Shaddup, Memphis

Does Conference USA have it in for Memphis, and that's why El Paso/UTEP was named site of next season's men's and women's basketball tournaments.

Memphis has long talked about getting out of C-USA and joining a BCS conference. And talk is getting stronger. Is that why the conference accepted El Paso's $1 million bid over Memphis' lower bid ($750,000)?

Memphis seems to forget it was a big embarrasment to the conference and its 11 other members recently. It was nailed by the NCAA for some off-the-court violations.

Yes, UTEP's been on NCAA probation too, but not for this kind of roster-loading hijinx:

(Start from Google)

Memphis found guilty by NCAA:

The Tigers used an ineligible player (Derrick Rose), who was accused of having another person take his SAT in Detroit so he would be eligible after taking the ACT test three times in Chicago.

The Tigers were cited for failure to monitor basketball team's charter airplane service, allowing Rose's brother, Reggie, to not be charged for more than $2,000 in travel expenses.

NCAA Penalties Assessed:

Must return to the NCAA the $615,000 in revenue from the 2008 NCAA Tournament

Must vacate 38 victories from the 2007-08 basketball season

Must return the 2008 Final Four trophy to the NCAA, and school and coaches' records must reflect the games forfeited

Must conduct an educational program on NCAA legislation and submit yearly compliance reports.

(End Google)

Bottom line: UTEP never cheated to get a player on the court. Would Memphis have reached  the NCAA Championship game in 2008 without Rose?

Perhaps the best to come of this is that Memphis fans and fans from the other C-USA cities will get to come here and find out what a warm, hospitable, modern place El Paso is.

Comments

[localyokel]

Zing...

[sick-o-joe]

It's about time that you reacted to something that actually got under your skin that belittled El Paso & UTEP!

Your right in siting all the things the NCAA gave them a gotcha for.

Where do they get off????

[MONCHIS]

To Memphis: people that live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones!
El Paso and El Pasoans as a whole will always be far clsassier than Memphis ever hopes it will ever be!
Wow, it never ceases to amaze me how many misinformed and just plain dumb people actually reside outside of our wonderful city!
It doesn't speak very highly of that Memphis reporter or the newspaper where he is employed!
Can you say, "sour grapes"?

[Jim Smith]

What conference would want Memphis? They have a lousy footbal program and couldn't compete in a better conference. Basketball is all they can offer and its been proven to be a dishonest program.

The writer, not worth metioning his name has obviously never been west of the Mississippi or he would find the hospitality in the city of El Paso is tremendous.

[BryanW]

What school ever joined a BCS conference because of success in basketball (not to mention that their greatest success is now officially nonexistent)? Football is the driver. Memphis can whine all they want, but they aren't going anywhere as long as they are stinking it up on the gridiron and half-filling their stadium.

[John C]

These violations all were the result of the Calipari rein at Memphis State University.

What is interesting is that Calipari simply relocates and escapes all of these issues!!

Even "Mr Bombastic" Bobby Knight on national tv makes mention of this escape from the prison camp by Calipari.------"The Great Escape"!!

What is more interesting is the fact that no media source in Memphis wants to talk about this forfeiture, etc...

Arrogant, smug, and gloss it over appears to be the norm in Tigerland---or should I say Memphis State Univesity.

I guess we have to remind those in Tigerland that they won-----"nothing" in 2007/2008 as Sgt Schultz would say.

[John C]

After reading all the comments from Memphis Commercial Appeal about UTEP and El Paso winning the bid for the 2011 CUSA tourney------one of the posts makes mention that UTEP does not have a replay screen or an overhead scoreboard!!

According to the people in Memphis----we out here in El Paso still ride our horse to town and tie it up to the bank hitching post. We keep our score on a blackboard with calk and eraser, we have peachbaskets at both ends of the basketball court and give the home team the end of the court that is in the US and the visitors the end of the court that is in Mexico.

Under those circumstances I would say we have a home court advantage!!

I still ride my horse to town and tie it up to the bank hitching post---but I clean up after old nellie!! Actually my wife calls old nellie----my "High-Horse."

[DE2002]

You do realize you just hired Tim Floyd. The man famous for paying for O.J. Mayo.

[Brian]

Really? NCAA violation smack?

From the school that just hired Tim Floyd?

[tigers!]

Tim Floyd! enuff said!

[B Allen]

UTEP's new coach is the poster child for NCAA violations, and UTEP is hardly above reproach under previous coaches. Why can't you simply celebrate your city's victory of hosting the tournament, and take the high road? Everything else can be settled on the court!

[Kenneth]

Really. Nice half reporting. Said player was cleared twice by NCAA prior to him ever playing. This conference has been helped much more by Memphis than it has ever been hurt and much more by Memphis than any other team currently in the conference. Oh yeah, all the members that got money for Memphis run in the NCAA tournament got to keep their money, so they shouldn't feel too bad. There will be more people from Memphis at the tournament finals than any other school including UTEP since they won't make it to the finals. Tim Let's play reallllllly slow Floyd, LOLOLOLOL!

[Andy]

I find humor in UTEP fans talking about Memphis football sucking when Memphis has been to 5 bowls in 7 years and smacked UTEP around every time they've met.

BCS membership is about money, marketshare, and a host of things other than football success. (see: USF and hell, even Cincinnati, who was hardly a successful football program before they joined the Big East). Bigtime athletic programs understand this. Programs who lose coaches to lower tier SEC schools after one decent season likely DON'T.

[Memphis]

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/mar/30/sports/la-sp-0331-tim-floyd-20100331

Should I post more?

Sincerely,

Memphis

P.S. We're still king of this conference regardless.

[A. Carson]

Paaaleeessse! Calipari's whipping boy, Tony Barbee, is your outgoing coach and Tim Floyd your new coach. And you speak of Memphis' problems with integrity? Oh my. Find a different stone to throw from your glass house.

[ksdksdksd]

Wow! You failed to mention that the NCAA approved Rose and didn't indicate something was wrong until after the season. Also, Rose' brother reimbursed for over a dozen of trips and we get cited fr the one the intern didn't bill him for. All of this is coming from a school that was successful with a Memphis assistant coach. In addition, they hire a coach that was caught paying a player money to come to the school. That fact would make you guys hypocrites. We no longer have that coach but you recruit a worse coach.

Memphis will always be good in college basketball and will be better in football (didn't we beat UTEP in 2009?). Besides, the BCS conferences now that Memphis football will be ten times better when that make the transition based on the impact of Louisville, Cincinnati, & South Florida. We have $$$, the facilities, and a valuable bowl game (http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/feb/11/liberty-bowls-over-ratings/).

In the end, Memphis doesn't give a blank about CUSA and UTEP can have the conference. UTEP will realize very soon that last year was an aberration.

[shyminer]

please enlighten us with all this knowledge of how bad floyd is? Since, some of you seem to know it all.

[jamammy]

Yo mama!

[EarthBoundMisfit]

how bad is Floyd?
Didn't he pay OJ Mayo $1000 cash?
Isn't that why USC's basketball program is on life support at the moment?
Floyd won't let Moultrie go play with his old coach at Auburn....or any other CUSA school (Memphis)

When your team can beat us in football...and can win more than ONE in basketball (we're gona smack dat azz again this year....the Tiger Invitational Tournament bid will again belong to Memphis)...then come and talk some smack.
Until then....our tourism chief Kevin Kane said that he's crunched the numbers....there is no WAY El Paso benefits from this.

[Pugapalooza]

Kudos Joe! You still know how to ruffle feathers, Dan Wolken from Memphis Commerical Appeal is going at with El paso's own Duke Keith on twitter. Hopefully Memphis sticks around because this could be a nice rivalry we have here.

[shyminer]

when you: win a NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP, almighty Tigers, then come talk to UTEP. We beat you last season, with a bad coach in Barbee, the Miners will be fine. Remember Memphis will come to EP twice. Expect the fans to get on those silly tigers... didn't SMU beat you? haha

[A. Carson]

Wait...? UTEP has a fan base? Really?

[Proud El Pasoan]

Im going to change the focus here and just allow Memphis fans to look at reality at face value.... Memphis vs El Paso.... Hmmm, guess all this hate from the Memphis fans explains their cities rank.... All I have to say is why would anyone NOT want any event to be held where there are nothing BUT classy, leve-headed citizens.... Love El PASO and GO MINERS....
Rankings
Lowest crime
1. Honolulu.
2. El Paso.
3. New York City.
4. San Jose, Calif.
5. Austin.
6. San Diego.
7. Seattle.
8. Portland, Ore.
9. Denver.
10. Los Angeles.
Highest crime
1. Detroit.
2. Memphis, Tenn.
3. Baltimore.
4. Washington, D.C.
5. Atlanta.
6. Philadelphia.
7. Indianapolis.
8. Columbus, Ohio.
9. Milwaukee.
10. Dallas.
Source: CQ Press City Crime Rankings 2009-2010 for cities of 500,000 or more population.

[John C]

Muench really rattled your cages in Memphis!!

He did that to antagnoize!!

Memphis is now considered the "DIVA" of collegiate basketball---prima donas!!

Memphis had no basketball program until Calipari came along. UTEP on the other hand has---more championship banners hanging in the Don Haskins Center than all of CUSA combined; to include a NCAA National Basketball Championship banner---how many of those does Memphis have? I can tell its a big----zero!!

In addition to this UTEP, New Mexico State, University of New Mexico, and University of Arizona have more NCAA tourney appearance in basketball than the tobacco road schools of North Carolina (Duke, UNC,NCS, & WF). UTEP and U of Arizona each have a NCAA National Championship Banner hanging in their respective arenas. All of these schools have the top basketball arena and athletic facilities in USA. These facilities are all on campus.

Memphis plays its athletic games in rented facilities off campus. Therefore, Memphis as Muench pointed out is cheap!!

Can not take cheap to a BCS conference-----no on campus facilities for atheletics at all!!!

And we in El Paso understand that---the Budwiser Distributor in Memphis has been advertising for tail-gunners to man the twin 50ca machine guns mounted to the rear of their Beer Route Delivery Trucks. They want demonstrated proficiencey and accuracy in the operation of the 50ca Browning. Preference given to retired marine corps snippers and firearms instructors!!

[Andy]

Memphis had no basketball program until Cal came, huh? Cal came in 2000...Memphis was ranked as high as #2 in the country just 5 seasons prior and had multiple first round selections, including two lottery picks in the 90s...one of whom ended up on the 2nd incarnation of the dream team.

Congrats on picking up a championship....WHEN LYNDON JOHNSON WAS PRESIDENT!!!

Memphis in the 2000s- Multiple top ten finishes in basketball, two #1 draft picks, multiple top 5 recruiting classes (including this year...you'll meet them soon), multiple bowl appearances, and a Heisman Finalist.

UTEP....ummmmmm.....NOT A DAMNED THING.

Yeah, you beat us in basketball this season.....All it took was us to lose an entire staff, an entire recruiting class, half of the next recruiting class, and have a starter blow out a knee preseason...this allowed you to eke out a single digit win with the best team you've had in years. Good job.