Observations from an ESPN talking head:
If you need to be off by yourself for a little while, I understand.
Daily Archives: April 11, 2018
Mark Bradley hasn’t come to bury Paul Johnson’s contract extension.
He’s come to fellate it. And so you don’t have to waste your time reading his kiss-assery — honestly, the more praise in that direction, the merrier, as far as I’m concerned — just catch the lazy, reflexive nip he takes at Georgia:
Station Kirby Smart at a school where calculus is a requirement and see how many 5-stars he signs.
Yeah, put the genius some place where his warm and fuzzy personality wouldn’t be handicapped by those damned academics and watch the magic begin.
Even beat writers get goosebumps.
Nice walk down the ’17 season’s memory lane by Seth Emerson.
There never will be another season quite like that one. Oh, there might be national championships, but Alabama fans and media members will tell you the first unexpected title run always holds a unique place in the hearts and minds of those who were there for it. There’s a joy that comes with the unexpected that turns to pressure in ensuing years. Last season had that joy, even if the ending was painful.
Throw in the fact that the season saw trips to Notre Dame and the Rose Bowl – in the same season – along with two championship games in Georgia’s own backyard, and 2017 will be almost impossible to beat when it comes to the memory bank.
I second that emotion.
Filed under Georgia Football
Victim of a victimless crime
Joe Monaco, a spokesman for the University of Kansas, said in a statement: “Earlier today, we learned that the University of Kansas is named as a victim in a federal indictment. The indictment does not suggest any wrongdoing by the university, its coaches or its staff. We will cooperate fully with investigators in this matter.”
Considering that Kansas just played in the Final Four with a player alleged to have received a payment, that’s some victimhood thing you got going there, Joe. Er’rybody got paid!
Filed under Crime and Punishment, The NCAA
“We’re just going to bring some power.”
These days, I’m not sure it’s possible to write an article about Georgia’s offensive line that doesn’t make me smile.
Filed under Georgia Football
Room with a view
Check out the vantage from Northwestern’s fancy new IPF.
I have to admit that might get my ass out of bed in the morning to get my workout done. Nice.
Filed under Big Ten Football
“They didn’t invite you. Trump invites you.”
(Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post)
You may have heard that the Alabama football team was honored yesterday for winning the national championship. It was a meeting of two men at the peak of their respective powers.
To no one’s surprise, one of those men spoke movingly about his role in the event…
“It was truly a win for the ages,” Trump said. “I don’t know if you know, but I was there.”
… and one man worked while he was there.
All in all, just another day at the White House.
Filed under Nick Saban Rules, Political Wankery
Larry Scott, certified man of genius
So, what’s the highest paid conference commissioner up to these days? Building a powerhouse TV network, it seems.
Kagan’s research shows that, in addition to its well-documented limited reach (i.e., households), the Pac-12 National network generates a dramatically lower average subscriber fee than the SEC and Big Ten networks.
Perhaps more surprising is that the Pac-12 National’s subscriber fee has dropped over the years — and not by a few cents, either.
It has plunged.
According to Kagan, the Pac-12 National network received an average of $0.30 per subscriber (coast-to-coast) when it was launched in 2012.
That number accounts for the higher fees paid by subscribers inside the conference’s home markets and the lower fees paid by out-of-market subscribers (i.e., viewers from Topeka to Bangor to Miami).
To be clear: That tiered fee structure is standard practice for college networks. The SEC’s subscriber fees are higher in Birmingham than Billings; the Big Ten doesn’t command the same fee in Albuquerque as it does in Ann Arbor.
But here’s where the situation gets interesting.
Kagan’s research listed the average national subscriber fee in five-year increments:
* In 2012, the Big Ten commanded $0.37 per sub, while the Pac-12 National network received $0.30.
* By 2017, the Big Ten’s average sub fee had jumped to $0.48, an increase of 30 percent, while the Pac-12 fee had dropped to $0.11.
That’s right: From $0.30 to $0.11 in the five-year span.
Of the 24 networks listed in the research report that existed in both 2012 and 2017, the Pac-12 Network was one of only four that experienced a drop in sub fees over the span. The others were the Olympic Channel, the Tennis Channel and beIN Sports.
Nifty trick, that.
Now, Wilner goes on to point out that the Pac-12 probably hasn’t lost money in the process. That’s because it’s swapped subscriber fees for subscriber eyeballs. To put it more succinctly,
“They took lower revenue in order to reach more homes,” said Adam Gajo, a Kagan analyst who covers regional sports networks.
This, in a day when demand for televised live sports seems almost bottomless, doesn’t seem like optimal marketing.
But let’s view this hypothetically:
Even if Kagan’s estimates for Pac-12 National are off by 25 percent — a complete whiff — the network would still be generating an average of just $0.14 per sub.
That’s in line with the Tennis Channel and the World Fishing Network but nowhere close to the Big Ten or SEC networks.
To reiterate: The fee drop doesn’t mean the Pac-12 Networks are cratering.
They aren’t.
But the Kagan estimates are more evidence of a lagging business … another nugget to help fill in the pixels … to help us gain a slightly better understanding of the finances.
After all, the Pac-12 Networks are a nine-figure annual enterprise owned by 10 public (and two private) universities.
If you’ve ever wondered if you have what it takes to run a P5 conference, Larry Scott is here to tell you not to sell yourself short.
Filed under It's Just Bidness, Pac-12 Football
Remember, it’s not what your football program can do for you. It’s what you can do for your football program.
Fans, Kirby wants you to Always. Be. Closing.
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart joined 680 the Fan’s Buck and Kincade on Tuesday to discuss spring practice. Almost immediately, Smart took advantage of the platform to make a call-to-action to fans.
“They need to come out and see G-Day,” Smart said. “It is a big part of our recruiting piece. Everybody loves good recruiting. I think our fanbase is excited about getting good prospects in here. Bringing in a new group of Georgia football players in.”
In 2016, Smart’s first year at the helm, Georgia fans packed Sanford Stadium for “93k day.” Last year, 66,133 were in attendance for G-Day. The Dawgs signed the No. 3 and No. 1 recruiting class the past two cycles.
“We certainly cannot do that without their help,” Smart said. “We need their help. We need a huge G-Day. Because so many new coaches, I have said over and over, they are all passionate and they are all crying to their fanbases about coming out, going to Gainesville and Knoxville and going to all these places. We need them in Athens, Ga. to turn out just like it was the very beginning because that is what carries over to these kids.”
Not only is it costing me more to attend games, but now I’ve got to work at them? Shee-it.
I just hope I don’t get blamed if Kirby loses a five-star to ‘Bama.
Filed under Georgia Football, Recruiting
Get The Picture 