Am I wrong...

...in thinking this could be scary? Read the article, then let me know if I am being a little paranoid.

10 is 12, and apparently 12 is 10

After all the talk of superconferences and mass hysteria in the college world, this is a surprising, and admittedly a little boring, development if true.

Frankly, I think the remaining schools in the Big 12 did some serious capitulating to Texas in order to keep the conference from dissolving. I am amazed that schools like Missouri are OK with Texas starting its own network, and getting more TV money than they are. I think that's a high price to pay to stay out of the Mountain West (which will likely shrink back to 9 with Utah expected to move to the Pac 10).

But hey, if it means Jim Delany can continue to study further Big Ten expansion on his timetable, than all the better. 12 is a good number for now.

If things change, I am sure I will be posting about it. I continue to have fun talking about college conference realignment.

Damn! I wish I was important! Oh wait...

I was going to post about how celebrities thinking their opinion needs to be heard always makes me laugh, because for the most part (no matter where they fall on the political spectrum) their views are simplistic, and can be just as easily articulated by the average high school freshman. Enter Sophie B. Hawkins, best known for this song, who has chimed in with her take on President Obama's handling of the oil gusher in the Gulf (frankly, calling it a spill at this point is like calling Hiroshima a small explosion).

So, like I said, I figured I was going to rip into her. However, I found myself....kinda agreeing with her on some things. The idea of "smaller government, smarter government, flexible government" is something I can get behind, especially the smaller part. Part of the problem with the government's response to the disaster in the Gulf is lack of flexibility. It's hard to move a behemoth such as the federal government into action for the most part. Her point about Obama "rushing in the lawyers while the well is still spewing..." is pretty poignant too. The idea of getting lawsuits going before we even get this mess even close to cleaned up seems a little opportunistic to me.

So wow, a sorta-celeb who veers from an extreme worldview...kinda refreshing. However, it's just one opinion, no more imporant than most anyone else's opinion. Especially mine.

However, partial agreement aside, the headline stays because I like it! Oh, if Color Me Badd chimes in, I'll opine on that too. :)

Lord Stanley's Cup...Chicago-bound

It's a little late, so I will post more on this later, but I am pretty excited for the Blackhawks. The 16-year old version of me who owned a cheap replica Blackhawks sweater (and hat) is especially happy.

As I am sure most know by now, the Chicago Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup on Wednesday night, beating the Philadelphia Flyers in OT on a goal by Patrick Kane, who initially seemed to be the only person to know he scored a goal. It was weird to watch, because he was starting to celebrate and no one seemed to know why. Once they declared a goal scored, the rest of the Blackhawks eventually joined in.

Anyway, the Blackhawks are the second biggest impediment to Wisconsin getting the NHL (the biggest being that Milwaukee is an oversaturated sports market). Milwaukee is considered to be Blackhawks territory...I think. I still believe this should be settled in this manner.

But, being that the Blackhawks are a team I used to follow as much as someone in a non-NHL state could in the early 90s, I have to congratulate them. And, yes, I am happy they won.

...and the first domino falls (maybe)

If the reports are true, then it looks like Nebraska is jumping ship to the Big Ten, and in doing so, causing the seismic shift in collegiate athletics by ending the Big 12.

If the Big Ten is giving Nebraska a formal invite to apply for membership, then this tells me that talks with Notre Dame have really gone nowhere. As much as I stated that Notre Dame going into oblivion serves those clownshoes right, they were the Big Ten's probable first choice.

So, if these reports are accurate, allow me to be one of the first to welcome Husker Nation into the best conference in the land. The SEC is better at football, and the ACC is better at basketball, and the Pac-10 (16) is better at some other sports, but I would argue that top-to-bottom, no one is as solid as the Big Ten. Oh, and our academics (overall) are better than theirs too.

Strange days indeed...most peculiar mama.

UPDATE: NU Regent Chair Bob Phares has issued a pretty strong denial to these reports. The Nebraska Board of Regents is meeting on Friday, and their Big 12/Big Ten dilemma is on the docket to be discussed. So, perhaps these reports are premature. However, my understanding is that the Nebraska-to-Big Ten move has a lot of support amongst the powers that be in Lincoln.

One other thing is kinda bugging me right now, and it's the lack of any news regarding Missouri. The only thing I know is that their Board of Curators is also meeting this week (how cute, their board isn't of regents, but curators). Supposedly the matter of conference affiliation is not on the agenda. But, if that June 17th deadline by the Big 12 for a blood loyalty oath or whatever is legit, I am guessing it will be discussed.

I would like Missouri to move to the Big Ten. Like Nebraska, they would be the conference's bottom-feeders academically, but neither are slouches academically (and Missouri has an outstanding journalism school, which makes this J-school grad happy).

UPDATE 2 (10:15 Central) - Seeing a lot of chatter about potential invites going to Rutgers (not a shock) and Maryland (quite a shock...but a pretty good fit actually). If this is true, and I think it's a little early to tell, this is really interesting. It must really not be going anywhere with Notre Dame if there is any truth to this. As you might have gathered, I am going to keep up with this. I have a tough time believing Maryland is willing to leave the ACC this quickly. Not linking to anything because none of what I am seeing is from anything resembling reliable sources. But, interesting stuff nonetheless.

How's about Nebraska v. Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl?

The way things are going in the rumor mill of Big 10 and Pac-10 expansion, apparently the Big 12 is going to be a carcass. If things happen as rumored (Missouri and Nebraska to the Big 10, the entire Big 12 South (perhaps switch Colorado for Baylor) to the Pac-10), the matchup in the headline is a possibility.

As is widely known, the Big 10 started this latest round of expansion rumors, ostensibly to try to get Notre Dame to join so they could have a championship game. But, Commissioner Jim Delany dropped hints throughout this whole process that the Big Ten was thinking, well, bigger. Mr. D had a good post about this awhile back. Part of me still thinks that this is about getting Notre Dame to join. However, I think the Big Ten ought to tell Notre Dame to take a hike. The Big Ten does not need three schools in Indiana, and as Notre Dame clings to their cherished independence in football, they can keep having days like this one, then lose their precious NBC TV deal and sink into the morass. Although, the one thing that would be interesting about Notre Dame joining by themselves would be that I think they would become a rival game for....Wisconsin. UW doesn't really have anyone to play on rivalry week (Minnesota and Iowa play each other usually), so that would be an interesting development. On the other hand, Nebraska would be a better one for Wisconsin. Call it the Foamation Cup (Foamation makes these (2nd one down) and these for Nebraskans and Wisconsinites, respectively).

I am much more intrigued by some of the other state schools being linked, with Texas being the most interesting (and best, geography notwithstanding) school. Ultimately, I doubt they are coming. However, I think their Big 12 brethern Nebraska and Missouri would love to move to the Big Ten, for more TV money and better academics. For the Big Ten, it gives them a program that is back on the rise in Nebraska, and Missouri solidifies the St. Louis market and gets a chunk of the Kansas City market, although the Kansas City market in my experience is a Big 12 melting pot (many Kansas, Kansas St, Oklahoma, Missouri, Nebraska, and even a few Iowa State fans) congregate there.

The Rutgers-to-Big Ten rumors are interesting in that it is obviously an attempt to get the Big Ten Network on basic cable in the New York market. Rutgers is a good school academically, and they have had a pretty decent recent football history, but it seems like the Big Ten wants New Jersey eyeballs (some NY eyeballs by proxy, but not that many in my opinion), and that is the sole reason for Rutgers. The New York market is the jewel obviously...my guess is Syracuse goes some way in doing that as well.

My best guesses are a lot of other people's best guesses. For now, I am going with Missouri, Nebraska, and Rutgers....or Notre Dame....or (my pipe dream), Texas. Frankly, I can't wait until this is done. Then again, I can't stop reading all the speculation, it's kinda fun.

But, if things go as they are, Nebraska v. Oklahoma in Pasadena is a possibility.

UPDATE: Because academics is considered to be paramount in the Big Ten's expansion mission, here is a list of members of the Association of American Universities (all Big Ten schools are in this group). FYI, Notre Dame is not in this group, but is a very good school academically. Presumably, the chances of new conference schools being in this group is very good.

Asian spam

So, I am going to have to figure out if there is a way to stop the spam comments in Mandarin (or Cantonese, not sure). But in the meantime, not that I have to tell my highly intelligent and personable audience, but don't click on their comments.

No overdrafts at TCF...or any drafts, cans, bottles, etc.

In the great egalitarian spirit that Minnesota likes to believe it has, some have become rather upset that the University of Minnesota wants to sell booze/beer in the luxury boxes at TCF Bank Stadium, but not in the general seats. I thought this was settled last year, but the Legislature worked to make some sort of compromise allowing alcohol sales in the boxes as long as it was available in part of the general seating. This was promptly shot down by the Board of Regents.

I really don't see the problem with the U's position. Most other college stadiums on campus do not serve booze in general seating (I can vouch for Camp Randall and Notre Dame not serving booze). I am also certain that it is allowed in luxury boxes at Camp Randall.

The reason there is any controversy about this is because when the Gopher football team played at the Jiffy Pop Dome, beer was served as the Dome is off-campus.

Now, I am someone who certainly enjoys his beer, but I really don't have a problem with not drinking at college sporting events. Now, because the Gopher football team is something resembling awful, a beer or eight after the game may be necessary. However, in the end, I really don't think it's any of the Legislature's business to dictate drink policy to the U, especially in some misguided attempt to show how much they supposedly care for the people.

Here's an idea, Legislature...if you are so hellbent on improving access to alcohol for Minnesotans, how about allowing liquor stores to open on Sundays?