Big East Tournament memories

[Sean Miller Fan]

I was watching a little of Butler/Xavier yesterday and was amazed the crowd and atmosphere was still live at MSG for a 4:30 8/9 game. There is just something about MSG. Always a buzz there in March.

Anyway, it made me think of the Golden Era when the Big East Tournament was just an incredible even for Pitt fans. I was so into it, I'd DVR all those Tuesday and Wednesday games and watch them when I got home until I fell asleep and then take a half day of work Thursday so I could watch the quarterfinals. For me, it was like a holiday week as a kid in excitement and anticipation. Its incredible how far we've fallen. Almost straight from the best era ever to the worst. The highest of highs to the lowest of lows. We are currently at our longest NCAAT drought since 1993-2002 with no end in sight.

But anyway, what made the BET even more great was the awesome intros they did. Here's the one from 2006.

 

[whirlybird optio]

You can have the Super Bowl, the NCAA Tournament, the NBA Finals, whatever. But Friday night, at the Garden, for the semis is absolutely up there with best sporting events. 2 games, prime time, in NYC and the Garden.

Even when Pitt played Miami that first year we were really good, certainly not two huge names at that time for hoops, place was electric.

 

[KennyTheKangaroo]

I love players just letting it all hang out and busting ass to win. Any tournament is a good tournament.

But the BET is/was different

 

[Eastern Eight]

I made multiple trips during our unbelievable run during the Howland early Dixon years. Incredible memories. One that definitely stands out is an absolutely fluke meeting with Ben Howland after our first championship win over Uconn. My wife and I were walking the streets outside of the Garden some hours after the game and ran into him. He was incredibly kind and gracious to us. What a night!

 

[MacPitt98]

Have attended 14 League Tournaments (BET/ACCT) since 2005. The Thursday Quarterfinal round of the Big East Tournament, which in the late 00's could feature 8 NCAAT teams and 5+ ranked teams, was my favorite live sports day of the year. 8 fan bases, electric atmosphere in the Garden & hoops from Noon to Midnight. Would go for the whole week, but Thursday was the best. Loved Friday too, but Thursday was extra special. No better overall sporting event than the old BET/MSG/NYC week.

 

[Cap pitt]

you guys need to be put out of your misery, the past is gone

 

[TheLogicalTake]

If you’re a hoops junkie, it doesn’t get better than the Big East at MSG. My buddy is a UConn guy and texted me at 9:30 saying his train in was packed with Big East fans getting rowdy already. He stuck in a few jabs about the ACC at Barclays of course.

I would trade all the ACC money, Kenny Pickett’s, etc. to have this week back for Pitt.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

If you’re a hoops junkie, it doesn’t get better than the Big East at MSG. My buddy is a UConn guy and texted me at 9:30 saying his train in was packed with Big East fans getting rowdy already. He stuck in a few jabs about the ACC at Barclays of course.

I would trade all the ACC money, Kenny Pickett’s, etc. to have this week back for Pitt.

I would trade it all if to have the old Big East back if you told me there would be no further expansion for the P6 leagues and the BE would remain the same.

I would take old BE basketball + BE football over the ACC

 

[TheLogicalTake]

I would trade it all if to have the old Big East back if you told me there would be no further expansion for the P6 leagues and the BE would remain the same.

I would take old BE basketball + BE football over the ACC

Im not a football guy. It’s entertainment and I hope Pitt does well, but it’s secondary for me. I look at the Alabama’s of the world and then at Pitt and can’t get too caught up in trying to seriously compete at the highest level because the deck was long ago stacked and it keeps getting worse. Big East football was perfect for what Pitt is/was, in my opinion.

I’m not foolish enough to ignore the financial part of it all. Barring a seismic shift in the landscape, we’re in our home for the foreseeable future. Still, I’d trade quite a lot to have been rearranging my schedule to be at MSG watching a vintage Pitt squad play teams we actually care about versus what we have to get excited for these days.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Im not a football guy. It’s entertainment and I hope Pitt does well, but it’s secondary for me. I look at the Alabama’s of the world and then at Pitt and can’t get too caught up in trying to seriously compete at the highest level because the deck was long ago stacked and it keeps getting worse. Big East football was perfect for what Pitt is/was, in my opinion.

I’m not foolish enough to ignore the financial part of it all. Barring a seismic shift in the landscape, we’re in our home for the foreseeable future. Still, I’d trade quite a lot to have been rearranging my schedule to be at MSG watching a vintage Pitt squad play teams we actually care about versus what we have to get excited for these days.

Well, what I'm saying is that league couldn't and doesn't exist anymore. If you told me those 16 would stay together forever and Big East football would at least have somewhat of a seat at the national table, I would have taken that.

 

[MarshallGoldberg]

My dad took me when I was around 8 years old. First time to NYC, first time to MSG of course too. Pitt was ranked #5 in the country. I don't remember the games well, just the environment of having fans of eight programs all in one arena. Pitt was the #1 seed.

We beat UConn (then the doormat) after falling asleep and going down 10, but then had like a 30 point run. Jerome Lane was unstoppable. But lost to Nova in the 2nd round. Mark Plansky hit a game winning three, his second in two games I believe.