Steward Mandell's Idiotic Response to a Legit Pac-10 Question...and My Response to It

TejasTiger · Aug 12, 2004

Stewart Mandell's Idiotic Response to a Legit Pac-10 Question...and My Response to It

"Idiot"

That's what I thought when I read this drivel in this week's Mailbag feature on SI.com:

It seems that USC is playing in the old WAC, where defenses did not exist. How well do you think they could do if they were in a major conference and had to face truly complete teams? --Glenn, Kansas City

Now, by major conference do you mean the Big Ten? Because the Trojans have clobbered both Iowa and Michigan in bowl games the past two seasons. How about the SEC? Because they won 23-0 at Auburn last year. People try to make arguments like this all the time about various teams and I just don't buy it. For one, these things are cyclical -- the Pac-10 could be the strongest conference in the country one year, the weakest two years later.

And even then, the talent difference between the five major conferences is not nearly as drastic as perhaps their styles of play. Is the Pac-10 loaded with defensive powerhouses? No, probably not. But ask Texas whether it thinks last year's Washington State team was any good on defense. Ask Michigan about Oregon. Shoot, for everything we heard about Nebraska's vaunted defense last season, Oregon State's was ranked four spots higher. Trust me, the Trojans would do just fine in any other conference.
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Nice try, Stewart, but that's not what "Glenn" was getting at with his question.

Here's what I sent to him:

I don't know if you're willing to revisit a topic you've already addressed previously, but I think you totally dodged the "What if USC played in a major conference" question.

No serious person would suggest that a Pac-10 team cannot compete with teams from other major conferences in a single game situation, for example, but how would USC fare if, year in and year out, they faced Georgia, Florida, Auburn and LSU instead of Cal, Arizona, Stanford and Washington? It's not just having the ability to beat other "good" teams on a given week, it's the ability to do so again and again, 3-5 times a year, against Top 25 teams.

You think USC could play at Auburn, at Georgia and at Florida---all over a four-calendar week period---and go 3-0?

I'd say that most people who live east of the Rockies would say no.
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Perhaps he can redeem himself next week by at least answering the question he was asked, even if he still gets the answer wrong. :cuss:

goldengirlfan · Aug 12, 2004

Stay after him. I'll be watching for the response but not holding my breath. :nope:

bubbafong · Aug 12, 2004

"the PAC-10 could be the strongest conference one year..."?

Which year might that be, Mr. Mandel?

islstl · Aug 12, 2004

1979 baby!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh damn, that was 25 fricken years ago.....my bad

tirk · Aug 12, 2004

how lame. so ask him when was the last time the SEC was the worst conference....

thats the point, it never is nor ever will be. its always at the very top for a reason. www.clue.com

SabanFan · Aug 12, 2004

You may get a reply because the question was posed in a mature and intelligent fashion. Keep us posted.

bubbafong · Aug 12, 2004

True that you may get a reply. I wrote Ivan Maisel (ESPN) twice last season asking about his unfair bias against LSU and that of the rest of the national sports media. He didn't answer my questions, but he did write me back both times. In the second reply, even though I had basically told him he was an idiot, he said that he always replied when people wrote him showing courtesy and respect. Not that it did any good, since right after the Rose Bowl, and still before the Sugar Bowl, he wrote an article basically claiming the national championship had already been played, but it was still nice to get a reply.

Let us know what happens.

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Steward Mandell's Idiotic Response to a Legit Pac-10 Question...and My Response to It

TejasTiger Founding Member

goldengirlfan simple man

bubbafong Founding Member

islstl Playoff committee is a group of great football men Staff Member

tirk im the lyrical jessie james

SabanFan The voice of reason

bubbafong Founding Member

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