It would be naive to believe everyone connected to Alabama is happy with an equal share. If they could change the arrangement they would. Furthermore it is my opinion if the tables were reversed, that FSU and Clemson were making substantially more than Alabama, the rumblings would become more pronounced at Alabama similar to what we see with FSU and Clemson.
All we have to do is observe thread after thread to understand how human discontent or lack of contentment and dissatisfaction are primary driving forces. For instance the blue blood argument. Does the recognition of UConn’s mens bb program as a blue blood program by sports viewers really influence outcomes? If so how did we get # five? And yet it doesn’t stop people from “feeling” that the slight is important enough to reduce, in their minds, the outcome of that event. We want absolute recognition and acknowledgement by everyone of our success. We are dissatisfied with just our own satisfaction.
College sports has gone a long time without media payments. It could still exist without them albeit in a significantly reduced form. But once the genie was let out of the bottle the race was on to get a bigger and bigger share of the pie. To be the program that could claim it has the most monetary success. It’s a free for all and the only reason cooperation exists is because of necessity.
Now this is obviously the most cynical view of the college sports world. There are many examples of individual and institutional actions that are not of this nature. But they are still the minority.
We are going to destroy one of the best tournaments when the powerful universities leave the NCAA to form their own basketball tournament. I am appalled that will happen. And yet my preference is strongly in favor of joining the group which will create that outcome. Why? Because I want to see more success and I prefer it to come from the most prestigious college entity. No Helms Trophy for me.
So my attitude is part of the problem. Sure I can justify it as I’m sure most UConn fans will if we get the invite. We’d argue it was going to happen whether we joined or not and we’d be foolish to shoot ourselves in the foot because of “principles”. But those programs left out, and fans of those programs, won’t see it that way. Many of us will convince ourselves it doesn’t matter or worse we’ll laugh at them even as we hated those programs who preceded us in the conference realignment lottery when they laughed at our predicament.
When I rooted for the Red Sox I could not understand the mindset of Yankee fans when they went through a period of incredible anger and angst over a ten year period of not winning another championship after winning so many. As a Red Sox fan I suffered from not winning one and worse having the near misses.
And then teams I rooted for started winning. And suddenly I understood. I want to see number 12 and more from the women. I don’t need to see championships get distributed among more women’s teams. I want the men to get many more, and though I have some sympathy for the plight of
@FriarJ or
@kobe for their lack of success I wouldn’t lose an iota of sleep if UConn continued its separation from their programs. And I don’t hate myself one bit for this arrogant and selfish attitude. Which would have shocked me thirty years ago if I observed myself now.
So it’s my contention human discontent/dissatisfaction is one of the driving forces, for better or worse, that has propelled our species advancement with all its glories and warts.
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