bill dazzle
Craft beer and urban living enthusiast
Posts: 10,611
Joined: Aug 2016
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I Root For: Vandy/Memphis/DePaul/UNC
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RE: Bad DePaul news
(09-20-2019 09:33 PM)MU in MKE Wrote: (09-20-2019 06:50 PM)bill dazzle Wrote: (09-20-2019 08:59 AM)GoldenWarrior11 Wrote: (09-19-2019 10:57 PM)bill dazzle Wrote: (09-18-2019 08:17 PM)MU in MKE Wrote: Had more time to contemplate this. My questions would be... after 5 years, I would want more than inroads, I'd want actual recruiting success (seems to have 1 year of this for this recruiting class, which is good start).
More importantly, ask yourself why DePaul isn't a premier job. It's a school with a strong MBB history, is in the Big East, has a new arena, plenty of resources at their disposal, major TV market, and much more. This should be, maybe not a top of the top, but still a very attractive job. You should be able to recruit some very high quality coaches to it.
As long as there is group think that, probably brought on by the culture the current admin and AD seem ok with, DePaul is a lower tier BB program... then that is exactly what it will be. I think that is a big mistake.
On paper, your questions are very valid. In theory, DePaul should be VERY attractive to coaches and players.
But there is something about DePaul basketball (almost a negative karma, if you will) that is hard to explain.
I lived in Chicago on two occasions spanning 1987 to 1993 and got to know a good number of Blue Demon fans. Watched a lot of DePaul games in north side bars drinking Old Style beer. And though that was not long after the huge run Ray Meyer and the program enjoyed, I could sense something wasn't quite right. Then things got worse ... and worse ... and, well, here's DePaul hoops in 2019.
In an odd way, UCLA and DePaul basketball are similar in that they are located in massive cities in which many folks simply don't care about college hoops — or even sports in general. And that is why the Big East was wise to invite Xavier, Butler and Creighton. Those three are located in cities that lend themselves to fan passion.
The one college athletic program for which I'm passionate has a tiny fan base (relatively speaking) — one that is disproportionately our of whack with the university's stellar academics. The university is located in a fairly large city with people from all over the country (and world, for that matter) and they just are not interested in "my team." I get it.
DePaul is a different animal. It's not a Marquette or a Villanova (which boast passionate fans bases and lots of recent national success). But it would be nice if DePaul could at least be a "poor man's version" of itself in the 1970s and early 1980s.
The DePaul fan base that it had in the 70's and 80's is gone. The long duration of sub-par performances has created a level of apathy that will be difficult to regain in the future (if ever). Think about it - DePaul has never finished in the top half of the Big East; it has nine last place finishes in fourteen seasons; it has twelve losing seasons; it has zero NCAA Tournament appearances while in the Big East.
Today, in Chicago, Loyola has a greater fan interest and following than DePaul University - and, instead of DePaul using that as a driving force to attempt to improve its performance and regain all that it has lost, the school has shown nothing to disprove the perception that it has settled for mediocrity and content with sub-par finishes in the Big East. After Loyola went on its run, the levels of merchandise, apparel and news stories on Loyola went up ten-fold (and there are still many casual Chicagoans that wear around Loyola gear). Loyola averaged just 100 fans less per game last year than DePaul (and DePaul has a large new arena). I think Loyola has strong potential to become a consistent threat to win the Missouri Valley annually, and if they continue their upwards trend, and DePaul remains a Big East cellar dweller, the gap in fan interest will only widen.
It's just sad that no one at DePaul seems to care one way or the other.
Points well made overall. When Bill Dazzle is the typical DePaul men's basketball fan/follower, the Blue Demon program has problems.
On a more serious note, your point about Loyola is well made. And on that theme ... is it "better" to be a major player in a minor conference (i.e., Loyola in the MVC) or a minor player in a major conference (i.e. Rutgers in the Big Ten)?
As a fan, I would MUCH rather have the former than the latter.
As a chancellor of a university, hypothetically, I would take the latter than the former.
That's easy... what sort of resources does Rutgers bring in from the B10? How much does Loyola from the MVC?
Longer term, Rutgers has more opportunity because of the money. Whether it's used effectively or not... well that's up to the school leadership. Which brings us back to DePaul.
DePaul is to the Big East what Vanderbilt is to the SEC. Both schools offer some fine athletic programs (DePaul in women's hoops and VU in baseball, for example), locations in exciting cities and strong academic and cultural offerings. Also, DePaul and Vanderbilt rank toward the top of their respective conferences in terms of racial/ethnic diversity.
Similarly, both schools are the weakest in the top sport in their respective leagues (Blue Demon men's hoops for the BE and Commodore football for the SEC).
But perhaps the key point is this: DePaul and Vanderbilt both provide their respective leagues lots of cache in multiple areas that go beyond sports. I don't see a major negative to the Big East or the SEC in having DePaul and Vanderbilt.
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