MAC Tourney Trivia/Gallows Humor

OK, so I spent a little bit of time looking at the historic results of the MAC Tourney. Below, you will find some trivia questions, but first some thoughts.

The tourney has been going on since 1980. Its home has included Crisler Arena, Cobo Hall, Savage Hall, some place in Rockford, the Seagate Convention Centre, Anderson Arena, and the Q. Regardless of the arena, Falcon fans are already aware that our history in this tournament is a sad tale of woe.

We have never won it. We have sent some very talented teams into the abyss known as the MAC tournament, and all that the universe returned was shattered dreams.

I want to recall what I feel are the two most heart-breaking moments.

The first is one from my college days, 1983, before the birth of all of our players, and therefore ancient history. For that year, the MAC tournament was played entirely on home floors---no central site. The Falcons were the top seed, and were set to host the championship game.

We were playing (wait for it) the OU Bobcats. Anderson Arena was a contentious place that night. OU had brought a large contingent of fans, accompanied by a small pep band. And OU dominated the play, slowing play and getting their increasingly obnoxious fans involved. Despite the golden opportunity of playing the MAC Championship at home, OU defeated the Falcons 59-56.

It was a very disappointing night....because at Joe Louis Arena at the very same time, the Falcons were losing the CCHA Championship in overtime--missing a penalty shot in overtime, no less--and then failed to get an at-large bid to the NCAA Hockey tourney.

Of course, for the hockey team, a national championship was ahead in the very next season. The basketball team has probably never gotten that close to the Big Dance again, and if not, only once.

The other most disappointing moment will be faimilar to all of today's fans. In 2000, the top seeded Falcons lost in OT to the ninth seeded Miami Redwhatevertheyweres. Powered by a ridiculous half court shot, that game is in many ways more heartbreaking, because of the suddenness. It really was like getting your heart ripped out of your body.

But the past is not our destiny. And with three wins, we can erase all that.

And with that, let's look at some trivia questions.

1. Every Falcon fan knows that we have never won the tournament. We did, however, finish with a win ONE time. What were the circumstances to that?

2. Bowling Green has been in the final three times--who are our other (non-OU) losses.

3. If a Falcon fan went into a coma in 1979 and woke up today, and you explained the MAC tournament to him and asked him what team has knocked BG out the most, he would, without hesitation, say "Miami." And he would be right (7). Who has knocked BG out the second most times?

4. BG is 17-26 in the tourney (remember it is impossible to lose more than once every year). How many of those twenty-six losses were to lower-seeded teams?

5. Qualification in the MAC tourney is automatic now, but it was not always so. How many times has Bowling Green failed to make the tournament at all.

6. When was our last MAC tourney win?

I'll leave this up until tomorrow about 5, feel free to post guesses in the comments. Answers up tomorrow.