Apparently, E. Gordon Gee isn’t the only member of the Big Ten who enjoys making a mockery of himself and the institution he represents. In fact, it appears the whole conference enjoys basking in the knowledge that they will be a laughingstock off the field for at least the next year.
The Big Ten announced in mid-December that the names of its two six-team divisions would be (giggle) “Leaders” and (chuckle) “Legends” (rotflmao). Rightly so, the conference was eviscerated for their insufferable and pretentious choice of names. So much so, in fact, that commissioner Jim Delany acknowledged less than a week later that the fan and media reaction was “surprising” and “humbling”.
Not humbling enough for a change, however.
A Big Ten spokesperson told Brett McMurphy of AOL Fanhouse Thursday that the conference will revisit the division names after the football season. For now, however, the league fully intends to walk around with a “kick me” sign taped firmly to their collective backs.
“Short term there is no plan to change,” assistant commissioner Scott Chipman said. “They will definitely be utilized for the 2011 football season. It would be impossible to measure their sustainability without using them as they were intended to be used. But like any of our branding or marketing efforts, we will continuously review all aspects, conduct market research, and test sustainability.”
Regardless of whether they are used as intended, we can measure the sustainability of “Leaders” and “Legends” right now: they’re not. And it’s laughable for the conference to turn a blind eye to that fact.
We don’t know what’s more embarrassing, the names themselves or the conference’s stubborn refusal to admit a mistake and move on from it.
This is an embarrassment. Not only did they stick with the same names, they LIED about changing them. News flash: They’re NEVER going to change them, instead they’ll always keep the same “evaluation period” stance to keep the public at bay. It appears the Big Ten doesn’t even care about the National Perception of the conference, to the dismay of us, the Big Ten fans.
I know division names are pretty inconsequential in the long run, but this shows how out of touch Delany is with the fans’ desire for the conference. This concept was something that could have been done the day they came up with the teams in each division. In fact, I think we should all literally call the divisions East and West in normal conversation to spite the Big Ten.
I’ll start: I think Brady Hoke will make Michigan much more feared in the Big Ten West than people think and even with the suspensions, Ohio State should be in line to win the Big Ten East so long as they get revenge on Wisconsin. Title Game Prediction: West Champ Nebraska vs. East Champ Ohio State in a rematch of their earlier game.
The Big 10 or 12 are has beens. If that is what the two divisions will be called, we will petition the SEC to change their designations from West to “Best of the Best” and east to “Best.” What “hubris” for the Little 12! Like the Bible says, “Pride goeth before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” Get ready Little 12, you have a target on your teams for the forthcoming year and your opponents coaches have a great motivation factor you have given them. Can’t wait to read the local newspapers of your opponents this year before their games with you (and after!)
I still vote for Tarred & Feathered but in view of this decisions, maybe it should be Twelve & Pack because some drunk is making these decisions.
All I want to know is when is CFT getting the thumbs up and thumbs down feature like over on PFT? There are a few dumb comments here, so that’s why it’s on my mind.
I’m not real happy with these names either. But, honestly, what do you suggest? You can’t go East-West or North-South since the schools don’t follow geography. (Well, I suppose you could, but it would be just as stupid!) You can’t pick just famous legendary football coaches (as much as I would be tempted by Schembechler and Hayes divisions) or famous legendary players because this is for ALL sports. I don’t have any good ideas… do you?
Have these clowns and their marketing penciledicks ever heard of “NEW COKE”?
Jim Delaney is so bullheaded. Every Big 10 fan I know HATES the new subdivision names. I sure hope they didn’t pay a marketing firm bucket loads to come up with this trash. Whoever thought it up should be fired. They should have gone to the fans to come up with names. Unfortunately geography doesn’t work well with the scattering of the schools, but how about “Lakes and Plains” and “Hartland:” Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern would certainly fit for “Lakes and Plains.”
Maybe the Big 10 fans should start showing up at Big 10 games and functions dressed in Delaney clown masks that have Leaders on one side and Legends on the other.
You know, it really isn’t all that bad.
I personally liked “SEC Victims and Soon to Be SEC Victims”
cdgolfs,
I like that.
You could also use
“Property of SEC” and “Future Property of SEC”
“Laughing Stocks” and “Losers”
CFT should have a poll!
They just can’t admit when they are w-w-w-rong.
It should be lakes and plains.
Big 10 didn’t need a couple of lame division names to make them a laughingstock.
O-5 on New Years day did that just fine
@WingT …
Someone should have warned you about the dangers of drinking ‘shine.
@wvjazzman …
Oh, don’t be silly. Of course, you can use geographical designations. What difference does the actual geography make? How many years were the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC East? The Dallas Cowboys still reside there. Florida has an East/West interstate that actually runs the length of the state north to south. People find these things far less hilarious than goofball names such as Leaders and Legends.
I love the two names Legends & Leaders
Says it all!!!
@jaggedmark …
Unabashed loyalty and enthusiasm!! That’s kinda sweet. Good for you!!
Sherlock Holmes to John Taylor –
“We don’t need your confidence…or approval, we have plenty of our own!!!”
I understand why some here find it difficult to swallow, it is Intimidating.
With Debs Southern Drawl combined with Baptist Minister – “Legennnnddds and Leeeaderrrrrrsa, just whooooo do dem Damned Yankees think dey are????”
Deb is right. Just go with North and South and be done with it!! If it really bothered you, swap Wisconsin and Nebraska and you would be mostly north and mostly south. What an arrogant bunch of higher education idiots. I wish they would read this stuff and realize how embarrassing these names are.
What exactly is embarrassing about the names? Sure, they aren’t the standard geographical names but this isn’t about geography, it’s about branding. Big 10 tested the names during the bowl games and evidently they tested well enough to be kept. In the end, does it really matter? But, LOL @ shouting across the field “LEADERS! LEADERS!” to be answered with “LEGENDS! LEGENDS!” Team SEC would be proud.
Re: “I understand why some here find it difficult to swallow, it is Intimidating.”
Yes, the SEC is very, very scared!
It is always a sign of weakness when you have to resort to marketing campaigns to hide your conference’s pathetic football prowess.
BTW, no one is having problems swallowing this, rather we are just openly mocking it.
For example, exactly what is “legendary” about a football team with a 0.439 lifetime winning percentage, a 1-7 lifetime bowl record, etc.?
In this case, it is absolutely appropriate to make fun of this, while at the same time taking pity on the fan base.
The excellent thing is that the Big 10 and the SEC are even now. They can laugh at the names, while the Big 10 will still laugh how the south is poor, undereducated, and a generally lower part of society
@gotta keep my mouth shut …
Uh-huh … except the names are real.
Re: “Big 10 will still laugh how the south is poor, undereducated, and a generally lower part of society”
Funny thing is that both businesses and people tend to be moving away from the north to the south.
I don’t think that the rust belt states are laughing at all at the south.
Embarrassing…..to cause mental discomfort / confusion…Used in a sentence…The Big Ten leaders and legends names are embarrassing to their fans. Could also use agitating to the discussion.
I like them. For years, one of the complaints about the Big Ten is that it is “staid”, “afraid of change”, etc. Now as soon as it steps out of the box to do something different, everybody’s complaining about THAT also? What do you people want?
If you heard or read the explanations surrounding the name choices and what they’re intended to accomplish, it made sense to me and how the names are intended to describe what the Big Ten conference is far beyond sports. If the Big Ten has made any mistakes here, it has been in not explaining themselves further in multiple forums to put for the essence of what the Big Ten Conference IS and will always BE – Leaders and Legends throughout the United States in every realm. Not just sports, but in every endeavor. That’s who we are. That’s who we’ll always be.
I’m a Purdue University graduate, and I’ll always be proud that we’re part of the Big Ten Conference. We are Leaders and Legends, and this is an announcement of that fact.