The dysfunctional family known as the Big 12 is on full display. There are so many problems that everyone is confused and can not get on the same page.  
 
Because of the dysfunctionality of the schools are painfully obvious as to what is the core values of the Big 12 and what are the primary goals of the whole conference, shows that Beebe was more than a moronic idiot and was more than 75% responsible for the problems in the Big 12. 
 
The other 25% is the petty unfair revenue and side deals like UT has with ESPN and using ESPN to harm other school's TV rights. If you are confused, here is the problems in a nut shell: 
 
1. Beebe was not a leader and catered to the largest Brand in the Big 12 without regard to what was best for the Big 12 conference as a whole. Basically thinking that the Big 12 has to have 1 single star to point to rather than develop a constellation of stars like other stable conferences does. This led to a lack of leadership for the conference good and moved Beebe to a yes man for one school wishes and whims.  
 
2. The unequal revenue sharing is a minor problem and one that has never been a major topic since the birth of the Big 12. However, equal revenue sharing would have prevented the major problems and brought long term stability. Thus, the only way to bring long term stability to the Big 12 is to adopt a true equal revenue sharing plan. 
 
3. The last main problem that is getting more press than people thought it would is UT's LHN 3rd tier TV partnership with ESPN. The problem here is not UT having a TV network in general. Never really was a problem on the whole. The problem is the Partnership with ESPN where there is collusion and unethical behavior happening. The problem is that ESPN who broadcasts roughly 65% of all college football is partnering with a single college which as a side effect harms other universities by deliberate design. 
 
How so? ESPN in a fair and equal world would have negotiated all TV contracts either with a conference or with schools directly in a fair free market against other networks or providers. Under the partnership with ESPN and UT, ESPN has an incentive to not negotiate in a fair way but use its position to force what would have been 2nd tier TV rights or a fairly negotiated contract for broadcasting of the game. Now you have ESPN going out of its way to pick games that would normally be 2nd tier or upgradeable 3rd tier games and force those games onto LHN for an ulterior motive. An example, ESPN telling one school take our deal to be on LHN or you would not get TV coverage at all on ESPN which ESPN knows will cause severe harm to schools which have very average or limited exposure. Games that 1 year ago would be classic 2nd tier games are being deliberately booted down to 3rd tier because of the contracts ESPN has in selections of games. 3rd tier games payout 50% less than 2nd tier and so forth. The way the negotiations are done, there is zero real benefit for a team like Texas Tech to agree to be on LHN even though ESPN threatened and has carried out its threat of no TV coverage. ESPN pulled a scheduled game for TTU because TTU refused to be on LHN. The TTUv UT game has historically in the last decade been either a 1st Tier or 2nd tier game. The move by ESPN to try and bump a high tier game to 3rd tier status is a type of collusion which is unfair and unethical. 
 
Secondly, the efforts of UT and ESPN may be criminal and are definitely grounds for a major civil action. TTU right now as of today could bring a major lawsuit against UT and ESPN for the actions of ESPN in its efforts to force games on to the LHN cable channel. The question is this. Does TTU have the balls to actually take on ESPN and UT out of principle? 
 
Which brings us back to the Big 12 Commissioner and TV rights. The only way to fix the Big 12 and make it stable and prevent out right criminal behavior or violations of one school against another is to form a Conference TV network of at least 6 channels and for the Conference TV network to control the negotiations of all TV deals. This prevents ESPN from moving a high tier game down to 3rd tier status and prevents the unfair broadcasting of objectionable content such as HS games, HS recruits and allows for all teams in the conference to have equal time on a TV network. Having equal time does not necessarily mean equal broadcasts. 
 
The Big 12 needs a super strong commissioner to force UT to either go independent, go to another conference or be an equal member of a conference.

I think everyone is tired of this yearly Big 12 scare. The only way to save the conference would have been equal revenue sharing (which already wasn't the case because UT, TAM and OU got more than everyone else).   And I guess everyone could have their own network.   Texas wasn't going to give back the motherlode so it's done.  The heart transplant last year just bought us another year.  We get to say our goodbyes and it's time to unplug the life support and move on.  

Let's figure this out logically.

We better start with the murderers of their second conference-  Texas.

 Texas is not going to be one upped by Texas Aggy.  Texas Aggy is going to a better conference than Texas no matter what.  Texas can only lose anywhere they go.  And now, with the reputation of a murderer - no one is going to be too happy to invite them into their conference.  I hear reports of ACC, of Big Ten (no LHN) of Pac 12 (regional network maybe).  Probably the only way to save face is go Independent in football only.  Another scenario I haven't heard of is go SEC with Aggy.   Bust the Aggy parade and get in a better conference.  While an unlikely scenario, Texas has to hate how that might end otherwise.  

OU.  OU would like to go Pac 12 but the Pac 12 may not be open to an east/west split.  It would seem that the only way the conference could expand is with an east west split with the old Pac 8 teams on the west coast and the eastern teams as Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, OU, Utah, OSU, TTU and ?? BYU?  because I don't think it will be Texas.

OSU should be good either way.  Texas Tech is probably 50/50.   On it's own merit.....Tech doesnt have the dancing partner that OSU has.  Our is flaky, arrogant and only about themselves.  If others figure this out - we're screwed.  I actually would be fine with UT going independent and lets get BYU.  It is quite possible and probably likely that if Texas doesn't go to the PAC then either will Texas Tech.  I hope not.  I think that just like Aggy wants to go SEC, Texas Tech would love to go Pac 16 but if it's PAC 14 then we will be elsewhere.   

Last thought.  SEC how about another Texas team?  From West Texas.

I live in Round Rock and went to Texas Tech and Im proud of it.  I have a few questions about the LHN and the longhorns in general.  This weekend I had a chance to go to the Round Rock Premium Outlets and noticed no one wearing longhorn gear at all.  I thought it was just by chance and then I saw a store called Team Nation which specializes in only orange clothing of the ut persuasion.  Absolutely not a single customer in there- on a jam packed tax free weekend-  either time I passed by.   I also thought it was pretty cool that there are no cable or satellite providers in the Austin area that have a contract to carry the LHN.  There was even an article in the Statesman about it....

http://www.austin360.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/tvblog/entries/2011/08/18/talks_between_longhorn_network_cable_companies_continue.html?cxntfid=blogs_tv_and_radio_blog

So , it's super cool that this network is not even taking off here a week before it goes on the air??  I know the horns were 5-7 last year but is it possible that even the people around here realize the hypocrisy??

I really waited a long time to put my thoughts on the UT game down.  I viewed the game from the beautiful Cities of Gold Sports Bar in Pojouque, New Mexico (Santa Feish) while hiking and camping away from tropical Austin,Tx.  When I went in - the game wasn't even on.  Just the New Mexico-Utah game.  I finally got the staff to put one of the 26 TV's on ABC.   Shortly after running to Wal-Mart to get their Tshirts- 2 whorn fans appeared. 

Here's what I saw.  A set, non thinking grab bag of offensive plays that appeared to be doomed on many occasions- simply by the defenses aligment of UT.  I know the Leach offense worked because the receivers routes were read routes based on what the defensive alignment was.   The basis is- whatever the defense chooses will be wrong.  Now, in the mightly Troy offense- the defense can take away the plays effectiveness by lining up correctly.  I did see the Tech offense raise up- check the sideline and run a different play.  Then I saw the Texas defense change alignment and the play was blown up.  

The offense played bad enough to get blown out and the defense played good enough to win thus the result that we got.

The truth is somewhere between:  

Tubs  is stubborn and determined to do exactly what he did at Auburn-  switch to a Troybilt offense (Franklin then, Brown now)  where the personnel doesn't fit the offense.   At Auburn they had a rushing mentality and OLine and tried to run the spread and  here at Tech- a passing (O Line catching rushers) Line and trying to run with them.  The line appears to then not be good at sustaining a run block and no longer being good pass blockers along with smaller line splits..  

OR  Give it time.  Tuberville knows what he's doing.  We will win but just not against Texas this year.  I know this is oversimplified but I am going to be positive about it but if this goes bad from here then we'll have our answer.  The ultimate evil would be for Okie Lite to run the air raid and beat our ass in Lubbock with it......if that happens....Gerald and Kent better go underground.

The email about the silent treatment said this  :

As the opposing team runs onto the field and the visiting band plays their fight song, everyone in our stands will go silent. As we all go silent, everyone in the stands will turn to face our Double-T scoreboard and put our guns up.  Not only is this intimidating, but it will also catch the opposing team completely off-guard. Once our players run out, we want our fans to go crazy with school spirit.

I think it is related to the RAIDER POWER chant during SMU's school song.  It only seems that they want us to back off during the opponents school song.  I know when I was at the UT game last week vs Wyoming (I had free tickets and I love college football- not the whorns) the UT band played the Wyoming school song because their band didn't travel.  It was very moving because on the big jumbotron was a picture of the Wyoming player who was killed that week in  a car wreck.  Anyway, I left the game with a good impression of the respect shown the school and the player.

I think the point should be that a schools song is probably the only thing sacred at a game.  I know this will probably get a bashing but that's how I feel.  The rest of the night is fair game.   And, I have been to a lot of Tech road games and never heard anyone disrespect it.  Let's don't blow this out of proportion.  Apparently, also, someone about to dump alotta cash Tech's way towards Tier I bailed because of the SMU school song episode- so it's not only disrespectful but possibly cutting our own throats financially.    I don't really care what anyone does while the opponents run onto the field.  As a former coach it always fired my kids up if we got booed running onto the field.  Anyway, if I'm wrong then I'll just be wrong.

Oh, there's one other thing sacred.  If youre 15 and at a Tech game and you stomp on a mustard pack and it squirts all over this big guys girlfriend in front of you-  youre probably gonna get your ass beat for being disrespectful....that really happened and if it was youre girlfriend- sorry!

After reading this article     http://collegesportsblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2010/09/mack-brown-its-very-important-for-texas.html     it was just a reminder that Mack Brown is always crying to the media about what TU deserves.  The article says that Mack wants this trophy for the teammates from 2005 but you and I both know it's about a new trophy in the hallowed UT trophy case and another "Hey look what we got" to show recruits...and brag.  How repulsive but when you are begging Vince Young, the media, the Heisman committee, etc.  It's very unbecoming.  I guess when you are just in charge of PR that's what you do.  But, it's hilarious that only moments after Mackie B announced this the committee announced that it would vacate the 2005 award!!!  I still remain furious for Mack trying to sway the BCS (back when CAL was ahead of Texas) whatever year that was.  I really, truly believe that Saturday will be ugly for Texas.  And that several more losses lie ahead of them- as in OU, Nebraska, aGGie...because if daddy cries the kids do too.

Way back in 1982, the #1 ranked, Bankston sponsored, SMU Mustangs came to the Jones and it was my first Tech game to go to without a sponsor+ just me and some friends.   We sat in the cheap south end zone lower southwest area.  It turned out to be one of the best seats in the stadium to see the games concluding events.

I remember it was a great game back and forth and Tech was the ultimate underdogs as in those days- Tech  was terrible and the coach was Jerry Moore,  who I think coaches at Appalachian State who beat Michigan at the Big House.  Anyway- the place was packed and mostly to see what a top ranked team looked like and maybe we had a prayer to beat their overpaid players.

I remember Tech was driving for the winning score behind 27-24 and it was 4th and 2 at about  the 10 or 15 and everyone wanted Tech to go for it and were actually disappointed when Tech kicked the FG to tie it......with 17 seconds left.

And then the play for the ages, the kickoff goes to the ten, the deep guy bobbles it for a second or two and then he raises up and looks left.  Thats when I knew what was going to happen.  I could see Bobby Leach (ironic) standing all alone on the 9 yard line...right in front of me....Our only chance was if he drops it....He doesnt and there is no one around and none of our jugbutts (it  looked like we had no safeties) are gonna run this world class sprinter down.

I do remember that one of our guys way behind chasing gets totally clipped from behind at about the SMU 40 but it was probably a good no call as it was behind the play.  The second Leach (or Leech?)  caught that ball you could have heard a pin drop in the Jones.....

Check out of some of the highlights from the game that I found on youtube....Hoping for a big win on 'Sunday and I will be there.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zx1PccepNHQ

I think there are many really good things that we can say about TT and what he has done so far.  Many of these things concern things that Mike Leach was not really good at or didn't like (yes, Leach was good at many other things and I liked him because he was different). Tommy is a polished speaker and a very good fundraiser. And it looks like he lets his coaches coach.  All important things.

The most important difference to me is this.....He recruits better and will get better players overall.  He took a very important step when he embraced the Texas High School Coaches Association and spoke at the convention in Austin this year.  Mike Leach just never played that part of the game.  He would maybe send an assistant but in all the years I attended- never saw him.  Mack Brown would virtually meet and greet every coach there.  Bob Stoops also.  They know the secret.  Coaches are very influential in student athletes decisions on where they go play after high school.  Get coaches on board and you get players on board.  That is probably the best thing a new coach can do and something that Mike Leach never understood. 

I just think you put it all together- Better players, better defensive schemes and a defensive mindset, better fundraising and a better image ( and a coach smart enough to realize Adam James is our best player...ok JK!) and I think things are going to improve a ton and to a championship level.  I will be honest that it will probably be difficult to make that happen in just one year but he hasn't done anything to delay that from happening.

A more balanced offense can only help.  A stronger, aggressive defense will certainly help.  Keep our advantages and add some more.  Things can only get better with these changes. 

I can't wait.

Besides being from Pflugerville, where I live...  Sheffield was being interviewed today by Craig Way,  the UT play by play man at the Big 12 Media Day.   Sheffield was very honest.  Many people would say too honest.  Way asked Sheffield about Taylor Potts and the upcoming QB battle.  Sheffield said that he and Potts weren't friends, that Sheffield expected to earn the job, and that the best qb will be the one that can get the most wins- which is Stephen Sheffield.  Of course, I am paraphrasing just a little but it was clear that Steven doesn't care for Taylor and that he was confident he would win the job.  No kissing up, saying the politically correct thing.  Now, I know he has the skills, the leadership qualities and the balls to lead this team.  It takes guts to say these things and he is just telling it like he sees it.  Just like his head coach did with the Big 12. 

Heres the podcast link:

http://www.am1300thezone.com/cc-common/podcast.html

scroll way down to sports buffet 7/27 first hour....skip to the 21st minute.  If someone is more technology savvy- probably could post just the sheffield interview.....

Lots of insight on Leach also.

I have been thinking lately about what made us feel so good having Mike Leach as our coach and what worries us now that he isn't.  I can make this really simple.  Take the top 100 recruits for 2011 in the state of Texas. 

http://rivals.yahoo.com/texas/football/recruiting/rankings/rank-2366

Now, count up the UT commits and count the TTU commits.  You will find 20 for UT and most are in the top of that list.  You will find 9 for Texas Tech and most of them are in the bottom 50.  I look at this and I think "How could we beat UT with this disparity"? AND  I think that the 2011 class is going to be one of Tech's best classes in ages also.

What I am slowly getting at is that Leach gave us a chance when schools like OU and UT had nearly all of the top 50 players in the state.  By talent- we shoulda gotten killed like Baylor.  By results- nearly every year or so  we were beating good teams like OU and Texas and smacking the pretenders like aggie.   Our schemes were winning us games we shouldn't win.  Do we have that advantage now?  We have to wait and see.  But whether we do or not, our players have to believe that they do.  That is the key to winning.  We must believe that we have an advantage over the other teams.....

Football is a very mental game.  Talent is important.  If a team believes it has way better talent then that team feels like it should win every game.  Until they run into that buzzsaw, usually in Lubbock, that has an advantage.  The advantage used to be-  we feel like we can score on you at anytime.  I think our advantage is going to change a little to- "We feel like we can control the football  and score enough and that we can keep you from scoring many points".

Kudos to Tuberville for trying to keep our advantage.  Also, it's great that he is trying to focus on having a very good defense.  The rest is yet to be seen but I am so looking forward to it.

Everything I have seen this week seems to point to Taylor Potts as the starter with Steven Sheffield coming on in relief.....or as a closer (AKA Alamo Bowl). 

Point 1.  Potts on Davey O'Brien watch list.

Point 2. Potts wins the "Air it Out" contest at the Manning Passing Academy.  This contest involves hitting moving golfcarts with a football.

Point 3. Radio shows in Austin 104.9 had a show with Geoff Ketchum (orangebloods)  where all of his sources were saying Potts was the man.

Point 4.  Adam Zuvanich of the AJ had an article declaring that most people outside of Raider fans were thinking Potts would have the job.

Mr. Ketchum said that Sheffields success came either against weak teams:  KSU, UNM, and that the Nebraska game was a team effort and SS's 234 yards didnt win the game.  He also iowns orangebloods.com who would wince at the thought of a great qb being right under their nose and getting away (wait that happened again with Brewer ).

I live in Pflugerville but grew up in Lubbock...so you know who I am for.  I used to coach HS football and it is so obvious to see the emotional lift and quality leadership that the team gets from Sheffield.  Sheffield fits the mold of a very good passing quarterback that is mobile.

The statistics from last season favor Sheffield, who had a completion percentage of 74.3% to Potts’ 65.7%, a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 3.5 to Potts’ 1.7, and a QB of rating of 177.6 to Potts’ 137.1.  That is an off the charts QB rating. 

Adam Zuvanich said "Count me among those who think Potts will prevail in the preseason competition, just like he did the year before under Mike Leach. Potts has a better upside, with a bigger build and a stronger arm, and I think he'll turn out to be the better quarterback".

Anyway, I know it's still early.  Both players have been hurt.  Both players can be great but I just wanted to get some more opinions just because it's on my mind.  I know its been beaten to death.  I know the choice is not ours but Coaches Tuberville and Brown.

I admire what Tommy Tuberville said on a radio sports show last week about the Big 12 being doomed because of it's unfair revenue sharing.    It was what everyone was thinking but was afraid to say for fear that the Wizard  of Dodds  might turn us into flying monkeys or something.  Even here in Austin on sports radio, I'd say that it is 90 -10 in agreement on what Tuberville said about the Big 12 not lasting.  That's all fine and good and I think Tommy T is no idiot in playing the Robin Hood/Pirate take from the rich card.  If people in Austin and College Station can't figure out why Texas Tech takes great pride in beating your teams.....it should be painfully obvious as to why.

But, to my main point : why we are really pissed off?  It's not Bevo.  It's aggie.  How on God's green earth, could a team like the aggies be a rung ahead of the Raiders?  Texas Tech's 11-4 record against the aggies since the Big 12 started?    Texas Tech being the 1st and 3rd most watched games on ABC with an average of 8 million HOUSEHOLDS watching each game just one season ago?  It's not right and everyone knows it.  Furthermore, it still wouldn't be right if you just added Texas Tech to the top tier.   As of now, the deal will mean that Texas, Texas A&M and Oklahoma, will receive at least $20 million annually and that the other 7 schools in the conference will make between $14 million and $17 million

I think everyone thought Texas Tech would remain quiet and they probably would have if not for Tuberville.  Kent Hance is too politically correct and has too many T Sip friends in Austin to say it.  Gerald can't suddenly sprout balls.  Bailey, well is Bailey.  So the new guy had to deliver.  And he did.  Maybe even too well.  UT was counting on Tech keeping quiet and playing along for the next superconference upheaval. 

If there will be repercussions in the next alignment where Texas says "we no longer have a tech problem".  I don't know.  But I like it.  I like that we're brave and not afraid of our big bad brother.  And every once in a while- we blood that longhorns nose and man does that feel good.  And  on Sept 18 at 7 PM at Jones SBC Stadium I predict a bloodin'.....

I am so pissed off I can hardly stand it.  This conference will never ever make it as long as it is designed to favor the rich getting richer..  That's why so many  people loved Mike Leach.  That bad a$$  pirate took from the rich. He was finally lost when his crew mutinied on him.  I hope Texas Tech goes anywhere other than this bull$hit Texas, OU AGS nutjob conference.  Way to piss off everyone but Baylor, who is just happy to be at the table.  I for one, am gonna stick to HS and NFL football.....I hope others do it too.  The only one's super screwed are, as usual, the fans.........Texas gets to play its bull$hit weak schedule and gets to play for the national championship every third year.....It's no longer about competition and honor.  It's about making sure the best teams get there so the ratings can be high.......

Lets make sure if were paying all this money that the team we want to get there does.  Why the hell is a$m a big dog.????cuz they whined the most?  Tech was loyal the whole time to Texas and the big 12 and ends up being the only Texas school to get the discounted amount......abslute horsecrap!!!

The Big 12, thought to be in mortal condition as recently as late Saturday, will remain alive as a 10-team league after Texas signed off on the new arrangement late Monday afternoon, UT officials have told the American-Statesman.

A source from a Big 12 school other than Texas also confirmed that UT has given its blessing to the deal that will keep the Big 12 intact after overtures from the Pacific 10 Conference to UT and five other Big 12 schools.

I have heard enough......and feel like if you connect the dots - you will find that all of this has been orchestrated by UT over money.  It has all been too convenient that all of this was leaked to Chip Brown by UT to bump up the ante and get Texas money comparable to the SEC, Big Ten, etc.  It's like bidding on your own !@#$% on EBAY.... bumping up the price.  It was a great way to get rid of the cry babies like Nebraska, Colorado and Missouri (Left at the altar).  In exchange, the conference gets 20 million from those two schools ( thirty million if Mizzou can ho its way out) as penalties for leaving the Big XII.  The Big XII can now divide up the tv contract by 10 instead of 12 (except that UT, AGS and OU get way more)....by the way, this is why anyone wants to leave the Big XII because of the pie being divided up unequally....and how do we propose to save the conference?  by more unequal profit sharing?  The conference is only as strong as its weakest link and if people keep leaving -the conference will lose more respect than it already has.....The problem is gonna be a school sneaking off as soon as anything goes bad.....I actually believe Texas Tech would be better off in an equally funded Pac 16 than this.....I hope the AGS leave and blow this all up.....I don't like it at all......

http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/bohls/entries/2010/06/12/am_doesnt_have.html

Im getting this report and then I am getting from orangebloods.com that A & M has enough votes from within to go to the SEC.........

and i need a few more words to get to 75 but I hope the ags go to the sec.....they need a new door mat......  7 more words apparently until i can post...blah blah blah