rust Belt's capital city. In the year of Trump, why not?

Go Penguins!  Seriously.

[valpopal]

LeCrone protests too much as he spins for the media and directs his staff to do so as well: "We weren't disappointed with an outcome," LeCrone said... "We met as a staff and said, 'That was great' (the excitement and atmosphere). Nobody was pouting, nobody was glum, nobody had their lower lip stuck out because Oakland lost. I tell the staff all the time, what happens in the rectangle, we have no control over. We weren't one bit disappointed, not a bit. We were actually energized. That's what I didn't want characterized, that we were disappointed. We weren't."

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/college/2017/03/06/horizon-tourneys-success-ou-udm-shoulders/98805574/

[M]

Hope he and his staff are really energized these next two nights as it will just be them and a dozen or so random fans in the Joe.

[VU2624]

LeCrone protests too much as he spins for the media and directs his staff to do so as well: "We weren't disappointed with an outcome," LeCrone said... "We met as a staff and said, 'That was great' (the excitement and atmosphere). Nobody was pouting, nobody was glum, nobody had their lower lip stuck out because Oakland lost. I tell the staff all the time, what happens in the rectangle, we have no control over. We weren't one bit disappointed, not a bit. We were actually energized. That's what I didn't want characterized, that we were disappointed. We weren't." http://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/college/2017/03/06/horizon-tourneys-success-ou-udm-shoulders/98805574/

This all reads "this was a massive disappointment" 

[hailcrusaders]

When they report attendance figures for each day, are they including the women's games? That might account for the slight uptick in numbers.

[valpo64]

Does anyone in the media have the ----- to call this tourney what it really is?  Or to talk about the "real" attendance figures?   In a radio interview last week on WJR, "King Kampe"  stated that with the good representation from the U of D and OU, they could come close to filling the arena.  Riiiiiiiiiight.  This event makes even the $15 student ticket price appear to be over-priced.

[valpo64]

And just think...if the #9 and #10 seeds meet in the final game,  LeCrone might have an orgasm from all the excitement caused as he relaxes in his arena suite over-looking the 487 people in attendance, smiling,  and telling his friends what a great success his tourney had for the second year in a row!   Pizza! Pizza!

[FWalum]

LeCrone protests too much as he spins for the media and directs his staff to do so as well: "We weren't disappointed with an outcome," LeCrone said... "We met as a staff and said, 'That was great' (the excitement and atmosphere). Nobody was pouting, nobody was glum, nobody had their lower lip stuck out because Oakland lost. I tell the staff all the time, what happens in the rectangle, we have no control over. We weren't one bit disappointed, not a bit. We were actually energized. That's what I didn't want characterized, that we were disappointed. We weren't."

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/college/2017/03/06/horizon-tourneys-success-ou-udm-shoulders/98805574/

Towards the end of the article this ridiculous statement appeared - This year, the top three seeds on the men's side have been eliminated, leaving a 4, 6, 9 and 10 — just fine with the Horizon League, with Lach saying, "It's called 'Motor City Madness,' not 'Motor City Sanity.' "   

[wh]

LeCrone protests too much as he spins for the media and directs his staff to do so as well: "We weren't disappointed with an outcome," LeCrone said... "We met as a staff and said, 'That was great' (the excitement and atmosphere). Nobody was pouting, nobody was glum, nobody had their lower lip stuck out because Oakland lost. I tell the staff all the time, what happens in the rectangle, we have no control over. We weren't one bit disappointed, not a bit. We were actually energized. That's what I didn't want characterized, that we were disappointed. We weren't."[/b]

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/college/2017/03/06/horizon-tourneys-success-ou-udm-shoulders/98805574/

Here are actual quotes from the recorded conversation LeCrone had with his staff immediately following the Oakland loss:

You over there - stop pouting! You - get that glum look off your face!  And you - stick in that lower lip before I stick it in for you - permanently!  Now, listen up, and listen good! What happens in the rectangle, we have no control over. This is all about mind over matter!  We are not disappointed that Oakland lost - not one bit disappointed!  Do you understand me?! In fact, we are energized by Oakland's loss!  Do you get that?!  Energized!!   The last thing I want publicly characterized from any of you is that we are disappointed. Because we're not disappointed, right?  Right!  We're energized, right?  Right!  Now get out there and look happy!!"

[Valpo89]

Does anyone in the media have the ----- to call this tourney what it really is?

Nope. They're too busy enjoying their free stay in Detroit with free food at the games.

[wh]

Does anyone in the media have the ----- to call this tourney what it really is?

Nope. They're too busy enjoying their free stay in Detroit with free food at the games.

...and not having to worry about packing up and moving to a new location if the host school loses, or making new hotel arrangements, or working with amateur college staffs instead of a professional entertainment staff. This is all about them, just like staying in Indy when we don't have a program anywhere close is all about them and their personal comfort.

Great thread title - "what a joke"

[EddieCabot]

Monsieur LeCrone got the tournament site he wanted (screw the top seeds) and is now getting the tournament he deserves in back-to-back years. 

Youngstown is my new favorite to take it all!  Call it Les Miserables.  LeCrone showing mercy on the have nots and wretches.   Why not go all the way and have the underdog's underdog take it all.  Yes, Milwaukee is the #10 seed, but YSU is a better story  You have a rust belt star from Flint (Cameron Morse) playing in the Rust Belt's capital city. In the year of Trump, why not?

Go Penguins!  Seriously.

Sadly, had Valpo found a way to beat #10 UWM, they would be the big favorite heading into the semi-finals.  Giant missed opportunity, but unable to overcome all the obstacles and hardships. 

[yayphoenixyay]

LeCrone is getting himself "Hot-n-Ready" to watch the Penguins go dancing!

[bigmosmithfan1]

Just a note that unless NKU is able to win tonight, we'll have two teams with losing records battling it out in an empty arena for the HL's lone tourney bid (and a certain slot in the 16-seed play-in game) in YEAR TWO of the Detroit neutral site experiment, which, I hasten to remind everyone, is the precise situation the home-court, double-bye format was implemented by the HL years ago to avoid.

Good job all around, Horizon League "leadership" and presidents...

[Valpo89]

You would think, since LeCrone has been commissioner since 1992, he would have remembered the reasons for going to the double bye and homecourt advantage.

[VULB#62]

[tweet]838225422492045312[/tweet]

Comment unnecessary

[wh]

Just a note that unless NKU is able to win tonight, we'll have two teams with losing records battling it out in an empty arena for the HL's lone tourney bid (and a certain slot in the 16-seed play-in game) in YEAR TWO of the Detroit neutral site experiment, which, I hasten to remind everyone, is the precise situation the home-court, double-bye format was implemented by the HL years ago to avoid.

Good job all around, Horizon League "leadership" and presidents...

but, LeCrone and minions won't be one bit disappointed.  Not a bit. They will actually be energized.  lol

Go YSU and Milwaukee!

[SanityLost17]

Less than 1500 at the jla tonight.  My guess 1100. 

Bet they say it is 8k or something ridiculous.

[VUBBFan]

Less than 1500 at the jla tonight.  My guess 1100. Bet they say it is 8k or something ridiculous.

Is it people in attendance or tickets sold? I bet it's tickets sold. Look at how many people bought all session tickets and don't show up when their team is out. That's how you make the numbers look better.

[a3uge]

I'd love to see us out of the Horizon and into a conference with better leadership, but Valpo's season just ended in an embarrassing whimper, and we were far from impressive.  Does a higher-ranked conference really want a team that could not muster enough energy to score more than a decent high school team...in the conference tournament.

If conferences selected teams on single game performances, Loyola would still be dragging the Horizon's RPI down.

[yayphoenixyay]

The only consolation would be if the winning coach of the tournament was anointed "Little Caesar" by LeCrone while all 20 fans shower him with pepperoni from the seats after the final buzzer has sounded.

[VULB#62]

That deserves a chuckle.

[FieldGoodie05]

I like NKU and their potential for the league both this year and in the future.  Going to be a very solid with all players returning but one senior.

We are a wild card next year.

Oakland should be deadly as a team.

GB?