MAC Blogger Roundtable, the Collective Wisdom

So here, my friends is the collective wisdom of the MAC blogosphere on the questions I added.  We had the following blogs respond.

Let's Go Rockets.
The Chip Report
Over the Pylon
Eagle Totem
Temple Football Forever


Here's something I wonder a lot.  Everyone knows about home court advantage in basketball.   Over the past 5 years, in MAC conference games, 66% of the men's hoops games have been won by the home team.  In football, the number is normally in the mid 50s, or pretty even.  People still talk about home field advantage?  What do you think?  How big is it?


The general consensus appears to be that parity and poor crowds are reducing the impact of the home field.  Others disputed the contention that the home field was not meaningful and felt it could meaningful.  Two responses I point you to:

Eagle Totem, with the most thorough answer including an academic citation to a meta-analysis of the topic.

Let's Go Rockets for a completely Rocket-centered look at home field, why the Amstutz years don't count and a list of BCS teams playing in the Glass Bowl recently.

The MAC has started to run advertisements in games touting the conference's integrity, saying that the league is "showing the way."  What do you think of this approach?  Playing on a great thing in our conference, or asking for trouble?

I agree most with Chip Report, who notes the Toledo gambling issues and says that with all these young men, you can never be sure what will happen.  Over the Pylon is sure no one is cheating, at least effectively, based on the results on the field.  Eagle Totem cites figures that the MAC has more than its share of schools with no major violations, but also cites the time bomb football teams represent.  Temple football thinks that "money talks, integrity walks."  Finally, Let's Go Rockets chooses to urge the MAC to merge with another conference, possibly C-USA.

The MAC has been working pretty hard to step up its digital game of late, with a mobile app and more video content.  What grade do you give the MAC for its online presence and why?

Pretty much everyone gives the efforts a thumbs up.

So far, the MAC has only 1 win over BCS opposition and a handful of FBS wins, but a few close calls in big games.  How satisfied are you with the MAC"s out of conference performance?

Most people agree you have to close the deal to be important, and that the MAC has failed to do that.  Over the Pylon, I would say, has the most pro-MAC view and Let's Go Rockets has the most pro-Rocket view.

Rank ;em.