This is pretty damned cool. It was amazing to watch in real time, too.
Daily Archives: April 20, 2016
Les Miles and a pig
No, really.
You almost get the sense that’s not the first time he’s said that.
Dude is a national treasure.
Filed under Wit And Wisdom From The Hat
“Don’t screw it up, kid.”
Evidently that was the admonition delivered to Jacob Eason as he stepped into the huddle for the first time on G-Day.
Looks like he paid attention.
Filed under Georgia Football
Today, in amateurism
Shorter Actual Marshall University athletic director Mike Hamrick: “College athletics are the most unfair competition in the sports world,” he said. “Look around. In the NBA, there’s a salary cap. In Major League baseball, there’s a salary cap. But there’s no cap in college athletics.”
It’s almost like these guys don’t realize anyone hears what they’re saying.
(h/t)
Filed under It's Not Easy Being A Mid-Major, It's Just Bidness
“So what, now what.”
I really do like Kirby Smart’s sense of perspective.
The danger, Smart went on to say, was “you can get caught up in the moment.” The full stadium has already “helped us tremendously in recruiting,” and the largest spring game attendance in SEC history will continue to help in recruiting.
“But for our kids we have to almost temper our enthusiasm, because for our kids they get caught up in the moment and think, OK we’ve arrived. OK, we’re there,” Smart said. “As coaches, that’s the biggest fear of complacency setting in, or thinking that we’ve done something.”
Given the highs of the last week, that’s entirely understandable.
The tricky part is keeping everyone’s heads out of the clouds without having them lose confidence in heading for the next immediate goal.
Before he left, however, Smart had reminded the fans that this year couldn’t be all about G-Day. The season opener, Smart pointed out, is against a good program (North Carolina) in a big environment (the Georgia Dome).
“We’ve got a long way to go, and we’ve got a short time to get there,” Smart said. “It’s coming, and it’s coming quick.”
Yep. Especially if you’re a new head coach.
Filed under Georgia Football
Barry Young, R.I.P.
Somebody had to help Herschel with those tough yards.
Filed under Georgia Football
“We all know we got a gift from Georgia.”
No, I’m not trying to feed anyone’s Mark Richt fixation here, but it’s almost eerie to read this piece about what’s being going on at Miami since he got there and hear a lot of echoes of what’s been going on at Georgia since he left.
Filed under Georgia Football
Sending a subtle message
Georgia named its spring practice honors recipients yesterday. 23 players received mention, but, tellingly, no one earned a most valuable player honor.
Filed under Georgia Football
The latest case for SEC expansion
John Ourand broke the news yesterday that Fox is prepared to pay the Big Ten a boatload of money for some of the conference’s media rights.
Fox is close to signing a deal that gives it half of the Big Ten’s available media rights package, according to several sources. Deal terms still are flexible – both in terms of money and rights. However, the two sides have agreed on basic terms that will give Fox the rights to around 25 football games and 50 basketball games that it will carry on both the broadcast channel and FS1 starting in the fall of ’17. The deal runs six years and could cost Fox as much as $250M per year, depending on the amount of rights the Big Ten conference puts in its second package.
The Fox deal essentially is half of the package of games that had been with ESPN (as part of a 10-year, $1B deal that expires next spring) and CBS (as part of a 6-year, $72M basketball-only deal that also expires next spring).
The money is eye-popping, yes, but the key item there is the deal’s six-year term. Why is that a big deal? Dan Wolken explains.
We’ll see where the final numbers come out, but it seems almost certain that Big Ten schools will soon be banking more than $30 million per year — a number that doesn’t even include what the conference makes off the Big Ten Network and digital rights. When it’s all said and done, it could be a $40 million distribution.
And the best part? If it’s a six-year deal, as Ourand reported, the Big Ten’s media rights will come up for bid again (and maybe again prior to that) before ESPN’s 20-year agreement with the SEC expires in 2034.
Delany is obviously betting that the market for broadcast rights will be just as hot in six years as it is today. If he’s right – and before you start down the “it’ll be an unbundled world by then, ESPN’s on the ropes, etc.” road, remember that we college football fans will need our fix in six years just as much as today, so all we’re really arguing about is the manner in which the drug will be delivered – imagine the way Greg Sankey is going to be pressed to react to the news of the latest deals the Big Ten strikes then as the SEC presidents are forced to make do (yes, I’m being sarcastic, but the presidents won’t be) with the 20-year deal Mike Slive left them saddled.
Then try to imagine the way Sankey negotiates his way out of the existing 20-year deal. Actually, that doesn’t take much imagination at all. Just think back to what Slive did when he renegotiated, which was to expand the conference by adding two new members, with all the attendant scheduling issues that brought with it. Along with the extra money, of course.
Can you say 16-team conference? I thought you could. Honestly, were I an astute school president with ambitions for my football program, I’d start working my way into getting Sankey’s attention and consideration in the next few years. Because this has the feel of inevitability to it. This aggression will not stand, man.
Filed under Big Ten Football, SEC Football
The hanging curve ball that is Georgia Tech’s fan base
Seriously, this example of little brother-itis is so pathetic I’m honestly at a loss at where to start the snark.
I mean, what Chantastic angle do I take here? Mocking being a part of history? (“Full attendance for a meaningless spring game, when you can’t be bothered to show up for real games in the fall? This is Georgia Tech! You can do that!”) Urging Georgia fans to make the Tech team feel right at home by showing up to fill 40% of BDS like usual? Checking the calendar to make sure there’s not a conflict with Dragon*Con?
I think I’ll settle for noting this: “What’s interesting is that the campaign appears to be totally organic — there has been no official acknowledgement or endorsement of it from any official GT Athletics social media account.” So those closest to the program are the least deluded. I guess that’s something.
Filed under Georgia Tech Football
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