Thinking out loud, while wondering if money isn’t the key to happiness, couldn’t you just have a key made if you have enough of it?
A thought on college realignment: The SEC sez, for now, it is satisfied with 16 schools, with Texas and Oklahoma joining the party in a year or two. For now.
And the ACC should probably be worried.
What if Notre Dame decides to relinquish its’ independence for the Big Ten? And what if the Big Ten decides to poach a few others from the Big 12 or ACC to reach 20+ teams?
Per team revenue for a prestigious league of that size and scope would likely be in excess of $100 million annually per school. And that figure may already be reachable with UCLA and USC coming on board.
Does the SEC then decide to move in for the kill on the ACC, bringing in Miami, Florida State and Clemson, just to keep up? Perhaps, if only for the revenue and eyeballs on their product…and the prestige, of course.
Which means that schools like Boston College and Syracuse may need to worry about their athletic futures. Pittsburgh, the other one-time Big East defector, could eventually find a home in the Big Ten should they go to a 20+ model.
Wonder what Penn State, at one time blocked from joining the Big East, will have to say about that?
Is there an Atlantic Coast Conference without North Carolina, Duke, and Virginia? The Big Ten has already shown an affinity for the edges of Tobacco Road – see Terrapins, Maryland as an example.
But there likely won’t be room in the B1G for BC or the ‘Cuse because a part of Tobacco Road is something they’re not, and never have been, and never will be. They don’t give the B1G anything they don’t already have. They’re in the Land of Misfit Toys, and Christmas Day has come and left.
Those halcyon dollar daze they signed up for in the early-to-mid 2000’s (presently a $32 million payout per school) by turning their backs on founding partners? Turn out the lights, that party’s (almost) over.
Regardless of the grant-of-rights contract that ostensibly keeps the ACC together through 2036, an end to the ACC, at least in a traditional sense, is possible. What’s a one-time $90 million-ish penalty for Clemson or FSU when you might earn $100 million annually?
There may come a time – IF the above plausible scenarios play out – where the Eagles and Orange will once again knock on the Big East door, looking for a lifeline similar to what UConn grabbed a couple of years ago. Wouldn’t that be something?
And what should the Big East say to their one-time friends, partners, and loyalists? The day for an answer is coming…sooner than you may believe.
Said it here last week, and the week before. If the Big East doesn’t pick up the phone and at least have a discussion with Gonzaga, it could be a costly mistake. Is it likely the Zags move eastward? No.
But $$$ talks, and you-know-what walks. The current Big East – even with just basketball – is a more viable national commodity than a UCLA/USC-less Pac-12. But Gonzaga may also be the Pac-12’s saving grace as a potential new basketball-only member.
Strike now or be struck over the head later. And be careful when it gets to be later. Just sayin’.
The Dallas Morning News reported the Big 12 has had discussions with six current members of the remaining Pac-12 schools (Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, Utah) about joining forces. That could be a formidable league, especially in hoop.
The Big 12 has been the top Kenpom conference seven of the past nine years and has the past two natty winners. But nothing is on the front burner, apparently.
It can always heat up later.
Barry Gallup spent parts of six decades as a Boston College athlete, coach, or administrator. He spent the entire decade of the ‘90’s as head football coach at Northeastern before returning to BC to work for Tom O’Brien.
That’s when I met and worked with him, and he was…and still is…a tremendous gentleman. Coach Gallup has retired from BC after more than 45 years at the school, where the sports medicine center is named after him. Barry, thanks for all you’ve done for so many…and enjoy your retirement.
My buddy “Big E” sez his eight-year-old granddaughter brought her report card home from school to show him, with mostly A’s and a couple of B’s. There was also a note at the bottom of the card that said she is “a smart girl, but she talks too much. I have an idea I’d like to try to break her from her habit.”
“E” sent a note back to the teacher. “Could you please let me know if your idea works? I’d like to try it out on her grandmother.”
Are the Yankees all that? Nope. The Sox proved them human, at the least, by gaining a split last weekend. At the most, the Sox proved their starting pitching isn’t as good as once believed.
Yankee fans on Twitter: “LMAO. Still 15 games up.” Sox fans on Twitter: “Who’s your daddy? We’re your daddy.”
And from the euphoria over a split with the mighty Yankees…to the depths of reality with four straight losses to a Tampa team that may be more injured than the Red Sox.
Not sure how you couldn’t love the effort put forth by Chris Sale in his first start of the season this week in Tampa. Better than expected results, certainly. But disappointed there were no reports of dugout destruction. And really, who would blame him if there were?
Cue the “well, we have Sale back, Eovaldi coming back, Whitlock coming back, Wacha coming back, so it’s kinda like a trade” talk.
The Sox have a full blowpen with Phillips Valdez, Hirokazu Sakamura, Ryan Brasier, Matt Strahm (who has fallen off a cliff) and shellshocked rookie Brayan Bello contributing his share of lollipops, too.
Sale, and anyone else starting, should sue for lack of support. Flotsam and Jetsam for sale.
At the all-star break, with three all-star players, the Sox are 0-10-1 in series play against the AL East, not counting this weekend’s series with the Yankees. That’s not contention. It’s contemptuous.
Unless, of course, you’re a fan of one of the other four teams in the AL East. It’s easy to say now…but it’s the toughest division in baseball – with everyone at or above .500 as of mid-week.
It’s the 4th time in the wild card era for a division to have everyone at .500 or better on July 13 or later, the last time being ten years ago in 2012 – also in the AL East.
The Elias Sports Bureau then spit out this nugget – in 2005, NL East teams all finished .500 or better for the entire season. But we digress.
Toronto was a preseason fave in this division. I jumped on that bandwagon, too. But with the Jays falling to 4th place this week, losing nine of 10 at one stretch, manager Charlie Montoyo was fired. Even with the team still very much in contention.
So when did Toronto get more serious about playing winning baseball than Boston? ‘Cuz that’s what that looks like.
10 straight wins for the Orioles? What in the wide, wide world of Boog Powell is going on there? Only the longest winning streak in Baltimore since 1999.
The O’s are breathing down your neck, and they’re the lowest spending team in baseball. Seattle has won 11 straight. Tampa, Toronto, New York. Tough crowd. Sox needs: 1) Bullpen help. 2) First base help. It’s painfully obvious.
Does Bobby Dalbec do anything but strike out? C’mon Chaim. We all know by now you aren’t re-signing BOTH Bogaerts and Devers, or rather, you can’t. Or…you’ve been told not to.
And Sox fans would all like to be wrong about that.
So, let’s see what you got. Turn this roster of chicken feathers into a summertime chicken salad, before all we have left is chicken (bleep).
A full 40% of Kansas City’s roster is unvaccinated, and therefore will not be playing in Toronto this weekend. The Jays probably need a sweep to show they’re back on track, and the Royals are only too happy/selfish to oblige.
If they’re your team, you ok with this ‘right to choose’ made by those players?
You may have thought ‘meh’ following the opening of the NHL free agent signing period, but the Providence Bruins are pretty happy with the haul. Of note, forward Vinnie Lettieri skated in 31 games for Anaheim last season and goaltender Keith Kincaid was a solid backstop in Hartford.
Patriot fans – you’re Number Two. But not THAT #2.
In an interesting poll released this week. Sports Illustrated published a study from a business professor at Emory University, attempting to quantify fans’ influence on NFL teams and games.
You came up No. 2 behind Green Bay’s fans, but ahead of Dallas, Philly and Pittsburgh’s. So goodjobouttayou, for what it’s worth, for yelling loud and being obnoxious and stuff.
Oh, N’Keal. For all of your physical presence and stature, it’s amazing it didn’t work out in New England. Maybe it never dawned on you that a first-round draft pick should play UP to those lofty standards and expectations, not DOWN to them?
You caught barely half of the balls targeted your way over three seasons. A 7th rounder in return from Chicago in this weeks’ trade seals your fate as an all-time blunder from a Patriot POV. Did you ever really even want to PLAY pro football?
Sure never seemed like it.
It would be easy to take a shot on your way out – you know, “Body like Tarzan, play like Jane?” But that would be an insult to Jane. Dude. Try harder.
Lotsa Jane’s can ball. Especially around here. Congrats to the Boston Renegades – now a four-time consecutive WFA (Women’s Football Alliance) champ after last weekend’s romp over Minnesota.
Pittsburgh’s Heinz Field is no more, with stadium naming rights sold to some other entity that doesn’t pay the media to use its name…so I won’t. But does that mean they’ll be changing the mustard-colored seats?
Just wondering…but did the Celtics sign AJ Reeves as a ‘feel-good’ story or to actually play basketball? The former Friar did not get into any of the first three games (DNP-CD) on the C’s summer league schedule. He did get two minutes and hit his only shot (a three) against Memphis Thursday.
Conversely, Portsmouth’s Cole Swider has averaged more than 13 points per game over the first five games he has suited up for the Lakers this summer…including shooting 56% from three.
Toronto is getting a good look at ex-Rhody star Jeff Dowtin, and he isn’t disappointing them. After getting a two-way deal with Orlando in the past year, the Raptors may be in the queue for his services this year.
David Duke is gambling on himself in Vegas, and so far, he might be winning. The ex-Friar turned down a two-way contract offer from the Nets and is playing for the Brooklyn Summer League team unsigned. He scored 43 points in his first two games.
Have you heard about the PC hoop reunion taking place July 28-30? The Friends of Friar Basketball has been helping former players and assisting with charitable endeavors in the community for the past decade – and on July 28th they’re hosting the Friars Legacy Coaches Roundtable on campus.
Ed Cooley will be joined by Rick Pitino, Billy Donovan, Rick Barnes, Pete Gillen and Tim Welsh for a discussion hosted by PC alum and ESPN’s Doris Burke. For a donation, you can be there for this unique afternoon of discussion, complete with a pre-session reception with members from the ’87 and ’97 NCAA teams. Visit letsgofriars.com for the info.
FYI – over that three-day stretch, more than 100 former players are returning to campus for a Friday harbor cruise in Boston and a Saturday golf tournament in Cranston.
Not for nuthin’, but construction has begun in Kingston on the new URI men’s and women’s basketball Soloviev practice facility. The new digs will be taking the place of where the West Gym in the Tootell Center was located on campus.
PC’s hockey schedule was released this week, featuring a 34-game schedule with nine against NCAA teams from a year ago. The first exhibition (at Schneider Arena) is Oct. 1 against Western Ontario, the home opener is Oct. 7 against Sacred Heart. The Mayor’s Cup game with Brown is Nov. 26th also at Schneider.
The International Tennis Hall of Fame induction ceremony is this weekend in Newport for the Class of ’22, which is really for Class of ’21 inductee Lleyton Hewett. Hewett wasn’t able to travel from Australia last year due to Covid restrictions. The Hall vote tabulation for 2022 did not add any new inductees.
If you think the PGA Tour is being unfair about LIV Golf moving in on its territory (and its golfers), the Department of Justice would agree with you. The DOJ has launched an anti-trust investigation into possible “anti-competitive” practices. Nothing that a little extra quid couldn’t cure, I’m sure.
Golfers who have decided to take part in the Saudi Arabian-backed League (and take their money) have been accused of “sportswashing,” with the Saudi government using sports to distract attention from its human rights record. Before the British Open began this week, Tiger Woods doubled down on the golfers jumping ship from the PGA.
“The players who have chosen to go to LIV...I disagree with it,” is what Woods said this week. “What they've done is they've turned their back on what has allowed them to get to this position....you're just getting paid a lot of money up front and playing a few events and playing 54 holes.”
He ain’t wrong. Taking guaranteed money and claiming appearance fees in LIV events could destroy competitive golf someday. At least in those events.
But Tiger already has his riches, or at least had them. It might be an easy decision for him, and others who have come out vocally against LIV – like Rory McIlroy and Jordan Speith. Blood money or not, they’ve got their dough.
Most of us in the real world will take the highest paying job that comes our way. Is there any difference here?
Before The Open began this week, the R&A told two-time champ Greg Norman – who also is the CEO of the LIV Tour – to NOT show up. He’d be too much of a distraction. But he’s welcome back in future years. Yeah, sure.
How about some good golf news? Bristol’s Billy Andrade was this week named the 25th recipient of the Payne Stewart Award, presented annually to a PGA golfer who best exemplifies Stewart’s values of character, charity and sportsmanship.
Barrington’s Brad Faxon is also a previous winner, back in ‘05. The pairs’ CVS Charity Classic and numerous charitable causes are legendary throughout the Ocean State.
Some things never change. Rhode Island ranks 45th out of 50 states in CNBC’s Top States for Business poll released this week, including “F” grades in infrastructure and cost of living.
But I’m told things are trending upward. Uh huh. Is that why it seems like most of my email comes from Florida these days?
Interested in having your questions on local Rhode Island sports (and yes, that includes the Patriots, Red Sox, Bruins and Celtics) answered in a somewhat timely fashion? It’s your chance to “think out loud,” so send your questions, comments, and local stories to jrbroadcaster@gmail.com. We’ll share mailbag comments/Facebook posts/Tweets right here! Would appreciate the follow on Twitter, @JRbroadcaster…and join in on Facebook, www.facebook.com/john.rooke ...
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