FIRST DOMINO FALLS AS BUFFS GIVE TEXAS THE FINGER, USC SANCTIONS OFFICIAL & ASHLEYMADISON.COM STADIUM? SAY WHAT?
I said in last night's post, I wasn't going to talk about speculation & rumors regarding college football conference realignment until there was something official. That time has come.
The Colorado Buffaloes, their athletic department not taken seriously for years, pretty much gave the state of Texas the finger today. They joined the PAC-10 conference officially this afternoon. Texas, their governor, their state legislature & the other 3 in-state schools(A&M, TTech & Baylor) had designs of moving into the PAC-10 en masse. With Colorado jumping to the front of the line, Baylor would seem to be out of PAC-10 consideration. The scare talk within the state government has started already with threats of hearings & the likes. Stuff politicians do well, bluster & outrage, mostly without results. Colorado posted the PAC-10 logo on their internet home page immediately. The website TMZ has reported within the past hour that Oklahoma State is about to make a similar announcement. So now the first domino has fallen, how long will it be before the Big-12 ceases to exist? When will the Big-10 pull the trigger on expansion, the word is Nebraska will announce their move over to the Big-10 as soon as tomorrow. What will become of those castaways from the Big-12? Baylor, Mizzou, Kansas & Kansas State have excellent basketball programs, but only Mizzou has had a profitable football program over the last few years & this realignment stuff is geared toward football TV revenues. Sadly, Mizzou's AD Mike Alden, has alienated so many of his Big-12 brethren, he is persona non grata within the conference. I think the Big-12 South + Colorado moving to the PAC-10 does a great favor to the PAC-10. With USC in big trouble, the conference needed a boost. The Big-10, soon to be the real Big-12, will look silly if they don't add Notre Dame as well. They will fall way behind the SEC & the new PAC-10(16) in prestige which will affect both recruiting & TV revenues. I think the Big-10 ought to add at least 2 more teams & one of them absolutely, positively has to be Notre Dame.
The Big-12's ridiculous commissioner, Dan Beebe, whose credibility ranks somewhere between BP's Tony Hayward & "Baghdad Bob," issued a statement soon after the Colorado announcement saying he & the Big-12 board members were "working tirelessly for the long-term viability of the Big-12." Hogwash! The only thing Beebe is working on tirelessly is covering his wrinkled old ass. This is one area the NCAA has zero jurisdiction over, this is up to the individual schools & the conference alliances they forge. If the day comes where four 16-team "mega-conferences" exist, I think you'll see a move away from the BCS format & a real playoff system begin.
Big-12 Commissioner Dan Beebe
USC Trojans nationwide have a tear in their eye, they had their pants pulled down & were spanked in public. Today, citing "a total lack of institutional control," the NCAA dropped the hammer, listing the penalties they have imposed on the Trojans & the list is both lengthy & harsh. A 2-year ban on postseason play for the next two seasons headed the list. The football program will forfeit 20 scholarships over the next three years, also a crippling blow. With the 2-year post season ban, it allows juniors & seniors to transfer to BCS schools without sitting out a year. Keeping the players they currently have might be difficult. Keeping the ones they have commited on 'letters of intent' could be tough as well, all these recruits have to do is file paperwork with the NCAA & they're 'de-commited' to USC, free to sign with another school. The report went on to say "there was serious consideration of a complete television ban for two years as well." The NCAA ruled Reggie Bush ineligible for the 2004 & 2005 seasons. Bush won the Heisman Trophy after the 2004 season. The Heisman committee has a rule that all players considered for the award must be eligible during the entire football season, which eliminates Bush. Will he lose his Heisman Trophy? I think he should, he was living in the house that was given to his family by boosters, Bush, along with his mom & dad, were all driving new cars provided to them by boosters & agent wannabe's. He's guilty as hell, he knows it, the Heisman committee knows it. Please don't make the O.J. comparison people(as some have), Simpson didn't take to murder until he was retired from football. While at USC, he was a model citizen, so his Heisman award would never be revoked. Bush is another story. The University was instructed to "dissociate itself from Reggie Bush & basketball player O.J. Mayo." What does this do to the legacy of Pete Carroll? I think it damages it dramatically, the NCAA wouldn't have imposed such severe actions if the infractions weren't so blatant, think Carroll didn't know some of this was going on back then? The NCAA has also vacated the wins USC had in 2004 & 2005, making their BCS championship after the '04 season a sham. The NCAA has nothing to say about that championship since Division I football doesn't have a playoff system. The ridiculous BCS controls the Division I football championship & it is up to them to repossess USC's trophy(careful, it falls apart) & title. So the sh*tty news for Trojans fans isn't over by a long shot.
The Denver Broncos are playing a very dangerous game of chicken with a key player. OLB Elvis Dumervil, a restricted free agent who hasn't signed his tender offer, is in a stare down with the team. The Broncos want Dumervil to blink & sign the deal worth #3.168 million or they will begin reducing his tender offer significantly. This is a very questionable tactic. Dumervil is Denver's best pass rusher, 43 sacks in 4 season plus 10 forced fumbles. He is a solid citizen on & off the field, a tireless worker & he's even participating in all the OTA's & this weekend's mini camp without a contract. He only has an injury-waiver to protect him. Trying to bluff one of your best players in public may not be the best technique in negotiations I've ever seen.
Staying the AFC West, the Chargers' GM A.J. Smith is playing with fire as well. But he has experience with such things & usually wins. Right now left tackle Marcus MacNeill & wideout Vincent Jackson are holding out in the restricted free agent year, refusing to sign their tender offers. Jackson has already said he will not step foot on company property until he gets a realistic contract offer. MacNeill may come around by training camp, especially with the events of yesterday. Smith signed veteran Pro Bowl left tackle Tra Thomas. Thomas is 35 years old, but he has an excellent history of playing at a high level every Sunday. At the announcement of Thomas' signing, Smith said he's looking for a veteran wide receiver now.
The brand new Giants/Jets stadium is just about ready & the management of both teams is working to get a stadium title sponsor. Some company willing to pony up $4-6 million a season to have their name on the stadium, like Quest Field in Seattle or the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis. Well a company has stepped forward willing to lay down $25 million for a 5-year naming rights contract. That company? AshleyMadison.com is that company. Never heard of them? Their business is an online dating service for cheating spouses in search of an affair. The company slogan is "Life is short, have an affair." I'm not kidding, look it up. AshleyMadison has said they will match any offer for these rights, they want the notoriety naming a stadium brings in. I think it's more like the want the notoriety of fighting for their place at the table without actually having to pay for it. I believe the company knows there's no way they will get their name plastered all over this stadium, but they'll get a lot of free publicity in the media. In the end, another more palatable company will come forward & plunk down the required cash to name the complex. I'm growing weary of individuals or companies that use outrageous behavior to get a free ride on the publicity train. Do the "entrepreneurs" at AshleyMadison.com really believe the sports authority governing the stadium in East Rutherford New Jersey is going to name this place after their company? Of course not, but look at all the free publicity they'll get with plenty of contrived outrage while doing interview after interview on the cable news channels. What is so repugnant about this tactic is it will open the floodgates on similar businesses getting their companies huge exposure for very little money. I can see it now, "Hi, I'm Joe Buck along with Troy Aikman & welcome to Hustler Magazine Stadium where the New York Jets take on the Buffalo Bills." Oy ve.
The Colorado Buffaloes, their athletic department not taken seriously for years, pretty much gave the state of Texas the finger today. They joined the PAC-10 conference officially this afternoon. Texas, their governor, their state legislature & the other 3 in-state schools(A&M, TTech & Baylor) had designs of moving into the PAC-10 en masse. With Colorado jumping to the front of the line, Baylor would seem to be out of PAC-10 consideration. The scare talk within the state government has started already with threats of hearings & the likes. Stuff politicians do well, bluster & outrage, mostly without results. Colorado posted the PAC-10 logo on their internet home page immediately. The website TMZ has reported within the past hour that Oklahoma State is about to make a similar announcement. So now the first domino has fallen, how long will it be before the Big-12 ceases to exist? When will the Big-10 pull the trigger on expansion, the word is Nebraska will announce their move over to the Big-10 as soon as tomorrow. What will become of those castaways from the Big-12? Baylor, Mizzou, Kansas & Kansas State have excellent basketball programs, but only Mizzou has had a profitable football program over the last few years & this realignment stuff is geared toward football TV revenues. Sadly, Mizzou's AD Mike Alden, has alienated so many of his Big-12 brethren, he is persona non grata within the conference. I think the Big-12 South + Colorado moving to the PAC-10 does a great favor to the PAC-10. With USC in big trouble, the conference needed a boost. The Big-10, soon to be the real Big-12, will look silly if they don't add Notre Dame as well. They will fall way behind the SEC & the new PAC-10(16) in prestige which will affect both recruiting & TV revenues. I think the Big-10 ought to add at least 2 more teams & one of them absolutely, positively has to be Notre Dame.
The Big-12's ridiculous commissioner, Dan Beebe, whose credibility ranks somewhere between BP's Tony Hayward & "Baghdad Bob," issued a statement soon after the Colorado announcement saying he & the Big-12 board members were "working tirelessly for the long-term viability of the Big-12." Hogwash! The only thing Beebe is working on tirelessly is covering his wrinkled old ass. This is one area the NCAA has zero jurisdiction over, this is up to the individual schools & the conference alliances they forge. If the day comes where four 16-team "mega-conferences" exist, I think you'll see a move away from the BCS format & a real playoff system begin.
Big-12 Commissioner Dan Beebe
USC Trojans nationwide have a tear in their eye, they had their pants pulled down & were spanked in public. Today, citing "a total lack of institutional control," the NCAA dropped the hammer, listing the penalties they have imposed on the Trojans & the list is both lengthy & harsh. A 2-year ban on postseason play for the next two seasons headed the list. The football program will forfeit 20 scholarships over the next three years, also a crippling blow. With the 2-year post season ban, it allows juniors & seniors to transfer to BCS schools without sitting out a year. Keeping the players they currently have might be difficult. Keeping the ones they have commited on 'letters of intent' could be tough as well, all these recruits have to do is file paperwork with the NCAA & they're 'de-commited' to USC, free to sign with another school. The report went on to say "there was serious consideration of a complete television ban for two years as well." The NCAA ruled Reggie Bush ineligible for the 2004 & 2005 seasons. Bush won the Heisman Trophy after the 2004 season. The Heisman committee has a rule that all players considered for the award must be eligible during the entire football season, which eliminates Bush. Will he lose his Heisman Trophy? I think he should, he was living in the house that was given to his family by boosters, Bush, along with his mom & dad, were all driving new cars provided to them by boosters & agent wannabe's. He's guilty as hell, he knows it, the Heisman committee knows it. Please don't make the O.J. comparison people(as some have), Simpson didn't take to murder until he was retired from football. While at USC, he was a model citizen, so his Heisman award would never be revoked. Bush is another story. The University was instructed to "dissociate itself from Reggie Bush & basketball player O.J. Mayo." What does this do to the legacy of Pete Carroll? I think it damages it dramatically, the NCAA wouldn't have imposed such severe actions if the infractions weren't so blatant, think Carroll didn't know some of this was going on back then? The NCAA has also vacated the wins USC had in 2004 & 2005, making their BCS championship after the '04 season a sham. The NCAA has nothing to say about that championship since Division I football doesn't have a playoff system. The ridiculous BCS controls the Division I football championship & it is up to them to repossess USC's trophy(careful, it falls apart) & title. So the sh*tty news for Trojans fans isn't over by a long shot.
The Denver Broncos are playing a very dangerous game of chicken with a key player. OLB Elvis Dumervil, a restricted free agent who hasn't signed his tender offer, is in a stare down with the team. The Broncos want Dumervil to blink & sign the deal worth #3.168 million or they will begin reducing his tender offer significantly. This is a very questionable tactic. Dumervil is Denver's best pass rusher, 43 sacks in 4 season plus 10 forced fumbles. He is a solid citizen on & off the field, a tireless worker & he's even participating in all the OTA's & this weekend's mini camp without a contract. He only has an injury-waiver to protect him. Trying to bluff one of your best players in public may not be the best technique in negotiations I've ever seen.
Staying the AFC West, the Chargers' GM A.J. Smith is playing with fire as well. But he has experience with such things & usually wins. Right now left tackle Marcus MacNeill & wideout Vincent Jackson are holding out in the restricted free agent year, refusing to sign their tender offers. Jackson has already said he will not step foot on company property until he gets a realistic contract offer. MacNeill may come around by training camp, especially with the events of yesterday. Smith signed veteran Pro Bowl left tackle Tra Thomas. Thomas is 35 years old, but he has an excellent history of playing at a high level every Sunday. At the announcement of Thomas' signing, Smith said he's looking for a veteran wide receiver now.
The brand new Giants/Jets stadium is just about ready & the management of both teams is working to get a stadium title sponsor. Some company willing to pony up $4-6 million a season to have their name on the stadium, like Quest Field in Seattle or the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis. Well a company has stepped forward willing to lay down $25 million for a 5-year naming rights contract. That company? AshleyMadison.com is that company. Never heard of them? Their business is an online dating service for cheating spouses in search of an affair. The company slogan is "Life is short, have an affair." I'm not kidding, look it up. AshleyMadison has said they will match any offer for these rights, they want the notoriety naming a stadium brings in. I think it's more like the want the notoriety of fighting for their place at the table without actually having to pay for it. I believe the company knows there's no way they will get their name plastered all over this stadium, but they'll get a lot of free publicity in the media. In the end, another more palatable company will come forward & plunk down the required cash to name the complex. I'm growing weary of individuals or companies that use outrageous behavior to get a free ride on the publicity train. Do the "entrepreneurs" at AshleyMadison.com really believe the sports authority governing the stadium in East Rutherford New Jersey is going to name this place after their company? Of course not, but look at all the free publicity they'll get with plenty of contrived outrage while doing interview after interview on the cable news channels. What is so repugnant about this tactic is it will open the floodgates on similar businesses getting their companies huge exposure for very little money. I can see it now, "Hi, I'm Joe Buck along with Troy Aikman & welcome to Hustler Magazine Stadium where the New York Jets take on the Buffalo Bills." Oy ve.
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