Might I submit that it is only BECAUSE the ECAC is pretty close to the
other conferences talent-wise that these arguments/flame wars even start?
 I'd bet that you never see Ivy bashing on any D-1 basketball lists -
generally, the teams are so bad that it's not even worth it.  When a team
does do well in the national tournament (e.g. this year's Harvard women),
it's such a surprise that all you hear is praise for the upstarts, not
slams against the other 7 schools.
 
If the ECAC were really as bad as some people portray it, then nobody would
have any expectations that they should do well, and these topics would
never come up.  If the ECAC has to operate with 90% of the talent level of
other conferences to maintain the schools' academic standards, so be it.
 
Robb Newman
Cornell 94
 
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