Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Only in college football

Only in college football does it make sense that the Big 10 has 12 members and the Big 12 has 10 schools and neither conference wants to change their name.
Only in college football does no one care about the emotional toil put on die hard fans since December, not to mention Dan Beebe.
Only in college football does a conference split because 1 member is too powerful, breakup, and then come back together with MORE power and money going to that same 1 school and everyone is happy.
Only in college football where the same vulnerabilities exist, especially in the Big East and everyone thinks that the landscape is saved.
Only in college football is unequal synonymous with fair. Well other places have it too, but it’s blindly glaring in college football.
Only in college football can a school gets slapped with sanctions trying to influence games and outcomes, but networks and a group of influential people are lauded when they commit the same act with even deeper pockets.
Only in college football do you have to be a Top 15 team preseason to have a chance to win the title, even then you may not still have a chance. And all 120 teams except 2 are joyous!!!! The Cincinnati Reds have a chance to win the World Series.
Only in college football with the current bowl system which everyone complains about and wants to change, is so fortified that a 4 Ton bunker busting bomb isn’t taking it out. Certainly a miniscule Pac-16 missile crisis doesn’t even shake it.
Only in college football where the math of a 4 mega super conferences leading to a Plus 1 model seems so illogical to the decision makers. One game guys C’mon.
Only in college football does passion flow so deep…. Now I have an understanding of Oklahoma’s & TAMU’s thought process, I love this game and I’ll go back to her no matter how she treats me!

GO DAWGS!

More Mascot name changes on the way….
Boomer Sooner becomes Boomer Ben Dover
Reveille becomes Lap Dog
Missouri Tigers becomes the Pussycats
The Yellow Raiders
Baylor Cuddly Teddy Bears
Kansas Walk away Hawks
Pistol Pete becomes Yosemite Sam
K-St, Iowa St who cares…anyone stands up with a spine and it doesn’t happen

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

The SEC was a winner?

Fact:
Big 10 members do earn more than the SEC. There is some question as to exactly by how much - high of $25M per to $19.7M compared to SEC $17.1M, but which will likely grow as BTN expands & debt service due to start up cost is reduced.

ESPN overpaid for ACC & now they are in the same subdivision as the SEC.

ESPN in the name of maximizing BCS value and Bowl Week overpaid dramatically for a weaken Big12-2 (Suits & bean counters made the decision for Gene Stallings who folded like a rented card table) with top members earning more than the SEC schools.

Pac-10 members are still going to get a HUGE increase from their new TV deal with Fox. Those talks are looming, who by the way is going to have a ton of moola after loosing out on ACC & Big 12-2 which will not bear on Kevin Weiberg's (ex-Big 12 commish, ex-BTN start up guy, now deputy commish of Pac-10) conscientious at all, likely resulting in at least the top members earning more than the SEC, if not all institutions (payouts on a disparaging basis like Big12-2).

Result
Thereby allowing the SEC's value (comparing brands - market value premium & comparing conference competition in that market) to take a significant hit under the guise of "let's be Cool" going thru this process. Slive and the SEC have zero leverage for 4 more years (opt -out clause kicks in TV deals). Even though the weakest conference just got their contract torn up and renegotiated for boo coo riches!!! Aren't the real winners of this expansion round those with leverage going forward? And in at least the near term SEC comes up short -everyone else is gaining ground if not surpassed the SEC. That's a reason for celebration? Yeah, the landscape was saved, yeepie! Peace, hold hands and join in kumbaya, kumbaya.

But meanwhile back on the ranch the SEC is struggling for a 4th place ribbon in revenues - all in the name of "We're bad; we don't need to move!" What about opportunity cost? The cost of missed opportunities and missed revenue streams, while playing paddy cake - wait and see on the sidelines. That's what you call leadership from a commissioner? Status quo Slive struck out on this round of expansion, more so than Larry Scott! At least Larry Scott wasn't afraid to fail.

Monday, June 14, 2010

Shrapnel fallout to consider….

If Texas does take the plunge to Pac-10, this will be a major power coo for the UT-Austin President. Fact: UTA Pres is a Berkley alumnus. His political ties are back in CA. He wants to see his ole buds more often & joining the Pac-10 will allow him to do just that. Chummy isn’t it? He has initiated the academic superiority talking point that has been falsely repeated a thousand times. (Which conference had the lowest APR this last measurement period of the BCS Big Six conferences? Big 12. Who’s most famous alumnus during the past quarter of a century scored a SEVEN on his Wonderlic – also ticketed for Assault & Battery at a strip club recently? UT and VY and his fine undergraduate education. Who has a lower APR than ‘Bama, LSU, KY, Florida, UGA and Vandy – HALF of the SEC? UT. There’s a tall glass of shut up juice – take a slow swig, no take a big gulp). No way DeLoss Dodds will enjoy annual meetings more at Haight-Ashbury Park over Hoover, AL. That doesn’t make sense on a number of levels for the Texas athletic director to agree to that. Just as with the academic argument, why not join the preeminent athletic conference to face the best, to be the best? If this is a SOLEY a departmental move, why not do what is in the best interest of that department? No matter how much money the department can print, a good department will want to print more. Joining the Pac-10 shuts down UT-TV before it’s launched, walking away from $3M per yr left on the table. No he’s getting punked just like Vince Dooley did when Michael Adams came to UGA, except this is more subtle, sinister because Dodds doesn’t recognize that his chain is getting yanked by Bill Powers. And apparently this is sitting well with UTA fans who aren’t in an up roar either, because they see this as an easier path to the NC game.

I haven’t seen this much evasion since the OJ chase. Texas, thru Dan Bebee, issues an ultimatum to Colorado and Nebraska, because they (UTA) don’t won’t to be seen as the school that breaks up the Big 12. Now Bebee, umm UTA, still having one foot on the Titanic trying to bail water, is forcing TAMU to wear the moniker as ‘the school that breaks up the conference’, when all of this was started by UTA. Remember UTA had the “Tech” problem joining the Big 10, when Gordon Gee from OSU called. Are they coming, staying or going? Dunno, but what is clear is that Mack Brown, DeLoss Dodds and Bill Powers are getting splinters from riding that wooden fence so hard. Texas started all of this and now when it comes nut cutting time, they are acting just like the iconic logo – bunch of woosies.

Behind the scenes is a guy name Kevin Weiberg. He’s had interesting 3 year career. Until 2007 he was the Big 12 commissioner, before Bebee, and then he leaves to be the point person for BTN start up. Larry Scott gets hired in the Pac-10 and convinced Kevin to be Deputy Commissioner and do the same thing for Pac-10. Thus Weiberg is driving the bus on who to pick off in the Big 12 for the Pac-10. He is using his Fox Sports contacts which owns 49% of BTN. After Fox got spurned by ACC, which meant Fox had money in reserves, the Pac-10 TV deal started to heat up. Mr. Weiberg is the man in the center of this circle jerk.

If they stay as the new Big 10, UTA is seen as the hero when they been nothing but Machiavellian thru out this process. Bill Powers will get atta-boy from the state legislature (more funding and power). By Gawd it’s a win/win situation for them! I just can’t see why Oklahoma wants to be tied so close to those shenanigans. For TAMU, I can’t imagine 115 years of this chaos and cow chips. ...or for the next 100

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Bama vs So Cal n NC2A infractions

Generally I’m glad that the NC2A came down hard on So Cal. Yet I got issues with some of the findings.

The Trojan infractions report centered around 2 players, but the Alabama book buy back scandal had 201 athletes getting improper benefits. 2 compared to 201umm? Both were “Repeat Violators”. I still find it unfathomable that ‘Bama didn’t get stuck with same moniker that USC did – “Lack of institutional control”, as a 4th time “Repeat Violator”. One school gets a slap on the wrist; the other one was slapped down. Did the one with 2 players having violations get let off the easiest? – NO!!! Why?

On the surface, there are a couple of easy things to cite. Apparently ‘Bama showed contrition and was apologetic. “Why – I just can’t believe such thing was going on around here! You know that bookstore manager should have had paying more attention, but that’s all been changed now.” All words spoken with finest sugar sweet Southern drawl anyone could muster, but said with not one ounce of sincerity behind them. It’s a Southern thing. Conceited, arrogant, cold were adjectives used to describe USC’s stance in meetings with committee members. Also apparently the Crompton dialect didn’t work well either on the bow-tie group coming from HQ. So the manner in which you treat people with authority matters -duh.

As cited in the infraction report, the two at So. Cal were “high profile”. They were “one and done” and high draft picks guys. But wait a minute; I thought that the NC2A considered what is the best for all student-athletes. Why is there the disparity? In the world of NC2A aren’t all student-athletes equal? Doesn’t the Samford Javelin thrower (my nephew) have to abide by the same rules as John Wall? So if there’s a violation, why two different set of consequences. What does the ruling say to ALL the 201 athletes at Tuscaloosa? You guys were chop liver, even though you are playing for a D1 (SEC) school in football, basketball -14 different teams as I recall. I would be highly insulted if I were one of them. I would be knocking on Mal Moore’s door demanding he call the NC2A back down, for justice.

Speaking of the Alabama AD, his demise after this occurred were false and USC AD Mike Garrett has lasted 4 days longer than was expected. Did Mal give Mike the playbook on “How to be a complete Idiot, but survive scandal!” Seriously why is Mike taking up room air in the office? He is ultimately responsible for the 2 highest profile sports, the 2 most revenue producing sports and landing them on NC2A sanctions – 1 almost got the death penalty.

As stated before this whole notion of ‘vacating’ (forfeiting in non politically correct terms) is a bunch of garbage. It is a big heap, if it is suppose to act as a deterrent. Oh now the game that I watched where USC waxed OU by 35 points didn’t happen? And OU gets their dignity back in process of vacating? (Now Boomer Sooner wants to be in league when they are 0 for a lifetime against that team? I don’t get it.) Tubs’ gets a shot a the national title? Sorry AU fans – I hate it for you, really – but no. USC was the best team that year in college football, a report, 6 years later can’t undo that fact, even though Reggie’s Mom went to that and every other game courtesy of a wannabe agent.

Also was there a conspiracy between USC and NC2A, if it had to go hard on them do it when Pac-10 is planning on becoming Pac-16 and every major outlet is more worried where TX will go? A prefect dog wagging story in the world of college football if you will. Nobody cares that Reggie Bush got $250,000 worth of goods and services to attend USC. (No, I didn’t add up each proven allegation, but it is that high and you know it at least regardless if proven)

Just wish that the NC2A wouldn’t have lost their religion of couple of years earlier – it was there in the spotlight, in the corner. I think Mike Mills and Peter Buck can make a song with that line.
 
...but they just might get the opportunity for revival with the alleged illegal recruiting contact of Dillon Baxter

Thursday, June 10, 2010

End Game

People, People please stop with the “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it!” rhetoric. Was the SEC “broke” when they expanded to 12 teams to get to a SEC CG? – No. It was about OPPORTUNITY that existed then. NOW it’s about opportunity to go next level for the conference. Standing pat – playing wait and see ain’t getting it done. I fear that Commissioner Slive is ALLOWING an opportunity to float right bye.

You expand for 2 reasons: FB - to remain king and TV, trickle down dollars. Given that criteria, anything short of the SEC not getting TAMU, U TX, UM and FSU is a FAILURE! Adding those 4 as a group would make the SEC have the best TV markets in a geographic region in combination with THE BEST FB on the planet!!! I regret to believe 1 for 4, maybe 2 will happen – this ain’t baseball; it’s a ZERO sum game. Allowing Pac-10 to siphon off Big 12 South, Slive allowed the SEC power to be diminished. Slive ALLOWED Jim Delany (knucklehead) to out maneuver the SEC. Slive got a $2M bonus and sat around being phat and happy.

Now is the time to go all in w the best deal, salvage some face. Does the SEC have the Nuts (poker term people) as the entire do nothing proponents led us believe? UF will block Miami, because Slive hasn’t shown any stones in this process. Is Missouri or Maryland in play for SEC to capture eyeballs? Sloppy Seconds! FB- plzzzzzzzzzzzzzz? Any combination of GT, Clempson, VA T, UNC, VA add $17M (per team) in value? Does any of that group add to the SEC FB resume? Maybe VA Tech

Thanks to all Curmudgeons out there – the SEC is in 3rd place on the revenue track in danger of getting lapped – all while holding is best brand baton. As far as the FB crown goes is Slive going to be forced to remove it and place it on the head of Larry Scott – a girly tennis guy? You realize this locks the Rose Bowl up 4ever, blocking any further movement of Plus one, BCS consolidation, and playoff talk – shut down. The Rose Bowl just got 100 times more powerful! They are going to say we’ve got 2 of 3 best conference champions playing in OUR GAME, EVERY YEAR- no need to change and as a matter of fact we’re going back to the old system to make sure that we get that match up. The other champion is irrelevant in our world. With no other champion to play, THE SEC champion is ODD MAN out in that scenario!! FOR THE NEXT CENTURY!!!!!!!!! Thanks Slive – Thanks Curmudgeons! Thanks – We don’t Need TO people. Thanks Pres. Adams for all your leadership effort! SEC, UGA fate just got gloomier!

Wake up people! HELLO Big 12!

Saturday, June 5, 2010

The SEC response should be

Mike Slive is doing his best knucklehead Jim Delany impersonation. UGA President Adams is showing EXACTLY why he was bypass for the ultimate leadership position in college sports.
“I’ve said this before and when asked I’ve advised the commissioner: I think we’re in the driver’s seat on these kinds of issues,” Adams said Thursday in a hallway of the Sandestin Hilton. “I don’t think we have to necessarily respond to anybody.”
Evading leadership is not the SEC way, especially when it comes to matters involving football. Sitting around watching what everyone else does before making a decision is more for politicians. As any guy knows from playground scuffles, as any good military general knows, as any good coach knows, - The guy who strikes the hardest 1st wins and its' bad policy to play defense from your heels (just ask Willie- w his read & react D). Why not be “1st strike Mike” - why support a different policy? Expansion is GOING TO HAPPEN! Why not shape the landscape versus being molded by events or at the very best having fewer options?

Slive is letting another golden opportunity slip thru his fingers by not pursuing Texas harder, and he’s letting Larry Scott (Pac-10 commissioner) out flank him. If Larry Scott pulls off enough of a coalition to make his bean counters happy for a new TV deal, each Pac 10 member could be earning north of $20M. Oh by the way, if that does happen that means that the SEC will be in 3rd place in terms of revenue for each university – FOR THE NEXT 14 YEARS! Again this apparently sits well with Adams adding “Ratings are good, ESPN’s happy, we’re happy, and obviously the money is good.” Adams shows his true cloth by believing that good enough (3rd place) equates with greatness! As Slive reminded folks in Phoenix last month the SEC is supposed to be THE Preeminent athletic conference, but as the longer this expansion talk goes, as the paradigm shifts from rumor and speculation to credible reports and reality, the less I’m convinced that Slive is actively pursuing the mission – he’s denied it at every available instances. Or if he is trying to follow it, he’s trailing badly in the race after the first corner loosing to a knucklehead and a tennis enthusiast – not another football mind.

Can Slive pull another rabbit out of his hat? Yes. There are some signs that Larry Scoot maybe biting more than he can chew. Both DeLoss Dobbs (Texas AD) and Bill Byrne (TAMU AD) have both gone on the record about travel concerns. Apparently the TAMU WBB played in Pullman; disembarked from the plane in College Station @ 6 am and were back for class @ 8 am. And if it is ALL about the student athletes- well then? But could there be 20M reasons why a Pac-10 “East”, with essentially Big 12 South and both AZ schools, wouldn’t work??? Culturally, historic tradition and values would also have to be more in lined with the SEC. Notice I left off competitive reason for Texas. A conference and national title dream would come far easier playing a 2 game season OU, then USC for the right to go. However, in my wildest dreams, I couldn’t have ever imagine that DeLoss Dobbs would prefer traveling to Ashbury Park over Hoover, Ala. for a summit, but then the pursuit of money does a lot of different things to people.

There’s also the risk assumed by adopting the wait and see course action that the SEC will get the rep of feeding off “sloppy seconds”. Say TAMU (travel) and OU (just tried of the TX superiority attitude – want nothing else to do with the Horns.) do join the SEC in the end. Great, Slive just picked up what another didn’t want or need, yippee! Let’s hold a news conference! Then the SEC adds FSU and Clemson to make the sides even. What has that done other than increase the denominator to divide by? The SEC has no south FL presence, no state dominance in TX, already had SC and whole state of OK has fewer eyeballs than Roswell. That adds little that the suits in Bristol would want to shred the contract up.

Larry Scott just opened the tops of the silos; rocket fuel is being added; topped of with a nuclear war head. Slive needs to strike in order not become as relevant as Kansas or the ACC in this discussion. Adams, just please be quiet. Slive show some leadership, get some stones!

Update:
"Don't be afraid to fail. The greatest failure of all is failure to act when action is needed. Use the information that you've acquired in the past through the experiences you've had and act with self-control — but act."

John Wooden Global Leadership Award ceremony (May 21, 2009).

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Curmudgeon

(Reaction to a story that a soccer league is implementing a new forfeiture rule for scoring too often.)


Once again competitive kickball, which is oxy moronic to start with, shows why it is so popular in the evil empire. The curmudgeon rules now in place for college football are going to led us all down this same slippery slope. I'm telling you. Up four scores, by rule the QB and center have to switch places. Gawd forbid go up five scores and you friggen loose?!?! I for one say this evil tyranny must be stopped at the border.

I am an old school guy. I say that if it was good enough in WWII; then by Gawd it is good enough now. Did America get flagged for fifteen yards (and retreat) when the 6 Marines face planted The Stars and Stripes on top of the highest hill on the island of Iwo Jima? No! Did the Japanese feel dis’? Probably! Did it matter? Heck No! The Marines still shouted HOORAH afterwards! It was celebrated! It became iconic on the cover of Life. For all the old farts who are against a little shakin', history teaches some chest pounding, fist thrusting, and yes even dancing is a good thang! Plus it is a heck of a lot better than the alternative under the misdirected attempt, guise at sportsmanship.

Only by standing together we will stop the advancement of THE incredibly annoying hum emanating from the thousands of plastic horns that you'll hear during the next 45 days of the World Cup (And you thought that cowbells in Stark Vegas were headache producing - jeez). And standing together we can kick these curmudgeon rules slipping into Gawd's “Beautiful” Sport to the curb!....Or by 2013 when your team goes up three scores your QB will have to throw passes with his nondominant hand under the premise of being fair.