The ACC and the Big East have kissed and made up!
Two years ago, the ACC was courting Miami and Syracuse away from the Big East in order to (a) get more money and (b) have a conference football title game...which helps them in category "a". The Big East was furious...since these two programs are pretty much the shining stars of their football league. So...there were lawsuits and counter-suits.
Eventually, the ACC made an agreement with Miami and Virginia Tech before the deadline [V-Tech was added to secure Virginia’s vote of approval on the expansion] and both began ACC play this past season. Boston College came along later in the year....and begins ACC play in the fall.
The Big East’s angle was that conference schools made major upgrades to their facilities in order to keep Miami in the conference. Connecticut made the biggest leap....going from Division I-A, to independent status in D-I, to Big East member in a very short period of time. The schools spent university funds, donations and taxpayer dollars on the improvements....and Miami still bolted. The Big East also put out a conspiracy theory that the ACC and Miami were trying to ruin the Big East.
An irony was that Virginia Tech was originally in the law suit against the ACC....but dropped out once they were invited.
So now they are all cool. As part of the settlement...the ACC paid the Big East a total of $5M [$1M divided up amongst UConn, Pittsburgh, West Virginia and Rutgers....and $1M to all conference members as part of BC’s exit fee]. They’ve also agreed on a few home-and-home series in the future. Florida State and West Virginia will do battle....as will North Carolina and Rutgers....Virginia and UConn....and NC State and Pittsburgh. Miami will play at Pittsburgh in 2010.
Oh....and another irony. After losing those schools to the ACC, the Big East then ripped Louisville, Cincinnati, South Florida, Marquette and DePaul from Conference USA......leaving that conference in ruins.
OTHER NEWS IN SPORTS....
*Kellen Winslow Jr banged up his kill-cycle the other day. He suffered internal injuries...and may have torn his ACL. The ACL is in the same leg he snapped at the end of his second professional game last season. Since the injury was sustained in a non-football manner...he could lose some of his cheese gained in a signing bonus. Or, since riding bikes in a big no-no, he may have his contract terminated. Gee KW3, you seem to be getting into some bad luck. Good thing you are "a f****n’ soldier", huh?? This is the same guy that got bent that the Redskins passed on him and decided on safety Sean Taylor instead. What a freakin’ moron.
*Barry Bonds has had his knee operated on three times recently. The doctor, Dr. Arthur Ting, has had some run-ins with state medical authorities. He is currently on probation for unprofessional conduct. He had technicians, not doctors, help with seeing and prescribing for patients. He also hooked up Bay Area athletes with dangerous drugs and controlled substances...even for players he had no medical records for. Oh, and that trainer that may have hooked him up with the juice.....uh, unknowingly....is back as his professional trainer.
*About three weeks after the passing of Sam Mills from cancer, Carolina Panthers linebacker Mark Fields announced he will miss the 2005 season due to his Hodgkin’s Disease coming back. Fields missed the Panthers’ 2003 Super Bowl season from the illness....but came back last year and turned in a Pro Bowl season. Fields, along with fellow Carolina LB Will Witherspoon and Dan Morgan, was a pallbearer at Mills’ funeral. Get well, Mark!
*The second round of the NBA playoffs is coming...and what great matchups they could be. Miami will take on the winner of Chicago-Washington, which Miami should own. Aside from that series...it should be fun everywhere else. Phoenix will take on Dallas or Houston. A Suns-Mavs series would be quite the shootout. A Suns-Rockets series is a little scarier for Phoenix....with Yao inside and a scorching T-Mac on the outside. San Antonio vs Seattle will bring some great guard play to the forefront. And will the Sonics frontcourt try to muscle Duncan? And...what if there is a Pistons-Pacers series?? Of an 80s flashback of Detroit-Boston. Good times ahead.
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