Boilermaker Rick wrote:
Curious Hair wrote:
I don't really know anything about college basketball, so I don't know what makes one Big Ten job "better" than another, but I feel like Wisconsin has set up what can be a nice little perennially competitive operation of THWGs that gets a pretty good deal of attention, success, and prestige, whereas U of I just sort of exists as an afterthought to its state's largest population base, who all things being equal would rather watch the Bulls. I suppose neither one is ever really in the market for marquee recruits. I'd rather live in Madison than Champaign, though, I know that much.
The difference between Wisconsin and Illinois except the Chicago metro area is only about 1 million people different so I wouldn't say that matters so much. Illinois is still the #1 basketball school in the Chicago area. There is a reason why a show that hates college basketball like B&B still talk about Illinois basketball so often.
I also think the "would rather watch the Bulls" thing is wrong. You don't have to choose. The college basketball season is over before any meaningful NBA games are played. It's not like anyone who identifies themselves as an Illini fan is saying "Well, it's Illinois vs. Ohio State today, but I'm going to watch the Bulls-Wizards game instead because I'd rather watch the Bulls". You probably have no interest in watching the Illini but that's because you have made it pretty clear that you dislike college basketball. You don't count. It's the same reason if someone hates hockey they wouldn't count.
Everything you're saying is true, BRick. But I do think that there are pluses and minuses for a college program in a "pro city". Like you said, fans don't have to choose, but there is something to be said for being the only game in town. The Buckeyes are the Bulls or Knicks for Columbus.
But I wouldn't say that Illinois is really in competition with Bulls basketball either. Champaign is far enough away to have its own separate fan base, yet close enough to Chicago to get the benefits of that. In a way, Illinois has a best of both worlds situation which is one of the things that makes it a good job.
Madison, Wisconsin is a completely different place than Champaign or Columbus. It isn't driven by sports in the same way. Without having numbers or scientific evidence to support this, I'm pretty comfortable saying there are a higher percentage of people in Madison who have zero interest in sports.