OrangeChipper -- A few responses: 1. There have been several posts on Hornfans and other sites asking what people preferred in terms of our options. Had you bothered to read them, you would have seen that the majority of UT fan posters favered going to the Pac 12 with OU, especially if it became clear OU is leaving regardless (which is not the case yet, but its getting closer). Perhaps you should familiarize yourself with those threads before popping off about what "most of us Texans want". Short of Gallup getting into the polling game on this question, they are as good an arbiter of fan sentiment as any I can think of. 2. For my part, I like the Pac 16 idea, especially when aTm was a part of it. I think its a win-win on both the sports and academic front (and I think the value to the institution on the academic side is way underestimated by many fans, as many of us have explained elsewhere). That said, for reasons of geography and tradition, I would have preferred the old Big 12 stay together than going to the Pac 10. I guess I am old fashioned, but I don't think change is always for the better. 3. However, change is already happening whether we like it or not, and the question now is which road makes the most sense. At this point, I'd rank them as Pac 12, Big 10 (hopefully with OU, but Big 10 probably won't take them), trying to hold Big 12 together WITH OU and some decent replacements (very unlikely at this point) or Indy. I don't count staying in the Big 12 without OU as an option even worth considering. If the LHN can be folded in to one of the first two options, great, but so far the spokes people and behind-the-scenes sources for both leagues are saying no dice. Maybe they will change their minds and maybe they won't but if they hold firm I think the Pac 12 or Big 10 are so superior to Indy or staying in the Big 12 (sans OU) that you would have to sacrifice the LHN. I believe that is a defensible position, and one that I have argued for in a very detailed fashion. You are free to disagree, but it would be nice to see more in the way of argument and facts and less in the way of ad hominem attacks and empty raving. 4. So far, the criticisms of this position (one that many of the posters above and on other threads agree with me on) seem to attack strawmen, such as (1) you are a quitter, (2) we can have the LHN AND whatever conference we choose on our our own terms, (3) we're the Jones so we will always get our way, no tough choices have to be made, blah blah blah. So far I have yet to hear anyone make a compelling argument that would show that IF (and I have stipulated that its still an "if", at least for now) we have to choose between (1) the Pac 16/Big 10 and compromising on the LHN, or (2) keeping the LHN and going Indy or remaining in a Big 12 without Neb, aTm, CU and (probably) OU, that option 2 is preferable and then listing the reasons why. The closesnt thing is intimations on how much money could be made, which is not exactly compelling from a football or competition or spectator perspective. 5. If you think that nationally Okie State and BYU have the athletic reputation -- to say nothing of academic rankings, institutional prestige or overal gravitas -- of Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin or Penn State, I'd encourage you to get out more.
I see that South Austin beat me to the punch with the same points, albeit more efficiently stated. +1.
Zona you've been against the LHN from the go! It's not even a month old and you are willing to throw in the towel. For you it's a first resort to surrender the LHN if it means Texas can get into your beloved PAC-12, I see surrender of the LHN as matter of last resort! When all other options fail, only then dangle the LHN. Even then, unlike you I have enough faith in the Longhorn brand to think that Texas could actually pretty easily make it as an independent. That should be seriously considered before going like beggars to the PAC-12 and groveling before them to take us. Surrender of the LHN reeks of desperation, and will make Texas the laughing stock of college athletics if done now. It should be given a decent chance. And it really speaks volumes about your lack of faith in Texas that you don't think the PAC-12 will compromise on the LHN!
"I am saying that once the last dog is dead, I'd take the Pac 12 or Big 10 over the LHN and a crappy conference or Indy." Amen. Is $10MM a year worth a football team that plays **** teams every week? What recruits would be interested in that? Hell, everyone can up their foundation amount by 20 bucks to subsidize the nonrevenue sports. I think we all like the idea of the LHN. But it's just not worth it to ruin the perception of our football program on a whole.
Stay classy Txforever. Incidentally, there are thinking people of good will who agree with your position. Your profane ad hominems discredit you and them. Try making a coherent argument. Failing that, perhaps just resist the urge to upchuck your id via keyboard. Now run along and play some more video games.
I always marvel at people who arrogantly applaud the actions of the rich and greedy in our society. We are where we are for one reason and one reason only: The University only cares about money and has sold the loyalty of the fans, tradition and the viability of the conference down the river. Yet there are fans who are cheering. I wouldn't want to deal with you in the business world because I know the knife for my back would be in your hand. My guess is the conference broke apart because behind closed doors your heroes are complete ********.
I don't care what others do, but, I won't spend my money on tickets for some lame home schedule. You folks cheer all you want and give up all your money. Then when we go to a good bowl we will get smashed because we play lame competition all year. Hooray, we made a lot of money, so what?
Yea, or we could play a tough schedule, lose games and or be more physically beat up, and not make or win a bowl game. 100,000 plus won't miss you
www.chron.com/sports/college/article/UT-meets-with-Oklahoma-hopes-it-stays-in-Big-12-2167082.php For those who continue to believe that the LHN has a 0% correlation with the ongoing demise of the Big 12 (i.e. aTm leaving, etc), and that OU is totally fine with it and is just going to start its own network, you might want to read the attached article from the Houston Chronicle this morning. Indeed, the LHN is cited as " the primary reason [OU] wants to leave" and has formally applied to join the Pac 12. In short, OU is going to try -- hard -- to get into the Pac 10, which will not allow them to have a network. The pac 10 may or may not take them (academics and OSU will be sticking points, especially if Texas is not part of the deal), but its crystal clear that OU is bailing in large part because of the LHN, and they are willing to "share and share alike" in the Pac 10 on third tier rights and abandon their plans for thei own network. So maybe Dodds will still be able to hold the Big 12 together for a while longer, but it will be because the Pac 12 turns OU down, not because they are hunky dory with the LHN. If and when OU leaves (they may have to swallow hard and go to the SEC if the Pac 12 won't take them), the Big 12 will be officially dead as a viable 1st tier conference. At that point, our choices probably become binary between keeping the LHN in its current form or getting into a decent conference. Key quote: In reply to:
Far more than 100k will miss decent football schedules if this thing doesn't get taken care of properly. I'm not going to pretend I know what's going on behind closed doors, whether with the LHN, Big 12, Pac 12, or B1G, but here's hoping the guys calling our shots have a good strategy and we come out of this thing in a good position.
I guess the risk of losing a game is too much for some of our Longhorn brethren. Easy wins, lame competition, and money is enough to fuel their superiority complex. I would much rather feel superior by having to actually accomplish something. Ahhh, to each his own......
It's one thing to get totally ripped off and still enjoy a game. The game day experience is fun but you could say that at any D1 college game. I've seen Miss-Miss State games and believe me, it was very exciting. So the fact that 100,000 show up when there is nothing else to see in this town does not justify the arrogance and destruction of our relationships and traditions for the benefit of a select few and believe me it is a select few who are benefitting. But feel free to cheer them on; all it does is reveal your character flaws.... I don't admire this kind of "it's just business" attitude because it's not just business... it's the way these people live their lives and you can't separate who they really are from what it is they do.
Zona, seriously brah... you picked a bad week to stop sniffing glue. Kill thread, ban user, slay 1st born. Jeez people, when some of you go off the deep end you REALLY go off the deep end.
Re: Arrogance You can stick your head in the sand but the relationships are destroyed. You are staring at losing the two biggest games each year because of the money but you don't want to hear it. Fine. Go all in on delusion.
