SB Nation - Louisville Cardinals

Five Reasons Syracuse Will Go To The Big Ten

Sean Keeley — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 20:58:39 -0000

Now that I've put your mind at ease, let me put the fear of God back into you and give you five good reasons the Orange are as good as gone from the Big East. Especially now that it's official that the Big Ten is on the prowl.

1. DOCTOR Gross

Someone joked that if it were up to DOC Gross, he would be petitioning Syracuse for membership in the Pac-10 if he could to be close to USC again. It's not far off. We know about Gross is always looking big picture, not only with Syracuse but with his own legacy. He wants his legacy to one day be The Architect of SU Athletics 2.0. Part of that means demystifying traditions that preceded him (#44) and creating new ones that he has a hand in. Moving the Orange to the Big Ten would accomplish this and then some. Considering it would most likely be a financially-successful move for SU, he'd be the guy responsible.

2. We Almost Jumped Once Already

If it were up to us, we'd be in the ACC right now. That is an undeniable fact. So for all the pro-Big East rah rah talk we've done since the Miami/VT/BC defection, we probably should keep our mouths shut (but we can't, obviously). And remember, this was even before Gross was here. Jake Crouthamel, who was one of the early adopters of the Big East, even thought it would have been a good idea to play elsewhere. Clearly, we're open to the idea.

3. Football Conferences Are Like Sharks, They Keep Moving Forward Or They Die

Yes, Big East football has improved over the last six seasons. The steady improvement of programs like Rutgers, UConn and USF has solidified the base and the success of Cincy, Pitt and West Virginia have kept the conference in the national limelight. But you and I know it's not enough. Our conference champ just went undefeated and got shut out of the national title game, and probably would have been passed over by a MWC team if the next domino fell. The conference is not on even ground with the rest of the BCS. And every year the Big East doesn't expand or explore it's options is another year the rest of the nation's conferences grow stronger around them. Some would argue the MWC is a better conference right now and even so they're trying to take steps to improve further. Not the Big East. It continues to twiddle it's thumbs and hope it all works out. There's only so long you can expect your partners to stick with you when you do that.

4. Mo Money, Less Problems

Nancy Cantor likes the chedda. The Big Ten has it's own network (a real network, not that thing the Big East pretends is a network). With another team it will have it's own championship game. It has better bowl affiliations. It has a much better reputation. Joining the Big Ten means more money for Syracuse, plain and simple. Sometimes, it's that easy.

5. We Kinda Do Make Sense

For all the reasons we don't make sense (small market, non-traditional rival, private university), we also make more sense than many of the other choices. Louisville, Rutgers and Cincinnati? Please, a handful of successful seasons does not a tradition make. Pitt? It'd nice but Penn State kinda already has Western PA covered. Missouri? Not so sure they have the academic reputation the Big Ten wants (commence firing statistics at me). Syracuse isn't as close to NYC as our AD likes to think but it does have a presence there, especially in basketball. And we do expand the reach of the conference in New York, NJ and New England in terms of alumni and awareness.

Five Reasons Syracuse Won't Go To The Big Ten

Sean Keeley — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 18:05:44 -0000

More photos » by Carolyn Kaster - AP

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Face it, folks. Until the Big Ten (11) finally choose a twelfth team, this discussion will just keep rearing it's ugly head. So, it's probably best that we just address the issue head on and hope that some schlub from the Big 12 or WAC ends up becoming No. 12 and not a Big East team. Especially Syracuse.

That said, let me give you five reasons not to be overly concerned with the Big Ten overtures despite the fact that SU continues to show up on all of the

1. We're Not As Attractive As We Like To Think (In This Case)

Look at the list of teams that are generally accepted as the "favorites" for Big Ten addition. Rutgers, Louisville, Pitt, Missouri, Cincinnati & Syracuse. In the same order, here's the market size that correlates to each school. #1 (NY), #49 (L'ville), #23 (Pittsburgh), #21 (St. Louis), #33 (Cincinnati) and #83 (Syracuse). If a major goal of the expansion is to increase the reach of the Big Ten Conference into large markets which in turn increases the reach of their TV network, Syracuse doesn't do a whole lot for them. Sorry, DOC Gross, Rutgers provides better in-roads to NYC while Mizzou and Cincy provide better access to major Midwestern cities.

2. Tradition Matters For The Big Ten

Not that Syracuse doesn't have tradition. We're up to your eyeballs in tradition. Just not the kind their looking for. Yeah we have a classic rivalry with Penn State, but that's about it in terms of historical perspective and Big Ten teams. Teams like Cincy and Pitt have more of a geographical resonance when it comes to budding and building rivalries with the programs already there. Missouri already has the hate thing down pat with Illinois. Only Rutgers and Louisville look worse than SU in this department.

3. Forget Football For A Second And Tell Me If This Makes Sense

Because we all know this is 100% about football, right? It doesn't take into account any other sport. If it does, that's a whole new ballgame, or ballgames. Syracuse basketball is a Big East institution, arguably the premiere program over the course of the conference's history. Syracuse lacrosse is the gem of the newly-formed Big East lacrosse conference. Many other SU programs are key components of the conference, such as field hockey, women's lacrosse, soccer, volleyball, etc. This move would be a sacrifice for every other sport at the expense of football. Are we willing to redefine every other sport, major or otherwise, in order to "help" the football program?

4. Go West, Young Men

Check out the logistical nightmare created if the Big Ten expands East. If a Syracuse is brought in and the conference is split into two divisions, one traditional Big Ten rivalry will be ripped apart. Sure they could probably find a way to keep things going between the two teams but this falls into the "sacrificing tradition" pool, something the Big Ten seems extremely unwilling to do. This is also where Missouri comes in and makes tons more sense...they fit in perfectly with the Western Division, which contains Illinois and needs a sixth team.

5. Our Hypocritic Oath

When Boston College, Miami and Virginia Tech left the Big East to join the ACC, Syracuse and the other BE schools hounded them with accusations of desertion and greed (nevermind the fact that SU was almost among them). The identity of the conference as a whole became about the programs left banding together to rebuild the conference from the ground up. The process is still ongoing but the Big East, especially in football, has begun to feel like a close-knit community again. If one of the partners leaves now, it's a betrayal even grander than anything BC, Miami or VT did. It undoes everything accomplished in the last six years and negates anything that was said about Big East pride or fellowship. I don't know just how much that counts for when million-dollar TV contracts are on the line, but it's something.

Now, on paper, if the Big Ten comes calling I think DOC Gross probably already has the U-Haul loaded up. But that doesn't take into account the boosters, alums and other vested parties who would stand up and voice their displeasure with the Orange leaving the Big East. Also not taking into account the opinions of Jim Boeheim and his ilk, which hold a lot of weight around these parts. No way Jim wants this move, he's invested too much of his career and life into Big East basketball. I could see this issue tearing the fabric of the SU sports community and I'm not sure the admins could overpower the alum & fan dissent.

Poll

If the Big Ten invited Syracuse to join its conference in all sports...

The Shotgun/Throwdown: Tuesday (12/15/09) Edition

WVUIE97 — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:59:56 -0000

Welcome, By-Godders, to the Shotgun/Throwdown, WVU's best place for sports links, information and a few distractions. Today we're being brought to you by Dominion Ale.

It's the Ides of December, which really doesn't mean anything, other than only 10 days of shopping left before Christmas. Guess I better get started, huh? Suggestions and requests would definitely help this week. See you after the jump...

Videos of (Dis)Interest:

Here's my mea culpa for missing the beginning of Hanukkah on Friday. My apologies to our Hebrew brethren (perhaps for both missing it and this).

And keeping with the holiday spirit:

Football Gallery of the Week:

With college football at a snails pace right now. Here's a gallery to help keep you reminded.

via coedmagazine.files.wordpress.com

Miss Throwdown:

Today's Miss Throwdown is an all American fitness model. Please make welcome, Jamie Eason.

via 3.bp.blogspot.com

Dominion Ale image via www.bruguru.com

Big Ten exapansion talk...again?

John M (The Crimson Quarry) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 18:54:24 -0000

As I mentioned in yesterday's headlines post, Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez reopened expansion discussion with these comments:

Speaking to Wisconsin's athletic board on Friday, Alvarez, the former longtime Badgers football coach, said the conference already has investigated possibilities for expansion "from all over the country." And though he places no timetable on the search, Alvarez thinks conference commissioner Jim Delany will respond to a group of athletic directors and coaches who want expansion. "I have a sense he is going to take this year to really be more aggressive about it," Alvarez told the board. "I just think everybody feels [expansion] is the direction to go, coaches and administrators."

Expansion is not something that the Big Ten undertakes lightly. Penn State joined in 1990. Michigan State joined in 1950. Before that, the last new members to join were Indiana and Iowa in 1899. The University of Chicago is the only school to leave the Big Ten permanently (per Wikipedia, Michigan left the conference from 1907-1916, but was a charter member when the conference was formed in 1896). All current and former members of the Big Ten are major research institutions ranked in the top 100 by US News & World Report and are members of the Association of American Universities. The Big Ten cares about its brand, academically and athletically.

Certainly, expansion isn't a new topic around here. In this post, nearly two and a half years ago, after comments by Jim Delany about expanding the geographic borders of the conference, I discussed the various possible members in states that border the current Big Ten footprint (but not schools within the footprint. Last May, I mentioned Joe Paterno's East Coast expansion dreams. So, here's a rundown of the candidates.

One issue that I don't think matters to the discussion is the Notre Dame issue. While it's an interesting issue, it doesn't add much to the expansion discussion because 1) Notre Dame is extremely unlikely to join the Big Ten; and 2) if #1 ceases to be true, then Notre Dame is an obvious fit as the 12th school and no further discussion is required. This post will focus on the other schools both inside and outside the footprint that might be plausible candidates. My inclusion of any school in this list should not be considered any sort of an endorsement. I will list every school in or adjacent to Big Ten territory that has anything approaching a big time athletic program.

INSIDE THE FOOTPRINT (from east to west)

University of Pittsburgh

Football: The Panthers have a strong history and have won multiple national championships, but most recently in 1976. The Panthers' fan support pales in comparison to that of Penn State, but in recent years have been reasonably respectable. It has been a generation since Pitt could legitimately be considered a football power, but the Panthers certainly wouldn't be a stretch for Big Ten membership in this regard.
Basketball: Historically, Pitt has been an afterthought, but thanks to the accomplishments of former coach Ben Howland and current coach Jamie Dixon, the Panthers have transformed into one of the best programs in the country. In the late 1990s, Pitt tore down its football stadium, became a tenant of the Steelers at then-new Heinz Field, and built a state-of-the-art basketball arena where the football stadium once stood. Pitt seems to have staying power as a basketball power.
US News Ranking: 56 (five current Big Ten members are ranked lower).
AAU member?: Yes.
Fit/Big Ten interest: Pitt, as a large research university within the Big Ten footprint, has much in common with Big Ten schools, and would have been a good fit at any point over the last few decades. Still, the Panthers plow no new ground. The Big Ten, thanks to Penn State, already has a strong presence in Pittsburgh. The Panthers, even during an excellent 2009 season, averaged only 53,000 in attendance at a stadium with a capacity of over 65,000. Would Pitt, plus the addition of a championship game, result in a net revenue gain for the conference? I have my doubts.
Likelihood of interest:I suspect that from a financial perspective, membership would be tough to decline for Pitt. The Big East, however competitive, provides a fraction of the football revenue. In 2007-08, Pitt ranked #61 in Division I-A with $39 million in revenue. Northwestern was last in the Big Ten with $41 million in revenue that year, and Indiana was next-to-last with $56 million, nearly 20 million more than one of the most prominent programs in the Big East. Also, it would be an academic boon for Pitt. The interesting question would be to what degree Jamie Dixon and his East Coast recruiting would play a role. My guess is that Dixon would be opposed, but my further guess is that his opposition wouldn't be enough.

University of Cincinnati

Football: Barely more than a decade ago, Cincinnati was on IU's schedule as a MAC-style warmup game. In 2009, the Bearcats were a missed Texas field goal away from playing for the national championship. Still, Cincy plays in a 35,000 seat stadium, and Brian Kelly's decision to head to Notre Dame seems to confirm that the Bearcats have nowhere to go but down.
Basketball: Cincinnati is a legitimate historical power. The Bearcats won two NCAA titles in the 1960s and were excellent under Bob Huggins in the 1990s and 2000s.
US News Ranking: Tier 3 (all Big Ten schools are Tier 1)
AAU member?: No.
Fit: It's really pointless to debate Cincinnati's athletic merits, whether Ohio State would oppose it, or anything else. A tier 3 commuter school like Cincinnati never will garner the support the Big Ten's presidents.
Likelihood of interest: Cincinnati is a Big East school with no long history in the conference and located in the heart of Big Ten territory. I presume Cincinnati would jump at the chance in the unlikely event it were offered.

Iowa State University

Football: Other than some recent wins over dramatically more talented Iowa teams, not much to write home about. Iowa State ranks #103 in all-time winning percentage among current Division I-A members. Only Northwestern and IU rank lower. Unlike even Northwestern and IU, Iowa State has never played in one of the current BCS bowls.
Basketball: A bit better than football, but not much. Iowa State hasn't been to the Final Four since 1944 and has only 13 NCAA Tournament appearances.
US News Ranking: 88, below all Big Ten schools, but Tier 1.
AAU member?: Yes.
Fit/Big Ten interest: This is a school that is often mentioned in discussions on Big Ten expansion, and the appeal is completely lost on me. The Cyclones have a lackluster history in both sports, the Big Ten already has representation in Iowa, which is a fairly small state with no major media markets. Unless the creation of a championship game is some sort of cure-all, I can't imagine how anyone could argue that adding Iowa State would make the Big Ten a better conference.
Likelihood of interest: I sincerely have no idea. I have no read on Iowa State fans. I don't know if they prefer to be in a different conference from their rival Hawkeyes or if they would rather go toe-to-toe with Iowa in the Big Ten. I presume, perhaps unfairly, that most Big East teams would make the leap. It's a tougher read when the prospective team has a generations-long connection to a prominent conference. Iowa State ranked #63 in football revenue in 2007-08, and the Big 12 has inbalanced revenue distribution.

OUTSIDE THE FOOTPRINT

Rutgers University

Football: The Scarlet Knights played in the first-ever college football game but haven't done much to distinguish themselves since then. Rutgers has parlayed some success under Greg Schiano into strong attendance, stadium expansion, and the like, but would it be appealing for Rutgers to leave an eastern conference that it theoretically can dominate to join a conference where it must compete with Ohio State, Michigan, and Penn State? Rutgers has won 50 percent of its games (#78 in I-A) and has never played in a New Year's Day bowl or in one of the current BCS bowls.
Basketball: The Scarlet Knights have been to the NCAA Tournament six times in school history, most recently in 1991. Rutgers plays its home games in the RAC, and 8,000 bandbox.
US News Ranking: 66, within the range of Big Ten schools.
AAU member?: Yes.

Fit: Academically, fine. Athletically, the Scarlet Knights are well below average in the two sports that matter. Rutgers is a popular hobby horse for Joe Paterno and others, usually based on Rutgers's presence in the greater New York metro area/media market. This strikes me as overblown. If being in such an area matters, then why does Rutgers play in a 8,000 seat basketball arena? Why was the football stadium only recently expanded from 41,000? This would be a nice addition for Big Ten alumni who live in New York, but letting Rutgers in wouldn't turn NYC into a Big Ten town.
Likelihood of interest: Rutgers is one of the more profitable Big East football programs with 2007-08 revenue of $50 million. I presume the academic pull would be strong, but I can imagine some reticence about the idea of New Jersey's state university joining such a distinctly midwestern institution.

Syracuse University

Football: The Orange have been down for several years, but they are a traditional football power. Historically, if not recently, the football program would be a reasonable addition to the Big Ten.
Basketball: Under the leadership of Jim Boeheim, Syracuse has been one of the most successful programs of the last 25 years, winning the 2003 NCAA title and finishing second twice (wouldn't the "Keith Smart, Keith Smart!" chant be fun?). Of course, Syracuse was a charter member of the Big East and is highly identified with that conference.
US News Ranking: 58, pretty average for the Big Ten.
AAU member?: Yes.
Fit: Syracuse would constitute an expansion far northeast of ithe current footprint. While one can argue whether western New york and western Pennsylvania have more in common with the midwest or the east coast, my less-than-knowledgeable impression is that as a university, Syracuse is very tied in to New York City and draws much of its student body from metro New York despite the geographic distance. Syracuse is as far east as Baltimore. Still, Penn State was an eastern power before joining the Big Ten, so Syracuse doesn't seem like much of a departure. Academically, although a private school and a bit smaller than most Big Ten schools, SU would fit just fine.
Likelihood of interest: I really don't know. In terms of revenue, it would seem to be a solid move for Syracuse. On the other hand, Syracuse is one of the more tradition-rich football programs in the Big East. It's possible to picture Syracuse dominating the Big East in football. The Big Ten? Not so much. Basketball, it seems to me, would be the major stumbling block. My guess is that Jim Boeheim wields a lot of influence at Syracuse, and my further guess is that he wouldn't be interested in such a major idenity shift for his program.

University of Maryland

Football: A solid but not overwhelming history in the ACC. Maryland has had a BCS appearance in the last ten years.
Basketball: Maryland is a basketball school in a basketball conference, and has won the NCAA Tournament in the last ten years.
US News Ranking: 53, solidly in the middle of the Big Ten.
AAU member?: Yes.
Fit: Certainly, Maryland's academics and athletics are up to snuff. Of course, like Syracuse, adding Maryland would be a major move eastward. On the other hand, Maryland is located in the suburbs of the major media market of Washington DC, and as far as I can tell as an outsider, seems to be more a part of the region's consciousness than Rutgers is in New York City. If Maryland were interested, I would think they would be a reasonably strong candidate.
Likelihood of interest: It strikes me as unlikely that Maryland would be interested. Despite recent strides in football, Maryland is a basketball school, and currently is one of the better programs in college basketball's most prestigious conference. My guess is that fan and alumni resistance would be strong.

West Virginia University

Football: The Mountaineers are an above average football program with a nearly .600 winning percentage and five top ten finishes in the last 22 seasons. WVU would be a worthy addition in football.
Basketball: The alma mater of Jerry West has a long and decent NCAA Tournament history and has qualified for the Sweet 16 three times in the last five years. WVU is no powerhouse, but has a solid basketball program.
US News Ranking: Tier 3. That's pretty bad for a state's flagship public university (all Big Ten schools are in Tier 1, roughly the top 100).
AAU member?: No.
Fit: I suspect that for Big Ten presidents, academics might be the dealbreaker. In academic prestige, WVU has more in common with Cincinnati and Louisville than with Big Ten schools. Also, WVU adds no major media markets. It's a shame, because I don't think WVU would be a bad fit athletically.
Likelihood of interest: I presume, with no real knowledge of the institution, that there would be interest. Obviously, part of that interest would be based on revenue and prestige, but as a state, West Virginia strikes me as something of a region of its own. It's not really southern, eastern, or midwestern, and certainly isn't tied to the east coast the way Rutgers and Syracuse are. I presume WVU would be game if the Big Ten were.

University of Kentucky

Football: UK has a solid program, but the Wildcats are an afterthought in the extremely competitive SEC East. As IU fans will recall from the longtime football series between IU and UK, the Wildcats have impressive fan support for a team with a below average record.
Basketball: Obviously, the Wildcats are one of the most accomplished programs in the history of college basketball. This addition would dramatically increase the prestige of the Big Ten. Imagine: IU-UK, MSU-UK, Purdue-UK, Ohio State-UK, Illinois-UK, every year, usually twice a year.
US News Ranking: 128. Lower than all current Big Ten schools, but not dramatically so.
AAU member?: No.
Fit: Obviously, basketball would be awesome. Football? Well, Kentucky has good fan support, but generally is considered a have-not. I'm not sure how the revenue picture would look. Kentucky would add the Lexington market and would enhance the Big Ten's presence in the Louisville and Cincinnati markets.
Likelihood of interest: I really don't know. Kentucky strikes me as a state that despite its central geography really treasures its southern identity. Leaving a southern conference to join a midwestern conference might clash with that. Academically, it seems to me it would be a great move for a school that is not currently Big Ten caliber but is within striking distance. In football, UK would be leaving a long history in the SEC, but might be convinced that it has a better chance of competing in the Big Ten. In basketball, UK has owned the SEC, but of its three biggest rivals (Louisville, Indiana, and Tennessee) two are non-conference. It's an intriguing question.

University of Louisville

Football: The Cardinals had a brief moment in the spotlight earlier this decade, but aren't a traditional football power by any stretch.
Basketball: The Cardinals have won two NCAA titles and are a top 10 basketball program historically, or top 15 at least.
US News Ranking: Tier 3 (all current Big Ten schools are Tier 1).
AAU member?: No.
Fit: Louisville would be a decent fit athletically and geographically, but my guess is that academics would be a dealbreaker.
Likelihood of interest: I presume that the opportunity to move into a more lucrative conference, particularly for football, would be attractive. Louisville's history in the Big East is relatively short, and the Metro/Great Midwest/Conference USA were constantly adding and losing members. This wouldn't be like Kentucky leaving the SEC after generations of membership, for instance. My guess is that UL would move, but it's academic.

University of Missouri

Football: An average program historically but currently on the upswing.
Basketball: Thanks to Maryland's recent tournament success, Missouri probably now owns the dubious distinction of "best basketball program without a Final Four appearance." Still, Mizzou has a solid basketball program.
US News Ranking: 102. Below all Big Ten schools but not dramatically so.
AAU member?: Yes.
Fit: Missouri would be an expansion of the conference's borders but into a midwestern portion of the country. bordered by Illinois and Iowa Missouri has good programs in both major sports, is the flagship university in its state, and would add the Kansas City media market and would solidify the Big Ten's presence in the St. Louis market. Again, I don't have a good enough handle on the numbers to know how they would work.
Likelihood of interest: Well, check out this thread on Rock M Nation. Some Mizzou fans are in favor, others are adamantly against the move. Mizzou has a long history in the Big 12 and its predecessors, but also some discontent with the current (in their view) Texas-dominated Big 12. The Big 12 has a less even revenue distribution formula than the Big Ten. I suspect that academics might carry the day if Mizzou were invited.

University of Nebraska

Football: While the last few years haven't been kind to the Huskers, they are an elite program.
Basketball: Nothing special, but neither was Penn State basketball.
US News Ranking: 96, slightly below the tail end of the Big Ten.
AAU member?: Yes.
Fit: Nebraska borders the Big Ten by virtue of a short border with Iowa, and would be quite a western expansion. Nebraska adds no major media markets, but particularly in football, the Huskers are the only show in town. Academically, NU is good enough.
Likelihood of interest: I really have no idea. Given the significance of Nebraska football, the long history in the Big 8/Big 12, and the fact that a Nebraska program playing to its potentional should own the Big Ten North, my guess is that there would be little interest.

Well, those are the candidates, both within and adjacent to the footprint. What do you think? Who do you prefer? Did I miss anyone? I welcome all comments.

The Shotgun/Throwdown: Friday (12/11/09) Edition

WVUIE97 — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 15:37:43 -0000

Welcome, By-Godders, to the Shotgun/Throwdown, WVU's best place for sports links, information and a few daily distractions. Today we're being brought to you by Rolling Rock Green Light.

I apologize for the delay, but sometimes there is work to do. Everybody knows the big story today is Kelly leaving Cinci. Some are glad, some aren't. That's their mess, I'm not gonna worry about it. Anyway, stay warm, try to catch the Mountaineer men on Saturday (they're off until next Saturday) and support the women on Sunday if you're in Morgantown. Have a great weekend. I'm always open for suggestions and requests. Let's GOOOOOOOOO...

What You May Have Missed:

Gold and Blue Report for Friday - WVMETRONEWS.COM

Football: West Virginia Recognized by AFCA - MSNsportsNET.Com

Academic Success - MSNsportsNET.Com

Irish eyes are smiling at Kelly hire - SI.com

News of Note:

Gator Bowl 'fortunate' to host Bowden farewell - Charleston Daily Mail

The Will to Succeed - MSNsportsNET.Com

Jonnie West on his own path - Times West Virginian
Hertzel Column

WVU's Kevin Jones - WVIllustrated.com

What's On Tap:

Georgetown vs. Washington - SI.com
2pm on Saturday. I believe on Fox Sports Net.

Coppin State vs. West Virginia - SI.com
7 pm on Saturday from the Coliseum. Coverage on ESPN 360 and MASN. I'm not sure but other regional sports channels, such as Fox Sports Pitt may carry it.

St Francis (NY) vs. Syracuse - SI.com
Sunday at 1pm.

Villanova vs. Temple - SI.com
Sunday at 3pm.

Cincinnati vs. Xavier - SI.com
Sunday at 7pm on ESPNU.

Around the League (and Beyond):

Cincinnati Bearcat players among last to know Brian Kelly's decision - Cincinnati Enquirer

Cincinnati sells out Sugar Bowl allotment - ESPN

Good Riddance - Protect R Turf
Somebody's happy he left.

Cincinnati takes Miami's best shot - Cincinnati Enquirer
"The No. 19-ranked Bearcats led most of the way Thursday night, but still had to hold on to beat Miami 63-59."

Pitt forwards playing outside comfort zone - PPG

Syracuse basketball dumps Florida, stays unbeaten - syracuse.com

Rutgers wide receiver Tim Brown does not practice, status for St. Petersburg Bowl uncertain - Star Ledger

Strong to handle U of L's defense himself - Courier-Journal

Losing Gilchrist creates vacuum for Bulls - Tampa Tribune

Jones, Trickett to interview today for Herd post - Charleston Daily Mail

Video of Interest:

Thanks, as always, to WVIllustrated.com.

Video of (Dis)Interest:

This is awesome!!!!!!!

Santa's Helpers Gallery of the Week:

via coedmagazine.files.wordpress.com

Miss Throwdown:

Today's Miss Throwdown is a gorgeous native of Philly. Please make welcome, Vanessa Veasley.

via i42.tinypic.com

Rolling Rock Green Light image via geekrentalsandbox.com

Thursday Night Dawg Bites: Charlie Strong Moves On, a Congressman Makes Georgia Proud, and Clay Travis Breaks a Table (Metaphorically)

T Kyle King — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 03:54:39 -0000

You all know where my focus has been this week, but there has been much afoot elsewhere in the blogosphere and I wanted to direct your attention to the best of it in case you might have missed some of the more noteworthy nuggets. For your edification, these are they:

". . . And to the zoo with Georgia Tech?" I hate it that the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets are going to ~~a good~~ any bowl game, but at least they’re facing the Iowa Hawkeyes, which means they’re being subjected to the righteous and hilarious wrath of the guys who started an Iowa weblog because they thought what Orson Swindle’s sense of humor lacked was a sufficient appreciation for the sublimely profane and hysterically absurd. Take it away, Black Heart Gold Pants!

There’s a joke from the movie "Airplane" about how Louisville likes its coffee to be made here, but I’m not going to make it. Stop me if you’ve heard this one, but Charlie Strong is the new head coach of the Louisville Cardinals. Speaking as someone whose alma mater’s offense has spent the last decade or so being stymied by the defenses fielded by Coach Strong at one SEC East rival or another, I can say this day is long overdue, and say so both selfishly and appreciatively. U. of L. got itself a quality head coach, and, while we have to think the Florida Gators (who lost a step after losing their offensive coordinator to the Mississippi St. Bulldogs, and who likely will lose another after losing their defensive coordinator and Tim Tebow in one fell swoop) are due to fall back to the pack a bit in 2010, I don’t like the fact that both we and they are looking to hire defensive coordinators at the same time.

Kid Rock plans to steal this headline for his next album. Speaking of new head coaching hires, the SB Nation headline of the week clearly was the one atop Gobbler Country’s report on the hiring of Mike London by the Virginia Cavaliers. You just don’t get enough Warren Zevon references anymore. By the way, if I ever come up to the plate for an at-bat in Turner Field, I will have them play "Lawyers, Guns, and Money" over the PA system. The foregoing sentence contains the single most useless piece of information I have ever shared with you, and that is saying something.

Where Lane Kiffin blows smoke, there’s fire. Don’t get me wrong; Clay Travis is a friend of mine, at least according to Facebook. However, when he undertook to demonstrate the ephemeral nature of the allegations against the Tennessee Volunteers in a detailed twelve-point exegesis, it seemed to me---and also, apparently, to C&F---that he protested too much. (Also, the headline was a bit sophomoric. If you’re going to go suggestive, why not go with "NCAA Suggests Term ‘Hostesses’ Ends With Six Superfluous Letters"?) Clay is a graduate of Vanderbilt’s law school, so he is familiar with this axiom: "When the law is against you, argue the facts; when the facts are against you, argue the law; when both are against you, pound the table." We are now taking donations to buy Clay Travis a new table, because he just reduced his old one to kindling.

Giving a player I root for an award named for a guy who coached at Auburn, Clemson, and Georgia Tech is like giving David Frum an award bestowed by Iran, Iraq, and North Korea. Who should win the Heisman? The better question is, "Why should you care?" The answer is: "You shouldn’t." This has been a public service announcement.

Here’s a hint: the best candidate was once the victim of an inadvertent ethnic slur from the mouth of Jill Arrington, back in the pre-Erin Andrews days when Jill Arrington was the hottest thing stalking (or being stalked on) a sideline. If you haven’t yet voted for David Pollack as the defensive lineman of the decade, do so right now. If you want to bring along a few recently deceased citizens from Telfair County in alphabetical order, more power to you.

I have a hard time believing Aaron Murray wouldn’t have done at least as well. I was impressed with this at first, but then I realized that there’s nothing worthwhile about being third in any category in which Jonathan Crompton ranks fourth.

As a believer in limited government, I once supported the election of a horse to the legislature, secure in the knowledge that he would vote "nay" on everything. I have abandoned politics (except as it relates to football, of course), so, in the spirit of bipartisanship that can only arise from the ambivalence of a former political science major who now recognizes that there is a reason why the Sugar Bowl happens four times more frequently than the Iowa caucuses, I am pleased to add a second name to the list of Georgia Congressmen whom I endorse. (Oddly enough, this happens at the same time that objective journalists are endorsing my candidacy for the U.S. Senate, an office I am not seeking.) You already knew that Representative Jack Kingston (R.-Ga.) was a great American; now you know that Representative John Barrow (D.-Ga.) is one, too. As their distinguished colleague, Representative Corrine Brown (D.-Fla.), would have put it, Congressmen Barrows and Kingstey are superb to all other legislator.

Why they didn’t wait on the bloggers’ ballots before computing the final BCS standings, I have no idea. The final regular-season BlogPoll has been posted and the Alabama Crimson Tide squeaked by with 77 of 78 first-place votes to become the nation’s new No. 1 team. I received some gentle chiding in the "Wack Ballot Watchdog" rundown and was the runner-up for the designation "Mr. Bold," which went to the one guy who voted for the Texas Longhorns in the top spot.

In closing, I would like to recount a conversation had between two friends of mine as we walked to Sanford Stadium for the 1997 Georgia-Auburn game. It was not the coldest Georgia-Auburn game I have ever attended---1995 still takes the top spot in that competition---but it was plenty cold and one of the fellows had been drinking heavily. The one who had been drinking heavily said he was warmer because he’d been drinking heavily. The one who hadn’t been drinking said, "Actually, alcohol doesn’t make you warmer, it just makes you feel warmer." The one who had been drinking heavily gave the one who hadn’t been drinking a hard time over that statement, and he has continued to do so in the twelve years since, but I believe it applies here as well; viz., this posting may not have made you more well-informed, but it should have made you feel more well-informed. In a season of looking at the glass as half-empty, that ought to suffice.

Go ‘Dawgs!

The Shotgun/Throwdown: Thursday (12/10/09) Edition

WVUIE97 — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 14:46:59 -0000

Welcome, By-Godders, to the Shotgun/Throwdown, WVU's best place for sports links, information and a few distractions from the daily grind. Today we're being brought to you by Skol, in honor of today's Miss Throwdown.

The men rolled last night and Huggs wasn't happy. Raise your hand if you're surprised. They've got one more game, Saturday, before finals break and then the schedule takes off. This is gonna be a fun ride this year, so enjoy it. Keep the tips, suggestions and requests coming. It all starts here...

What You May Have Missed:

Gold and Blue Report for Thursday - WVMETRONEWS.COM

Gator Bowl adds seats for Bowden's finale - Charleston Gazette

Men's Basketball: Add Pitt to Sellout List - MSNsportsNET.Com

Ten Earn All-Big East Accolades - MSNsportsNET.Com

Slaton Placed on IR - WVIllustrated.com

News of Note (FB):

WVU puts five on All-Big East first team - Charleston Gazette

West Virginia Mountaineers season recap - ESPN

Who will be on field with Bowden? - Tallahassee Democrat

News of Note (BB):

Despite win, Huggins says he expects more - Charleston Daily Mail

Huggins still looking for improvement - Times West Virginian
Hertzel Column

Huggins Seeking Perfection - Intelligencer / Wheeling News-Register

Getting Defensive - BlueGoldNews.com

WVU rolls 68-39 - Charleston Gazette

Mazzulla aims high with odd mix of studies - Charleston Gazette

Keeping Up With Jones - MSNsportsNET.Com

Downing the Dukes - MSNsportsNET.Com

Dukes' reality check - PPG

Crusing to win - Times West Virginian

What's On Tap:

Miami (OH) RedHawks vs. Cincinnati Bearcats - ESPN
Tonight on the Deuce at 8:30. Cinci is giving 14.5.

Syracuse Orange vs. Florida Gators -ESPN
Tonight on ESPN at 9. Syracuse is giving 2.5.

Around the League (and Beyond):

Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly seeking demands from Notre Dame? - Cincinnati Enquirer

Louisville football can soar again, Charlie Strong declares - Courier-Journal

Wall leads No. 4 Kentucky over No. 14 UConn 64-61 - SI.com

Villanova 97, Saint Joseph's 89 - SI.com

Rutgers men overcome loss of Greg Echenique, slow start to beat Monmouth, 66-52 - Star Ledger

Orange Scouting Report: Syracuse vs. Florida - syracuse.com

Dixon's slow return from injury still boosts undermanned Panthers - PPG

Video of Interest:

Soccer Gallery of the Week Part II:

via coedmagazine.files.wordpress.com

Miss Throwdown:

Today's Miss Throwdown is another gorgeous supermodel from Brazil. She's done work for Vicky's and the SI Swimsuit Edition. Here's Ana Beatriz Barros.

via www.thelifeofluxury.com

Skol image via thesmartgirls.files.wordpress.com

Sprints Is Not Surprised that Tennessee Is Under Investigation // 12.10.09

cocknfire — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 08:53:21 -0000

More photos » by Wade Payne - AP

The NCAA just doesn't appreciate his genius.

Browse more photos »

THE TENNESSEE INVESTIGATION

This was inevitable
Boy Wonder is now firmly in the crosshairs of the NCAA. Everyone who is surprised can raise their hands. The allegation: that members of the "Orange Pride" -- a group of often female greeters who meet recruits during their visits to campus -- were extraordinarily interested in a couple of recruits.

Marcus Lattimore, a running back who made an unofficial visit to Tennessee but said he would not enroll there, said multiple Tennessee hostesses attended a game at James F. Byrnes High School in Duncan, S.C., in September. He said they brought signs, including one that read, "Come to Tennessee."

"I haven’t seen no other schools do that," he said. "It’s crazy."

Of course, Mr. Lattimore has a good head on his shoulders.

"You don’t want to go to a college where they ain’t pretty," Lattimore said.

Yes. NFL prospects and academic niceties must not be allowed to interfere with the most important thing: Women.

Rick Evrard, a former N.C.A.A. investigator and a partner in Bond, Schoeneck & King, a law firm that specializes in helping colleges deal with N.C.A.A. issues, said he could not comment specifically on the Tennessee case. He did say, generally, it was not common for the N.C.A.A. to interview recruits interested in a particular university or to ask them about a particular program.

Kiffin’s numerous secondary N.C.A.A. violations could be a factor or might have prompted the investigation.

"Secondaries mean something to the N.C.A.A.," Evrard said in a telephone interview. "It’s very telling if an institution continues to report secondaries particularly if they’re in the same category. If you keep doing the same thing over and over and keep reporting it, that would trigger the N.C.A.A.’s enforcement staff to possibly go in and look at some of that activity."

Wait. I thought secondary violations were completely meaningless and we shouldn't pay attention to them. Of course, I'm sure this NCAA investigation is all "part of the plan." It does keep the logo and colors in the news.

Tennessee: "Both university and NCAA guidelines are a part of the Orange Pride’s orientation and training. If those guidelines were violated, we will take appropriate action."

It helps if you know the rules
One of the recruits' fathers says Tennessee did nothing wrong. It doesn't help that the article makes it pretty clear he's unfamiliar with the NCAA's rules. Which is probably also why he says of his son and the student involved that "they talk an awful lot," which could actually be yet another violation.

Gate 21 doesn't like it
The Vols blog sees the investigation as less than good news for UT.

It seems to me that a recruiting tool which pairs attractive young women with potential football stars who are approximately 18 years old for the sole purpose of convincing them to play for Tennessee is destined for disaster.

What could possibly go wrong?

Or you can just come up with an excuse for everything
This has been played up as a solid defense of the Vols, so let's take a look at parts of its argument. (There are some good points, but it also includes a lot of distraction.)

Because if the players have already publicly committed to the university before the trip occurred, it's hard to argue that the players at Byrnes High School were making their decision based on any hostess trip or any hostess sign at a game.

That's a pretty compelling point that should have been examined in the New York Times article. Not just whether the trip occurred, but whether it had any actual influence.

Actually, that's irrelevant as far as the NCAA is concerned. Schools can get in trouble for violations even when a player decides not to come to that program and still can't commit violations even after a recruit has committed. It might be a nice PR point, but that's it.

And how about using "nearly 200 miles" as the distance instead of writing, "three hours in a car." Is it really that surprising that a college student would take a road trip of three hours? Especially in the South, for a football game? Is it even that uncommon for someone to drive three hours to watch a sporting event? Nearly 200 miles makes the trip sound much further, especially to east coast readers.

Say what? I'm a football fan and the only games I've ever traveled 200 or nearly 200 miles to see were South Carolina play Tennessee and the 2002 Outback Bowl. I don't think there are many people anywhere who would drive 178 miles to see a high school football game to which they had no connection other than having met a couple of the players a few weeks earlier. (And putting an approximate distance like that is really not at all unusual in journalism. I really don't think that extra 22 miles, which represents a whopping 12.4 percent increase in the trip, is added to make things sound more "exotic.")

That makes it seem likely that this story was the result of a tip from a rival program. Why would a rival program tip off Lane Kiffin and Tennessee?

Because we're in the midst of a huge recruiting period and Tennessee is a hot program, with Rivals' overall No. 5 ranking in the country.

To me, that's a more interesting story than the one the New York Times wrote. That is, who stands to gain from this story being written?

No, the more interesting story is whether Tennessee broke the rules. Who gave the tip to the Times is really of secondary interest. But this better spin than even Boy Wonder himself could come up with: Being under investigation proves that Tennessee is back!

No Vol hostess has ever seen an NCAA rulebook, and they don't receive specific training in NCAA rules. Now, they do receive NCAA training, but it's of a very basic level.

What? What kind of NCAA training would they receive if it's not training in NCAA regulations? I would assume whatever 'basic' NCAA training they receive would include a little primer on how to not break the rules. If not, then Tennessee really should be thrown under the bus for this.

Because even if they had tangible proof that UT had encouraged these girls to take that trip, we'd still have to determine whether or not these hostesses are full-fledged university representatives and how significant that encouragement was.

Except that it's already been pretty widely reported by even non-NYT outlets that they are university representatives. But that won't matter much to Lane Kiffin apologists.

Tennessee fans can't have this both ways. They like Lane Kiffin's swagger, defended his numerous secondary violations and appreciated him bring Tennessee back into the news by drawing attention to himself and the program. This is the other side of that coin.

STRONG TO LOUISVILLE / JOB RUMORS

Finally
Charlie Strong gets what he earned several years ago.

"When we were offered this job me and my wife (Victoria) looked at each other and it was very emotional,'' said Strong, who coached the Florida defense since 2003 and helped the Gators to the 2006 and 2008 national titles.

And then he paused and put his head down for several seconds to fight back the tears. Finally the crowd applauded and he recovered.[para] "Because you just never knew it was going to happen,'' he finished.

There is no one outside the SEC that I'll be cheering for harder over the next few years. Congratulations to formerly one of the most underrated assistant coaches in the business.

Bill Gonzales is NOT going to Louisville
This is a real denial.

"No — I am NOT going," said Gonzales, 38, the Gators’ primary recruiter in South Florida.

Gonzales, who coaches WRs for Florida, had been mentioned as a potential offensive coordinator for the Cardinals.

Who will replace Strong at Florida?
Maybe an insider.

If Meyer decides to fill Strong’s defensive coordinator job from within, the top two candidates are defensive line coach Dan McCarney and safeties coach Chuck Heater. McCarney was previously the head coach at Iowa State for 12 years, while Heater has been with Meyer since their days in Utah.

You could always just move Steve Addazio over.

Kirby Smart will not say he's not going to Georgia
Which is taken in today's environment as equivalent to "Show me the money."

Yet Smart said there's no homesickness for Athens on either front.

"I'm happy at Alabama," Smart said. "And my wife's happy at Alabama. We're not looking to go anywhere."

That is notably not saying that he and his wife aren't going anywhere.

That said, this is probably a little bit premature
And why I'm still skeptical about the Wikipedia entry that says that Nick Saban is actually a Kenyan Muslim communist.

OTHER NEWS

The exodus begins
Some prominent players are considering leaving the Gators for the NFL.

Bruce Black told me Wednesday that it is a 90 percent certainty that his son, strong safety Ahmad Black, is leaving early for the NFL Draft. He said the other top junior players from Lakeland — offensive linemen Maurkice and Mike Pouncey and tailback Chris Rainey — also are planning to leave.

Consider: There are no repeat-championship dreams to keep these guys around this year.

Nick Saban stands to see even more money if he defeats Texas
Actually, isn't $200,000 less than what Saban gets for most of his wins?

Alligator Army offers a list of 'Fatal Flaws'
Among them: Tim Tebow, Steve Addazio (no surprise there) and the fans.

Wow
Someone set up a Facebook page for "Tebow Crying." This person needs to find more productive things to do with his or her time. Like watching reality television. (HT: Swamp Things)

The fight for Erk Russell goes on
The Mayor has nominated him for the College Football Hall of Fame.

How much does it cost to have Sylvester Croom 'resign'?
$3.5 million.

Every Big East coach will lead Notre Dame
Now they're talking about Connecticut head coach Randy Edsall. As long as he leaves before Jan. 2.

Is the Pine Box heading for South Bend?
Tommy Tuberville's name crops up. (HT: Capstone Report)

Since they can't get health care reform passed, they'll do the next best thing
That is: Bar the BCS from calling its title game a title game. I've already addressed why I think saying it's not a title game is ridiculous, but apparently Congress thinks they have time to address this.

"We can walk across the street and chew gum at the same time," said the subcommittee chairman, Illinois Democrat Bobby Rush, one of the bill's co-sponsors. "We can do a number of things at the same time."

Why a Congressman from Illinois is worried about the BCS is anyone's guess. But having spoken with members of Congress and heard many of them speak on television, I have serious doubts about their abilities to walk and chew gum at the same time, much less handle a health-care debate, two wars and a slow economic recovery and address the college football playoffs at the same time.

See ya at Beef's
Ladies and gentlemen, the Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl. (HT: SBNation.com)

Charlie Strong to Louisville

Gamecock Man — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 19:53:07 -0000

After a week of internet speculation, we now know that Charlie Strong is, indeed, headed to Louisville:

Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich flew to Gainesville, Fla., on Wednesday to meet with Strong and bring him back to Louisville, where the hire will be presented to the Athletic Association's board of directors for approval. A board meeting is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. EST.

Strong will replace Steve Kragthorpe, who was fired Nov. 28 following three disappointing seasons with the Cardinals.

This is a well-deserved position for Strong, who has had a very successful career as a defensive coordinator. It's also another indication that 2010 should be a transition year for the Gators. Losing Strong will be a major blow to Florida; make no mistake, they wouldn't have won in 2006 or made it as far as they did this year without him. It will be interesting to see if Strong takes any other major players on the UF staff with him. If he does, 2010 may be do or die time for the Gamecocks to make a move in the SEC East.

Red Cup Rebellion - 12/9/09

The Ghost of Jay Cutler — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 15:13:10 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

Thanks, NCAA!

Browse more photos »

So Nice of Y'all to Drop By!
Thanks to the Houston Nutt to Kansas rumor being the hottest one yet of the yearly coaching carosel, we've had just all sorts of visitors visit our little internet nook! If you're new, be sure to read the disclaimer on the left and please pick up your litter on the way out.

Ravens Coach Shows Movie About Michael Oher To Inspire Michael Oher | The Onion
The Onion, America's finest news source, reports that:

In an attempt to energize starting left tackle Michael Oher for last Sunday's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh screened a copy of the inspirational sports movie The Blind Side.

I really shouldn't have linked this; If you don't already read the Onion then you're not using the internet properly, and we'd rather not have you hogging bandwidth around here.

OSU Ticket Allotment Sold | Tulsa World
Well, the Cowboys will be there. Will the Rebel fan base pull a bunch of typical "woe is me, we are Ole Miss" bullshit (yeah, I'm being a bit of a hypocrite; get over it), and decide against attending the first ever Cotton Bowl in Jerryworld, or will we too represent ourselves well by filling up our allotment?

Home and Away in SEC Bowls | ESPN dot com
We're home which means we can wear our red or blue jerseys. I'm guessing Nutt will leave that choice up to the seniors who will most likely choose red. RED ALERT! RED/BLUE IN YOU! REBEL XPRESSSS!

Strong to Louisville all but done | ESPN dot com
There will be a press conference this morning announcing Florida Defensive Coordinator Charlie Strong as the new head coach of the Louisville Cardinals. This is obviously a good move for a program which wants to be atop the Big East once again.

NCAA Scrutiny Seen on Tennessee | The New York Times
And the biggest SEC story of the day comes with the announced investigation of Tennessee's 'crootin practices.

A significant part of the investigation is focused on the use of recruiting hostesses who have become folk heroes on Tennessee Internet message boards for their ability to help lure top recruits ... Marcus Lattimore, a running back who made an unofficial visit to Tennessee but said he would not enroll there, said multiple Tennessee hostesses attended a game at James F. Byrnes High School in Duncan, S.C., in September. He said they brought signs, including one that read, "Come to Tennessee." ... "You don't want to go to a college where they ain't pretty," Lattimore said.

For the record, every SEC school does this to an extent. There are large breasted, flirty girls who escort the players around campus during their official visits at every SEC school. They also party with these players and do whatever they can to show them a good time--if you catch my drift. This, in and of itself, isn't really the problem. The NCAA is investigating Tennessee because it seems that these girls are visiting these guys at their high schools. That's a bit much, but it's likely effective. GOTTACATCHEMALL OR-GE-RON!
(HT: A reader we'll call "DJ")