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

[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.

 

[WallStreetHusky]

This is a link from the free paper Metro, the NEW YORK CITY edition....

UConn to the Big 12 - The latest on potential conference expansion – Metro

 

[MattMang23]

This is a link from the free paper Metro, the NEW YORK CITY edition....

UConn to the Big 12 - The latest on potential conference expansion – Metro

Why are they covering us there in NYC? We have no fans there.

 

[CL82]

This is a link from the free paper Metro, the NEW YORK CITY edition....

UConn to the Big 12 - The latest on potential conference expansion – Metro

Consider this: the flight time from Morgantown, West Virginia (currently the Eastern-most outpost in the Big 12) to Lubbock, Texas is three hours and four minutes. The flight time from Hartford to Lubbock is three hours and 52 minutes. Not much of a difference, all things considered.

Lubbock to WVU flight time : 3 hours 4 minutes
Drive time to campus: 1 hour 28 minutes
Lubbock to WVU - Total travel time: 4 hours 32 minutes

Lubbock to Hartford flight time : 3 hours 52 minutes
Drive time to the Rent: 20 minutes
Lubbock to UConn - Total travel time: 4 hours 22 minutes

Just sayin.

 

[Marty Jackson]

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.

BINGO.... if ESPN can shave off OU and UT into one of their other properties, huge win for them.
the other schools are just the growing list of school's that have been "Uconn'd" in the world of CR.

 

[sportsart]

Why are they covering us there in NYC? We have no fans there.

A UConn alum, based in Boston (say it ain't so) writing for a paper in NY. That about covers it.

 

[Adios]

At least we have the assurance we're going to land somewhere, some day.

 

[huskymedic]

At least he didn't go searching for a previous AD's thoughts again...

John Altavilla @ Courant: Oklahoma President: Big 12 Expansion Not A Certainty

 

[The Funster]

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

Wow. They really are two sides to the same coin, aren't they?

 

[huskymedic]

 

[MilliniumPrince]

Wow. They really are two sides to the same coin, aren't they?

Like a penny with a hole in it

 

[atom58]

Yet he led the charge for unequal revenue sharing, turned down a conference network, botched the PAC move, and now has been the single source of most of the Big 12 dysfunction and drama in recent history from his wallflower comments to his latest comments about no expansion. On top of that he has allowed OU to be in a conference with no long term plan with much of the blame on his shoulders because of short sighted decisions with long term consequences. He has watched the Big 12 go from the premier power conference that set trends with things like conference championship games to what it is now. Hopefully he can get this fixed before he dies or his legacy will be tarnished form what was otherwise a brilliant career.

If that is all true, he is certainly "batting 1000 now" - push for the CCG, 4 team expansion, and conference network. If he does not get it all done, that is likely the fault of the other presidents - and Texas which would always mark them as "does not play well with others". His recent comments could have been an Adlerian paradoxical intention, producing the desired positive result as a result of a negative invocation.

 

[atom58]

... a paradoxical intention ... or maybe just a veiled threat. I can see the SEC taking both OU and OK State at the same time easily as a package deal. Also, the Pac 12 go-it-alone network continues to struggle so adding another state or two could help. At present the Pac 12 can add two teams and the Big XII four teams and the P5 would be five 14 team conferences. Whether this will actually happen is unknown but the other players on the sidelines ("Big 10", SEC, ACC) are carefully (and perhaps fearfully) watching all of this unfold I am certain as it could affect their future if they have any thought of one day having 16 teams. The pool of "acceptable candidates" might be dwindling. We seem to be reaching a tipping point IMO.

 

[MountainMan]

If that is all true, he is certainly "batting 1000 now" - push for the CCG, 4 team expansion, and conference network. If he does not get it all done, that is likely the fault of the other presidents - and Texas which would always mark them as "does not play well with others". His recent comments could have been an Adlerian paradoxical intention, producing the desired positive result as a result of a negative invocation.

It would sure seem that way. This way his demands get met and he is the hero of the conference or he can say I tried everything I could but UT just wouldn't budge so now we have no choice but to look out for the states best interest and look for a better conference situation.