What was the B10 going to do? Move the game to Ann Arbor?
Sometimes there are traumatic events or even just minor incidents to which there is no super-easy solution.
Make the game later in the day and not at noonâŚ
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JBlair suggested Warde was rolling over because a starter didnât want to fly. How would making the game later in the day help? Also, are we sure itâs better for Michigan to play later in the day today? And there are the other schools, the fans who bought tickets, all sorts of logistical concerns regarding the Verizon Center and security. Itâs a crazy situation and Iâm glad nobody got seriously injured and sometimes these things happen and you just have to make the best of it.
Cuz they could have changed the time of the game last night and they could have taken a bus last night instead of flying out early this morning.
Not a perfect solution either way, but there were other options especially with the two hour break between Games 2 and 3 today. Would have only inconvenienced Illinois/Michigan fans if they moved the game later.
No, they need to have time in between sessions at the Verizon Center. I believe every tournament, NCAA or conference, does it this way, for a variety of security and logistical reasons. And you really think it wouldâve been better for the whole team to taken an overnight bus to DC? I highly doubt thatâs what the team preferred. And who knows what some poster on scout really knows anyway.
I hope the players and coaches are feeling okay and that theyâre getting all the support they need, and I wonât be yelling at them, even in my mind, if they play make some bad plays today or short terribly. But I wonât pretend itâs all Jim Delaneyâs fault.
They should have flipped the sessionâs games. That is an absolutely obvious solution and itâs absurd that the Big Ten didnât do it.
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Me personally, 1) take up 1h of the 2h gap instead of 20m (they need it, but they can push the process to get fans out quicker, etc if they want to. Iâve lingered after session 1 for 30-45m before being pushed out before) and 2) swap the games within the session. The team effected by the âplane accidentâ and arrival 90m prior to tip gets a 3h reprieve, and MSU/PSU only get a 1h impact. The only people I would have sympathy for would be the MSU/PSU fans who were planning on skipping the first game and now need to come 1h earlier, but i wouldnât lose sleep â they bought a full session ticket.
Flipping the session games would have affected thousands of fans and others. And, again, would Michigan necessarily have rather played a night game tonight.
As for pushing back the game, well, you said they pushed you out after 30-45 minutes, and they pushed it back now 20 minutes. What if games go to overtimes, etc.? And, one more time, are we really sure Michigan would rather have sat around for an extra two hours today?
Anyway, I have nothing more to add about this. Hope the team does well and the players and coaches and everyone else feels better tonightâŚ
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The time in between sessions really doesnât matter for an arenaâŚMost of it is just insignificant downtime as concessions are restocked. As long as they have time to clear the building to scan tickets for session 2 they would have been fine. The only logistical problems would have been for arena staff like security and ushers who werenât scheduled to work a late first session.
Will be wearing practice uniforms
Maybe weâll find out more later, but for what itâs worth Mills said on the radio that Beilein asked the players when and how they wanted to travel.
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Andy Katz said the following in a tweet:
âThe Big Ten said they left the game time decision today up to Michigan. They were willing to move it, but the Wolverines wanted to play as soon as they got to DC. They asked for just an extra 20 minutes to 12:20 p.m. ET. Big Ten officials told ESPN that Illinois, Michigan State and Penn State (which play in the 2 p.m game) were all very agreeable and would have done anything to help out.â
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From the look of things, Iâm glad. Plus we play again tomorrow at 12 so a late game wouldâve been worse.
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Can we still blame Delany and Manuel?
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We can and we will.
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The B10 and Illinois are painting a little prettier picture than what happened according to Scout Insider Sam the Man.
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Sam the Man? Does he like Green Eggs and Ham?
Did Illinois push back on moving the game?
As someone who has worked for pro arenas (including some while they hosted NCAA Tournament games), I can say this statement is not entirely true; time between sessions definitely does matter to the arena. You are correct the full 2hrs is not necessary, but if either of the early seasion games run long (or go to overtime), that 2hr planned period gets shortened in a hurry.
Among many other things the between session time is also used to clean the front of house areas (including the seating sections), as well as a security run through â a 30min gap between sessions would be extremely difficult for a pro building to correctly turn.
Groce probably thought he had us on the ropes.