I hate all the double talk about Amazon, we see constant arguments about bringing in other schools because one has 500k more TV homes than another since that's what matters now. Yet then we get the argument that Amazon only has a ~50% market penetration so it's no good.... That's insane. Even if you only get a small percentage of that, it's still as big as all the largest markets. Even if they only watch one game a week. And the majority of those viewers are going to be people who are new eyes since the current distro is pathetic.
There is no reason ESPN and Fox can't keep the current x number of games and the others be streamed on Amazon so what 10+ (20, 30?) x more people have the chance to view it! Major bonus, we never have to use that joke of a pac12 app ever again.
We attended a Civil War game in Autzen around 1980. The cold thule fog enveloped the stadium the whole game, and about every twenty minutes a sleet squall would pass through. The teams may have been tied at the half, and the stadium may have been one third full. As the gun sounded and the teams headed towards the locker rooms in a near silent stadium, a full but plaintiff voice rang out from some fan in the stands: "don't leave us out here like this!"
The Blazers dropped their crypto patch sponsor. Makes me wonder what we'll be calling the Crypto.com arena a year from now.
What does Sarver selling the Suns mean for the Blazers? Does Smolinsky dump Phil, grab a new local face, and buy the Suns? That's what I'd do. If that happens, where does that leave Phil?
Paulson sold 15% of the Timbers to a company backing the Dodgers, among other teams. He tripled his investors' money in the process. Not too shabby. Does he bring his new partners in on a deal to get the Blazers? Seahawks? Both?
If the PAC-12 and ACC merge, or form a loose alliance, they can't call it the Atlantic-PAC. I'd suggest naming the new entity the Coastal Elite Conference. Headquarters would need to be a literal ivory tower somewhere in California or Massachusetts, and cross-country trips would need to be called flyover games.
Woke up this morning to the news that DISH and ESPN/DISNEY have not arrived at a new contract and are not available to Dish viewers. John, who do you think is not negotiating in good faith?
Your note about March Madness locking out small schools/conferences? It’s THE WORST thing they could, which is why the power conferences will do it. But the NCAA still has a say, unlike in CFP/bowl football.
When you think about expansion, do you ever consider Tulane? New Orleans is a good market, they are strong academically and bleed into the Texas recruiting market.
A comment about your colume: I support entirely what you are doing. I absorb what I want and fully appreciate what you share other wise, whether I use it myself or not. Most interestingly, you are unencumbered by limitations other than those you impose on your self. As a result your readers get "staight-up" stuff that makes your work different from typical.
OK, for what it is worth, so much for my coment-turned assesment. Don't change a thing. I'm in until you give me reason to change.
Leave it to a beaver fan to want to glorify a beaver loss over a Duck win. 99.9999% of coaches and fans (minus Beaver and Husky fans) would absolutely take a squeaky win over a good team over a loss to a good team every single time. There are no moral victories in losses, only losses.
As for the subject of Amazon or apple streaming 100% of the games...you would lose a huge portion of the fan audience. The country and the viewing fans are not ready for that. I have done it once so far and disliked the product. Fans expect to be able to turn on their TV to ESPN or Fox or their conferences channel and watch the game, without having to jump through hoops to do so. It will take a lot to change that. My good friend (40 year Duck fan) hates the idea, he refuses to pay for Amazon prime or anything else just to watch his Ducks. He like I pay for the Pac 12 channel but he told me the other day when they go to pay streaming he's done...I hope Klavikoff understands that there are lots of fans that feel the same way.
PACATAC (PACificATlanticAthelticConference) should be:
Top 8 teams from the Pac: Oregon, UW, Utah, CU, ASU, Zona, Cal, Stanford
Top 8 teams from the ACC: UNC, Clemson, UVA, NCState, Pitt, FSU, Miami, Syracuse
That's a 16 team conference on par with the Big10's 16 teams. It's also a 16 team conference with no obvious doormats, which neither the Big10 nor the SEC could claim. It ontains many of the largest markets in the nation. You play 7 division games and 2 games against the opposite coast. That's not much travel. Title game at the end.
And a crazy idea: if he can't get the Ducks into the party, Phil Knight throws his own party: "We announce that Oregon will be leaving the NCAA to form a professional college football league. Players will be paid an annual salary between $50,000-$1,000,000. We wish to maintain traditional beloved aspects of college football and will implement a playoff structure. We invite the following teams to join us:______________"
Anybody watching the Oklahoma-TCU game can see that the Pac-12 refs are not the only ones who blow obvious calls!
Wanted to be the first to apologize about my erroneous Washington prediction.
Good fight until the end, but my pups are still a work in progress.
8-4 still seems doable and would be a great bounce back from last year.
Defense needs work and some more bodies to come in next year
I hate all the double talk about Amazon, we see constant arguments about bringing in other schools because one has 500k more TV homes than another since that's what matters now. Yet then we get the argument that Amazon only has a ~50% market penetration so it's no good.... That's insane. Even if you only get a small percentage of that, it's still as big as all the largest markets. Even if they only watch one game a week. And the majority of those viewers are going to be people who are new eyes since the current distro is pathetic.
There is no reason ESPN and Fox can't keep the current x number of games and the others be streamed on Amazon so what 10+ (20, 30?) x more people have the chance to view it! Major bonus, we never have to use that joke of a pac12 app ever again.
We attended a Civil War game in Autzen around 1980. The cold thule fog enveloped the stadium the whole game, and about every twenty minutes a sleet squall would pass through. The teams may have been tied at the half, and the stadium may have been one third full. As the gun sounded and the teams headed towards the locker rooms in a near silent stadium, a full but plaintiff voice rang out from some fan in the stands: "don't leave us out here like this!"
The Blazers dropped their crypto patch sponsor. Makes me wonder what we'll be calling the Crypto.com arena a year from now.
What does Sarver selling the Suns mean for the Blazers? Does Smolinsky dump Phil, grab a new local face, and buy the Suns? That's what I'd do. If that happens, where does that leave Phil?
Paulson sold 15% of the Timbers to a company backing the Dodgers, among other teams. He tripled his investors' money in the process. Not too shabby. Does he bring his new partners in on a deal to get the Blazers? Seahawks? Both?
If the PAC-12 and ACC merge, or form a loose alliance, they can't call it the Atlantic-PAC. I'd suggest naming the new entity the Coastal Elite Conference. Headquarters would need to be a literal ivory tower somewhere in California or Massachusetts, and cross-country trips would need to be called flyover games.
Woke up this morning to the news that DISH and ESPN/DISNEY have not arrived at a new contract and are not available to Dish viewers. John, who do you think is not negotiating in good faith?
Your note about March Madness locking out small schools/conferences? It’s THE WORST thing they could, which is why the power conferences will do it. But the NCAA still has a say, unlike in CFP/bowl football.
When you think about expansion, do you ever consider Tulane? New Orleans is a good market, they are strong academically and bleed into the Texas recruiting market.
John,
A comment about your colume: I support entirely what you are doing. I absorb what I want and fully appreciate what you share other wise, whether I use it myself or not. Most interestingly, you are unencumbered by limitations other than those you impose on your self. As a result your readers get "staight-up" stuff that makes your work different from typical.
OK, for what it is worth, so much for my coment-turned assesment. Don't change a thing. I'm in until you give me reason to change.
Leave it to a beaver fan to want to glorify a beaver loss over a Duck win. 99.9999% of coaches and fans (minus Beaver and Husky fans) would absolutely take a squeaky win over a good team over a loss to a good team every single time. There are no moral victories in losses, only losses.
As for the subject of Amazon or apple streaming 100% of the games...you would lose a huge portion of the fan audience. The country and the viewing fans are not ready for that. I have done it once so far and disliked the product. Fans expect to be able to turn on their TV to ESPN or Fox or their conferences channel and watch the game, without having to jump through hoops to do so. It will take a lot to change that. My good friend (40 year Duck fan) hates the idea, he refuses to pay for Amazon prime or anything else just to watch his Ducks. He like I pay for the Pac 12 channel but he told me the other day when they go to pay streaming he's done...I hope Klavikoff understands that there are lots of fans that feel the same way.
PACATAC (PACificATlanticAthelticConference) should be:
Top 8 teams from the Pac: Oregon, UW, Utah, CU, ASU, Zona, Cal, Stanford
Top 8 teams from the ACC: UNC, Clemson, UVA, NCState, Pitt, FSU, Miami, Syracuse
That's a 16 team conference on par with the Big10's 16 teams. It's also a 16 team conference with no obvious doormats, which neither the Big10 nor the SEC could claim. It ontains many of the largest markets in the nation. You play 7 division games and 2 games against the opposite coast. That's not much travel. Title game at the end.
And a crazy idea: if he can't get the Ducks into the party, Phil Knight throws his own party: "We announce that Oregon will be leaving the NCAA to form a professional college football league. Players will be paid an annual salary between $50,000-$1,000,000. We wish to maintain traditional beloved aspects of college football and will implement a playoff structure. We invite the following teams to join us:______________"