Of course it's easier. It's "any public transit at all" as compared to "you have to drive, which generally sucks, or walk from a distant train station, which always sucks." (What a nice clean parallel to the Nassau Coliseum, come to think of it.) Nonetheless, McCormick Place is just as much off-campus as the Horizon is, plus, if it's still to be believed that whatever DePaul ticketholder base there is comes from the north to northwest burbs, then you're alienating the non-student fanbase by moving to Michigan/Cermak.

The caller who said DePaul might as well play on-campus and drop down to a lower league was laughed off the air, but sadly, may have been right. DePaul doesn't want to run their program like a Big East program, whatever the Big East is these days. It would be great if moving downtown energized DePaul into providing high-quality basketball that the whole city could get behind, but I have a feeling it won't, and even if it did, they could have done it just as well and closer to Lincoln Park by playing at the United Center as WirtzDorf invited them to do.

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I think it was you who suggested it, Curious Hair. An all Chicago area conference. Maybe include ISU and Bradley. Think that's what you said. That's a good idea.

No, bigfan suggested an annual tournament of Chicagoland teams plus one or two from downstate to flesh out the bracket. I think it would be cool, but Brick explained that even crappy old Northwestern has too much to lose by deigning to play NIU and Chicago State instead of some other teams, because at best they beat a tomato can and at worst they lose.

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after this year...you would just call it BALL OF SUCK basketball.

Smarmystein, is that Dusty Rhodes in your avatar?

My original opposition to the new McCormick place arena was using public dollars while at the same time closing public schools. The juxtaposition didn't sit well.

That said, this prediliction that without catering to the north/northwest suburbs you cannot survive is something that too many from that part like to conveniently believe. Yet, when was the last time any private venue opened up that way (nevermind public money because it doesn't exist).

Its about accessibility to an arena reaching the widest possible audience. The on-campus arena that DePaul used to play in was a quaint bandbox that was fun place to watch a game. But it wasn't very TV friendly as it was dark and had poor sightlines for the cameras. Rosemont made the offer (as is their way) to build the arena and be the host venue, but aside from decent lighting for TV it has poor sightlines and is too much effort to attend unless in a car.

A new public transit station (actually replacing one that was closed years ago) is being built and that will create transit accessibility. After the 2 baseball stadiums, this will have the closest proximity to a public transit stop (Daley could have built one near the UC but didn't want to give the local aldermen the concessions they demanded). As for playing at the UC, their covenant to have a monopoly in Chicago for a roofed venue exceeding 8,000 seats has meant for too long that you paid Wirtz/Reinsdorf rents and worked to fit their schedule. Plus, this new arena will augment the McPier experience.

Chicago (northeast Illinois) has enough talent to field teams with homegrown talent that is nationally competitive. But the combination of academics/athletics/prestige/location/facilities makes it hard for any one school to be "THE" school that instills a sense of pride or belief. Having a facility that is a short "L" ride away can move DePaul ahead of the rest and hopefully restore their sense of national prominence.

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DRINK BƎTTƎR. @theRIPH

I would think there will be some South Loop area people that will check it out. Bottom line they need to start winning. It really does not matter if they are lower level wins or not. People want a winner and realize they are not Duke or Kentucky.

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Elections have consequences.

I've never been to the Horizon for basketball, but I didn't know it was such a bad place to see a game, sightline-wise. (I figured the atmosphere sucked.) I know the slope of the seating bowl is unusually shallow to keep the roof low around all the planes, but I thought conventional wisdom is that steeper is better for hockey and shallower is better for basketball. The Bell Centre in Montreal is absurdly tall, for instance, such that you couldn't build to those specifications in the United States, and it's obvious that it was built for hockey first, second, and third.

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Is that a kid from that ONE STEP CAMP?

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

Can't fault a guy for having fun catching a big fish.

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Elections have consequences.

There's something oddly youthful about Dan that clashes with his pallid skin tone and what remains of his whitish-grey hair.

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No way he'd say that and mean it. That's something he'd say that he thinks would make him look manly or something.

Chicago Conference (or whatever):
DePaul
Loyola
UIC
Northwestern
Bradley
Northern Illinois
Illinois State
Southern Illinois (50%+ of the student body and student athletes are from Cook Co)
Chicago State

I wouldn't even know what you'd have for the 10th team, unless something is escaping me. Eastern and Western are the rural schools, U of I would stay far far away from it and while Illinois Tech is probably the best school in the state not named University of Chicago they're too smart to start throwing money at sports.

Maybe you 'allow' Wisconsin in and grab UW-Milwaukee, UW-Green Bay and Marquette. Puts it at 12.

No but it is the guy sitting next to Bernstein's mother at the Sox game...

That's oddly more satisfying than it being the American Dweem. A bit creepy if you wiiiilll, but satisfying nonetheless.

Valpo

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Setting: Dr. Ken's Bathroom Kitchen
Time: The Unsettling Past


Dr. Ken: Hello children, I'm your father, Dr. Kenneth Noisewater.

Children: So, you're really not dead. We thought your lawyers were just fucking with us.

Dr. Ken: We never really start off on a positive note, do we?

Children: Why are we here in the bathroom?

Dr. Ken: I HAVE PARADIGM SHIFTING NEWS, GENTLEMEN!

Children: Can we record this? We think you've legally lost your mind. We smell money!

Dr. Ken: Actually, what you smell is me. I haven't showered in days.

Children: This keeps getting better!

Dr. Ken: In truth, there's something that Dan Bernstein...

Children: FUCK!

Dr. Ken: ...wants me to discuss with you.

Children: We thought you were done with him after he said all those things about how he hates Irish people.

Dr. Ken: Did he say that?

Children: If we say yes, will you stop listening to him?

Dr. Ken: No, I'm here to tell you that you all need to stop showering immediately!

Children: We're not in the shower.

Dr. Ken: No, I mean never shower again...for the rest of your lives. Dan's kids don't shower so...you know...that sounds like fatherly advice...so I thought I'd use it.

Children: That might be the first thing that little munchkin ever said that we can get behind.

Dr. Ken: Really!?! I gave good advice? Are we having kind of a moment here?

Children: Huh...don't think so...like you're starting to cry like a little bitch for some reason but...

Dr. Ken: So the moment's over then. I was enjoying being the "Yes Dad".

Children: "Yes Dad"? LOL. You're the "Come Bail Our Ass Out and Get Out of Our Face Dad".

Dr. Ken: Yeah, the moment's definitely over.

Children: This no showering thing is going to save us so much time for drinking today. We'll be covered in green-dyed vomit by Noon!! WIN!! And we don't even have to bother to wash it off!!

Dr. Ken: Well, I'm sure there's some kind of wiping that still should be done on a regular basis.

Children: No way man. Dan Bernstein says we should live like smelly cave dudes for the rest of our lives. We're going to get our stank on.

Dr. Ken: I don't think this went well.

Children: Best talk we ever had. We're starting to cry a little now.

Dr. Ken: Really? So you guys are touched a bit.

Children: No, we think it's the fumes from our funkiness already. This is great.

Dr. Ken: Please remember to leave your IDs at home when you leave.

Children: Whatever, Yes Dad!

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You know me like that.

It's weird when you swear.

I'm just trying to match the way the kids talk these days.

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You know me like that.

Priceless

Yes Dad! Becomes "Do what I say" dad. Followed by "Don't tell your mom" dad. And then "whatever" dad.

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DRINK BƎTTƎR. @theRIPH

So. I guess he doesn't read the board.

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I don't think he'd know what to do with them. Naturally bigger boobed girls are usually a little thick.