What Does An "Initial Offer" (or a Denial by Nebraska) Really Mean?

Kevin Kietzman of WHB Radio (AM 810) in Kansas City reported today that the Big Ten had made an "initial offer" to Nebraska and Missouri to join the conference along side Notre Dame and Rutgers. University of Nebraska-Lincoln spokesperson Meg Lauerman responded that “The University of Nebraska has not been offered any opportunity to move from the Big 12."

So which is it?  Let's take a step back and realize this is a complex, legal issue and assume that both reports are substantially correct.  Why is that?  Let's read on in Kietzman's report:

While nothing can be approved until the Big Ten presidents and chancellors meet the first week of June in Chicago, the league has informed the two Big 12 schools, Notre Dame and Rutgers that it would like to have them join. 

Hmmm... so it's not an official invitation (since the Big Ten presidents and chancellors still have to vote on it), the Big Ten is laying the groundwork for such an agreement.  And since it's not an official invitation, there is no opportunity to move (yet) ...and thus the denial from the Chancellor's Office is technically accurate.

Think back to those awkward junior high days when boys and girls would go through the song and dance of "does he/she like me" long before ever agreeing to go to the school dance together.  All the time and effort went into the preparations, and the actual invitation usually ended up bieng a mere formality. All because nobody wanted to get shot down.

Same thing here. Remember how Steve Pederson never offered Houston Nutt the head coaching job? Or how Pederson never had an agreement with the University of Houston to open the 2005 season at Reliant Stadium? It all comes down to what the definition of what an offer is. Why play these games? Simple; nobody wants to be turned down. So we play this game of "If we ask, will you say yes?"  None of this is legally binding, but the negotiating process is well underway.

In the end, we'll probably never hear that the Big Ten has formally invited Nebraska, Missouri, Notre Dame, and Rutgers.  Instead, one day Harvey Perlman, Tom Osborne, Missouri athletic director Mike Alden, and others will magically

appear at a press conference in Chicago to announce the new "Big 14/16" or whatever this thing is going to be called.

So what about this Big XII/Pac Ten alliance idea? Interesting idea...but it sounds almost as forced as the Big 8/Southwest Conference merger. It sounds interesting until the Pac Ten goes ahead and grabs Colorado while the SEC goes after Texas A&M and Oklahoma.  Then the Big Twelve adds TCU (OK, that's not so bad), BYU, Utah (I'm still listening), Colorado State (uh oh), Houston (ummmm), and New Mexico (thud).

Whether we like it or not, the Big XII is going the way of the Big Eight, Southwest Conference, the AFL, ABA, WHL, and any other league that fell by the wayside. Tom Osborne and Harvey Perlman recognize this, and won't allow Nebraska to be left by the wayside. Fasten your seatbelts; the journey is now underway.

How Can the Big XII Survive?

Tonight on NET's Big Red Wrapup, co-host Adrian Fiala expressed opposition to Nebraska joining the Big Ten. He liked the Big Eight, and wished it didn't go away. He'd like to see Nebraska continue to play in the Big XII. Certainly the Big XII makes sense for Nebraska; we have traditional opponents that the Huskers have played for years:  Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, and Missouri.  We still play Oklahoma, just not as often as we'd like.  It's comfortable.

Problem is...this isn't about liking the conference you are in, but rather liking the conference you will be in after college football gets realigned. And frankly, I just don't see how the Big XII survives in anything even closely resembling it's current form.  Assume for a minute that the Big Ten decides to go to 16 teams, and Nebraska turns down an invitation.  Does the Big Ten scuttle all their plans, or do they go to a Plan B?  My guess is that they've already got plan B...and C...and D.

So what's likely to happen.  Missouri is already halfway across the Mississippi, waving adios to the Big XII.  Last December, Missouri governor Jay Nixon already expressed his preference for the Tigers to head east.  So that's one team down.  It's also been rumored that the Pac-10 is still interested in Colorado...that could be two teams down.

Would the Big Ten go after Kansas as a Nebraska alternative? Doesn't have the marquee value of Nebraska in football, but brings one heck of a pedigree in basketball.  Then, let's remember that the SEC has said they won't sit idly by and watch the Big Ten get bigger than them.  So they'll be looking to add teams.  Florida State and Miami, perhaps?  I'll give you that. But who else?  Virginia Tech?  Maybe.  What about Texas and Texas A&M to restore the old rivalry with Arkansas?  Maybe Oklahoma as well.

In this world, Nebraska might be back in the Big Eight...but now Baylor and Texas Tech have replaced Missouri and Oklahoma.  Then consider the possibility that the Pac-Ten decides to go to 16 teams as well....and pulls in Kansas, Oklahoma State, and Texas Tech.

Conference realignment looks to me like a huge game of musical chairs. You refuse to play at your own risk.  If everybody else plays and you don't...you lose.

The Big XII really doesn't have any cards to play in the game of conference expansion once teams start defecting.  For every team you lose, the Big XII is going to have to step down to find a replacement.  Colorado State?  Wyoming?  BYU?  Boise State?  I suppose the Big XII could try to make a run at a Minnesota, Wisconsin, or Arkansas in retaliation...but that's unlikely considering that the Big Ten and SEC have better television deals than the Big XII.  What could the Big XII offer that they don't have in their current conference home?

Behind the scenes, there are a lot of conversations going on right now in college athletics.  When the Big Ten decides to act, this will all happen very quickly. Notre Dame will have the first chance to make a call, and if they say no, the dominoes will fall...and fall quickly. In fact, it seriously could happen the same way UNO joined the WCHA.  The discussions happened behind the scenes, and the deal was sealed and approved in one fell swoop. Schools like Nebraska, Missouri, and Rutgers don't want to be seen as disloyal, and conferences don't like to be rejected publicly. The Big Ten won't ask anybody (other than Notre Dame) who will say no...and nobody will say yes if there is any chance the Big Ten could say no.

When people say they'd like to stay in the Big XII, that's a noble, but potentially naive viewpoint. You could elect to stay in the Big XII, but the Big XII likely is not going to exist in anything resembling it's current form.  Once these dominoes start to fall, the Big XII is likely to be flattened.

And no matter what you think about the Big XII or Big Ten today...the Big Ten is a better home for Nebraska than the alternative, which could be something like the WAC, Mountain West, or Conference USA.

What a Difference One Year Makes at UNO

One year ago, UNO took a chance on Trev Alberts, and oh, what a difference one year makes.  At the time, UNO was hiring their fourth athletic director this decade.  The athletic department was seemingly rudderless and still paralyzed from the mismanagement of Nancy Belck and Jim Buck.

Now look at the Mavs:

• Mike Kemp stepped aside and Dean Blais, who won two national championships with North Dakota is now the head coach.
• UNO drew a crowd of 13,417 to a game against Ohio State and ranked fourth nationally in attendance.
• UNO switched conferences, leaving the CCHA for the WCHA.
• UNO made a strong push in February to get into NCAA tournament contention, featuring a sweep of Michigan, followed by upsets of #1 Miami and top-ten Bemidji State.
• And there is the expectation that sometime in the next few weeks, UNO will announce plans to build their own facility somewhere near Ak-Sar-Ben.

Not bad for a guy with no previous experience in athletics administration; certainly the people who forecast "an instant death blow" to UNO hockey were proven wrong.  But there is much more remaining to be done. For starters, not having a mid-season swoon that effectively scuttled UNO's chances to make noise in March. UNO's marketing, while improved, still needs to work to restore UNO hockey's place in the local sports market.  Game presentation improved, even if the answer this season was to fire the band rather than work with the Music department to create a true pep band.  (Hint: Wisconsin could teach UNO a thing or two about pep bands.)

UNO is supposedly getting close to announcing plans for a new hockey arena, likely around Chili Greens.  I'm sure the plans are just about finished and are out for approvals at this point, but if they aren't finalized, here are a few thoughts.

• Size should be more than 8,000 initially, and preferably closer to 10,000.  If the funding isn't there to do 10,000, then there should be a plan to expand to that point.  I understand the desire to build something more intimate, but don't undersell this market.  UNO sold out 8314 seats initially; if you believe Dean Blais is going to do something special, I don't see why you would build anything smaller than that.
• Student section should be located directly behind the visiting goalie for two periods. Ensure there is plenty of room for students, and this section should have bleachers and general admission seating.  Put the band there as well.  You want students to stand, cheer, and harass the goalie.  That is a GOOD thing, mind you.
• A low metal ceiling optimized to echo crowd noise. Omaha has the Qwest Center for concerts; we don't need a second arena with sound baffling.
• In all likelihood, the name of the building will go to a donor or local business who contributes a large sum of money to build it.  That's fine, and to be expected in today's world. But the building should pay homage to the place where Omaha's hockey tradition flourished.  The Omaha Knights started the tradition, and the Omaha Lancers restored when they moved to the Ak-Sar-Ben Coliseum.  The Coliseum is but a memory now, but the name should live on.  UNO should not build an "Arena" or an antiseptic "Center", but rather a 21st Century "Coliseum", especially when it's so close to the original Ak-Sar-Ben Coliseum.

It's been quite a year for UNO, and frankly, I have every expectation that the next year could be even better.

Tuesday Night Beer: The Mayor Returns to Ames

Iowa State's hiring of Fred Hoiberg to replace Greg McDermott might be so crazy it just might work. The main knock on Hoiberg is his total lack of coaching experience. Big concern? Absolutely. But lack of experience does not ensure failure, just merely raises a big concern. It all revolves around how Hoiberg builds his staff to address his lack of experience. One year ago, some people laughed at the idea of Trev Alberts jumping from television into the athletic director's chair at UNO. It only took two months for people to stop laughing.

ISU athletic director Jamie Pollard got another mulligan with his coaching hires. After misfiring with Gene Chizek, he went for someone who knew and loved the state of Iowa in Paul Rhodes. Most people reacted with skepticism, but leading the Cyclones to a bowl game last season certainly validated Pollard's decision. Now, Pollard reached deep to bring Hoiberg back to Ames.  Crazy? Yes. But it's not as big of a reach as you might think. He's vice president of basketball operations for the Minnesota Timberwolves, in charge of scouting, the salary cap, and the draft. So he's got the administrative experience.

The big thing he brings is instant credibility with fans from playing eight years in Ames as "the Mayor".  That will buy him time with fans and boosters who haven't had much to celebrate in basketball since Larry Eustachy popped the top on a few Natty Lights.  They'll be more patient with Hoiberg than any other candidate.

But even that goodwill won't matter if Hoiberg doesn't eventually win.  Brandon Vogel points out the aura of the "dream job" and whether Bo Pelini might covet the Ohio State job down the line when Jim Tressel finally steps down. Right now, Pelini is riding high in the state of Nebraska on the basis of three years of success at Nebraska.  (Yes, I'm counting the 2003 defense along with the 2008-09 seasons.) But how much slack will Husker fans give him if Nebraska has an off year?  Look at how Briejay fan turned on Dana Altman; the common response this weekend from the Hilltop wasn't so much sadness as it was relief.

One of the surprises of the NFL draft to me was that Missouri wide receiver Danario Alexander went undrafted. Turns out that I shouldn't have been so surprised; Alexander underwent knee surgery once again after injuring cartilage in Senior Bowl practices. I'm sure that knee injury scared NFL front offices, but Alexander's productivity on the field should ensure he'll get a chance if and when he's cleared to play.

With Ndamukong Suh and Phillip Dillard being drafted last weekend, it's time to close the book on the 2005 Husker recruiting class.  Remember that hyped class?  Five players from that group of 30 were drafted (Zack Bowman, Cody Glenn, and Matt Slauson were the others).  Not bad, you say?  Well, let's put it in perspective.  Nebraska's 2002 recruiting class (you know, that #40 rated class that was used as an excuse to fire Frank Solich) had 4 players out of 18 drafted -- including two first-rounders (Adam Carriker and Fabian Washington).

Altman Flees the Bird Cage for the Duck Blind

After a month-long coaching search that seems almost Pederson-esque in it's length and futility, Oregon finally found a new basketball coach:  Creighton's Dana Altman.  Altman finally said yes after Missouri's Mike Anderson, Michigan State's Tom Izzo, and Butler's Brad Stevens all said no to the Nike money.

Of course, there is always the chance that Altman could change his mind again.  (Does Oregon make their coaches do duck calls?)

If this deal closes (and by all accounts, it has), what does it mean for Creighton hoops? Let's remember where Creighton basketball was prior to Dana Altman.  Under Rick Johnson, the Jays played in front of a 2/3rds empty Civic Auditorium.  (Wait a minute...isn't that the way Dana Altman left Creighton?) Nebraska basketball had taken the mindset of the local sports fan.  It wasn't until Nebraska basketball and UNO hockey hit the skids about eight years ago that Creighton reemerged from it's funk and captured the mindset of the Omaha sports market.  Interest exploded, and the team that averaged 5,000 fans a game started selling out the Qwest Center. All thanks to Altman and a team that regularly won the Missouri Valley Conference and secured the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Their highlight: Terrell Taylor's three pointer upsetting Florida in the 2002 NCAA tournament.

After the 2007 Arkansas scare, things never were the same for Altman at Creighton. 2 NIT berths and then a CIT bid led many BrieJay fans to turn on the coach that made Creighton basketball relevant locally, let alone nationally.

So where does Creighton go? If history repeats itself, Bruce Rasmussen will look once again for an unappreciated Big XII coach.  Altman wasn't Lon Krueger and wasn't appreciated in Manhattan, so he left Kansas State for Creighton in 1994.  Who fits that pattern?  Iowa State's Greg McDermott, who was successful at Northern Iowa previously. (H/T: CloneChronicles)

But the real question to me is... how does BrieJay fan react to this? They turned their back on the team during the CIT last month, leaving only the diehards to half-fill the Civic. Will they jump off the bandwagon?

My guess is that the BrieJay fan will stay on the bandwagon long enough to abscond with all the tickets to the NCAA basketball tournament in 2012.  After that...all bets are off. The pressure is on Bruce Rasmussen to hit another home run with his replacement hire.

Sarpy County Boondoggle Costs Already up 28%

The bids for the new Sarpy County baseball stadium are in, and the bids to build the BFE Boondoggle are coming in $6 million more than anticipated. So now scratch that $26 million to build a $20 million stadium; it's now going to be $32 million. But since the Royals have already signed off on their contribution...it's the people of Sarpy County on the hook for the increased cost.

The only surprise to me is how low the overrun is, though it's still early in the process.  Two years ago, the going rate for a AAA ballpark was $40 to $50 million, so it's easy to understand how unrealistic the original budget was. Yes, the severe recession has likely lowered costs somewhat, but even if that reduced costs 20%, this stadium would be coming in below the bottom of the usual cost of a stadium.

So how is Sarpy County keeping the costs low? Simple...this stadium is being built as cheaply as possible. Here's the eye-opening quote by Sarpy County attorney Lee Polikov:

“We are not building a practice facility. We still need to have a first base, a second base, a third base. Bathrooms. Walls to go over for home runs. There is only so much you can cut.”

Translation: they've already cut just about every extra or nicety in the stadium just to get the original estimate down to $20 million.  And now that the cost is up, there isn't much that they can omit or scale back further. Gravel parking perhaps? Remove light towers and require the Royals to play all day games? Skip the sprinkler system and hope it rains? Perhaps negotiate with the City of Omaha to buy one of the old scoreboards from Rosenblatt?

Oh...and that other stadium downtown? It's coming in on schedule and on budget.

Brandon Kinnie Stars in Husker Spring Game

I'm sure most fans left Memorial Stadium buzzing about Taylor Martinez, but for my money, Brandon Kinnie's touchdown catch was the play of the day today. Only catch of the day, mind you...but it was the play of the day in my book. On third and 16, Martinez connected with Kinnie for a first down ... and then some. Rickey Thenarse, Alfonzo Dennard, and Austin Cassidy each tried to wrap up Kinnie, but Kinnie made like the Energizer Bunny and kept going all the way into the end zone.  It's a play that makes you say "wow!"...but was it "wow bad" for the defense or "wow good" for Kinnie. My initial take is "wow good" for Kinnie, who came on strong late last season.

Martinez sure got my attention early on with some nifty scrambles, with speed and elusiveness creating running room where little existed. But some of his decision making on throws left much to be desired.  Several passes were thrown into coverage and tipped up.  One was intercepted by Thenarse, another was a reception by Austin Jones. All in all, not a bad debut for Martinez. His passing game is something that can be worked on; his God-given physical talent is definitely intriguing going into this next season. Cody Green showed better poise on the field today, and a powerful arm.  He connected deep with Niles Paul (underthrowing it like Zac Lee did late last season, which makes me wonder if Paul has a little extra burst than his quarterbacks realize) and Will Henry (who seems to be finally shaking off Bill Callahan's playbook). I'm not sure either quarterback jumped ahead of Zac Lee today, but obviously the experience helps them.

Another star of the day in my eye was Rex Burkhead, who repeatedly broke tackles and gained positive yardage. But as the second quarter came to an end, the top players went to the sidelines and in came the reserves. Kyler Reed made some nice catches, and K.C. Hyland saved LaTravis Washington's bacon a couple of times with some reaches. The Huskers could have used him against Texas Tech last season.

I admit I didn't notice much about the defense today; my only excuse was explaining things to my three-year old daughter and making sure she was having a good time. My initial take is that Bo Pelini probably won't be terribly pleased with the performance of the defense, but he also kept things pretty generic and didn't put his defenders into the best positions.

All in all, it was a wonderful day.  Ndamukong Suh awed the crowd once again by announcing a $2 million donation to the athletic department before even being drafted by the NFL. (That Nike endorsement deal must have been pretty good.)  Oh, and $600 thousand to UNL to endow a scholarship on top of that.  Nice.  It'll be quite a day when #93 goes up on the North end zone skyboxes, and it's only a matter of time before #93 is officially retired.

Great to see so many former Huskers on the sidelines interacting with the fans. I saw Maurice Purify sign autograph after autograph before halftime.  Carl Nicks was working the crowd as well, and I even spotted former Husker assistant George Darlington on the field as well.

Biggest downer of the day was watching former Husker announcer Adrian Fiala making his way to the stadium.  After fifteen years of announcing Husker games, it had to be difficult for him to head to the stadium knowing he wasn't going to be part of the broadcast, and it showed in his eyes.  Glad to see him introduced and acknowledged on the field.

The UFL in Omaha ... and the Bills Mount on the BFE Boondoggle

At a press conference scheduled for Thursday morning, Omaha city officials will announce that a UFL franchise will begin play this fall, most likely at Rosenblatt Stadium this season and moving to TD Ameritrade Park in 2011.  The UFL is an upstart professional football league that plays in the fall and is trying to become a developmental league for the NFL. In fact, ProFootballTalk reported last month that the NFL and the UFL were working on a formal agreement.

Last year, most UFL games were played on Thursday nights, with many televised on Versus and HDNet. This year, the plan is to play them on Fridays and Saturdays with a 10 game schedule with 6 teams.  The current UFL franchises are Orlando, Sacramento, Las Vegas, and Hartford.  Omaha will be the fifth, and the sixth will likely be Salt Lake City, Austin, or San Antonio.

Good news for Omaha? Most definitely. There is a small amount of prestige in being grouped in with the likes of Orlando, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, and San Antonio. It fills five dates at the new downtown stadium.

But will it work in Omaha? I've long felt that Arena Football would work in Omaha...but that league folded. This might be better, especially if they get an agreement with the NFL. Entice some former Huskers to play on the local team (Cory Ross was the leading rusher in the UFL last season for Sacramento.), and you've got an instant draw.  With one caveat.

Around these parts, Husker football is king. If the UFL tries to schedule a game in Omaha on a Saturday and the Huskers are playing that day, forget about it.  Friday night, as has been proposed? Maybe, but the Friday night sports lineup in Omaha is busy in the fall.  High school football in September and October. UNO hockey starts up in October.  And in November, it's going to be tough to get large crowds to sit outside at night in the cold.  My suggestion? Play the games in Omaha on Sunday afternoons.  Better weather encourages fans and especially families to come.  No conflicts locally.  Yes, some NFL fans may stay home to watch games on TV, but we're 200 miles from Kansas City, 400 from Minneapolis, and 500 from Denver and Chicago. Omaha loves football, but doesn't necessarily love an NFL team. This season, two Husker bye weeks in early October create a nice little opening for the UFL locally to try a Saturday game if they want to take a chance. In markets like Sacramento with proximity to the Raiders and 49ers, Sunday afternoons would be suicide. But in Omaha, Sunday afternoons are the best option.

Ticket prices for the Las Vegas franchise seem reasonable, with season tickets ranging from $60 to $120 for a five game schedule.  $12 to $24 a game for five games sounds like a good deal to me. Could it work? The devil is in the details, but I think it's got a chance here.  I think it's a win-win situation for Omaha; it adds entertainment to Omaha, adds a little positive PR for the city, and it fills more dates at the new ballpark.

Speaking of ballparks, cost overruns for the BFE Ballpark have forced Sarpy County to shift the remaining legal work for the Sarpy County Boondoggle to the county attorney's office.  Kermit Brashear's firm originally estimated that his fees would top out at around $500,000, but the bill has now reached just shy of $1 million. Meanwhile, the county still doesn't have a finalized deal with Weitz Company, who's building the stadium, and doesn't have an agreement for naming rights.  And, of course, there's that little issue of not having a plan to pay for it. Details, details.  But hey, I'm told that the stadium is going to look nice with the skyline of Omaha off in the distance. (Still a local call!)

April in Nebraska Means Football

Just because I haven't blogged about spring football doesn't mean I haven't been thinking about it.  (Over at CornNation, I did suggest last month that I wasn't focusing on anything going in.) And right now, I'm still approaching it like a sponge...just going to wait and see what emerges.

The Lincoln Journal-Star had a very interesting practice report today.  Nebraska now has enough depth to run dual practice stations, a practice that Bill Callahan scuttled. The downside is that coaches aren't observing every player during these sessions since they have to split the squad.  The upside is that players are getting in twice the reps in practice, and that's good news for player development. We know how badly that went during the Callahan period, so reversing that trend is a good thing.

Cody Green wearing a green practice jersey? Hopefully it's true that he'll be ready for contact on Saturday. I'd like to see every quarterback (except for Kody Spano, who's still recovering from a second ACL tear) showing us both their running and throwing. And yes, I'm intrigued to see what Taylor Martinez can do.

Sadly, we won't see Jemarcus Hardrick this weekend either, though I'm not sure how much of a read I can get from a scrimmage.

I'm also starting to get a little curious about the second group of receivers. I'm a big fan of Brandon Kinnie and Niles Paul...but I want to see someone else emerge. Is it going to be Curenski Gilleylen, who looked so good in September, so awful in October, invisible in November, and fumblefooted in the Holiday Bowl? What about Antonio Bell, who looked pretty good last spring? Niles Paul dropped the name of Will Henry today.  And Joe Brokemeier is raising eyebrows this spring.

On defense, I'm curious to see who emerges at linebacker. I assume Will Compton will be one guy...but with only one other linebacker in the new Peso personnel package, there are three candidates.  Sean Fisher, who was the odd man out last fall. Eric Martin, who was dynamic on kickoff coverage last season. And now, Alonzo Whaley's name is coming up as well.

Like I said, I'm curious to see who emerges. I'm not going in with any expectations, just want to see who catches my eye.  The weather forecast is looking great at this point; mid-60's and sunny. But don't make those wardrobe decisions just yet; the KSHB weather team in Kansas City (they've done an outstanding job with long-term forecasts) show a stalled front (with showers) just south of Lincoln on Friday...which means you just never know what might happen.

Springtime in Nebraska. After last winter, we thought it might never arrive.

A Storybook Ending at the Masters

It was a storybook ending at the Masters today, with Phil Mickelson winning his third green jacket with his ailing wife managing to get out of bed to watch the conclusion. Sadly, that great story was buried behind the TMZ-fueled obsession with Tiger Woods for much of the weekend. ESPN dropped into the gutter in their pre-Masters coverage last week, running a countdown clock to his tee time and live coverage of him on the practice tee.

I understand Woods is the best golfer in the game. I get that.  But Woods' problems are self inflicted, then exacerbated by the people and companies he associated with.  Some abandoned him, others gave him bad advice.  Others, such as Nike, try to make a buck of it. Sadly, Stephen Colbert mocking is more applicable than twisting Earl Woods' comments about his wife.

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Truth be told, I was impressed by the way Tiger Woods shook off five months of inactivity to be in contention midway through the opening round. Like I said, he's the #1 golfer in the world for a reason.

But even without Woods in contention, this was a great tournament with great story lines. You had Fred Couples in contention at age 50.  60 year old Tom Watson on the leaderboard as well before fading over the weekend, but still finishing 18th. Yet, I'm sure we'll hear people who'll say that they turned off the Masters as Woods faded today, or wouldn't have paid attention if Woods hadn't made his comeback.

And all I can say is... WTF?

Did you turn your TV off when Colt McCoy left the BCS National Championship game with an injury?  Did you ignore the Final Four when Kansas and Kentucky were knocked out?  Of course not.  In fact, just the opposite.  The Final Four had higher ratings without the big names.

That doesn't mean Tiger Woods isn't interesting when he's playing well. Any great competitor adds drama when they in a battle. But the absence of the star doesn't lessen the competition.  Tiger Woods didn't create the Masters.  The Masters was The Masters before Woods won a green jacket, and it was The Masters before Woods was even born. It'll still be the Masters once Woods' retires.  The names in sports come and go, but the sport lives on.  Golf doesn't need Tiger Woods.

Heck, considering the shambles that Woods has made of his personal life, Woods probably needs golf more now, as it seems to be the one thing that's going right for him now, especially when you consider that he was in contention in a major without having played competitively in months.

The Butler (Almost) Did It

If you're a sports fan, this week is perhaps the greatest week of the year.  NCAA Final Four.  Opening Day.  The Masters.  (Can't forget the NCAA Frozen Four as well!)  And tonight's national championship game between Duke and Butler did it justice, as it was a battle that'll be remembered for years to come, with that desperation three bouncing off the front rim as the horn sounded.  We'll be talking about this one tomorrow, that's for sure.  Certainly Twitter is all abuzz tonight with talk about the game; it's been a trending topic all day.

You know what WASN'T a trending topic?  Eldrick Woods and his press conference.  Props to his handlers for throwing him to the media on a day where he could announce just about anything and find himself on page three of the sports section. No matter how ESPN tried to titilate, real sports won out.  Albert Pujols and his double dinger day ensured that.  The "trending topics" bore that out as the action won out over the paparazzi. And with Billy Payne enforcing Augusta National's version of dictatorship, the only way Woods will be the focus the rest of the week is if his golf game is at it's best.

Tonight's National Championship basketball game also reinforces my belief that college football desperately needs a playoff.  Butler proved tonight they belonged in the championship game in basketball.  What about Boise State last season? The arguments against a playoff are quickly losing relevance.  Arguments about teams missing too much class time pale when the NCAA is proposing a 96 team basketball tournament where there is only one off day (a Monday) for a week and a half.  Using a formula based on the existing BCS formula to seed teams, with higher seeds playing home games, ensures that the regular season remains relevant.

The existing BCS system only works in those season where it's a clear-cut choice between two teams. Sometimes that works (1999 Florida State/Virginia Tech, 2002 Ohio State/Miami, or 2005 USC/Texas), but most of the time, it doesn't.  I've suggested it before, and I'll say it again.  Eight team playoff, played on college campuses on home fields where the home team earns the right to host, until the national title game, which is played on a neutral site.  Eight teams should bring in every valid candidate for a championship.  Everybody else can still go to a bowl game; bowl games only serve to provide programming for ESPN and provide teams with additional practice time.  A playoff doesn't change that.  ESPN still televises the NIT while March Madness is still underway; no reason why a college football playoff would change that.

Tonight, Butler shot a hole in the argument that one of the "mid-majors" can't compete with the big boys. Now more than ever, college football needs a playoff.

Trev Alberts One Ups the Gophers with Blais Extension

In light of Minnesota athletic director Joel Maturi's declaration of interest in Dean Blais, UNO quickly moved to extend Blais' contract for two additional years. Standard policy in college athletics:  hot, desirable coach starts getting feelers from other programs, and the coach gets a contract extension.  In this case, the extension is well deserved.  At the end of the season, UNO was playing about as well as anybody in college hockey.  Does it mean an end of Blais/Minnesota talk?  Only for 2010. If Don Lucia gets fired in Minnesota (some would argue "when Lucia gets fired"), Blais is sure to be on the Gophers short list.

And when that happens, the onus is on Trev Alberts to make UNO a more desirable job.  UNO won't be able to match the tradition of Minnesota in hockey or the lure of Blais' alma mater. But UNO can offer Blais the opportunity to build a program to a premier level.  UNO is putting the pieces into place to keep Blais: facilities and a support staff that might be enough to convince Blais to stay put. Especially once he feels that he's close to making it happen in Omaha.

As Trev Alberts said last week, it's a good thing to have others interested in your coach.  That means you've got the right people in place.  The trick is keeping them, and Trev Alberts is doing things exactly right.

One year ago today, UNO athletics was drifting aimlessly.  David Miller had just resigned to go to Upper Iowa, and the program was adrift and lacking a direction.  My oh my how things have changed in one year.

Props to Alberts for getting this done to put this issue to bed for now. It's not going to go away, no matter how much 14 "defenders of the faith" try to ignore or wish it away. It's likely to emerge in the future, but I have faith that Alberts is up to the challenge of making it difficult for Dean Blais to be lured away.

(Side note to the Maniac in Section 14:  Name calling is against your own "terms of service", and frankly, trying to pretend that the reports coming out of the media in Minneapolis weren't real makes you look as goofy and out of touch as the folks over at BigRedBored. Their blind allegiance to Steve Pederson and Bill Callahan caused them to be completely oblivious to the impending train wreck. Don't keep making the same mistake and attempt to be the "savior of the program" by thinking you can wish things away.)

Checking Out the Lancers - Back In Omaha

Last night, I checked out my first Lancer game in years.  In the early to middle 90's, I was a season ticket holder until UNO, my alma mater, started the hockey program. I had a lot of great memories at Ak-Sar-Ben watching the Lancers during that time, but the Mavs stole my interest.  I attended a few games after that, but none since Ak-Sar-Ben closed down. Not sure how to explain it, but perhaps that Missouri River bridge was a psychological barrier. I just didn't have much of a desire to head over to the Mid-America Center, even if parking was free.  Seems that a lot of area hockey fans had similar opinions, as attendance plummeted in recent years.

Now the Lancers are back in Omaha, now at the Civic Auditorium.  The Lancers have made a few upgrades to the Civic, namely a replay board that obstructs the view from the upper deck on the ends.  It doesn't matter for the Lancers, as the Civic in this configuration can easily handle a crowd of 6,000 fans, like they did last night. I'm surprised how little has changed with the Lancers over the years.  Glenn Frey's "The Heat is On" still plays on the PA after each goal, and the fans still do the Arsenio Hall fist pump at the completion.  Eddie still does his victory lap around the arena.  Didn't see Skunkman or Dancin' Dave, and Fred Brooks is now working in Atlanta.

The success the Lancers are finding in their return to Omaha makes for an interesting contrast as the Royals prepare to leave Omaha for western Sarpy County. Several times last week, I heard updates about the progress of BFE Stadium and making subtle observations to minimize just how far away from Omaha it is. Managing partner Alan Stein was on local sports radio mentioning that it's just "two minutes" to the interstate.  (Well, maybe...if you take a few liberties with the speed limit and don't get stopped at any lights.  Maybe speed traps are now part of the funding plan to pay for the stadium?)  It's "only 11 minutes to drive from the stadium to I-680 and Dodge."  (Last night, it took me 13 minutes to drive from the Qwest Center/TD Ameritrade Park area to I-680 and Dodge, and that's considered "too inconvenient" for west Omaha families on weeknights...)  There's discussion about all the family friendly amenities that are sure to be developed around the new ballpark that will help the Royals draw families.  (I guess no families around here bother to visit the Henry Doorly Zoo...)

The new stadium may turn out to be a success for the Royals in the end; they've already announced plans to increase season ticket prices from $300/$400 at Rosenblatt to a range of $561 to $1340 in BFE.  So even if attendance doesn't increase (which might be tough in a stadium with only 6,000 seats), they still can benefit from the higher ticket prices.  But deep down, I wonder if the residents of Papillion and Gretna will be able to compensate for the inevitable loss of fans from inside the Omaha city limits.

The Lancers found out the hard way the price of leaving Omaha, especially after they tried to change the name of the team.  Are we watching a repeat of that same mistake?

Friday Night Beer: Pucks are Flying While Cinderella Is Crashing in Hoops

Last night's Kansas State/Xavier game was one of those games you wish would have been played on Friday night instead of Thursday.  You couldn't shut it off, no matter how early your alarm clock was set.  I mean... three point shots raining down from Provo?  Double overtime?  Gus Johnson on the call for CBS?  The only thing I forgot to do was check out the Live Thread over at BringOnTheCats.com.  (My favorite was when they blamed the overtimes on interference by fans at Buffalo Wild Wings...)

Tonight, on the other hand, not much to stay up for, and no need to since Purdue/Duke will be over before midnight in the eastern timezone.  Baylor finished off St. Mary's so soon that Omaha's own Kevin Kugler tweeted at halftime that his broadcast wouldn't get much coverage in the second half.  Oh sure, Northern Iowa made it interesting for a little while.

The NCAA hockey tournament got started today, and #2 Denver made a quick exit. The Rochester Institute of Technology defeated the Pioneers 2-1 tonight in Albany in a shocker.  Why a shocker?  RIT doesn't award any scholarships in hockey.  In other games involving UNO's former and future conference foes, St. Cloud State defeated Northern Michigan 4-3 in double overtime.  SCSU will play Wisconsin tomorrow night for a Frozen Four berth.  Tomorrow, Boston College plays Alaska, followed by Alabama-Huntsville vs. Miami.  Then North Dakota vs. Yale followed by Bemidji vs. Michigan.  Maybe it's sour grapes, but UNO played with all those teams late in the season.  All I can mutter is the Cub fan's typical response:  "Wait until next year..."

As I expected, the battle over HuskerPedia.com has now become a legal matter.  The only surprise to me is the size of the monetary investment involved, though maybe it shouldn't after I think about it.  Earlier this month, the Journal-Star reported that HuskerPedia grosses $1.5 million in revenue.  Which way is this going to go next?  This one bears watching.

Monday Night Beer: An Internet Idiot and His Bracket

Well, my NCAA basketball bracket isn't looking very hot.  I thought the Big XII would put forth a better performance than they have so far, but I don't think I was alone in thinking Kansas would at least survive the first weekend.  Still might have a chance if Kentucky wins it all, though.

I still think March Madness is perhaps the greatest televised sporting event in America today.  In this age of digital cable and talk of expanding the tournament, I worry that this might be CBS' last year to televise the tournament.  Which would be a shame because I fear what ESPN might do to the tournament, especially in light of ESPN's obligations to carry women's basketball, wrestling, hockey, and the NBA.  CBS has mastered the art of rotating fans around between games, yet keeping fans on games of local interest.  I don't think ESPN can match it, especially with satellite subscribers.

After UNO's loss in the second round of the CCHA playoffs, we knew that Maverick hockey season was over, but it turns out UNO was a little closer than I thought.  UNO finished the season in a three-way tie for 20th place in the Pairwise; no where close enough to an at-large spot, but closer than I thought they would be.  Conspiracy theorists will be watching Michigan this weekend; the concerns about filling Ford Field for the Frozen Four likely disappear if the Weasels win the Midwest Region.  I'd be skeptical if Miami lets the Red's gang knock them out for the second week in a row.  (And yes, I'm assuming that Miami will beat Alabama-Huntsville.)  Speaking of which, what a story that would be if Huntsville makes some noise in the NCAA tournament without having a conference home to play in next season?  When UNO jumped to the WCHA last summer, it was assumed at the time that Alabama-Huntsville would replace UNO, but concerns about the viability of Bowling Green led the CCHA to hold back.  For the Chargers, the future is now.

KSTP's Patrick Reusse (1500 AM in Minneapolis) raised a bit of a stir this weekend by tweeting about rumors that Minnesota was thinking about firing Don Lucia and hiring UNO head coach Dean Blais.  For what it's worth, it would be hard to blame Blais for returning to his alma mater, but it wouldn't be good for UNO after only one season.  While it's still a rumor at this point (Lucia still has a job), the rumor mill was running quite strong in Minneapolis this weekend at the WCHA Final Five.  Trev Alberts was asked about the situation, and felt flattered that that UNO's hockey coach was the subject of these rumors.  Until Lucia is actually fired, it's just speculation, but it's pretty clear that it's more than just "internet idiots" talking about it. (Yes, I'm looking at you SpamMania.  Before you start labeling people as "idiots", at least get your source straight.  The idiot might turn out to be the guy in the mirror...)

When word about Tiger Woods returning at the Masters first came out, I worried that the Woods situation would turn Augusta into a three-ring circus.  Then ESPN Radio's Colin Cowherd mentioned how particular Augusta National is with how the Masters is covered, and realized I have nothing to fear.  This is the institution that banned Gary McCord fifteen years ago for mentioning that the greens were "bikini waxed".  When Martha Burk protested Augusta National in 2003, the Masters were televised commercial free by Augusta National rather than allow sponsors to be pressured.  Television contracts are granted on a year-to-year basis, so frankly, the only way Tiger Woods is going to be the focus of attention that week once the tournament gets started, it's because he's playing well.  And that's the way it should be.

Wednesday Night Green Beer: Is NCAA Wrestling a Better Deal for Omaha Than Basketball?

Funny thing is about to occur in Omaha over the next three days:  the NCAA is bringing a national championship event to Omaha, and except for a few blips in the World-Herald, there's no buzz about it locally.  Too bad, because there are about 15,000 people spending the next few days in town.  The event is sold out and apparently 80% of the tickets are from folks out of town; that means the hotels and restaurants in Omaha will be busy.  Yesterday, the Wisconsin team bus passed me downtown, so they're in town.  (It's almost a stereotype, but shortly after the bus passed, it smelled just like a bratwurst.  Is it possible to power a bus on brat drippings?)

If you ask me, an event like the NCAA Wrestling championship is a bigger coup for Omaha and MECA than getting the NCAA basketball tournament.  Wrestling brings visitors in from out of town and increases tourism.  Basketball merely lines the pockets of greedy Creighton fans who hoard and scalp tickets.

Speaking of Creighton fan, they had to play their CTI game at the Civic Auditorium since the Qwest Center was being set up for NCAA wrestling.  So how did they get their devoted fans that pack the Qwest Center to squeeze into the much smaller Civic?  Turns out that wasn't an issue; only 4,348 tickets were sold, and even fewer bothered to show up.  To quote UNO's Red Army: 

"Oooh!  Ahhh!  Smaller than a Knights Crowd!"

Meanwhile, there's talk that the NCAA might expand the basketball tournament to 96 teams.  Is that a good deal or a bad deal?  It depends on how they choose to play the additional games.  I'm not sure there's a good case to be made that the teams that missed the cut have a realistic chance to make an impact on the tournament.  Adding those teams just waters down the tournament, but the impact could be lessened if the additional 32 games are condensed into one day.  Take all 8 first round sites, and put them all in use with 7 or 8 games going on simultaneously.  Let CBS have a field day blipping you from game to game; certainly there's going to be at least one game that's going to be interesting to watch.  Then take the 64 remaining teams and play them on Friday and Saturday, filling the whole day with basketball.  Finally, consolidate the former second round games onto Sunday into 5 time slots starting at 11 am and going all evening.

Don't make the same mistake the BCS made by stretching the tournament out.  Fans don't really want those weekend games moved to Tuesday and Wednesday nights.  Give fans a reason to pay attention to those additional 32 "opening round" or "play in" games by jamming them into one day and turning it into a smorgasbord of basketball excess.  (Remember what New Years Day used to be like before the BCS stretched out the bowl season over a whole week?)  That might make a 96 team tournament palatable.

Probably won't happen, because this plan might only add two or three timeslots for the networks to sell ads.  ESPN or CBS probably would prefer to drag it out as long as possible.  Heck, let's spread the first round over the entire weekend, and just drag it out... play the Final Four on Memorial Day weekend.  Good for fans?  Hardly, but that seems to be the fashion in this sports economy.

A Day of Duds for Omaha & Nebraska Sports

After dropping game one last night, the UNO hockey team took Ferris State to overtime, only to have the season end :23 seconds into overtime, losing 3-2.  UNO fans got their hopes up with the Mavs hot streak over the last six weeks, but the streak came crashing to a halt with the loss.  The loss drops UNO to 22nd in the PairWise, effectively eliminating UNO's hopes for an NCAA tournament berth.

It certainly was a fun ride in recent weeks, but the loss doesn't dampen the optimism about the future of the program.  Lots of good young players return next season:  Terry Broadhurst, Brandon Richardson, Alex Hudson, and John Faulkner for starters.  They know what to expect this offseason and will be ready for the Dean Blais system much faster next season.  UNO will miss seniors Eddie DelGrosso, Mark Bernier, and Dan Swanson next season, but I think Blais will find more than adequate replacements.  Disappointed with the loss and the end of the season, but I'm even more optimistic about the future of UNO hockey.

Right after that, UNO's men's basketball season ended with a 75-71 loss to Tarleton State in the first round of the NCAA Division II basketball tournament.  The one bright spot is the wrestling team won their second straight national championship today over at the Sapp Fieldhouse.  That's five out of the last seven years; now THAT'S an accomplishment.

This afternoon, Nebraska's women's basketball team suffered their first loss of the season as Texas A&M beat Nebraska 80-70 in the semifinals of the Big XII tournament.  Nebraska's season will continue in the NCAA tournament next weekend, but now the question is whether the Lady Huskers will hang onto a #1 seed.  Heck of a run though for Connie Yori's group.

Ah well, the sun will come up tomorrow...even if it'll likely be cloudy all day.

How 'bout Dat: Huskers Beat Mizzou in KC

To paraphrase Mark Twain, the reports of the demise of the Husker basketball season this afternoon were greatly exaggerated.  After the last week, it's easy to see why most folks didn't give Nebraska much of a chance...but to tell you the truth, tracking the score from work, I wasn't completely surprised by the early parts of the game.  As I admitted earlier, I haven't watched a lot of Husker basketball this season, but they've had stretches where they've played well.  Certainly well enough that they probably could have been a .500 team in the conference if they hadn't collapsed in the final five minutes of some games.

What surprised me is that when Missouri went on a run in the final five minutes, Nebraska didn't fold this time.  Brandon Richardson nails a clutch three while getting fouled, then hits the free throw with under four minutes to go.  Then, when Missouri went on an 8-0 run, you could almost hear the muttering across the state "here they go again"  Yet they went out and made their free throws, and finished off the listless Tigers.

Great win?  Absolutely.  But Nebraska basketball is still down to their final loss in all likelihood.  CBI?  CIT?  That's a stretch for a sub .500 team, even from the best conference in college basketball.

Can they repeat the formula from today?  It starts with great shooting, and Nebraska shot nearly 56% from the field.  Getting Bear Jones and Ryan Anderson back on the floor was a huge lift.  Interesting that Christian Standhardinger didn't play as Doc Sadler went for a more defensive performance.  Only 9 guys played, which probably won't work tomorrow playing for the second straight day.  Standhardinger will have to play, if only to give the others a break.

Nothing to lose tomorrow for the Huskers; the season is already lasting longer than many thought.  I wonder how many Husker fans left the Sprint Center needing to go find a hotel room?  (Then I realized that most of them planned to stick around to watch the Husker women, who play on Friday.)  So the "off day" will have some Husker hoops after all.

UNO Sweeps Bowling Green; Ferris State Up Next

UNO easily cruised this weekend to a pair of 6-1 victories over Bowling Green in the first round of the CCHA playoffs.  The overmatched Falcons did score the opening goal of the series with a fluky goal that ricocheted off the post then off goalie Jeremie Dupont's back before crossing the goal line.  From there, UNO scored almost at will both evenings.  Bowling Green desperately rotated through all of their goalies during the weekend, trying to find someone to slow down the Mavs...but it didn't matter who was in goal with the lack of support from the rest of the Falcons.  The Mavericks were simply faster, stronger, and more skilled than Bowling Green.  Case in point:  on Friday night, Alex Hudson got called for a tripping penalty that reminded me of a few of Ndamukong Suh's penalties this season.  He was just so much bigger and stronger than the other guy that it just looked like a penalty.

The highlight of the weekend was Dan Swanson swatting a Bowling Green attempt to clear the puck out of midair, gaining control of the puck, then burying the puck in the back of the net faster than you could chant "Where's My Sharpie?"  (That and my inability to track the score Saturday night as we chanted after every goal...)

Next up for the Mavs will be #13 Ferris State in a best of three series in Big Rapids, Michigan.  Ferris swept the Mavs back during the December slump; I get the feeling the Mavs are playing a wee bit better now.  Win two games this weekend, and UNO not only earns a trip to the CCHA semifinals at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit...but also moves closer and closer to an NCAA berth.  UNO is currently on the wrong side of the bubble, currently sitting in a four-way tie for 16th place in the PairWise.  16 teams make the NCAA tournament, and with the Atlantic Hockey Association an autobid, the best case scenario is the top 15 teams in the PairWise will get an invite.  If UNO makes it to "the Joe", the Mavs should be very close to that Top 15. They'd probably pass Ferris, and if Alaska defeats Northern Michigan, that might open up another spot.  Add in more upsets elsewhere in college hockey, and you just never know.

With Husker Hoops, that Light at the End of the Tunnel was Another Train

Last Saturday, Husker basketball fans thought Nebraska basketball had made the breakthrough in upsetting Texas Tech in double overtime.  Something to build on?  Maybe a reversal of fortune?

Hardly.  Nebraska built on that victory with a comatose performance against Colorado on Senior Night, and now are getting blown out by Oklahoma State in Stillwater.  Nebraska will finish the season in the cellar of the Big XII, and the grumbling has begun about Doc Sadler.  Is it time to pull the plug on Sadler?

No, though the concerns are valid.  First things first is to put this season in perspective.  Nebraska basketball was predicted to finish 11th.  The roster was full of new names and faces... and the Big XII is a monster this season.  Kansas and Kansas State could be #1 seeds in the NCAA tournament, and seven teams are currently projected to get NCAA bids.

Frankly, it's what we should have expected.  We're now feeling the effects of Steve Pederson's starvation of the Nebraska basketball program.  In 2006, the failure to extend or terminate Barry Collier's contract sent a bad message to potential recruits that Nebraska didn't care about basketball.  Nebraska never had a chance to get those players...and four years later, those players are now upperclassmen at other programs.  That vacuum is now hitting the Husker program hard.

Doc Sadler didn't help himself much with his early recruiting.  Hired late in the summer of 2006, he got a late start on recruiting for the 2007 class ... and misfired.  (Shang Ping, anybody?)  Add in some misadventures in administration (Roburt Sallie, anybody?), and you've got a huge hole to dig out of.

I admit I haven't watched Nebraska basketball closely this season; it's been painful to watch at times.  They've been in a bunch of games, but failed miserably in the closing minutes to turn "competitive" into "another loss".  In the second half, they led both Kansas (at Allen Fieldhouse, no less) and Kansas State (in Manhattan).  Tempted us with top 25 Baylor.  Got disemboweled by the Longhorns, then blown out this week.  They lack solid guard play, and get owned inside.  (Jorge Brian Diaz looked pathetic at times inside today against Oklahoma State.)

But I have seen little flashes of potential.  Christian Standhardinger could become a playmaker if he grasps a more disciplined system.  Injuries to Toney McCray and Christopher Niemann limited the depth before the season Evan began.  The Big XII shouldn't be so stout next season.

Pulling the plug on Doc Sadler would be premature at this point.  I'm not saying that Doc Sadler has proven that he's the right coach, but he did show potential his first three seasons.  He's got to upgrade the talent level, and I think he recognizes it.  But it's not as bad as it seems; prior to today's game, Sagarin had NU #100 in the country.  Not nearly as bad as another program in this state that some people feel has surpassed the Huskers.  (Well, we've always questioned the BrieJay and BratJay fan...)

So Nebraska will likely face Mizzou in Kansas City to close out the season.  The Tigers should be p-o'ed about getting run out of their own building by the hated Jayhawks; not a good combination for NU unless they can find some more lightning in a bottle.  Postseason is now pretty much out of the question; the Huskers next loss will be the last game of the season.

All I can say is you've got to have hope.  Two years ago, Missouri fans questioned Mike Anderson and the future of the Tiger basketball program.  Things worked out for them.  Could they work out still for Doc Sadler?  The jury is still out...but I don't see any reason to stop those proceedings at this time.  Not yet, anyway.  Nobody should be happy with this season, but nobody should hit the panic button either.