Benefit of the doubt

It’s nice to have this sort of national perception:

Time to analyze the SEC’s non-conference schedule. Although there’s not much to analyze. Pitiful run of opponents. Georgia, as usual, more than carries its weight. Nobody else really does.

At least maybe it is.  I can’t say it’s really gotten Georgia much extra juice in any given national title hunt it’s been involved in during the Richt era, although to be fair, I can’t say it’s really cost Georgia much, either.  (Some of you will probably point to the 2008 loss to ‘Bama after the Arizona State trip, but let’s be honest – any team that loses by 39 to Florida ain’t a national title contender.  Also, let’s not ignore the fact that last season, Georgia emerged deserving to be included in the national title discussion after its September, despite the road loss at Clemson.)

But as we approach the dawning of a new postseason day, this kind of stuff is really supposed to matter now, right, selection committee?  So why do I remain unconvinced it will?

“If there’s no iHoops, there’s no O’Bannon.”

Looks like the NCAA picked the wrong weasel to screw with in Sonny Vaccaro.

The press conference on April 7, 2008, was portrayed as a great moment for the sport of basketball. The NCAA and NBA had decided to come together to try to clean up summer basketball. NCAA President Myles Brand, NBA Commissioner David Stern and other stakeholders in basketball — college coaches, shoe company executives and AAU leaders — sat at a podium at the Final Four to announce their efforts.

They talked about what would eventually become iHoops, a for-profit organization run by the NCAA and NBA. The idea: Improve youth basketball coaching and officiating, help the skills of players, promote team play, and screen summer coaches and tournaments.

Sonny Vaccaro, the former shoe marketer widely credited with inventing the summer basketball scene, seethed as he watched the news conference. No one, not even Vaccaro, could have imagined his anger from a Final Four news conference would result in the high-stakes Ed O’Bannon lawsuit scheduled for trial next week.

“That day convinced me that they are immoral because what they did — in front of the world while they were applauded — was say they were going to control 15-, 16- and 17-year-old kids who aren’t even in their system,” Vaccaro said. “Sure, it hurt, because it was everything they said I did, they were going to do to control these kids. They were going to put $50 million in a pot and create iHoops because they didn’t want them to go pro. I knew in my own mind: That’s antitrust. You can’t have professional and amateur controlling this group. The NCAA made the biggest mistake in their life that day, as far as I’m concerned.”

Never underestimate the power of greed, ladies and gentlemen.

“GO TO FEWER GAMES”

Yes, all is well in the world of D-1 ticket marketing.

Not many teams would tell you to go to fewer games.

Most would try to push a full season package on you, even if that requires more money or more time than you possess.

We are extremely thankful for the support of our Miami Hurricanes season ticket holders, but we understand that a full season of tickets is not for everyone, and that’s OK.

So we created the new Two-Game Mini-Plan to give fans an opportunity to experience the two best college football events in South Florida.

I guess that beats “four tickets, four hot dogs and four Cokes”.  But not by much.  Then again,

1. Better seats are available at better prices through the Two-Game Mini-Plan than on StubHub and other broker sites for the FSU game alone.

2. Florida State tickets will not be available to the general public on a single-game basis.

3. We’re throwing in a complimentary Miami Hurricanes hat with every purchase (an added $30 value per plan).

Granted, Miami’s got its own set of special problems, starting with a pretty sorry stadium arrangement.  But this is also the kind of crack in the foundation you get when it’s more important to kowtow to ESPN than it is to your fan base.

(h/t Doc Saturday)

Makin’ bank on the Plains

You win an SEC title and play in the BCS title game, you can expect some new loot to be flowing your way.  And it’s raining bucks at Auburn.  End result:  another SEC coordinator is making more than Mike Bobo.

Offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee received the biggest raise among the assistant coaches: An increase of $250,000 to $600,000 annually with a two-year contract extension to June 2017.

Where does that place Bobo now – middle of the pack in SEC offensive coordinator pay?  Hell, even Rodney Garner (three-year contract through June 2017, $550,000 annually) is making about as much as Bobo.

Malzahn’s staff earned $3,495,000 in salary last season not including bonuses, ranking fifth nationally and third in the SEC behind LSU ($4,565,803) and Alabama ($4,462,700), according to USA TODAY Sports. The same group will earn $4.32 million in 2014.

I hope the reserve fund sends Richt a Christmas card.