redd granite

Well, it is now official apparantly, the Big 12 is staying together. The Big 12 will now be a 10 team conference, preserving many long standing rivalries and traditions. Of course, following up the last post, it was, indeed, all about money. Seems the steps taken by some of its memebers bought enough time for commissioner Dan Beebe to get busy and renegotiate a TV contract, one that was not due to come up for two years. Hats off to him, he pulled it off, and now the great Big 12 whore University of Texas will get its own TV network, and the rest of the schools will share mega bucks. One can neer phathom what took place in back rooms, but, I think Texas was playing a bit of shell game here. They had to look real interested in the Pac 10, threatening, of course to gut the Big 12 south with it so Pac 10 could create a super league. But, it was the Pac 10 only, who had a new TV contract. That is what started this whole mess. Weaker Big 12 schools jumped quickly to preserve there standing somewhere.  This cut off other weaker links in the Big 12 from going anywhere, threatening a hard landing to nowhere. In fact, I like the leadership the weaker Big 12 schools showed.  Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Iowa State, and Baylor all quickly banded together to show support for Big 12 survival, even going so far as to hold their own meetings without Texas and the other Big 12 South schools. All the while, Beebe was rushing to get a new TV deal done.  And now that it is done, the Big 12 smell just got a lot sweeter for everyone remaining with the new deal.  It reportedly brings in between $17-20M per school, over twice as the previous deal. And, to make matters worse for the departing Nebraska and Colorado (don’t let the door hit your large Buffalo Ass on the way out), they must give up half of their revenues next year while they are working out their final seasons.  Of course, these will be split with the remaining schools.

I am extremely happy about the developments, and hats off to Beebe for pulling this off.  I had wondered where he was all this time, seemingly real silent as his conference literally fell apart on the runway.  Well, he was at work, and in order to pull this deal off for a new TV deal, HE HAD TO HAVE THE COMMITMENT OF TEXAS IN HIS BACK POCKET ALL ALONG….afterall, without Texas (UT) there is no TV deal or conference, for that matter….shell game?  You bet.  Using media to move negotiations along, you bet. Stroke of genious if your (UT) intention was to keep the Big 12 together all along, getting your own network and huge revenues out of it?  You bet.  And as is with all carefully negotiations, there is always risk you loose a few weeklings along the way, and risk even greater issues…..

What a wild two weeks with a stellar ending.  I will sit at my BU bball games now resting assured that solid recruiting can continue, and the programs can continue to elevate their status.  Now BU just needs to get its football act together….but that, my friends, is another story

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I am sure many of you around the country have followed the upheaval of college sports conferences, specifically the Big 12 conference. I will save my opinion of the activities happening surrounding the Big 12 conference….as most of you know, I am very biased when it comes to the Big 12 conference, with my avid support of Baylor athletics.  No, this column is one of a different variety. I want to go on record stating what hypocrites our society is when it comes to college athletics.

No question the upheaval of the Big 12 conference is driven by money.  Specifically, the Pac 10 conference is going for the golden nugget….Texas.  You see, their television contract is up this year.  In order to get a much more favorable renewal contract, they have eyed the Big 12 conference…..most specifically Texas.  Yes, Colorado went first…this was just a smoke screen, make no mistake.  Colorado was nothing to the Big 12 conference.  Do not let the door hit them on their big buffalo ass….but UT (Texas) is what Pac 10 really wants. Seeing that Texas is valued ($$) far higher than the second school, when it comes to collegiate valuations anyway.  What an add…and if they have to aggressively create a 16 team conference so the other Texas State schools can come along, well, that is what they are trying to do.

While the above is concerning for many reasons, and my biases, again, this post is about something else completely.

The point of all this is simply, when do we get to a point where we stop considering college sports as furthering athletes scholastic endeavors and just admit this is nothing more than a pro league subject to all the short term greedy corporate board rooms intentions?  We go about with our “concern” for these athletes, their education, their potential future without professional sports, have all these goofy rules which many schools (including my beloved Baylor, at least in the past) violate.  Nope.  Its all about money, and money only. Everyone should get off this high horse they think they are on and call it what it is. Go ahead and pay the student athletes…they are the ones bringing in all the money anyway, and many schools find a way to do this anyway, whether intended or not.

Shame on the NCAA that allow such money grabbing few in executive conference rooms dictate fate of so many in a program that is supposed to be about the students.  I am tired of American hypocrisy.  Just say it like it is…and the above actions just smell of another notch of greed in the corporate charts. 

And clearly, the schools are willing participants as well.  Hell, the Big 12 Conference shuffle has touched off a fury of strategies and political dances. A&M wants to go to the SEC, Kansas and Baylor do not have a home.  Long standing rivals of Texas and Texas A&M split if A&M goes to the SEC like they would like to.  Kansas and Kansas State likely would no longer be rivals…Baylor may have to go to a much lessor conference, risking many recruiting efforts for largely the basketball programs (which went to the Elite 8 ((men’s)) and Final 4 ((women’s)) respectively). Why would a recruit who signed with BU want to continue if they end up in some nothing conference like some would like to see, a conference without, you guess it, TV exposure and revenues to promote their own professional goals.

Yes.  Shame on the conferences, shame on the NCAA for allowing this, and to a degree, shame on the schools for jumping on as well.  Come on everyone, just admit it.  College sports is nothing more than the minor leagues for the respective pro sports, and we may as well begin paying the athletes who are responsible for getting all these revenues the corporate greed monsters insatiable appetite desires…..

Peace

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There is a distant rumbling in the horizon.  Ever so subtle.  If you put your ear to the ground you may hear it. Follow it’s trail if you can.  Use your tracking skills…it is the beating sound of the rumor mill of a huge, huge news event: In n Out Burger is coming to Dallas! What? You say.  You west coast mavens know that for years and years your beloved California based, family owned, privately held burger chain refused to venture east of Las Vegas. That is part of the appeal, you say. Why should Texans enjoy such California delicacy?  How can this be?

Yes, for those of you  “easterners” who do not know what I am talking about, this is the best burger in the country. It is also one of the worst for you, so belt line; look out. This chain is an icon on the west coast. I discovered it in my business traveling days, in Ontario, California in the late 80’s.  And let me just say, this place is the bomb.  Everything is made fresh daily. The menu is limited to burgers, burgers, and more burgers…as in that will be a single, double, triple or however many patties you tell them to put on burger. The cost will put you back very little; the calorie counts will put you back a lot and clog your arteries.  The single cheeseburger checks in at a brisk 480 calories. In other terms, you must walk 133 minutes or jog 55 minutes, or swim 40 minutes, or cycle for 73 minutes to burn that rat bastard off.  Add the 400 calorie fries, and nearly double that take.  My personal favorite is the double double cheese burger meal. That’s just a crisp 1070 calories:  no worries. Add a shake and this wondrous trip to the burger joint tacked on 1760 calories to the waist line; but oh is it worth it.

This chain enjoys a unique brand. Even with their west coast roots, many across the nation know of this chain and visit when they travel to the area.  This is always my first stop in from the airport when arriving in Las Vegas. The location I-15 and Flamingo must do well over $20K per day with the extended hours they keep and the ‘can’t find a table’ busy that they always are. While there are other localized burger huts in each city that makes things up fresh, with many of them being great, no one quite compares the true low cost, the freshness, and the unique taste (they add what’s called an “onion sauce” , on top of the crisp freshly chopped onion) as In n Out Burger

This is a no frills menu.  No chicken, no rings, no breakfast, no anything else, just burgers, all made fresh in store.  Their fries are made in store as well. All of this and a assembly line of people turning out burgers fast.

So I am glad to hear of the rumor that they are entering the Dallas market in early 2011.  Probably will be located far from where I live, but is better than flying to Vegas for a burger. Oh, and if any of you bright entrepreneurs out there get the idea to call them for franchising, don’t. They only do company stores.  I called years ago…

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Every year, the basketball regular season winds down and my trips back and forth to see Baylor Basketball in action ceases.  By the end of the year, I have worn out that drive down I-35, growing very tired of it.  The grueling season finally winds to a close, and March Madness is upon.  The first thing to note about March Madness is that I automatically loose my family for a week. They are off to a week of college hoops at the Big 12 tournament every year.  And every year, it seems I must watch college hoops on TV as I either do not have time off to join them, or projects at work just cannot support leaving for a week. My priorities must be messed up. After the Big 12 tournament, then March Madness really settles in with the NCAA tournament.  We, as modest and humble Baylor fans have a lot to celebrate the last few years as the basketball programs, men’s and women’s, have grown into top notch programs led by great coaches passionate about the sport and good for the somewhat tenuous and political Baylor climate.  (Yes, I did say that about BU, remember, I once worked there).  Now we have teams each that are ranked in the top 25.  The men were picked to finish 10th in the Big 12. They finished third, with a first round bye in the Big 12 tournament.  The women have not performed to their initial pre-season Big 12 coaches opinion, finishing as sixth seed. I personally thought they would finish with a Big 12 conference record of 9-7, right where they finished.  Too many freshman….bodes well for the future.

Anyway, as we come upon the season of March Madness and the Big 12 tournament, I am resolved to loosing my family once again for a week, to manage the beasts of the household by myself, and watch college hoops on TV. A right of passage of sorts. And you can bet on one thing, it will be with a vodka firmly in hand most of the way.

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With all the continual stories coming out of Haiti following the tragedy there, comes an announcement that a group of prominent national musician acts are getting together to record (re-record) “We Are The World” to raise funds for Haitian relief efforts. Give me a break here. With all of the efforts to raise funds for this devastation, now we get a group of musicians banding together to record a very tired song to raise more money for Haiti? Seriously? How many times daily are we overrun with promotions and efforts to fund raise for Haiti? Let me explain.  I do firmly believe in giving to this cause. We should be focusing to help rebuild this country.  In fact, as I have pointed out in this blog previously, this is a prime opportunity to rebuild this country into something it was not before the quake. I have personal ties to this country as I visited regularly on business a few years back. So I believe in these donation efforts and believe the country can recover with our help. So do we really need a bunch of self-serving musicians to record a tired old song to raise more money for this effort?  Are there really a lack of channels out there to contribute for those who choose to do so?

No, I believe this is merely taking the opportunity to attach their name to something perceived as good.  A kind of self induced community service sentence that they are imposing on themselves to better their name in the marketplace. This may be a bit harsh, and I want to assure once again that I believe in the Haitian relief efforts. I just do not need this group of folks to help me do this. So I have a bit of a hard time to pay any attention to this effort, well intended as it may be by the organizers. We just need this. Maybe the musicians should get more directly involved by personally flying in much needed supplies (as is reported John Travolta did recently) or going to the country to assist directly in the aid efforts. I can buy into that.  That is the less comfortable path. But do not try to convince me that re-recording this song is a great vehicle for raising cash. It is a marketing ploy for name recognition, and that would be difficult to swallow.

Whether you accept the above premise or not, do give to the relief efforts in Haiti.  There are plenty of legitimate vehicles to do so, and can be as easy as sending a text from those fancy smart phones many of us have.

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…the Follow Me button on the right of the website. This, of course, is tied to Twitter, the one of the social web programs available that has gotten wide popularity. If you punch this, will you see it come up as “iamjimmorrison” as the account to follow. I use this sound bite in my apparant mulitple personalities. Of course, no surprise to the reader who participated in the Top10 favorite songs list. Any future top 10 favorite songs or other lists will likely be dominated by The Doors. So no surprise….but the real discussion here is social networking. This twitter account is not really used.  I do not put updates on it despite the call from my domain/web comrades (something which I am still learning) who use Twitter, Facebook and others to build traffic. A couple of things here…..1) There are only so many updates one can do during a day if you have a real job, and 2) I am perplexed and very careful not to try to use friends as a means to sell something, which, is what most of what my comrades do.  Yes, I have ads on this site. Yes, I would love for those to partake if they see something of interest or need, as it helps defray costs of a format like this blog which I choose to do instead of Facebook so our collective music can be available to those interested. (Still hope to add a lot more).  But I do not want to be in the position to spam friend network.  These sites take a shitload to maintain.  Yes, I am trying to build traffic to this site (this is what the related links under posts is all about), and yes, I am interested in continuing my learning in this industry for income streams, this site being one of my early entries. But bottom line, this site is for personal use.  I do many known and calculated errors on this site for SEO purposes and building traffic because I use this forum for my personal blog and interests. By definition, it will never be one that has so much traffic driven to it for commercial purposes. There are others for this purpose, others, that are not blogs that hit my social network, but mini-sites with landing pages designed for commercial.  There will be more from me as well, as I own a few names that would be decent for this purpose. www.moneyspank.com is one of my sites for the above purposes.  (yes, the name is a bit grotequesly catchy, isn’t it!). I amy even try a few names for comment in this forum before I develop.  Becuase, this is one of my interests as well as music. Other sites include South Padres Lodging . This was my first and developed by hand and, it shows. And of course, some of you know I have a consulting practice with a good friend and the technically competent person who helps me with this mess.  Kurt developed our site Penland Corner Consultants, and it is really cool….a practice that is slowly beginning. 

Bottom line of all this rambling, I have backed off of Facebook, do not really do Twitter (over 50 follow me without any updates….all it is tied to someone selling something), interests like these keep me out of trouble, maybe earn a little $$ (very little as of now),  and certainly provide an outlet for discussion. Now back to the music after the New Years

Do not forget, Don Carlos Mexican Restaurant NYE. Be there