Peace in our time

So the parties have struck a deal in Lubbock, Texas and Mike Leach is staying on.  The school got close to what it wanted on the termination penalty it would be liable for if it were to fire Leach before the end of the contract, but the coach pretty much got his way on everything else.

He’ll owe no buyout if he elects to leave, which, given the previous tenor of the negotiations, looks like a huge win for Leach.   Dennis Dodd thinks TTU athletic director Gerald Myers got his ass handed to him.  He’s not the only one to reach that conclusion.

The AD wanted to remind everyone about the most important thing here.

Myers said he has always wanted Leach to be Tech’s coach.

“I think that got lost with all the rhetoric and speculation,” Myers said…

Yeah, sure.  As the Wiz points out, this little tiff between coach and school didn’t just spring up in a vacuum.  There’s plenty of history behind the bad blood.

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UPDATE: Seth C at Double-T Nation thinks the school is getting something of a bum rap on this deal.

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The Mountain West decides to embrace Satan.

I don’t see how this is going to end well.

Mountain West Conference Commissioner Craig Thompson visited Capitol Hill on Thursday, part of a two-day lobbying effort to seek changes in the Bowl Championship Series.

Presidents of Mountain West schools agreed to hire a Washington lobbying firm last month to assist in efforts to change how the Football Bowl Subdivision determines a champion, according to league spokesman Javan Hedlund. With Congress in recess this week, Thompson has been meeting with staffers.

Yeah, spending money on lobbyists, the grand old tradition.  Maybe they can apply for a little TARP money while they’re there.

Nothing like a little over the top rhetoric to spice the proceedings up, either.

“We know what we have to do,” said Rep. Neil Abercrombie, D-Hawaii, whose staff briefed him on the meeting. “We’re going to have hearings on this. We are not going to back down. The sooner they come up with a playoff system, the better. The BCS is on a death march.”

Money, sold-out games, TV – I should be dying like that.

On the other hand…

“I agree the system is broken,” said Rep. Lynn Westmoreland, R-Ga., whose staff also met with Thompson, “(but) as a member of Congress, my first priority right now is finding solutions for our economy.”

When Lynn Westmoreland is the voice of reason on a matter, you know you’ve gotten a bit off track.  Best of luck, gentlemen.

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UPDATE: Dennis Dodd also notes this:

In a stunning announcement, Thompson also said his league had not signed the next BCS television deal with ESPN that runs from 2010-13. A formal agreement with the other leagues was reached in November. A source said the other 10 leagues have either signed the agreement or will sign it.

Road map to the stars

The Wiz alerted me to this morning’s fantastic time waster:  Richard Crout of Map Game Day has his 2009 recruiting maps out.

You can see where the recruiting class for a particular school hails from.

Or you can see where the recruits from a particular state came from.

Have fun.