BB&T - Why no Hoyas!

[LeRoyHoya]

I heard Ralph Willard on the SCORE in Chicago this afternoon. He was talking about his Holy Cross squad. He mentioned how difficult it is to schedule the big time programs. He said he was in communications with the BB&T and the committee wanted to pair them with Georgetown. He said our mighty Hoyas found this out and took the pass. I didn't catch if this was for this year or next. I would assume the current season.

[jerseyhoya34]

What is the deal? I know Feinstein is an issue and some other things, but let's bury the hatchet. If that means making some personnel changes in McD, so be it.

[SFHoya99]

So now we've heard, in the past month, from the BB&T people:

1) That they have no interest in Georgetown since they like having the Out Of Area team(s) in the Classic.

2) That GU was interested, but the interest came too late.

3) That GU was in, but backed away from playing Holy Cross.

C'mon, which one is true? And considering that I'm sure Willard heard this from Feinstein (who else would contact Holy Cross about the BB&T), I'm sure that it is an unimpeachable source.

Tell you what, I'm in, even with Feinstein announcing the game on radio, and versus his little baby, Holy Cross. Except I have one condition. For every time that he makes some backhanded insult of a GU player's intelligence or dedication to academics, he has to go to the player's home and repeat it to his family face to face. Then each member of said family gets 15 minutes alone with him. No police.

[RBHoya]

Sorry to be such a freshman but can someone explain what exactly is the BB&T? And is "Feinstein" John Jr. Feinstein who I hear talking to Kornheiser pretty often on Sports Talk 980? Whats his deal?

[Nevada Hoya]

If we get to play Holy Cross again, as we once did, we can revive the chant, "Holy Cross eats apple sauce." Since the Crusaders were my favorite team growing up (my father was an alum), I had no problem rooting for the Hoyas, whenever we did play them.

People more knowledgeable can answer the Feinstein-BBT question, RB. But here is what I know. The BBT is a tournament devised by Feinstein for some charity (BBT?), which usually brings together some local teams and some good out-of-town teams. Since Feinstein and JTII did not get along, Georgetown never went. Apparently, they have buried the hatchet, so the future shows promise for the Hoyas being in one of the tournaments. Feinstein is the sports writer and sometime radio commentator (NPR).

[TokyoHoya]

The BB&T is an annual tournament held at MCI that has always included MD and GW and two other teams. MD and GW play the two other teams on the first day and the winners and losers play each other on the second day. The tournament was created primarily by Feinstein, and he has run or been centrally involved with it ever since. For the last 20 or so years, Feinstein has been a relatively vicious critic of all things GU and of JT II in particular. His hatred for the Hoyas is generally reciprocated by most Hoya fans. It has been the perception that the animosity between "Junior" and GU is the main reason that GU has never played in the BB&T.

[HoyaSox04]

Call me ignorant, but is there any particular reason why Feinstein hates us? Aren't there much better teams for his little-school angst than GU?

[Jack]

Aren't there much better teams for his little-school angst than GU?

None of those schools were his beat as a cub reporter in the early 80's with a policy of open hostility to the press. None of those schools denied him the all-access pass he sought and eventually received from Bobby Knight in writing his big break book "Season on the Brink." And Duke and the rest of the ACC get an automatic pass from Duke-grad Junior.

Supposedly the hatchet has been buried, but if said hatchet-burying does not get GU into the BB&T I see no point in doing it, and if Holy Cross was the best opponent Junior could offer from a tournament that regularly brings in teams like Texas, Michigan St, Kansas, etc I see more than a little disingenuousness on Feinstein's part. Holy Cross is a fine opponent, but also a team GU could easily schedule on their own under more favorable conditions no doubt. It sounds like Feinstein offered a poison pill and JT3 was right to hold out for better terms.

[1803]

Is it possible that part of the reason that Georgetown does not want to play in this tourney is that it is something of a slap in the face to play a game on your home court where you are not the home team. Georgetown's facilities are always going to be an issue, and there are times when the crowd is 50 - 50, especially games that occur over Thanksgiving and Christmas. How does it look for prospective recruits when the Hoyas are playing a neutral court game on their home court? Georgetown wants the MCI Center to be its house, and playing in the BB&T does not help that cause.

[the_way]

We don't need The BB&T tournament. That tournament is for small fries. We have bigger fish to fry. We are a national program that is on the rise again. We are not a local program. Feinstein is a business man who likes to make money. He hates G'town because we see him for what he is, a money-shark in the form of Mr. Potato Head. I think also Feinstein wanted to write a book on John Thompson several years ago, and they had a falling out or something over money and Feinstein ended up writing the book about Bob Knight. And from that point on Feinstein has HATED G'town. Having G'town in the BB&T tournament helps Feinstein and doesn't do us any good.

The heck with the BB&T tournament. Feinstein doesn't deserve our class because the ego-maniac has none. Let him have the Maryland "We beat Duke twice, and lost to everybody else, so we should be in the NCAA's, waaaaaaaa" Twerps.

[Cambridge]

My favorite part is that MD claims it as a "neutral" court win/loss...I mean, I've been to the tourney a few times and there is NOTHING neutral about the court. It is all red, twerps, just waiting to torch the place.