Key tweets, and it's all gone to Hell.

[whaler11]

>>Boren said that while the pro rata bumps are motivation for expansion, they're also a concern. "We do have a relationship to maintain, not only short term, but long term with the networks," Boren said. "When you have a partnership and you have a friendship, it isn't just for today, it's long term. And I think you have to think about long-term implications in any action we take. If we were to expand by two teams, four teams, that has financial implications for the networks. I think we have to see if that adds to the long-term stability or not."<<

When I said this a month ago people got really mad at me. He may as well just have read my posts aloud.

They were just supposed to stick their thumbs in the eye of their TV partners because Netflix or something.

I know I don't have any business acumen and all - but those that can't stand me find anyone on the internet who pointed this obvious angle out before I did.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

That would be JP Morgan.

Manhattan College was originally located in the Financial District in the early 20th century until JP Morgan bought them out of their property for a nice chunk of change. Manhattan College then bought up the land they are currently on in Riverdale and moved the entire campus to the Bronx.

Just some more history. Wake Forest U was established in Wake Forest NC, which us just north of Raleigh, in the early 1800's. Shortly after WWII, the titans of the tobacco industry, the Reynolds family, donated a boatload of money and an entire estate to entice the University to relocated to what was then NC's second largest city, Winston-Salem. Wake's med school moved to the city earlier accepting an offer to move that school to Winston-Salem after UNC had turned town the same offer from the Reynold family.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Eric Bailey‏@EricBaileyTW
Boren on Big 12 expansion: "I wouldn't take expansion as a given. I wouldn't take it as a sure thing"

Brian Davis ‏@BDavisAAS · 2h2 hours ago
Sigh. Nobody has eight Yes votes yet, apparently.

Brian Davis ‏@BDavisAAS · 2h2 hours ago
Hey, Texas, jump into the @bigten and let's call it a century, OK?

XII continues to be the most dysfunctional major conference in the US. Makes the ACC look like the B1G.

 

[CardiffGiant]

Sooooo if I get this straight, the Big 12 spends money, probably a lot of money, to hire consultants to advise regarding expansion. They talk of momentum towards expansion.They invite just about any school who has a building on their campus to let them know if they are interested in joining.They spend countless hours interviewing somewhere around 20 candidates and then narrow their list to 10 and request presentations causing each of these potential schools to spend time and money of their own to make a presentation to the Big 12 for an invite. Once the presentations are complete, the biggest proponent of expansion(Boren)throws cold water on the whole process, and puckers up to his "network friends"with vague references about worrying about the financial impact on them of adding schools.And this is well after his buddy Bowlsby said that they intend these same partners to abide by the contract.

Either this is a shining example of what a conference this is, which is probably doomed to fail because of inept leadership; or it is one elaborate scheme to create leverage against the networks for $ if they don't expand. Either way, it is just despicable to use the schools seeking invites as pawns.

 

[CTMike]

When I said this a month ago people got really mad at me. He may as well just have read my posts aloud.

They were just supposed to stick their thumbs in the eye of their TV partners because Netflix or something.

I know I don't have any business acumen and all - but those that can't stand me find anyone on the internet who pointed this obvious angle out before I did.

Over an hour before you took this victory lap... you are slipping.

 

[MountainMan]

So true ^^ on the dysfunction. At one point it was a race to see which conference would stabilize itself. At this point with the ACCN they clearly have the upper hand as far as stability and having ESPN slobbering all over the conference at every opportunity. I dread the day we have to listen to ESPN explain how tough the ACC is from top to bottom with all the crap AD's from Wake to Virginia to BC.

But any conference with real fans and better financed AD's has a shot. At this point expansion, CCG, and some sort of network are what would stabilize things. Hopefully they learned from the unequal revenue sharing days that a reasonable buy in period is fine but some ridiculous reduced payouts for new members so current members can take a most of the added income is only going to cause perceived weakness.

I really think that adding BYU And UConn won't result in any image problems and even going to 14 with Cinci and Houston would be alright. Any other name from the list such as Tulane or UCF is going to be an issue IMO.

If OU and UT really truly do want out of the conference (which I do not believe)the existing members should just let them go. Better off to have a conference all working toward a common goal together than a divided conference all looking out for themselves with no real plan for the future.

 

[whaler11]

Over an hour before you took this victory lap... you are slipping.

I was being modest so as to not upset the passive-aggressive set.

 

[MattMang23]

I was being modest so as to not upset the passive-aggressive set.

Those are your favorite people. It's nice you're looking out for their feelings.

 

[Hoophound]

When I said this a month ago people got really mad at me. He may as well just have read my posts aloud.

They were just supposed to stick their thumbs in the eye of their TV partners because Netflix or something.

I know I don't have any business acumen and all - but those that can't stand me find anyone on the internet who pointed this obvious angle out before I did.

The fox is in the hen house. They may not expand but it won't be because they want to play nice with ESPN. It will be because ESPN has convinced them it is best for the long term. ESPN knows UT and OU can leave in 2024 and they are fine with that. The other 8 better wake up because expansion should be a landslide vote right now. UConn and BYU add enough value to make the B12 worth much more the next time a contract is negotiated. ESPN is just playing the B12, there is no partnership angle.

 

[Fishy]

Nothing changed today.

A guy who likes to send coded threats to his fellow presidents sent a coded threat to his fellow presidents.

I still don't think they're expanding, but I don't think Boren's comments today mean anything that we'd understand.

 

[jostar1]

Reading between lines of OU president Boren's comment that Big 12 expansion shouldn't be 'assumed'
By Chuck Carlton

From the article:

Boren's comments are pretty much open to whatever interpretation you want.

The immediate social media summation was Boren illustrating again why no conference knows dysfunction quite like the Big 12. After 20 preliminary interviews, 11 more detailed interviews and raised expectations, a conclusion without expansion would reinforce the Big 12's image as the conference that can't.

But Boren could also have been simply stating a fact - there is no guarantee of expansion. Even with interesting contenders like Cincinnati, Houston and BYU, no one yet seems to have the eight member votes necessary.

Boren could also have been speaking to OU fans and donors, many of whom seem skeptical about the Big 12 in general and expansion in particular.

He might have been extending an olive branch to broadcast partners ESPN and Fox, who have indicated they are against expansion and the pro rata payments to the Big 12 that would accompany it. "We do have a relationship to maintain, not only short term, but long term with the networks," Boren told reporters.

Or he could have been sending a message that the road to expansion goes through Oklahoma in the board room.

Take your pick. There's probably no wrong answer. And it's a good bet that nothing has really changed with where the Big 12 stands on expansion.

Reading between lines of OU president Boren's comment that Big 12 expansion shouldn't be 'assumed' | SportsDay

 

[djct1999]

Boren has wanted four all along. He wants brands, he wants a network, he sees the merits of having OU being an alpha dog. In other words, he wants four and he wants BYU included. Today's message was clear..........if I don't get what I want, we will block expansion, stay at 10 then bolt. This message could also be aimed at other presidents or Fox to pony up. I don't see anything that was said that harms UConn.

 

[RedStickHusky]

The fox is in the hen house. They may not expand but it won't be because they want to play nice with ESPN. It will be because ESPN has convinced them it is best for the long term. ESPN knows UT and OU can leave in 2024 and they are fine with that. The other 8 better wake up because expansion should be a landslide vote right now. UConn and BYU add enough value to make the B12 worth much more the next time a contract is negotiated. ESPN is just playing the B12, there is no partnership angle.

'Cut us a break today and we'll treat you better eight years from now', is the B12 really going to fall for that?

 

[jostar1]

Jake Trotter‏@Jake_Trotter
David Boren: "I would just caution you and say, I would not take expansion as a given. I would not take expansion as a sure thing."

Kirk Bohls ‏@kbohls · 4h4 hours ago
Is there ANY sure thing about Big 12 about ANYTHING? If the Big 12 doesn't expand this time, it should just shut up.

Kirk Bohls@kbohls
Austin American-Statesman sports columnist Kirk Bohls.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

When I said this a month ago people got really mad at me. He may as well just have read my posts aloud.

They were just supposed to stick their thumbs in the eye of their TV partners because Netflix or something.

I know I don't have any business acumen and all - but those that can't stand me find anyone on the internet who pointed this obvious angle out before I did.

No poster makes more "I told you so" posts about things pretty much everyone agrees on than you.

 

[whaler11]

No poster makes more "I told you so" posts about things pretty much everyone agrees on than you.

LOL Nelson. 'Everyone Agreed'. Hilarious.

 

[businesslawyer]

Nothing changed today.

A guy who likes to send coded threats to his fellow presidents sent a coded threat to his fellow presidents.

I still don't think they're expanding, but I don't think Boren's comments today mean anything that we'd understand.

So the real statement is "just because I've been the biggest proponent of expansion don't think I'm voting for a package of candidates that ignores the school's I want to expand with?" That would actually make some sense. And Boren is fairly good at speaking for a purpose, and not just to be heard. I just wonder whether he's standing up for us or against us.

 

[CTMike]

No poster makes more "I told you so" posts about things pretty much everyone agrees on than you.

No one makes more "I told you so" posts about things pretty much everyone disagrees on than you. Scoreboard!

 

[HuskyHawk]

So the real statement is "just because I've been the biggest proponent of expansion don't think I'm voting for a package of candidates that ignores the school's I want to expand with?" That would actually make some sense. And Boren is fairly good at speaking for a purpose, and not just to be heard. I just wonder whether he's standing up for us or against us.

That's how I'm reading it. I think there is something to expanding by 2 rather than 4 to avoid poking ESPN and Fox to the maximum extent as well. So this is my (conjecture) summary:

1. To maintain the peace with the Networks, we really should expand by only 2, to get back to our original 12.
2. If we expand by only 2, Houston isn't going to be one of them. We need to expand the footprint in the way I want.

So we are where we thought. They realize 2 is the better number for network relations, but can't agree on just 2. Boren would rather not expand than expand by 2 with UH as one.

 

[IMind]

'Cut us a break today and we'll treat you better eight years from now', is the B12 really going to fall for that?

Probably.

 

[The Viking]

ESPN to Big 12: we have no money for your network
Soon after ACC gets a network

ESPN to Big 12: don't piss us off or you'll pay in 10 years
Big 12's response if Trump was running it: the conference just expanded by 6

 

[CL82]

No one makes more "I told you so" posts about things pretty much everyone disagrees on than you. Scoreboard!

Yep, has kind of a Dude-ish flavor doesn't it.

(For the record, I've never seen the Dude and Whaler in the same room at the same time, just sayin.)

 

[CL82]

ESPN to Big 12: we have no money for your network
Soon after ACC gets a network

ESPN to Big 12: don't piss us off or you'll pay in 10 years
Big 12's response if Trump was running it: the conference just expanded by 6

The thing is, if you are in ESPN's crosshairs you're screwed. IMO the B12 is going to be undervalued by ESPN, now that Big East is gone, with an eye toward consolidation to the P4. The play for the B12 is take the money now and start planning how to handle the next contract, possibly courting an all Fox deal.

 

[mavblues]

Yep, has kind of a Dude-ish flavor doesn't it.

(For the record, I've never seen the Dude and Whaler in the same room at the same time, just sayin.)

Here is another eerie coincidence:

They're both blocked. I can't see a thing either one of them posts. (Dude blocked himself - LOL)

 

[noeynox]

The thing is, if you are in ESPN's crosshairs you're screwed. IMO the B12 is going to be undervalued by ESPN, now that Big East is gone, with an eye toward consolidation to the P4. The play for the B12 is take the money now and start planning how to handle the next contract, possibly courting an all Fox deal.

With giants like Google amazon and Netflix looking into streaming live sports, things are changing. It's not the same world as when the Big East turned down espn's offer.