It's been a while since my lost blog. I had to do wheat harvest this summer and never had the time. When I got home I found a job doing fall harvest here at home. It has been busy most of the time. We've got some rain the last few days, giving me some much needed time off. There have been several issues the last few weeks that have peaked my interest, and as expected I have a few opinions on. So, I decided I would get back on the horse and try it again. With my busy work schedule, it might not be as often, but I will as much as I can.
There have been a few issues the last few weeks that I have been pretty vocal about. The main two that I am going to blog about are the almost collapse of the Big XII, again. The other is the Philadelphia Eagles "Dream Team" and Michael Vick. I am going to talk about the Big XII tonight, and will visit the Eagles issue tomorrow night if I have time.
As most of you have seen or heard about the last few weeks is for the second time in a year, the Big XII almost collapsed. When this happened last year, the league was kept together basically by commissioner Dan Beebe kissing Texas' ass and giving what they wanted to keep them in the Big XII and keep them together. I blogged about this issue when it happened before and said that if they sit back and do nothing, this would not be the end of it. Since that time there has been no talk at all about expanding the Big XII. During this time there was also a new television contract with Fox Sports. But as I expected, the Big XII sat back and did nothing. This summer, the story broke that Texas A&M was going to leave the Big XII for the SEC. They were tired of everyone bowing to Texas' every command. The deal may have kept the Big XII together, but it also offended a lot of schools. Then, to no one's surprise, the expansion issue came up again. Oklahoma figured Texas A&M can do it, so can we. They announced that they were going to look into joining that Pac 12. The only problem with that was that the Pac 12, and probably any other conference as well, wouldn't take Oklahoma without Texas. Soon, much like last year, it was rumored that Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Texas Tech were headed west to join the Pac 12. This time the move didn't happen because Texas and the Pac 12 couldn't agree on terms, so the Pac 12 said, "Thanks, but no thanks." Of course this is no big deal to the Longhorns because they have the Big XII to fall back on. Texas has been considered the "bully" of the Big XII, and rightfully so. But what does that make Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, and Colorado?? This is much like a grade school playground. Texas is not playing fair, so Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Colorado get their feelings hurt, so they run away crying like little babies instead of standing up for themselves and against Texas. Texas doesn't care because they know they will get what they want. They have no reason to panic. Pat Forde posted a blog on ESPN.com the other day that I really enjoyed reading. It was very truthful to the point, reality. Everybody is blaming Texas for all the happenings, but is it really their fault? Nebraska is the one that started all this by going to the Big 10 because they didn't like the way everyone treating Texas. You don't see KU, K-State, or Iowa State crying like little babies and going to the Big 10 or ACC. The talks with the Big East were a result of the others headed for the Pac 12. It's all a matter of reality. The Big XII and commissioner Dan Beebe kissed Texas' backside to keep them in the conference together in one piece. So, Texas is the one holding the cards and the last few weeks have proved that. The Pac 12 doesn't want to expand if Texas isn't involved. The Big XII's hands are tied because of the deal they made. So, as is usually the case, the big get bigger and the small get crapped on. It drives me nuts when everyone talks about this "fairy tale" world in which everyone is nice, there are no bullies, peace on earth, etc. While that would be an AWESOME thing, it's not reality. The reality is that stuff happens. Most of the time there is nothing we can do about it. We just have to accept it and deal with it and move on. These schools may not like what Texas has become, but the reality of the situation is, nothing is about to change. Texas is going to continue being a bully and getting their way because they are holding the cards right now. So the best thing to do is just accept it and move on. The Big XII is the best conference in college sports. The SEC is a football conference, the ACC, Big East, and Big Ten are basketball conferences. The Big XII has both. As I said before, this is not the last we're going to hear about the expansion issue. Only days after thinking the conference was stable again, rumors of Missouri headed to the SEC surface. Expansion is going to happen eventually. There will be a 16 team super-conference eventually. Other conferences want to raid the Big XII because of it's so deep and talented throughout. Let's say Texas, OU, OSU, and Texas Tech headed west, the Big East was going to take KU, K-State, Missouri, Iowa State, and Baylor, as well as TCU who was already scheduled to join next year. This would be a win win for the Big East. They could gain some respect in football, and imagine what basketball would be like with KU, KSU, and Mizzou added to that. As I said before, it's all a matter of reality. We hate to see the Big XII go, but it's only a matter of time and it's gonna happen. They keep patching things up, but it's no permanent solution. In my blog then, I said that there will be a 16 team super conference, and if the Big XII didn't do something about it and make themselves that super conference, they were going to be raided for someone else. Their lack of action over the past year addressing the expansion issue and the hard feelings with Texas have brought the issue back to the surface, as it will again. It's getting a little old at this point. Texas A&M wants to leave, Oklahoma wants to leave, Missouri wants to leave. In a perfect world, the new commissioner would make things better, everyone could hug and kiss and make up, and everything would be ok. This is not a perfect world. I remember when the Big 8 merged with the old Southwest Conference. The critics of this said that letting those Texas schools into the conference would ruin the conference. Turns out they were right!! But the Big XII is not going to collapse and dissolve because of Texas being a bully. The Big XII will fall because the other schools in the conference want to cry and run like chickens instead of standing up to the bully. They are now down to 9 schools, and who in their right mind would want to join a conference that may not be here in a few years?? It's a matter of reality, and the reality is, the way things are now, we are just postponing the inevitable. I really hate to see the Big XII go, but it's only a matter of time before it happens. It's time to accept reality and move on. Since booting Texas from the conference is not going to happen, let Texas take their swollen heads to the west coast and let it be someone else's problem. But if I were KU, KSU, ISU, and Mizzou, I think I would apply for membership in the Big 10 before the Big East. That conference already has 14 schools. Also, if you join the Big East, your closest road game, with the exception of TCU would be Cincinnati, Louisville, and West Virginia. If you move to the Big Ten, you are still staying in the midwest where you belong. What I'm curious about though is, what would Texas' attitude be if those schools did such a move leaving them scrambling for somewhere to go. The Pac 12 would not accept Texas' demands, and neither is the SEC, Big 10, ACC, etc. They'd have no choice but to give up some of their demands, or become independent. But that's not about to happen either. Interim commissioner Neinas thinks he can mend the fences and keep the Big XII together, and possibly even keep Texas A&M from leaving. I really do hope he's right. I hope he can keep it together, but he's inheriting a stalemate in which neither side is going to budge. Texas isn't going to give any ground, causing more hard feelings and just making things worse. The other issue that needs to be addressed to save the conference is expansion. They need to be agressive in this matter, getting the conference back to 12 teams, ASAP. But, as I said earlier, who in their right mind would join this mess?? The only school to express any interest at all in the last year is SMU. There are several schools that would make good additions in my opinion. SMU, BYU, Tulsa, or Boise State would not replace Texas A&M or Nebraska, but realisticly that's the best you're going to get. Those are even a stretch considering there is no stability in the conference right now. I just don't see this ending well for the Big XII. Texas is the bully, yes, but they are not solely to blame for this. As is the case with most disagreements there are several fingers to be pointed. When the Big XII falls, and it will fall eventually, Texas will be blamed, but it's not all their fault. Another thing I'd like to know is that if the Big XII came to Nebraska, Oklahoma, or Texas A&M and offered them the same things they offered Texas, would they take the high road and say, "We don't think it's fair to the other schools in the conference, so no thank you."?? I don't think so...
