Time to put Venue on the Menu: "touché" Wichita State!
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Lots of good responses… I’m doing everything I can to play devil’s advocate against a big crowd in here… but I want to see this subject played out at every angle. It makes for a good overall read, regardless of your position on this.
My emotions are in this because I want to see the game every year, it would make interesting basketball. I doubt anyone can deny that. And I don’t like being told we are “scared to play.” The recent needle keeps moving in their favor, and it helps them build momentum and rationale for it to happen.
If anyone else has something new to offer, please post it.
Consider this like getting your annual flu shot.
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I think we look bad nationally for not wanting to play Missouri and WSU. Just sayin!
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Why?
Like the above posters have mentioned, KU sells out all games regardless of opponent. Unless all games are played at Allen Fieldhouse, KU would lose money.
Wichita St is off to an 11-0 start, playing the 86th ranked non-conference schedule in the country, and currently ranked 11th in the AP Poll. They are a good team this season for sure. Are they going to be good in the future? Can they stay consistent? I don’t know, but I suspect not. 1412-1145 (55%) record in their history, and have been to 2 final fours, once in 1965 and then again last season. Scheduling a game with Wichita St might help KU’s tournament resume this season, but most season’s it wouldn’t do much of anything.
I don’t know, I just don’t really see the benefit for Kansas. I couldn’t care less what Wichita St fans are saying, college basketball rankings in December don’t mean anything.
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Bill Self is not Marty McFly getting called a chicken. He will not concede to his anger/annoyance when scheduling next season. No one tells Bill who to play. Begging would’ve been a better place for Marshall to start.
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@KirkIsMyHinrich I assume your why is towards my post. I like exciting games, and year in and year out there was rarely a more exciting game than the Missouri games. I miss that. Yeah, I’m ticked they left, but so what. I’d rather see us play them than Georgetown. It’d be a huge annual game.
As for Wichita St. I’d rather see us play them than Iona or San Diego St. Why? Because it’s exciting. People will talk about it. I don’t care too much for the reasons you gave. We’d lose money? We’ve got plenty I’d guess. If they’re not ranked like you say they may be many years, so what? We play a lot of non-conference teams that aren’t ranked. Why play them instead of Wichita?
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@wissoxfan83 Oh no, my why wasn’t directed at anyone specifically.
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This year we played at CU at UF and UNM at Sprint. Last year at Ohio State and Oregon State at Sprint SLU at Sprint and wash state at Sprint, 11-12 at USC and Davidson at Sprint, 10-11 at Cal Berkeley at Mich and CSU at Sprint, 09-10 at Temple and LaSalle at Sprint, 08-09 at Zona at Mich State and Syracuse at Sprint and UMass at Sprint, 07-08 at USC at Ga Tech at BC and Ohio at Sprint, 06-07 at DePaul at S Carolina and Toledo at Kemper…
It seems we always play at least one game in KC and a few non-con road games which aid in recruiting I presume. I seem to remember HCRW always tried to play a road game in the seniors home town or state.
Anyhoo, we should play WSU!
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@wissoxfan83
Missouri has its best start in years and if you watch the games on TV, the arena is half empty. It is actually embarrassing watching free throws and the seats behind the basket are empty.
If we play them, no question it would be a sellout. Why give them the additional income and exposure considering that when they left, the placed the conference, and by extension KU, in jeopardy?
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@dylans - let’s consider an alternative action to appease WSU.
Bill Self vs Gregg Marshall boxing match.
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@JayHawkFanToo I agree somewhat, but I guess I’m selfish in that I want to watch KU in good games and I think KU-Missouri would be a good game. And if you don’t want them getting the home gate then play it in Kemper every year, just like Missouri and Illinois play in St. Louis every year.
@nuleafjhawk, how about keeping it in the sport and having them play one on one? Full court. In fact since most coaches are former players lets have a national one on one tournament between the coaches. You might have to have age brackets. And you might get to see another NC for Danny.
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@drgnslayr The border war existed because we were in the same conference as MU for many years. Since they bolted and we don’t share a conference anymore we aren’t required to play one another and we’ve all seen how that rivalry has played out. And the only time those games got press was when MU was good as well. Their off years it was just another game to the national media. Just like the kstate games.
WSU hasn’t always been good. They’ve made the NCAAs 4 times since 88. And they’ve only picked up two league crowns during that time. Moral of my story… they’re up and down. And they’re down longer than they are up. Fortunately for them Creighton is now gone so they’ll start winning their league more, or should, so they’ll be talked up more.
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@wissoxfan83 - I’m ambivalent about WSU, but I also have NO desire to play Missouri. They jumped ship ( like the rats they truly are ), why should we play them? They’ve done no favors for us and they’re not in our conference. They don’t exist in my mind. Unless they’re on the tube and I’m rooting for whoever they’re playing.
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I grew up in Wichita and around WSU. I grew up attending basketball and baseball camps. However, I’m mixed about playing WSU. Ever since The Battle of New Orleans, there have been a lot of strange angst that continues to this day between KU and WSU. Just typing that brings back memories. My dental hygenist here in OKC is a WSU grad and she was a cheerleader. I’ve gotten my ear full of how KU is “scared to play WSU.” I just let her talk. She especially rubbed in this last years F4. I respect WSU and hope one day this will work out either way.
I don’t care either way at this point. I just hope that whatever happens, it will be completely justified and the game is played for the right reasons. I want it to benefit both programs. I do have some reservations and WSU people need to stop their idle talk about something they obviously are pushing for the wrong reasons. Let’s give this some time. It will happen in due time.
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@drgnslayr …ok…how about this angle: schedule a game against WSU next fall in the first annual “KU invitational” and play the game in Cameroon.
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My final take on it is this is not going to happen until another event happens first.
I only have to look at the UK-UL rivalry to see it. UL finally got their game with UK in March and knocked them out. That created the rage in Kentucky fans to want the game, so they gave it a try, and they’ve never looked back since. Both schools circle this date on their calendar every year and look forward to the game.
It is going to take the same event again. @truehawk93 mentioned the Battle in New Orleans. That came just a bit too soon for WSU because they hadn’t established themselves and was a university smothered with shady donors and scandal.
I can’t believe it took so many posts to bring up the Battle of New Orleans. That was one of our most-painful losses in March, ever. A last-second buzzer-beater taken basically from the bench. I’m trying to think of the guy that nailed it… oh yeah, Mike Jones. I think I punched a hole in the wall.
http://webs.wichita.edu/dt/shockermag/show/dept.asp?_s=124&_d=6
Wow, he still has a VCR!
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@drgnslayr - the article says that Darnell Valentine missed a layup to set up that last shot. Actually, he missed (seemingly) 10 layups. That dude could NOT put the ball in the basket that night.
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I’ve known Darnell since his days in the league. We’d play 1-on-1 for hours. He kicked my a$$ a million times. I could never figure out how a guy could d-up like he could. He’s as good a human being as they come.
He didn’t have a good night in New Orleans, especially on layups that were always second nature to him. Fortunately for Darnell, he has enjoyed an illustrious career after that game that helps put his efforts in basketball into full perspective; he’s a winner, 100%, as a player and man.
His nickname was “thunder thighs” because he had the best developed thighs of any player ever to play the game, and it helped him become the very best defensive guard in the league during his days. KU should contact Darnell and see if he’ll visit this team and show them how to play M2M and stick to the ball handlers. Darnell bent his knees and had the best defensive stance a player can have, and it all made a difference. I like our current team, but none of these guys have a clue what defense is. Darnell wrote the book on guard defense.
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@wissoxfan83 . Kemper??? As many good memories as we have of AFH East, including the 1988 Championship, it is no longer feasible as it is scheduled to be razed in the near future. The place might have been state of the art in the early 70’s when it was deigned and built, but towards the end it was dump in a crappy location.
As far as the Sprint Center, why leave even more money in Missouri that we already do? Any game played at the Sprint Center would have both team splitting the money; KU makes more playing at AFH, where it keeps the bulk of the money.
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@JayHawkFanToo I wrote Kemper reluctantly as I haven’t been back to the Lawrence area since I graduated and I wasn’t even sure if the building still existed!
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@wissoxfan83 . Got to move with times. The Sprint Center has been open for 6 years now; did you not just watch the New Mexico game at Sprint Center?
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Coach Self always does what’s best for KU. He says no and I say no. I saw the last border war game, it was awesome! I’d put money on Self vs Marshall in anything! He’s such a drama queen!
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@JayHawkFanToo I keep up with the times, I just don’t keep up with the arena’s . They’re all so bland and non-descript and all have corporate names I really don’t care to figure out where they’re playing. I did watch the NM game.
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@wissoxfan83 . I respectfully disagree. The Sprint Centre is a very nice arena with a distinct exterior design and excellent visibility from most every seat and the Power and Light District to party, before and after games, right next door; bland is not a name I would use to describe it. KU has been playing there for 6 years including yearly games, Big 12 Tournaments and last year NCAA Regionals. Night and day compared with Kemper arena.
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@JayHawkFanToo-Agree, Kemper was a dump built in the stockyards/railyards from day one. A close friend of mine worked for the inspection service company that x-rayed the welds after the roof caved in, in June of 1979, and over 90% of all welds were bad. That was a 70mph wind & rain storm which flooded the plant I worked in five mi away, but that structure was lucky to still be standing afterwards. KC put almost as much $ into the repair as they did original construction costs, though I’m sure their ins co paid the lions share. Sprint Center is like a Taj Mahal by comparison & houses the CBE HOF which is pretty damn kool IMO. Although Sprint is beautiful from the outside, tic prices are enormous, the parking is archaic, & if you slip up & try to meander in with your pocket knife in your jeans they’re likely to call the goon squad!. I wouldn’t give them mine so took it out & placed it under a doormat & snatched it back when I left. $50 knife & no friggin way I would just donate it.
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@globaljaybird . Security is now that way anywhere you go, be it arenas or airports; an unfortunate consequence of the times we live in.
Parking is not bad, lots of parking lots within a few blocks from the arena, which is typical of most venues located smack in the middle of an urban area. I usually park at the underground parking lot by Allis Plaza and its is just few short blocks; cost is not bad compared to what you pay at venues in other cities. I just wish it would have been built it in the Kansas side, somewhere around College Boulevard or maybe the Legends.
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Parking is simply spread out so much that walking after hours downtown is bad enough even without the nut cases hanging on the fringes. Also Police presence is inadequate for the areas they cover. CC always works for me but I’m not legal on the misery side.
