The KC Star says our long national nightmare is over, Mizzou has been extended an offer to join the SEC. Actually, Mike DeArmond of the KC Star says that and he says that because a booster says that. Hence the question mark above. "Don't believe anything until the ink has dried," is what I say. I also happen to say "Chop Mike DeArmond up into a bunch of little pieces and spread him from 'Bama to South Carolina if he's wrong on this one."
At any rate, SB Nation thinks enough of the report (or of DeArmond) that they are citing it, too.
PowerMizzou.com has a free article with some interesting questions:
(1) Could Mizzou make the move to the SEC independent of what Oklahoma and Oklahoma State decide?
(2) Will the desire to keep the Big 12 intact win out, if the Oklahoma schools opt to stay?
(3) If Oklahoma and Oklahoma State do leave, is that the final blow that cannot be overcome, and does that launch Missouri to the SEC? Or could Texas somehow scrape together enough support to keep the Tigers around and hold a watered-down version of the conference together?
My answers are YES, NO, YES/NO. What are yours? Post in the comments.
While you are posting consider answering any of these questions:
(1) How the hell are we going to compete in the SEC in football? One nightmare ends, another begins.
(2) Will the Bigelows get a divorce because one conference isn't big enough for the both of them?
(3) How much more racist does the Mizzou fan base need to get to fit into the rest of the SEC fan base?
(4) Does this mean we have to learn to speak pig, or whatever it is they speak in Arkansas at the games?
(5) What will the division alignment in the SEC look like?
(6) Will there be 14 or 16 teams?
(7) What will the fan base do to DeArmond if he happens to be wrong?
(8) Are there standard issue SEC jorts, or can we just make our own?
(9) Can kU be team 15 or 16 and at this point how much do your care?
(10) Will we have to share our "secret" of indoor plumbing with the State of Alabama?
(11) Can we now marry, or at minimum kiss our sisters?
(12) Would you rather be in a Big 12 with "leftovers" (Iowa State and Baylor type leftovers) or the SEC? or Would you rather be in the ACC or SEC?
Summary
Breathe easy. I'm feeling much better than when I wrote the "Fog of War" blog just a few hours ago. Worst case scenario we're move from the best football league in the country to the next best football league in the country. That's a pretty good worst case scenario.
Showing posts with label SEC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label SEC. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Monday, September 19, 2011
Zero Hour?
Code Blue has been called and the docs are working on what's left of the Big 12. The Priest has been sent in to sit with the family. The Big 12's gotten off the operating table before, but this time it looks grim. Here is what folks are saying:
(1) 'Cuse and Pitt have been accepted into the ACC. As the article states: "The Longhorn Network started all of this." Only thing standing in their way: 27 months and 5 million. That's the Big East exit fee and time delay in getting out of their conference contract. The 5 million ain't a problem, the 27 months is. College Football should look "interesting" next year. As this article state, the Big East is dead.
(2) The Big East is dead. Oh wait, we heard that before. Money quote: "There's a pattern here: The ACC gets what it wants, and the Big East settles for padding its ranks with the scraps."
(3) In the first good news I've heard in a while, Out Kick the Coverage says W. Virginia is not headed to the SEC. It's worth clicking on the link to see the pic. The premise is the SEC President's won't let a University into the league who is, nationally, barely considered a University. Seems reasonable to me.
(4) I mean, if you burn couches after wins and losses, I don't know if you deserve to be in the SEC anyway. The fire marshal has declared that all residents must put any potential kindling locked inside their homes before the game begins. Again, seems reasonable to me. The fact that he has to ask/enforce this rule, perhaps a bit unreasonable.
(5) Know an honorable man running college sports? Wait a few minutes. Not a particularly insightful article, but one that points out how crazy this mess has become.
(6) Also not insightful: anything coming out of kU's normal circle of sports coverage. It's almost as if kU and k-State's sports columnists are just walking around in a haze. If we think we should be nervous at Mizzou, let's just say our friends are feeling worse than we are.
(7) Mizzou has lots of options, but few certainties, says PowerMizzou. Meanwhile, Saturday's game at OU could be our last one. What won't be sad is putting a mark in the loss column every other year since the 60's, what will be sad is the loss of yet another rival. On to the game this Saturday...21.5 points. Are you serious? I know it's a road game and I know they are #1, but really? Three touchdowns?!?
(8) I don't know Frank the Tank and I really don't know what he is trying to say here, but I thought I would pass it along for all to see. Somewhere in the article he's trying to say--I think--that Texas might go indy in football but put all other sports in the ACC and then Notre Dame might do the same? Good luck getting through it. It was an idea that hadn't been presented before. I thought you deserved to know. You're welcome.
(9) Shocker: Mack Brown wants to keep making up the rules as he goes along and keep getting handsomely rewarded for it. In other words, he prefers the Big 12 to stay together.
(10) Not-a-Shocker: T Boone Pickens? Still an asshole. His awful little school is lucky to be in the same state with a really good one.
(11) A Rock-M-Nation columnists (and founder?) hits the big time with SB Nation. Congrats.
(12) At Michigan, grandma's participate in shotgun beer races. Neat? Neat.
(13) Some random from Mercury News in the Bay Area, CA just tweeted that Pac 12-20 has Mizzou high on its radar. So that could mean Texas & T Tech or OK and OK State aren't going to the Pac 12-20. Or it could mean nothing at all...bringing us to...the summary.
Summary
Conference realignment has been a lot lot like a trip to Vegas: Lots of high, lots of lows. Some laughter, some tears. Some excitements, some fears. Right now, though? I just want to get off the ride. Let's just get this over with, says the BoCoMo Trib. To quote: "And as exciting as this realignment ride has been, I’m ready to reach the destination." Me too. I'm ready to go home. Where ever that home may be.
(1) 'Cuse and Pitt have been accepted into the ACC. As the article states: "The Longhorn Network started all of this." Only thing standing in their way: 27 months and 5 million. That's the Big East exit fee and time delay in getting out of their conference contract. The 5 million ain't a problem, the 27 months is. College Football should look "interesting" next year. As this article state, the Big East is dead.
(2) The Big East is dead. Oh wait, we heard that before. Money quote: "There's a pattern here: The ACC gets what it wants, and the Big East settles for padding its ranks with the scraps."
(3) In the first good news I've heard in a while, Out Kick the Coverage says W. Virginia is not headed to the SEC. It's worth clicking on the link to see the pic. The premise is the SEC President's won't let a University into the league who is, nationally, barely considered a University. Seems reasonable to me.
(4) I mean, if you burn couches after wins and losses, I don't know if you deserve to be in the SEC anyway. The fire marshal has declared that all residents must put any potential kindling locked inside their homes before the game begins. Again, seems reasonable to me. The fact that he has to ask/enforce this rule, perhaps a bit unreasonable.
(5) Know an honorable man running college sports? Wait a few minutes. Not a particularly insightful article, but one that points out how crazy this mess has become.
(6) Also not insightful: anything coming out of kU's normal circle of sports coverage. It's almost as if kU and k-State's sports columnists are just walking around in a haze. If we think we should be nervous at Mizzou, let's just say our friends are feeling worse than we are.
(7) Mizzou has lots of options, but few certainties, says PowerMizzou. Meanwhile, Saturday's game at OU could be our last one. What won't be sad is putting a mark in the loss column every other year since the 60's, what will be sad is the loss of yet another rival. On to the game this Saturday...21.5 points. Are you serious? I know it's a road game and I know they are #1, but really? Three touchdowns?!?
(8) I don't know Frank the Tank and I really don't know what he is trying to say here, but I thought I would pass it along for all to see. Somewhere in the article he's trying to say--I think--that Texas might go indy in football but put all other sports in the ACC and then Notre Dame might do the same? Good luck getting through it. It was an idea that hadn't been presented before. I thought you deserved to know. You're welcome.
(9) Shocker: Mack Brown wants to keep making up the rules as he goes along and keep getting handsomely rewarded for it. In other words, he prefers the Big 12 to stay together.
(10) Not-a-Shocker: T Boone Pickens? Still an asshole. His awful little school is lucky to be in the same state with a really good one.
(11) A Rock-M-Nation columnists (and founder?) hits the big time with SB Nation. Congrats.
(12) At Michigan, grandma's participate in shotgun beer races. Neat? Neat.
(13) Some random from Mercury News in the Bay Area, CA just tweeted that Pac 12-20 has Mizzou high on its radar. So that could mean Texas & T Tech or OK and OK State aren't going to the Pac 12-20. Or it could mean nothing at all...bringing us to...the summary.
Summary
Conference realignment has been a lot lot like a trip to Vegas: Lots of high, lots of lows. Some laughter, some tears. Some excitements, some fears. Right now, though? I just want to get off the ride. Let's just get this over with, says the BoCoMo Trib. To quote: "And as exciting as this realignment ride has been, I’m ready to reach the destination." Me too. I'm ready to go home. Where ever that home may be.
Friday, September 16, 2011
Everything Must Belong Somewhere...
...or so says Bright Eyes. Where do we all belong...that's what we sort through today with a mega-list of links:
(1) The bottom line is Oklahoma will decide where everyone belongs and it looks like they will decide it on Monday. Brady Deaton agrees, its all up to OU as to what happens next.
(2) SI thinks everyone has lost their mind. The teams in the Big 12 below where they are. A funny quote: "The Big 12 does not evoke nostalgic affection. This is the league that diminished and ultimately destroyed Oklahoma-Nebraska, which was one of the top five rivalries in college football. It killed the old Southwestern Conference, which made cheating almost seem charming."
(3) If OU makes the decision to break up the Little 9 by heading west, Texas has a decision to make as to where it belongs. Texas is scared of the SEC says Out Kick the Coverage. And they are right. If you read nothing else, read this. The two key quotes:
(a) "There's only one issue for Texas -- going to the ACC and flying over the SEC would demonstrate beyond a shadow of a doubt that Texas is scared of the SEC. Why? Because it makes the most financial sense for Texas to join the SEC. That is, Texas could make more money in the SEC than any other conference. That's because the SEC allows all schools to retain their local media rights. That means the Longhorn Network is the most feasible of all the major conferences in the SEC."
(b) "Texas, who received an offer to join the SEC last year, hasn't explored the SEC at all even as the very foundation of the Big 12 is rocked. Why? Because unlike their Texas A&M brethren the Longhorns are steers, gelded pansies afraid of competing in a real conference. The Longhorns, plain and simple, are bullies, and bullies don't like to be challenged. Instead of joining the conference they border replete with ready national rivalries, Texas would rather fly over the SEC and join the ACC, conference of perennial football lightweights. All hat, no cattle indeed."
(4) Jeff Schultz isn't buying that Texas belongs in the ACC. Perhaps more accurately, he says that they are swooping in to use the conference. Frank the Tank Disagrees and says the ACC for Texas makes sense. The Daily is pushing Texas toward the SEC.
(5) Who is deciding where programs belong? Doctors and dentists says CBS Sportsline. An interesting read about how Trustees are trying to serve as Athletic Directors and are failing in the process.
(6) Where does Dan "Mr. Longhorn" Beebe belong? Evidently making campus visits to schools that are already united in keeping the Little 9 together. Makes perfect sense to me.
(7) Perhaps the united part of the Little 9 isn't so united, says SB Nation. A humorous look at a Missouri town who is suing to try and get kU to drop its athletics mascot. Note the shirt the kid is wearing in the picture in this article.
(8) Whatever happens, teams don't belong in conferences over 12 members, says SB Nation. The reason: they all implode. Quickly.
(9) Meanwhile, the Big East says Mizzou, kU and k-State belong with them. A funny story.
(10) The St. Louis P-D asked where Mizzou belongs and the answers from their experts were a bunch of mindless dribble other than this really funny quote from alum Jeff Gordon: "...and poor Frank Haith has nightmares about the ACC talk. Been there, failed at that."
(1) The bottom line is Oklahoma will decide where everyone belongs and it looks like they will decide it on Monday. Brady Deaton agrees, its all up to OU as to what happens next.
(2) SI thinks everyone has lost their mind. The teams in the Big 12 below where they are. A funny quote: "The Big 12 does not evoke nostalgic affection. This is the league that diminished and ultimately destroyed Oklahoma-Nebraska, which was one of the top five rivalries in college football. It killed the old Southwestern Conference, which made cheating almost seem charming."
(3) If OU makes the decision to break up the Little 9 by heading west, Texas has a decision to make as to where it belongs. Texas is scared of the SEC says Out Kick the Coverage. And they are right. If you read nothing else, read this. The two key quotes:
(a) "There's only one issue for Texas -- going to the ACC and flying over the SEC would demonstrate beyond a shadow of a doubt that Texas is scared of the SEC. Why? Because it makes the most financial sense for Texas to join the SEC. That is, Texas could make more money in the SEC than any other conference. That's because the SEC allows all schools to retain their local media rights. That means the Longhorn Network is the most feasible of all the major conferences in the SEC."
(b) "Texas, who received an offer to join the SEC last year, hasn't explored the SEC at all even as the very foundation of the Big 12 is rocked. Why? Because unlike their Texas A&M brethren the Longhorns are steers, gelded pansies afraid of competing in a real conference. The Longhorns, plain and simple, are bullies, and bullies don't like to be challenged. Instead of joining the conference they border replete with ready national rivalries, Texas would rather fly over the SEC and join the ACC, conference of perennial football lightweights. All hat, no cattle indeed."
(4) Jeff Schultz isn't buying that Texas belongs in the ACC. Perhaps more accurately, he says that they are swooping in to use the conference. Frank the Tank Disagrees and says the ACC for Texas makes sense. The Daily is pushing Texas toward the SEC.
(5) Who is deciding where programs belong? Doctors and dentists says CBS Sportsline. An interesting read about how Trustees are trying to serve as Athletic Directors and are failing in the process.
(6) Where does Dan "Mr. Longhorn" Beebe belong? Evidently making campus visits to schools that are already united in keeping the Little 9 together. Makes perfect sense to me.
(7) Perhaps the united part of the Little 9 isn't so united, says SB Nation. A humorous look at a Missouri town who is suing to try and get kU to drop its athletics mascot. Note the shirt the kid is wearing in the picture in this article.
(8) Whatever happens, teams don't belong in conferences over 12 members, says SB Nation. The reason: they all implode. Quickly.
(9) Meanwhile, the Big East says Mizzou, kU and k-State belong with them. A funny story.
(10) The St. Louis P-D asked where Mizzou belongs and the answers from their experts were a bunch of mindless dribble other than this really funny quote from alum Jeff Gordon: "...and poor Frank Haith has nightmares about the ACC talk. Been there, failed at that."
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Beebe Lives! Big 10 Dreams Die! Lots of Links!
Dan "Mr. Longhorn" Beebe stopped his drinking binge (or whatever he is on) long enough to release a statement. Like most everything he does, I think it was pretty weak. Basically, he said Big 12 central offices wouldn't sue SEC but that didn't cover individual member schools.
Or in other words, Congress and the President could sign a peace treaty with France but each state's national guard could ship troops over and invade. The real question is this: other than his own stupidity, what did Mr. Longhorn get from the SEC in return for not suing centrally? The answer to that question may be a problem for Mizzou fans. Although its pure speculation at this point, many national journalists are thinking that Beebe got an agreement that the SEC wouldn't take any other Little 9 schools.
If the SEC is out, we're in trouble. Gabe DeArmond of PowerMizzou.com tweets that the Big 10 isn't adding more members. If the SEC doesn't take Mizzou, we're headed way west or way east.
Speaking of tweets, to lighten the mood before the links here is the best one from yesterday via Sam Mellinger of the KC Star: "In his next career, I wonder if Dan Beebe would make for a good divorce attorney. He'd be your first choice to rep your spouse, anyway."
On to the links:
(1) Alum Pat Forde of ESPN says this whole thing is laughable. The key sentence pointed out by a loyal reader: "So the implosion of the Big 12 clearly would be a scary thing for Baylor. Same for the largely undesirable commodities to the north known as Kansas, Kansas State and Iowa State." Controversial question for the comments section: 10 years ago is our (Mizzou's) name in that sentence?
(2) Baylor seems to think they are saving football more than saving themselves. This person seems to think the Baptists are also saving souls.
(3) Greg Tepper of Dave's Cambell's Texas Football says, there are no villains in realignment. There are, though, plenty of emotions:
"But that’s when I get back to the emotion part, something I simply can’t grasp. Fans want to see their school do better than every other school (understandably so), which is why you see illogical, irrational statements like “Sticking it to Texas” and “Baylor’s being desperate.” Neither of those is true.
College football, first and foremost, is a business. These are business decisions. If Apple were making these decisions, we’d applaud them for doing what’s best for their shareholders.
A&M (with the SEC) and Baylor (with the reported threatened legal action) and OU (with reported flirting with the Pac-12) and Texas (with the Longhorn Network) are only acting in their best interest as institutions."
(4) Whoever is to blame, we need to get to a resolution quickly says NewsOK. The trip is killing us!
(5) If you are really bored at work, here are a shit-ton of links from Mr. SEC.com.
(6) Here is Rivals.com preview of Friday night's game.
Summary
Everyone is blaming everyone else for this mess instead of moving us forward toward resolution. It will be interesting to see who steps up. I think it has to be Oklahoma. Once they make a decision, others will quickly follow suit.
Something sad to ponder which was posted by a reader on the Forde column: 60% of the Little 9 are currently ranked in the Top 25. Why, again, are we blowing up this league? As Tepper said above, it's all about emotions and what we're seeing is a very emotional and very public divorce. Worst news of all? Dan "Mr. Longhorn" Beebe is our divorce lawyer.
Or in other words, Congress and the President could sign a peace treaty with France but each state's national guard could ship troops over and invade. The real question is this: other than his own stupidity, what did Mr. Longhorn get from the SEC in return for not suing centrally? The answer to that question may be a problem for Mizzou fans. Although its pure speculation at this point, many national journalists are thinking that Beebe got an agreement that the SEC wouldn't take any other Little 9 schools.
If the SEC is out, we're in trouble. Gabe DeArmond of PowerMizzou.com tweets that the Big 10 isn't adding more members. If the SEC doesn't take Mizzou, we're headed way west or way east.
Speaking of tweets, to lighten the mood before the links here is the best one from yesterday via Sam Mellinger of the KC Star: "In his next career, I wonder if Dan Beebe would make for a good divorce attorney. He'd be your first choice to rep your spouse, anyway."
On to the links:
(1) Alum Pat Forde of ESPN says this whole thing is laughable. The key sentence pointed out by a loyal reader: "So the implosion of the Big 12 clearly would be a scary thing for Baylor. Same for the largely undesirable commodities to the north known as Kansas, Kansas State and Iowa State." Controversial question for the comments section: 10 years ago is our (Mizzou's) name in that sentence?
(2) Baylor seems to think they are saving football more than saving themselves. This person seems to think the Baptists are also saving souls.
(3) Greg Tepper of Dave's Cambell's Texas Football says, there are no villains in realignment. There are, though, plenty of emotions:
"But that’s when I get back to the emotion part, something I simply can’t grasp. Fans want to see their school do better than every other school (understandably so), which is why you see illogical, irrational statements like “Sticking it to Texas” and “Baylor’s being desperate.” Neither of those is true.
College football, first and foremost, is a business. These are business decisions. If Apple were making these decisions, we’d applaud them for doing what’s best for their shareholders.
A&M (with the SEC) and Baylor (with the reported threatened legal action) and OU (with reported flirting with the Pac-12) and Texas (with the Longhorn Network) are only acting in their best interest as institutions."
(4) Whoever is to blame, we need to get to a resolution quickly says NewsOK. The trip is killing us!
(5) If you are really bored at work, here are a shit-ton of links from Mr. SEC.com.
(6) Here is Rivals.com preview of Friday night's game.
Summary
Everyone is blaming everyone else for this mess instead of moving us forward toward resolution. It will be interesting to see who steps up. I think it has to be Oklahoma. Once they make a decision, others will quickly follow suit.
Something sad to ponder which was posted by a reader on the Forde column: 60% of the Little 9 are currently ranked in the Top 25. Why, again, are we blowing up this league? As Tepper said above, it's all about emotions and what we're seeing is a very emotional and very public divorce. Worst news of all? Dan "Mr. Longhorn" Beebe is our divorce lawyer.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Mid Afternoon Update: Updates + First Two Little 9 Games + Comparing the Options
Not a lot of updates since the mega-post earlier, but here is what's new/interesting since then:
(1) In a shock to no-one, Arkansas turned down the Little 9's invite to join the league. Quickly.
(2) The heartland will be left without a conference, writes KC Star's Sam Mellinger. If you read nothing else, read this one. Money quote: "In a sort of Whac-A-Mole game gone wild, no logical theory goes unchallenged for more than a few hours, no rumor is safe for more than a day, and even credible sources contradict one another." In other words, hold on tight until the ink dries on all of the contracts.
(3) Someone wants Mizzou to go to the SEC. The benefit of this unproductive site is that is maps out possible SEC Divisions. More on that below.
(4) Here's a free mailbag from PowerMizzou.com. It outlines the site's thoughts on the different leagues.
In summary, what we have is a high stakes game of chicken. Whether OU leaves or not, the Little 9 is pretty much dead. The SEC has been quotes as saying OU isn't worth the price of having to take OK State. There is also bad blood there from last summer when the SEC wanted OU and were rebuffed. With that option off the table and in desperate need of at least one more team the SEC could stop Big 10 expansion dead in its tracks by taking Mizzou.
The Big 10 is in a hard spot in that its feeling good with the army its got and its know if it takes Mizzou it will end up having to take at least one other team it doesn't. I'm scared to put this in print, but I don't see how kU is all that bad. Ideally the Big 10 will step up, take both Mizzou and kU and we can put this whole ugly episode behind us. I just don't think that is going happen. Out of all of the conferences, the Big 10 has been the slowest to react. If Mizzou gets an offer from another conference and doesn't have one from the Big 10, its got to take the other offer.
Worst case, we stay buddies with kU and join the Big East, who has a real commissioner. While the football match-ups don't look appealing, with a 10 team league my guess is (1) a new TV deal will happen, and (2) new bowl game agreements will be reached. DC folks will also get a great chance to see, in person or on TV, a good deal of games. In basketball we're upgraded, which is a problem because we don't presently have a coach, but I'm sure once this conference thing gets sorted out, Alden will turn his attention there next. Right?
That's a bad worst case, but not the absolute end of the world. We'd win football conference championships for at least the next 5-10 years. I guess the actual worst case is the Little 9 stay intact, but lets not even think about that right now.
Most likely I think we'll end up in the SEC if we don't end up in the Big East. Entering the best football conference in the nation brings some excitement, but also brings some acid reflux when you start looking at the scheduling.
I think the most logical thing to do would be to divide the SEC into East and West Divisions. I agree with one of the dividing lines on the website above that puts Mizzou, Arkansas, Ole Miss, Miss State, LSU, Bama and A&M in the West and FL, UK, TN, Vandy, SC, GA and Auburn in the East. Each side has two terrible teams (West: Ole Miss, M State; East: UK, Vandy) and two powerhouses (East: FL, Auburn/GA; West: Bama, LSU). The problem with this arrangement is the Iron Bowl between Bama and Auburn but that could be worked out where they play each other every year as one of their out-of-division game.
The other alignment proposed has Mizzou, Vandy, TN, UK, UGA, SC and FL in the NE Division and Arkansas, A&M, LSU, Ole Miss, M State, Bama, and Auburn in the SW Division. I guess this assumes that SC stays good, FL adapts to its new coach, UGA gets over the hump, and TN finds its way back to glory. If not, the SW Division with LSU, Bama, and Auburn appears to be much stronger. I also don't think we'd be doing back flips about playing A&M (and in our TX recruiting grounds) only once every several years rather than every year. I think East and West alignment is most likely.
Based on that premise let's look at our schedule this year versus a possible SEC West schedule:
Little 9 (my predictions for each game)
Miami OH -- Win
Arizona St -- Win (more on this below)
Western IL -- Win
Oklahoma -- Loss
K-State -- Win
Iowa State -- Win
OK State -- Win (more on this below)
A&M -- Loss
Baylor -- Win (more on this below)
Texas -- Win (finally)
Texas Tech -- Win
Kansas -- Win
Total Record: 10-2
SEC West
Miami OH -- Win
Arizona St -- Win
Western IL -- Win
Arkansas -- Win (?)
Ole Miss -- Win
Miss State -- Win
LSU -- Loss
Bama -- Loss
A&M -- Loss (road)
SEC East -- Win (one of the bad ones)
SEC East -- Loss (one of the good ones on the road)
SEC East -- Win (?)
Total Record: 7.5-4.5
As you can see, life gets more difficult. We'll have to rise to the occasion. In terms of Big East or SEC...today with an unclear mind I'm siding SEC as much as that hurts to type.
Speaking of rising to the occasion, that brings us to last week's performance and this Friday's game...
Friday we'll be without six starters, including our starting tailback who has a broken leg. Not good. Last Saturday our offense wasn't very good either, with lots of breakdowns in lots of different places, says GP. The good news? WE WON. The even better news? Franklin gave himself a "D" grade for the game and was able to break down what went wrong and why it went wrong.
After loss its good to hear from frank assessment from team and coaching staff. As I said in the preview to the game, this is a team that is going to have to get better each week. What shocked and scared me, though, is the position we're starting from. The offense looked so out of synch that I just don't know if we can recover in a short week and beat ASU on the road. Alum Pat Forde says we can't, and takes ASU 21-17. I picked the Tigers to win, but I'm not feeling great about that and my OK State & Baylor predictions. I'll keep the faith, though, and take Mizzou 14-10 (not a misprint) over ASU in an ugly game. Our best hope: one of those two TDs are on defense and one of our running backs steps up and doesn't turn the ball over. It will be ugly, but a win is a win. Here is hoping for one more this week.
LATE BREAKING NEWS: Iowa State joins the Baylor lawsuit and reports have kU and Kansas State jumping on board as well. Note the fact that we aren't and also note that it all means this won't get resolved this week, next week, or anytime soon.
(1) In a shock to no-one, Arkansas turned down the Little 9's invite to join the league. Quickly.
(2) The heartland will be left without a conference, writes KC Star's Sam Mellinger. If you read nothing else, read this one. Money quote: "In a sort of Whac-A-Mole game gone wild, no logical theory goes unchallenged for more than a few hours, no rumor is safe for more than a day, and even credible sources contradict one another." In other words, hold on tight until the ink dries on all of the contracts.
(3) Someone wants Mizzou to go to the SEC. The benefit of this unproductive site is that is maps out possible SEC Divisions. More on that below.
(4) Here's a free mailbag from PowerMizzou.com. It outlines the site's thoughts on the different leagues.
In summary, what we have is a high stakes game of chicken. Whether OU leaves or not, the Little 9 is pretty much dead. The SEC has been quotes as saying OU isn't worth the price of having to take OK State. There is also bad blood there from last summer when the SEC wanted OU and were rebuffed. With that option off the table and in desperate need of at least one more team the SEC could stop Big 10 expansion dead in its tracks by taking Mizzou.
The Big 10 is in a hard spot in that its feeling good with the army its got and its know if it takes Mizzou it will end up having to take at least one other team it doesn't. I'm scared to put this in print, but I don't see how kU is all that bad. Ideally the Big 10 will step up, take both Mizzou and kU and we can put this whole ugly episode behind us. I just don't think that is going happen. Out of all of the conferences, the Big 10 has been the slowest to react. If Mizzou gets an offer from another conference and doesn't have one from the Big 10, its got to take the other offer.
Worst case, we stay buddies with kU and join the Big East, who has a real commissioner. While the football match-ups don't look appealing, with a 10 team league my guess is (1) a new TV deal will happen, and (2) new bowl game agreements will be reached. DC folks will also get a great chance to see, in person or on TV, a good deal of games. In basketball we're upgraded, which is a problem because we don't presently have a coach, but I'm sure once this conference thing gets sorted out, Alden will turn his attention there next. Right?
That's a bad worst case, but not the absolute end of the world. We'd win football conference championships for at least the next 5-10 years. I guess the actual worst case is the Little 9 stay intact, but lets not even think about that right now.
Most likely I think we'll end up in the SEC if we don't end up in the Big East. Entering the best football conference in the nation brings some excitement, but also brings some acid reflux when you start looking at the scheduling.
I think the most logical thing to do would be to divide the SEC into East and West Divisions. I agree with one of the dividing lines on the website above that puts Mizzou, Arkansas, Ole Miss, Miss State, LSU, Bama and A&M in the West and FL, UK, TN, Vandy, SC, GA and Auburn in the East. Each side has two terrible teams (West: Ole Miss, M State; East: UK, Vandy) and two powerhouses (East: FL, Auburn/GA; West: Bama, LSU). The problem with this arrangement is the Iron Bowl between Bama and Auburn but that could be worked out where they play each other every year as one of their out-of-division game.
The other alignment proposed has Mizzou, Vandy, TN, UK, UGA, SC and FL in the NE Division and Arkansas, A&M, LSU, Ole Miss, M State, Bama, and Auburn in the SW Division. I guess this assumes that SC stays good, FL adapts to its new coach, UGA gets over the hump, and TN finds its way back to glory. If not, the SW Division with LSU, Bama, and Auburn appears to be much stronger. I also don't think we'd be doing back flips about playing A&M (and in our TX recruiting grounds) only once every several years rather than every year. I think East and West alignment is most likely.
Based on that premise let's look at our schedule this year versus a possible SEC West schedule:
Little 9 (my predictions for each game)
Miami OH -- Win
Arizona St -- Win (more on this below)
Western IL -- Win
Oklahoma -- Loss
K-State -- Win
Iowa State -- Win
OK State -- Win (more on this below)
A&M -- Loss
Baylor -- Win (more on this below)
Texas -- Win (finally)
Texas Tech -- Win
Kansas -- Win
Total Record: 10-2
SEC West
Miami OH -- Win
Arizona St -- Win
Western IL -- Win
Arkansas -- Win (?)
Ole Miss -- Win
Miss State -- Win
LSU -- Loss
Bama -- Loss
A&M -- Loss (road)
SEC East -- Win (one of the bad ones)
SEC East -- Loss (one of the good ones on the road)
SEC East -- Win (?)
Total Record: 7.5-4.5
As you can see, life gets more difficult. We'll have to rise to the occasion. In terms of Big East or SEC...today with an unclear mind I'm siding SEC as much as that hurts to type.
Speaking of rising to the occasion, that brings us to last week's performance and this Friday's game...
Friday we'll be without six starters, including our starting tailback who has a broken leg. Not good. Last Saturday our offense wasn't very good either, with lots of breakdowns in lots of different places, says GP. The good news? WE WON. The even better news? Franklin gave himself a "D" grade for the game and was able to break down what went wrong and why it went wrong.
After loss its good to hear from frank assessment from team and coaching staff. As I said in the preview to the game, this is a team that is going to have to get better each week. What shocked and scared me, though, is the position we're starting from. The offense looked so out of synch that I just don't know if we can recover in a short week and beat ASU on the road. Alum Pat Forde says we can't, and takes ASU 21-17. I picked the Tigers to win, but I'm not feeling great about that and my OK State & Baylor predictions. I'll keep the faith, though, and take Mizzou 14-10 (not a misprint) over ASU in an ugly game. Our best hope: one of those two TDs are on defense and one of our running backs steps up and doesn't turn the ball over. It will be ugly, but a win is a win. Here is hoping for one more this week.
LATE BREAKING NEWS: Iowa State joins the Baylor lawsuit and reports have kU and Kansas State jumping on board as well. Note the fact that we aren't and also note that it all means this won't get resolved this week, next week, or anytime soon.
Ins and Outs
E-mailed 8/30/11
Lots of movement going on around our great country and on our college campuses. Many new students moving in here on the Hilltop, so sorry some of this news is old. On to the links:
(1) Irene moved in (and out) of the east coast leaving destruction in her wake (pics). Meanwhile, douche bag Eric Cantor and the Tea Party are trying to continue the destruction by holding disaster relief dollars hostage unless they are balanced by spending cuts.
(2) The Cardinals have solidly moved out of the playoff chase with sixth massive August/September collapse in a row. Some are shocked. I am not: it was a flawed team to begin with. Teams with poor defense and no relief pitching don't play in October and we aren't, several years running.
(3) Moving into the Tiger Broadcast booth: Howard Richard. Who, you say? He's a former Tiger player recruited by the coach he is replacing. I say: give him a chance. If he succeeds it will be quite the story for Mizzou's Communication Department.
(4) Moving out of the Tiger's starting line-up on Saturday: three starters. The result is Lebanon, Missouri native Justin Britt moving into the starting offensive line. Justin loves Jesus on his twitter feed and on the football field is "one of our more versatile linemen" says GP.
(5) The defense has solidly moved into the forefront of the Mizzou football program. The reason? Defensive Coordinator Dave Steckel. And with three starters gone and a new QB we'll need every bit of our defense of Saturday to stop a balanced Miami team who is thinking upset. I think our team speed and home crowd will be too much for a team who plays at home in a stadium with no assigned seats for alumni or students. I say Mizzou wins in a squeaker: 21-17. Mizzou fans will be nervous until Miami-OH goes out and wins the MAC. Something Tiger fans need to accept: our team will get better as the season moves along, so don't judge based on some bad first looks against the Red Hawks.
(6) Moving out of the Big 12: Texas A&M. The University has moved past trying to prove a point and into all out aggression. When your coach says of this season, "We have a bunch of seniors on this team that will never play in that conference" you know the bags are packed. Says Mizzou Chancellor and Big 12 Board President Brady Deaton: "If Texas A&M does send that letter, we are poised to move aggressively to assure a strong Big 12." While that certainly is brave talk, I don't see it happening. In a wildly incoherent article by CBS Sportsline Dennis Dodd, one point he makes is BYU makes good sense for the Big 12-3 and for BYU. Let's just say I'm not confident in conference leadership but if we replace A&M with BYU we are at wash I feel in terms of quality. I just don't see BYU backing down from the opportunity to form national rivalries on each coast and then being able to recruit nationally, just like Notre Dame. Word is we'll move to Air Force if BYU says no. From there its anyone's guess with Louisville and Pitt being most discussed options. SMU is begging to be let in. They also have evidently designed their new locker room to look like a strip club. If we replace A&M with SMU, we might as well just move things along and fold the conference because it just makes us look like a national embarrassment.
(7) Moving out of the Big 12: Missouri? Nope. Big 10 says its staying put with its current teams. What about moving into the SEC? Well, its all kinds of crazy with teams being bantered about from Missouri to TCU and Louisville to Virginia Tech. Florida State rumors won't die and now North Carolina has been added to the mix. North Carolina? And their football program? Really? That's when know sure things are not necessarily sure things...such as...
(8) ...when A&M's moving trucks pump the breaks. No official letter has been sent informing the Big 12-3 of their release from the the conference, which will cost them $16-18 million. Why not? The SEC is getting cold feet tweets incoherent CBS Sportsline Dennis Dodd. They don't want to be "that guy" that breaks up another conference fearing their expansion will completely unravel the Big 12-3. So to recap: A&M is in a conference that no longer wants them and wants into a conference that might not take them. Sounds like if we fire Dan "Mr. Longhorn" Beebe we should look no further than the A&M President, who appears to be doing a bang up job running his athletics program.
(9) Moving into snuggle position with Mizzou: our good friends from kU. A compelling article from the KC Star. Conference realignment makes strange bedfellows.
(10) In other news a liar denies lying. I don't know how much longer this whole Haith thing can go on, but when NPR announces like it did this morning that a scandal at the U of Miami involves a donor "heaping cash and strippers on members of the football AND BASKETBALL teams" I can't imagine its a good idea to let it go on much longer. Mizzou athletics implored us to "Have Faith in Haith" but I'm now imploring Alden to have to courage to do what is right and start an internal investigation against the wishes of the NCAA. Its clear this isn't a clean man. We need to find the evidence, remove him, and move on. Here's hoping we have the courage to move him out.
And here's hoping we get to make a mark in the win column on Saturday,
Doug
Lots of movement going on around our great country and on our college campuses. Many new students moving in here on the Hilltop, so sorry some of this news is old. On to the links:
(1) Irene moved in (and out) of the east coast leaving destruction in her wake (pics). Meanwhile, douche bag Eric Cantor and the Tea Party are trying to continue the destruction by holding disaster relief dollars hostage unless they are balanced by spending cuts.
(2) The Cardinals have solidly moved out of the playoff chase with sixth massive August/September collapse in a row. Some are shocked. I am not: it was a flawed team to begin with. Teams with poor defense and no relief pitching don't play in October and we aren't, several years running.
(3) Moving into the Tiger Broadcast booth: Howard Richard. Who, you say? He's a former Tiger player recruited by the coach he is replacing. I say: give him a chance. If he succeeds it will be quite the story for Mizzou's Communication Department.
(4) Moving out of the Tiger's starting line-up on Saturday: three starters. The result is Lebanon, Missouri native Justin Britt moving into the starting offensive line. Justin loves Jesus on his twitter feed and on the football field is "one of our more versatile linemen" says GP.
(5) The defense has solidly moved into the forefront of the Mizzou football program. The reason? Defensive Coordinator Dave Steckel. And with three starters gone and a new QB we'll need every bit of our defense of Saturday to stop a balanced Miami team who is thinking upset. I think our team speed and home crowd will be too much for a team who plays at home in a stadium with no assigned seats for alumni or students. I say Mizzou wins in a squeaker: 21-17. Mizzou fans will be nervous until Miami-OH goes out and wins the MAC. Something Tiger fans need to accept: our team will get better as the season moves along, so don't judge based on some bad first looks against the Red Hawks.
(6) Moving out of the Big 12: Texas A&M. The University has moved past trying to prove a point and into all out aggression. When your coach says of this season, "We have a bunch of seniors on this team that will never play in that conference" you know the bags are packed. Says Mizzou Chancellor and Big 12 Board President Brady Deaton: "If Texas A&M does send that letter, we are poised to move aggressively to assure a strong Big 12." While that certainly is brave talk, I don't see it happening. In a wildly incoherent article by CBS Sportsline Dennis Dodd, one point he makes is BYU makes good sense for the Big 12-3 and for BYU. Let's just say I'm not confident in conference leadership but if we replace A&M with BYU we are at wash I feel in terms of quality. I just don't see BYU backing down from the opportunity to form national rivalries on each coast and then being able to recruit nationally, just like Notre Dame. Word is we'll move to Air Force if BYU says no. From there its anyone's guess with Louisville and Pitt being most discussed options. SMU is begging to be let in. They also have evidently designed their new locker room to look like a strip club. If we replace A&M with SMU, we might as well just move things along and fold the conference because it just makes us look like a national embarrassment.
(7) Moving out of the Big 12: Missouri? Nope. Big 10 says its staying put with its current teams. What about moving into the SEC? Well, its all kinds of crazy with teams being bantered about from Missouri to TCU and Louisville to Virginia Tech. Florida State rumors won't die and now North Carolina has been added to the mix. North Carolina? And their football program? Really? That's when know sure things are not necessarily sure things...such as...
(8) ...when A&M's moving trucks pump the breaks. No official letter has been sent informing the Big 12-3 of their release from the the conference, which will cost them $16-18 million. Why not? The SEC is getting cold feet tweets incoherent CBS Sportsline Dennis Dodd. They don't want to be "that guy" that breaks up another conference fearing their expansion will completely unravel the Big 12-3. So to recap: A&M is in a conference that no longer wants them and wants into a conference that might not take them. Sounds like if we fire Dan "Mr. Longhorn" Beebe we should look no further than the A&M President, who appears to be doing a bang up job running his athletics program.
(9) Moving into snuggle position with Mizzou: our good friends from kU. A compelling article from the KC Star. Conference realignment makes strange bedfellows.
(10) In other news a liar denies lying. I don't know how much longer this whole Haith thing can go on, but when NPR announces like it did this morning that a scandal at the U of Miami involves a donor "heaping cash and strippers on members of the football AND BASKETBALL teams" I can't imagine its a good idea to let it go on much longer. Mizzou athletics implored us to "Have Faith in Haith" but I'm now imploring Alden to have to courage to do what is right and start an internal investigation against the wishes of the NCAA. Its clear this isn't a clean man. We need to find the evidence, remove him, and move on. Here's hoping we have the courage to move him out.
And here's hoping we get to make a mark in the win column on Saturday,
Doug
Re: No Faith in Haith + Save Your Jorts and Stop Flossing
E-mailed 8/17/11
Rapid response--Would you rather have a head coach who:
(1) didn't cheat
(2) cheated and won, but got sloppy and got caught
(3) cheated, didn't win, got ran off by his previous school
(where the cheating occurred), but did so smart enough (using
cash) that he'll be embarrassed but not convicted of wrong doing
Harkening back to a previous email--I haven't been able to reconcile my thoughts and feelings about our basketball coach. Reconciling got a lot easier today--I'm calling for his removal even though it would mean giving up on this season and next.
We sure didn't hire him on his record of success. The Athletic Department said they hired him for his character. That character is in tatters. At best he was way too cozy with a sleazy booster. At worst he got that booster to pay a recruit $10,000. Most likely: he was friends with the booster, ordered an assistant coach to work with the booster to get cash to a recruit, and spent, at minimum one night at a strip club with the booster and some UM players. Bottom line: regardless of what he did or didn't do, it's clear he associated himself with liars and cheats. People who hang with liars and cheats are generally liars and cheats. If he can't win and can't claim to have high character and values he can't coach for a major college basketball program. He has to go.
It's a sad day in Columbia and Fairfax: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/luke_winn/08/17/haith.miami/index.html Money quote: "Back in April, I wondered if I'd someday be writing a "Haith isn't working out for Missouri" column, and a "Larranaga regrets leaving Mason" column, maybe as separate topics in March 2014. Those would have been sad pieces. Being forced to already combine those subjects, in the wake of the great Miami scandal, is infinitely more depressing."
In other news, Dan "Mr. Longhorn" Beebe has decided to finally address the A&M issue. Last week he got into a screaming match with the SEC Commish, royally pissing him off. Now, he's giving A&M a deadline, the same thing he did last summer which prompted the Big 10 to accelerate expansion planning and offer a spot to Nebraska: http://espn.go.com/blog/big12/post/_/id/31878/deadline-coming-for-am-sec-decision
Great strategy, Dan-o. No one grabs defeat from the jaws of victory quite like Longhorn Beebe. In other words, save those jorts and stop flossing because realignment ain't dead yet.
Rapid response--Would you rather have a head coach who:
(1) didn't cheat
(2) cheated and won, but got sloppy and got caught
(3) cheated, didn't win, got ran off by his previous school
(where the cheating occurred), but did so smart enough (using
cash) that he'll be embarrassed but not convicted of wrong doing
Harkening back to a previous email--I haven't been able to reconcile my thoughts and feelings about our basketball coach. Reconciling got a lot easier today--I'm calling for his removal even though it would mean giving up on this season and next.
We sure didn't hire him on his record of success. The Athletic Department said they hired him for his character. That character is in tatters. At best he was way too cozy with a sleazy booster. At worst he got that booster to pay a recruit $10,000. Most likely: he was friends with the booster, ordered an assistant coach to work with the booster to get cash to a recruit, and spent, at minimum one night at a strip club with the booster and some UM players. Bottom line: regardless of what he did or didn't do, it's clear he associated himself with liars and cheats. People who hang with liars and cheats are generally liars and cheats. If he can't win and can't claim to have high character and values he can't coach for a major college basketball program. He has to go.
It's a sad day in Columbia and Fairfax: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/luke_winn/08/17/haith.miami/index.html Money quote: "Back in April, I wondered if I'd someday be writing a "Haith isn't working out for Missouri" column, and a "Larranaga regrets leaving Mason" column, maybe as separate topics in March 2014. Those would have been sad pieces. Being forced to already combine those subjects, in the wake of the great Miami scandal, is infinitely more depressing."
In other news, Dan "Mr. Longhorn" Beebe has decided to finally address the A&M issue. Last week he got into a screaming match with the SEC Commish, royally pissing him off. Now, he's giving A&M a deadline, the same thing he did last summer which prompted the Big 10 to accelerate expansion planning and offer a spot to Nebraska: http://espn.go.com/blog/big12/post/_/id/31878/deadline-coming-for-am-sec-decision
Great strategy, Dan-o. No one grabs defeat from the jaws of victory quite like Longhorn Beebe. In other words, save those jorts and stop flossing because realignment ain't dead yet.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
CORRECTION: THE END OF THE WORLD IS MONDAY II
E-mailed 8/12/11
http://info.sos.state.tx.us/pls/pub/pubomquery$omquery.queryview?P_OM_ID=136885&Z_CHK=33600
What you need to know:
"Consultation with System Attorneys Regarding Legal Matters or Pending and/or Contemplated Litigation or Settlement Offers Texas Government Code, Section 551.071; including
--Discussion with Counsel on pending legal matters including, but not limited to, contemplated and/or pending litigation, contemplated, on-going and/or completed investigations regarding institutional compliance and any findings, conclusions and/or recommendations thereto; and the status of negotiations regarding and/or compliance with certain letters of intent, contracts and/or similar agreements, including, but not limited to, legal obligations and duties and any and all facts relating thereto; including
Item 15) Authorization for the President to Take All Actions Relating to Texas A&M University's Athletic Conference Alignment, The Texas A&M University System"
http://info.sos.state.tx.us/pls/pub/pubomquery$omquery.queryview?P_OM_ID=136885&Z_CHK=33600
What you need to know:
"Consultation with System Attorneys Regarding Legal Matters or Pending and/or Contemplated Litigation or Settlement Offers Texas Government Code, Section 551.071; including
--Discussion with Counsel on pending legal matters including, but not limited to, contemplated and/or pending litigation, contemplated, on-going and/or completed investigations regarding institutional compliance and any findings, conclusions and/or recommendations thereto; and the status of negotiations regarding and/or compliance with certain letters of intent, contracts and/or similar agreements, including, but not limited to, legal obligations and duties and any and all facts relating thereto; including
Item 15) Authorization for the President to Take All Actions Relating to Texas A&M University's Athletic Conference Alignment, The Texas A&M University System"
The End of the World: August 22nd
E-mailed 8/12/11
n case you thought the Big 12 minus 2 story was just going to go away, its not and is, in fact, gaining steam. One might think it would have ended yesterday, after the NCAA voted to ban high school games on conference and/or individual school networks, but it didn't. The date for a vote by A&M has been set: August 22nd. SEC Officials are meeting Saturday and are expected to decide to formally offer a spot to A&M. Bob Davie, former ND coach, said having a network contract doesn't help recruiting. Well, it might not if you are Bob Davie, but when M. Brown of TX says he's having trouble "balancing coaching with my Longhorn Network obligations" then one would assume Texas has found a way to make it work. All this info (sans the Brown quote which was from yesterday) came from this article <http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/08/11/3285640/commentary-am-should-think-twice.html>. The money quote: "If A&M wants to green-light a move to the SEC, where the Aggies wouldn't have to deal with the ramifications of Texas' 20-year, $300 million network in conjunction with ESPN, that seems like the fastest opportunity to reach closure. And that sounds like the plan."
The Sporting News agrees with this time line <http://aol.sportingnews.com/ncaa-football/story/2011-08-11/source-report-of-texas-am-accepting-sec-invitation-just-not-true> and refutes Rivals.com who said yesterday that A&M and the SEC had already agreed on a deal. In the Sporting News article it says the SEC would add one more school with A&M but not three more. The two schools it names are Virginia Tech and your Missouri Tigers. At this point people are just throwing out names of possible schools. My take after reading them all it looks like the pecking order will go something like this:
(1) Oklahoma -- Who will say no and try its luck with Texas.
(2) Florida State -- Who is already lobbying to be the other school.
(3) Virginia Tech
(4) Missouri
If you read nothing else, read this brilliant article <http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/justice/7694204.html> from CBS Sportsline. Not only does the article call DeLoss Dodds (Texas Athletic Director) the Commissioner of the Big 12 minus 2, the author takes some specific shots later in the article at Beebe: "When Beebe — OK, he really is the Big 12 commissioner — was asked about the crisis Wednesday, he said he hadn't spoken to anyone from A&M. Really? Didn't have the time, Dan? Didn't have your iPhone handy? Did you have something more important than allowing your conference to vaporize?"
And that is basically what is going on: the conference is vaporizing and a buffoon is watching it happen. The thesis of the article is that A&M has to go to the SEC to save face, they can't continue to make threats and stomp their feet every few months. The sub-thesis: this move is all about anger and ego: "And there's emotion. In College Station, anger appears to be ruling the day. In Austin, they're angry that the Aggies are angry." [snip] "Byrne (A&M Athletic Director) didn't have as much money to spend even before ESPN became a $15-million-a-year Texas booster, but he hasn't needed to. Unless money buys wisdom, Texas A&M has nothing to worry about in the Big 12. Unfortunately, money and wisdom aren't driving the debate here. This is one is all about ego. But the Aggies have to go this time. It's the only way they save face, and they can worry about the consequences down the road."
Ah, consequences. It looks like ours are:
(1) A weaker Big 12 minus 2 (replacing A&M with another lesser team)
(2) The SEC (and getting our clocks cleaned on the field and off in recruiting--at least in football)
(3) The PAC 10
(4) The Big East (who takes anyone interested into their 100 team conference) or the Mountain West
Pick your poison.
n case you thought the Big 12 minus 2 story was just going to go away, its not and is, in fact, gaining steam. One might think it would have ended yesterday, after the NCAA voted to ban high school games on conference and/or individual school networks, but it didn't. The date for a vote by A&M has been set: August 22nd. SEC Officials are meeting Saturday and are expected to decide to formally offer a spot to A&M. Bob Davie, former ND coach, said having a network contract doesn't help recruiting. Well, it might not if you are Bob Davie, but when M. Brown of TX says he's having trouble "balancing coaching with my Longhorn Network obligations" then one would assume Texas has found a way to make it work. All this info (sans the Brown quote which was from yesterday) came from this article <http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/08/11/3285640/commentary-am-should-think-twice.html>. The money quote: "If A&M wants to green-light a move to the SEC, where the Aggies wouldn't have to deal with the ramifications of Texas' 20-year, $300 million network in conjunction with ESPN, that seems like the fastest opportunity to reach closure. And that sounds like the plan."
The Sporting News agrees with this time line <http://aol.sportingnews.com/ncaa-football/story/2011-08-11/source-report-of-texas-am-accepting-sec-invitation-just-not-true> and refutes Rivals.com who said yesterday that A&M and the SEC had already agreed on a deal. In the Sporting News article it says the SEC would add one more school with A&M but not three more. The two schools it names are Virginia Tech and your Missouri Tigers. At this point people are just throwing out names of possible schools. My take after reading them all it looks like the pecking order will go something like this:
(1) Oklahoma -- Who will say no and try its luck with Texas.
(2) Florida State -- Who is already lobbying to be the other school.
(3) Virginia Tech
(4) Missouri
If you read nothing else, read this brilliant article <http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/justice/7694204.html> from CBS Sportsline. Not only does the article call DeLoss Dodds (Texas Athletic Director) the Commissioner of the Big 12 minus 2, the author takes some specific shots later in the article at Beebe: "When Beebe — OK, he really is the Big 12 commissioner — was asked about the crisis Wednesday, he said he hadn't spoken to anyone from A&M. Really? Didn't have the time, Dan? Didn't have your iPhone handy? Did you have something more important than allowing your conference to vaporize?"
And that is basically what is going on: the conference is vaporizing and a buffoon is watching it happen. The thesis of the article is that A&M has to go to the SEC to save face, they can't continue to make threats and stomp their feet every few months. The sub-thesis: this move is all about anger and ego: "And there's emotion. In College Station, anger appears to be ruling the day. In Austin, they're angry that the Aggies are angry." [snip] "Byrne (A&M Athletic Director) didn't have as much money to spend even before ESPN became a $15-million-a-year Texas booster, but he hasn't needed to. Unless money buys wisdom, Texas A&M has nothing to worry about in the Big 12. Unfortunately, money and wisdom aren't driving the debate here. This is one is all about ego. But the Aggies have to go this time. It's the only way they save face, and they can worry about the consequences down the road."
Ah, consequences. It looks like ours are:
(1) A weaker Big 12 minus 2 (replacing A&M with another lesser team)
(2) The SEC (and getting our clocks cleaned on the field and off in recruiting--at least in football)
(3) The PAC 10
(4) The Big East (who takes anyone interested into their 100 team conference) or the Mountain West
Pick your poison.
Mizzou Madness II
E-mailed 8/11/11
Alright, here is what happened for those out of the loop:
(1) "When did this all start up again?" you ask. Yesterday Rick Perry, Gov of TX, and as of this coming Saturday, Presidential Candidate, admits to TX newspaper that A&M is "in talks" with representatives from SEC. Perry supports the move as he's an A&M grad and former yell leader. He's slated to be in Birmingham, site of SEC headquarters, on Friday.
(2) "Where did A&M's disgust and wandering eyes come from?" you ask. Well, being the dicks they are, the Longhorns had announced a few weeks ago that they would be showing high school games on the Longhorn Network, a third tier television network that they set up with ESPN to get them more revenue. So now on top of getting more revenue, they're also getting a clear recruiting edge (at least in the state of Texas) as they can feature high schools games of potential Longhorn recruits. The other Big 12 minus 2 schools vocally upset with Texas' decision about HS football games: Missouri and Oklahoma.
(3) "The SEC, seriously? Why is A&M interested in the SEC?" you ask. One of their former coaches, Gene Stallings, his familiar with the SEC from his days roaming the sidelines at bbbbbbbbbbbb-bama. The also hate Arkansas and consider them a rival from their days together in the old Southwest Conference. Ah, the Southwest Conference. Unfamiliar with it? Well, it went bankrupt and was saved by the Big 8. But I digress. But while we are on the topic of Arkansas, who also hates them? Missouri. Short, clear and to the point article here <http://dennis-dodd.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6270202/31254098>.
(4) "I thought all of this was settled this summer when Dan "Mr. Longhorn" Beebe got a big, long contract extension for himself as Big 12 minus 2 commissioner and renegotiated the Big 12 minus 2's TV contracts to get our 10 teams more dollars and more TV exposure?" you say. Well, there are shades of truth in that. First, someone did manage to give him a large contact and big extension to preside over the shell of a league that once was. Talk about rewarding bad behavior. "You almost dissolved the company...you sound like just the man to lead the scraps that were left behind!" Lots of great logic there. In terms of the renegotiated TV deal, yes that happened. Before the negotiations he promised, in writing, around 23 million a year to three teams to keep in the the Big 12 minus 2: Texas, Oklahoma, and A&M. Payouts in old Big 12 were around 14 million per team. The rest of the league got nervous about the great dollars given to the three schools, but after the dust settled the new contracts equated to only around a $5-8 million dollar spread between the average Big 12 minus 2 team and the top Big 12 minus 2 team. Don't give Bebee credit...the networks and NCAA officials came to him in order keep a power conference on the landscape and not to have three 16 team power conferences. For a while, everything was quiet, but that didn't mean everyone was happy. Most unhappy was A&M and the Longhorn network announcement was the last straw.
(5) "Rick Perry is an asshat and doesn't know what he is talking about! No way A&M leaves." you say. Well, yes, he is an asshat and might realistically capture the Republican nomination for President, but he managed to say publicly yesterday what has actually been talked about for weeks. When the A&M President says they are exploring their options, odds are, they are exploring their options. As of right now the TX Gov Office, ESPN, CBS Sportsline, and The Dallas Morning News, and the TX Statesman are all reporting the talks as serious. What is our fearless leader, the man we gave lots of money to because of his great leadership skills saying about all of this? Dan "Mr. Longhorn" Beebe says: "He's taking it very seriously." And adds, "Just another summer in the Big 12 <http://espn.go.com/blog/big12/post/_/id/31608/big-12-legitimacy-reliant-on-aggies-decision>."
(6) "Whoa there, didn't Mr. Longhorn announce upon securing the new TV contracts that there would be huge--HUGE--penalties if teams left?" you say. He did announce that. Unfortunately, like most things he says, its just not true. As it states in the link in #5, the exit fees are the same as they were for Colorado and Nebraska and that didn't stop them from leaving, or their conferences from paying them money to help soften the blow.
(7) "Ok, so this happens...what then? Are we the Big 12 minus 3?" you say. Well...interesting question. CBS Sportsline says Mizzou goes with them <http://dennis-dodd.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6270202/31254098>. The Statesman says that the league will function with 9 teams <http://www.statesman.com/sports/collegefootball/big-12-taking-talk-of-am-move-to-1724657.html>.
(8) "Is is a good move for A&M?" you ask? No, says this guy <http://eye-on-collegefootball.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/24156338/31256324>. The telling line: "A&M thinks they've got a trump card for their rival. They better be careful what they're wishing for or the Aggies might be the ones being trumped." In other words, Texas A&M hasn't had the talent to consistently compete in the Big 12, no way it has the talent to compete in the SEC.
(9) "Why is the SEC even interested in A&M you ask?" you ask. Markets and recruiting. TV-wise it opens up the Texas market and allows SEC coaches to tell recruits that they'll get a chance to play a game in their home state. That's why Missouri is even being discussed in the SEC picture--it opens up the St. Louis and KC television markets.
(10) "I really could give two shits about the SEC or Texas A&M, what the hell does this mean for Mizzou?" you say. Well, it means lots. If the Big 12 minus 2 transforms to the Big 12 minus 3, the league loses its position as an automatic BCS Conference (10 team minimum). Even if the rest of the teams in the "conference" (term used loosely) were to get A&M's share of the TV revenue, it means there is one less good team in the conference. At that point it could go either way--the "conference" could stay together or it could dissolve. I don't know what out clauses ESPN has in its Longhorn Network contract, but having Texas in a non-BCS auto qualifier is an issue. So is our obligation to put a good game every week on national television under the new TV contract stipulations. I think the best bet to keep the league would be to add one member to replace A&M. BYU is the obvious choice and we'd clearly let them have their own network. I just don't think they would bite. If Notre Dame won't join the Big 10, they sure won't join a conference named the Big 12 minus 2. That would leave...Louisville...which ain't quite A&M. Yikes.
(11) "So what's the big deal, Mizzou will just join the SEC. Problem solved." you say. Well, besides probably ensuring that the Bigelow's get a divorce, a move like that would put us in a much better football conference, a horribly worse basketball conference, and...it just doesn't quite feel right. In the SEC either you wear dress shirts and ties to games or jorts. While you can certainly find your share of jorts in the stands of Memorial Stadium, I just don't know that we're that southern. It also means our main recruiting pipeline--Dallas and surrounding areas--will most likely dry up even if we get scheduled with A&M each year. It also mans, at least in the short team, we get our asses handed to us most every Saturday we are on the road (as painful as that is for me to admit). Big 10--that was a fit. SEC, I just think it would be a shotgun wedding. Sure, there could be a lot of hope and promise to it, but it just seems to be thrown together awful fast.
In other news...Sheldon Richardson is eligible to join the Tigers <http://www.stltoday.com/sports/college/mizzou/article_0fd6f3b6-03e2-5e0a-880b-0219695b8007.html> ending a multi-year struggle to get him eligible and committed. It means our defense, ranked #10 nationally in most pre-season polls, could have just actually gotten better. Fall camp seems to be going well and fast--and in our players are really fast. The only question seems to be: who will back up Franklin <http://www.stltoday.com/sports/college/mizzou/article_2d04061a-4b99-569d-8673-0d7a69fbb6f9.html>? Well, our biggest recruit at QB (we had several this year--Pinkel likes to keep about 12 of them around at all times it seems like) this past year was Corbin Berkstresser. He was supposed to red-shirt this year and is officially listed as #4 on the depth chart, but all of that seems to be smoke and mirrors. He's rooming with Franklin, Franklin is his officially designated "big brother," and he's been getting nearly all of the reps with the second string offense. Says OC Yost: "I don't know if at this point when Chase (Daniel) was a freshman … if he was actually up that far. … It's been a little bit faster for Corbin that way." Chase Daniel, back-up NFL quarter back and eventual replacement for Drew Brees <http://www.nola.com/saints/index.ssf/2011/08/backup_qb_chase_daniel_nips_at.html>. Says Franklin of Berkstresser: "He's more of a true quarterback than I am," Franklin said, adding, "There's things that I'm trying to learn from him and take from him because there are a lot of things that he does that I like." That's either really bad news, or really good news.
More information as it develops, or not. We likely won't hear much of anything until A&M either signs a deal or announces it didn't sign a deal or the SEC announces its not expanding.
For Mizzou,
Doug
Alright, here is what happened for those out of the loop:
(1) "When did this all start up again?" you ask. Yesterday Rick Perry, Gov of TX, and as of this coming Saturday, Presidential Candidate, admits to TX newspaper that A&M is "in talks" with representatives from SEC. Perry supports the move as he's an A&M grad and former yell leader. He's slated to be in Birmingham, site of SEC headquarters, on Friday.
(2) "Where did A&M's disgust and wandering eyes come from?" you ask. Well, being the dicks they are, the Longhorns had announced a few weeks ago that they would be showing high school games on the Longhorn Network, a third tier television network that they set up with ESPN to get them more revenue. So now on top of getting more revenue, they're also getting a clear recruiting edge (at least in the state of Texas) as they can feature high schools games of potential Longhorn recruits. The other Big 12 minus 2 schools vocally upset with Texas' decision about HS football games: Missouri and Oklahoma.
(3) "The SEC, seriously? Why is A&M interested in the SEC?" you ask. One of their former coaches, Gene Stallings, his familiar with the SEC from his days roaming the sidelines at bbbbbbbbbbbb-bama. The also hate Arkansas and consider them a rival from their days together in the old Southwest Conference. Ah, the Southwest Conference. Unfamiliar with it? Well, it went bankrupt and was saved by the Big 8. But I digress. But while we are on the topic of Arkansas, who also hates them? Missouri. Short, clear and to the point article here <http://dennis-dodd.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6270202/31254098>.
(4) "I thought all of this was settled this summer when Dan "Mr. Longhorn" Beebe got a big, long contract extension for himself as Big 12 minus 2 commissioner and renegotiated the Big 12 minus 2's TV contracts to get our 10 teams more dollars and more TV exposure?" you say. Well, there are shades of truth in that. First, someone did manage to give him a large contact and big extension to preside over the shell of a league that once was. Talk about rewarding bad behavior. "You almost dissolved the company...you sound like just the man to lead the scraps that were left behind!" Lots of great logic there. In terms of the renegotiated TV deal, yes that happened. Before the negotiations he promised, in writing, around 23 million a year to three teams to keep in the the Big 12 minus 2: Texas, Oklahoma, and A&M. Payouts in old Big 12 were around 14 million per team. The rest of the league got nervous about the great dollars given to the three schools, but after the dust settled the new contracts equated to only around a $5-8 million dollar spread between the average Big 12 minus 2 team and the top Big 12 minus 2 team. Don't give Bebee credit...the networks and NCAA officials came to him in order keep a power conference on the landscape and not to have three 16 team power conferences. For a while, everything was quiet, but that didn't mean everyone was happy. Most unhappy was A&M and the Longhorn network announcement was the last straw.
(5) "Rick Perry is an asshat and doesn't know what he is talking about! No way A&M leaves." you say. Well, yes, he is an asshat and might realistically capture the Republican nomination for President, but he managed to say publicly yesterday what has actually been talked about for weeks. When the A&M President says they are exploring their options, odds are, they are exploring their options. As of right now the TX Gov Office, ESPN, CBS Sportsline, and The Dallas Morning News, and the TX Statesman are all reporting the talks as serious. What is our fearless leader, the man we gave lots of money to because of his great leadership skills saying about all of this? Dan "Mr. Longhorn" Beebe says: "He's taking it very seriously." And adds, "Just another summer in the Big 12 <http://espn.go.com/blog/big12/post/_/id/31608/big-12-legitimacy-reliant-on-aggies-decision>."
(6) "Whoa there, didn't Mr. Longhorn announce upon securing the new TV contracts that there would be huge--HUGE--penalties if teams left?" you say. He did announce that. Unfortunately, like most things he says, its just not true. As it states in the link in #5, the exit fees are the same as they were for Colorado and Nebraska and that didn't stop them from leaving, or their conferences from paying them money to help soften the blow.
(7) "Ok, so this happens...what then? Are we the Big 12 minus 3?" you say. Well...interesting question. CBS Sportsline says Mizzou goes with them <http://dennis-dodd.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6270202/31254098>. The Statesman says that the league will function with 9 teams <http://www.statesman.com/sports/collegefootball/big-12-taking-talk-of-am-move-to-1724657.html>.
(8) "Is is a good move for A&M?" you ask? No, says this guy <http://eye-on-collegefootball.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/24156338/31256324>. The telling line: "A&M thinks they've got a trump card for their rival. They better be careful what they're wishing for or the Aggies might be the ones being trumped." In other words, Texas A&M hasn't had the talent to consistently compete in the Big 12, no way it has the talent to compete in the SEC.
(9) "Why is the SEC even interested in A&M you ask?" you ask. Markets and recruiting. TV-wise it opens up the Texas market and allows SEC coaches to tell recruits that they'll get a chance to play a game in their home state. That's why Missouri is even being discussed in the SEC picture--it opens up the St. Louis and KC television markets.
(10) "I really could give two shits about the SEC or Texas A&M, what the hell does this mean for Mizzou?" you say. Well, it means lots. If the Big 12 minus 2 transforms to the Big 12 minus 3, the league loses its position as an automatic BCS Conference (10 team minimum). Even if the rest of the teams in the "conference" (term used loosely) were to get A&M's share of the TV revenue, it means there is one less good team in the conference. At that point it could go either way--the "conference" could stay together or it could dissolve. I don't know what out clauses ESPN has in its Longhorn Network contract, but having Texas in a non-BCS auto qualifier is an issue. So is our obligation to put a good game every week on national television under the new TV contract stipulations. I think the best bet to keep the league would be to add one member to replace A&M. BYU is the obvious choice and we'd clearly let them have their own network. I just don't think they would bite. If Notre Dame won't join the Big 10, they sure won't join a conference named the Big 12 minus 2. That would leave...Louisville...which ain't quite A&M. Yikes.
(11) "So what's the big deal, Mizzou will just join the SEC. Problem solved." you say. Well, besides probably ensuring that the Bigelow's get a divorce, a move like that would put us in a much better football conference, a horribly worse basketball conference, and...it just doesn't quite feel right. In the SEC either you wear dress shirts and ties to games or jorts. While you can certainly find your share of jorts in the stands of Memorial Stadium, I just don't know that we're that southern. It also means our main recruiting pipeline--Dallas and surrounding areas--will most likely dry up even if we get scheduled with A&M each year. It also mans, at least in the short team, we get our asses handed to us most every Saturday we are on the road (as painful as that is for me to admit). Big 10--that was a fit. SEC, I just think it would be a shotgun wedding. Sure, there could be a lot of hope and promise to it, but it just seems to be thrown together awful fast.
In other news...Sheldon Richardson is eligible to join the Tigers <http://www.stltoday.com/sports/college/mizzou/article_0fd6f3b6-03e2-5e0a-880b-0219695b8007.html> ending a multi-year struggle to get him eligible and committed. It means our defense, ranked #10 nationally in most pre-season polls, could have just actually gotten better. Fall camp seems to be going well and fast--and in our players are really fast. The only question seems to be: who will back up Franklin <http://www.stltoday.com/sports/college/mizzou/article_2d04061a-4b99-569d-8673-0d7a69fbb6f9.html>? Well, our biggest recruit at QB (we had several this year--Pinkel likes to keep about 12 of them around at all times it seems like) this past year was Corbin Berkstresser. He was supposed to red-shirt this year and is officially listed as #4 on the depth chart, but all of that seems to be smoke and mirrors. He's rooming with Franklin, Franklin is his officially designated "big brother," and he's been getting nearly all of the reps with the second string offense. Says OC Yost: "I don't know if at this point when Chase (Daniel) was a freshman … if he was actually up that far. … It's been a little bit faster for Corbin that way." Chase Daniel, back-up NFL quarter back and eventual replacement for Drew Brees <http://www.nola.com/saints/index.ssf/2011/08/backup_qb_chase_daniel_nips_at.html>. Says Franklin of Berkstresser: "He's more of a true quarterback than I am," Franklin said, adding, "There's things that I'm trying to learn from him and take from him because there are a lot of things that he does that I like." That's either really bad news, or really good news.
More information as it develops, or not. We likely won't hear much of anything until A&M either signs a deal or announces it didn't sign a deal or the SEC announces its not expanding.
For Mizzou,
Doug
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