With all the hoopla recently over the Longhorn Network, people are rushing to focus on how Texas is trying to take advantage of their recruiting prowess and continue to build barriers to entry into that arena. As if the Longhorn Network was the genesis of all this.
Recruiting in Texas has always been an uphill battle, considering the number of established recruiting services, and football camps that already exist as feeders to Texas universities. Most of these are run by alumni and associates of those universities and their biases are engrained. While we might squirm and feel uneasy about a 7 on 7 Tourney being held on the Nike campus in Beaverton, Oregon, what if we held one of the biggest 7 on 7 Tourney's right in Oregon's Autzen Stadium? At least Nike has vested interests in 10 out of the 12 schools in the Pac 12, and a majority of the schools nationwide.
I'd love it if the guys working these camps, or running these recruiting services for Nike would tell other schools that the the prize recruits "would not be going anywhere" other than Oregon. Unfortunately, that's against NCAA rules, unless you're a Texas high school coach. So if you're a small school with tremendous resources outside of the state of Texas, how are you ever going to make in-roads into some of those most fertile recruiting grounds? What if there was someone that had already shown an ability to identify talent and help PSA's navigate the difficult signing process? Would you hire such person?
Finally, if you were a Texas university, and you saw some serious talent leave the state year after year to one of these smaller schools, would you wonder how that happened? What if that happened in 2007, 2008. 2009 and even 2010? At what point would you finally get fed up with the fact that your golden high school coach's goose is no longer feeding your football family? Would losing a National Championship and then a 5 and 7 season push you over the NCAA snitch edge?
Well, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em, right Texas? Instead of being satisfied just inviting coaches and mentors to camps, and paying them a nominal fee for their week worth of services, might as well create a whole new TV Network where you can help showcase their talent, and funnel money to their high school via ESPN year long. We'll toss out your "recruiting services" like a baby seal to the NCAA killer whale and then backdoor our TV Network that lets us identify and steer recruits to our school to one up you and your so called "street agents." That ought to show 'em. No one messes with Texas.
Onto the links...
- Suddenly the guy that got so much fame from promulgating Texas' possible leave of the Big 12 to the Pac 10, is now saying that the LHN could be a ticking time bomb for UT. Ya think? You're telling me other schools in the conference are upset you have $15MM more a year in revenue and your own TV Network backed by ESPN to showcase current and future talent? And they're upset with this? Well, I hope nobody offers them a chance to leave your conference... oh yeah, nevermind.
- The Ducks basketball team picked up a surprise commit. While he obviously comes with some baggage, I'm willing to let Altman take some of these chances until they prove otherwise. On top of that, Woods allows the team overall to put guys back into their natural positions at PF. While we were definitely one of the smaller teams in the Pac last year, that won't be the case this coming season.
- YAY, more Willie Lyles news. Doesn't Willie just seem like a shyster name. Slick Willie. Silly Willie. I don't begrudge Coach Kelly from calling him Will. Who wants to be known as Willie?
That's the all the Quack I got. On a final note, "I'm a Duck" is always a valid response. Don't EVER let anyone tell you differently. You hear me talking Tennessee hill-billy boy!!!!