The Big Hurt Retires

Tom Verducci says it best here.

"Frank Thomas is the best player in White Sox history."

Texas to the Big Ten

To counter Fodor's argument, there are tons of reasons Texas would join the Big Ten.

First and foremost, They already tried to get in once! From the Big Ten Wikipedia Page

UT next approached the Big Ten. Having added Penn State in 1990, the Big Ten was now made of universities that, in the view of UT officials, matched UT's profile — large state schools with strong academic reputations. Berdahl liked the fact that all 11 conference members belonged to the American Association of Universities.

Yet, distance remained a disadvantage. Iowa, the closest Big Ten school to Austin, was 856 miles away.

But after adding Penn State in 1990, Big Ten officials had put a four-year moratorium on expansion. Although admitting interest, Big Ten bosses ultimately rejected UT's overtures.

That basically sums up why Texas would want to join. It's a big state school and wants to be in a league with other big state schools. It wants to increase it's academic standing and it's research ability which is something the Big Ten can provide.

The other reason is $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$. The Big 12 has an uneven distribution of revenue. Revenue is distributed by appearances on TV. This is good for UT when they are doing well in basketball and football, but what happens when thier sports are down? The dollars go down as well.

Also, with this uneven revenue distribution, every Big Ten school made more money then them last year. Adding Texas, and it's major TV markets, would increase the amount of money for every school including Texas.

So the main question for Texas is, is the increase in revenue worth the increase in travel expenses?


As for me with Big Ten expansion, I have adopted a go big or go home mentality. I don't want to add a school just to add a school. I want a school that will make the confrence great. So here's my list of schools I want to join in order.

1. Texas
2. Nebraska

That's it. I don't want Pitt or West Virginia or Rutgers. I want those two schools. Unless of course we become the Big 14 then I'll take Mizzou too.

No Way This Happens, But...

What if this was the new Big Ten member?

...definitely fits the profile, but I dunno why they'd ever leave their current conference.

Now What?

The NFL is finally over. Baseball Spring Training doesn't start for another month (and who really cares anyways?). Baseball itself doesn't start for another 2 months. The NBA and NHL are in their dog legs, just end the seasons already lets get to the playoffs. March Madness is one month away still. So, that begs the question: what the hell are we supposed to do for the next month? Yes, we can watch Hockey and Basketball, but again, nothing too dramatic is likely to happen. College Basketball is fun to watch, but really, I'm gearing up for the conference tournies and the big tourny. Aside from this month being one of the coldest, it is also the worst for sports. So, now what?

Super Bowl!

Good morning, everyone! I'm heading in to work my customary Super Bowl Triple, 11am-1am, so if you're in Bloomington, go ahead and order some pizza. (And don't forget to tip your driver).

For the record, I have the Saints by 1, let's say 27-26. On a failed 2 point conversion.

Also, Indiana vs. Northwestern is at 2 today. I think I'm rooting for the Wildcats again this year, because they have a shot at the NCAA tourney, but it's a tough call.

Enjoy the game, and don't overeat. Or do. Whatever.