SEC has unanimously extended invitations to Texas and Oklahoma, according to ESPN. I wonder how the conference will be split up.

Must not be fake news that the Olympics ratings are cratering. NBC Universal CEO Jeff Shell is out there blaming bad luck and negativity on low ratings. Assures they will still be profitable.

That’s what we call a statement to protect earnings. But everything is fine. Everything is fine.

Per Woj AJ Lawson has signed a free agent contract with the Miami Heat

Mexico beats Canada with the help of the Mexican fans extending the game with an offensive chant. Then the game devolved into an extended brouhaha in which the referee basically stays an observer.

Meanwhile the US beats Qatar, yes Mideast Qatar, in a game where the US goalkeeper was the best US player.

So in Vegas, where else, Sunday, the US and Mexico meet for the Championship.

If ever there were a sporting event demanding an empty stadium this is it with Covid, the chants and the general wackiness that accompanies most Mexico/US games. Combined of course, with less than dependable game management.

Europe must really enjoy watching all of us over here try to figure out this soccer thing.

Not sure if folks knew this but Shane was pretty much the interim coach at Va Tech when his dad had throat surgery. He ran the December bowl practices and was the on-field guy on game day. Frank was in the box. They beat Cincy in the Military Bowl 33-17. Here is the game, condensed into an hour on youtube.

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Yes or No?

Does anyone know which lots, if any, allow you to get onto bluff road after the game towards the interstate, rather than directed towards downtown?

Does anyone know where I can find a quality neon USC Gamecocks sign for my 11 year old son? He wants one for his birthday and found a few online, but not sure of the quality. Thank you in advance

can be the only reason for Oklahoma and Texas to join the SEC. It will dilute their chances to participate in a revamped 12 team playoff, where the 4 highest ranked conference champs are automatically in and get a bye, and almost surely eliminate any chance in the 4 team playoff.

Walking away with $1.5m package = not WM money but not bad for a 65 year old AD.

Per St. Louis paper - Missouri has a number of candidates - some have former affiliations
with school as a player or member of the AD department - thought list might be of interest.

All are currently AD's: Mark Alnutt Buffalo ex- Mo. FB player
Wren Baker North Texas - rising star - terrific fundraiser
Doug Gillin Appalachian State - hired Eli at ASU
Rick Hart Part of the Hart family - grandfather was AD at Missouri; father
at Tennessee; Rick at SMU
Mark Ingram Alabama Birmingham
Heather Lyke Pittsburgh
Nikki Moore Colgate
Desiree Reed- Francois UNLV
Laird Veatch Memphis AD

One thread runs through all of them - ability to raise money. Sterk was apparently pretty good at that.

Fyi.

Drum roll, please
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https://weather.com/weather/tenday/...57e11c263ca1fe711a9814d4e18115419705bdae14ae6 Nice weather

The state of SC. I just don’t get it. Look at the NBA. There are Tons of kids from SC that didn’t play for any SC school. With NIL someone has to do better.

Shane Beamer at Charleston Gamecock Club event
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The king has spoken on Texas moving to the SEC
Hes just an Honesty broker.

You should too.

Between the news articles and posts on here lamenting the end of college Football as we know it to discussing this same topic with a old high school/college buddy last night, I am sad about it. I blame myself and you should too.

Yes it’s about the $$$. But the $$$ comes from us. I can remember as late as high school fishing with my dad and listening to us play an away game on the radio. That would never happen now because that away game is on TV.

I remember before there was Gameday waking up on Sunday morning have having to read the paper to see scores from around the country.

I remember watching Gameday religiously even before they started doing it on campuses.

I remember paying for pay per view for the Tanneyhill win in Baton Rouge.


I remember getting up at 4am as a student for our first Gameday in Columbia.

I remember buying the extra ESPN package that televised all away games not on ESPN 1 or 2 or U.

I remember recording SEC Storied and SEC Media Days on SEC Network.

As I remember these things, I am forced to admit, if I and everyone else were still fine with the radio and the newspaper, college football wouldn’t be all about the TV $$$. So before I bitch about days gone by, I should blame myself first.

Lots of posts expressing strong dislike for Texas and that being the reason some folks are against their move into the SEC. I neither dislike or am a fan of the Horns. They do have some cool football traditions that are SEC-like. I think UT/OU is a done deal and is happening. Would be surprised if it stops at a 16-team SEC.

First, I know football is king in the SEC but if you look at all sports competition in the league, the SEC is also really strong. I think the league places strong importance on non-football sports and likes its members to have a strong athletic program across the board. It follows the whole "It Just Means More" mantra of the league.

Looking at it though that lense.....adding Texas is a no-brainer. They just finished #1 in the NACDA Directors Cup all sports competition for 20/21 and are perennially in the top 5. They won 3 national titles this year and finished runner up in another sport. This year in big three final rankings they finished #2 in baseball, #9 in mens basketball and #19 in football.......light years ahead of our current situation and I am sure very strong in comparison to any other current SEC school. That combined with being an AAU university and having a very strong national brand for TV audiences, again its a no-brainer. Anyone who has spent time in TX knows they are the power-broker in the state.

Check out the banner graphic on the article linked below. Foreshadowing?

Completing the vault on a bad ankle…in the team finals…of the Olympics…to help team win the gold.

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I guess mindfulness hadn’t been invented in 1996.

So the former President of ESPN, John Skipper, said on the Lebetard show that in terms of $$$ in broadcast deals its 80/20 football vs. basketball across the board.

Exceptions being 90/10 in SEC and 65/35 in ACC.

Moral of the stat, no one cares about basketball even in the ACC which has terrible football and great basketball.

To Texas and Oklahoma

When the NCAA finally had its balls drop was in 1948 when it decided to root out gambling and pay for play. Obviously, much like the War on Drugs it failed in the long run. From Clemson, to SMU, to Miami, to So Cal, to the basketball scandal.

I have a customer who played college basketball and later coached college basketball before getting into sales. To protect him I’ll be vague because it’d be easy to figure out who he is.

His High School team had 4 of the starting 5 play in the final four during their career and all 5 played in the tournament. One of his high school teammates is a well known successful D1 basketball coach.

Yesterday I asked him his thoughts on NIL. His response was basically MEH. Won’t change anything except the superstars.

Then he told me two stories. First was him. He went on a recruiting trip to Georgetown in the Patrick Ewing era. Most of that team had “summer jobs” at a Maryland Caterpillar dealership. Each piece of equipment they “sold” earned at $20,000 commission. Apparently everyone on the team had at least a couple of “sales” each year.

The second story involved his high school teammate who played at LSU then the NBA. Freshman year the player drive a new Oldsmobile. Sophomore year makes the starting line up and drives 280Z. Last two years as a prominent player drives a Jaguar.

My customer who ended up at a smaller school was allowed to drive an IROC.

And that’s in the 80s for basketball.

Point in sharing is one I find it interesting. Two NIL won’t change the $$$ needed to field out a full team with depth. Part of our problem is we’ve apparently not figured out how to play this game well in all these years while others have.