Stormhorn -- I'm not assuming UT can't schedule well if we have to go Indy. I think it will be tough, especially late in the season, but its not impossible. My problem with Indy is it deprives you of conference championship races and bragging rights. Chasing a conference title gives you something to play for in the vast majority of seasons where you lose a game or two. It also bolsters your rivalry games, and increases the importance of every league game you play. It is also the only way to maintain the excellence in our other sports, which are critical to the mission of the university. Finally, associating with the pac 10 or Big 10 will triple our research revenue over time (we top the Big 12 with $50M per year; the average Pac 10 school is over $100M, while SEC and Indies are less than $15M). I'd like to see my alma matter move up in the USNWR; Penn State went from third tier to #47 in less than a decade after joining the Big 10. The reasons are myriad why that happens, which I have addressed at length in other posts. So, there are tons of reasons -- athletic and otherwise -- why being in a strong conference is better. The only countervailing benefit to going Indy is keeping the LHN. Not even a close call IMO. Viper -- Thanks for calling me an "idiot". You are a really great guy. FWIW, the LHN is a/the "cause" of many things, including, but not limited to: (1) aTm finally freaking out and bolting, which has destabilized the Big 12 once again, (2) OU deciding that they are sick of us and now likely to bolt as well, and (3) a barrier to us being invited into the Pac 12 or Big 10. Thus, it is a contributing "cause" to us having to go Indy or being left in a decrepit Big 12. I wish that that were not so. I'd like to watch the LHN and think the increased revenue and branding are great. But if that means we become a pariah and no respectable conferences will have us, then I'd rather just get rid of it. OrangeChipper -- Colorado won a MNC and several divisinal and conference titles in the Big 8 and Big 12. Utah has played in several BCS bowls, has finished in the Top 5 several times in recent years, and destroyed a 12-1 Bama team in a "home" game in the Sugar bowl a few years ago. Compared to that, ISU is flag football program. Rex -- Always nice to get your thought provoking and illuminating comments. With your arrogant, know-it-all attitude, its a wonder why so many people are beginning to hate UT, when they used to respect it. You must have a lot of friends. BTW, change your sig picture. Its gay. And for whoever above said we should accept relegation to mid-major conference status because "college football is a business," well I beg to differ. Go watch the (vomit-inducing) NFL if that is your attitude, where illiterate mercenaries that are two steps from prison play for "teams" they could care less about and "fans" they they affirmatively despise. (Ask any NFL player what he thinks of his own fans and you will get a stream of red-faced profanity spat in your face). Better yet, why not cheer for IBM or GE, those are real "businesses". What separates college football from the uninspiring crap they peddle in pro sports are things like playing for the love of the game and your teammates and your school, tearing up when the horns are flashed and the Eyes is played, watching the delight in your kids' eyes when Bevo arrives, seeing some walk-on fly down the field and lay somebody out on kick-off team, or watching a 170 pound 2-star QB from nowheresville take over a team as a frosh and go on to become the winningest QB of all time. Its the dignity and scholarship of the Acho brothers, Ogbannaya's overcoming of family tragedy, the class and compassion of Mack Brown, 130 pound Ungar beating punts downfield and Blaine Irby coming back from 3 years out after a devastating injury, NOT for a paycheck, but for the pure joy of the sport and the love for his teammates. That is what makes college football great, and far superior to the vacuous, mercenary, vulgar and soulless "product" they sell on Sundays. Disagree? What was a more compelling and inspiring sports story, the Miracle on Ice (amateurs knocking off the Russian Army in the greatest upset ever) or watching the "Dream Team" destroy Angola and mug for the cameras on their way to a "gold medal" that was but a side show for their real purpose: increasing their q-rating and endorsement opportunities. Business does not improve sport; it corrupts and ruins it. You go find some other "business" to cheer for; as for me, I will keep the game that produced legends like Rockne, Nobis and Royal. Be careful letting money and marketing dictate your decisions -- one day you may find that the magic that made your heart skip a beat on fall saturdays is gone, never to return.
Unlike you, I couldn't care less about what others think of us as a fan base or me personally. I don't dance the the collective tune of averagecollegefootballfan. But keep on trying to please the world. I'm glad you're of no import to the decision makers. And I have friends. They like my sig pic.
TLN is not a big deal. It will never be as big as the B1G network but it will make some happy. Why? I have no clue. I guess they are going to pay everyone that subcribes instead of the other way around. As a Sooner, as long as I can stream it online, it would be great. Can access it while deployed, would have to pay little or no money for it. It would be great. But, texas fans are proud, other schools fans dont care and other programs are ticked off. Its all based on money. If not, OU would call the shots.
Zona, I understand your concerns. In reply - I think all of them are mitigated by a both/and perspective rather than an either/or perspective. I believe continuing the Big 12 or going independent is a bridge to a large conference affiliation with total inclusion of the LHN (after a number of years). There are two reasons i believe this: 1. Alabama, Florida, USC (and others) are leaving millions on the table and they know it. Regardless of what they have said publicly they are watching LHN with great interest and downright covetousness. If Texas sees this thing through, others will follow. And we need them to. 2. Internet viewership is slowly replacing television viewership. As technology progresses and high-speed internet is as prolific as TV sets, i think we will see a drastic shift in the way people view games. I don't have a crystal ball, but lets just say Grande Communications won't be a household name.
Sweet screaming Moses on a Sea-Doo! Zona, dude, I mean no harm but your comments on this board generally don't project an image of someone with sound cranial equipment. That last one is particularly embarrassing. You lack vision, you clearly lack a real understanding of what is going on (i.e. what we are all about and what other are eager to be all about) and you make assumptions that are obtuse and the bulk of your statements (based on said assumptions) are also obtuse. You are bitching and moaning about something you don't understand and you are questioning and pooing on people who know far more than you about the situation and are making decisions (and have a track record of making decisions) that ensure UT's long term well being. I am not certain if you actually attended UT but say thank you and be on your merry way. I promise you that the people running UT and our AD are far more capable than you. Stay hydrated and best of luck to you. Alright, champ?
Regarding the original topic: anyone who wants to pull the plug on the LHN is not being patient enough. It's the equivalent of expecting a football team to be ahead 60-0 in the first five minutes of a game. These TV networks need time to grow. When ESPN first started, it was a very small operation and the only things they had to show besides Sportscenter were UConn games and pro softball games. Now, it is without question the worldwide leader in sports, and its newest creation is the billion-dollar Longhorn Network. The LHN is off to a great start, but the best is yet to come. The LHN will not be the last of its kind. The trend in television is toward narrowcasting: creating channels that cater to specific interests. ESPNU narrows ESPN's range to just college sports. The Big Ten network narrows ESPNU's range to just one conference. The Pac-12's regional channels narrow the range from one conference to two schools. The LHN narrows it down to just one school. That's the trend, and when other schools (especially big schools) see that they can form their own networks to create revenue and develop their brand (like OU is doing right now by trying to start a Sooner network), they'll pop up everywhere.
WashU - when you get out into the real world, you will find that insulting others' intelligence with ad hominem diatribes - while never actually addressing, much less rebutting, their substantive points or opinions - only ends up proving your own vacuity. You are free to disagree with my opinion, but you might try explaining why rather than repeatedly attacking me personally. And I understand what is going on just fine. I have honors and graduate degrees from UT and know Powers personally. Do you? I know what is happening and why the rationale is as well as anyone on this board. I simply disagree with what I see happening and regret what has taken place in the past 18 months. The LHN has a lot of potential and could be a great feature for UT. But if -- and I do mean if -- dogged adherence to the LHN means we end up Indy or in a further dilluted Big 12 with no rivals, and are barred from the truly transformational opportunities in the Big 10 or PAC 10, I think that is a big mistake. You are free to disagree. And if it makes you feel better about yourself to keep insulting my intelligence, by all means knock yourself out. For what it's worth. most of my UT friends -- who include some high powered alums that watch the games in sky boxes -- agree with me. They hate why is happening wig our rivals and the decline of our conference. We like and respect Dodds and Powers, but we are concerned about the direction the LHN seems to be pushing us in. N
So are we all in agreement that ESPN asking 40 cents per subscriber is too much? Obviously the growth issue right now is constrained by the asking price. The asking price is affected by the minimum guarantees in the contract, unless ESPN recognizes that this contract will have to be a loss leader for a good number of years (at whatever price point). Also, since one of the points of the LHN is to "sell" our Olympic sports, how are we going to pull off an attractive slate there as an independent??
Oh good grief. The damn network just went on the air and you're ready to dump it. LOL You seriously want our AD to turn down a $300 million dollar offer to try something that no one has ever done before? An offer to be on the cutting edge of college sports programming? You seriously want the guy who leads our athletic department operating this machine based on how he thinks we look to others outside our program??? Don't bargain nor negotiate nor give it a chance to gain leverage... just cut and run because everyone in the nation didn't pick it up the second it came out. Excuse me but wasn't this same guy instrumental in building our brand into the most profitable merchandising in all of college football? Didn't he also play a part in a decent little TV contract we're all enjoying right now? Thank God he doesn't listen to you and your big pu$$y buddies up in your gazillion dollar sky boxes! You guys would have surrendered to the Japanese after the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor. Sorry hoss but I think any publicity is good publicity and I also think that those who now claim to hate us over the LHN already hated us. The LHN is just a talking point. I'm with him and not you. And certainly not the dumba$$ aggy on here who ***** about the unfairness of the LHN when the real truth is that it's nothing more than pure jealousy that we pulled something like that off while their athletic department has to borrow money to operate!! Geez...
For those thinking this is the first of its kind, I doubt it. No other schools are going to have ESPN or any other network come in to foot the bill for the start up cost for them. Also, other conferences have seen the circus this thing has cause and will work tooth and nail to make sure they persue a conference network so they wont have teams jumping ship for stability. I saw many people say you guys are arrogant and I just ignroed it, but you really are.....LOL. Why you are arrogant is only because of money which most of you dont see anyway. Perhaps its a bragging right to say "hey, we have our own network". Whatever it is, it has our conference on the chopping block and many dont even care as long as you get your TV station. Amazing. All other conferences are doing just fine, but ours is failing and failing fast. texas is willing to invite Houston, BYU and Sam Houston State just as long as they can keep their network. Your persuit of money has been the bane of this conference and youre too blind to see it. Your players already dry off with towels made from $100 bills, what more do you want??
Stormhorn -- I hope you are right that that Dodds is able to negotiate his way -- sooner or later -- into having his cake (a great conference) and eating it too (keeping the LHN). I'm not dumping on the LHN on the merits at all. I actually think it has a lot of potential, and could end up being really cool and a boon to the University. My problem is all of the information I have read and the sources I have (e.g. my brother is a professor in the Pac 10 and is very close to one of the key AD's that are navigating this) indicate to me that its a very unlikely and risky prospect, and that UT is indicating to all that they would rather go Indy than give up their new toy. For me, if it becomes an "either/or", the cost-benefit analysis breaks down like this: Losing or scaling back the LHN: Preservation of key rivalries and traditions, admission into premier sports/academic conferences that will result in hundreds of millions MORE revenue than LHN offers, compelling football on mostr saturdays, national respect and frequent appearances by the Gameday crew, better chances at MNC invites because of dominant confernce, avoiding headaches of indy or pathetic home schedules in dilluted Big 12, etc etc Keeping LHN and going Indy or staying in weakened Big 12: More TV revenue (but less academic revenue), better branding (but more resentment and hatred from friends and colleagues), nice exposure for 2nd tier sports (but no league to play in) etc etc. You may be right and we can do "both", but my fear is we can't, and that Dodds is foreclosing some pretty good options in his pursuit of "both." Time will tell.
old thinking = conferences, bowls new thinking = maximize $$$ to the exclusion of old thinking The NCAA refused to, or couldn't, lead Division I (or whatever they call it now), The SEC commish formed the BCS, and all hell has broken loose. Folks with no sense of the history of the game or the importance of the non-sport social affiliation of colleges in conferences are showering the haves with cash, and the have-nots are shaking the tree for whatever they can get before the whole thing implodes. LHN is a symptom of a bigger nationwide disease and I fear tha we're happily whoring ourselves to the media world. Do those of you that disdain having Kansas and Baylor on the schedule really want a "compelling game" each week? We have won our conference, what is it, three times in 15 years? Having a "compelling game" each week is likely to keep us at 7-5 way more often than 12-0. Ok, that's all - just needed to vent a bit.....
HEY, Texas needs to go independent like ND and continue to be the Jones. Quote from Deloss Dodds when asked if Texas was trying to keep up with the Jones's he said we are the JONES'S
Ya know, I stopped caring about what Aggie wanted after the bonfire thing. Texas was nothing but class after that tragedy. But then, the refs gave the game to them and they were most classless group of SOBs I have ever dealt with.....all of this AFTER we showed then compassion and class. I hate that OU might go, but I could care less what aggie thinks. They were bottom tier in the Big 12 and they will be bottom tier in the SEC
Um, we "joneses" went 5-7 last year, and have only won our conference 3 times in 15 years. The Only thing more off-putting than an arrogant jerk is an arrogant jerk that goes 5-7 and then proclaims himself "the joneses". The first rule of nicknames is if you coin your own nickname, you are a tool. Texas's goal should be to join/form the most prestigious conference (athletically and academically) it can and then dominate it, and with class.
My problem with this is the whole blame Texas angle. I agree that this conference is crappy and getting crappier and that we need to explore other options but let's take a look at who left and tell me again how Texas is at fault. Nebraska. Bullied from the start, right? Wasn't the "bullying" that they never got over our insistence that there are certain minimal standards for student athletes? Is that a bad thing? Nebraska was a national power before entering the Big 12. They fell off that plateau after implementation of certain standards (wasn't A&M spearheading these as well?) and after their hall of fame coach retired. Nebraska became pedestrian and they blame us for it. Colorado. Let's face it, they're a natural fit for the Pac. In what way did we ever bully them? A&M. Give me a break with this. This is the largest group of "victims" the world has ever known. Everyone needs to stop parroting the lie that TLN forced A&M out. I can't believe you even suggested it as a 'horn. The facts are out there and A&M turned down the network offer. They've also known about it for the entire time it was being hatched. A&M left because they are quitter *******, plain and simple. They couldn't compete with us and were tired of trying. They know that their only shot at an independent identity is to quit. This Big 12 is garbage without NU, CU and aggy. The schools being talked about to replace them are boring as hell and you are right that it would become a glorified mid major. I want out as well, but blaming Texas is just tired and pretty much of a mischaracterizatoin of what has actually transpired. We're just the easiest target.
Once you realize that Bellmont is not getting rid of the LHN, then you can move on to what happens next. It's not going away.
I can't believe some of you are already giving up on the Horn Network. This is ESPN negotiating with cable conpanies. They both are trying to get the best deal possible for their companies. This is the exact samething that happened with the NFL Network. I couldn't get it when it came out for a longtime. The more cable companies that join the easier it gets. Every cable company in the country will have it. Trust me, ESPN has too much invested to not make it work.
Bottom line for me. I want what's best for our university. I want the most possible MNC's. I want the best recruits. I want the most money. Getting any of those 3 will spiral into getting more of the other 2. The LHN will help us get all 3. More recruits. More money, More exposure. More games for fans to watch. (About 100 or more games a year over all our sports) A 24 hour commercial to recruits. Why pull the plug on that kind of machine. It took the BTN years. Its been 3 weeks and you already want to quit?? I bet you'll get divorced after your honeymoon. I bet you'll quit your job after your first review. I bet you spank your 3 month old. Come on.
OldOrangeOne -- two of my "pu$$y buddies" you denigrate were All SWC starters on texas national championship teams and wear big rings. I'm sure they care a lot about your opinion of their toughness or committment to the program. Stay classy bro.
The LHN is not the cause of all this whatever is going on. Aggy, sooners, et al., think irrationally when it comes to UT. Especially aggy. If aggy could ever stop comparing itself with UT, stop focusing on what they have rather than what they don't have, then they wouldn't need to get a geographic cure for whatever ails them. UT is not to blame for anybody leaving the Big XII. Sure, aggy and sooner says UT is arrogant only so they don't have to face their envy. Aggy is the most classless, worst fanbase on this planet and I wish they would get in a pod and colonize Mars.
Zona, Robby has it right. Texas is being blamed for the failure of others to maximize their brand. When ou and aggy took their payoff's last year while Texas took none where was your outrage then? Tier 3 rights are the individual schools rights. What is the issue with Texas being shown on cable and everyone else being shown streaming? You are faulting Texas for maximizing their brand.
skipped reading all the posts after Zona dumped on me for the ad hominem attack on bohls. But......I don't really care what he has to say on any subject because he has shown himself to be unreliable over the decades. Do you recall the hatchet job he did on MIke Adams during the SWC press tour that turned out to be both old news and incorrect? He is right twice a day. That is correct. As for the LHN, I never saw the point of it anyway and wonder what kind of people would watch a sports network dedicated to one school. I liked to play football and when I was too old to do that I started enjoying watching football. The people who are in sports journalism are pathetic losers with no life at all and I see no reason why anybody pays any attention to them. The same people I suppose who play fantasy football. Oh well, I guess it is better than stalking women in public places or shooting pigs from helicopters. Bohls is not a homer but that does not mean he is not a brain dead POS.
Getting rid of the LHN? Yeah...everybody that thinks the LHN is what's causing the Big 12 fracture...I have a suggestion. Take your wallet out, wherever you are, and toss it. Yeah...throw that baby away, since you're so big on UT tossing a potential billion dollars out the window. The LHN, which by the way does NOT come as a surprise to agricultural, or anybody else, is NOT responsible for the shape the Big 12 is in. Envy of it maybe plays a part, but even that doesn't wash, since the cult was offered a piece of the action, and dollar bill, showing infinite wisdom (?) said no thanks, at least until he saw how much ESPN was willing to pay for it AFTER UT did all the leg work on it. As noted earlier, the corn got a case of the red bottom because the Big 12, at the urging of UT, denied Herbie the recruiting advantage of partial qualifiers and county scholarships. Colorado? Those dudes have wanted in the PAC since before there were surf boards. agricultural? Yeah, they're whizzed off at UT, but since when have they NOT been envious and angry at the burnt orange. At some point, you have to let the cult go off and cut their nose off to spite their face by joining up with the biker gang known as the SEC. They like to say that from the inside, they can't explain themselves...I agree. They're being aggy, and that's all you need to know. NONE of that has diddly to do with the network, except the LHN provides a convenient excuse for those who don't want to compete, or think for themselves. I agree that their leaving weakens the Big 12, and OU and OSU, if they leave, will kill it, but here's the thing. UT will NOT go independent, unless that's the last best option, and De Loss Dodds is too smart to let that be the best option. UT will come out of conference realignment just fine, no matter how much the agriculturally-inclined are convinced that their leaving marginalizes UT. You can't argue with a closed mind.
