First of all, there are a couple pieces still in the can for this site, but I will not be around during the next few days for obvious reasons (however, to anyone I'm still waiting to hear back from, I would appreciate it if you can get back to me when you have a chance).
I admit, when I saw that Sun Bowl story this morning, I flew into a rage. It had the perfect ingredients for paranoia - Notre Dame, backroom dealings in Providence, dismissive comments by the Sun Bowl rep. Given the definitive nature of his comments, I jumped to the conclusion that they were correct, and in that I was not fair to the Big East Conference. Well, word has come down from Oz. John Marinatto deserves a fair chance during the next year to earn our trust, and I sincerely hope that he succeeds. The fear right now on the football side is that Marinatto's promotion was an endorsement of the status quo; a status quo where football is lacking to the point that it's just plausible enough that the Big East would betray two of its members.
Mr. Folmer is dismissive of the Big East, but the part I hate most about that part of his comments is that they are right. He said what others are thinking. He WOULD readily drop a good West Virginia team for a Notre Dame squad that is quickly becoming a national punchline, if there was any possible way to get around NCAA and conference by-laws. I suppose there is inherent appeal in watching a brutal car wreck.
Folmer denies making the comments in question.
"I would be absolutely an idiot, or a drunk, to say something like that... That's just not right. I've been doing this for 38 years. Come on - I didn't just get off the turnip truck."
However, he straight up lied to Aditi. Scroll to about 2/3 through this video. Hooray for the magic of the internet.
The Big East is not very attractive to bowls right now, and that is what hurts the most. Job number one for the new commissioner must be to upgrade the Big East's sorry excuse for a bowl package. Draw your own conclusions as to how to best get to that point.