With all the hoopla about the PAC10 & BIG10 looking to expand,and thus throwing the BIG12 into “maybe” expansion mode as well, don’t think for a minute the SEC is sitting around on their hands.
Remember what I’ve always said about TV markets being the driving force? Seems there is a great deal of pressure in the Texas legislature to keep Texas and Texas A&M in the same league. Not enough room for both in the BIG10. If those two went to the SEC, the SEC doubles their TV market overnight and becomes the first super-conference with 14 teams.
That leaves the BIG12 without Texas and Texas A&M and, most likely, a Colorado that moves to the PAC10. They are now three short of a boat.
Nebraska or Missouri to the BIG10 leaves them 4 short. They pick up TCU, BYU, and Utah, moving the entire conference decidedly north while adding New Mexico to the west.
It is now time for the U.S. Senate and House to get back to real work----like screwing with Toyota and borrowing more money from China. I’ve got a solution to their inquisition of the BCS.
In case you haven’t heard, the Big 10 (11) and Pac 10 are supposedly searching for additional teams for their leagues. Their due-diligence will be of the garden variety that so many fans, and SENATORS / REPRESENATIVES do not wish to understand. The questions will be “what can the new additions bring to the table?” and “what will our bottom line look like 5 or 10 years from now if we add them today?”. Pertinent to those questions will be TV markets added, costs of travel to add the teams, geographic fit, scholastic fit, etc… But rest assured, the bottom line will be about money---just like the Senate’s grilling of the BCS. Somebody else has it and we want part of it.
The BCS is what it is. They have nothing to do with the NCAA and nothing to do with College Football----other than using both to make some money and pay the willing participants------a lot. They are simply the pimp for the girls who are going to work with or without a pimp. Sounds a little like what the federal government does with the Internal Revenue Service to me. Cities use the BCS to generate good games (which means games that people will actually pay to watch---you see, someone must have money before this whole process starts) to improve tourism so they can reap a financial reward based on someone else’s labor; the government uses the IRS to extract money from my labor so they distribute as they see fit, based mostly on how much each Senator squeals. No crying allowed. No appeal system. Just STFU and send them my money. They take from me and give to someone else, regardless of who had the most to start with. They expect everyone to participate and support the state of Utah or Texas just because their Senator was one of the most successful squealers------ but they don’t like it much when they perceive someone is taking something from them. So, lets help the schools in question get the politicians out of the game. No one “took” anything from you. You have never done anything to earn a fair shot. Or, maybe, you really don’t want a fair shot-------you are like the welfare recipient. Maybe you think someone should just give you something simply because they have more than you.
Attention Boise State, BYU, TCU, Utah, et.al., There are three openings in BCS conferences. Those openings are up for grabs. You have the opportunity get your names in the mix and participate in something you have whined about wanting to be a part of. Your representatives have gone so far as stating that, unless the BCS lets you guys play, they will attempt to destroy the BCS. So, now is your chance. Prove to those conferences that you belong. Then, just maybe, some of us will begin to believe it, too. Then, and only then, once you’ve gone through the rigors of playing USC on the road, and following that up with a home stand of Stanford, Oregon State, and UCLA ----or, go to Happy Valley for a game that really means something to the opponent in mid-September, and then follow that up with 6 or 7 more games against teams that will have as good a group of athletes as you have, week in and week out for 2 and ½ months, can you say you really belong. If you happen to find yourself at 12-0 in early December, then you can have the pleasure of going to a neutral site (can you say snake pit? Might Boise or Ohio State have more fans at a game in Indianapolis three weeks before Christmas?) and playing another team with athletes just like yours, in another elimination game, before you get to claim a “right” to play for a national championship.
Year in and year out, Vanderbilt is as talented across their first 22 players as any mid-level team in the country, except the elite. After playing six or seven SEC games, they are lucky to be able to field a team. Miami used the 3 game a year schedule for 15 years (early 80’s to mid 90’s) to make themselves a name. When they finally stepped up to play in an almost conference, they didn’t fair quite so well. If any of you really, really, really want that, now is the time to step up. Now is the time to ask. Now is the time to let it be known that you want to pay your dues. Now is the time to step up and work for what you claim you want. Do it. Do it today. Or not.
You see, in the words of Nick Saban, we don’t really care what you do. We are simply tired of politicians sticking their noses into places they don’t belong because you guys won’t do something to help yourselves. You want in the BCS? Openings are now available. If you haven’t done the pre-requisite work to get noticed-----from a facilities angle, from a fan-base angle, from an academic angle----that is not our problem. If the geographic fit is not what it should be, that’s not our problem either. The schools in the BCS conferences have sold themselves and made names for themselves for well over 100 years to ensure they are able to participate in the best anyone has to offer when the opportunity comes along. If you don’t make the cut, it won’t be because there is bias. It will be because you have not done the work or you don’t really want to be involved at the level you claim-------best of luck to you.
¶ 12:02 PM1 comments
How quickly a kid can go from the next big thing to enemy #1, right?
Here's the run down from what I am hearing. Maybe this will make more sense to those of you that are going "what the hell? he's been a bama fan his whole life and then changed his mind at the last minute?"
During Coach Saban's signing day press conference to discuss the incoming class, he started talking about the word "commitment" and what it means. Here's the text from the story.
"Much of this class had been locked up for months. But Saban knew nothing could be taken for granted.
“When a guy commits early to us, to me then we just become the target,” Saban said. “Every other school keeps recruiting them and they know the kid wants to come to Alabama, so now they’re bashing Alabama every day. ...
“You have to keep recruiting them and sort of manage them. I’m old fashioned. I think a commitment is a commitment ... I would rather you go visit other schools until you’re sure that this is what you want to do rather than making a commitment and then not feeling comfortable and wanting to go explore other opportunities."
He has stated before that he has a "you shop, we shop" way of doing things. If he commits, but he's still out there being recruited, then the coaches will go out and try to find somebody else that really wants to be here.
Spencer Region enjoys the spotlight, it appears. He called a press conference earlier in the week, then they decided to not do it, and then he called it back on again a couple of days later. Go read Andrew Bone's twitter to see exactly when it was.
If anyone can explain to me why a junior in high school, especially an offensive lineman, has to call a press conference in February, the year before he signs, to announce his commitment, I would really appreciate the insight. Because to me, it makes him sound like a fame hungry kid, which is something I, personally, don't want.
So, if you read Saban's comments on Wednesday, and then listen to what Spencer Region had to say in this story, it becomes a little more clear.
"I feel like they really care about me at Auburn … feel like they have my best interest at heart. It’s family down there. They love me. I love them. Me and my family are really excited about this decision ..."
Region had privately committed to Alabama before arriving at Cummings Sporting Goods. But at approximately 10:30 a.m., his decision had changed.
While Region wouldn’t go into specifics about why he changed his mind, he did say he felt more comfortable with the Tigers.
“I didn’t feel at home (at Alabama),” he said. “I didn’t feel they had the best interest for me. I didn’t feel like it was my family, and football isn’t anything without family.
“I’m still going to take my official visits at Ole Miss and Florida State later this year, and Coach (Gene) Chizik said he’s fine with that as long as I stay committed to Auburn.”
Saban didn't want to have to babysit this kid. He said if you're going to commit to me, then you're done shopping. Region didn't want to not be able to take his visits.
And he had already called a press conference.
So what do you do if you can't commit to Coach Saban right now because you're not agreeing on something, but you've already called a press conference and have a lot of media and community coming out to hear what you have to say?
Hell, let's just commit to Auburn. They'll let me go do whatever the hell I want. Because "it's family" and "they have my best intentions in mind." Riiiiight.
If Saban's class doesn't fill up before Region's visits are done, then we'll still probably see him wearing Crimson. However, Saban has been stated as saying that the class is already about 80% locked up and that it's probably the best class that he's ever recruited - so for any prospective recruits out there...if you get an invitation to the club, you may not wanna pass it up. Cause the Tide will win, with or without you. Haha.
¶ 11:29 AM1 comments
Y'know, it really is nice to be able to look at your watch after the last kid on your board signs, and it be 10am. No drama this year. We got what we needed and we made a lot of headway towards next year's class as well. I'll take a top 5 class any day of the week.
And for Auburn's class - if you can't get the high school kids, take the JUCOs, right?
Biggest signing, to me, was the OL from Maryland whose brother will more than likely be the #1 overall prospect next year. The one from this year was the #1 lineman on our board, and is definitely why we decided to drop the scholarship offer to Shon Coleman from Olive Branch.
Overall, this is a good class. Nobody else got anybody that really scares me. There aren't any Julio Jones' this year, or big time quarterbacks, or anything else. We got the #1 overall QB, so that takes care of that, along with a lot of others. This looks like a group that will buy in quickly, and hopefully bring us #14 sooner rather than later.
¶ 8:13 AM0 comments
