Who’s Gonna Step up?

Missing the Holy Land of Hoops (Big East site)…

If you’ve ever been a member of a group, organization, frat, service org, or the military – you understand the sense of fraternity, of belonging, of fellowship, of collective ‘ownership’ within such organization(s). Such is what developed back in 2013…when the Catholic Seven broke away from the old Big East (AAC)…Ripped their heritage, history, and their name back and re-organized into the current Big East configuration. The Big East returned to their roots – their legacy…as a basketball-centric conference.

Of the many changes inherent in that shift/reformation, a few new ancillary entities emerged on the fanside. One of these new players was the Holy Land of Hoops (HLOH). The Holy Land emerged as the leader in Big East boards. Not replacing the landscape of individual university sites, but became the hub of Big East conversations – a nexxus point for all things Big East!

Something different grew here…Not only was HLOH a nexxus point, but became a growth hub as well. Things grew here –

Intra-conference communications
Comraderie
Friendships, and a
Cohesion – a ‘pulling together’ of conference foes…as One. The birthplace of the “Big East vs the rest of ’em” – the birthplace of Big East Solidarity!

This Big East solidarity – is a synergy which has never occurred before amongst conference foes, not to the levels exhibited by the current Big East conference members. The disparate group of schools, groups, fans – foes, enemies, combatants, rivals during the conference slate – openly, cheerfully, and stubbornly rooting for each other in the early season non-conference slate, and especially during the postseason (NCAA/NIT/others) tournaments.

This is unheard of, this is sacrilege! This is verboten behavior by conference foes! Generally the hatred, the venom, & the historic rivalries smother any attempts at conference solidarity, except in collective money matters (media rights, signage rights, 3rd party marketing schemes, other conference income streams).

The HLOH, together with the ‘new’ Big East marked a synchronous point in modern college hoops. An entire conference emerging in an “us against the world” mentality. Collectively, they marked a new era, a seminal moment in collegiate sports history, one that is enduring, and still unfolding 13 years later.

The Big East schools exemplify a cohesion, a belief, that everyone – wants, is hoping – for them to fail! Back in the early years of the reformation – that was highly evident, as readily and often expressed & verified by the media coverages and op-ed opinion pieces. Although that notion may be less evident today, the Big East has gone on to produce national champions in several sports, and 4 of the last 9 NCAA Basketball Champions. Winning matters.

Remarkably, the solidarity within the Big East endures, it has grown over time. Nothing shuts up one’s critics better than success, and the Big East’s critics have had to eat a whole bunch of crow these last 13 years! The Holy Land of Hoops site was a central, germinal, and collective hub for the conference fanbases to meet & greet, to talk shit, to jibe one another, and to coalesce as one when needed! HLOH supported other conference sites & players efforts (videos, season previews, discussions, etc.). HLOH was the port-o-call in the tempest, the safe harbor when the entirety of collegiate sports appeared set against us.

It’s been 2 years since the HLOH closed shop…and it is sorely missed! Miss you, baby… Will BE Energy, Barroom BE, or other entity step up to fill this void?