The good old days are just around the corner.

Two contrasting quotes from another have/have-not article on college athletics:

… Regarding fiscal decisions in athletics, SEC Commissioner Mike Slive said universities would be best served by sticking to their own missions.

“I think the point here is that each institution has its own place in higher education, and to that extent, it has its own resources, its own areas of interest and emphasis,” Slive said. “One would hope that their focus would be on that as much as trying to be like other institutions.”

I’d settle for hoping that some people would remember what decade they’re living in.

… The escalation of coaching salaries was also a Knight Commission focus. Some reformers want to turn the athletic clock back to the 1950s — or at least the late 1970s — when there were no coaches making million-dollar salaries.

“If you go back several decades, it was quite common that coaches in many instances were considered members of the faculty and their salaries were comparable to other salaries within the university,” said Kirwan, a former president at Ohio State. “…That was true with Woody Hayes’ salary. That was an era that we feel there was a more appropriate balance.”

I keep thinking folks like Kirwan simply have a problem understanding basic economic theory.  Then I read quotes like that and realize they have issues that are deeper-seated.  Although that makes me wonder even more how these folks ever occupied positions of authority in the first place.

About these ads

When money becomes an object

ESPN loses another BCS sponsor:

The Granddaddy Of Them All is looking for a new sugar daddy. Citi is out as presenting sponsor of the Rose Bowl after a seven-year run supporting college football’s most august bowl game.

Citi’s decision not to renew its deal mainly was based on flexibility and price, sources said. One of the main reasons why it decided to drop the game is because of ESPN’s restrictions over when and where it would spend its money as the Rose Bowl’s lead sponsor.

Anyone else find it amusing that Citi had no problem ponying up the big bucks to Disney while it was sucking on the public teat, but now that the bailout money’s been repaid, it’s suddenly got qualms about the expenditure?

Factoid of the day

The SEC has had at least one team finish in the top 10 nationally in rushing defense every season since 1988.

Interestingly enough, Georgia is one of four current SEC programs not to have contributed to that streak.

… For Alabama, 2009 was the 10th season during that span in which it has finished in the top 10 in rushing defense (as measured by rushing yards given up per game). Florida has 11 top-10 showings during the SEC streak.

Other SEC teams that have finished in the top 10 in rushing defense during the streak are Tennessee (six times), Ole Miss (four), LSU (three), Auburn (two), Arkansas (two) and Mississippi State (one).

Monday morning buffet

Hope all you dads out there enjoyed your day yesterday.  Here’s some morning college football nourishment:

• Speaking of Father’s Day, Watts Dantzler committed yesterday, in part because of a certain ineffective Mark Richt promotion:  “The Dream Team concept was something I liked,” Dantzler said. “They showed me the list (showing UGA’s top targets) and I was at the top of the Dream Team, and that made me feel special. I’m going to be calling (Georgia recruits) Isiah Crowell and Gabe Wright when I get home and get them on board, and maybe we can have one of the top two or three recruiting classes in the country.”
• In a world where the Big XII has ditched the Oklahoma-Nebraska game, there are no sacred traditions any more.
• The Delaware school that’s home to Lane Kiffin’s prized 13-year old commitment may have some issues.
• Tim Tucker asks a good question.
• I’m not sure what’s sadder here – that UT has fallen to #72 in one of those seemingly ubiquitous preseason D-1 football program rankings (#71:  a LeFevour-less Central Michigan) or that it’s still got more than a thousand football seats left to sell.
• Beware of stories entitled “Truths emerge”.  They’re usually just an exercise in throwing a bunch of stuff out there to see if anything sticks.  (h/t Team Speed Kills)

This aggression will not stand, man.

Here’s some more patently stupid BCS talk from a Paul Banks (who bills himself as “the President and CEO” of his sports website – ain’t we all, pal, ain’t we all), who appears via The Washington Times in some Bleacher Report-esque arrangement and came through with a double this weekend.

The first of his posts is the usual sort of illogical projection you get from some playoff proponents – “fat cats at the very top whose pockets are made fatter by the status quo” are opposed to a playoff, yet Texas, which is surely one of the fattest of such cats, is in prime position to blow everybody’s shit up and bring us to the age of enlightenment and “a football version of March Madness” – combined with the dismissal of everyone who might disagree with Banks’ position as being extremely moronic or really stupid.  (I’m guessing there’s a fair amount of overlap in those two groups, but only Banks knows for sure.)

But it’s the second that’s pure comedy gold.  Admittedly, I’m a sucker for grandiose pronouncements that are factually wrong like his opener, which ignores that (1) the BCS rules don’t prohibit any D-1 school from playing in the title game and (2) several mid-majors coaches like Gary Patterson have repeatedly stated that they prefer the current BCS arrangement to an extended football playoff, but that’s not the real fun.

This is:

I warn you ahead of time that what lies ahead is more about politics than college football. Receiving this message in addition to me: University of Utah higher-ups (including the president), people within the University’s athletic facilities donated by Jon Huntsman, who may become the GOP Presidential nominee in 2012, the Deseret News (Utah’s main daily paper), and then me…

So before we delve into the Sherman Anti-Trust Act, you may wonder who Brandon Kennedy is? Well, he’s the creator of the Kennedy Proposal, a playoff plan that includes the structure of the BCS. Learn more here and here. And who exactly is Mr. Kennedy, aside from the leader of a grassroots organization?

Well the KP Coalition has a Facebook page, and according to Kennedy’s individual Facebook page, he’s a recent college grad who works at Banana Republic, and Olive Garden prior to his BR gig. So he’s not exactly “inside the Beltway” by any means, and any traction for his political action will likely be organic and grassroots in the truest sense.

So we’ve got some random dude with a Facebook page and the ability to e-mail more than one person at a time who’s hailed as the leader of a grassroots movement for sending this missive:

University of Utah,

Last year I met President Young at the BCS Senate Hearing. It was reported in the Washington Post and I still have not heard a word from Young regarding the Kennedy Proposal. Coach Whittingham believes a playoff can be structured through the BCS and indeed that is what the Kennedy Proposal inhibits.

The majority may not know; however, I sent Young and the majority of FBS presidents an email asking if they would provide a Comprehensive Review of the Kennedy Proposal as it applies to Academics, Athletics, and Economics. President Simon of Michigan State is the sole response and suggested I continue with antitrust lawsuit.

First, all conferences are BCS conferences to me (but now you are a member anyways) and the decision makers of the University of Utah are not exempt of violation of the Sherman Act of 1890. Second, the Department Of Justice has been notified regarding the Kennedy Proposal. Third, Antitrust Attorney General Christine Varney says the ATD will “throughly pursue” violators. (Which certainly Young believes the current BCS model is)

The American people need to be afforded Justice. It’s time to “State your preference”. In an email response, Hancock said each conference will have ample opportunity to state their preferences for the future. This is that ample opportunity.

Do the Decision makers of the University of Utah state their preference for the future by (1) Implementing the Kennedy Proposal* immediately, (2) or remaining with the current BCS model?

The University of Utah has one week to respond or will be included as a members of the Monopoly that Young testified against less than 365 days ago.

God Bless,

Brandon E. Kennedy

Executive Director of the KP Coalition

It is indeed hard to believe that Kennedy has received so little official response to such a credible threat.  Maybe Banks’ attention will prove to be the deal changer.