Jim Boeheim is one of the most polarizing figures in college basketball today. Love him or hate him, Boeheim is going to soon be coaching in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Much like Boston College, Syracuse has come under some scrutiny in the last few days for its stealth mode -- you might even say ninja -- exodus from the Big East. Well, Boeheim isn't taking that criticism lightly and has been going on a media tour throwing Notre Dame, the Big East officials and basically everyone that gives him the slightest dirty look under the bus. Love this.
Here's Boeheim on Notre Dame:
"With the state the Big East has been in and the fact that certain schools and Notre Dame's one of them that voted down the football contract, we'd probably be in the Big East right now if it wasn't for that. But now they're crying about us leaving. They shouldn't have even voted on the football contract because they're not even in it...If they really wanted to keep the Big East together they would have come in in football, then we wouldn't be talking about this."
And on the Big East's decision to hold Pitt and Syracuse to the 27-month exit time frame:
"I think that speaks to the problem in our league...That's foolish. He should be thinking about how he can save the Big East, not keep Syracuse and Pitt hostage. The best way to save the Big East is to get out and get a couple teams to come in. Because we're gone. He needs to concentrate on getting somebody to replace us.''
"That's the problem with the Big East right now....Dave Gavitt and Mike Tranghese are not running the Big East right now. That comment. He should be working on strengthening the Big East. What if two or three other teams leave this week? Then what is he going to do? I think if that happens he should either get the non-football schools in a league or else he's got to get five or six football schools in a hurry."
Finally, on Mike Tranghese.
"The Big East added teams, raided other conferences, when he was the commissioner. I have great respect for him, but we raided Conference-USA to get teams when we needed to. This has been going on for 100 years. We raided the Atlantic 10 to get West Virginia and Villanova, right? I don't see that the Big East can sit back and say we've never done anything like this. So, I think that's a little bit."
I'm liking Boeheim more and more these days. Keep on fighting the good fight, Jim.