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.
Showing posts with label Dan "Mr. Longhorn" Beebe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dan "Mr. Longhorn" Beebe. Show all posts
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
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
THROW ON SOME JORTS & BLACK OUT SOME TEETH: WE'RE HEADED TO THE SEC (?)
Happy Saturday:
Heavy emphasis on the ? in that headline above. ESPN Alumns began tweeting this morning that everyone should watch sports center and sure enough on it Doug Gottlieb said and then tweeted: "High ranking source at Texas A&M confirms, going to SEC. Clemson, FSU, Mizzou likely to join." I didn't see TV segment, but word is the high ranking source is from A&M, not Mizzou.
Not to be outdone, Alden did what he had to do: "No, no, no" he responded when pressed about ESPN reports. Mr. Longhorn Beebe is also conducting a conference call--his first show of action in this crisis--at 3:00 pm today with the remaining 9 schools to discuss options of which there one: invite shitty Houston to join our shitty party and make our shitty "conference" as equally Texas heavy. Deets here: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/article_462f778c-c5bb-11e0-8cce-0019bb30f31a.html
Other ESPN folks now getting in on the SEC action. David Pollick, former piece of shit LB from Georgia and now current member of the Game Day crew, tweeted: "With TEXAS A&M TO JOIN the SEC; CLEMSON, FSU, & MISSOURI are the next targets." Not to say that Pollick is smarter than Gottlieb (I mean, in terms of smarts between them its like a contest to be the tallest midget) but I actually think he has the more nuanced view on this: A&M is joining and the list of potential others is (in order) Clemson, FSU, and Mizzou. If Clemson says yes they then contact FSU and Missouri. If one of the two of us say no, then its done. They stick at 14. If FSU and Mizzou both say maybe, they try to stiff arm us in. Notice our place on the invite list: LAST. The only reason we're even on the invite list is that, according to CBS Sportsline, Va Tech already told the SEC to piss off, they weren't joining.
So, where does it all stand:
(1) 3:00 pm today, Mr. Longhorn Beebe conducts a conference call with Big 9 AD's and gets everyone to reaffirm publicly and privately that the Big 9 is a solid sustainable league and everyone is committed to its future. Basically, he tells everyone to lie a lot, and in public. The issue will also be raised as to if we go with 9 and not have a automatic BCS bowl entry or add someone taking us up to 10. Texas and OK will say add someone up to 10, so Beebe will start trying to add someone up to 10. He starts with BYU who just starts laughing whenever they hear Beebe's voice on the phone. He calls Louisville next, same response. He calls Houston next and gets a tepid commitment they want to come but can't publicly say they want to join because....
(2) The PAC 12 is now recruiting the hell out of Texas again. They have to make a choice to stay or go and that effects everything else moving forward. Ironically, they'll ultimately do what their biggest rival, Oklahoma, does. Oklahoma is going to want to stay put because they are tied to OK State. Texas, OK State, and OK can't all go to the PAC 12 because that would mean it would be the PAC 15. If they want a 16 team conference, they might also take Texas Tech or try and take Kansas who doesn't want to go.
(3) Texas could also go independent and agree to play to Notre Dame, BYU, Oklahoma, and A&M every year as the base of a schedule that would, in theory, be strong enough to get them into national championship games.
(4) If Texas goes independent and/or joins the PAC 12/14/16 then its a scramble between the Big 10 (plus 2) and SEC as to who is going to take the rest of members of the Big 12/10/9/8/7/6. It would seem Mizzou and Kansas would be best fitted to join the Big 10 (plus 2), but that's a long shot.
So in summary things could look like this:
Big "12" -- A&M to SEC and Houston/Air Force to Big "12"
Texas
Texas Tech
Baylor
Houston/Air Force
OK State
Oklahoma
Kansas
K-State
Iowa State
Mizzou
Or this:
Independent
Texas
SEC (14)
A&M
Clemson
FSU
Mizzou
PAC 12 (14)
Oklahoma
Oklahoma State
Shit-Out-Of-Luck
Baylor
Texas Tech
Kansas
K-State
Iowa State
Or this:
PAC 12 (16)
Texas
Oklahoma
OK State
Team X (BYU?)
SEC (16)
A&M
FSU
Clemson
Texas Tech
Big 10 (16)
Mizzou
Kansas
K-State
Iowa State
Shit-Out-Of-Luck (aka: The Big East)
Baylor
Some other updates before final thoughts:
(a) Chicago Tribune says Big 10 (plus 2) commish sez: "We have closed down active expansion."
(b) A&M Officials have scheduled a 3:00 pm press conference for Monday
Final Thoughts
Clearly, A&M is gone to the SEC. Texas has to make a decision about its future and then all other futures will rest on that decision. Right now, what is its motivation to leave the Big 9? It has no motivation because it does whatever it wants without consequences. In the next few days/weeks don't (1) believe anything you hear out of A&M as they are going to say Mizzou is leaving and coming with them because that's a final stab in the face to Texas and the conference and (2) don't believe anything Alden or Deaton say in public. We went down this road before with the Big 10 and we got egg on our face. We can't have that happen again.
Once again, we find ourselves on the outside looking in, waiting for something that we have no control or leverage over. Always the bridesmaid, never the bride. If--and its a big if--the SEC comes call we have to say yes even if it means leaving Kansas behind and even if it means terrible football records in the near future. If a conference that is the best at something comes calling, you accept and work out the details later, especially when the conference you are in is ruled by one school and losing others one on an annual basis.
When the dust settles I think we'll be right where we already are: a second class citizen in a conference that is diminishing by the second. But at least Houston will mean one more win a year in both sports, right?
Heavy emphasis on the ? in that headline above. ESPN Alumns began tweeting this morning that everyone should watch sports center and sure enough on it Doug Gottlieb said and then tweeted: "High ranking source at Texas A&M confirms, going to SEC. Clemson, FSU, Mizzou likely to join." I didn't see TV segment, but word is the high ranking source is from A&M, not Mizzou.
Not to be outdone, Alden did what he had to do: "No, no, no" he responded when pressed about ESPN reports. Mr. Longhorn Beebe is also conducting a conference call--his first show of action in this crisis--at 3:00 pm today with the remaining 9 schools to discuss options of which there one: invite shitty Houston to join our shitty party and make our shitty "conference" as equally Texas heavy. Deets here: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/article_462f778c-c5bb-11e0-8cce-0019bb30f31a.html
Other ESPN folks now getting in on the SEC action. David Pollick, former piece of shit LB from Georgia and now current member of the Game Day crew, tweeted: "With TEXAS A&M TO JOIN the SEC; CLEMSON, FSU, & MISSOURI are the next targets." Not to say that Pollick is smarter than Gottlieb (I mean, in terms of smarts between them its like a contest to be the tallest midget) but I actually think he has the more nuanced view on this: A&M is joining and the list of potential others is (in order) Clemson, FSU, and Mizzou. If Clemson says yes they then contact FSU and Missouri. If one of the two of us say no, then its done. They stick at 14. If FSU and Mizzou both say maybe, they try to stiff arm us in. Notice our place on the invite list: LAST. The only reason we're even on the invite list is that, according to CBS Sportsline, Va Tech already told the SEC to piss off, they weren't joining.
So, where does it all stand:
(1) 3:00 pm today, Mr. Longhorn Beebe conducts a conference call with Big 9 AD's and gets everyone to reaffirm publicly and privately that the Big 9 is a solid sustainable league and everyone is committed to its future. Basically, he tells everyone to lie a lot, and in public. The issue will also be raised as to if we go with 9 and not have a automatic BCS bowl entry or add someone taking us up to 10. Texas and OK will say add someone up to 10, so Beebe will start trying to add someone up to 10. He starts with BYU who just starts laughing whenever they hear Beebe's voice on the phone. He calls Louisville next, same response. He calls Houston next and gets a tepid commitment they want to come but can't publicly say they want to join because....
(2) The PAC 12 is now recruiting the hell out of Texas again. They have to make a choice to stay or go and that effects everything else moving forward. Ironically, they'll ultimately do what their biggest rival, Oklahoma, does. Oklahoma is going to want to stay put because they are tied to OK State. Texas, OK State, and OK can't all go to the PAC 12 because that would mean it would be the PAC 15. If they want a 16 team conference, they might also take Texas Tech or try and take Kansas who doesn't want to go.
(3) Texas could also go independent and agree to play to Notre Dame, BYU, Oklahoma, and A&M every year as the base of a schedule that would, in theory, be strong enough to get them into national championship games.
(4) If Texas goes independent and/or joins the PAC 12/14/16 then its a scramble between the Big 10 (plus 2) and SEC as to who is going to take the rest of members of the Big 12/10/9/8/7/6. It would seem Mizzou and Kansas would be best fitted to join the Big 10 (plus 2), but that's a long shot.
So in summary things could look like this:
Big "12" -- A&M to SEC and Houston/Air Force to Big "12"
Texas
Texas Tech
Baylor
Houston/Air Force
OK State
Oklahoma
Kansas
K-State
Iowa State
Mizzou
Or this:
Independent
Texas
SEC (14)
A&M
Clemson
FSU
Mizzou
PAC 12 (14)
Oklahoma
Oklahoma State
Shit-Out-Of-Luck
Baylor
Texas Tech
Kansas
K-State
Iowa State
Or this:
PAC 12 (16)
Texas
Oklahoma
OK State
Team X (BYU?)
SEC (16)
A&M
FSU
Clemson
Texas Tech
Big 10 (16)
Mizzou
Kansas
K-State
Iowa State
Shit-Out-Of-Luck (aka: The Big East)
Baylor
Some other updates before final thoughts:
(a) Chicago Tribune says Big 10 (plus 2) commish sez: "We have closed down active expansion."
(b) A&M Officials have scheduled a 3:00 pm press conference for Monday
Final Thoughts
Clearly, A&M is gone to the SEC. Texas has to make a decision about its future and then all other futures will rest on that decision. Right now, what is its motivation to leave the Big 9? It has no motivation because it does whatever it wants without consequences. In the next few days/weeks don't (1) believe anything you hear out of A&M as they are going to say Mizzou is leaving and coming with them because that's a final stab in the face to Texas and the conference and (2) don't believe anything Alden or Deaton say in public. We went down this road before with the Big 10 and we got egg on our face. We can't have that happen again.
Once again, we find ourselves on the outside looking in, waiting for something that we have no control or leverage over. Always the bridesmaid, never the bride. If--and its a big if--the SEC comes call we have to say yes even if it means leaving Kansas behind and even if it means terrible football records in the near future. If a conference that is the best at something comes calling, you accept and work out the details later, especially when the conference you are in is ruled by one school and losing others one on an annual basis.
When the dust settles I think we'll be right where we already are: a second class citizen in a conference that is diminishing by the second. But at least Houston will mean one more win a year in both sports, right?
CORRECTION: THE END OF THE WORLD IS MONDAY
E-mailed 8/12/11
The San Antonio Express-News and Houston Chronicle are reporting A&M Trustees are having a conference call on Monday to vote on conference affiliation. Beebe says Big 12 minus 3 will be fine, because we'll take the University of Houston and be back up to 10. I guess, if that's what you definition of "fine" is.
At this point, I'm willing to buy/make quite a few pair of jorts and head toward the humid SE if we get an SEC invite. I'd rather lose every game in a real conference. Strike that, just a conference, as opposed to the revolving door that Beebe is presiding over.
A question for the group: why is this such a non-issue with all of Mizzou fans, administrators, and beat writers (and dare I say each of you)? This is bigger than hiring a new coach and equally as big as the conference almost collapsing last summer.
The San Antonio Express-News and Houston Chronicle are reporting A&M Trustees are having a conference call on Monday to vote on conference affiliation. Beebe says Big 12 minus 3 will be fine, because we'll take the University of Houston and be back up to 10. I guess, if that's what you definition of "fine" is.
At this point, I'm willing to buy/make quite a few pair of jorts and head toward the humid SE if we get an SEC invite. I'd rather lose every game in a real conference. Strike that, just a conference, as opposed to the revolving door that Beebe is presiding over.
A question for the group: why is this such a non-issue with all of Mizzou fans, administrators, and beat writers (and dare I say each of you)? This is bigger than hiring a new coach and equally as big as the conference almost collapsing last summer.
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.
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