Did Commish Vowels and the SWAC Office Drop the Baseball?


T

THAMES

Active Member
Did Commish Vowels and the SWAC Office Drop the Baseball?

I know that "Black People don't care nothin bout Baseball" (thanks Kayne), but didn't the SWAC Baseball season start last week. Shouldn't the conference have released pre-season All-Swac Baseball and Softball teams? I would think that the conference and the players would need the publicity, especially since schools like A&M are talking about dropping the sport all together.

... but then again, maybe we just late as usual.
 

Click here to visit HBCUSportsShop
Thames,
You are absolutely correct. The conference hq should post a pre-season team just like basketball and football. Esp. since the last few years baseball, softball, and track has been the most competitive sports we've produced on a D1 level.

If the commish and office put more emphasis on all sports, maybe schools wouldn't consider dropping any.
 
I think the schools are the ones that have to more emphasis on their sports not the SWAC office. I mean they are the ones that decided to carry the sport.
 
Maybe the Bamas don't like baseball. If you don't want to play in B'ham in the famous Rickwood Field, then baseball must be cut by all schools. However, if you all apologize about what you said about baseball, the Bama my reconsider and give you a second chance.
 
My question is "Does Commish Vowels have any agenda, any plan, any goals, for the conference?" He appears to be the most silent commissioner in sports today. I never hear any stories about his plans or goals. I never see a story about possible expansion or improving attendance at tournament games. I have never read a story about the funding challenges our schools face and how they can deal with it in today's challenging sports environment. Maybe, I just missed them? I know some have said he is controlled by the school presidents but does he have any ideas or goals or does he simply show up for work, fill out paperwork, make sure the tournaments and champion games are in place and knock off for the day.
 
Mr. Tiger said:
My question is "Does Commish Vowels have any agenda, any plan, any goals, for the conference?" He appears to be the most silent commissioner in sports today. I never hear any stories about his plans or goals. I never see a story about possible expansion or improving attendance at tournament games. I have never read a story about the funding challenges our schools face and how they can deal with it in today's challenging sports environment. Maybe, I just missed them? I know some have said he is controlled by the school presidents but does he have any ideas or goals or does he simply show up for work, fill out paperwork, make sure the tournaments and champion games are in place and knock off for the day.
Click to expand...

Why don't you send him an e-mail? The SWAC is making progress, but if old SWAC Members cannot do what they use to do they have problems with the changes.
 
It should not only be a 'school' thing. Of course, each school should 'hype' up their own, but the conference should emphasize and recognize each sport and top players.

MD, we apologize for letting someone come up with the idea of playing a SWAC baseball tourney in bama. Will that do?:smash:
 
MightyDog said:
Why don't you send him an e-mail? The SWAC is making progress, but if old SWAC Members cannot do what they use to do they have problems with the changes.
Click to expand...

I simply asked has anyone heard our commish say ANYTHING about the SWAC's future, his goal, his agenda, possible expansion. Where MightyDog is Vowels make progress??? The last time I checked A&M was cutting athletic programs and other SWAC schools are expected to follow that lead. That's making progress? Last time I checked the SWAC was rated dead last in the basketball RPI rankings. Again progress?? And there are so many other things that have been mentioned on this board that I won't go into but from where I sit I certainly don't see the progress. What changes have been made other than a 9-game mandate in football and moving the baseball tourney to Mississippi. No smack, Just asking.
 
^^^^

Yeah, those are the things he gets paid to do. He basically has NO say in sports at all. The Presidents make those decisions and they just go by majority vote and send it out as unamamous. I don't like the direction of the conference but I think that a lot of us would like to see some type of report about the bottom line ($$$). How much more money do we make now than we did a year ago, 5 years ago, 10 years ago and how do we compare to other conference (including D2).
 
Mr. Tiger, my comments are not official, but I try to keep abreast of things going on in the SWAC. If the Commissioner did not have a plan, I don't believe he could keep his job. On the other hand, I don't know of any AD who would cut programs unless they are directed to cut. It appears the Presidents would like to save money and putting on championships cost money, therefore, do Presidents keep spending or do they cut back. Obvious a decision has been made to cut back. But when cuts are made trustees and University officials will not own up to the guidance they put out. As you know somebody will be blamed. I am sure your AD will share information with you, but at the same time the AD is going to tell you how much money he needs to keep the program going.
 
MightyDog said:
Mr. Tiger, my comments are not official, but I try to keep abreast of things going on in the SWAC. If the Commissioner did not have a plan, I don't believe he could keep his job. On the other hand, I don't know of any AD who would cut programs unless they are directed to cut. It appears the Presidents would like to save money and putting on championships cost money, therefore, do Presidents keep spending or do they cut back. Obvious a decision has been made to cut back. But when cuts are made trustees and University officials will not own up to the guidance they put out. As you know somebody will be blamed. I am sure your AD will share information with you, but at the same time the AD is going to tell you how much money he needs to keep the program going.
Click to expand...

So Mighty Dog, is this a school issue or a SWAC issue?? Is the real problem schools not having the funds to fully support all sports or (as you suggest) the conferences' inability to sponsor championships (which we have been doing for decades, supposedly with less money.)??
 
Mr. Tiger said:
I simply asked has anyone heard our commish say ANYTHING about the SWAC's future, his goal, his agenda, possible expansion. Where MightyDog is Vowels make progress??? The last time I checked A&M was cutting athletic programs and other SWAC schools are expected to follow that lead. That's making progress? Last time I checked the SWAC was rated dead last in the basketball RPI rankings. Again progress?? And there are so many other things that have been mentioned on this board that I won't go into but from where I sit I certainly don't see the progress. What changes have been made other than a 9-game mandate in football and moving the baseball tourney to Mississippi. No smack, Just asking.
Click to expand...

I'm just curious but how does the commish have anything to do with what programs to keep when the SWAC ADs make this decision.

How does the commish control the weakness of our basketball programs. I think we know our RPI is low because we play money games against the top schools and go 0-20 each preseason. We rather do this than play the weaker conference like the MEAC and Southland and have a decent preseason record.
 

Click here to visit HBCUSportsShop
Jag Voice said:
I'm just curious but how does the commish have anything to do with what programs to keep when the SWAC ADs make this decision.
Click to expand...

The AD's really make no decisions although I do believe that the Presidents listen to them and the coaches more than they do the Commishioner. I personally e-mailed most AD's about the 9-game mandate and not one that responded was for it, but I was told that the coaches and President's wanted it. It just all depends on who the President's side with and even if this was a Big 3 thing, we lose 7-3 and they report everything is 10-0. I guess that have a gentleman's agreement that majority rules.
 
and you could've said it all last fall.
and before you had to turn to Bama for help, you could've said it last bball season. And the season before and the season before.....
 
Tigerpride said:
The AD's really make no decisions although I do believe that the Presidents listen to them and the coaches more than they do the Commishioner. I personally e-mailed most AD's about the 9-game mandate and not one that responded was for it, but I was told that the coaches and President's wanted it. It just all depends on who the President's side with and even if this was a Big 3 thing, we lose 7-3 and they report everything is 10-0. I guess that have a gentleman's agreement that majority rules.
Click to expand...

My point was the commish does not make these decisions. They are made by the schools
 
Jag Voice said:
My point was the commish does not make these decisions. They are made by the schools
Click to expand...

JV,

Didn't you tell some of these folks that on another thread? Did you think they would forget THAT soon? :xeye:
 
SUjagTILLiDIE said:
National Tv Deal, increase in merchandizing, increase in corporate sponsers, increase in profit.
Click to expand...

I never said the commish controls the strength of our programs. I simply challenged whether progress has been made on and off the field. The functions SUjagTILLiDIE highlights are the functions that the commish controls but has Vowels really improved these areas. The National TV Deal with ESPNU, BET, etc. was the result of MEAC's commish going to its marketing firm which also represents the SWAC, and pushing for a new TV deal. The story below was written after the deal was reached. So it appears all Vowels did was say "That's great." And I don't know if the SWAC has had an increase in the other areas you are talking about because there is no information that I know of to prove that and the commish hasn't been very vocal about it. That's my point. If things are going great for the SWAC, I want to know about it. But from where I sit I don't see the progress because no one is talking about it. But ADs are talking about cutting programs.

Oakland, CA - African-American-owned New Vision Sports Properties announced today that it has negotiated a new television partnership for the 2004 football season on behalf of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) and Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC).
MEAC Commissioner Dr. Dennis Thomas approached his sports marketing agency, New Vision Sports, requesting a new TV deal that would place teams from his conference in front of larger audiences.
Here is the link -- http://www.blacknews.com/pr/hbcutvdeal.html
 
Tigerpride said:
So Mighty Dog, is this a school issue or a SWAC issue?? Is the real problem schools not having the funds to fully support all sports or (as you suggest) the conferences' inability to sponsor championships (which we have been doing for decades, supposedly with less money.)??
Click to expand...

What I am saying is that Administrators don't want to continue to spend money on athletics until they see how important athletics is to a univeristy. JSU is a living example, your new President took football lightly but he now see the light and is supporting your program. Individuals who come into a University as a new Trustee or President look at the numbers and say cut Athletics.
 
mighty hornet said:
and you could've said it all last fall.
and before you had to turn to Bama for help, you could've said it last bball season. And the season before and the season before.....
Click to expand...


Give it a rest MH. You could have said that about your entire athletic program for the last 20-25 years. Just because you had a couple of good years in Football don't erase your overall ineptness in SWAC sports. Just like last years SU football team has not erased our consistently good athletic program. When we win it just adds to the glory. BTW, I bet our football program still made more money than yours even with your recent success. Now back up off of us Jags.:bump:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top