A great article over at Tomahawk Nation that breaks down the viewership valuation of football versus basketball and where the ACC teams stand based upon television draw. Definitely worth a read and it is the opening point of discussion here on the Shorts today. It seems, at least in 2011, that Florida State is the most valuable property from an eyeballs standpoint and while they are not runaway kings of the television set the fact is they have a right to feel like they are carrying a large portion of the ACC's load when it comes to TV sets. So what does it all mean? With a team that's trying to run down Florida, Georgia, Auburn and Alabama on the recruiting trail, money is pretty damn important and they most certainly should explore options.
We also take a quick second to comment on the barely hanging on $2,000 stipend debate. Financially challenged schools are fighting to keep relief out of their athletes hands; all for the sake of not allowing a school that can afford it to help their kids out. Really just shows the self-centered drive when it comes to schools and the divide that is very real between the haves and have nots. We'll keep eyes on this because while the four-team playoff thing is great to stroke off fans, this is something that can actually help the sport.
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The college football bubble is swelling. FBS teams like UT-San Antonio, Texas State and South Alabama have decided to step up to the big plate. Now Liberty is seeking to do the same. My guy, Kyle Kensing over at Saturday Blitz, wrote a pretty compelling article about this "boom" mentality and the idea that they can get more money by getting to the FBS level. Ultimately it boils down to sustainability and if you have not seen recently, FBS football does not exactly sustain itself. It takes money, lots of it, to field a team; and even more to field a consistent winner.
So how do you regulate it? How do you save schools from themselves and their own delusions of grandeur? Right now, you can't. You need smart athletic directors; like at Appalachian State and Villanova. Men who realize the expanded travel for all programs and increased scholarships are a cost that can cripple an athletic department. It ultimately is not fair to the schools or to the programs to push for a goal that they will never reach.
To listen to the show click here or subscribe to one of the methods listed below.
If you want the podcast you must subscribe to the Feedburner , but if you want to subscribe to the blog please use the RSS Feed . This is for iTunes to be able to archive the shows. You can also search for "In The Bleachers"on iTunes and subscribe to the podcast that way. You can also find us on Stitcher Radio now!!
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We're podcasting folks! Today's topic? We've got Florida State set up on a platter. If you were like me this weekend, totally disconnected and enjoying your real life (I was at a dope ass wedding in Albemarle!), then let me catch you up with some articles. Here's the Andy Haggard bomb that started the Florida State is upset firestorm. Then, Randy Spetman the Florida State AD came out and towed the "We're happy in the ACC" line, as he was supposed to. Plus the head coach, Jimbo Fisher, let us know he's all about doing what's best for the Seminoles, and if that's the Big Twelve then do it.
So, now you're caught up. Dan Wetzel at Yahoo! wrote a good piece on the Noles and getting the most bang for their buck. In this short I try to look at both sides of the coin. One, it must be recognized that Florida State is in a unique position where the cash matters a lot more than it does to most other ACC schools. That cannot be discounted and if they can get more elsewhere than by all means they should explore that option. However, it must also be noted that had Florida State won a bit more then perhaps the contract would look a bit different from a financials standpoint.
To listen to the show click here or subscribe to one of the methods listed below.
If you want the podcast you must subscribe to the Feedburner , but if you want to subscribe to the blog please use the RSS Feed . This is for iTunes to be able to archive the shows. You can also search for "In The Bleachers"on iTunes and subscribe to the podcast that way. You can also find us on Stitcher Radio now!!
Blackberry users like your fearless leader can paste this link into the "Add Podcast Channel" option when you download the Blackberry Podcast App.
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We've got Jim Delany up on the shorts today folks. Yesterday at the mothership I took a spin on Delany's new plan about not allowing non-division winners into the four-team playoff. The head man for the B1G has 2011 Alabama squarely in his sights and he is aiming at the SEC to make sure this never happens again. We get it Jim, you have a legitimate fear for what happens if the Southeastern Conference keeps having a couple of the best teams in the nation.
Delany talks resume and scheduling but never discusses the actual best teams. Nick Saban has a response to the commissioner's idea about champions playing and it is a simple one: "Hell No." People want to see the best teams and to ignore that would be ignoring the reason behind this playoff push. Evaluating teams is an active science, not a passive one. Active means film evaluation then tweaking and re-tweaking based upon on-field play. That does not mean looking at a resume and just picking who is the best off of a computer print out. Hopefully more people will realize this as we go forward.
To listen to the show click here or subscribe to one of the methods listed below.
If you want the podcast you must subscribe to the Feedburner , but if you want to subscribe to the blog please use the RSS Feed . This is for iTunes to be able to archive the shows. You can also search for "In The Bleachers"on iTunes and subscribe to the podcast that way. You can also find us on Stitcher Radio now!!
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The ACC just agreed to a revamped media deal with ESPN. The deal is for $3.6 billion over 15 years and gives the Worldwide Leader exclusive rights to all ACC contests on a first, second and third tier basis. Some folks reacted as though the league has finally made it big. Others were beyond disappointed as they looked at the numbers and saw more of the same. Today, I take a quick spin around the podcast to give some thoughts on the new media deal.
From where I sit, the deal is good but not great. It closes the gap but does not eliminate it by any means. But, ultimately it is the bed the ACC has made for itself and while Florida State and Clemson want for more, the on the field product has to warrant the pay out and it has not.
Enjoy the show folks and if you have topics or questions send them into me via twitter.
To listen to the show click here or subscribe to one of the methods listed below.
If you want the podcast you must subscribe to the Feedburner , but if you want to subscribe to the blog please use the RSS Feed. This is for iTunes to be able to archive the shows. You can also search for "In The Bleachers"on iTunes and subscribe to the podcast that way. You can also find us on Stitcher Radio now!!
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It's been a long time, but we're back on the air waves. I've been looking for a way to continue to bring the podcast while handling the duties at the mothership and finally arrived at this solution: short daily takes for the people. I'm still going to pick up the guests going forward but right now I've had a need to podcast and this is a way to take a lot of what I've been writing about and spin it into something you all can consume on the reg.
First up, we've got the new rule at Miami. Here's the take from Your Best 11 and on the show I get into why I don't like the rule or the rule's provisions to thwart talking to agents. I also give some quick thoughts about the "Should We Ban College Football" debate that took place last night. If you have not watched the debate, you can find that two hour video here. It is an, um, interesting watch and one that I hope my readers and listeners are better prepared for than the average Joe; a lot of it is stuff we've already covered here at ITB.
Oh, and we're on Stitcher Radio now people!
To listen to the show click here or subscribe to one of the methods listed below.
If you want the podcast you must subscribe to the Feedburner , but if you want to subscribe to the blog please use the RSS Feed. This is for iTunes to be able to archive the shows. You can also search for "In The Bleachers"on iTunes and subscribe to the podcast that way.
Blackberry users like your fearless leader can paste this link into the "Add Podcast Channel" option when you download the Blackberry Podcast App.
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Things are still rocking and rolling at the mothership but we've got a Tuesday treat for you all via the radio waves and the miracles of podcasting. I joined The Insiders, Mark Thomas and Mike Maniscalco, to talk about the ACC, the SEC and the NFL draft. The ACC is not devoid of all talent but even as the league's NFL draft pick numbers remain among the nation's best, the teams cannot get wins on the field. Obviously I have a brilliant plan on how to fix this, it involves a time machine and will never happen.
Then, of course, we talk about the most recent development on the college football landscape. A PLAYOFF IS COMING AND OMG IT IS GOING TO BE SO FREAKING TOTALLY AWESOME AND BETTER THAN EVERYTHING EVER!! Have a listen as I thrust and parry my way to not embracing this change for anything but more ways to complain about college football for everyone. Mark my words people, you will not be happy!
But in all seriousness, there are some issues that still exist and playoff or not they need to be addressed before we can call this next step a solution. As always, a great time on ESPN Triangle with the guys from 620 The Buzz.
Thanks to my man Josh Goodson for getting me the audio so quickly.
To listen to the show click here or subscribe to one of the methods listed below.
If you want the podcast you must subscribe to the Feedburner , but if you want to subscribe to the blog please use the RSS Feed. This is for iTunes to be able to archive the shows. You can also search for "In The Bleachers"on iTunes and subscribe to the podcast that way.
Blackberry users like your fearless leader can paste this link into the "Add Podcast Channel" option when you download the Blackberry Podcast App.
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Yes, we're on the Google+ so find "+Michael Felder" on there and we'll get you in the ITB Circle!
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Finally got a little time to get around to this UNC post, if you didn't know folks the kid has been working like crazy. For starters, yes, I went to the game. Sat in 107-ish for a good little sideline view. Some nice ladies sat next to us and they asked me football questions and I was answering them. Got to sit with Jonathan Jones from Carolina Blue and Erin Summers from WRAL too. Here is an overview and the stats if you're interested in those type things.
The first take away from the game as they came out and got started was the size, or lack thereof. The team is noticeably smaller, especially on the lines. That's a product of two things; the strength and conditioning program design and the actual practices themselves. Fedora has changed from the NFL styled practices that UNC has had, well since forever, and gone with a similar practice scheme to what Meyer has implemented at Ohio State, what Chip Kelly uses at Oregon and the like. Less standing around for the back ups, more reps for everyone and a lot more conditioning done during the drills themselves.
Some folks like this, some don't. In principle, for me, I'm not a fan of it. I like the pro styled approach of heavy reps for the ones, less for the twos and so on; but to be fair both are great ways to practice when you can get the desired goal.
It is Friday and I must admit I'm looking forward to writing this post, been a hectic week over at the mothership people. If you're not already checking Your Best 11 out over at my new fulltime gig then you're missing a lot of my writing. Like all of it. I've got Petrino hammered down over there. I've got your Top 150 players in the nation over there. In short folks, I got that work.
Going a less fun direction with the music today, but that's mostly because of what we're about to get into in the meat of Fetch Friday.
So, if you haven't seen or heard the Gregg Williams audio out of New Orleans then you probably want to do that now, because I'm about to wax all philosophical like on it.
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What's really good people?! Today is Friday and while I'll be slogging it out at the new basecamp there's something I really wanted to hit this week before I dive into work. We'll get to that after the jump, for now I've got a handful of fun things to hit on. No particular order of importance but I'm putting this first because I definitely need folks to get over to the site and vote. The Sandwich Bracket is raging folks and while your March Madness Bracket got busted and you had 0 control over it, the Sandwich Bracket is one that people like you get a say in. Go vote for the regionals, go help turn the fortunes of the Kentucky Hot Brown, the Country Ham Biscuit and all the other regionals.
So now some Flo Rida because I'm in that sort of a mood.
People, I'm doing a Spartan Race tomorrow so there is only one thing to say; #Pray4Felder. My best friend, a college teammate of mine, and I are going to partake in this thing and combined I think we have like six days of actual training for it. None of it in the last three weeks. Neither of us are good at running any sort of distance. Neither of us particularly enjoys physical challenge. Both of us will finish and we'll have some folks there taking photographic proof of this. Also proof that I'm doing it is right here, I'm bib number 1388. THAT'S MY LUCKY NUMBER! NOT!!
Now we'll get into the fetch because I've got something pretty serious to go with a Fetch Friday veteran.
