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The American conference tournament coverage begins this Wednesday on sports time Ohio yeah. Fumble future of that number five seed which is what state. Taking on the winner of tonight's. Central Michigan Buffalo. Job and I went into the the winner of tonight's first round match ups you know in the second round showdown. -- mid American conference tourney at the Q. We'll tip off at 630 Wednesday night he supposedly -- hair around sports time Ohio candidates all. He's a delight to welcome back -- sharpest -- Breath clear the commissioner of the mid American conference. Great to see was always there Bruce always a pleasure and what an exciting time of the year March Madness is the hardest job absolutely and it starts here in Cleveland our fourteenth. Consecutive year here in Cleveland a -- most folks don't know that. Cleveland and Quicken Loans Arena has the second longest run being a host of a single term a single conference tournament. But any in the country behind only the big east in Madison Square Garden. We've got quite a thing going to Cleveland did not know the thing that Mike could you take certain things for granted and yes -- not a great thing is certainly years. Ends and the men's and women's tournaments beginning. This week in the Mac in determining a representative. For the big dance of both women men and women's competition. Lets up let's look at the man first. And get the big moves out of the way first job. I feel so bad for coach Jim Brock. And that teammates. Of Akron will bring you giving him trouble -- Yeah. It's a blow for them and it. Thought let's let's let's put it a different context now. If we if we'd like to talk about sports and do the role even in higher education that is in the laboratory for real life. And as we know in real life you get knocked down sometimes -- here's a chance for that team to us if they can recover from that and see what other kids can step up. And then proceed you know what they -- had a week to deal -- that. Put the emotional stuff aside practice. Reconfigure whatever they wanted to strategically I'll be anxious to see what they come -- Friday night. Yeah it got it I know exactly what -- -- talking about -- we've seen this numerous times in collegiate athletics I think the most glittering example. And I believe you will call this one Lou Holtz was coach coaching Arkansas. The racer -- played Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl and Oklahoma was ranked number one in the country. And right before the game. Three of the starters. Up front Holtz is Razorbacks -- got in trouble I forget what what was and he suspended him for the game. And Oklahoma became if they were already a big favorite maybe even more but paper targets don't you know I was only about four when that happens so that kept. -- -- So we'll see -- I don't -- interest and interest in task in front of upfront about our crowd and other coaches step was working hard on -- but that's. You know you have to be up to pick up the pieces and move on from that mostly what do I. What also distresses you go about that unfortunate incident with the kids getting in trouble. Is. It probably does works vocal. All of them mid American conference team two reps in the NCAA tournament because. The loss not have occurred to Kent State on Friday night. Pretty gold skin to the -- -- -- good enough record I think that even if they did get up sex. They could still get very serious consideration for an at large I don't know. Yeah but we're certainly make in the case they've built an awful strong resonate. That's good win loss record very good nonconference strength of schedule. A lot of things we can talk about what to say. Who comes -- performs and we'll take it from there right now I think everybody going into this is going into with the mindset of we better take care of business is determined. To those other variables out of it. I certainly am looking forward to it it is a great great exciting experience to see the post season Mac tournament or Maria. We're very proud to be featuring -- here on sports time Ohio. There are some other teams we should talk about coach or bowling green is going to be Kent State's first opponent. In the -- meant to eastern or western Michigan play in the first round northern Illinois in Buffalo at Ohio University of Miami Ohio university's got a -- prolific player. Well DJ Cooper is had a system a remarkable career is all you can say about that. He's certainly one of the people like point two and say c'mon watch this young man play because he's special there's not been many like him. Now Wednesday as one week after these first round games we switch over here QB's first leagues by the way are being played in the sights of the higher seeded teams but Wednesday is when everything shipped here to Cleveland. Absolutely we'll start off we've got women's games in the afternoon men's games in the evening we started noon each day that we can. A great value for your money and these women to let's talk about them a little bit to understand Akron is a very good team again you know what else is new Toledo's wanted to gasoline as a top 25 team just had a phenomenal phenomenal season. I'll bowling green is not his strong as they've been in past years but they're very very dangerous. I would expect them if we'll see how they play in their. -- game tonight. Now are actually -- played in and it will be advancing we'll see how they perform on Wednesday night but. You know you look at the usual suspects -- us it's us Toledo it's Bowling Green central Michigan. Akron Ball State -- had a phenomenal year and I'm going to be our second seed so again on that side. You started Toledo but. You got to show up and play and you got to win and on the court especially in Miami to with a very good overall record during the season is -- possibility of truce to teams out of the women's I would think Toledo will deserve. Very strong at large consideration if they would not when our turn Maha top 25 team a phenomenal record. I would be sorely disappointed that they didn't get selected just didn't want to turn. You know one we first cut the deal with the mid American conference and have started televising the regular season games and of course this exciting postseason tournament. I did not realize until I've witnessed it firsthand. How -- I don't culprits. Not the how physical the women's ski yes. Well they're big they're tall they're fast. It has become a significantly more physical game. And that's that the team I would point to particular knowledge is central Michigan. That's in particular they will bring it inside and trying to take it to the boards and and you better be ready to play them. I like in in let's switch back to the man. I'd like to -- that I -- large job you can always get an officiating crew that will be the exception to the rule. Put in recent years. In the post season conference tournaments with the man coming up and all the others as well as he NCAA tournament I like the affected by and large our officials went up twice. Well I think you have style player in our league is is that exactly you do I don't play. We've align ourselves we're not an officiating consortium with the Big Ten infected so I think there's -- use you see a lot of the same faces it. Working our name on a Saturday working in the Big Ten on Sunday and I think what you see your teams that are physical league going side you know there there there's limits. But Sammy is it token we're not gonna generally called just a tick detective -- sure sure hot ticket sales going for the attorney and were ahead of where we were last year. We're looking forward a really good walk up there but you know we always encourage people come on join us -- there's. There's nothing like -- the basketball the one and done mentality that is such that the intensity in the in the hall and what the kids are doing put it on the line is just. Really really marvelously. Just blown smoke in a so so true until you experience it in person you can't imagine me. The thrills the excitement the intensity that cheerleading squads and band -- are there it's a big time college ball. How good your football back. You know we've had a nice year we added obviously some wonderful things in football is seventeens and bold and -- 20% of the Bulls and Fisher county home im and that's. Phenomenal we think we could place that many team and AB CS game -- just. Wonderful wonderful stuff lot of lot of good things came together for that to happen what was really exceptional was. The team's performance on the field and we had six teams with -- eight or more wins and we had that from about the things like the ninth or tenth we've gone. I mean we had a lot of teams to a lot of really good things in the nonconference part of season that's where we have to excel if we wanna have post season opportunities. And these. Breaking through with a BCS game with -- -- not only helps their program recruiting wise but full cup. What should and I would also put it and I continue to put it in the context of this. We actually had two teams competing for BCS -- There's never been a non a Q conference has been in that situation they've always had one super team this run away from the field and they won a championship -- going on. Turns out either one of the teams that won that game was going to a BCS game no -- -- the time we thought it. If count one bit easier path because they were sitting there I think at fifteen. In the polls anyway. It was just it speaks to what we did against nonconference competition the depth of the league we had. Those are things we need to continue to serve -- and let's get through March Madness first but. Metz and have a tough time including Kent State themselves duplicated -- this -- the baseball last year well yeah but. But as long way to go we'll -- but yeah that was -- -- when you look at what we did Lester and team in the college World Series I think fifth and and golf championship and on down the line. I think we can truthfully say enough and the performance. Shows us. The top teams in any of our sports are very very competitive nationally and you look at wrestling which is a wrestling championship yesterday. There's two teams ranked in the top fifteen. Third ranked conference in the country we've got thirty automatic qualifier is going that's second most in the country and any of the conference's. And who got a lot of really wonderful things going on in this conference you know one I was. -- you know know every team in every conference in the country. I don't even to get to attempt to -- -- any longer around Ontario are members and do what. What is the latest I know because last time we spoke. The mid American conference is looking to grow as all the other conferences are what is your instinct you keep your head on his will on you look around and you didn't. Do you deliberate I think we've taken the tack that we're going to be very deliberate. If we find the right institution that match as -- philosophically improve dramatically. We will perhaps grow but there's no reason batting just for the sake of adding does not bring value which is divides the -- more. So what take our time who it -- we if we find that right match then we'll move it's that we we have the luxury of not having had. Adding. Again what do we need to pat yeah I'd like to have maybe fourteen football as opposed to thirteen but you know what we've made thirteen work. What I had when there's somebody brings value somebody needs to raise the bar what is happening in the league -- what does this column that Catholics Edmonton didn't. Then there -- gonna repaying the big east now I'm so confused and that's it you should know what I wouldn't be surprised. Good things well I put out a lot of memos to our membership on it and you that you need a program to people the players because it has changed a good bit. I'm hopeful some of the waters were calm a little bit of that that I'm not there well not it may just be kind of we're aware that at some point some of the movement is just. Silly movement I mean that you see a lot of the movement is it is quite frankly I viewed his knee jerk reactions all we lost -- we got to go ahead to. Well no you don't necessarily have to add people again and had people for the right reason what will. And and you've got to look at what your strengths are also what your weaknesses are in our case our strengths are are really great geography. Really tight geography of many of the FB IS conferences were probably the tightest that is that true asset because at that beat balls down to our fan bases. You know again against central Michigan is relevant here in the end this stage and in this community sure I go to northern Illinois game against Toledo was really relevant. Because they crossed paths so often. We need to continue that. You look at our at our institutions themselves they're very like minded very similar -- differences but there's an awful lot of similarities. In the -- across the board you get where we are financially and budget terribly. No one is running away from the field because there's the budget is twice what someone else's list that does almost the norm. And a lot of the other conferences the spread in our league is somewhere between eight and ten million from the highest to lowest budget. I can jump into the Big Ten and then the spread is 506070. Million right I mean so. Commonality is important and so if you're looking at people out there you're looking to bring in people. That build upon those things show and again enhance what you already have. Did you view alluded to the how it makes geographic since the mid American conference goodness -- West Virginia playing in the big twelve from traveling out of Texas and Oklahoma playing some of these teams out there I mean. And that's not just football. Well you know there was a couple articles recently had who what's for your -- -- big twelve of and we need some help us on the scheduling. Things we set up because of the travel involved for you out. That is going to be an issue and that's and that's a pressure point in their league now also let me. So you either have to adjust it through how you set up your schedules or you have to look at different membership options a host of things like that. Those are all the pressure points in a league so. What you're trying to do is not add additional. Issues to the plate quite frankly so. You know what if if any of our our -- out there we could probably go up and add somebody if we wanna just an -- that's not what we wanted to do we need to do it for the right reasons. Panic and the mid American cap -- -- it begins tonight at the Q here in Cleveland then. Full glory will be on Wednesday and that's the women chosen gobble up those stickers you will not. Regret that it is fantastic intense exciting competition. And there will be at least one representative of the men and women that hopefully playing in the big dance in the NCAA tournament -- -- always a pleasure to have you -- come in and out. Despite how much I admire and respect you if I catcher holds -- I don't wanna go on record as saying that I am holding doctors trying Brack who responsible. But. I will bring you a hot study of that happens to other Wizards should -- with you John good to see you and good luck with you completely so much time.