The Super Cold Bowl

Today it was announced that Super Bowl XLVIII (that's 48) in 2014 will be played in New York/New Jersey. This will be the first cold weather Super Bowl in my lifetime, so I have no reference on reaction to previous cold weather championships except what I've seen on NFL films.

But I can always offer my opinion, and there's no way you can stop me.

Moving past the fact that the NFL can't seem to choose one team to host, because the city of New York and state of New Jersey force their professional teams to share a stadium. This has the potential to be one of the greatest, or one of the worst decisions in recent NFL history.

I've seen mixed reactions to this decision as well. Some media think it's great. Others don't. Some players love the idea, including Eli Manning who said in a television interview that one of his favorite games was the NFC Championship in Green Bay, one of the coldest games ever in NFL history. Others I'm sure would rather be on the beach in Miami partying with girls in bikinis and free drinks all week.

Don't tell me that the players don't drink that week. I've seen pictures. If you don't play in the game, the next best thing is to party the whole week. Those parties won't be as glamourous stuffed inside a New York bar as they were last year out in the Miami sunshine.

But here's what matters, there's a game to be played. That is the ONLY thing that matters. Who, and how that game is played are all circumstances that we won't know until the week of the game. If the game is Arizona vs. Miami, then both teams are at an equal disadvantage. If it's Giants vs Jets, then it will be the weirdest Super Bowl I can remember, but at least both teams will be used to the weather, which will give neither team an advantage.

Michael Strahan said it best, "Talent can handle any weather."

If you want to complain about the weather and make excuses, then you don't need to be in the Super Bowl.

So grab some hand warmers, foot warmers, extra socks, gloves, hat, coat, heated bench, and space heaters and let's play. And if you have a dome, that might not hurt either.

Conference Expansion Part 4

Uh oh...

Now we have more "reports" that are mentioning conference expansion. This time, it's the SEC. As I learned in this Anchor Of Gold article a Knoxville, TN radio station has come out to say that IF (I repeat... IF) the SEC was to expand, the schools they would supposedly look at are Texas, Texas A&M, Clemson, Georgia Tech, and if the Texas pair doesn't work out, Florida State, and Miami.

With these newest developments, I am given the wonderful opportunity to continue the discussion on possible conference expansion. However, the last few posts have all been about if the big 6 BCS conferences were to combine and expand into 4 Super Conferences.

But what about the possibility of keeping 6 and only moving certain teams around? What about the possibility of each conference having between 10 and 14 (at most) schools? Wait... Is that right? No. Damn the Big East with their 8 football and 16 basketball teams.

So let's revisit the situation at hand. The Big 10 has reportedly offered to Mizzou, Nebraska, Notre Dame, and Rutgers. The SEC is now eyeing Texas, Texas A&M, Clemson, and Georgia Tech. The two assumptions that you have to make are that 1) each conference would like to have an even number of teams, and 2) each conference will keep a somewhat normal geographic footprint (meaning the Pac-10 isn't going to offer Rutgers a spot). The key word is "somewhat" and I choose that word on purpose, because if you look at a map of current BCS footprints, you see that there isn't a normality to it at all. Once again... Damn you Big East!!!



Looking at that map, the SEC has 4 split states: Kentucky, South Carolina, Florida and Georgia. If you look at the names of possible targets of expansion, it includes 4 states: South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, and Texas.

If you look at the Big 10, there are 3 split states: Iowa, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Their targets include 4 states: Indiana, Missouri, Nebraska, and New Jersey.

I know people are saying that the motivation behind possible expansion is driven by money, and I totally agree. But there seems to also be a feel, at least with the SEC, to secure a geographic footprint of the conference. If you think in military terms, they're making the wall around their city.

I think if the SEC makes a push for Texas and Texas A&M they are doing it based solely on money. Every college sports fan knows that Texas has a following that could invade Poland, and Texas A&M fans have enough people to keep the Longhorn fans out of Poland. The size, alumni, and money from those two schools alone could totally change the landscape of college sports if they were to change conferences.

And their closest neighbor?? The wonderfully successful, storied, and also wealthy, Southeastern Conference.

So geographically, the SEC makes the best fit for a possible change for the Texas pair. But do they fit with the SEC? I don't think so.

Since this is a blog by a fan and I don't have to follow the rules, I won't. I'm an SEC person through and through. And there is something different that the SEC has that nobody else seems to have. It goes all the way back to the civil war and slavery, and plantations, and the settling of the United States of America. There is more pride in the south than any other region of the USA. Can you tell me another REGION that has a flag? If you see a red flag, blue stripes, and white stars you immediately associate with the south.

With that in mind, I think the SEC officials have a strong sense of pride for their already successful conference. So why would you add two schools that will totally and drastically change the dynamic? If we're not going to 16, let's get the best possible fit to keep the already successful product running like it should. The answer: Clemson and Georgia Tech.

Solidifying the states of South Carolina and Georgia as SEC states, it alienates the state of Florida from the rest of the ACC states, while maintaining the tradition, mentality, and success of the SEC. Both schools have existing rivals in the SEC, and have played other SEC teams in the past few years. This means that current SEC fans already know these new schools, and one of the most important parts of the SEC are the fans.

The SEC is sundress clad female students, standing next to their seersucker wearing male students, both complete with canned cheap beer and solo cup liquor drinks. It is massive tents and grills for each family cooking their own version of burgers, brats, ribs, or sometimes gator meat gumbo. It is showing up to the field at 9 AM with a full cooler and tailgating plans, when the game starts at 9 PM and you don't even have tickets. The SEC is having so much compassion for your team that you succeed when they succeed, you fight when they fight, and you suffer when they suffer.

Like this guy.



Wait a minute... You mean to tell me that's a Clemson fan? After a game with Georgia Tech?!?

I rest my case.

The World Cup

I couldn't come up with a catchy title for this post, but that's because there isn't one. There doesn't need to be a catchy title for something that captures the entire world, everybody already knows. The Olympics don't need a nickname. The Super Bowl doesn't need a catch phrase. The World Cup is simply what it is.

The. World. Cup.

Some would argue that it's bigger than the Olympics. I would probably agree. As much as I love watching women's curling in February with hot Swedish girls throwing rocks down ice with brooms and screaming so loud in can sometimes be mistaken for sexual noises if you're in the other room... The World Cup is different.

One sport. The same teams throughout. The same players throughout. Opening round, then single elimination. No second place. No ties (after the opening round). This is a tournament at its most basic level. Win and move on, lose and go home.

The only other sporting tournament that could compare is March Madness, college basketball's catchy name for the NCAA Division 1 Basketball Championship.

But The World Cup is not "June Madness Every Four Years", nor does it need opening and closing ceremonies. Every player knows why they're there. They know what's at stake. They know when it starts. This year they'll arrive and be ready to go from the moment they breathe the South African air.

Americans don't like soccer because there isn't much glory. But there are more guts than you'd believe. In my opinion, no sport plays harder than World Cup soccer.

NFL football plays for 4 quarters of 15 minutes, but with breaks. Players will play just under half the game usually. NHL hockey, plays 3 periods of 20 minutes each, but with shifts. Each player working around 20-30 minutes a game (except the goalie). MLB plays 9 full innings, but at the pace of a golf match. Speaking of golf, they play for 18 holes which could last for 3 or more hours, but they walk, and somebody else carries their equipment. NBA plays 4 quarters of 12 minutes, not even a full hour of actual game time, and they can be subbed out at any time of the game and come back later, along with breaks at each quarter.

No sport plays harder or longer than World Cup players (ok... Rugby is a bitch of a sport. I know). Soccer games are for 90 minutes, 1.5 hours with only one halftime. Teams have limited substitutions, so most of the players will be on the field the entire time. Conditioning at its finest.

And you wanna talk about hits? Watch these: Tab Ramos, Zidane, and these random ones.

This all boils down to one thing. I love The World Cup. It's my favorite time of every four years.

Sleaze and Talent: The Story of LeBron and Calipari

We've all heard about LeBron James' contract ending this summer. I've even heard it referenced to as the "Summer of LeBron" on Sportscenter. So now that his season is over, everybody seems to have shifted focus from LeBron's elbow to his contract... or lack thereof.

So what happens now? Was that the last time LeBron took off his Cavs jersey? Was it the last time he'll go into the home locker room in Cleveland? Hell if I know... but what I can give you is... (cheesy drum roll)... The Fans Point Of View. (Bum Bum Baaa).

I'm not a contract expert by any means, and I don't know the budgets of the teams in the NBA. But what I can tell you is what I saw at the end of Game 6. That's a team that quit, with a leader that quit, and a coach that couldn't do anything to inspire his team.

When LeBron and the Cavs didn't foul with a minute left, or 40 seconds left, or 20 seconds left, all I could think was "They don't want to play anymore." Not just play in that game, but in that city, on that team, for that coach, or as a team. I saw a team that was more ready for the offseason than they were for overtime.

They got what they wanted, an offseason that will be more exciting and expensive than any other offseason before it. Teams have traded and worked deals to have the ability to give a MAXIMUM contract offer to the two-time MVP. I've heard of a salary cap, but I always thought it applied to the team. Not just one player.

LeBron is only 25, and he's going to paid more money than any other basketball player EVER. And he knew it from the beginning of this past season. He knew it from the season before that. And now it's a reality. LeBron: I hope you have multiple bank accounts, because you're gonna need them for the millions of dollars you're about to receive.

So what does money attract? Greedy, selfish people. Enter the one, the only, John Calipari, notorious for the "1 and done" college basketball players who attend classes for only the first semester. Calipari, who has left two schools in near ruins because of accusations of illegal recruiting. Calipari, who has never won a championship at any level. Calipari, who has more money in his hair than Pat Riley and Rick Petino combined. Calipari, the most hated man in college basketball today.

Now we have talks of the two being a coach/player package for an NBA organization. With LeBron being the most sought after player of any recent memory, he has the ball in his court, and we've seen what he can do with a basketball in his hands.

In order for a team to land LeBron, it seems they'll also have to land Calipari. The balance of power has shifted, and some team somewhere will bend to these demands. But with a coach that's never won, and a two-time MVP that's never won, what can we expect from them? We'll just have to wait and see.

Notre Dame and the Big 10

So what happens if the Big 10 doesn't get all 4 teams that they've propositioned? What happens if they get 1? or 3? This article has the take on the SEC reaction if this happens, but what about the rest of the world? Time to take a deeper look into the possibility of conference expansion...

Let's start with what we know. The Big 10 has offered Nebraska, Missouri, Rutgers, and Notre Dame a spot in the conference.

When I was young, I watched Sesame Street. They played a game on the show called "One of these things is not like the other." Thank you Notre Dame for volunteering to demonstrate.

If Notre Dame joins the Big 10, what are the real consequences? NBC loses their weekly Saturday Catholic Mass (hell, they might not lose it. This whole thing seems to be revolving around TV rights and money anyway). Other than that, the Big East loses a basketball school, which would make their conference tournament only last 6-8 weeks instead of the full 3 months. IN MY OPINION, Notre Dame joining the Big 10 is actually a GOOD thing.

pause... breathe... Yes I said it. Notre Dame in the Big 10 is a good combination. It puts the conference at an even number (12), and Notre Dame already has rivalries with member schools. Geographically it makes more sense than them joining the Big East, and they have the ability and scholarship money to compete on the recruiting front. Coming back to the TV aspect, this move gives the Big 10 the possibility of joining the conference with NBC, not just Notre Dame.

Talking more about the money and TV issues, (which is what this whole debate seems to circle around) the Big 10 network has already proved to be profitable for the conference. Add in a weekly showcase of Notre Dame and/or another big name member school, suddenly there are connections with 2 big networks, NBC and the partnership between Fox Sports and the Big 10 Network.

Hello conference visibility. Worried about fighting with the SEC now?

Yeah the SEC and ESPN signed a deal bigger than A-Rod, Lebron, and Peyton Manning combined. And, no that won't go away for another 15 or so years. But will anybody be able to truly compete with that without something HUGE going down in conference restructuring? NO. So this is the best possible situation for both Notre Dame and the Big 10.

Rutgers just flat doesn't make sense, unless you're trying to dissolve the Big East. But why would the Big 10 want to do that? Oh wait... money. Right.

Missouri and Nebraska?? Mizzou ok... I can see that because of geographic location. But Nebraska? No way. Once again it comes down to poaching and trying to dissolve other conferences to improve their own standing.

I am in no way bad mouthing the Big 10. They made the first move in a chess match of survival.

If I was in a hole and needed to get out, I'd pull others in and stand on their shoulders too.

Sorry Big East and Big 12, you might be buried sooner than you think.

Super Conferences, new and updated

In light of recent reports and rumors, I decided to work a little with my previous post suggesting four new "Super Conferences."

The stories are being passed around that the Big 10 has offered a spot to Nebraska (Big 12 North), Missouri (Big 12 North), Notre Dame (Independent), and Rutgers (Big East).

*Side Note: I had the Big 12 North joining the Big 10 and creating the North Conference. So I was 50% correct before the rumors. Quick pause for a self pat on the back.

The one that stands out in this group is Rutgers. Why Rutgers? New Jersey is not near any of the states that hold current Big 10 teams, the closest is Pennsylvania, where the eastern most outcast of the Big 10 presides, Penn State. Everybody seems to be talking about how the Big 12 is going to be picked apart by other conferences, and they will probably be right about it (in a few years).

By offering Rutgers a spot in a new conference, the Big East suddenly looks like Calista Flockhart in her skinny days. With only 7 members supporting football teams, how long can the conference survive?

In the SEC, football is king. In the Big East, basketball is king. But can a conference survive on basketball alone? It'll be interesting to see what happens if Rutgers decides to move on to greener, bigger pastures.

In regards to my Super 4, there are certain things to note before we get started. First, note that the following is all hypothetical. Second, note that Penn State has now moved into the North with the rest of the Big 10, leaving a spot in the East. We'll now work through all four Super Conferences assuming that the offers are all accepted. First we'll fill out the North.

NORTH:

If all 4 teams bolt, the Big 10 will have 15 football and basketball schools. With a goal of having 16 teams each, the next logical addition to the conference is Iowa State. The Big 10 already has half the state with Iowa, and with 2 other members of the Big 12 North joining, the Cyclones won't be the lone sheep moving to the North. As Seth Davis says, "I'm going sharpie on this one."

Kansas, Kansas State, and Colorado are now homeless, but not forgotten. We'll get back to them.

EAST:

The East now has three open spots if we use my previous arrangement because of Notre Dame, Rutgers, and Penn State moving to the North. So who fills in? Let's pull some of those southern ACC teams back into the mix. If you look in the previous version of the South, there are 4 ACC teams. Time to play "Let's Make A Deal."

I'll give you Louisville, if you'll give me Miami (FL), Florida State, Georgia Tech, and Clemson. Sound fair? Sure. Let's do it. The East is now made up of what is left of the Big East (minus Rutgers Louisville), and the ACC.

Let's go sharpie here too.

SOUTH:

With the newly acquired Louisville, the South now has the 3 openings. Don't forget Kansas and Kansas State, as they could make the switch to the South, but I don't see that happening. Using the model I created previously, the South already has TCU, so look for the expansion to try to take Texas as a whole state, not just part.

Welcome Texas, Texas Tech, and Texas A&M to the party. Suddenly, the South becomes the measuring stick for what conference strength is all about.

Sharpie.

WEST:

The remaining homeless teams, Kansas, Kansas State, and Colorado, now have a home. Welcome to the high flying, hard-hitting West. Where the only team that will run on you like hard-nosed old school football teams used to will be Oklahoma. When you look at every other team, you see a flare that can only come with the West Coast. Take the Pac-10 showboating, add in a midwest corn-fed Big 12 feel, with the spice of Boise State and BYU and even the Rock can smell what's cooking out west.

I really wonder what he cooked that smelled so bad...

So there we are, with a few new offers, a trade, and the Rock we've reached our new layout. Something like this:

South	West	East	North
SEC	Pac-10	ACC/Big East	Big 10
Alabama	Arizona	Boston College	Illinois
Arkansas	Arizona State	North Carolina	Indiana
Auburn	California	NC State	Iowa
Florida	Oregon	Wake Forest	Michigan
Georgia	Oregon State	Virginia Tech	Michigan State
Kentucky	Stanford	Duke	Minnesota
LSU	UCLA	Cincinnati	Northwestern
Mississippi	USC	Connecticut	Ohio State
Mississippi State	Washington	Pittsburgh	Penn State
South Carolina	Colorado	South Florida	Purdue
Tennessee	Kansas	Syracuse	Wisconsin
Louisville	Kansas State	West Virginia	Rutgers
Texas	Oklahoma State	Miami (FL)	Notre Dame1
Texas A&M	Oklahoma	Florida State	Nebraska
Texas Tech	BYU1	Clemson	Missouri
TCU1	Boise State1	Georgia Tech	Iowa State
1Added to Super Conferences

Love it? Hate it? Leave a comment.

We Are Nashville

I toyed with the idea of writing my own version of this article, but there's no need. This says it best:

We Are Nashville

By

Patten Fuqua

Published: May 4, 2010

Allow me a moment to step away from the usual voice of this website.

What I am about to write has absolutely nothing to do with hockey.

If you live outside of Nashville, you may not be aware, but our city was hit by a 500-year flood over the last few days. The national news coverage gave us 15 minutes, but went back to focusing on a failed car bomb and an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. While both are clearly important stories, was that any reason to ignore our story? It may not be as terror-sexy as a failed car bomb or as eco-sexy as an oil spill, but that’s no reason to be ignored.

The Cumberland River crested at its highest level in over 80 years. Nashville had its highest rainfall totals since records began. People drowned. Billions of dollars in damage occurred. It is the single largest disaster to hit Middle Tennessee since the Civil War. And yet…no one knows about it.

Does it really matter? Eventually, it will…as I mentioned, there are billions of dollars in damage. It seems bizarre that no one seems to be aware that we just experienced what is quite possibly the costliest non-hurricane disaster in American history. The funds to rebuild will have to come from somewhere, which is why people need to know. It’s hard to believe that we will receive much relief if there isn’t a perception that we need it.

But let’s look at the other side of the coin for a moment. A large part of the reason that we are being ignored is because of who we are. Think about that for just a second. Did you hear about looting? Did you hear about crime sprees? No…you didn’t. You heard about people pulling their neighbors off of rooftops. You saw a group of people trying to move two horses to higher ground. No…we didn’t loot. Our biggest warning was, “Don’t play in the floodwater.” When you think about it…that speaks a lot for our city. A large portion of why we were being ignored was that we weren’t doing anything to draw attention to ourselves. We were handling it on our own.

Some will be quick to find fault in the way rescue operations were handled, but the fact of the matter is that the catastrophe could not have been prevented and it is simply ignorant beyond all reason to suggest otherwise. It is a flood. It was caused by rain. You can try to find a face to stick this tragedy to, but you’ll be wrong.

Parts of Nashville that could never even conceivably be underwater were underwater. Some of them still are. Opry Mills and the Opryland Hotel are, for all intents and purposes, destroyed. People died sitting in standstill traffic on the Interstate. We saw boats going down West End. And, of course, we all saw the surreal image of the portable building from Lighthouse Christian floating into traffic and being destroyed when cars were knocked into it. I’m still having trouble comprehending all of it.

And yet…life will go on. We’ll go back to work, to school, to our lives…and we’ll carry on. In a little over a month, I’ll be on this website talking about the draft. In October, we’ll be discussing the new Predators’ season with nary a thought of these past few days. But in a way, they changed everyone in this town. We now know that that it can happen to us…but also know that we can handle it.

Because we are Nashville.