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Message: [QUOTE="jostar1, post: 1098307, member: 1737"] Another older article, this one about the BIG's contract negotiation in 2004: [B][SIZE=4]ESPN's 'lowball' offer triggered Big Ten expansion[/SIZE][/B] [SIZE=4][B][B][SIZE=4]Failed negotiation also led to Big Ten Network[/SIZE][/B][/B] [B][B][SIZE=4][/SIZE][/B][/B] [SIZE=4]An amiable session in which the Big Ten and ESPN cleaned up "housekeeping matters" — schedules and announcers — took a nasty turn at the one-hour mark. That's when talk turned to a contract extension, a negotiating session that went nowhere. Fast. "The shortest one I ever had," Delany told the Tribune. "He lowballed us and said: 'Take it or leave it. If you don't take our offer, you are rolling the dice.' I said: 'Consider them rolled.' "[/SIZE] [url]http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-07-01/sports/ct-spt-0701-big-ten-nebraska--20110701_1_commissioner-jim-delany-john-wildhack-espn-officials[/url][/SIZE] [SIZE=6] [/SIZE] [/QUOTE]