First-round matchups for the Bank of the West Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational (BWDHSBI, pronounced Bwadishbee) were not tournament- or fan-friendly. Complications messed that up.
UTEP and Colorado State have signed a contract for a series of games for here and for Fort Collins, and this was the first game.
Thus, the two met on the first night (Wednesday) while the two rent-a-losers (Pine Bluff and Jacksonville St.) met in the other semi.
That meant if UTEP lost to CSU Wednesday, which it did, fewer fans would buy tickets for the second round, UTEP vs. Pine in the consolation.
Apparently officials were afraid of first-round upsets that could have meant UTEP and CSU wouldn't meet in the two-day event, thus messing up the contract.
I say UTEP should have gambled and set up the bracket so both UTEP and CSU would get the patsies - Pine and the Villers - Wednesday then play in the championship game Thursday. Odds of an upset Wednesday were really, really slight.
There would have been a bigger walk-up crowd Thursday had UTEP been in the finals, meaning more ticket revenue.
Also, one can question why they play this event in the first place. Asking people to come to a basketball game two nights in a row is too much the week between Christmas and New Year's, and just before the Hyundai Sun Bowl.
It was different (many years ago) when national caliber teams were in the field, such as:
Washington State and Texas in 1994, Purdue and Florida in 1992 - and the entire 1980s were filled with strong, big-name fields. For example, in 1983 the field was: UTEP, Michigan, Arizona and Texas Tech.
A lot has changed. Big schools don't want to go on the road, where they might lose (like at a decent program such as UTEP). More money can be made, and more wins can be assured, by playing those two games at home rather than on the road where a loss means a ding in the RPI ratings.
Why don't we convert the Sun Bowl Tournament to be a classic like the event UTEP went to Oklahoma City a few years ago. We can partner with New Mexico State. We can either have it still be a two day event where games are played both nights at the Haskins Center and Pan Am Center or just have a one night event where games are played at both venues. They can call it the Haskins/Henson Sun Bowl Classic.
Posted by: Chris | December 30, 2011 at 05:05 PM
Good idea Chris, but thats why it will never happen. UTEP would rather roll out this crap tourney than play a good schedule.
Posted by: MinerMan2010 | December 30, 2011 at 07:56 PM
I like Chris' idea a lot. Have a tourney that both sites could benefit from. Have a round robin deal going. Have fans from Las Cruces traveling to El Paso and El Paso to Las Cruces. Why not.
As far as the tourney with CSU and two patsies, why even schedule patsies in any part of the tourney? The fans aren't going to be interested in watching sacrificial lambs going to slaughter. Why not just get good teams in town to play and let the Miners win, or lose, as they may?
Posted by: Morgan | December 31, 2011 at 03:23 PM
Joe, can you ask your computer techs to modify this site so that we can can like or dislike comments, you know the thumbs up and thumbs down deal you see on other sites? Thanks.
Posted by: Stahala | January 03, 2012 at 10:08 AM
"Asking people to come to a basketball game two nights in a row is too much the week between Christmas and New Year's, and just before the Hyundai Sun Bowl."
If people can't attend back to back games, they have no business attending games in the first place. Is it really that much of a hardship? Oh I forgot, this is "El Chuco", where everything is expected to be cheap, or better yet, gratis! 100 years ago El Paso was a burro town. Today it's still a burro town. 100 years from now? You guessed it, a burro town!
Posted by: Yewtep Reyes | January 03, 2012 at 10:56 AM
cheap?? goodness, you can buy tickets to all 4 games for $20 thats it!! 5 dollars a game. these people will not get any better deal. these are my favorite games to go to every year.
Posted by: boomer sooner | January 04, 2012 at 11:01 PM