The SEC is a football based conference that has had a team at or near the #1 spot in the sport since about 2003. A team has won the NCAA championship from the SEC in 8 of the last 10 years. Those championships include 7 straight from 2006-2012. The conference also contains one of the most dominant basketball team ever in the Kentucky Wildcats who have won 8 national championships (2nd to only UCLA with 11). Kentucky leads all schools in winning percentage all-time in basketball. This conference is widely regarded as the cream of the crop when it comes to baseball and softball success as well. The numbers surely seem to back this up. Outside of those sports, the conference boasts several nationally recognized teams that have had continued success in a variety of sports.
Outside of the conference it is widely acknowledged that the SEC has the best football conference. They have the most dominant team and they have several elite programs. The conference has some fantastic schools both athletically and academically. They are to be respected. There are some fantastic all-around programs that the conference boasts. Those schools are to be respected for the programs that they have.
Fans of the conference are very vocal about that success. They continually boast of success by any SEC team in any sport and use it as confirmation bias that their conference cannot be beat in anything. That is where the hate comes in. SEC West fans were trying to act like undefeated FSU and Ohio State teams cannot compete in the SEC West. Not that they would finish 2nd or 3rd, the argument is that they would magically be below .500 in the conference. That the nation's elite programs would struggle to tread water. That they'd be worst than Arkansas. That the SEC is the best in every sport because Alabama and LSU are elite in football.
Let's start there with the dominance across sports. As a conference, the SEC typically boasts the national champion. There is no arguing 8 out of 10. However, football dominance is not overall sport dominance for the history of time. As of July 2015 (when last combined champs summary was released) the SEC had a total of 267 titles across all sports, but that number is smashed by just 3 schools in the Pac 12....UCLA, Southern Cal, and Stanford have a combined 323 titles across all sports. That is 56 more titles by 3 schools than all 14 SEC schools combined. Do not talk to us about sustained dominance across all sports. Feel free to brag about baseball, football, and/or softball success, but don't go overboard.
Now to football...
The SEC is the best conference. However, it is not untouchable. Were another elite program to join, they would still be elite. That team might finish 2nd or 3rd behind Alabama, perhaps LSU, or even Auburn in a good year, but they'd still win. The school wouldn't be treading water. They wouldn't be Arkansas...oh and Arkansas was not the best 6-6 team ever, They were 6-6 and there was a reason for it. 6-6 teams aren't magically 13-0 in other conferences. Maybe a game or 2 difference, but they aren't magically playoff contenders elsewhere in the Power 5.Oh and while the SEC West is elite, the SEC East is hot garbage in football. Missouri went from Big 12 bottom feeder to 2x SEC East champ. The West is the best division in Power 5, but you could argue the East as the worst. So don't get too carried away.
What can the SEC brag about though?
They can brag about their team being fantastic in the best football conference in the nation. For Alabama that means being the best against the best. Why a team with 4 national championships in recent history would want to share that success as conference pride is beyond me. Live it up Alabama! Your team has been kicking everyone's ass!! Do not degrade yourself by chanting for your conference in some collectivist nonsensical movement. Embrace your team. Why the heck are you rooting for your top rival to knock off FSU in the national championship? Seriously? Rooting for your rival.....You could be the class of sports, but you chose things like "keep the title in Alabama" ? Come on man!!!! You are the fanbase in the country most entitled to brag and enjoy your ride. IMO you ruin it a bit when you give others credit.
Kentucky brag about what you have done in basketball. Brag about that all day. Enjoy it.
Auburn don't claim the titles that you didn't win. Enjoy the ones you won legit.
Ole Miss you don't win titles and you are only relevant now because your coach paid athletes. Don't start....
Mississippi State you have never won a national title in any sport, just stop...
South Carolina you won some baseball titles, but you can't even win the SEC East. No, you wouldn't be a playoff contender elsewhere...
No, there won't be an all-SEC playoff. No, you won't get 3 teams. Yes, another team could possibly win. Yes, football and sports exist outside the SEC. If you would just acknowledge that as an SEC fan, you wouldn't be so despised.
Just enjoy being the top dog in football. Enjoy being perhaps the best overall conference. Please just don't go overboard. If you are an Alabama fan that does not do the constant conference brag, mad props to you. Respect to that program for the dominance it has provided. Don't be so willing to share. Enjoy what Nick has done.
Outside of the conference it is widely acknowledged that the SEC has the best football conference. They have the most dominant team and they have several elite programs. The conference has some fantastic schools both athletically and academically. They are to be respected. There are some fantastic all-around programs that the conference boasts. Those schools are to be respected for the programs that they have.
Fans of the conference are very vocal about that success. They continually boast of success by any SEC team in any sport and use it as confirmation bias that their conference cannot be beat in anything. That is where the hate comes in. SEC West fans were trying to act like undefeated FSU and Ohio State teams cannot compete in the SEC West. Not that they would finish 2nd or 3rd, the argument is that they would magically be below .500 in the conference. That the nation's elite programs would struggle to tread water. That they'd be worst than Arkansas. That the SEC is the best in every sport because Alabama and LSU are elite in football.
Let's start there with the dominance across sports. As a conference, the SEC typically boasts the national champion. There is no arguing 8 out of 10. However, football dominance is not overall sport dominance for the history of time. As of July 2015 (when last combined champs summary was released) the SEC had a total of 267 titles across all sports, but that number is smashed by just 3 schools in the Pac 12....UCLA, Southern Cal, and Stanford have a combined 323 titles across all sports. That is 56 more titles by 3 schools than all 14 SEC schools combined. Do not talk to us about sustained dominance across all sports. Feel free to brag about baseball, football, and/or softball success, but don't go overboard.
Now to football...
The SEC is the best conference. However, it is not untouchable. Were another elite program to join, they would still be elite. That team might finish 2nd or 3rd behind Alabama, perhaps LSU, or even Auburn in a good year, but they'd still win. The school wouldn't be treading water. They wouldn't be Arkansas...oh and Arkansas was not the best 6-6 team ever, They were 6-6 and there was a reason for it. 6-6 teams aren't magically 13-0 in other conferences. Maybe a game or 2 difference, but they aren't magically playoff contenders elsewhere in the Power 5.Oh and while the SEC West is elite, the SEC East is hot garbage in football. Missouri went from Big 12 bottom feeder to 2x SEC East champ. The West is the best division in Power 5, but you could argue the East as the worst. So don't get too carried away.
What can the SEC brag about though?
They can brag about their team being fantastic in the best football conference in the nation. For Alabama that means being the best against the best. Why a team with 4 national championships in recent history would want to share that success as conference pride is beyond me. Live it up Alabama! Your team has been kicking everyone's ass!! Do not degrade yourself by chanting for your conference in some collectivist nonsensical movement. Embrace your team. Why the heck are you rooting for your top rival to knock off FSU in the national championship? Seriously? Rooting for your rival.....You could be the class of sports, but you chose things like "keep the title in Alabama" ? Come on man!!!! You are the fanbase in the country most entitled to brag and enjoy your ride. IMO you ruin it a bit when you give others credit.
Kentucky brag about what you have done in basketball. Brag about that all day. Enjoy it.
Auburn don't claim the titles that you didn't win. Enjoy the ones you won legit.
Ole Miss you don't win titles and you are only relevant now because your coach paid athletes. Don't start....
Mississippi State you have never won a national title in any sport, just stop...
South Carolina you won some baseball titles, but you can't even win the SEC East. No, you wouldn't be a playoff contender elsewhere...
No, there won't be an all-SEC playoff. No, you won't get 3 teams. Yes, another team could possibly win. Yes, football and sports exist outside the SEC. If you would just acknowledge that as an SEC fan, you wouldn't be so despised.
Just enjoy being the top dog in football. Enjoy being perhaps the best overall conference. Please just don't go overboard. If you are an Alabama fan that does not do the constant conference brag, mad props to you. Respect to that program for the dominance it has provided. Don't be so willing to share. Enjoy what Nick has done.
Next week I will go over the current state of all FSU sports. Until then, have a great one.
-Noland
No comments:
Post a Comment